Small aircraft crashes in Romania, pilot dies at scene

On October 23, a small plane crashed in Vaslui County, eastern Romania, killing the pilot, authorities confirmed. 

The aircraft went down near the town of Băcani, and the pilot was found dead at the scene following a search operation, per Romanian news portal Digi24. 

According to TV TOTAL Vaslui and Agerpres, the victim was identified as Pavel Ion, 65, the owner of a local wine association. The aircraft was discovered near a wooded area on the outskirts of the town after the automatic E-CALL emergency system sent a distress signal to 112, following the loss of radio contact.

Ion had taken off from Suceava and was preparing to land on a private heliport located near his vineyards when the crash occurred. Preliminary information suggests that dense fog prevented a safe landing.

Firefighters from the Bârlad Detachment and an emergency medical team from the Bârlad SAJ substation responded to the scene. The pilot was found inside the cockpit with injuries incompatible with life and was pronounced dead by the attending physician.

Authorities have secured the area and launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.

By Khagan Isayev