A Turkish firefighting aircraft, an Air Tractor AT-802, crashed on 13 November 2025 in the area of Krivi Put above Senj, killing the pilot, who was the sole occupant on board. The aircraft, registered as OR-2025 and operated by the Turkish General Directorate of Forestry (Orman Genel Müdürlüğü), was en route to Zagreb for scheduled maintenance at ZTC and was not engaged in firefighting operations at the time. The day before, two Air Tractors departed from Çanakkale towards Croatia, but due to adverse weather conditions they diverted to Rijeka Airport, where they spent the night before continuing their journey.
The following morning, both aircraft departed for Zagreb, but deteriorating weather conditions in the afternoon prompted the pilots to return to Krk. During the return, the aircraft entered a dense cloud layer at around 1,500 metres. One of the Air Tractors managed to return safely and land in Rijeka, while the other soon lost radio contact and disappeared from radar. According to available information, the pilot issued a Mayday call shortly before the crash. At 16:53 the Civil Protection Operations Centre received a notification that the aircraft had vanished from radar, and at 17:11 a report was filed indicating that the aircraft had crashed and a fire had broken out at the site. Rescue efforts were hampered by difficult terrain, but teams reached the crash site shortly before 18:00, finding the wreckage engulfed in flames and the pilot’s body.
The Croatian Air, Maritime and Railway Accident Investigation Agency has launched a formal investigation and taken over the on-site inquiry. The crash site has been secured pending the start of official investigative procedures. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that no aircraft of the Croatian Air Force were involved in the incident. Turkish authorities confirmed the identity of the deceased pilot, Hasan Bahar, and stated that all circumstances of the crash are being examined in coordination with Croatian authorities. The cause of the crash remains unknown and will be determined upon completion of the technical and safety investigation.
