Four people were killed on Thursday when a small aircraft crashed in the Medulin area. According to information reported by HRT, the aircraft was flying from Linz, Austria, to Medulin, and the accident occurred in the final stage of the flight, near the airfield.
The aircraft was a Beechcraft Bonanza G36, manufactured in 2015, bearing the German registration D-ENTT. Four men were killed in the accident. Two of them, the pilots of the aircraft, were Austrian citizens, while the identification of the other two had not yet been completed at the time of publication.
The Air, Maritime and Railway Traffic Accident Investigation Agency received the official report of the crash at 11:20, from the Operational Communications Centre of the Istria Police Department and Croatia Control. The Agency’s director, Alana Vukić, said that an on-site investigation was under way and that all facts and circumstances would be established through the further safety investigation.
One of the witnesses to the accident was retired pilot Nijaz Delić, who was waiting for the aircraft to arrive at Medulin airfield. According to his account, the aircraft was flying normally until reaching an altitude of about 300 metres, after which it suddenly began flying in a spiral. He said the aircraft appeared to be attempting to level out, but still had a very steep angle toward the airfield before disappearing behind the trees. He added that there was no explosion after the crash.
Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene. All three emergency medical teams were activated, as well as the emergency helicopter service, but upon arrival at the crash site, four people were found with no signs of life.
According to the Agency, a preliminary report is expected to be published within 30 days, while the safety investigation will take several months. The Agency’s director noted that small aircraft generally do not have flight recorders, meaning the investigation will rely on evidence from the crash site, technical documentation, flight data and witness statements. Austrian authorities will also be involved in the process.
This was one of the most serious aviation accidents in Istria in recent years. As a reminder, three years ago a small aircraft crashed at Pula Airport, killing two people, while 13 years ago two people were also killed when a small aircraft crashed into the sea near Medulin.
Following the accident, various interpretations and comments appeared in public, with some media outlets addressing questions about the condition of the aircraft, the frequency of its maintenance or the pilots’ experience. At this stage, such claims are not part of any verified investigation findings and it would not be responsible to draw conclusions about them. The cause of the accident can only be determined by the competent investigators after all relevant data have been collected and analysed, which is why any speculation about the technical condition of the aircraft, its maintenance or the crew’s actions is premature and inappropriate.
