On 13 November 2025, two Turkish Air Tractor aircrafts took off from Rijeka Airport (LDRI) on a VFR flight with the intention of landing at Zagreb International Airport (LDZA). There was one person – the pilot – on board each aircraft.
Due to fog in the Zagreb area, they were unable to land at Zagreb International Airport. They turned around before reaching Zagreb and headed back towards Rijeka Airport on the island of Krk.
The flight path led across Gorski Kotar and the mountain ridge separating inland Croatia from the coast, which was enveloped in a band of cloud. The aircraft entered the cloud band in order to fly through it. In conditions without the visibility required for VFR flight, one of the two aircraft struck the mountain ridge. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and the fire that followed, and the pilot was fatally injured.
The cause of this accident was the aircraft entering conditions without the visibility required for VFR flight.
AIA did not issue any safety recommendations.
INVESTIGATION
AIA received notification of the missing aircraft from the Ministry of the Interior’s Operational Communication Centre (OKC MUP) and from Croatia Control. A search and rescue operation was launched, and the aircraft wreckage was found later that evening.
The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the post-impact fire and the pilot was fatally injured.
AIA opened an investigation, and the on-site investigation was carried out the following day, i.e. on 14 November 2025.
On 15 November 2025, air accident investigators from the Turkish investigation authority arrived in Croatia. The accident site was inspected together with them, and in the following days, the details of mutual cooperation during the further course of the investigation were agreed in accordance with international regulations.
Thirty days after the accident, in accordance with the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, AIA issued a ‘Preliminary Report’ outlining information on the occurrence and the findings from the early stages of the investigation.
Upon completion of the investigation, AIA issued Final Report.