An Air Tractor AT-802F aircraft, belonging to the General Directorate of Forestry of Turkey, crashed this Thursday in the Krivi Put area, near the city of Senj, in western Croatia. The plane was on a transfer flight for scheduled maintenance when it disappeared from radar. The pilot died in the accident.
The incident occurred in the afternoon. The Civil Protection Operations Center reported receiving, at 16:53, an alert from Croatian Air Traffic Control about the aircraft’s disappearance from radar, which was on the Rijeka – Zagreb – Rijeka route. Following the alert, a search and rescue operation was launched.
Aircraft was on a technical transfer
The plane was part of a group of two Turkish aircraft heading for maintenance in the Croatian capital. According to Turkish authorities, due to adverse weather conditions, both landed in Rijeka the previous night. On Thursday morning, they attempted to resume the flight, but only one aircraft was able to return to the airport.
Initial reports indicate that the Air Tractor AT-802 crashed in a forested area in Krivi Put. Emergency teams located the impact site shortly after the alert.
Emergency teams confirm pilot’s death
At 17:11, the Gospić 112 Center received a call reporting a fire at the accident site. Police, firefighters, and medical teams were immediately mobilized. Firefighters from the Senj Public Fire Department found the aircraft on fire and extinguished the flames.
According to the Croatian Firefighters Association, the area was cordoned off to prevent further fires and to allow investigative teams to work. Only the pilot was on board, and his body was found at the scene.
Investigations ongoing
The Croatian Civil Protection Directorate confirmed the accident and stated that authorities are conducting investigation procedures to determine the causes of the crash. There are no reports of additional damage or casualties on the ground.
Source and images: Croatian Firefighters Association | Wikimedia | HRT. This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team.
