Investigation underway after Croatia Airlines plane veers off runway in Split

(Photo credit: A Grubelic/Croatia Airlines)

A formal investigation has begun after a Croatia Airlines aircraft veered off the runway during take-off at Split Airport on Saturday.

The incident involved a Croatia Airlines Airbus A220-300 aircraft, registration 9A-CAN, which had been scheduled to operate regular international flight OU412 from Split to Frankfurt.

There were 130 passengers and five crew members on board, including two pilots and three cabin crew members. No injuries were reported.

Passengers safely disembarked from the aircraft and were transferred to the passenger terminal building at Split Airport, where assistance was being provided for the continuation of their journey.

Danko Petrin, chief investigator of aircraft accidents at Croatia’s Air, Maritime and Railway Accident Investigation Agency (AIN), confirmed that the on-site investigation had been completed, but that the wider inquiry was only beginning.

“The investigation has only just started and extensive technical analyses are being carried out to determine the cause of the deviation during take-off,” Petrin told HRT.

Investigators have retrieved the cockpit voice recorder and will also analyse data from the aircraft’s flight recorder, commonly known as the black box.

“These analyses and procedures require time,” Petrin added.

Preliminary findings indicate that the aircraft veered to the left during take-off before leaving the paved section of the runway and entering a grassy area beside it.

“At this stage we do not know why the aircraft veered to the left. That will be established through the investigation,” Petrin said.

The incident temporarily disrupted operations at Split Airport while emergency and investigation teams responded to the scene.