TAROM flight carrying 170 passengers makes emergency landing in Bucharest after bird strike

Emergency diversion to Bucharest

A TAROM Boeing 737-800NG aircraft operating charter flight RO4477 from Cluj-Napoca to Antalya, Turkey, performed an emergency landing at Bucharest Henri Coandă Airport on Saturday, 26 September 2026. The flight, also referenced in aviation records as ROT4477, carried 170 passengers alongside its operating crew when pilots detected technical difficulties in midair. Rather than proceeding on its scheduled route southward across the Black Sea towards Turkey, the flight crew altered the flight path and requested priority diversion to Romania's primary international airport in Otopeni. The aircraft touched down safely on the runway at 15:05 local time, where airport emergency response units were positioned alongside the runway. Initial assessments confirmed that no passengers or crew members sustained injuries during the descent and landing.

Suspected bird strike after departure

The incident occurred moments after departure from Avram Iancu International Airport in Cluj-Napoca, where the aircraft took off at approximately 14:20 on Saturday afternoon. Initial findings from aviation sources indicated that the aircraft collided with a bird or an entire flock of birds during its initial climbout. Reports circulated by local media outlet Cluj24 indicated that the aircraft struck several pigeons shortly after leaving the runway. Although aviation authorities did not immediately release a formal confirmation verifying the wildlife strike, the cockpit crew determined that the technical condition of the jet warranted an immediate diversion to Bucharest. Media reports initially described passenger numbers as exceeding 100 or numbering in the hundreds before aviation officials confirmed the total count of 170 people on board.

Replacement aircraft and passenger logistics

Following the safe touchdown at Henri Coandă Airport, airport authorities oversaw the disembarkation of all 170 travelers, who were transferred into the terminal to await updates on their travel schedule. Airport services prepared medical evaluation teams on standby to examine passengers if required, though no immediate medical assistance was requested or administered. To resume the scheduled charter service to Antalya, TAROM deployed a replacement Boeing 737-800NG aircraft registered as YR-BGJ. Airline representatives scheduled the replacement flight to depart from Bucharest at approximately 19:00 on Saturday evening, allowing passengers to resume their journey to Turkey without prolonged delay.

Technical assessment of the airframe

The diverted aircraft, a Boeing 737-800NG registered as YR-BGK, remained held at Otopeni for extensive technical inspections and maintenance checks. Ground engineering teams were assigned to examine the airframe, turbine engines, and exterior components for structural damage or foreign object ingestion resulting from the impact. Investigators began technical verifications to isolate the exact cause of the technical problem that led to the emergency landing. The aircraft will remain out of passenger service until all required safety evaluations are concluded and the plane is verified as airworthy for regular commercial operations.