ZAGREB, 24 June 2022 - The cause of the damage to a Croatia Airlines (CA) aircraft that landed in Sarajevo late on Wednesday is still unknown, but it certainly wasn't from a firearm, the national flag carrier told a news briefing on Friday.
The Dash 8-Q400 aircraft was on a regular flight from Zagreb to Sarajevo when it suffered mechanical damage. A ballistic examination found no traces of gunpowder on the plane, disproving the speculation that the damage was caused by a gunshot.
The investigation and inspection conducted in Sarajevo has confirmed for now that it is mechanical damage to the aircraft's skin, said Tomislav Štimac, Deputy Director of Technology at Croatia Airlines.
Robert Kruljac, Earth Services Manager and Crisis and Emergency Management Manager at CA, said that it was not yet known how the damage occurred, but it could have been caused by a sharp object, possibly a stone on the runway. Both Sarajevo and Zagreb airports have been asked to clean their runways.
Kruljac is of the opinion that the damage was caused either during take-off or landing rather than when the plane was airborne.
He explained that planes are inspected after each take-off and landing, and since the mechanic in Sarajevo saw the damage after landing, ballistic expertise was requested in order to remove any doubts about the cause, in particular the possibility that the plane had been shot at.
The plane will return to Zagreb on Friday where a detailed inspection will be conducted. Once the damage has been entirely repaired, the aircraft will be put back into commercial use, possibly next week, the national flag carrier said.
