Narrative:
The flightcrew had performed four flights that day (Barcelona-Palma de Mallorca-Alicante-Valencia-Barcelona) when they departed Barcelona at 22:38 UTC (23:38 local time) for a cargo flight to Brussels. Weather at the time of departure included wind 2 knots at 270 degrees, 2000 m visibility in fog. Nine minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 8400 feet, the crew radioed that they wanted to return to the airport: "Requeririamos volver al campo". This request was granted and the pilot was told to contact Barcelona Approach. The approach controller cleared the flight for a runway 07 approach. After having been cleared down to 6000 feet and 3000 feet, the crew were told to contact Barcelona Tower at 22:59. At 23:00:15 the aircraft passed the Outer Marker at 1500 feet, with an airspeed of 170 knots. At a distance of 3,7nm from the QUV VOR the aircraft started deviating from the localizer course. One minute later the aircraft contacted the ground at a speed of 130 knots, crashed and caught fire.
CAUSAS: "Se considera que la causa probable del accidente fue el establecimiento y mantenimiento de un ángulo de descenso inapropiado durante la aproximación a la pista 07 del Aeropuerto de Barcelona, en condiciones de visibilidad reducida combinadas con posible fatiga de la tripulación debido a la duración de los periodos de actividad aérea y de descanso precedentes, y con indicios de posible mal funcionamiento del motor izquierdo que requería la compensación de la guiñada y una cuidadosa atención en el control del avión, que provocaron que la aeronave descendiera por debajo de la senda de planeo y se desviase del eje de la pista hasta impactar con la copa de un árbol y posteriormente con el terreno."
Insufficient rest / fatigue
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
accident date: 19-02-1998
type: Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
registration: EC-GDG
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Thursday 19 February 1998 |
| Time: | 00:04 |
| Type: |  Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II |
| Operator: | Ibertrans Aérea |
| Registration: | EC-GDG |
| MSN: | TC-220 |
| First flight: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 17546 |
| Engines: | 2 Garrett TPE331-10UA-511G |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 4 km (2.5 mls) W of Barcelona Airport (BCN) ( Spain)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN/LEBL), Spain |
| Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR), Belgium | |
| Flightnumber: | 595A |
The flightcrew had performed four flights that day (Barcelona-Palma de Mallorca-Alicante-Valencia-Barcelona) when they departed Barcelona at 22:38 UTC (23:38 local time) for a cargo flight to Brussels. Weather at the time of departure included wind 2 knots at 270 degrees, 2000 m visibility in fog. Nine minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 8400 feet, the crew radioed that they wanted to return to the airport: "Requeririamos volver al campo". This request was granted and the pilot was told to contact Barcelona Approach. The approach controller cleared the flight for a runway 07 approach. After having been cleared down to 6000 feet and 3000 feet, the crew were told to contact Barcelona Tower at 22:59. At 23:00:15 the aircraft passed the Outer Marker at 1500 feet, with an airspeed of 170 knots. At a distance of 3,7nm from the QUV VOR the aircraft started deviating from the localizer course. One minute later the aircraft contacted the ground at a speed of 130 knots, crashed and caught fire.
Probable Cause:
CAUSAS: "Se considera que la causa probable del accidente fue el establecimiento y mantenimiento de un ángulo de descenso inapropiado durante la aproximación a la pista 07 del Aeropuerto de Barcelona, en condiciones de visibilidad reducida combinadas con posible fatiga de la tripulación debido a la duración de los periodos de actividad aérea y de descanso precedentes, y con indicios de posible mal funcionamiento del motor izquierdo que requería la compensación de la guiñada y una cuidadosa atención en el control del avión, que provocaron que la aeronave descendiera por debajo de la senda de planeo y se desviase del eje de la pista hasta impactar con la copa de un árbol y posteriormente con el terreno."
Classification:
Insufficient rest / fatigue
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
Sources:
» Accidente ocurrido el dia 18 de Febrero de 1998 a la aeronave Fairchild SA-226-TC, matricula EC-GDG, en el término municipal de Gavá (Barcelona) / Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (report nr. A-07/1998)Photos
accident date: 19-02-1998
type: Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
registration: EC-GDG
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Barcelona-El Prat Airport to Brussel-Zaventem Airport as the crow flies is 1076 km (673 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Barcelona-El Prat Airport to Brussel-Zaventem Airport as the crow flies is 1076 km (673 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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