Iberia - Lineas Aéreas de Espana

Airbus A340-600

Following an uneventful flight from Madrid, the crew contacted Quito Approach at 1650LT and received descent instructions in preparation for an instrument approach no. 4 (VOR QIT DME/ILS) for runway 35. During the descent the crew were notified that preceding flights had reported braking action medium to poor. The flight crew selected auto braking to 'High'. At 17:05, the crew reported the runway in sight, after which the controller stated that the wind was 170° at 4 knots, the runway was wet and reported braking action was poor. The flight was cleared to land. The pilot in command, following the procedures established by Iberia, decided to leave the ILS glide path and captured the path of the PAPI lights. The aircraft touched down 200 metres past the threshold at a 3.09g side load. The spoilers deployed automatically and main gear tyres 3 and 8 blew. The flap lever was moved involuntarily by the copilot, from the full position to position 2. The crew applied full manual braking and select reverse thrust. The Auto Brake function failed, after which the crew disconnected the antiskid braking system and continued to apply manual braking. The aircraft passed the end of runway 35, with a ground speed of 90 knots, hit the ILS localizer and stopped 232 meters further. Passengers and crew were evacuated using the slide at door 2R, thirty minutes after the aircraft stopped. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Airbus A320

The aircraft was on its final approach to runway 30 of Bilbao Airport. The aircraft, operated by Iberia, was employed on flight IB1456, a scheduled domestic flight from Barcelona to Bilbao, with 136 passengers and 7 crew members on board. The expected flight time was 53 minutes. The current conditions in Bilbao were night VMC, with a 10 knots and southwest (SW) wind and gusts of up to 25 knots. Visibility was more than 10 km and there were scattered clouds above 5,600 feet. The sun had set four hours earlier and all electronic and visual aids in the airport were fully operational. There was no rain and the flight was conducted unter IFR rules. Since the takeoff from Barcelona at 2201LT, the flight had been uneventful. The pilot flying was seated on the right hand side, and he was in line flying under supervision. The captain seated on the left hand side was supervising the flight. A third flight crew member, seated in the jumpseat, was the first officer who had given his seat to the pilot under supervision on the right hand seat. On course to Bilbao, the aircraft flew over Pamplona at FL150, where they were informed of possible light turbulence. A about 25 NM from their destination and at 7,500 feet altitude, they crossed a small cumulus with strong turbulence. Descending through 6,000 feet and established on the Bilbao localizer they found winds of 55 knots. The ATC tower (TWR) of Bilbao cleared them to land on runway 30, and informed the decision height, 247 feet, under VMC conditions and continued the approach to land. One minute prior to touchdown, the tower informed of wind conditions of 240° 8 knots. The aircraft conditions during the approach were: weight, 62,380 kilos; centre of gravity, 28,66% MAC, full flaps. The reference speed (Vref) was 132 knots and the approach speed (Vapp), 142 knots. Autopilot was disconnected by the crew at 400 feet to continue the approach manually. In the last few seconds prior to touchdown, the vertical descent speed was very high, around 1,200 feet per minute (6 metres per second) and the 'sink rate' warning of the GPWS sounded twice. The aircraft did not react to the pitch-up order input applied by both pilots on the side-sticks, due to the design software logic that operates at these specific moments, and did not flare. Announcements of 'dual-input' warning were heard at the time. Then the captain, in view of the 'sink rate' warnings, selected TOGA power setting to go around and abort the landing. The pilot's actions on the flight controls could not avoid a hard touchdown of the aircraft in a slight nose down attitude, and the captain decided to continue the landing and to stop the aircraft. The aircraft slowed-down along 1,100 metres of the runway within the paved surface. It finally came to a stop with its horizontal axis at an angle of 60° to the right of the runway centerline. During the landing roll the nose landing gear collapsed, the four tires of the main gear burst and the engine nacelles, on which the aircraft was leaning after the collapse, dragged along the pavement. Once the aircraft came to a halt, the captain ordered its evacuation, which was carried out using all the exit doors and their slides. During the evacuation a cabin crew member and 24 passengers were injured. All injuries were considered minor except for one, a female passenger whose injuries were considered serious. Seven injured people were taken to hospital.

Boeing 727-200

Iberia Flight 610 departed Madrid at 08:47 for a scheduled flight to Bilbao, where it was scheduled to land at 09:35. The Boeing 727, named "Alhambra de Granada", climbed to the cruising altitude of FL260. At 09:09 the crew were instructed to descend to FL100. Seven minutes later the copilot contacted Bilbao Tower. The controller then cleared the flight for an ILS approach: "Iberia 610, you can continue descent, for an ILS approach to Bilbao, runway 30, wind is 100 degrees 3 knots, QNH 1025 and transition level 70." This was confirmed by the crew. The controller subsequently offered them a direct clearance to the approach fix, which is located at 13 DME from the airport. The captain declined and decided to fly the standard approach procedure. At 09:22 flight 610 reported over the Bilbao VOR at 7000 feet, starting the standard approach procedure. The airplane further descended to 5000 feet, which it reached three minutes later. The crew switched the Altitude Alert System to 4300 ft (the minimum sector altitude is 4354 feet) and continued the descent. The altitude alert horn sounds 900 feet prior to reaching the preset altitude (approach mode) and 300 feet below that altitude (deviation mode). Since the flight had 700 feet to go, the horn would only sound at around 4000 feet. Since the crew descended below the minimum sector altitude, the altitude alert horn sounded at 4040 feet. The crew interpreted this being the approach mode alert, and continued their descent. Fifty-seven seconds after passing through the minimum sector altitude, the airplane struck the base of a structure of antennas located close to the top of Mount Oiz (3356 feet high). The left wing broke off and the remaining fuselage crashed onto the hillside, cutting a swath through the trees. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 148 occupants were killed.

Boeing 727-200

Boeing 727-256 EC-CFJ of Iberia, operating scheduled flight IB350 to Rome, and DC-9-32 EC-CGS of Aviaco, operating schedule AO134 to Santander, crashed on runway 01/19 at Madrid-Barajas Airport. The Boeing 727 had been cleared for takeoff on runway 01 and was at V1 speed. The DC-9 had been cleared to proceed to the holding point at runway 01 through the outer taxiway. The accident occurred approximately at 09h39:29 on December 7, 1983. As a result of the impact and instant fire, the DC-9 aircraft was totally destroyed, dying the whole of its occupants, 5 crew members and 37 passengers. The Boeing 727 aircraft lost almost all of its left wing and main gear of the same side, sliding on the runway about 460 meters, until its final stop, remaining facing the opposite direction of takeoff, on the left edge of runway 01. As a result of the impact and of the spilling of fuel from the left wing, there was an almost instant fire at the time o the crash, which subsequently destroyed the aircraft. 34 passengers and 8 crew members out of the 84 passengers and 9 crew members, survived. 50 passengers and one assistance crew member died as a result of the impact and fire. The conditions of visibility at the airport were of daylight and intense fog.

Douglas DC-8

After touchdown on a wet runway at Santiago de Compostela Airport, the crew activated the thrust reverser systems and started the braking procedure. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in flames in a wooded area, broken in two. All 223 occupants were evacuated, 52 of them were injured, some seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Douglas DC-10

On approach to runway 33L at Boston-Logan Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with rain falls and a limited visibility to 3/4 mile in fog. While passing from IFR to VFR mode on short final, the captain failed to realize that the airplane lost height when the right main gear struck a dyke and was torn off. The airplane struck the runway surface, veered off runway to the right then lost its undercarriage and came to rest in flames. All 168 occupants were evacuated, six of them were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Douglas DC-9

Iberia Flight 504, a DC-9, departed Palma de Majorca at 11:24 for a flight to London. At 12:19 the crew contacted Marina Control and reported at FL310, estimating at Nantes VOR at 12:52. At 12:36 the crew were told to contact Menhir Control and descend to FL290. At the same time a Spantax Convair CV-990, flight BX400 heading for London, was flying towards the Nantes VOR on the same altitude, but on a different airway. Because of this, the Convair crew were instructed arrive at the VOR at 13:00. Because the Convair was already quite close to the VOR the crew asked for confirmation of these instructions. At 12:40 the controller told them to 'Stand by' and replied two minutes later. Because the aircraft was at the ATC sector boundary the crew could barely hear the Marina controller who instructed them to contact Menhir control. The pilot erroneously thought he had to contact Menhir control when passing the Nantes VOR. In order to delay their arrival at the VOR the Spantax crew twice tried to request permission to carry out a 360-degree turn. When they did not get any answer from Marina, they initiated the turn without clearance. While in the midst of an overcast, the Convair collided with the DC-9. The CV-990 lost an outboard portion of its left wing and managed to carry out an emergency landing at Cognac-Châteaubernard Air Base (CNG). The DC-9 lost control and crashed. The air traffic control system had been taken over that day by military personnel because of a strike of the civilian controllers. The wreckage of the DC-9 was found in La Planche, about 25 km southeast of Nantes. All 68 occupants have been killed.

Fokker F28 Fellowship

The crew was completing a local training flight at Bilbao-Sondica Airport. Following several touch and goes, the crew started a new approach when he was faced with a flaps asymmetry warning. The captain decided to continue the approach and to perform a flapless landing. In heavy rain falls and with a tailwind component, the airplane landed long on a wet runway. After touchdown, it was unable to stop within the remaining distance and overran. While contacting soft ground, the nose gear and the right main gear collapsed then the aircraft came to rest, broken in three. All four crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

On approach to Ibiza Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions and failed to realize his altitude was insufficient. At an excessive speed of 515 km/h, the airplane struck the slope of a hill located between Mt Rocas Altas (365 meters high) and Mt Atalaya de San José (301 meters high). The wreckage was found 8 km northwest of runway 07 threshold, some 30 meters below the summit. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 104 occupants were killed. Crew: José Luis Ballester Sepúlveda, captain, Jesús Montesinos Sánchez, copilot, Vicente Rodríguez Mesa, flight engineer, Pilar Merino López Baeza, stewardess, Pilar Miravet Martín, stewardess, Manuel Fernández Cuesta, steward.

Fokker F27 Friendship

The landing at La Palma Airport was completed with a tailwind component on a wet runway 03. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest down an embankment. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.