Barcelona - Oran

On October 10, 2001 at 10:42 AM, Barcelona - Oran experienced a crash involving Swearingen SA226AT Merlin IV, operated by Flightline - Spain, with the event recorded near Columbretes Islands Valencian Community.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 10 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 8, passenger fatalities: 8, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The twin engine airplane departed Barcelona Airport at 1018LT on a charter flight to Oran, Algeria, carrying eight American businessmen and two pilots. En route, while cruising along the Spanish coast, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, and was cleared to deviate from the prescribed flight plan to the east. Shortly later, the aircraft entered an area of heavy turbulences and was presumably struck by lighting, causing the electrical system to fail. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea about 18 km northwest of the Columbretes Islands. Few debris were found floating on water and all 10 occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration EC-GDV, MSN AT-043, year of manufacture 1976.