Date:	Thursday 19 February 1998
Time:	00:04
Type:	Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
Owner/operator:	Ibertrans Aérea
Registration:	EC-GDG
MSN:	TC-220
Year of manufacture:	1976
Total airframe hrs:	17546 hours
Engine model:	Garrett TPE331-10UA-511G
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	4 km W of Barcelona Airport (BCN) -   Spain
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN/LEBL)
Destination airport:	Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

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."

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)

photo (c) Pedro de la Cruz, via Werner Fischdick; Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI); June 1997

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