Aircraft
The accident aircraft was a British Aerospace 146 series 100 (BAe 146-100), the seventh BAe 146 built. It first flew in 1983 and was originally delivered to British Airways. A year later, it was transferred to Dan-Air London. After several years in storage, PauknAir took over the aircraft when the airline began operations in September 1995.
Accident
On 25 September 1998, PauknAir Flight 4101, a BAe 146-100, departed from runway 14 at Málaga's Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport at 8:23 AM Spanish time. On board were 34 passengers and a crew of four. The flight was commanded by 39-year-old Captain Diego Clavero Muñoz and 28-year-old First Officer Bartolomé Jiménez. The flight proceeded normally in fair weather conditions.
The descent began at 8:41 Melilla time (6:41 Moroccan time). In the area of Cape Tres Forcas, the headland on which Melilla is situated, low visibility is common due to clouds accumulating between the valleys of the steep mountains. The descent continued in instrument meteorological conditions. During communications with air traffic controllers, the pilot complained of fog. His last words included: "I see nothing."
At 6:49 (Moroccan time), the Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS, also known as GPWS) issued two "terrain" alerts in the cockpit, indicating the aircraft was too low. At 6:50, the aircraft impacted terrain at an elevation of 886 feet (270 m) and broke up. All 38 passengers and crew were killed.
Cause
The accident investigation concluded that the accident was caused by a collision with terrain in IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions), confirming it as a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accident. The cause was attributed to a combination of several factors: non-application of the arrival procedure, including descending below the minimum safe altitude; inadequate crew coordination; and non-application of company procedures regarding the GPWS alarm.