What happened
On a positioning flight from Málaga-Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport to Córdoba, an aircraft carrying two crew members was en route to collect a medical team for a transplant mission. Shortly after the 05:43LT departure, the crew initiated their descent toward Córdoba. During the approach, the flight encountered significant weather challenges, including nighttime darkness and heavy fog, which reduced horizontal visibility to 300 metres and vertical visibility to approximately 500 feet.
Because the destination airport lacked an Instrument Landing System (ILS), the crew attempted to navigate the approach using GPS guidance. During the final approach phase, the aircraft descended below the safe altitude and collided with a utility pole. The impact caused the plane to crash into an unoccupied residence situated roughly 1,500 metres before the threshold of runway 21. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. Among the two crew members on board, one fatality was recorded, while the other pilot sustained serious injuries.
Findings
- The approach was conducted in conditions of extremely low visibility due to fog.
- The lack of ILS infrastructure at the destination necessitated a reliance on GPS-based navigation.