What happened
On a scheduled domestic flight from Barcelona to Bilbao, an Airbus aircraft operated by Iberia was performing its final approach to runway 30. The flight, carrying 136 passengers and 7 crew members, encountered significant wind fluctuations during the descent. While the flight had been routine since departing Barcelona, the crew encountered strong turbulence while passing through a cumulus cloud at 7,500 feet. As the aircraft descended through 6,000 feet and established on the localizer, wind speeds were noted at 55 knots.
At 400 feet, the crew disconnected the autopilot to manually complete the approach. During the final seconds before touchdown, the aircraft exhibited a high vertical descent rate of approximately 1,200 feet per minute, triggering two GPWS 'sink rate' warnings. Although both pilots attempted to apply pitch-up inputs via the side-sticks, the aircraft's flight control software logic prevented a response, and the aircraft failed to flare. Following a 'dual-input' warning, the captain applied TOGA power in an attempt to execute a go-around; however, the aircraft made a hard touchdown in a nose-down attitude.
The captain subsequently decided to continue the landing roll. The aircraft traveled 1,100 meters along the runway before coming to a stop at a 60-degree angle to the centerline. During the deceleration, the nose landing gear collapsed, several main gear tires burst, and the engine nacelles made contact with the pavement. An evacuation was initiated, during which 25 passengers and crew sustained injuries. While most injuries were minor, one female passenger required treatment for serious injuries. Seven individuals were transported to a hospital.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a high sink rate and failed to flare due to flight control software logic preventing pilot pitch-up inputs during specific flight phases.
- Significant wind shear and turbulence were present during the approach.
- The nose landing gear failure and tire bursts occurred during the landing roll following the hard impact.