What happened
The flight departed from Málaga-Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport without incident before the crew began their descent toward Melilla Airport. During the approach, the crew received clearance from Sevilla ATC to descend to 7,000 feet and subsequently received instructions from Melilla Tower to descend to 5,000 feet. At the time, the tower reported that runway 33 was active, with visibility at 8 km and winds from 270 degrees at 5 knots, though low cloud cover was present at 1,000 feet.
At approximately 06:45 local time, the co-pilot noted the aircraft was 22 nautical miles from the destination at an altitude of 3,000 feet. During this phase of flight, the aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude of 4,000 feet while crossing the coastline under conditions of limited visibility caused by low clouds. At 07:49:52, the cockpit Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) triggered twice. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft collided with a mountain slope near Cap de Trois Fourche. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate, and there were 38 fatalities.
Findings
- The aircraft descended below the established minimum safe altitude of 4,000 feet.
- Low cloud ceilings and limited visibility contributed to the flight conditions during the final approach.