What happened
On the night of the accident, the aircraft, registration EC-IBA, was performing a medical transport mission for the National Transplant Organization. The flight sequence began at Santiago Airport (LEST), where the aircraft type was refueled before departing for Asturias (LEAS). After landing in Asturias, the crew picked up an ambulance and departed for Porto (LPPR) at 22:44. During the stop in Porto, the crew received updated weather information and refueled the aircraft with 1,000 liters of fuel.
Following the stop in Porto, the aircraft departed at 02:34, heading back toward Asturias. The crew contacted Santiago approach control at 03:56 and was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 17 at Santiago Airport. The tower controller provided the crew with the most recent METAR, which indicated visibility of 4,000 meters with mist and few clouds at 600 feet. The crew was cleared to land at 04:15.
At 04:18, the COSPAS-SARSAT system identified the activation of an ELT, locating the signal near the Santiago Airport. After a marshaller confirmed the aircraft was not in its designated hangar, emergency procedures were initiated. At 05:15, the Rescue and Firefighting Service (RFFS) located the aircraft near the VOR. There were 0 fatalities reported in the provided text, though the aircraft was destroyed.
Findings
- The crew had previously noted bad weather conditions, specifically the presence of fog on the arrival route during earlier flight segments.
- The final approach was conducted under conditions of mist and low cloud ceilings.