What happened
The incident occurred during a nighttime flight over land in southern Spain. The aircraft had previously completed an uneventful maritime patrol mission before transitioning to this phase of the operation. While flying at night, the seaplane impacted the slope of a mountain located within the Sierra del Cabrito range, situated between the towns of Tarifa and Algeciras.
The collision resulted in significant casualties among the personnel on board. A total of eight crew members were killed in the accident, while two others sustained injuries. The victims included the pilot and several other aircrew members from the 202nd Squadron. The specific aircraft registration is not provided in the available source material.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the crash was caused by controlled flight into terrain. This conclusion indicates that the aircraft remained under the control of the crew until it struck the mountain slope, rather than suffering a mechanical failure or structural disintegration prior to impact.