Three-Engine Ferry Flight Crash at Stockholm-Arlanda (EC-BNM)

Background and Initial Incident The aircraft was originally scheduled for a non-scheduled international flight from Stockholm-Arlanda to Palma de Mallorca. During the initial take-off run, the No. 4 engine failed to function properly, prompting an aborted take-off. The aircraft was taxiied back to the apron, where inspection revealed damage to the compressor. After consulting with the Spantax Operations Department in Madrid, the decision was made to ferry the aircraft on three engines to Zurich for engine replacement. The technical preparation for this ferry flight was supervised by a Spantax ground engineer, while the flight crew planned the route. Because the ATS briefing office at Arlanda was closed after 2100 hours, the co-pilot phoned the flight plan to Stockholm Control Centre (ACC). Neither during this call nor at the weather briefing did the crew indicate that the flight was a three-engine ferry operation, although the Tower air traffic controller had been informed of the flight's nature through other means.