5 fatalities

Spanish military aircraft crash into sea off Cape Formentor (73-1)

Cape Formentor, SpainFlight

On October 28, 1938, a CRDA CANT Z.506 Airone (registration 73-1) operated by Spanish Air Force - Aviación Nacional (1936-1939) was involved in an aviation accident near Cape Formentor, Spain in flight. 5 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A Spanish military aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean Sea approximately 25 km off Cape Formentor shortly after takeoff from Pollença. All five crew members were killed in the incident.

What happened

In the early morning, a Spanish military aircraft departed from the Port of Pollença to conduct a bombing mission over Valencia. It was flying alongside a second similar aircraft when the incident occurred. A few minutes after takeoff, while cruising within cloud cover, the plane lost control and plunged into the sea roughly 25 kilometers off Cape Formentor.

Search efforts located only a small amount of debris two days after the crash. The accident resulted in the death of all five crew members on board. The flight crew consisted of a pilot, a co-pilot, an observer, a mechanic, and a radio operator.