What happened
During the late afternoon, an aircraft was in communication with the Barajas Control Tower, reporting standard flight conditions and visibility of the airport. The crew requested landing information and asked for the ILS to be activated to verify the airborne installation under current visual meteorological conditions. Air traffic control informed the pilot that the ILS was non-operational and provided runway 33 weather data.
At approximately 18:03, the flight crew contacted the Paracuellos Area Control Centre to request emergency priority due to a fire in the left engine. While the aircraft was granted priority for any available runway, this communication proved to be the final contact with the flight. Shortly after the distress call, an engine component detached from the aircraft. Within thirty seconds, intense light and heavy black smoke were observed, indicating an escalating fire. Following a turn, the aircraft experienced a rapid loss of altitude and impacted the ground in the vicinity of Getafe. The impact and subsequent post-crash fire resulted in 21 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations determined that the fire originated in the left nacelle due to the presence of extraneous objects. This specific type of fire was significant because it was capable of rapidly weakening the engine support fittings, including the wheel, magneto couplings, and landing gear leg, a level of structural degradation that standard fuel combustion alone would not have achieved.