Aircraft overrun at Bilbao-Sondica Airport during training flight

No fatalities • Bilbao-Sondica, Spain • Landing (descent or approach)

A training flight ended in an aircraft breakup after a landing error led to a runway excursion at Bilbao-Sondica Airport.

What happened

During a local training session at Bilbao-Sondica Airport, the crew was performing a series of touch-and-go maneuvers. While initiating a new approach, the flight crew received an alert regarding flaps asymmetry. In response to this warning, the captain elected to proceed with the landing using a flapless configuration.

Environmental conditions at the time included heavy rainfall and a tailwind component. Due to these factors, the aircraft type landed significantly further down the runway than intended on the wet surface. The aircraft failed to decelerate sufficiently within the available runway length, resulting in an overrun. As the plane exited the paved surface and encountered soft ground, the nose gear and the right main gear collapsed. The impact caused the airframe to break into three separate sections.

There were no fatalities among the four crew members, all of whom escaped the wreckage without injury. The aircraft was a total loss.

Findings

Investigations concluded that the primary factor was an incorrect approach configuration. The decision to execute a landing without flaps while facing a tailwind resulted in excessive approach speeds, which prevented the aircraft from stopping before the end of the runway.

Probable cause

The crew's decision to perform a flapless landing during a tailwind component led to an excessive landing speed and a long touchdown on a wet runway.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1972-12-28 Fokker F28 Fellowship accident near Bilbao-Sondica, Spain?

A training flight ended in an aircraft breakup after a landing error led to a runway excursion at Bilbao-Sondica Airport.

Were there any fatalities in the 1972-12-28 Fokker F28 Fellowship accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1972-12-28 involved a Fokker F28 Fellowship, registration EC-BVC, operated by Iberia - Lineas Aéreas de Espana, at Bilbao-Sondica, Spain.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The crew's decision to perform a flapless landing during a tailwind component led to an excessive landing speed and a long touchdown on a wet runway.

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