History of the Flight
On Monday, February 28, 2005, the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, registration EC-IHD, operated by Alaire, began its takeoff roll from runway 07L at Barcelona Airport at 06:13 UTC. The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic cargo flight (urgent mail) to Palma de Mallorca. About one minute after starting the takeoff, during initial climb at approximately 800 feet, the pilot noticed the aircraft vibrating and that he could not maintain airspeed or altitude despite increasing power. He declared an emergency and stated his intention to return to the airport. After a 180-degree left turn, judging it impossible to reach the runway due to low altitude, the pilot landed on taxiway Tango, which runs parallel to runway 07L-25R, at 06:16 UTC with prior authorization from air traffic control. The emergency landing was normal, and the aircraft sustained no apparent damage, taxiing without assistance to its original parking position. When asked by ground control, the pilot reported that the emergency was due to ice formation.
Damages
Direct and indirect damages from the emergency landing were limited: no crew injuries; the aircraft experienced effects from operating the engine at full power (over-torque) during the approximately 60 seconds between the pilot noticing the inability to climb and the landing. One approaching aircraft had to be diverted to allow the emergency landing.
Crew Information
The crew consisted of a 30-year-old pilot with 3,360 total flight hours (750 on type) and a 23-year-old co-pilot with 600 total hours (400 on type). Both held commercial pilot licenses. In the four days prior, they flew four nightly one-hour rounds between Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Ibiza. On the incident day, activity was reduced (two flights omitted).
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan is a high-wing, single-engine aircraft equipped with tricycle landing gear. EC-IHD was the cargo version with an additional lower fuselage cargo hold, certified for VFR, VFR night, IFR, and icing conditions. In August 2004, it had an incident at Ibiza Airport where the nose landing gear leg partially folded forward, leaving the aircraft inoperable until February 2005; the airworthiness certificate was reissued on February 21, 2005. The aircraft was manufactured in 2002 (serial number 208B0934), powered by a Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-114A engine, and fitted with a McCauley propeller.
Meteorological Information
February 2005 saw a wave of arctic air over the Iberian Peninsula. At Barcelona Airport, conditions before and during the flight included night operations (sunrise at 07:50 local), air temperature near freezing, and the difference between temperature and dew point decreasing to zero by 06:00 UTC, indicating saturated air. Snow had been falling for one hour before takeoff; the ATIS at 05:30 reported a "strong snow storm." Visibility dropped from 7,000 to 1,400 meters, wind shifted from 350/13 kt to 040/06 kt, and cloud cover remained broken at 1,600 feet.
Aerodrome Information
Barcelona-El Prat Airport, elevation 3.8 meters, has three runways. Taxiway Tango, where the aircraft landed, runs parallel to runway 07L-25R and is of similar length. The airport is included in AENA's Winter Plan due to operational requirements despite mild climate. On the incident day, one of two aircraft de-icing units broke down, causing delays, and the fire service had to assist with de-icing, which was not part of their winter plan responsibilities.
Investigation Statements
During flight preparation, the aircraft was parked outdoors in snow and covered with recently fallen snow. The crew had never encountered such meteorological conditions.