What happened
On June 14, 2014, a Socata Rallye 100S, registration EC-CLY, operated by Real Aeroclub de La Coruña, was conducting a private VFR flight to Burgos Airport to participate in the "Fly Party Burgos 2014" aviation event. The flight began without incident, but as the crew approached the entry point W of the Burgos FIS, they were unable to establish radio contact with Vitoria Approach.
Subsequent attempts to contact the Burgos AFIS via radio were also unsuccessful. In an effort to resolve the situation, the crew used a mobile phone to call a number provided by the event organizers. The person on the other end of the line provided limited information regarding airfield traffic, noting only one aircraft on the ground. After visually confirming that no other traffic was operating in the area, the crew proceeded to land on runway 04 without having established contact with the AFIS.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight preparation, the communication failures, and the crew's management of the situation. It was determined that the crew relied on an outdated aeronautical manual from 2011 to plan their flight, which contained an obsolete AFIS communication frequency that had been changed in 2011. While the organizers had provided updated information via email, the crew did not verify or use these updated details.
Furthermore, the investigation looked into why the crew could not reach Vitoria Approach or the event's parking frequency. Findings suggested that the low altitude of the flight may have hindered reception, and a physical failure in the aircraft's equipment—specifically a broken headset jack plug—likely prevented the crew from receiving or transmitting on other frequencies. The investigation also noted that the crew did not follow the established communication failure procedures for Burgos Airport, nor did they utilize the transponder code 7600 to alert air traffic services of their status.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was deficient flight planning and the failure to follow established communication failure procedures.
- The crew's use of an obsolete frequency prevented contact with the Burgos AFIS.
- A broken headset connection plug likely contributed to the inability to communicate on other frequencies.
- High levels of stress and the urgent physiological needs of one crew member pressured the pilot to land quickly.
- The crew failed to select the appropriate transponder code to signal a radio failure to controllers.