4 fatalities

Fatal Mountain Strike During Visual Approach (EC-DFA)

Palma de Mallorca, SpainLanding (descent or approach)

On August 13, 1980, a Learjet 35 (registration EC-DFA) operated by Spantax was involved in an aviation accident near Palma de Mallorca, Spain during landing or approach. 4 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled flight into terrain. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft struck a mountain slope 8 km short of runway 24 during a visual approach, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft and the deaths of all four occupants.

Incident Overview During a visual approach to runway 24, the aircraft descended to an altitude that was too low for the terrain. The crew did not recognize the insufficient altitude before the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located 8 km short of the runway. The impact forces destroyed the aircraft, and all four occupants were killed. ## Official Findings The investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain. The source does not provide the aircraft type, registration, operator, date, or specific location beyond the runway designation and distance to the mountain.