What happened
While operating an inbound flight from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, a four-engine aircraft was performing its descent toward Zaragoza Airport. The flight was intended to participate in a joint training exercise with the Spanish Air Force. During the approach, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 2,200 feet with flaps extended to 50° and maintaining a speed of 250 km/h.
As the plane entered Spanish airspace, it encountered marginal weather conditions characterized by a ceiling of 1,200 feet and visibility of approximately 6 km. During this phase of flight, the aircraft collided with a mountain slope in the Sierra de Moncayo region, situated west of Borja. The impact caused the airframe to disintegrate. There were 18 fatalities among the occupants, which included nine passengers and nine crew members.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the primary factor was a controlled flight into terrain.