What happened
The flight departed Madrid-Barajas Airport at 08:30 GMT, heading toward La Coruña Airport. Upon contacting the tower at 09:14, the crew was notified that local weather conditions had fallen below landing minima and were expected to improve slowly. In response, the flight crew initially opted to enter a holding pattern over Lima Romeo Alpha.
Following this, the crew decided to descend to minimums to better assess the visibility. During the approach, air traffic control provided various updates regarding visibility, which fluctuated between 350 m and 800 m due to shifting fog. The crew made several attempts to land, at one point reporting they were at 2200 feet and had not yet encountered cloud cover. However, as fog density changed, the pilots repeatedly transitioned between attempting approaches and returning to a holding pattern.
By approximately 10:20, weather conditions showed signs of improvement, with horizontal visibility reaching 1500 m. The pilot indicated an intention to descend from 5000 feet for a new approach. After passing the LRA VOR at 10:31 and briefly discontinuing the descent, the crew initiated another attempt at 10:38. Shortly after reporting passage over the LRA VOR at 10:39, the Caravelle struck trees and crashed into several houses. The impact resulted in 85 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants. There were no reported deaths on the ground.
Findings
The accident was attributed to the pilot's failure to adhere to established regulations and instructions regarding flight operations within national territory and applicable international standards in Spain.