Passengers 98 Survivors 0 Flight origin Valencia Airport Site Spain Operator Iberia | Crew 6 Registration EC-ATV Date 7 January 1972 Destination Ibiza Airport Total fatalities 104 (all) | |
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Aircraft type Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle Summary Controlled flight into terrain Similar Iberia Airlines Flight 062, Iberia Airlines Flight 610, Sterling Airways Flight 296, Iberia Airlines Flight 401, 1973 Nantes mid‑air co | ||
On 7 January 1972, Iberia Airlines Flight 602 crashed into a mountain near Ibiza Town, Spain. The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle operating the flight had taken off from Valencia Airport in Valencia, Spain, destined for Ibiza Airport on the Balearic island of Ibiza, also in Spain. All 98 passengers and 6 crew died in the crash.
Contents
The crash
Flight 602 was a domestic service flight that took off from Valencia Airport bound for Ibiza. The aircraft was a Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle, under the command of a 37-year-old captain with 7,000 flying hours' experience. On board were 6 crew and 98 passengers, most of whom were Valencia natives returning to Ibiza for work after the holidays.
At approximately 12:15 p.m., the aircraft's captain radioed Ibiza Airport, requesting permission to descend to 5,500 feet (1,676 meters). Ibiza Airport sources reported that he also said, "Get me a beer ready, we are here."
The aircraft was approaching Runway 07 when it descended below 2,000 feet (610 meters). Reportedly, neither the captain nor the co-pilot noticed the dangerous descent, as they were discussing a football match with the airport tower controller. Flight 602 struck Mount Atalayasa approximately 90 feet (30 meters) below its 1,515-foot (462-meter) summit. The aircraft exploded on impact. All passengers and crew on board were killed.
At the time of the crash, visibility was approximately 5–10 miles and the weather was described as high overcast with broken clouds.
Cause
It was ruled that the pilot had failed to maintain the minimum flight altitude for a visual approach to Runway 07.