51 Years In the past At the moment Iberia Flight 602 Crashed On Strategy To Ibiza
It has now been 51 years because the crash of Iberia flight 602, which got here down whereas approaching Ibiza on January seventh, 1972. The home flight was operated by a Sud Aviation SE 210 ‘Caravelle’ twinjet, which was destroyed by its impression with a mountain after failing to remain above the minimal altitude for the strategy.
The flight in query
Iberia flight 602 was a commonly scheduled home flight that originated at Spain’s Valencia Manises Airport (VLC). Whereas an inside flight, it might depart the Spanish mainland, because it was certain for the Ibiza Airport (IBZ) within the Balearic Islands.
Iberia continues to attach these two amenities right this moment, albeit by flights operated underneath the Iberia Regional model, quite than the Spanish flag service’s mainline providers. It operates these flights on a year-round foundation, and sees competitors on this route from Ryanair all yr. Vueling Airways additionally serves the route seasonally.
The Aviation Security Community notes that, on the day of the accident, the Sud Aviation SE 210 ‘Caravelle’ jetliner working Iberia flight 602 had 98 passengers onboard. When mixed with a six-person crew, this gave the flight a complete occupancy fee of 104 folks. Sadly, the service to Ibiza could be the final flight for all of them.
Disastrous strategy
In response to the New York Occasions, the flight’s passengers have been primarily Ibizan locals returning to the Balearic Islands after spending the festive interval with their households on the Spanish mainland. Whereas nearly all of their journey again from the mainland handed uneventfully, issues would take a tragic flip throughout the strategy.
This seemingly took place attributable to an absence of focus from these within the cockpit. Certainly, the airplane’s pilots are stated to have been focussing extra on a dialogue about soccer with the air site visitors controller, with one even asking for a beer to be prepared upon arrival. All of the whereas, the Caravelle descended decrease than it ought to have.
The flight’s strategy in the direction of Ibiza Airport ought to have taken it safely over the 1,515-foot (462 meters) excessive Mount Atalayasa, had the minimal altitude been retained. Nevertheless, having descended beneath this, probably as a result of lack of focus within the cockpit, the plane collided with the height slightly below its summit. This sadly resulted within the deaths of all 104 of the occupants of flight 602.
The plane concerned
This dying toll made the accident the worst involving the Sud Aviation Caravelle on the time, and it now ranks third on this regard. Iberia flight 602 additionally stays Spain’s ninth-deadliest air catastrophe right this moment, having beforehand ranked second when the crash first occurred. The Spanish flag service misplaced one other Caravelle in 1967.
The airplane that crashed in Ibiza 51 years in the past right this moment was an instance of the Caravelle VI-R mannequin, and it bore the registration EC-ATV. Knowledge from ATDB.aero exhibits that it was lower than 9 years outdated on the time, having first flown in July 1963. It was named Maestro Victoria, after Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria.
Sources: ATDB.aero, Aviation Security Community, New York Occasions
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Iberia
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- IB/IBE
- Airline Sort:
- Full Service Provider
- Hub(s):
- Madrid Barajas Airport
- Yr Based:
- 1927
- Alliance:
- oneworld
- Airline Group:
- IAG
- CEO:
- Javier Sánchez-Prieto
- Nation:
- Spain
