Incident Overview
Description
A Junkers Ju-52/3m aircraft, named “Sanjurjo” and operated by Iberia, crashed at sea while on a flight from Ttouan, Morocco to Sevilla, Spain. The three crew and seven passengers were killed. Along the flight route the sky was completely overcast and a storm, accompanied by thunder and lightning, stretched along the Strait of Gibraltar. The flight took off at 08:00 hours. At 08:14 hours, after passing Ceuta, the flight radioed that they would use the hanging antenna for long-distance communications. That was the last contact. At 08:15 the aircraft was observed flying by an English patrol boat at 1500 feet in heavy downpour. The aircraft subsequently was seen to crash in flames. Only small pieces of debris and the tail wheel were found. Rumours, initiated by the German secret service, suggested at the time that the aircraft was shot down from the Rock of Gibraltar or from an English warship. This was not deemed likely.
Primary Cause
Severe weather conditions, specifically a combination of an overcast sky, a storm, and lightning, likely contributed to the crash.Severe weather conditions, specifically a combination of an overcast sky, a storm, and lightning, likely contributed to the crash.Share on:
