Incident Overview

Date: Monday 14 April 1958
Aircraft Type: de Havilland DH-114 Heron 2D
Owner/operator: Aviaco
Registration Number: EC-ANJ
Location: S off Barcelona Airport (BCN) – ÿ Spain
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 16
Component Affected: The Aviaco Heron aircraft.The Aviaco Heron aircraft.
Category: Accident
An Aviaco Heron aircraft, en route to Barcelona, encountered a Barcelona-based EC-AEJ aircraft on a wide base leg. Due to a lack of precise EC-ANJ position data, the Heron initiated an avoidance maneuver, resulting in a loss of control and subsequent crash into the sea.An Aviaco Heron aircraft, en route to Barcelona, encountered a Barcelona-based EC-AEJ aircraft on a wide base leg. Due to a lack of precise EC-ANJ position data, the Heron initiated an avoidance maneuver, resulting in a loss of control and subsequent crash into the sea.

Description

The Aviaco flight departed Zaragoza at 19:19 for a flight to Barcelona. At 20:06 the aircraft reported on a wide base leg and asked visibility data. Another aircraft (EC-AEJ) was ready for departure from Barcelona at that moment, but takeoff permission had been refused. When the Aviaco Heron reported 5 minutes away, the EC-AEJ aircraft was cleared for takeoff. Shortly thereafter both planes were flying at 150 m altitude on intersecting tracks. The Heron was forced to take a sudden avoidance manoeuvre and lost control. The plane crashed into the sea. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The fact that EC-AEJ was permitted to takeoff without the exact position of EC-ANJ being known. During avoidance action taken by EC-ANJ, loss of control occurred, and the aircraft fell into the sea.”

Primary Cause

The fact that EC-AEJ was permitted to takeoff without the exact position of EC-ANJ being known.The fact that EC-AEJ was permitted to takeoff without the exact position of EC-ANJ being known.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *