Flight IBT1278 departed Madrid (MAD) at 06:35 for a flight to Bilbao (BIO), with 2873 kg of cargo on board. The aircraft climbed to its assigned cruising altitude of FL220, which was reached at 06:53. Permission to descend was given at 07:12 and at 07:23 the crew started an ILS approach to runway 30. Two minutes later the captain experienced control problems, which he attributed to an autopilot malfunction. An increase in the rate of descent went unnoticed by the crew who tried to find out the cause of the control problems. As the plane was descending over mountainous terrain, the GPWS alarm sounded three times. The approach controller then asked if the flight was established on the localizer and ILS glidepath. The copilot then replied that they had captured the localizer. Approach Control then instructed the crew to contact Bilbao Tower. Contact was not established however. The copilot noticed that they had not captured the glidepath and informed the captain. The airplane?s speed and rate of descent were reduced and a smooth climb was initiated. Six seconds later the airplane flew into the side of the Monte de Santa Marina, some 18 nm (33 km) from Bilbao Airport. The mountain has an altitude of 675 m (2215 ft). CAUSAS: “El accidente se produjo por no mantener la aeronave una separaci¢n adecuada con el terreno cuando se realizaba la maniobra de aproximaci¢n al aeropuerto de destino, como consecuencia de haber focalizado la tripulaci¢n su atenci¢n en la desconexi¢n del piloto autom tico . A partir del momento en que surgieron dificultades con los mandos de vuelo, la tripulaci¢n no realiz¢ los procedimientos est ndar de operaci¢n establecidos por el explotador de la aeronave.”