Embraer EMB-120 Brasília

The twin engine airplane departed Madrid-Barajas at 0635LT on a cargo service (flight IBT1278) to Bilbao, carrying one company mechanic, two pilots and a load of cargo consisting of 2,873 kilos of various goods. Following an uneventful flight, the crew was cleared to start the descent to Bilbao-Sondica Airport for an ILS approach to runway 30. During the descent, the crew encountered control problems which he attributed to an autopilot malfunction. While trying to identify the problem, the crew failed to realized that the rate of descent increased when the GPWS alarm sounded three times. Shortly later, while attempting to gain height, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Santa Marina Vieja located 33 km from Bilbao Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all three occupants were killed. The wreckage was found near the village of Zaldíbar.

The captain and first officer were conducting a localizer DME back course approach to runway 36 in a twin-engine turboprop airplane during a night cargo flight under IFR conditions. The minimum visibility for the approach was one mile, and the minimum descent altitude (MDA) was 460 feet msl (338 feet agl). Prior to leaving their cruise altitude, the first officer listened to the ATIS information which included an altimeter setting of 29.30 inHg. No other altimeter information was received until the crew reported they were inbound on the approach. At that time, tower personnel told the crew that the visibility was one mile in light snow, the wind was from 040 degrees at 22 knots, and the altimeter setting was 29.22 inHg. The crew did not reset the airplane altimeters from 29.30 to 29.22. At the final approach fix (5 miles from the runway), the captain began a descent to the MDA. Thirty-six seconds before impact, the first officer cautioned the captain about the airplane's high airspeed. Due to strong crosswinds, the captain disconnected the autopilot 22 seconds before impact. He said he pushed the altitude hold feature on the flight director at the MDA. Eighteen seconds before impact, the airplane leveled off about 471 feet indicated altitude, but then descended again 9 seconds later. The descent continued until the airplane collided with the ground, 3.5 miles from the runway. The crew said that neither the airport, or the snow-covered terrain, was observed before impact. The crew reported that the landing lights were off. The airplane was not equipped with a ground proximity warning system.