Country
code

Galicia

Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 near Pontevedra: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1976 at 1800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
UD.13-7
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Santiago de Compostela - Santiago de Compostela
MSN:
1035
YOM:
1974
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Santiago de Compostela on a fire fighting mission in the region of Pontevedra. In unknown circumstances, the airplane crashed on the slope of Mt Xiabre and was destroyed. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10R in La Coruna: 85 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1973 at 1140 LT
Operator:
Registration:
EC-BIC
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Madrid - La Coruna
MSN:
225
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
AO116
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
79
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
85
Captain / Total flying hours:
8610
Captain / Total hours on type:
304.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6283
Copilot / Total hours on type:
997
Aircraft flight hours:
13118
Aircraft flight cycles:
9380
Circumstances:
The Caravelle aircraft took off from Madrid-Barajas Airport at 08:30 GMT and proceeded normally to La Coruña Airport. At 09:14 radio contact was made with La Coruña tower and the flight crew reported 3 minutes away. The tower controller informed the flight that weather at the airport was below minima and that improvement would be slow. The flight crew then decided to hold over Lima Romeo Alpha and said they would report when holding. Shortly thereafter they informed the tower that they would make an approach down to minima to get a more precise idea of the weather and would hold thereafter. The controller switched on the VASIS and at 09:21 informed the flight that visibility was around 350 m, although he could not see the VASIS at the threshold of runway 22. The flight then reported at 3000 feet beginning the approach. At 09:23 the controller reported a visibility of 600 m. At 09:24 the pilot said he would attempt to land, that he was 2200 feet on approach and had not yet entered clouds. At 09:28 ATC reported 800 m visibility, but that a light breeze was coming up and fog was again closing in from the sea. The crew reported to the tower that they had descended to minima. Since the ground could not be seen, they would therefore begin to hold. At 09:32 the flight crew reported holding at 6000 feet and requested to be informed of any change that might take place. At 09:34 the controller reported a visibility of 400 m, that the VASIS was still visible. The flight crew then tried to make another attempt to land. At 09:36 the flight crew reported passing the LRA VOR on approach. The controller answered that the lights of the VASIS were no longer visible and that some fog had collected over the runway threshold. The pilot then decided to resume holding. Weather gradually improved and at 10:20 ATC reported a horizontal visibility of 1500 m and a vertical visibility of 150 m which improved to 250-300 m within three minutes. The pilot acknowledged and said he was leaving 5000 feet for approach. At 10:31 the flight reported passing LRA. At 10:32 the flight reported discontinuing the approach and 6 minutes later the pilot said he was initiating another approach and would report over LRA. At 10:39 the pilot reported over LRA again. Shortly afterward the Caravelle contacted eucalyptus trees, struck the ground and crashed onto several houses. The aircraft was totally destroyed and none of the 85 occupants survived. There were no casualties on the ground.
Probable cause:
Pilot violation of the regulations and instructions governing flight over national territory, and the international standards in force in Spain.
Final Report:

Crash of a Casa 352 in Monterroso: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T.2-93
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Santiago de Compostela – León
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
About twenty minutes after his departure from Santiago de Compostela, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. The aircraft went out of control and crashed on a mountain located near Monterroso. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Junkers JU.290A-7 off La Coruna: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
9V+FK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
179
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While returning to its base following a convoy mission, the four engine aircraft was shot down by the pilots of four RAF Mosquito's and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the Spanish coast. All four crew members were killed, among them Oblt Karl-Heinz Schmidt.
Probable cause:
Shot down by RAF fighters.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY Catalina IB off Cape Touriñan

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FP271
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gibraltar - Gibraltar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The seaplane departed Gibraltar in a maritime patrol flight. While cruising along the Spanish coast, one of the engine failed. The pilot ditched the airplane off Cape Touriñan. All 10 crew members were rescued and interned.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Stanley Alderson, pilot,
P/O Alfred James Isaac, pilot,
F/O George Wersley Adanson, navigator,
Sgt Paul Stanley Gees, flight engineer,
Sgt Frank Gordon Hobson, observer,
Sgt Claud Alfred Pottinger, air gunner,
F/Sgt Alan Brian Allen, air gunner,
F/Sgt Charles Williams Carson, air gunner,
Sgt William James McDonald,
Lac Thomas James Bouvier.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off La Coruna: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AJ162
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The seaplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off La Coruna. Seven crew members were killed and two others were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Walter Pilling, pilot, †
P/O John Gordon Pope, pilot, †
F/Sgt Ruskin Service Rice, †
Sgt Roland Ainsworth, †
Sgt Thomas Kirkham, †
Sgt William Law, †
Sgt Joseph Macnay Sloan, †
Sgt A. D. Smith,
Lac Harry William Long.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off La Coruna: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R5543
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
177
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in an antivessel mission when it was shot down by two German fighters and crashed into the sea off La Coruna. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Emmett Madson, pilot,
P/O John Henry Harrad, pilot,
P/O Thomson Lawrie Wilson, observer,
Sgt Vivian John Watson,
Sgt Harold Allen, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Lindsay Boland, air gunner,
Sgt Richard Henry Linton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by two German fighters.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Punta do Limo: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
BD210
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2530
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1210LT on an anti-submarine patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay. While cruising along the Spanish coast, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog when the airplane impacted the shore in Punta do Limo, some 60 km northeast of A Coruña. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Brian Willson, pilot,
P/O Leslie Charles Froud, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Arthur Harsum, observer,
Sgt Stanley Brimer, wireless operator,
Sgt Herbert Kitchener Bromage, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Alexander Seaton Lorimer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Short S.26 G-Class off Cape Finisterre: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X8274
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mount Batten – Gibraltar
MSN:
S.872
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The seaplane was on its way from RAF Mount Batten, Devonshire, to Gibraltar. Three hours into the flight, the crew decided to return following an engine failure. But shortly later, a second engine failed, forcing the crew to divert to Lisbon. The captain eventually attempted to make an emergency landing off Cape Finisterre. Upon landing, the hull caved and the aircraft quickly sank. Eight crew members drowned while four others took place in a dinghy. They were recovered three days and a half later by the crew of a German submarine and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Frederick Aalexander, †
P/O James Barry, †
F/Lt George Henry Bowes, †
LAC William Thomas Roy Crago, †
F/Sgt Claud Ernest Fowler, †
Sgt Henry Richard Mason, †
F/Sgt David Francis Meyrick, †
Sgt Albert Henry Sillifant Waller, †
Cpl James Anderson,
Cpl Leonard George Corcoran,
Sgt Julian Eustace Hill,
S/L Samuel Godfrey Long.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Dornier Do J Wal in Ferrol: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
D-5
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Ferrol – Santander
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew departed Ferrol on a flight to Santander to take part to manoeuvres. Few minutes after takeoff, while flying over Cape Ortegal, weather conditions deteriorated and due to an insufficient visibility caused by fog, the captain decided to return to Ferrol. While descending to Ferrol, the seaplane was too low and crashed on the slope of a mountain located near Cape Prioriño, west of Ferrol. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ens Fernando Cano-Manuel y Auberede
Mst Jaime Planas Pujol,
Mst Luis Azcárate Escudero,
Mst José Sánchez Mariscal,
Mst Manuel Rubio Rodríguez,
Cpl Juan Bautista Navarro Ros.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.