Status:	Final
Date:	18 FEB 1998
Time:	23:04 UTC
Type:	Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II
Operator:	Ibertrans Aérea
Registration:	EC-GDG
C/n / msn:	TC-220
First flight:	1976
Total airframe hrs:	17546
Engines:	2 Garrett TPE331-10UA-511G
Crew:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	4 km (2.5 mls) W of Barcelona Airport (BCN) (Spain)
Phase:	Approach (APR)
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Barcelona Airport (BCN) (BCN/LEBL), Spain
Destination airport:	Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU) (BRU/EBBR), Belgium
Flightnumber:	595A

Narrative:
The flightcrew had performed four flights that day (Barcelona-Palma de Mallorca-Alicante-Valencia-Barcelona) when they departed Barcelona at 22:38 UTC for a cargo flight to Brussels. Weather at the time of departure included wind 2 knots at 270 degrees, 2000m visibility in fog. Nine minutes after takeoff, while climbing through 8400 feet, the crew radioed that they wanted to return to the airport: "Requeririamos volver al campo". This request was granted and the pilot was told to contact Barcelona Approach. The approach controller cleared the flight for a runway 07 approach. After having been cleared down to 6000 feet and 3000 feet, the crew were told to contact Barcelona Tower at 22:59. At 23:00:15 the aircraft passed the Outer Marker at 1500 feet, with an airspeed of 170 knots. At a distance of 3,7nm from the QUV VOR the aircraft started deviating from the localizer course. One minute later the aircraft contacted the ground at a speed of 130 knots, crashed and caught fire.

CAUSAS: "Se considera que la causa probable del accidente fue el establecimiento y mantenimiento de un ángulo de descenso inapropiado durante la aproximación a la pista 07 del Aeropuerto de Barcelona, en condiciones de visibilidad reducida combinadas con posible fatiga de la tripulación debido a la duración de los periodos de actividad aérea y de descanso precedentes, y con indicios de posible mal funcionamiento del motor izquierdo que requería la compensación de la guiñada y una cuidadosa atención en el control del avión, que provocaron que la aeronave descendiera por debajo de la senda de planeo y se desviase del eje de la pista hasta impactar con la copa de un árbol y posteriormente con el terreno."

Sources:
» Accidente ocurrido el dia 18 de Febrero de 1998 a la aeronave Fairchild SA-226-TC, matricula EC-GDG, en el término municipal de Gavá (Barcelona) / Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (report nr. A-07/1998)