Embraer EMB-120 Brasília crash, Jan 14, 2002 (3 killed)
Embraer EMB-120 Brasília accident on January 14, 2002 near Zaldíbar, Basque Country, Spain with 3 fatalities. Cause: Controlled flight into terrain...
- Date: January 14, 2002
- Aircraft: Embraer EMB-120 Brasília
- Location: Zaldíbar, Basque Country, Spain
- Fatalities: 3
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Controlled flight into terrain after the crew lost situational awareness while troubleshooting a perceived autopilot malfunction, ignoring GPWS warnings, and not following operator standard operating procedures.
An Ibertrans Aerea Embraer EMB-120 flying a cargo service from Madrid to Bilbao struck a mountain slope near Zaldibar during the approach to Bilbao-Sondica. All three people on board died and the aircraft was destroyed. The crew was focused on an apparent autopilot problem and did not keep adequate clearance from the terrain while the GPWS warned repeatedly.