1958 Aviaco SNCASE Languedoc crash

SNCASE Languedoc of Air France

SNCASE Languedoc of Air France, similar to the accident aircraft
Accident summary
Date 4 December 1958
Summary Controlled flight into terrain
Site Guadarrama Mountains, Spain
Passengers 16
Crew 5
Fatalities 21 (all)
Aircraft type SNCASE Languedoc
Operator Aviaco
Registration EC-ANR
Flight origin Vigo Airport
Destination Barajas Airport, Madrid

The 1958 Aviaco SNCASE Languedoc crash occurred on 4 December 1958 when a SNCASE Languedoc of Aviaco crashed into the La Rodina de la Mujer Muertal mountain, in the Guadarrama Mountains, Spain, killing all 21 people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Vigo Airport to Barajas Airport, Madrid.

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was SNCASE Languedoc msn 28, registration EC-ANR.[1]

Accident

The aircraft departed from Vigo Airport at 15:40 local time on 4 December 1958 bound for Barajas Airport, Madrid. At 17:15, the aircraft was instructed to contact the control tower at Barajas and remain at Flight Level 95. In the next five minutes, the aircraft crashed into the 1,999-metre (6,558 ft) high La Rodina de la Mujer Muertal mountain, in the Guadarrama Mountains. All five crew and seventeen passengers on board were killed.[1] The search for the aircraft was hampered by inclement weather, with fog, snow, high winds and torrential rain reported.[2]

The cause of the accident was that the pilot flew too low whilst trying to descend out of icing conditions. A navigational error may also have contributed to the accident.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "EC-ANR Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. "21 KILLED IN SPANISH AIR CRASH" The Times (London). Monday, 8 December 1958. (54328), col D, p. 8.