Investigation Summary
The flight was transporting 62 Spanish military personnel (41 from the Army and 21 from the Air Force) who were returning home after a four-month tour with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The crew consisted of 12 Ukrainians and one Belarusian. During the approach to Trabzon, the region was blanketed in heavy fog. The flight crew made two unsuccessful landing attempts. During the third attempt, the crew failed to properly execute the VOR/DME approach procedure for Runway 29, losing situational awareness and failing to maintain the required altitude for the missed approach segment. The aircraft impacted the slopes of Pilav Mountain at an altitude of approximately 4,600 feet, about 3.5 km east of Maçka. The investigation highlighted that the crew had exceeded their maximum duty time, and the resulting fatigue likely contributed to their inability to follow the complex instrument approach in mountainous terrain. The subsequent recovery process was marred by a major scandal in Spain when it was discovered that 21 of the bodies had been misidentified by Spanish military authorities, leading to multiple burials and high-level resignations.
Final Conclusions
The primary cause of the accident was Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) resulting from the crew's failure to follow the established VOR/DME approach and missed approach procedures for Trabzon Airport. Contributing factors included the crew's loss of situational awareness in dense fog, the challenging mountainous topography, and significant pilot fatigue. The crew had been on duty for over 22 hours, which severely impaired their decision-making and technical performance during the repeated landing attempts.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Pilot in command during the approach.
First Officer
Co-pilot during the approach.
Systems & Failure Modes
Instrument Landing System (ILS)
The crew attempted to navigate the mountainous approach in near-zero visibility without maintaining adequate terrain clearance.
Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS)
The aircraft struck a mountain slope while in a controlled flight configuration, indicating the crew was unaware of their proximity to terrain.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was carrying 62 Spanish soldiers and 13 crew members; there were no survivors.
- 02The flight was a charter returning troops from a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.
- 03The crash occurred on the third landing attempt in visibility conditions reported as less than 10 meters.
- 04Ammunition carried on board the aircraft caused secondary explosions after the impact.
- 05The accident remains the third-deadliest aviation disaster in Turkish history.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Spanish Military Transport Reform
Following the accident and the subsequent identification scandal, the Spanish government faced intense pressure to improve the safety standards and oversight of chartered aircraft used for military transport.
Memorialization and Diplomatic Cooperation
A Turkish-Spanish Friendship Monument was established at the crash site in 2004 to honor the victims and foster cooperation between the two nations in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Misidentification of Remains
Reference ↗Spanish authorities incorrectly identified 21 of the soldiers' bodies. After families raised concerns, DNA tests confirmed the errors, leading to the exhumation and reburial of the victims and the dismissal of three generals.
Resignation of Federico Trillo
Reference ↗Federico Trillo, who was the Minister of Defense at the time of the crash, eventually resigned from his later post as Ambassador to London in 2017 following a report that held the Ministry of Defense liable for the accident.