Date: November 27th, 1983
Type: Boeing 747-283B
Registration: HK-2910
Operator: Avianca
Where: Madrid-Barajas APT; 12km SE (Spain)
Report No.: Not Available
Report Date: -
Pages: -
This is not an accident investigation report.
Avianca Flight 011 took off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 22.25h for a
flight to Bogota via Madrid.
The crew intercepted the ILS ( for an approach to Runway 33) on the wrong
track and continued to descend below MDA. This led to some problems with
inserting the Madrid VOR coordiantes in the aircraft's INS (inertial
navigation system), which caused the pilot to initiate a right turn short
of the VOR beacon (the point were he should have made the turn).
The right maingear and no.4 engine suddenly contacted a hill at an altitude
of 2247ft and a speed of 142kts. Three seconds later the aircraft impacted
a second hill at a sped of 135kts and a 4,9deg. nose-up attitude. Six
seconds after contacting the 2nd hill, the aircraft (at 126kts) hit the
ground with the right wing, which broke off. The Boeing cartwheeled and
broke in five pieces and came to rest upside down.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot-in-cormnand, without having any precise
knowledge of his
position, set out to intercept the ILS on an incorrect track without
initiating the published
instrument approach manoeuvre; in so doing he descended below all; the area
safety minima
until he collided with the ground.
Contributory factors were:
a) Inaccurate navigation by the crew, which placed them in an incorrect
position for initiating
the approach manoeuvre.; b) Failure of the crew to take corrective action
in accordance with
the operating instructions of the ground proximity warning system.; c)
Deficient teamwork on
the flight deck.; d) Imprecise position information supplied to the
aircraft by APP.; e) The
APP controller, in failing to inform the aircraft that radar service had
terminated, did not
maintain a proper watch on the radar scope." (Accident Investigation Board,
Spain)
Source: ICAO Circular 196-AN/119 (105-107, incomplete)