Iberia Flight 565

Iberia Flight 565
The aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in 1969
Accident
DateMarch 3, 1978 (1978-03-03)
SummaryOverran the runway due to aquaplaning
Site
Aircraft
Aircraft typeDouglas DC-8-63
Aircraft nameEl Españoleto
OperatorIberia
RegistrationEC-BMX
Flight originMadrid–Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain
DestinationSantiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport, Santiago, Spain
Occupants221
Passengers210
Crew11
Fatalities0
Injuries70
Survivors221

Iberia Flight 565 was a domestic flight in Spain from Madrid to Santiago. On March 3, 1978, the plane overran the runway and slid down into a ravine, injuring 70 on board, but no fatalities of the 221 on board.

On board of the flight consisted of: former members of Universidade da Coruña - José Luis Meilán Gil, Nona Inés Vilariño [gl]; politician - Pío Cabanillas Gallas; lawyer - Antonio Vazquez Guillen [gl] philosopher - José Luis López Aranguren; Dean of the Faculty of Medicine - Ramon Varela Nunez [gl]; co-owner of Grupo Marsans - Gerardo Díaz Ferrán, Gonzalo Pascual [es]; and Spanish hard rock band Ñu.

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Douglas DC-8-63, registered as EC-BMX, and nicknamed "El Españoleto". The plane was manufactured and was flying for Iberia since August 1968.

Crew member

On board was captain Jaime Ordovás Artieda, who have accumulated about 15,00 flight hours. He was famously known for an UFO incident on February 28, 1969 as Iberia Flight 435.

Accident

At 17:15 the plane arrived at Santiago with heavy rain. At 17:25, the aircraft touched down at an unsuitable location and was unable to stop. As they were about to hit a radio facility, the pilot maneuvered leading the plane to plunge twenty meters into a muddy, gorse-covered area, where the engines immediately caught fire, and its front section partially destroyed.

The captain was then praised for shutting down the electrical system of the plane, not igniting or spreading the fire any further.

Investigation

The cause of the accident was found to be the aquaplaning effect, which cause the plane to slide, reducing the braking effort. Contributing factor was unstable landing due to pilot error.

References

  1. ↑ Gómez, Juanjo (2024-10-12). "Accidente avión "El Españoleto", en el aeropuerto de Lavacolla". Diario de Santiago. Noticias de Santiago de Compostela y Galicia. (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  2. ↑ "El breve vuelo final del Españoleto". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Lorenzo, Juan Carlos Diaz (2018-03-03). "Cuarenta años del accidente del DC-8 de Iberia "El Españoleto"". La Mirada del Cronista (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  4. 1 2 3 "El «Españoleto» aterrizó como pudo". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  5. ↑ "Cuando los ovnis 'sobrevolaban' Baleares". Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera (in Spanish). 2023-02-19. Archived from the original on 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  6. ↑ "OVNIS: Un fenómeno que pasó de moda". Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 2019-08-18. Archived from the original on 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  7. ↑ https://bibliotecavirtual.defensa.gob.es/BVMDefensa/exp_ovni/es/consulta/registro.do?control=BMDB20160068795
  8. ↑ Muruais, Perfecto Conde (1978-03-04). "Un avión se sale de la pista en el aeropuerto de Santiago". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  9. ↑ "Hemeroteca | 1978 | Un avión con 221 pasajeros se sale de la pista al aterrizar en Lavacolla". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  10. ↑ "40 años del accidente de El Españoleto en Lavacolla | Aeronoticiario SCQ" (in Spanish). 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2026-11-14.
  11. 1 2 "Crash of a Douglas DC-8-63 in Santiago de Compostela | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives". www.baaa-acro.com. Retrieved 2026-11-14.

See also