Next December 7 will mark 40 years since a fateful accident at the Madrid-Barajas airport: an Iberia plane collided with Aviaco flight 134. The result was 93 deaths, as both aircraft caught fire after colliding.
Of the Boeing 727, 51 people died of the 93 who were traveling on board, while on the Aviaco plane, a McDonnel Douglas DC-9-32, which was eight years and eight months old, all the travelers and crew died, that is, 42. people.
The accident occurred because it was a foggy day. The crew of the DC-9-32 accidentally took a wrong turn and sent their plane onto the runway. The 727 crew perceived the problem with the other plane and tried to avoid the collision by turning their aircraft to take off; However, the 727 had not reached flight speed and its rear fuselage struck the DC-9. With that blow, both planes caught fire and the fatal outcome occurred.
The Iberia plane was piloted by Commander Carlos Lopez-Barranco and its destination was the Rome-Fiumicino airport. At the time of the accident he was 9 years and 9 months old.
While the Aviaco plane was piloted by Augusto Almoguera Pérez, with 13,442 flight hours, and its objective was to reach the Cantabria-Seve Ballesteros Airport.
The rescue efforts continued throughout the day and part of the next. The judge on duty, José Ruiz Ramo, was recognizing the bodies and certifying deaths.
But the worst thing is that ten days before another accident had occurred, which had claimed the lives of 181 people at the same airport. This second accident occurred on November 27, 1983 and among the deceased were renowned Latin intellectuals, such as the Mexican Jorge Ibargüengoitia, the Peruvian Manuel Scorza, the Argentine Marta Traba, the Uruguayan Ángel Rama or the Spanish Rosa Sabater, among others.
