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The Tragic Tale of Iberia Flight 610

On a frigid February morning in 1985, a Boeing 727 belonging to Iberia Airlines was destined for a routine flight. Carrying 148 passengers and crew, Flight 610 departed from Madrid for the short journey to Bilbao. However, unbeknownst to those on board, the flight was about to descend into tragedy due to a series of critical misjudgments by the flight crew.

The Crew and Context

At the helm of the aircraft was Captain Jose Luis Patino, a seasoned pilot with 19 years of experience and over 13,000 flying hours. Notably, Patino had recently been reinstated after a strike that had led to the dismissal of several Iberia pilots, raising concerns about his emotional state.