Cessna 172 accident near Madrid, Es, March 31, 2016
On March 31, 2016 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered ECJSM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Madrid. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2016 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Madrid, Spain
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- ECJSM · no longer on the register · serial 17281310
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 31, 2016, about 1200 coordinated universal time (UTC), a Cessna 172 airplane, Spanish registration EC-JSM, collided with the terrain following a bird strike near Madrid, Spain. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from the Sabadell Airport (LELL), Barcelona, Spain, and was en route to the Cuatro Vientos Airport (LECU), Madrid, Spain. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Spanish government. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Spanish government. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil Ministerio de Fomento C\Fruela, 6 — 1a planta 28011 Madrid Spain Tel.: +34 91 5978960-63 E-mail: ciaiac@fomento.es
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Birdstrike during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Barcelona
- Destination: Madrid
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.