Aviation-safety.net:
Narrative:
At 09:22 flight 1008 took off from Manchester for a flight to Tenerife. Arriving near Tenerife, the aircraft descended towards the 'TFN' VOR-beacon, and then on to the 'FP' beacon. The crew was to turn right after passing the FP-beacon, and take up an unpublished holding pattern at 5000 feet. The aircraft however, passed 'FP' 3km to the South of it and continued towards a mountainous area. At 13:21 G-BDAN crashed into a mountain at 5450 feet at a speed of 300mph and with a 30/40deg. bank to the right.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The captain, without taking into account the altitude at which he was flying, took the aircraft into an area of very high ground, and for this reason he did not maintain the correct safety distance above the ground, as was his obligation".
Contributing factors were:
a) the performance of a manoeuvre without having clearly defined it;
b) imprecise navigation on the part of the captain, showing his loss of bearings;
c) lack of teamwork between captain and co-pilot;
d) the short space of time between the information given and the arrival at 'FP';
e) the fact that the holding was not published"
(Spanish report)
UK authorities agreed in general with the report, but added some comments to give the report "a proper balance":
1. Ambiguous information given concerning the holding pattern at FP.
2. No minimum safe altitude computed for holding pattern.
3. Track for holding pattern at 'FP' is unrealistic.