A Spanair jet attempted an emergency landing just after taking off from the Madrid-Barajas airport but it crashed off the side of a runway at Barajas. Witnesses described that the engines caught fire as the MD-82 took to the air momentarily before veering to the right and crashing between two runways, breaking into two parts.
After the wreck, only the tail of the MD-82 was recognizable. The plane broke in two and there was an explosion. Wreckage and bodies, even children's bodies were strewn across the area. Despite smaller numbers initially, the count is down to only 28 survivors. Most of the passengers were German, Swedish or Dutch.
There is already controversy concerning the crash. In the official announcement, Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez said the cause was "an error in takeoff". Other sources said that the plane's left engine, made by Pratt & Whitney had caught fire.
Four days ago THIS SAME Spanair McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration EC-HFS performing flight JK5113 from Lanzarote,CI to Madrid,SP (Spain), was diverted to Las Palmas,CI (Spain) due to a GENERATOR FAILURE about 30 minutes into the flight.
Did troubled Spanair Airlines know the aircraft needed maintenance? The flight was late taking off.
Scandinavian Airlines Systems Spanair is laying off 1,062 staff after losing $81 million this year. Prior to the crash, Spanair's pilots threatened a strike. US regulations forced American Airlines to ground their MD-80 series planes to check their wiring.
Psychologists and social workers join the rescue workers in picking up the pieces.
The Facts As We Know Them
- What: Spanair Flight JK5022, a 15-year-old MD-82 jet bound bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
- Where: Madrid airport Terminal Four
- When: Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 2:45pm
- Who: Carrying 166 passengers and nine crew, at the time of this writing, the number of fatalities had mounted to 145 people.
- Why: The jet swerved off the runway and caught fire during takeoff. Spanish Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (CIAIAC) is investigating
Individuals who lost family members in this disaster should consider retaining a proven aviation law firm or get their case evaluated.
Have you wondered about the MD-82? See the database of MD-82 Accidents and Incidents for Yourself
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment