149 Killed After Plane Swerves Off Madrid Airport Runway

[Dentafrice]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,406881,00.html


A Spanish airliner burst into flames shortly after take-off in Madrid, leaving only 26 survivors, rescue officials and local media reported.

Spanair flight JK5022, an MD-82, ran off the runway Wednesday shortly after taking off for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Witnesses told Sky News that the plane's left engine caught fire during take-off, causing the aircraft to crash to the ground and break into two pieces.

Their were 173 people on board.

An official with the SAMUR municipal rescue service gave the toll after touring the site of the crash.

The official told the Associated Press the rest of the people on the plane have been given up for dead. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of department rules that barred him from giving his name.

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"Spanair regrets to confirm that its flight number JK 5022, from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canarias was involved in an incident at Madrid, at 14.45 hrs local time today," the airline said in a statement on its Web site. "Spanair is doing everything possible to assist the Spanish authorities at this difficult time, and has established a local help-line number for relatives or friends of those who may have been on board."

At the airport, helicopters and fire trucks poured water on the plane, which ended up in a lower, wooded area at the end of the runway at Terminal 4.

The crash occurred during the plane's second attempt at a taking off. The first was stopped due to technical problems, Sky News reported.

[Decode]

Is it me or are plane crashes becoming more frequent :L

[Jordy]

Is it me or are plane crashes becoming more frequent :LWell that's two in a week which is two more than usual, I guess there was the Qantas incident not too long ago and a plane came down in Africa a few months ago.

I wouldn't go as far as to say they're becoming more frequent, but there has been a few recently. Aeroplanes are still the safest mode of transport which is probably a annoying phrase by now :P

[Dentafrice]

Well there was that midair crash the other day ;P

[Leetzgirl]

Airplanes are becoming mangets for crashes now :|

EDIT: i going to be worried when my mates and my girlfriend going on planes now becasue it is becoming more frequent :rolleyes:

[cocaine]

i love how it says the plane swerves off the runway, yet the article says it took off.

& anyway, people are saying 'omg lots of air crashes' - well not really, a panel came loose on a QF flight, as well as their explosive decompression, and a small aircraft collision, and thats about all I've heard..

[Dentafrice]

i love how it says the plane swerves off the runway, yet the article says it took off.

& anyway, people are saying 'omg lots of air crashes' - well not really, a panel came loose on a QF flight, as well as their explosive decompression, and a small aircraft collision, and thats about all I've heard..
I just pasted from FoxNews :P

I bet it took off, then came down for a landing and slid.

[sock]

r.i.p but like in the quote it says it crashed at las palmes and you say it crashed off dat madrid, supposedly a engine failure/explosion of some sort I heard on BBC.

[Zabuza]

Is it me or are plane crashes becoming more frequent :L
There's tons of plane crashes, just few bigs ones so you never hear about them.
I was watching this on the news, such a shame.
The guy goes "and the pilot stated: there was a problem"

Lol no way?

[xxMATTGxx]

You may think crashes are becoming more frequent. But really they are not. If you think about the 1000's of flights there is everyday around the world. It really isn't that much. Compared to around 15 years ago. Like the above have said, flying is still one of the safest ways of travel. R.I.P to all who and died, such a shame.


r.i.p but like in the quote it says it crashed at las palmes and you say it crashed off dat madrid, supposedly a engine failure/explosion of some sort I heard on BBC.

It doesn't. If you read it again it says it was taking off for that place.

[Hayd93]

The reason we hear alot about plane crashes is there not like car crashes. You crash in a car you have a good chance of survival. Crash in a plane you have a masive chance of dyeing.

But air travel is so so safe. Millions more die on the roads, A air crash is pretty rare.

[xxMATTGxx]

Boeing Statement on Spanair Flight 5022 Crash in Madrid
SEATTLE, Aug. 20, 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] extends its deep condolences to the families and friends of those lost in the crash of Spanair 5022 in Madrid, and our hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. Boeing is providing technical assistance to the Spanish Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil (CIAIAC) as it investigates the accident, at the commission's invitation.

Press Release.

[cocaine]

I was watching this on the news, such a shame.
The guy goes "and the pilot stated: there was a problem"

Lol no way?

lol lots of accidents have gone without pilots not giving any wanring of a problem, mainly cus they couldnt get their planes under control.

the priority of flight is aviate, navigate, communicate, and if the pilots cant do the first one then they aint gonna be doing the rest :P


The reason we hear alot about plane crashes is there not like car crashes. You crash in a car you have a good chance of survival. Crash in a plane you have a masive chance of dyeing.

I disagree, however, what defines a crash? A faulty gear results in a crash landing, and many of them have gone without injury (see here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcRBuUR-N1I), here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ZmsueyY10), and here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyiHRq-wX8U&feature=related)) although some crashes such as smashing into the side of the mountain will obviously cause lots of deaths :P

[Stephen08]

I got delayed 3+ hours flying back from spain today because lots of planes got told to land stupid airport put cancelled on the screen instead of delayed so everyone in the place was like WTH when it flashed up but then it went to delayed :P

Anyway RIP

[benjamin]

las palma or whatever, omg thats the last airport i've ever been to abroad

freaky.

[GommeInc]

Is this the same crash that had seven killed? The death toll rose quickly :S

[xxMATTGxx]

Is this the same crash that had seven killed? The death toll rose quickly :S

Yes it is.

http://estaticos03.cache.el-mundo.net/albumes/2008/08/20/accidente_spanair_barajas/1219268689_extras_albumes_0.jpg

http://estaticos03.cache.el-mundo.net/albumes/2008/08/20/accidente_spanair_barajas/1219268630_extras_albumes_0.jpg

http://estaticos03.cache.el-mundo.net/albumes/2008/08/20/accidente_spanair_barajas/1219268505_extras_albumes_0.jpg

[cocaine]

Recorded metar for Madrid at time of crash.

METAR LEMD 201300Z 14004KT CAVOK 29/03 Q1018 NOSIG

Was quite a warm day..

LEMD = Madrid
201300Z = recorded on 20th, 1300Z
14004KT = Winds 140 degrees at 4 knots (ideal winds)
CAVOK = Conditions and visibility OK
29/03 = Temperature 29, dewpoint 03
Q1018 = QNH reading, 1018 is good, high pressure brings warm weather
NOSIG = No significant changes in the next two hours

[xxMATTGxx]

Recorded metar for Madrid at time of crash.

METAR LEMD 201300Z 14004KT CAVOK 29/03 Q1018 NOSIG

Was quite a warm day..

LEMD = Madrid
201300Z = recorded on 20th, 1300Z
14004KT = Winds 140 degrees at 4 knots (ideal winds)
CAVOK = Conditions and visibility OK
29/03 = Temperature 29, dewpoint 03
Q1018 = QNH reading, 1018 is good, high pressure brings warm weather
NOSIG = No significant changes in the next two hours

Weather is out of the question of the crash.

[cocaine]

Weather is out of the question of the crash.

i was a little bored.
and yes.

[sock]

You may think crashes are becoming more frequent. But really they are not. If you think about the 1000's of flights there is everyday around the world. It really isn't that much. Compared to around 15 years ago. Like the above have said, flying is still one of the safest ways of travel. R.I.P to all who and died, such a shame.



It doesn't. If you read it again it says it was taking off for that place.


Spanair flight JK5022, an MD-82, ran off the runway Wednesday shortly after taking off for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands

I was reffering to that.

[cocaine]

Weather is out of the question of the crash.

I know I agreed to this but however after reading a post on airliners.net



One point I would like to bring up - was this a/c close to MTOW? Consider the warm temperatures, some altitude (about 1000 Meters) of the airport, apparently all seats taken, people on vacation probably with a lot of luggage, enough fuel for what, a 2000 km flight? If an engine became disabled at take off and relatively close to the ground in this case could that contributed to this crash? I assume this will be a factor in the investigations.

The weather could have contributed as a factor. Don't forget that warm weather can sometimes affect an aircrafts performance, as well as the factors stated up there ^

[You]

Well that's two in a week which is two more than usual, I guess there was the Qantas incident not too long ago and a plane came down in Africa a few months ago.

I wouldn't go as far as to say they're becoming more frequent, but there has been a few recently. Aeroplanes are still the safest mode of transport which is probably a annoying phrase by now :P
I don't think they're the safest mode of transport lol but that's just me!!
RIP to those who died though.

[Stephen08]

Herbigio Corral, leading the rescue effort, said: “Only the tail was recognisable. There was wreckage scattered all over the place and dead bodies across a wide area. A lot of them were children.”


Yesterday, another horrified rescue worker sobbed: “How did ANYONE survive?”
After fighting his way into the burnt-out wreckage, the emergency worker said: “The plane was split in two and full of charred bodies.
“It’s the closest thing to Hell that I’ve seen. The bodies were boiling. They were cooking. We burned ourselves just by touching them. It’s a miracle anybody survived.”


That freaked me out when I read it in the sun

[Yoshimitsui]

Just flown back to manchester this morning, i was told that the pilot had allready aborted the takeoff once and then engine exploded on seccond attempt!


Anyone confirm that!

[xxMATTGxx]

I was reffering to that.


Spanair flight JK5022, an MD-82, ran off the runway Wednesday shortly after taking off for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands


That says taking off for Las Palmas, which is correct.



Just flown back to manchester this morning, i was told that the pilot had allready aborted the takeoff once and then engine exploded on seccond attempt!


Anyone confirm that!

There has been many reports that the aircraft did starting taking off, aborted due to a warning light or something? Then it went back to the gate or some parking place at the airport for an engineer to look at it. Then it was cleared to do the flight. Which suffered into a crash. But just wait for the official investigation report and we know the truth.

[Stephen08]

Just flown back to manchester this morning, i was told that the pilot had allready aborted the takeoff once and then engine exploded on seccond attempt!


Anyone confirm that!

Hey babe where did you go, I flew back last night :eusa_danc

[Yoshimitsui]

Dominican Republic, you?

[Stephen08]

Dominican Republic, you?

Spain ennit

[Stepheen]

I feel for the familys xo

Unless there terrorists, then maybe not, but they shouldn't deserve to die even if they are terrorists.

Do you think insurance will cover the plane?

[Stephen08]

What so spanish people are terrorists now?

[Earthquake]

:( R.i.p, How worse then to pass away on a plane.

[Stephen08]

:( R.i.p, How worse then to pass away on a plane.

Getting your head slowly cut off in a psycho's garage

[Judge Judy]

Read it in newspaper and french tv in ... france. RIP to those died.

The plane was 20 yrs old and they don't know whether it was the same plane used when there was a problem with it in Gran Canaria.