Spanair Flight 5022
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (August 2008) |
 | |
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 20, 2008 |
| Site | Barajas International Airport, Madrid, Spain 40°31′48″N 003°34′13″W / 40.53000°N 3.57028°W |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas MD-82 |
| Operator | Spanair |
| Registration | EC-HFP[1] |
| Flight origin | Barajas International Airport |
| Destination | Las Palmas Airport |
| Passengers | 162 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Fatalities | 153 |
| Survivors | 19 |
Spanair Flight JK 5022 was a flight using a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration EC-HFP, that crashed immediately after takeoff on August 20, 2008. It was on a short haul flight from Barajas Airport in Madrid to Gran Canaria Airport in Gran Canaria, Spain, and had just taken off from runway 36L of Barajas Airport at 14:45 CEST (12:45 UTC). It was the first deadly accident for Spanair (part of the SAS Group) in the 20-year history of the company, and the 14th fatal accident and 24th hull loss involving MD-80 series aircraft. It is the deadliest flight disaster in Western Europe since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, with 153 people now believed to have died, seven while en route to the hospital.[2]
Crash
The accident occurred at 14:45 local time during takeoff.[3] The aircraft, christened "Sunbreeze", registration EC-HFP,[1] had been delivered to Korean Air on 18 November 1993 and was acquired by Spanair in July 1999. It was carrying a total of 172 people of which 162 were passengers, four passive crew members and six flight crew.[3] Following its takeoff roll and shortly after achieving flight the aircraft experienced a fire in the number one (port, or left) engine (a Pratt & Whitney model JT8D-217C turbofan). The aircraft then rolled to port (left) [citation needed], was unable to maintain adequate airspeed to prevent altitude loss and crashed in the vicinity of the runway, breaking into at least two parts which were engulfed by the subsequent explosion. Spanair reported that the pilot had previously attempted and aborted takeoff due to excessive temperature in the engine airtake. It is reported that a defective external temperature sensor was replaced on the ground, delaying departure by an hour.[4] Another takeoff was attempted, during which the fatal accident occurred.[5]
The flight was also a codeshare operated on behalf of Lufthansa as LH 2554.[6] Seven passengers with Lufthansa tickets had reservations. Four of the Lufthansa passengers were from Germany; however, the number of Lufthansa passengers who boarded the flight is yet to be confirmed.[7]
Casualties
Initial reports of casualties were mixed. Sources initially reported as few as 2 to 45 deaths, however, as the incident unfolded, the figure was quickly revised to upwards of 100. The Associated Press reports that a Spanish emergency rescue official claimed as few as 26 passengers survived the crash.[8][9][10] The rest are supposed to have died either in the crash or immediately after in the violent fire.[1][5][11][12] [13] By August 21, reports clarified there were 153 fatalities and only 19 survivors, six of the initial survivors died before arriving to the hospitals and another one died at night.[14]
According to government officials, at least 14 of the deceased are foreigners, from 9 different countries: Germany (5), France (2), Mauritania (1), Turkey (1), Bulgaria (1), Gambia (1), Italy (1), Indonesia (1) and Brazil (1). Among the survivors there are two foreign citizens: one Finnish and one Bolivian.[15]
Investigation
There is not yet any official account of the accident beyond some preliminary statements by Magdalena Álvarez, minister in charge of civil aviation in Spain.[16] Alvarez said that the aircraft briefly took flight and veered to the right before crashing. She also noted that investigators have recovered the two flight data recorders (one damaged), and that there was no suspicion of terrorism.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Simon Hradecky (2008-08-20). "Crash: Spanair MD-82 at Madrid on Aug 20th 2008, went off runway during takeoff".
- ^ "100 worst aviation accidents". 2008-08-20.
- ^ a b "Press Release". Spanair. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Madrid crash: 'The plane came to a sharp stop. I heard a horrible noise'". The Guardian. 2008-08-20.
- ^ a b "Many dead in Madrid plane crash". BBC News. 2008-08-20.
- ^ Spanair Press release Spanair Press release Retrieved 16:42 GMT 20th August 2008
- ^ Spanair flight JK 5022 Lufthansa Press Release, Retrieved 20th August 2008, 18:24 UTC
- ^ "More Than 150 Die in Madrid Plane Crash". The New York Times. 2008-08-20.
- ^ "147 killed in plane crash at Madrid airport". Associated Press. 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Death toll climbs in Spanair plane crash". UPI. 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Al menos 140 muertos tras estrellarse en el despegue un avión que salía de Barajas". 2008-08-20.
- ^ "La tragedia aérea de Barajas se salda con más de 152 muertos y al menos 20 heridos". 2008-08-20.
- ^ "'Scene from Hell': More than 150 tourists burned alive as plane was ripped apart in runway fireball". Daily Mail. 2008-08-21.
- ^ "Spanish plane that crashed had overheated valve". 2008-08-21.
- ^ "Pelo menos 14 mortos são estrangeiros, um deles brasileiro". 2008-08-21.
- ^ "More than 150 Die in Madrid Plane Crash". 2008-08-20.