175 excited passengers anxiously awaited the takeoff to the Canary Islands, bags packed with sunglasses, shorts and sunscreen, unknowing that within minutes their lives would sadly end. Madrid, Spain (JusticeNewsFlash.com – News Report) – The plane had not even left the runway when it crashed and burst into flames, instantly killing 149 of its passengers; becoming Spain’s deadliest air disaster in more than 20 years, only 26 survived. As ambulances rushed to the scene, helicopters doused flames overhead. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but the national airport authority AENA stated that the plane was already an hour late in leaving due to technical problems. Investigations are pending as to the catalyst of the crash.
The plane was a Boeing MD-82 on a code share flight with Lufthansa’s LH2554, Spanair said. The Spanair spokesman, Mr. Allard said that ‘the plane last passed an inspection in January of this year and no problems with it had been reported since then. The plane is 15 years old and has been owned by Spanair for the past nine.’ In March and April this year a safety audit against American Airlines forced the airline to ground its entire MD-80 series fleet. Almost 6000 flights were cancelled as the hydraulic wiring was checked. Delta Airlines also cancelled 275 flights after inspecting their MD-80s.
Here are some of the recorded incidents involving the MD-80 series. Almost 400 people have been killed in the last 5 years.
* November 30, 2007 – MD-83 Atlasjet Flight 4203 crashed into the southwestern province of Isparta in Turkey, killing all 57 passengers.
* September 28, 2007 – MD-80 Flight 1400 landed safely after the left engine caught fire. It was heading for Chicago.
* September 16, 2007 – MD-82 One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 crashed at the side of the runway and exploded at Phuket airport. More than 80 killed.
* August 16, 2005 – MD-82 West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashed in northwest Venezuela killing all 152 passengers and 8 crew.
* November 30, 2004 – MD-82 crash landed in Surakarta, killing at least 25.
* May 7, 2002 – MD-82 China Northern airlines Flight from Beijing to Dalian crashed, killing at least 111.
* October 8, 2001 – MD-87 collided with a Cessna jet during take-off at Linate Airport, Milan. 118 were killed.
* January 31, 2000 – MD-83 crashed in the Pacific Ocean. 88 killed.
* June 1, 1999 – MD-82 American Airlines flight overshot the runway. At least 11 died.
* June 7, 1996 – MD-88 Flight with Delta Airlines. 2 killed.
* October 26, 1993 – MD-82 China Eastern Airlines Flight. 2 killed.
* December 27, 1991 – MD-81 crashed in Sweden. All aboard the plane survived.
* June 12, 1998 – MD-81 Argentinian flight. Killed 22.
* August 16, 1987 – MD-82 crashed shortly after take-off from Detroit. All crew and passengers died except a 4 year old girl.
* December 1, 1981 – MD-81 crashed in Corsica, all 180 passengers were killed.
