Aviation News Item: 00430

18th Aug 2009

Source: ubmaviationnews.com

Spain's civil aviation accidents and incidents investigation commission (CIAIAC) has issued an interim report on the fatal accident of Spanair flight JKK5022 at Madrid Barajas International Airport on August 20, 2008, where 154 of the passengers and crew were killed and 18 seriously injured. The MD-82 bound for Las Palmas crashed shortly after becoming airborne, because the aircraft's slats and flaps had not been extended to their appropriate positions for departure. The report says the pilots "most probably" did not extend the high-lift devices for takeoff, that they did not complete the relevant checklists to detect the inappropriate aircraft configuration and that the aircraft's warning system to alert the pilots did not activate either. The authority has issued seven safety recommendations, including changing the warning system from its current status as a non-essential aircraft system to a critical one and that flight crew should always check its serviceability prior to takeoff.

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