The preliminary report into the tragic crash of Spanair flight 5022 at Barajas airport, in which 154 people lost their lives, concludes that the plane’s wing flaps were wrongly positioned, but a warning system failed to alert the pilots.
The plane, an MD-82, reached an altitude of just 12 metres before crashing and bursting into flames, killing all but 18 of those on board.
The plane’s wing flaps are designed to provide lift on take-off but were apparently not deployed. A warning sound should have alerted the pilots but, for unknown reasons, the cockpit alert system failed and no warning was given.
A study of both the flight data and voice recorders by the crash investigators concludes that there was no evidence of prior engine problems and the plane only caught fire after hitting the ground. The report also states that the pilots did carry out routine checks before take-off.
It will now be up to a judge to decide whether anyone can be held criminally responsible for the disaster, the worst in Spain for more than two decades.