Today at 14:45 local time, a Spanair MD-82 suffered an accident while taking off at Madrid Barajas Airport.
According to the first reports, the left engine caught fire (some reports say there was an explosion) while increasing speed on the ground (approximately 1 km down the runway), and the pilots tried to stop before taking to the sky or reaching the end of the runway. Some reports say the plane actually raised to the skies and then fell back on the ground, to later overrun the runway and break into several parts while catching fire and releasing large plumes of smoke that was visible from a distance around the airport. As seen on the CNN video report there were two plumes of smoke, which indeed would confirm that the plane had broken into at least two parts.
Update (22 august): according to CNN, there was no engine explosion. Read full article here.
Spanair MD-82 (EC-HFP) at Madrid Barajas (by Carl Hendriks on airliners.net)
(The plane carried a Star Alliance livery at the time of the crash, shown on airliners.net.)
173 people were on board flight JK5022 (code-shared by Lufthansa as LH2554 – Lufthansa has confirmed that 7 people checked in to the flight with Lufthansa tickets – 4 of those were from Germany) which was bound to Las Palmas, on the Canary Islands in Spain, only two hours away from the Spanish capital. Of the 162 passengers and 10 crew (6 active flight crew and 4 passive crew members), 140 of them are already confirmed dead (6 hours after the accident) but more are feared for the worst, as according to airport officials, only 26 people were taken to hospital, 19 of those in critical conditions. (UPDATE: 153 people dead and only 19 survived, as of 21 August.) Madrid’s international airport has been closed for a few hours and was partially reopened later this evening. The fire spread to the surrounding area where grass and vegetation also caught on fire, therefore besides the airport fire engines, even helicopters were involved in the firefighting efforts as shown on the image below. According to reports, all fires have been stopped by around 5pm local time.
Putting out fire by Helicopter after the Spanair Crash at Madrid Barajas (August 20, 2008 - c by origo.hu)
Ambulances lining up at Madrid Barajas Airport after the Spanair Crash (20 August, 2008 - c by sky.com)
According to the airline, the flight was already more than one hour late, due to a technical issue with the plane that forced the first takeoff attempt to be aborted (!!) as there were failure signals while pulling away from the terminal. The aircraft was inspected and then tried to take-off for the second time, which ended in the catastrophe. The McDonnel-Douglas MD-82 type has suffered other engine fire related incidents before. This particular plane (registration number: EC-HFP) first flew in 1993 for Korean Air and has been operated by Spanair since 1999. It had its last major check in January this year.
Update: here is the list of passengers of the flight JK 5022. It was published by the airline, but as it always happens, it will disappear from the website within a few days, so we copied it here, where hopefully it will remain forver.
Full Passenger List of Spanair flight JK 5022 on 20 August, 2008:
MEDINAVEGA/YAIZA
ACOSTAMENDIOLA/ALFREDO JESUS
ACOSTASIERRA/ALFREDO ALFONSO
DOMINGUEZPEREZ/ISABEL
GONZALEZCABANAS/MARIA LORETO
HERNANDEZGIL/MARCO
MARTINDOMINGUEZ/CRISTIAN
MARTINPEREZ/MANUEL
MENDIOLARODRIGUEZ/GREGORIA
ORTEGA/LEANDRO
VIDALRODRIGUEZ/RAFAEL
AFONSOMARRERO/PEDRO PABLO
AFONSOSOSA/JORGE
AFONSOSOSA/MIGUEL
ALCAZAR/MARIA DE LAS NIEVES
ALCAZARASENSIO/INMACULADA
ALCAZARJIMENEZ/JOSE
ALONSOALONSO/JOSE
ALONSOFILLOY/AMALIA
ALONSOFILLOY/MARIA
ALVARADO/OSCAR GABRIEL
ALVARADO/ROBERTO
ALVARADO/ROBERTO ALEXANDRE
ALVAREZCARRETERO/MARIA
ALVAREZCARRETERO/ROBERTO
ANDRACAGOLZARRI/BEGONIA
ANDRAKAGOLZARRI/ISABEL
ASENSIOCHAVES/MARIA VICTORIA
BACHO/MUKESHMANI
BARBOSARAMIREZ/ELSA
BERNAOLAITURBE/MIGUEL
BETANCORSANCHEZ/VERONICA
BORGE/ESPERANZA
CABALLERO/DAVID
CARPINTERORUIZ/ANGELES
CELISDIBOWSKY/YANINA
CHARILAS/PIERRICK
CHARILAS/ETHAN
CIPRIAN/CARMEN
CONEJO/SARA
CONTRERASBAEZA/MARIA GEMA
CORTESCABRERO/NIEVES
DELARIVA/SERGIO
DELGADOESTEVEZ/LIDIA
DELGADOCORCOBADO/CARLOS
DIAWARA/DEMBA
DIAZGONZALEZ/CLARA
DIAZMENDOZA/MARIA DEL PINO
DIEPALEON/MONICA
DOMIGUEZORTIZ/CRISTINA
DOMINGUEZ/ISAAC + INF
DOMINGUEZMELIAN/ALICIA
DOMINGUEZMELIAN/ARACELI
ERDIL/MUSTAFA
ESTEBANCONTRERAS/LAIA
ESTEVEZGONZALEZ/MARIA LUISA
FALCONDENIZ/AYOZE JAVIER
FERNANDEZ/JULIANA
FERRONOLMEDO/FERNANDO
FILLOYSEGOVIA/AMALIA
FLORESGARCIA/ANA GEMA
FLORESGARCIA/JOSE PABLO
FONTRODRIGUEZ/MARIA JESUS
FORTANNERNOU/MA DEL CARMEN SOFIA
GALLARDO/TAMARA
GALLEGOORTEGA/ANA
GALLEGOORTEGA/CRISTINA
GARCIAHERNANDEZ/CARLOS
GARCIAFERNANDEZ/MARIA RESURRECCION
GARCIAHERNANDEZ/ELENA
GARCIAMARTIN/LAUDENCIO
GARCIADELCARPIOROMERO/JOSE MANUEL
GARCIASANCHEZ/ANTONIO
GARCIA/MARIANO
GOMESSILVA/RONALDO
GOMEZ/CECILIA
GONZALEZDIAZ/PEDROANGEL
GONZALEZFERREIRA/PIL
HERNANDEZ/ABENAUARA
HERNANGOMEZ/PEDRO
HERNANDEZ/ZENAIDA DEL PINO
HERNANDEZ/SIOMARA + INF.
HERNANDEZ TANAUSU
HERNANDEZGUEDES/LUCRECIA
HERNANDEZMARTIN/MARIA TERESA
HERRAEZNOGUERAS/CARLOS
HULT/ANNMARIE
IBANEZSANCHEZ/BETSABE
JULIHENRIQ/AGUSTIN
JULIHENRIQ/MANUEL
LOPEZDUQUE/PILAR
MARQUEZVALLE/PILAR
MARTEL/MANUEL
MARTIN/MONICA
MARTINCONSUEGRAPENA/CRISTINA
MARTINEZCONDE/MERCEDES
MENDOZAMARCIAL/ANGEL JOSE
MOLINORODRIGUEZ/TELESFORO
MORALES/MA TERESA
MORENOPEREZ/RAFAEL
MORILLOPEREZ/PATRICIA
MROTZEK/CLAUDIA
MROTZEK/GERD
MROTZEK/LUCAS
MROTZEK/NIKLAS
MURIANALOPEZ/JUAN
MURIANAMARTINEZ/MERCEDES
NARANJO/JORGE
NARANJO/JORGE
NARANJO/RAQUEL
NODAPENA/FAYNA ELIZABETH
NORIEGAREY/SERGIO
NORIEGAREY/VICTOR
NORIEGARICO/MARIO
NUNEZ/FRANCISCO JAVIER
NUNEZ/MARIA
NUNEZPIRETTI/EUGENIA
NUNEZPIRETTI/JORGE
OJEDAPEREZ/CLAUDIO MANUEL
ORTEGASANCHEZ/M CARMEN
ORTEGADELACRUZ/GABRIEL
OSPINA/GLADYS
PALOMINORIVEROS/LIGIA
PAYERAS/DANIEL
PEREZDEOBANOSLISO/JOSE JOAQUIN
PLACERESPEREZ/INES
PRADOS/BALDOMERO
PRADOS/IGNACIO
PRADOS/JOSE FRANCISCO
PUYECEESAY/MUSTAPHA PAGANNA
PUYEFORTANER/SIRA
RAMIREZGONZALEZ/MARIA LOURDES
RAMIREZRODRIGUEZ/JOSE
REITZSAAVEDRA/ESTHER MARIA
REYESOJEDA/MARIA BEATRIZ
REYMURILLO/MARIA LUISA
RISO/DOMENICO
RIVEROSUAREZ/RAYCO
ROBAINASUAREZ/JOSE VICENTE
RODRIGUEZDAVILA/HONORIO
ROJOROSA/M CARMEN
RONDONUWU/NGUNI TOKA
SANCHEZ/PABLO ENRIQUE
SANCHEZBERNAL/TOMAS
SANCHEZORTIZ/MARIA DEL CARMEN
SANCHEZPEREZ/RUBEN DANIEL
SANGRADOR/JORGE
SANTANACASTILLO/CARMEN ISABEL
SANTANAMATEO/RUBEN
SOSAHERNANDEZ/MARIA DEL CARMEN
STANIMIROVA/ANTOANET
STEFANIDES/ANNA MAIJA
SUAREZESTEVEZ/JAVIER SEBASTIAN
TATEPEREZ/KIM YVONNE
VALLEJOJUNCO/M DEL CARMEN
VALLESMARCOS/FRANCISCO JAVIER
VERANESPEREIRA/ANAM
VILLANUEVAMARTIN/ALEJANDRO
VILLANUEVASANTANA/ALEJANDRO
VILLANUEVASANTANA/DARA
VILLANUEVASANTANA/KEILA
Airline world 
Not enough details on the first attempt but sounds like they tried to get on with the take off then went back for a problem. To bad they did not fix it or find the actual problem it appears.
This is absolutely terrible. I feel so bad for the families of the ones involved. And I’m praying for those who survived.
Its really terrible. There may have some lapses. Lets work together
to find out reality and work for safer travel. Lets pray for peace for passed souls.
I’ve just taken a look at the list of names. It’s terribles. Families most probably with children. They must have been on their way to a long awaited holiday.
But this was the saddest one:
DOMINGUEZ/ISAAC + INF
It means an infant under the age of 2. 😦
Damn it!
Its realy SAD…..AND WE COULNT FORGET…..
Vaya con Dios
FYI STANIMIROVA/ANTOANET is the mother of an Under-17 Real Madrid club de football player.
I’d like to convey my condolences to all the causalities.
A really sad thing to happen.
Seeing these peoples names brings home the fact that these were men, women, children, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers – not just numbers of dead after a tragic plane crash.
My sincerest condolances to the families and friends of all affected by this tragedy.
Ten cuidado.
JK
I remember flying Spanair in the mid 1990’s from Pennsylvania to Madrid. I remember the flight was a night flight and arrived early in the morning to Barajas Airport. The plane touched down on the runway almost 1/2 way past the approach end of the runway. When it came to the last turn off part, it was such a hard turn and except that I am a retired Navy Air Traffic Controller, I could tell that the aircraft was way to fast for the turn. When it turned, I could see the absolute end of the runway and thought that was a close one.
It was foggy but the plane had to land. I don’t know of any other Spanair incidents but it is a shame that this one didn’t make it.
My condolences to the families and relatives.
For those that have flown Spanair as well as other leading airlines, it should be clear that Spainair is a bad joke. Horrible service and unprofessional character is standard. I think that they should be thrown out of Star Allinace.
such a terrrible thing to happen
i was on holiday in madrid at the time of the crash, in the warner brothers theme park and everyone was talking about it we could hear sirens rushing to the scene. two days later we flew from exactly the same airport, the atmosphere was so tense, peopple were crying whn we set of to fly, passengers holding there crosses on there necklaces praying.it was so sad, thankfully our cabin crew of jet2 made evryone really relaxed and were really friendly the flight was great one so efficient and with no problems, maybe if spanair had been the same 154 people wouldn be dead right now.
thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims
xx
May I know if there was any FILIPINO Victims? I’m so worried about my friend, I dont know exactly the date when left the Philippines, but I guess it was the last week of August. He didn’t told me about his Flight details, so i’m not really sure if this was the plane he rode in. Until now, I don’t have anymore communications ith him, even his celphone number! and he said that he’s going to send me an email, as soon as he arrved. Please help me, I really need to know if there was ny FILIPINO victims? please send me email at, jun*****@yahoo.com
Hi Jasper,
The list of passengers we have provided above here in the article contains all aboard the plane. Please browse through there if you can see your friend’s name or not. I have not seen any list of the nationalities of passengers onboard, only the names.
Dear Sir/Madame,
My name andika from Travel agent in Indonesia, we need info SPAINAIR near from Indonesia.
B. Regards
Andika
Andika, you should contact Spanair directly (http://www.spanair.com) but they are not flying anywhere outside of Europe.
its awfule story