Air Crash Investigations - Burned Alive in Madrid - The Crash of Spanair Flight JKK5022

On 20 August 2008, Spanair flight JKK5022, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), registration EC-HFP, departed from Madrid Barajas airport at 14:00 on its way to Gran Canaria airport. During departure, at 14:24:24, the aircraft crashed near the end of runway 36L. The investigation revealed that the accident occurred as the aircraft attempted to take off, because the pilots had omitted to deploy the flaps and slats ready for take-off. Without the use of these "high-lift" devices, the wings did not generate enough lift to keep the aircraft in the air. The MD-82 warning system, that should have alerted the pilots that the plane was incorrectly configured for take-off, did not sound a warning, and the pilots continued with the fateful take-off attempt. The aircraft left the ground momentarily, rolled to the right, and crashed in the near the runway, breaking into at least two parts which were engulfed by the subsequent fire. Of the 172 people on board 154 perished in the accident.