tinyurl.com/6cqtb2 -> www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1047380/Up-150-tourists-killed-plane-breaks-skidding-runway-Madrid-airport.html
Add to My Stories Add to My Stories All but 26 passengers have been killed after a plane carrying 173 people broke in half and burst into flames when it skidded off a runway during a take-off at Spain's busiest airport. Smoke from the burning fuselage rises in the distance Horror: Skid marks made by the plane as it careened off the runway.
Enlarge Medics rush an injured passenger from the flight to an operating theatre in the La Paz hospital Medics rush an injured passenger from the flight to an operating theatre in the La Paz hospital The airport can be seen in the background as a helicopter drops more water on the plane The airport can be seen in the background as a helicopter drops more water on the smouldering plane Madrid emergency services have confirmed 149 dead so far, saying just 26 survived, eight of whom are in a critical condition. The 15-year-old plane, Spanair flight JK5022 was reportedly carrying 173 people - 166 passengers and nine crew. It was a single aisle short- to mid-term range MD-82 travelling from Madrid to Gran Canaria. It is believed the fire began in the left engine shortly after take-off, forcing the plane to attempt an emergency landing. Witnesses claimed the plane was 100 metres off the ground when they saw the engine explode. As the pilot attempted to land the plane veered to the right and crashed, breaking in two and skidding from the runway into a hollow surrounded by trees. Some Spanish media suggested the plane had been delayed an hour before take-off due to technical problems. It was reportedly the plane's second attempt at take-off.
Enlarge Ambulances and rescue workers gather near the crash site Ambulances and rescue workers gather near the crash site Relatives, including a small child, react to news of the crash Relatives, including a small child, react to news of the crash A relief plane carrying specially trained personnel is now being sent to Madrid. A makeshift morgue was being set up at the city's main convention centre, officials said.
Enlarge Risky: Passengers on this jet taking off as smoke billows from the crash scene and emergency vehicles crowd the crash area must have felt nervous about their flight Risky: Passengers on this jet taking off as smoke billows from the crash scene and emergency vehicles crowd the crash area must have felt nervous about their flight 'It is certain catastrophe,' a spokesperson said. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero interrupted his vacation in southern Spain to travel straight to Madrid airport, his office said. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was sorry to hear of the tragedy. There were two children on board the flight, which had an earlier connection with Lufthansa's LH255. Lufthansa said seven passengers with Lufthansa tickets, four of them from Germany, had checked in for the flight, and a Canary Islands official said passengers included Swedes and Dutch. Relatives of the passengers on board have already begun to arrive at the airport. A room has already been prepared to offer them psychological support from the Red Cross. Roads around the airport were closed as authorities declared a state of emergency.
Enlarge plane graphic Large columns of smoke were billowing from a fire on the plane. Spanish media claimed 70 firetrucks, 45 ambulances, and 230 emergency workers had rushed to the scene. The flight was taking off near Terminal 4 at the Barajas airport for Gran Canaria at 245pm today. Barajas airport sees over 40 million passengers a year and is one of Europe's top five busiest airports. Spanair is Spain's second biggest airline after Iberian airlines. A subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS), it has been struggling with high fuel prices and tough competition during an economic slowdown. It has announced it was laying off 1,062 staff and cutting routes to turn the airline around after losing $81 million in the first half of the year. Just hours before the crash, Spanair's pilots threatened to strike. The MD-80 series is a short to mid-range airplane made by American firm McDonnell-Douglas. US manufacturer Boeing Co bought McDonnell Douglas in 1997, and the last of the MD-80 family rolled off its production line in 1999. It has a wing span of 107feet 10inches and length of 147feet 10inches, with maximum seating for 172 including a flight crew of two.
View all Comments (64) Here's what readers have had to say so far. Im spanish and Ive been following national TVs since the crash. I have no words to express the feelings of a grandmother asking a journalist about her 22-year-old grandson, who was at the flight...
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