Reports Of Casualties Following Spanair MD82 Overrun

Plane Aborted First Takeoff, Returned For Maintenance

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 08.20.08 1130 EDT: Authorities say at least 45 passengers were lost Wednesday when a Spanair MD-82 overran the runway on takeoff from Madrid Barajas International Airport.

Witness reports to CNN indicate Flight 5022 to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands suffered an unknown explosion during takeoff, and skidded off Runway 36R. Thick smoke still poured from the wreckage one hour after the crash.

Local media states the aircraft had aborted a previous takeoff attempt, and returned to the gate for maintenance. The flight then departed, about one hour past its scheduled time.

Scandinavian flag carrier SAS, which owns Spanair, confirmed the crash.

"Spanair regrets to confirm that its flight number JK 5022 from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canarias was involved in an accident at Madrid, at 14.45 hours local time today," the airline said in a statement. "Spanair is doing everything possible to assist the Spanish authorities at this difficult time. Spanair will provide further information as soon as it becomes available."

The Associated Press quotes Spanish emergency ministers stating at least 20 of the reported 166 passengers and crew onboard were killed, and 57 were injured.

"It is a certain catastrophe," one unnamed official with SAMUR, Madrid's emergency response force, told the AP.

The flight was operating as a codeshare for Lufthansa.

ANN will update this story as more information becomes available.

FMI: www.spanair.com
aero-news.net

Fonte: Flight Safety Information 21/08/2008.