Newpapers report the pilot had some 7000 hours (10 years) of experience on MD-80's series and the plane had performed a Barcelona-Madrid flight previously to this one without incidents.
The oficial explanation on the maintenance performed prior to take off is:
"A malfunction of the heater of the probe that measures the outside temperature while on ground as well as flying". The failure was in the mechanism that allows the probe to be "on" during flight and automatically deactivate while on ground" (I know it's somewhat contradictory to say in the same sentence that the failure was thought to be with the heater to then say it was with the automatic on/off switch of the probe, but that's what the expert brought by Spanair said to the families).
The 41yo mechanic had 20 years of experience and decided to deactivate the *probe* (according to the ...ehhh... probably-not-too-reliable reporter writing the news piece), considering the weather conditions good enough to safely fly w/o said mechanism.
Again, freaking confusion, I think the reporters are saying the wrong thing and only the heater was de-activated due to some failure of the on/off autoswitch (to heat while in fly-mode and be off while grounded?)
Perhaps we should just assume the whole probe was innoperative.
So the "literal translation" of the news piece on the technical briefing is, once again, not-all-that-clear. Either the heater didn't work or the switch that turned it on/off on air/ground didn't work and was disconnected. Or something.
Last edited by justme69; 23rd Aug 2008 at 19:12.