Judge has watched 18 video recordings concerning the accident (I'm assuming many of those of witnesses nearby AFTER the crash itself, but including the 7 seconds airport recording the captures the exact moment of the accident).
Preliminary technical reports received by the judge by technical investigators concentrating on the engines confirm the engines neither exploded nor catched fire prior to the accident. Most of this conclusion comes from analysis of the airport surveillance video recorders that captures the accident and witnesses.
Most spanish press gives this scenario as certain: Pilot tried to take off until the last possible moment, but when he touched ground again he deployed the only working reverser (left) while the right one couldn't be used as it was locked-out-of-service for maintenance.
6 of the crew members on board were on active duty. Another 4 crew members were flying avant.
Sitting next to 1C seat of crew survivor flight attendant Antonia Martinez was another Spanair pilot, an airbus commander. The flight attendant couldn't hear anything from the cabin (she never was there) but she recalls the comments of her partner sitting right next to her (the airbus pilot) as soon as take-off commenced: "Something weird is happening here" (referring to the way he perceived the take-off maneuver).
She continues in her declaration to the judge: "The airplane couldn't climb, like if it wasn't able to cope with the weight of the plane, it zig-zaged laterally and I thought it was trying an emergency landing. The lateral moves were very abrupt, the airplane was out of control".
She didn't see any fire. She found herself in the creek's water undeneath some probably metal sheet of fuselage and someone was pulling her hair and shoulders trying to help her.
She confirms the pilot didn't address the PAX during the accident (obviously not enough time or a priority).
Last known communciation from him to air controller Enrique. A. who lost visual contact with the plane at 14.24 (until flight voice recorder communications are recovered and anaylized). The pilot repeated the parameters given by the controller to take-off and acknowledges having permission to TO.
Judge declares work fatigue not a factor, as both pilots were under 60 hours in 20 days.
One of the survivors declares the "sudden roll movements" so abrupt that in 2 seconds he could see through the window "landing strip, sky, landing strip again". He found himself still strapped (buckled up, I guess) to his seat with one of his arms trapped underneath a piece of fuselage.
Most survivors accounts of the accident are very imprecise. They all talk of normal feeling take off, sudden weird left and right movements and vibrations, and then crashing.
Initial rumors about the left engine catching on fire came from an airport worker (no idea what they are called in english, it's usually the guys that drive around the "follow me" cars or perhaps make indications to the airplane to turn right/left with those funny flashlights). He is one of only two sources for evidence, though, about such a thing, which wasn't captured by the video recordings etc.
The judge received the testimony of a flight attendant from a nearby plane incoming from Guayaquil. She didn't see the airplane herself but declares to have heard a comment by her flight's commander: "He is eating the strip" (referring to the Spanair airplane using almost all available runaway, although remember at least another 600m of paviment was available). She said the pilots commented on that engine "flashing" and the MD-82 "falling like a leaf".
Many witnesses speak of abrupt roll but also of some yaw (after leaving the ground).
Air traffic controller in charge of the flight declared to his boss: "The airplane I just authorized to TO, I think it fell down. The nose went up, but couldn't lift-off, started to roll side-to-side and then I couldn't see it anymore".
The control tower supervisor said she had heard some vague talk about an Spanair flight with engine problems earlier in the day. But evidence to that doesn't show up anywhere.
The weight of the airplane according to ground papers was 64.263kg. 11.189kg of fuel. Most cargo has been destroyed in the accident, only a few pieces have been recovered.
22 pieces of luggage belonged to the crew. 115 pieces to PAX. Plus undetermined carry-on.
It carried 400kg of fresh-fish cargo on a refrigerated container. Also some cargo for shoe manufacturer Timberland. A live animal (a dog, didn't survive the accident, has been retrieved).
Last edited by justme69; 29th Aug 2008 at 16:22.