From accounts to the press from the ground airport personnel coordinator that assisted the MD82 for the aprox. 30 minutes they were on parking area 11 after the first aborted TO:
-During the conversation it was obvious that the pilot thought they were going to have to change planes. He asked for 2 busses to move the PAX. Busses arrived only to leave (empty) 10 minutes later.
-It was hot inside the cabin as PAX complained about no air conditioning.
-The pilot call to the Spanair coordinator: "Tell maintenance that the RAT heater is on while on ground" (unmistakenly, from the spanish: "Dile a Mantenimiento que el RAT se calefacta en tierra")
-Two maintenance technicians were waiting for the plane upon arrival to parking area.
-Another plane was requested and available for the change, if necessary. After the initial 5 minutes of the maintenance personnel looking at the problem, a plane change still seemed like was going to happen.
-By the time the busses arrived, the pilot told the coordinator to hold on a bit, cause maybe they were going to be able to fly with that plane after all.
-About 15 minutes later the couple of maintenance technicians left the plane. The ground coordinator steps up and asks the pilot: "so what are you finally going to do?". He answered to call for re-fuelling some 2.000 pounds of fuel and that they would take-off on the same plane.
-The pilot, in person, stepped down, talked to the fueling worker, and closed the fuel intake in person before going back into the plane. Two flight attendants were on top of the upstairs. Waived good bye and the plane moved backwards from the area.
The ground worker visually followed (from a large distance) the plane all the way to take-off. It all seemed normal to him until, after shortly on the air, it rolled side-by-side and he lost view of it. A bit later, as he was already heading to the closest building to call for help, he saw the smoke.
11 survivors remain hospitalized in Madrid. One is still in very serious condition in intensive care.
Also, some of the accounts of other rescue workers have appeared. They don't really shed light on the cause of the accident but do make a point as how even the shallow creek, which very likely helped some to survive (by keeping the fire away and dampening the fall), may have also contributed to the potential death of others.
Also of interest is once more the briefing to the police by the flight attendant on that landing flight from ecuador that witnessed the accident. She heard the pilot say: "He was eating the runaway" (reaching the very end of it). "14 seconds later the left engine 'sparked' and the plane fell like a leaf". (at this point, it's my *personal* understanding that the plane may have had all parts of it off the ground for ~7 seconds only, until the tail touched the ground again).
That piece of news say that only 1 survivor was travelling on the "back seats" (i.e. away from the area near the front were most survivors were sitting). Many survivors were awaken by the running water under their bodies. They had landed on the creek.
Last edited by justme69; 8th Sep 2008 at 21:54.