Maybe I missed something buried in the messages after my hasty look, but has anyone caught this BBC report:
Wing Flap 'Problem' on Spain Jet
These two paragraphs really jumped out at me:
" The pilots had detected the high temperature as they readied the plane for take-off, having already deployed the wing flaps, the plane's black box recorder showed. They aborted the take-off to get the temperature gauge looked at by technicians, the draft report says.
By the time the plane resumed its position on the runway, the flaps - which make it easier for aircraft to get off the ground at take-off speeds - had been retracted, data from the black box is said to show."
With all the usual media caveats etc, if true, this means the flaps were properly deployed on the first attempt to depart, and later retracted.
I think it is a significant statement if true. I leave it to the expert MD pilots and CRM experts to analyze the implications. But it certainly indicates that the flaps were functional and set on the first departure attempt.
If this has already been covered, feel free to flame or delete!
Beech