Lost in translation
Well, I didn't take the pilot's Madrid reference as a mix-up of destinations, and obviousloy so didn't the passengers. This might have been lost in translation, and newer reports say the pilot's exact phrase may have been different. The word "Madrid" reportedly said by the captain was understood as a reference to the Spanair accident at Madrid. With recent media speculations about possible reverser problems with the Spanair plane, the remark obviously made some people nervous.