Spanair Disaster
August 20, 2008: A plane swerved off the runway and crashed as it was taking off from an airport in Madrid. Eyewitnesses report seeing one of the engines on fire, while surviving passengers described an explosion from the rear of the plane.1
On the day of the crash, news reports circulated that Spanair's pilots union was considering a strike, citing the company's lack of a solid business plan.2
Fast Facts
- Flight number JK50223
- Originated in Madrid, Spain4
- Destination: Canary Islands4
- Accident occurred at 2:45 p.m. local time3
- Spanair joint flight with Lufthansa4
- 164 passengers and nine crew members were on board3
- Aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-823
- 11 fire engines and 45 ambulances were dispatched to the scene5
Spanair Problems?
Spanair reportedly does not have a history of safety problems, but there were signs in the summer of 2008 that the airline was experiencing a financial crunch amid rising gas prices and increased competition. Spanair's owner, Scandinavian operator SAS, put the subsidiary up for sale in 2007. When no potential buyers came forward, SAS withdrew the bid, and the company's stock price plummeted.6 7 2
In July 2008, Spanair announced it was cutting its workforce by roughly one quarter and grounding about 15 aircraft, in hopes of boosting its income in 2009. And on the day of the deadly Spanair disaster in Madrid, news reports said pilots at the Spanish airline were threatening a strike, citing concerns that the airline lacked a solid business plan. The pilots union said Spanair was wallowing in "organized chaos."6 7 8 9
Related Pages on Mahalo
Spanair | Plane Shoots Off Runway Madrid | Spanair Flight jk5022 | Madrid | | Antonia Martinez Jimenez
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