Spanair

Summary

Spanair 5022 stalled and crashed on takeoff from Madrid when the crew failed to set the flaps and slats, and the takeoff warning system that should have alerted them also malfunctioned. Of 172 aboard, 154 died, with only 18 surviving. It remains Spain's worst aviation disaster. The simultaneous failure of both the checklist process and the warning system left the crew with no indication of the misconfiguration.

Cause & Investigation

Timeline & Safety Improvements

1. 2008-08-20

   Flight JK5022 disaster

   McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating for Spanair. 154 fatalities, 18 survivors.

2. Investigation

   Formal investigation opened

   Conducted by: Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviacion Civil (CIAIAC), Spain.

3. Findings

   Cause determined: Takeoff without flaps — checklist failure

   The crew failed to configure the flaps and slats for takeoff, having skipped critical checklist items after a preceding takeoff abort for a technical fault. The takeoff configuration warning system also failed to alert the crew due to a separate sensor malfunction. The aircraft became airborne in a dangerously clean configuration, immediately stalled, and crashed alongside runway 36L.

4. Safety change 1

   Improvement implemented

   Mandatory independent checks of takeoff configuration warning systems before each flight were recommended.

5. Safety change 2

   Improvement implemented

   Checklist interruption procedures were revised to require explicit restart from the beginning after any interruption.

6. Safety change 3

   Improvement implemented

   Spain's aviation authority conducted an urgent audit of all Spanair MD-82 operations.

7. Safety change 4

   Improvement implemented

   Spanair ultimately ceased operations in 2012 following financial difficulties compounded by the accident.