Truemors
Aircraft flaps - C-17 Globemaster
The investigation into the August 20 Spanair tragedy in Madrid has determined that human error, not faulty equipment, caused the fatal crash. Earlier reports stated that wing flaps on the plane failed to open during takeoff but the cause of the malfunction remained unknown.
An anonymous source has revealed that after reviewing the black box data investigators have determined that pilot error caused the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jet to crash. Alarms should have sounded when the wing flaps had not been extended warning the pilots to abort takeoff. Black box data tracks all activity in the cockpit and if the alarms did go off they would be heard in the recording. No official statement has been released.
Investigations like the one in Spain often rely heavily on data recorded by so-called black boxes. A flight data recorder can reconstruct what was happening to the plane's mechanical systems, while a voice recorder captures cockpit conversations and other sounds that sometimes point toward the cause of an accident.
The Journal said the data recorder confirmed that the flaps weren't extended.
Spanair Flight JK5022 was bound for the Canary Islands when it crashed during takeoff at the Madrid airport on Aug. 20. The plane was making its second takeoff attempt after what the airline called a minor glitch with an air temperature gauge near the cockpit.
The plane rose slightly off the runway before dropping and skidding off the runway, then breaking up and catching fire.
Spanair flight JK5022 crashed on its second takeoff attempt. It was bound for the Canary Islands. Only 18 people survived the crash that killed 154. Last week the badly burned remains of some of the passengers were identified by Spanish officials and returned to their families.
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