As I’m sure many of you have read / heard, a Spanair MD-82 crashed yesterday shortly after takeoff at Madrid Barajas International Airport. The flight was originally scheduled to go to the Canary Islands. The event killed at least 153 people and only 19 survived. A Spanish Newspaper reported that a fire broke out on one of the two engines, however this has yet to be confirmed. The plane veered off the runway shortly after takeoff, then burst into flames, leaving the burnt aircraft barely recognizable to rescuers.
An investigation team has been sent, from the United States, to help find the cause of the accident. It’s been reported that the pilot noticed the outside temperature gauge had malfunctioned during the first takeoff try, then returned to get the problem fixed. The MD-82, built by McDonnell Douglas (prior to merger with Boeing) and one of the safest aircraft by record, and has its fuel tanks located in the front and the center of the aircraft. Out of all of the articles I’ve read, I’ve seen no report about the location of the fuel tanks. I initially thought that they were located in the back of the aircraft with the engines, which would explain a large explosion heard by passengers. Yet the spread of the fuel tanks, throughout the aircraft, might have contributed to more deaths. (This is my opinion). Take a look at the image 1 (You can click to enlarge):
Whatever the cause of the crash was, it may take years to find out. It’s really a tragedy when something such as this occurs.
Image 1: The Boeing Company
Image 2: flickr.com
