What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, Spanair flight JK5022, an MD-82 registered EC-HFP, was prepared for a flight from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Gran Canaria. Prior to the initial departure attempt, the crew identified an issue with an overheating Ram Air Temperature (RAT) probe. This necessitated a return to the parking stand, where maintenance personnel addressed the malfunction by opening the electrical circuit breaker for the heating element. Following this repair, the aircraft was refueled and cleared for a second takeoff attempt.
At 1arg:23:14, the aircraft was cleared for takeoff from runway 36L. As the takeoff roll progressed, the aircraft reached its decision speed and rotation speed. However, shortly after liftoff, the stall warning system activated, with the stick shaker and stall horn sounding multiple times in the cockpit. The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of only 40 feet before descending. During the flight path, the aircraft experienced several significant rolling motions.
The aircraft impacted the ground at approximately 14:24:23, with the tail cone, right wing tip, and right engine cowlings striking the surface first. The wreckage traveled across the runway strip and eventually came to rest in the bed of the Vega stream, where a fire broke out. The accident resulted in 154 deaths, including all six crew members, and 18 passengers sustained serious injuries.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a stall shortly after rotation.
- The flight path was characterized by abrupt rolling maneuvers and a limited climb altitude.
- The wreckage was distributed over a distance of approximately 1093 meters from the initial impact point.