Madrid Air crash

A devastating crash at Madrid's Barajas airport has left 153 dead after just 19 injured survivors were pulled from a plane that burst into flames shortly after take off.

Relatives of passengers are fearing the worst after hearing news of the crash


The remaining people on board, including two babies, are believed to have perished inside the fuselage after it crash landed several metres from the side of a runway.

Reporting from Bajaras airport, Sky Correspondent Ian Woods said: "When you hear the descriptions of what the rescue workers found when they got to the scene of the stricken aircraft, it seems almost incredible that anyone survived a fireball such as this.

"The focus of the investigation will now be on what exactly happened to that the plane in the last few seconds as it reached the end of the runway."

The extent of the tragedy was described by a worker of airport owner AENA who witnessed the disaster.

"The plane was totally broken apart, it was all full of bodies," the worker told El Pais newspaper.

Two civil guards returning from the scene of the stricken aircraft told the same newspaper: "It doesn't look anything like a plane - it's horrific - everything is burnt.

"It's the closest to hell that I've seen. The bodies were boiling hot, we burnt ourselves collecting them."

Click here to read how details of the disaster unfolded.

Firefighters have now put out the flames at the crash scene and are continuing to dampen down the wreckage.

"The scene is devastating," said Pablo Albella, a Madrid city emergency rescue worker.

"The fuselage is destroyed. The plane burned. I have seen a kilometre of charred land and few whole pieces of the fuselage."

The accident happened as Spanair Flight JK-502 2 was taking off at 14:45 local time (1245 GMT), bound for Gran Canaria.

The plane was a shared-code flight with Lufthansa's LH-255.

Witnesses said the left engine caught fire as the aircraft reached maximum speed and started to lift, causing the plane to crash to the ground and break into two parts.

According to El Pais, the disaster occurred during a second attempt at take off.

An earlier attempt had to be averted after technical issues, which resulted in an inspection of the plane. Passengers were reportedly warned they may need to change planes.




How terrible!!! Amber any news??

I saw this on the news late last night...

I have got to say that the Spanish show it all as it is...and let me say that the images of those charred ppl will stay forever in my mind

Ambersuz wrote:I saw this on the news late last night...

I have got to say that the Spanish show it all as it is...and let me say that the images of those charred ppl will stay forever in my mind

They always show the real nasty parts. Its horrid. They should at least warn you before its shown

LaMisty wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:I saw this on the news late last night...

I have got to say that the Spanish show it all as it is...and let me say that the images of those charred ppl will stay forever in my mind

They always show the real nasty parts. Its horrid. They should at least warn you before its shown

Are you in Spain too then??

we saw it too in our news

very sad and a big tragedy

pm wrote:we saw it too in our news

very sad and a big tragedy

140 dead it seems...23 or so got out but are in a bad way

eddie wrote:A devastating crash at Madrid's Barajas airport has left 153 dead after just 19 injured survivors were pulled from a plane that burst into flames shortly after take off.

Relatives of passengers are fearing the worst after hearing news of the crash


The remaining people on board, including two babies, are believed to have perished inside the fuselage after it crash landed several metres from the side of a runway.

Reporting from Bajaras airport, Sky Correspondent Ian Woods said: "When you hear the descriptions of what the rescue workers found when they got to the scene of the stricken aircraft, it seems almost incredible that anyone survived a fireball such as this.

"The focus of the investigation will now be on what exactly happened to that the plane in the last few seconds as it reached the end of the runway."

The extent of the tragedy was described by a worker of airport owner AENA who witnessed the disaster.

"The plane was totally broken apart, it was all full of bodies," the worker told El Pais newspaper.

Two civil guards returning from the scene of the stricken aircraft told the same newspaper: "It doesn't look anything like a plane - it's horrific - everything is burnt.

"It's the closest to hell that I've seen. The bodies were boiling hot, we burnt ourselves collecting them."

Click here to read how details of the disaster unfolded.

Firefighters have now put out the flames at the crash scene and are continuing to dampen down the wreckage.

"The scene is devastating," said Pablo Albella, a Madrid city emergency rescue worker.

"The fuselage is destroyed. The plane burned. I have seen a kilometre of charred land and few whole pieces of the fuselage."

The accident happened as Spanair Flight JK-502 2 was taking off at 14:45 local time (1245 GMT), bound for Gran Canaria.

The plane was a shared-code flight with Lufthansa's LH-255.

Witnesses said the left engine caught fire as the aircraft reached maximum speed and started to lift, causing the plane to crash to the ground and break into two parts.

According to El Pais, the disaster occurred during a second attempt at take off.

An earlier attempt had to be averted after technical issues, which resulted in an inspection of the plane. Passengers were reportedly warned they may need to change planes.




How terrible!!! Amber any news??

Absloutely horrific and loads of kiddies too. RIP to all those that have lost their lives and my sympathies to their families.

Its just been on the news again....I cant bear to watch all those pictures

Ambersuz wrote:Its just been on the news again....I cant bear to watch all those pictures

Out of the 19 survivors 5 or 6 were children? Its just heartbreaking and I really have to keep telling myself that air accidents are still very rare but as I am getting older I am getting more and more reluctant to fly strange coming off someone who up till 3 years ago worked in the travel industry since she was 16

Thinking of all who perished and those who are still suffering