At least 45 people have been killed after a passenger plane swerved off the runway at Madrid's Barajas airport, Spanish officials say. Several more were hurt when the Spanair plane bound for Gran Canaria left the runway with more than 150 passengers on board, just after 1445 (1245 GMT). There were reports of a fire in the left engine during take-off. TV footage showed smoke billowing from the craft. Fire engines, ambulances and emergency crews remain at the scene. Spanish journalist Manuel Moleno, who was near the area when the accident happened, told the BBC the plane had "crashed into pieces". "We heard a big crash. So we stopped and we saw a lot of smoke," he said. There are conflicting accounts about the number of deaths, with some reports suggesting most of the passengers on the plane may be dead. Mr Moleno said he had seen as many as 20 passengers walking away from the wreckage. The situation at the airport was chaotic, he said, with travellers desperately trying to call relatives on their mobile phones. The plane, which was destined for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, came down during or shortly after take-off, local media say, quoting aviation authorities. It skidded off the runway at terminal four into fields, says the BBC's Steve Kingstone in Madrid. "Spanair regrets to confirm that its flight number JK 5022 from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canarias was involved in an accident at Madrid, at 1445 hours local time today," the airline said in a statement. The aircraft was a MD82, a plane commonly used on short trips around Europe, aviation expert Chris Yates told the BBC. He said Spanair, a subsidiary of Scandinavian carrier SAS, had a very good safety record. Reports say it was the first crash at Barajas airport, some 13km (8 miles) out of central Madrid, since 1983. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7572643.stm Very sad may they rip !
God love them. Spanish emergency services guy reported as saying all but 25 or so of the 166 on board are dead.
Just put it on Sky news ,looks desperate,total carnage.........................Hate these stories,very unsettling stuff.........RIP to all loss of life.
Just heard on Sky that the Malaga football team were originally meant to be on this flight but changed their plans not so long ago. Its a terrible story. RIP
Shocking stuff. I hate hearing these stories, horrible to think someone heading off on their holliers and little do they know they are not coming back. R.I.P
Looks to be a similiar cause as the Concorde crash. Planes are at their most vulnerable at take-off, so they have to be built to last years and years, and thousands of flying hours. Despite the accident, European aviation still has the safest safety record in the world.
Extremely sad news here, Best wishes in these difficult times for all the families who have lost someone, RIP.
Very sad, goes to show these things happen. You never think about it when your going on your holidays or to a game etc. RIP