Crashed Spanair aircraft experienced problems prior to deadly accident

A potentially damaging piece of news surfaced earlier today which pointed out that the Spanair plane involved in a deadly crash one week ago in Madrid had a record of previous mechanical problems. According to an Associated Press report, Spanair has confirmed that there were issues with the jet’s landing gear only a few weeks before the crash took place, which claimed the lives of 154 people on board. The SAS-controlled Spanish discount carrier noted that the aircraft’s landing gear experienced a defect this past July when flying from Spain to Denmark. The pilot on board that flight decided to abort take-off due to these concerns.

The plane in question was an MD-82 and according to the newest confirmed reports, when the aircraft was about to depart from the Palma de Mallorca airport, en route to Denmark, the pilot heard an unusually loud noise, and this made him reconsider the departure. Although this Spanair flight was delayed, local technicians addressed and fixed the problem with the landing gear, allowing the plane to continue its journey towards Denmark.

While a Spanair official has confirmed this report when speaking with Associated Press reporters, the source’s identity was not revealed, in order to protect her position within the airline. Spanair’s deadly crash spells more trouble for an airline that has already been struggling with unprofitability and the challenges posed by high oil prices.

Thank you to the Associated Press for the initial report.