The 1983 Madrid Airport runway collision occurred on 7December 1983 when a departing

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavier Boeing 707, 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter ...

struck an Aviaco

McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast, single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced as the Douglas DC-9 prior to August 1967, after which point the company had merged with McDonnell ...

at Madrid-Barajas Airport, causing the deaths of 93 passengers and crew.

Background

Aircraft

Flight 350

The aircraft operating as Iberia Flight 350, manufactured by

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

in 1974, was a 9-year-old Boeing 727-256 registered as EC-CFJ with serial number 20820 and line number 1019. It was equipped with three Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9 engines and logged a total of 21,525 total airframe hours in 19,936 takeoff and landing cycles.

Flight 134

The aircraft operating as Aviaco Flight 134, manufactured by

McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas Corporation was a major American Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own ...

in 1975, was an 8-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 registered as EC-CGS with serial number 47645 and line number 770. It was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A engines and logged a total of 20,078 airframe hours in 17,909 takeoff and landing cycles.

Crew

Flight 350

In command was

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Carlos Lopez Barranco, aged 43, who had accumulated 8,860 flight hours as a pilot, with 1,919 hours on the 727. His co-pilot was First Officer Juan José Ochoa, aged 41, with 3,474 flight hours, 2,840 of which were on the 727. They were accompanied by flight engineer Luis Luengo, 37, who had 7,211 flight hours of experience.

Flight 134

In command was Captain Augusto Almoguera, aged 54, who had accumulated 13,442 flight hours of experience, 6,600 on the DC-9. Captain Almoguera knew Captain Lopez Barranco, who had been his instructor in air training courses at the Jerez de la Frontera Base. He was accompanied by the first officer and co-pilot José María Gibernau, 39, with 10,322 flight hours, 3,655 of which were on the DC-9.

Accident

On 7 December 1983, a Boeing 727 of Iberia (Spain's state airline) registered ''EC-CFJ'', operating Iberia Flight 350, a scheduled flight to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport, was cleared for take-off from Madrid-Barajas Airport's Runway 01 in conditions of thick fog. At the same time, a DC-9 of Aviaco registered ''EC-CGS'', operating Aviaco Flight 134, was taxiing to the end of the same runway for take-off bound for Santander Airport. As the Boeing 727 rolled along the runway, the crew of the DC-9 accidentally made a wrong turn in the fog and taxied their aircraft onto the runway, into the path of the 727. The crew of the 727 saw the DC-9 and attempted to avoid the collision by rotating their aircraft for lift-off; however, the 727 had not reached flying speed and its rear fuselage struck the DC-9. Both aircraft caught fire and were destroyed; all 42 people on board the were killed, while 51 (50 passengers, one crew member) of the 93 on board the Boeing 727 were killed.

Notable victims

Among those killed were Mexican actress Fanny Cano (aboard the Iberia 727) and South African pianist Marc Raubenheimer (aboard the Aviaco DC-9).

Investigation

After the accident, an investigation was immediately started, which lasted at least more than a year. Investigators found that the DC-9 had inadvertently taxied onto the active runway due to poor visibility at the airport, as well as inadequate signs and markings, which led to the entering the runway without clearance, unknowingly, while the Boeing 727 was attempting to take off.

References

External links

Background

Aircraft

Flight 350

Flight 134

Crew

Flight 350

Flight 134

Accident

Notable victims

Investigation

See also

References

External links