Madrid runway disaster


The Madrid runway disaster was the collision on 7December 1983 of two aircraft on the ground at Madrid–Barajas Airport. A departing Iberia Boeing 727 struck an Aviaco McDonnell Douglas DC-9, causing the deaths of 93 passengers and crew.

Crash

On 7 December 1983, a Boeing 727 of Iberia 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 of the 93 on board the Boeing 727 were killed. Among those killed in the DC-9 were Mexican actress Fanny Cano, South African pianist Marc Raubenheimer and Spanish sports philosopher José María Cagigal.

Investigation

Investigators found that the Boeing 727 and DC-9 had collided due to the poor visibility at the airport, as well as inadequate signs and markings, which led to the entering the runway without clearance as the Boeing 727 was taking off.