Madrid runway disaster

Madrid runway disaster

Overview of Madrid–Barajas Airport, the site of the disaster.
Accident summary
Date	7 December 1983
Summary	Ground collision
Site	Madrid–Barajas Airport
Total fatalities	93
Total survivors	42
First aircraft
180px An Iberia Boeing 727, similar to the one involved.
Type	Boeing 727-256 Adv.
Name	Jumila
Operator	Iberia
Registration	EC-CFJ
Flight origin	Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD/LEMD)
Destination	Roma-Fiumicino Airport (FCO/LIRF)
Passengers	84
Crew	9
Fatalities	51
Survivors	42
Second aircraft
180px Aviaco DC-9-32 EC-CGQ, sister-ship to the accident aircraft.
Type	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Name	Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Operator	Aviaco
Registration	EC-CGS
Flight origin	Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD/LEMD)
Destination	Santander Airport (SDR/LEXJ)
Passengers	37
Crew	5
Fatalities	42 (all)
Survivors	0

The Madrid runway disaster was the collision on 7 December 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.

The 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 persons on board the DC-9 were killed, while 51 (50 passengers, 1 crew member) of the 93 on board the Boeing 727 were killed. Among those killed in the DC-9 was Fanny Cano, a Mexican actress. Among those killed on the Boeing 727 was South African pianist Marc Raubenheimer.

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 DC-9 entering the runway without clearance as the Boeing 727 was taking off.

See also

• Linate Airport disaster, a runway collision in Italy killing 118 people.
• Northwest Airlines Flight 1482, another fatal runway incursion involving a Boeing 727 and a DC-9.
• Tenerife airport disaster, another collision of two aircraft at a Spanish airport in fog and the worst aircraft accident in history in terms of loss-of-life

External links

• Final report (Archive)
• Final report (Archive) (Spanish)
• Iberia Airlines Flight 350 at AirDisaster.com
• Aviaco Flight 134 at AirDisaster.com