Probe shows Madrid plane didn't deploy wing flaps

[September 16, 2008]  MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Investigators probing last month's airline crash in Madrid say the plane's wing flaps did not deploy during takeoff.

The investigation also found that the pilots were unaware of the problem because a cockpit warning alert did not go off.

Investigators did not say, however, that this actually caused the crash.

The findings are based on data from the MD-82's flight data and cockpit voice recorders and contained in a preliminary draft report on the Aug. 20 crash of a Spanair flight, which killed 154 people.

The report was carried in Spanish media. Spanair confirmed it had been distributed to the government and the plane's manufacturers.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.