Pilot error to blame for fatal Spanair crash

The final report by the Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC) on the Spanair crash at Madrid's Barajas International Airport on August 20, 2008, in which 154 people were killed, concludes that pilot error was the cause.

In its report, the CIAIAC identified the failure of the pilots to deploy the flaps and slats on the wings of the Boeing MD-82, which give the aircraft lift on take-off, and the subsequent failure of the TOWS warning system as the reasons behind the fatal crash.

"The flight crew lost control of the airplane immediately after take-off, as a result of not configuring the aircraft correctly, not carrying out the proper deployment of the flaps, after a series of mistakes and omissions, together with the absence of warning of the incorrect configuration for take-off," the report says.