Spantax Flight 995

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**Spantax Flight 995**
Summary
Date	13 September 1982
Type	Aborted take-off
Site	Malaga Airport
Passengers	294
Crew	10
Injuries	110
Fatalities	50
Survivors	244
Aircraft type	Douglas DC-10-30
Operator	Spantax
Tail number	EC-DEG

Spantax Flight 995 was a charter flight from Malaga Airport to New York. When the aircraft was rolling for take-off the pilot felt a strong vibration and aborted the take-off. The flightcrew lost control of the aircraft and were unable to stop in the runway available and the aircraft overran the runaway, hit an airfield aerial installation losing an engine then crossed the Malaga-Torresmolinos Highway hitting a number of vehicles before hitting a railway embankment and burst into flames. An emergency evacuation of the aircraft was carried out but 50 on board died of both burns and other injuries. A further 110 persons were admitted to hospital.

The cause of the accident was the detachment of fragments from a recapped tread on the right wheel of the nose gear, this created a strong vibration. The pilot not knowing the cause of the vibration aborted the takeoff even though he was passed the Vr speed (the speed of rotation). The pilot did not follow standard procedures but it was considered reasonable under the abnormal circumstances. It was noted that pilot training only covered engine failures on take-off and there was a lack of training on wheel failures.