The Spanish pilots’ union sent a series of letters and emails to Spanair’s senior management warning of safety worries more than a year before Wednesday’s crash at Madrid airport claimed 153 lives.
In one letter the union, Sepla, wrote to Lars Nygaard, then Spanair director, and Marcus Hedblom, present managing director, warning: “The operative chaos is putting passengers at risk.”
The letter, dated April 2007, said: “It’s our obligation to inform you of the elevated unease which exists between ourselves for the daily running [of the company] for the past month.” It alluded to a lack of resources, a scarcity of ground crew and a number of planes which had been declared unfit to fly.
In another letter, pilots complained “unfortunately all this indicates this will end in chaos”, and in a further letter the union warned: “The norms about operating punctuality, desired by all, stop in many cases the realisation of norms of airline security.”
Spanair did not respond to attempts by the Guardian to verify the claims.
Corporate boneheads who ignore warnings like this deserve to pay the damages from their own pockets.
Pay for the damages? How do you pay for a lost loved one?
Besides allowing our drugs and food to be “outsourced” overseas, these Republicans have also allowed airplane repairs to be outsourced to cheap, overseas, non-union labor.
http://tinyurl.com/5jeozu
Who thinks that’s a good idea?
I would hold the senior execs criminally liable. When there was plenty of forewarning, as in this case, it was intentional negligence which was directly responsible.
So, the execs pay the fines and get prison time.
The defense for the executive assholes would be: Flying is inherently dangerous and no matter how many precautions are taken, there can and will be failures that occur.
Besides they have millions to fight off any criminal or civil punishment.
Why weren’t the authorities warned soon after the executives? Don’t the pilots have an obligation to the passengers? Where were the authorities, and why didn’t they see a problem long before this happened?
This will get paid off after a long court battle with no significant change in the industries practices. Nothing like pinching pennies in an attempt to save dollars at the cost of lives.
#2, I’m supposed to feel better with a bunch of American dummies (who can’t get fired for incompetence because of their union) turning wrenches on airliners?
Anyway, most commercial airplanes are built overseas, so why shouldn’t they get repaired overseas? Even Boeing has most components built overseas.
Only thing worse than some union thug is a slippery trial lawyer.
Gosh, two BS entries in a row. Until we know what caused the crash, there is NO LINKAGE AT ALL to a totally unrelated letter created a year earlier.
Three Words: Cause and Effect.
Jeebeeesus===let me warn you all right now: with reduced air travel and higher gas prices pushing people onto mass transit there will be more stress put on the already over-extended rail system in America and tragedy will result! There==you have been warned and the next crash of a train should result in criminal charges.
Sky to fall tomorrow.
So you think the airplane you are on has no ‘defects’ and is in perfect shape? Even though they won;t even pay for a bag of peanuts? let alone fix the burned out bulb on the landing gear lock indicator?
And the plane has 5000 takeoffs and landings?
Think again!
I vote for “if the flight crew will get in and fly it.. I will too.. “
I hope the survivors got extra frequent flyer mileage or coupons for free drinks next trip.
#2: Besides allowing our drugs and food to be “outsourced” overseas, these Republicans have also allowed airplane repairs to be outsourced to cheap, overseas, non-union labor.
Republicans? Since when did Republicans govern Scandanavia? It is an American illusion that anything that happens outside the US is somehow cheap and shoddy. Aircraft mechanics in Europe are certified too, in case you didn’t realise it, they’re unionised as well and they aren’t cheap. (These days, a lot of European wages are higher than in the US.)
As bobbo (#6) said:
Gosh, two BS entries in a row. Until we know what caused the crash, there is NO LINKAGE AT ALL to a totally unrelated letter created a year earlier.
As always happens after an air crash, there have been a lot of “experts” giving all sorts of theories about possible causes. Only one opinion counts: that of the official enquiry which will be as rigourous (possibly more so) than an equivalent enquiry in the US.
“Corporate boneheads who ignore warnings like this deserve to pay the damages from their own pockets.”
Nah, they’re going to find a scapegoat and the execs will give themselves a juicy paycheck rise.
Spanish airliner on it’s way to Spanish island crashes in Spain. GregAllen starts blaming Republicans!
I heard Karl Rove was in the airport!
Lessee, they identify an engine problem, make arrangements to move passengers to a different airplane, then somehow it gets signed off and the engine catches fire on takeoff.
Somebody needs their balls busted.
Spanish airliner on it’s way to Spanish island crashes in Spain.
In fact it was an American airliner (MD-82) owned by a Scandanavian company.
The heads of the corps get MORE money, and cut wages, cut employees, Cut this and that, and hire those with LESS EXPERIENCE to replace those with experience…
AND THEN, those IN CHARGE, dont listen to THOSE below them, about critical problems…
Tehn after an accident happens, ITS NOT THE HEADS, that take the brunt of the problem, its those ont he bottom that get Jobs CUT..to pay for the lawsuit.
The MD-80/82/83 is a deathtrap. Look how many times that plane has crashed due to flaws and/or maintenance issues.