Probe centres on part needing repair

SPECULATION on what caused the plane disaster centred yesterday on a plane part that had to be fixed after the flight first tried to take off.

Javier Mendoza, a spokesman for Spanair, said the plane had overheating problems with its air intake valve, located beneath the cockpit, during its initial takeoff.

The plane returned to the gate and the valve was fixed by technicians turning it off, said Mendoza, explaining that this was standard procedure.

He added it was uncertain whether the valve was linked to the crash.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is sending an investigation team to Madrid because the aircraft, a twin-engined MD-82, is American-made, NTSB spokes-man Keith Holloway said.

In Madrid, where mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon called for three days of mourning, thousands observed a five-minute silence at noon local time.

The city of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands — where the plane was headed — also declared three days of mourning.

The Spanish flag at the Olympics has flown at half-mast, while the Spanish football team wore black armbands for its friendly match against Denmark last night.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero cut short a vacation to arrive at the airport on Wednesday evening to speak to families of the victims and offer his condolences.

“The government will do all it can to support the families in this difficult situation,” he said. “The whole government, logically, is affected, very affected, as are all Spanish citizens, by this tragedy.”

Barajas Airport closed after the crash but reopened more than two hours later, allowing a limited number of takeoffs and landings, an airport official said.