Tragedy On Takeoff

A plane takes off near the site where a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. The Spanish airliner carrying 173 people bound for the Canary Islands crashed and caught fire Wednesday while trying to take off from Madrid's Barajas airport. The fiery crash killed 153 people.

A helicopter sprays water on a Spanair airliner at Madrid's Barajas airport Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008. The airliner bound for the Canary Islands with 173 on board, swerved off the runway while departing from the airport and caught fire, killing perhaps as many as 150 people.

A Red Cross worker speaks on her cell phone near the body of a victim of the Spanair jet crash at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. The Spanish airliner carrying 173 people bound for the Canary Islands crashed and caught fire while trying to take off from Madrid's Barajas airport.

Ambulances and rescue workers gather near the site where a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.

A plane takes off near the site where a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. A Spanish airliner carrying 173 people bound for the Canary Islands crashed and caught fire Wednesday while trying to take off from Madrid's Barajas airport.

Ambulances and rescue workers gather near the site where a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.

Ambulances head to Madrid's Barajas airport, Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008, after a Spanair airliner swerved off the runway while taking off and caught fire.

An ambulance leaves the site where a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.

Hearses head to Madrid's Barajas airport Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008, after a Spanair airliner swerved off the runway while taking off and caught fire.

A plane takes off near the site where a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff at Madrid airport on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.

Medical personnel tend to an injured passenger in Madrid's Barajas airport after a Spanair airliner bound for the Canary Islands swerved off the runway while taking off from the airport, Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008.

Medical personal tend to an injured passenger in Madrid's Barajas airport Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008.

An unidentified woman in Las Palmas, in the Spanish Canary Islands, Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008, reacts to the news of the crash at a Madrid airport of a Spanair flight bound for the popular Canary Islands off the West African coast.

An unidentified woman in Las Palmas, in the Spanish Canary Islands, Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008, reacts to the news of the crash at a Madrid airport of a Spanair flight bound for the popular islands off the West African coast.

A Spanish flag flies at half-staff at the National Library in Madrid for the victims of the Spanair jet crash in front of Madrid city government building on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008. As Spain mourned its worst air disaster in nearly 25 years, investigators attempted to discover what caused the airliner to crash on takeoff from Madrid, killing 153 people in an intense fireball.

People observe five minutes of silence for the victims of the Spanair jet crash in front of Madrid city government building on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008.

Crash Aftermath — AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza

Scandinavian Airlines chief executive Mats Jansson reacts to the crash during a press conference in Madrid, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008. Spanair is owned by Scandinavian Airlines.

Bodies from the Spanair airliner crash lie on the floor of a makeshift morgue in Madrid, Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008.

Relatives of victims of the Spanair jet crash return to a hotel after going to the makeshift morgue at the IFEMA fairgrounds in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Aug. 22, 2008. Only 19 people survived Wednesday's takeoff crash in Madrid of the Spanair twin-engine plane with 172 passengers bound for the Canary Islands, Spain's worst air disaster in 25 years.

Relatives of victims of the Spanair jet crash wait for transportation outside a hotel to go to the makeshift morgue at the IFEMA fairgrounds in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Aug. 22, 2008.