Boeing settles lawsuit over Spanair Flight 5022 crash after 15 years for an undisclosed amount.
Lawsuit claimed Boeing knew of a mechanical defect and failed to fix it.
The crash of the MD-82 was due to incorrectly configured slats, echoing another MD-82 crash years earlier.
Boeing has settled a lawsuit arising from the deadly crash of Spanair Flight 5022 in August 2008. Following a series of delays, the case was settled for an undisclosed amount, more than 15 years after the crash. The aircraft involved in the crash was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, with Boeing having acquired the manufacturer in 1997.
The lawsuit, which was filed by Brent Coon & Associates, claimed that Boeing "was aware of a mechanical defect that increased the risk of error during takeoff but failed to apply a known fix to all of their planes." Speaking about the outcome of the lawsuit, the Spanish counsel to the plaintiffs, Ivan De Miguel Perez, said,

"While the terms of the settlements are confidential, we believe that our clients are receiving the maximum amount they would have been awarded by the court under the laws applicable to these types of claims in Spanish law."

A tragic chain of events
Spanair Flight 5022 crashed on August 20th, 2008, at Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), as it was departing for Gran Canaria Airport (LPA). Following an initially rejected take-off, on its second attempt, the aircraft stalled on take-off from runway 36L, bursting into flames as it subsequently hit the ground and came to a stop by a stream at the side of the runway.