Comments on pilots' website www.pprune.org

Test flights for minor systems problems is not warranted anymore than a test drive in your car after replacing the knob on your radio. But some persist... and therein is the problem. No one knowingly takes an airplane, car, bicycle, skates, horse that they think is defective and will cause injury and/or death once they attempt to use it. Often there seems to be some suspension of reality when it comes to applying normal human consideration and reasoning when it comes to airlines, pilots and flying. It is as if pilots and mechanics, who do this stuff everyday, have no understanding of consequence - Wileydog3

Four of the cabin crew were MAD (Madrid) based. Four more were BCN (Barcelona) based, positioning down to operate a flight the following day. Spanair bases are relatively small so everyone tends to know everyone within their base. So needless to say the entire airline is in a serious sense of shock and to have two base sets of crew involved is almost like a double knocking - Apaddyintheuk, London

Looking at an Acars (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) search, the last time the aeroplane appears to have flown apart from yesterday was on the Monday night (18th August) on a flight from Malaga to Madrid. It appears that the aircraft did not fly on the following day (Tuesday) at all. Whether the crew of that flight reported a problem therefore the a/c (aircraft) was to be taken out of action on Tuesday remains to be seen - BAe146-100

I think that an uncontained failure is highly unlikely, and even if the hydraulics have been affected, the MD still flies on cables, bless its conventional soul - MaxStryker

Is it now time to install a high quality CCTV system which records each and every departure at major airports. Such unambiguous evidence would surely permit in some cases, the AAIB (Air Accident Investigation Bureau) teams to reach important conclusions very quickly and set in motion remedial action to enhance safety - FakeSealion, England

I would like to point out that the MD80/DC9 series has more exits than some planes in its class. In the cockpit, the two DV windows are an escape route for the pilots and anyone else in that area. There are two cabin doors forward. four over wing exits, a tail cone exit slide and a door near the left engine. So two forward main cabin doors, one galley service door near the left engine and the tailcone exit have slides - sevenstrokeroll, USA

The DC9/MD80/MD90 series is one of the finest, strongest planes built. It is a joy to fly if you are a good stick and rudder pilot. It has few computers and the pilot is directly in charge of just about everything. It has two flaws...bad piloting and bad maintenance - NGKaptain

You are aware of the Swiss Cheese theory? It is rarely a single component, error or failure that causes a catastophe like this. If you are professional aircrew you will know this and also understand the requirement of MEL (Minimum Equipment List) and deferrals in maintenance - RomeoIndiaXray, Riga

As a former dispatcher, I dispatched many JKK (Spanair) flights and found the crews to be professional, and the aircraft in good condition visually - OntimeexceptACARS, Scotland

The MD80 accident rate (Fatal) was for many years approximatly the same as the A320 series and newer versions of 737's. Since many of the maddogs (MDs) are getting older, they are sold to operators with perhaps a less safety standard in the third world. But still an safety record of 0.24 accidents in one million flights is still very impressive - 737forever, Norway

American-built aircraft. American-built engines. Sending a US NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) team to assist is standard practice. Nothing to read in that - GobonaStick, Europe

Times recommends

• Brits in Bangkok furious at lack of rescue
• Britain's 12 best winter walks
• The insiders' guide to bohemian Paris