154 lives were lost when Spanair flight 5022 crashed moments after taking off from Madrid-Barajas International Airport in 2008. Now documents from an investigation into the incident are showing that a malware infection may have been to blame.
According to the investigation, the computer system used to monitor technical problems on the plane was infected with a trojan. As a result, there were no alerts or warnings for three technical issues which “if detected, may have prevented the plane from taking off”.
The investigation is still not complete and authorities are trying to determine just how the malware got onto the computer system in question. [MSNBC]
Photo by Andy Mitchell
Karl von Muller
Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 2:05 PMdamn, bet someone chucked a usb stick into it to listen to some music..
matt
Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 3:04 PMholy crap!
Nait Dogg
Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 4:02 PMWith any luck, they will be able to track down the maker of the trogan and press manslaughter charges against them.
Slim chance, I know.
Lobster
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 1:02 PMSo the plane was downloading porn before it took off?
We Love Katamari
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 4:17 PMI told them. Even torrenting isn’t perfect but its better than rapidshare an- OH MY GOD! Plane is that limewire?!
Anonymous
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 8:44 PMSo planes are flying around running on Windows and no anti-virus software? Well, sue the airline for stupidity.
And next time, make it a Mac!
Wok
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 1:43 PMDouch.
The software wouldn’t run on OSX.
We Love Katamari
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 4:18 PM>>run on OSX.
Never fly. Again.
Michael Visser
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 10:06 PMHi Anonymous, so we can fire up FindMyPlane and remote control it?
As the comments on the original article put it, who threw out the proprietary operating systems for these systems?
Ripley McStoner
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 9:02 AMthis is what happens when you use McAfee as your anti virus.
david
Monday, August 23, 2010 at 4:21 PMIt should be noted that it was not a computer on-board the aeroplane, or any of the systems of the plane that was infected by the virus.
The computer infected was a computer at the airline head-office. It was used to record reports of problems on the aeroplanes of the company. The system on this computer was programmed to raise an alarm if three similar technical problems were reported on the same aeroplane.
This virus could have been one of various contributors to the crash.
See (in Spanish): http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/ordenador/Spanair/anotaba/fallos/aviones/tenia/virus/elpepiesp/20100820elpepinac_11/Tes