Spanair almost switched jet just before crash

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanair had considered replacing a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 jet just an hour before 154 people were killed when it crashed last week, a government minister said on Friday.

But despite a technical problem the airline decided to keep passengers aboard the 15-year-old jet which shot off the runway during takeoff at Madrid airport on August 20 in Spain's worst air disaster in 25 years.

Public Works Minister Magdalena Alvarez told Congress the plane had been due to take off early in the afternoon but left the runway after the fault was detected in a temperature gauge.

"The company told the airport that it was considering changing the aircraft," Alvarez said, "But later it told the airport control centre that it was keeping it."

Alvarez was summoned before Congress to testify on Spain's air safety procedures in the wake of the crash, which left 18 survivors

She said the aircraft operated by Spanair, which is owned by Scandanavia's SAS, had been regularly inspected.

(Reporting by Jason Webb; Editing by Caroline Drees)