The MD-82 model plane which crashed in Madrid Wednesday killing 'most' of the 172 people onboard has been the workhorse of many U.S. carriers for years, CNN Aviation Correspondent Richard Quest says.
Quest said the MD-80 series was a medium-sized, twin-engined plane with a center aisle and was favored by U.S. airlines.
He said the crashed plane was mostly likely built in 1993 and joined the Spanair fleet in 1999. It was not considered old for such a model, of which about 1,200 had been built in the series. 
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