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Am I the only one who finds sthe route of this flight very odd, they flew away from their final destination and around the country to get there, they also had the very short leg from saiganaw and then the long one to Phoenix
In regards to the sole survivor of the crash, Cecelia Cichan Crocker, she didn't speak out about the disaster until around 25 years later. She understandably deals with PTSD, but has taken comfort in knowing that the best measures have been taken to make sure what happened that night won't happen again. And in a bittersweet gesture to her family and the other victims of the crash, she has the silhouette of an MD-82 tattooed on her wrist.
I live about 5 minutes away from DTW. I’ve talked to neighbors and they remember this crash. There were body parts all over Middlebelt road and some even farther. It was disturbing, and it’s crazy to think that a road I travel on daily had something so horrible happen on it. Rip to the people who lost their lives that day.
@@theautistictransitfan Oh God, here's the internet police. There are people like me with a morbid curiosity about such things. Go find your safe space. I appreciated the comment, Emily.
I feel like it's not so hard to believe that something so morbid happened on ANY given road. I see cute fluffy baby animals gored all over the road at least 3 times per day each way in my commute. I'd be more surprised if there was a road where a morbid gruesome sad death didn't happen.
Former DC-9 pilot here, yes the takeoff configuration warning system was indeed prone to give false warnings. Often enough that it became quite annoying. It works like this.......there are microswitches on the throttle, flap position indicator and a few others but these two are the main source of the problem. If the flaps are retracted and the throttle is advanced past a certain position, you'd get a TCWS warning. Both visual and audible. Often, if you stopped while taxiing, and you'd need to advance the throttles past the alarm point in order to get moving again. Since the flaps were still retracted, you'd get the warning before you were even close to the runway. Not only was this annoying but it also caused you to distrust all warnings, including valid ones.
See, that should have made the manufacturers do something about this system so it didn’t give false alarms, at least not so often that it made pilots distrust them. I think it’s horrible that this wasn’t done, especially so when the identical crash happened 21 years later! Btw, thanks for sharing this information. Very interesting!
@@patriciamariemitchel On the DC-9s, it'd be tricky to solve. Simply moving the throttle trigger point ahead a bit sounds like a good idea but it's not the right answer. It takes quite a bit of throttle to get the plane moving but on the other hand, if the airport is close to sea level and it's cold and the runway is long, using reduced-power takeoff would not advance the throttles far enough to reach the trigger point. I've also flown 727s and L-1011s, both needed considerably less throttle to get moving. A TCWS warning was very rare in those planes.
This one stuck with me since I was a teenager, since I live about an hour away from the airport and remember it vividly, and the fact there was a single survivor of that tragic crash.
The creepiest part is that Spanair flight 5022 crashed just 4 days after the 21st anniversary Northwest flight 255, being operated by the same plane, crashing for the same reason, and had the exact same amount of fatalities.
If you had to compared NW255 and Spanair 5022 Northwest was more deadlier as it killed 154 of 155 whilst 18 people survived Spanair 5022. The only survivor was 4 year old Cecilia surviving the crash with serious injuries she is still living today. Another crash that involved only one survivor I think Disaster Breakdown has done it correct me if I’m wrong but Comair 5191 a regional jet crashed on takeoff as it took off from the wrong runway. RW26 was a way shorter Runway then the runway they were suppose to take Runway 22 all but the first officer died in that crash more specifically 49 out of 50 people died
My dad’s favorite seat was always the one in the back right next to the engines. He loved sleeping to the extremely loud hum of the engine. To me, I thought it was just a bit disconcerting for my head to be like 12 inches away from a bunch of titanium blades spinning at a billion miles per hour…
some people need a fan blowing in their bedroom to sleep; your Dad just liked bigger fans lol. I just needed a window seat, any row, so I could pull the shade down and lean up against it with a pillow to sleep (seat belt ON of course)
I was at this crashsite last week where it occurred on Middlebelt Road between the bridges of the opposite lanes of I-94. I remember seeing the smoke of the crash when it occurred years ago. I remember it was on a Sunday. There was a business jet crash into some fuel tanks within a half mile from this crash in about 1972. The plane crashed into some large fuel storage tanks.
I live at Merriman and Van Born, which is just over 2 miles north of the DTW entrance and a mile west of Middlebelt so planes are constantly going over our neighborhood. I was 18 and in travel agent school when this happened. I just remember being completely devastated. My former high school boyfriend was working at Avis at the time and he has never been quite the same. It definitely affected my awareness of the flaps everytime I ever flew.
I am the same way. I always would look and see if the flaps were extended whenever I sat aft of the wings. And I was nowhere near Detroit on that day. Oddly enough, I was a few miles from the final destination for the flight in Orange County CA that day visiting my sister who had just moved to California from Detroit a couple months before the accident. Isn't it weird the way we get tied to these things by circumstance? I guess if you fly enough it is inevitable.
@@pooryorick831 Your sister had just moved from Detroit? What a weird coincidence! I know you weren't there at the time but dd you live in the metro Detroit area?
My parents were both engineers for GM at the time. GM had a proving grounds in Phoenix and they said there were about 12 GM engineers on this flight. My parents surprisingly didn’t know any of them. But GM changed its policy that only a certain number of employees can be on the same flight after this accident. Also kind of scary to think my mom flew down to Phoenix quite a bit at the time out of Detroit on Northwest.
Thank you for covering this particular case! As tragic as it was, it's darkly fascinating to learn about such a disaster that happened so close to where I live.
Flight 255 was on of the case studies my instructor had me read up on while working on my PPL, it always stuck with me how time pressure is truly what doomed that flight. On another note I have an accident I highly recommend you look into if you get the chance. It’s a bit of a forgotten one but look up the 1986 Grand Canyon mid air collision, certainly an interesting case.
Yes it is but stuff happens. This is not the only time this has happened. An airliner cockpit can be a VERY busy place, particularly between push back and takeoff. The crew's attention can get diverted for dozens of reasons on every flight. With each accident, we learn why it happened, and that knowledge often promulgates changes to the way we do things. At my brand X airline, the first thing that happens before the plane moves under its own power is the flaps are extended. The plane is pushed back, the tug is disconnected, and communication with the ground crew is severed. At that point (after the crew verifies that all ground personnel are clear) the Captain calls for "Flaps and Before Taxi Checklist" The FO then positions the flaps and they begin the checks. It's a pretty good way to operate the jet. But I'd wager an Andy Jackson it wasn't that way before this accident.
@@Mark-uh4zd When i was getting my PPL I ran the preflight out loud for my instructor. Just before we got rolling he said "You missed the flaps". I said "Did not, you heard me call it and look at the setting" But when I looked out, in fact they had not extended. We called the tower, got off the runway and took the plane back for maintenance. After that I always visually checked. But I was flying little planes.
Well aware of that. We have sterile cockpit rules today that they did not have then. Most rules and regs in aviation were written in response to an incident or accident. This crew was not operating with the tools that today's crews possess. Managing distractions is part of their job. When viewed through todays lenses, they failed in spectacular fashion. @@megawave79
I was flying a lot back then. I was in my twenties and just starting out in my career. my dad is an airline pilot or was at the time. it really messed his head up that I was flying so much. this wasn't an uncontrollable accident. it shouldn't have happened. I guess the randomness of it made my dad get involved every time I had to fly lol. where was my seat, he would look at the tail number and look it up. back then that kind of info was available, may still be. I couldn't fly northwest, eastern, American... or he would have a fit. he was the kind of father that would actually go with me and talk to the pilots if he wasn't working.... so embarrassing at the time. this accident really shook a lot of people
This is honestly my biggest fear when flying, which I do regularly. My friends and family even usually say 'flaps, flaps' to me before I get on a flight, as I told them multiple times about airplane crashes where pilots forgot to extend the flaps correctly for take-off. I do keep an eye on those flaps every time we are taxing to the take off strip. But ultimately, you have to trust the pilots in charge and hope that they stick to the checklists, no matter how many flight hours they already have.
A while ago I read extensively about this accident because i was fascinated that there had been one survivor. I read that the main reason why investigators believed she survived was because she was just small enough that the aircraft seat protected her head and body acting like a sort of shield around her, and she was also just 'big enough' for the seatbelt to protect her. As opposed to being harmed by the seatbelt as some much younger children could be.
Thank you for explaining in basic terms what the components of these planes do. It really helps with understanding these disasters and why they happened.
My coworkers, who were working on some of the very first ambulances to arrive, to this day will not fly. One who was a newer EMT quit within the next couple of weeks. The rest finished their careers overtime, but it was not a subject you ever brought up to them. One is a very good musician who has composed music that is used at the Memorial meetings for families. He’s very active in those groups. I think he finds it very healing.
Thank you for posting this video. August 16, 1987. Northwest Airlines Flight 255. I will never forget. I have ties to this terrible day. It still brings tears to my eyes over 34 years later. At the time, this was the 2nd worst airplane accident in US history. I was stationed in Tucson, Arizona, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and was a Senior airman. I served with the Englert's and knew them for three and a half years. Karen was a Staff Sargent and was the NCO (non-commission officer) in charge of my shop. Charles was in our shop when I first arrived for duty but later went into the reserves, attended college, and worked for the USPS. They were also good friends. My wife did daycare for Charles Jr. (14 months old) My wife and myself were house-sitting for them while visiting their parents back east. We were supposed to pick them up at the Tucson, Arizona airport that night. It was a beautiful day as we waited to go to the airport. That beautiful day turned into the worst day of my life when I got that phone call. Karen’s father called us, and he was concerned that they were on that airplane. Of course, we went to the airport anyway. While waiting at the Tucson Airport, we called the airline to get information. They asked if we were relatives, and I lied. I said that my wife was Karen’s sister. The airline said that they were listed as being on that flight. We waited at the Airport for the connection flight to arrive in Tucson, hoping for a miracle, but they didn’t get off the airplane. As we privately hugged and cried, a news station was filming. I’m so glad that they did not approach us. Several other people were also waiting. One couple waiting for their mother did not know about the crash. I had a copy of the local news story on VHS that a friend recorded for us, but it was destroyed in a house fire several years later. We went back to their home but didn’t get much sleep that night. In the days that followed, I was ordered to turn over the house keys to the Air Force. I was given the solemn duty of accompanying an Air Force Officer to the airport to pick up their parents so they could pack up their belongings. The Air Force Base held a memorial service. This happened three months to the day that my Air Force enlistment was ending, and I spent my remaining time in a mental fog. Last year I attended the 34th annual memorial service at the crash site in Romulus, Michigan. The first time I've ever attended one. I meet the first responders that are in this video and family members. They are the nicest people! I'm planning on attending the 35th this year. I posted a video of the memorial service two days ago, and it is in my UA-cam library. May God Bless you all!
I watched your videos of the recent memorials in Romulus. I'm so sorry for your loss of these people close to you. It's a reminder that everyone on that plane leaves so many lives behind, in shock and grief. It was good of you to attend and make connections with the families and responders.
I'm so sorry for your loss. We still mourn them, this happened before I was born but I remember my parents talking about them when ever we passed the highway where they crashed. And I certainty remembered them when I took the same flight one day, Detroit to Phoenix.
I remember this disaster a lot of the fatality were from Arizona. But there was one cheerleader that was killed in this disaster from Ohio, so they talked to her about that a lot on the news here in Ohio.
@@dontspikemydrink9382 you know there was this thing called the news before they were social media. They did interviews with the family members of those who were lost to terrible tragedy.
@@jefferysims4336 no I myself am an atheist so I don't believe in any type of life after death. But what I have seen is news people giving interviews to family members of family members they've lost through tragedy.
I took off from Detroit with a Northwest DC 9 only one month before the crash. I was a tourist from Austria. As we took off I watched the I-94 underneath and thought to myself: This is dangerous. I even mentionrd it to my buddy. Back in Austria I learned about the crash. Couldn't believe it. I also sat inside the "Mozart" from Lauda Airlines. 1 year later she came down. 1989 I drove over the Oakland Bridge and thought about the danger of an earthquake which was announced. Back home in Austria she collapsed. I still fly and still go on vacations.
I've just discovered your channel; I'm enjoying it lots. Thank you very much for your amazing and informative videos . I watch all the prominent aviation channels and your explanations seem to me to add something extra and cover details I've not seen or heard about before. I've been aware of the Northwest 255 crash for years having seen the various documentaries. In June 2015 I travelled from the UK and was working in the Detroit area. Heading back to DTW for the return flight on the Friday via Romulus and eastbound up the I-94 with my colleague I overshot the exit and doubled back, first of all stopping off to get some gasoline and then headed down Middlebelt Rd towards the airfield. The road name resonated with me and I suddenly recalled that it was where the 'plane came to rest just North of Wick Rd. I mentioned to my co-worker that this was the area where Flight 255 sadly crashed and I took a moment during the halt in traffic to remember and pay respects to all those involved; the images of the emergency response also sprang to mind as I routinely work with ER personnel. I know that innumerable people drive past the area and the memorial daily and at that time I was in just one such vehicle. If I had not been rushing to get to our flight I would have surely taken the time to stop off and reflect knowing what I did about the incident. My point being that even though I'm from another part of the world - the UK - this accident registered in my conciousness for many years despite it happening when I was just a kid. So much so that I instantly knew that I was nearby. Having looked at my maps history I can clearly see I passed within yards that day and seeing your video today instantly took me back there and my thoughts were with those who sadly lost their lives as well as the people who dealt with the aftermath.
IMO, the MD-80 was an awesome jet from a passenger stand point. I flew, as a passenger, just about every week from 1992 through 1996 and my base was IAH mostly Continental Airlines. By far the planes I was on were either DC-9'S or MD-80'S. I loved flying on them, especially the MD-80. I talked to a couple of pilots and they loved flying them, but said they were a little difficult on the ground. The one I didn't like was the Boeing 757.
I remember this accident when I was first going over the report because if I'm remembering the correct incident a few years later there was another accident like this and listening on the cvr investigators heard the pilots mention this accident and words to leave on the cvr just incase
If I remember correctly, that was a Delta flight out of DFW. It was a 727 that was configured incorrectly, due to the pilots being distracted before takeoff.
@@kristita_888 They were making obscene jokes about flight attendants, and that’s the main reason they forgot the flaps. That recording getting out bothered many pilots, so the NTSB stopped releasing most CVR recordings.
I remember the night this crash happened, my grandfather came over and told us there was a crash in Detroit. My family and I were flying from LAX to DTW and finally on to ORD. We flew out of Detroit 5 hours before this crash happened.
I grew up in Romulus at Wayne and wick Rd. I remember hearing the crash, and then getting on my bike and riding over to where it crashed, by following the smoke. I remember the horrible sights and smells. It's amazing that Cecilia was able to make it out. It really looked like a bomb had gone off. 😩😩😩
There was Cecelia Cichan, lone survivor of flight 255 crash that was in the news for years in the Detroit area, she lost her parents on that flight. Her survival was credited as a miracle.
A crash that has always stuck in my head is the Hughes Airwest Fight 706. If you could do a video on that one that would be awesome. The circumstances seem pretty unique to me even if a midair collision isn't
I’ve watched several videos of this crash and I can’t understand why they didn’t realize the flap position even after takeoff. Would it have made a difference if they extended the flaps afterward?
Wow. I wonder if, right after liftoff, if they had noticed the "0" Flaps setting, would have extending them right then given them any chance to recover ??? Or was the airspeed/lift mismatch already too off to allow recovery ??? Can the flaps be "bumped down" at incremental steps, or do they only go fully to the "Take0ff" setting (11 degrees) when activated ??? MUCH different aircraft and situation, but when being instructed on soft-field takeoff in a Cessna 150 back in 1974, we started with FULL flaps down and then after liftoff we "bumped" them up a little at a time as we accelerated in ground effect (or at least that's what my old brain recalls). A horrible accident, RIP to those lost.
The very same day the Northwest 255 crashed in the US, a Cessna 150 crashed in Portugal killing a friend of mine and severely wounding his girlfriend, a Stewardess who then became unfit for her job. I was in the Army then, in my Unit, and at first there was some confusion about what had actually crashed. Only the next day I found in a newspaper that, besides the MD a Cessna 150 flown by my friend had gone down. I had soloed and flown many hours in that very plane. The pilot was former Air Force fast jet, superb in aerobatics and an Airline First Officer flying 727s at the time of the accident. Only to allow the 150 to stall at low altitude and crash in an orchard... Subsequently I was a civilian ATCo and Supervisor for 31 years and believe me, I learned that some times you never noticed that you were forgetting something very important. You just don't notice, and it happened occasionally with everyone. Eventually, a system protection, a pilot or other workmate noticed and warned in time. Shame on you... 😬 👏👏👏
A crash i’ve always been interested in was a WWII plane that crashed on the 101 freeway in a small city in southern california. It shut down the freeway for hours and was wild!
Nick Vanos, then NBA center for the Suns was on that light and died in the crash as well, reading the CVR, holy hell, seven impacts. I'd need to find it, but on a now defunct site, it was stated that a lot o auto racing journos were either aware of the crash or were on their way to/in Detroit to fly out following the Winston Cup race at Michigan Int'l Speedway as well.
I’d love to see something about united flight 173 that crashed near PDX, Oregon in 1978! Landing gear problem caused pilot to lose focus on instruments resulting in a crash that killed 10 people
That plane ran out of fuel. The pilots didn't pay attention to the fuel gauges. The plane went down in an unpopulated block not far from the center of Portland. Fortunately, most passengers survived.
Not entirely true. One of the pilots at least was VERY concerned about the fuel state but he was not the Captain. As a result of this United crash, Crew Resources Management tools were invented and put into place to minimize the chances of accidents in aviation. CRM proved SO effective that many other jobs/trades adopted the basics and developed their own version. One of the first was the medical field which has an astonishing amount of deaths and injuries attributed to bad decision making and procedures in hospitals and doctors offices.@@adotintheshark4848
Cover Seaboard World Airlines Flight 258A in July 1968. Was carrying 238 US troops bound for Vietnam when it strayed off course & forced down in Soviet territory. Detained for two days, they were released & sent on their way.
I went to this area 24 hours earlier....i used to go to a bar/rrestaurant in the Holiday Inn. Big impact, especially people living within 30 mile radius. I remember the officials asking people to bring in their dogs from the outside.
Some slight amendment on the tech here. Indeed the flaps are highly important to provide the nessesary lift. However more important, selecting flaps also does select 'slats' sometimes known as 'leading edge flaps' Their function is not to provide lift but to lower the angle of attack required for low speeds as with T/O and LDG. You might be lucky and get away without flaps, but no slats would really require a dramaticly higher airspeed in order to be able to controll the aircraft at all. Mind that without you're already in a deep stall situation, using ailerons would worsen the situation and make the aircraft just fall out of the sky. Case is well know and not a isolated accident. It's a good habbit for a pilot to always check a few memory items just before hidding the trottles or just before final. These items would be so basic that they are virtualy aircraft type independ. Mine for landing for instance where: Flaps, Gear, (auto)Brakes, Liftdumpers (Spoilers) On takeoff: Flaps, Trims, Trust (or torque if props) and Engine Temps These items all can be checked literaly within two seconds if they are become a habbit. Finaly... if the aircraft systems don't behave like you expect, there's probarbly a reason for it, Autotrottles that won't respond on ground also could be an strong indication for misconfiguration.
Would it have been possible for the pilots, after having realized of such a big error, to deploy the flats once airborne and recover the flight? Thank you.
Depends on the terrain. If they managed to get off the ground at all, then clearly the ground effect is enough. But you'd need to immediately realize what's wrong and act, and not climb out of the ground effect zone, and be lucky enough to not face any obstacles... In short: theoretically yes, practically no.
I heard that one 4 year girl survived named Cecelia Cichan who was sent to hospital in a rough condition after being found in her booster seat attachment.
In the B727 we had the same issue with the TOWS. The reason the circuit breaker would be pulled is that during taxi the TOWS aural warning would trigger when the power levers were moved forward, the warning would sound until you moved the levers back. The sound was irritating to the crews while taxing and performing their duties. They would then push the circuit breaker back in just before takeoff. Yes, very dangerous and against policy and procedures. It was easier on the B727 to push the breaker back in because it was just beside the flight engineer. On the MD 80 there is no flight engineer. I’m guessing whichever pilot would have to undo his seat belt/shoulder harness, turn and reach back to achieve this. After the accident they made changes with how the TOWS was activated on the B727. I don’t know about the MD 80. This is my conjecture and I’m sure there are lots of theories.
Do Air Indiana Flight 216. On 12/13/1977 the plane crashed on takeoff killing the University of Evansville basketball team. At least three major safety improvements were recommended as a result of this crash.
It hit close to home for me. One of the victims played QB for Alabama back in the 70’s & was a Sports Agent afterwards. Remember cheering for him during his playing days.
I notice that you didn't mention the main evidence for the TCWS breaker having been pulled - the single "Stall" in the stall warning, rather than the dual "Stall-all" that they would have expected to have heard.
I wonder if had the pilots noticed that the flaps weren't deployed while approaching V1 could they have put them into position before loosing altitude and stayed aloft?
No matter what they say about flying being safer than other modes of transport, i have never seen anyone getting killed for "forgetting to configure their car before igniting the engine."
A by the book captain who turns off, or allows it, a warning system on his aircraft. Then the captain and first officer forget a crucial checklist. I suggest the captain is not a by the book pilot.
The aircraft was airborne then the crew lost it….train the crew to not lose it! 37 years later. Come on train the pilots…all they had to do is grab the flap handle and pull it.
An aircraft can take off, land and have enough lift to climb just fine without flaps/slats but must be moving at a much higher speed. The reason flap/slat technology was created is that they provide more lift at slower speed at a cost of more drag. This slower speed is desirable when close to the ground for obvious reasons creating less danger and shorter takeoffs and landings. For this reason airports are also able to create shorter runways as no flaps/slats necessitates longer runways. Such as in this case, If they stayed on the ground for longer and had enough runway to get up to the needed speed for no flaps condition then this accident would have never happened. The fact is that they were used to the shorter take off distances rotating too soon for no flaps condition and if they didn't rotate they would have run out of runway and crashed anyway.
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8:52 actual the NW255 never retract the landing gears , you did same mistake on TAM 402, pls never make gear mistake on next time 👍
9:12 "lamp post ignites jetfuel"
I suggest "American Airlines Flight 1572"
Am I the only one who finds sthe route of this flight very odd, they flew away from their final destination and around the country to get there, they also had the very short leg from saiganaw and then the long one to Phoenix
In regards to the sole survivor of the crash, Cecelia Cichan Crocker, she didn't speak out about the disaster until around 25 years later. She understandably deals with PTSD, but has taken comfort in knowing that the best measures have been taken to make sure what happened that night won't happen again. And in a bittersweet gesture to her family and the other victims of the crash, she has the silhouette of an MD-82 tattooed on her wrist.
Love
As I recall, she was identified by her nail polish.
The tattoo is a little silly imo. You've branded yourself permanently with a logo depicting something you should try to move past.
@@Xvladin tattoos in general
@@Xvladinalright then. You go through a scenario like that then come back to me about it.
I live about 5 minutes away from DTW. I’ve talked to neighbors and they remember this crash. There were body parts all over Middlebelt road and some even farther. It was disturbing, and it’s crazy to think that a road I travel on daily had something so horrible happen on it. Rip to the people who lost their lives that day.
@@theautistictransitfan Stay triggered son
@@theautistictransitfan Oh God, here's the internet police. There are people like me with a morbid curiosity about such things. Go find your safe space. I appreciated the comment, Emily.
I feel like it's not so hard to believe that something so morbid happened on ANY given road. I see cute fluffy baby animals gored all over the road at least 3 times per day each way in my commute.
I'd be more surprised if there was a road where a morbid gruesome sad death didn't happen.
Former DC-9 pilot here, yes the takeoff configuration warning system was indeed prone to give false warnings. Often enough that it became quite annoying.
It works like this.......there are microswitches on the throttle, flap position indicator and a few others but these two are the main source of the problem. If the flaps are retracted and the throttle is advanced past a certain position, you'd get a TCWS warning. Both visual and audible.
Often, if you stopped while taxiing, and you'd need to advance the throttles past the alarm point in order to get moving again. Since the flaps were still retracted, you'd get the warning before you were even close to the runway.
Not only was this annoying but it also caused you to distrust all warnings, including valid ones.
See, that should have made the manufacturers do something about this system so it didn’t give false alarms, at least not so often that it made pilots distrust them. I think it’s horrible that this wasn’t done, especially so when the identical crash happened 21 years later!
Btw, thanks for sharing this information. Very interesting!
I would like to know how they solved this.
@@patriciamariemitchel Computers. These days, the onboard computers would "know" the difference between taxiing and taking off.
@@patriciamariemitchel On the DC-9s, it'd be tricky to solve. Simply moving the throttle trigger point ahead a bit sounds like a good idea but it's not the right answer.
It takes quite a bit of throttle to get the plane moving but on the other hand, if the airport is close to sea level and it's cold and the runway is long, using reduced-power takeoff would not advance the throttles far enough to reach the trigger point.
I've also flown 727s and L-1011s, both needed considerably less throttle to get moving. A TCWS warning was very rare in those planes.
@@kenmore01 I've never flown a computerized plane, it'd be interesting to know how the computer would know the difference between taxiing and takeoff.
This one stuck with me since I was a teenager, since I live about an hour away from the airport and remember it vividly, and the fact there was a single survivor of that tragic crash.
Same here I remember the little girl who survived 🙏🏾
The creepiest part is that Spanair flight 5022 crashed just 4 days after the 21st anniversary Northwest flight 255, being operated by the same plane, crashing for the same reason, and had the exact same amount of fatalities.
If you had to compared NW255 and Spanair 5022 Northwest was more deadlier as it killed 154 of 155 whilst 18 people survived Spanair 5022. The only survivor was 4 year old Cecilia surviving the crash with serious injuries she is still living today.
Another crash that involved only one survivor I think Disaster Breakdown has done it correct me if I’m wrong but Comair 5191 a regional jet crashed on takeoff as it took off from the wrong runway. RW26 was a way shorter Runway then the runway they were suppose to take Runway 22 all but the first officer died in that crash more specifically 49 out of 50 people died
@@RBMapleLeaf and the Vietnam airlines crash, i don’t think there and any other sole survivor cases she has covered yet
@@Yukis.aviation *She
@@Yukis.aviation "she"
9:04 "rolled to the Reservations"
My dad’s favorite seat was always the one in the back right next to the engines. He loved sleeping to the extremely loud hum of the engine. To me, I thought it was just a bit disconcerting for my head to be like 12 inches away from a bunch of titanium blades spinning at a billion miles per hour…
some people need a fan blowing in their bedroom to sleep; your Dad just liked bigger fans lol. I just needed a window seat, any row, so I could pull the shade down and lean up against it with a pillow to sleep (seat belt ON of course)
I was at this crashsite last week where it occurred on Middlebelt Road between the bridges of the opposite lanes of I-94. I remember seeing the smoke of the crash when it occurred years ago. I remember it was on a Sunday. There was a business jet crash into some fuel tanks within a half mile from this crash in about 1972. The plane crashed into some large fuel storage tanks.
The first responders were shocked to find the little girl alive. If I remember right she was in bad condition. Terrible accident!
Afterwards she lived w/her Grandmother abt 50-60 miles from my current home
I live at Merriman and Van Born, which is just over 2 miles north of the DTW entrance and a mile west of Middlebelt so planes are constantly going over our neighborhood. I was 18 and in travel agent school when this happened. I just remember being completely devastated. My former high school boyfriend was working at Avis at the time and he has never been quite the same. It definitely affected my awareness of the flaps everytime I ever flew.
I am the same way. I always would look and see if the flaps were extended whenever I sat aft of the wings. And I was nowhere near Detroit on that day. Oddly enough, I was a few miles from the final destination for the flight in Orange County CA that day visiting my sister who had just moved to California from Detroit a couple months before the accident. Isn't it weird the way we get tied to these things by circumstance? I guess if you fly enough it is inevitable.
@@pooryorick831 Your sister had just moved from Detroit? What a weird coincidence! I know you weren't there at the time but dd you live in the metro Detroit area?
I grew up not far from there and I remember this crash. I was in high school. It was all over the news😢😢😢
My parents were both engineers for GM at the time. GM had a proving grounds in Phoenix and they said there were about 12 GM engineers on this flight. My parents surprisingly didn’t know any of them. But GM changed its policy that only a certain number of employees can be on the same flight after this accident. Also kind of scary to think my mom flew down to Phoenix quite a bit at the time out of Detroit on Northwest.
Thank you for covering this particular case! As tragic as it was, it's darkly fascinating to learn about such a disaster that happened so close to where I live.
Flight 255 was on of the case studies my instructor had me read up on while working on my PPL, it always stuck with me how time pressure is truly what doomed that flight.
On another note I have an accident I highly recommend you look into if you get the chance. It’s a bit of a forgotten one but look up the 1986 Grand Canyon mid air collision, certainly an interesting case.
I was about to say you got the year wrong and meant 1956 but then I looked it up and there has been TWO mid air collisions in the Grand Canyon!
Forgetting to set the flaps before takeoff? That is an astonishing mistake for any pilot to make
Yes it is but stuff happens. This is not the only time this has happened. An airliner cockpit can be a VERY busy place, particularly between push back and takeoff. The crew's attention can get diverted for dozens of reasons on every flight. With each accident, we learn why it happened, and that knowledge often promulgates changes to the way we do things. At my brand X airline, the first thing that happens before the plane moves under its own power is the flaps are extended. The plane is pushed back, the tug is disconnected, and communication with the ground crew is severed. At that point (after the crew verifies that all ground personnel are clear) the Captain calls for "Flaps and Before Taxi Checklist" The FO then positions the flaps and they begin the checks. It's a pretty good way to operate the jet. But I'd wager an Andy Jackson it wasn't that way before this accident.
@Keylara dude. I always look at the wings and listen during the preflight check. It’s just some reassurance but also just cool to see
@@Mark-uh4zd When i was getting my PPL I ran the preflight out loud for my instructor. Just before we got rolling he said "You missed the flaps". I said "Did not, you heard me call it and look at the setting" But when I looked out, in fact they had not extended. We called the tower, got off the runway and took the plane back for maintenance. After that I always visually checked. But I was flying little planes.
@@lbowsk also they were HEAVILY distracted by nothing
Well aware of that. We have sterile cockpit rules today that they did not have then. Most rules and regs in aviation were written in response to an incident or accident. This crew was not operating with the tools that today's crews possess. Managing distractions is part of their job. When viewed through todays lenses, they failed in spectacular fashion.
@@megawave79
I was flying a lot back then. I was in my twenties and just starting out in my career. my dad is an airline pilot or was at the time. it really messed his head up that I was flying so much. this wasn't an uncontrollable accident. it shouldn't have happened. I guess the randomness of it made my dad get involved every time I had to fly lol. where was my seat, he would look at the tail number and look it up. back then that kind of info was available, may still be. I couldn't fly northwest, eastern, American... or he would have a fit. he was the kind of father that would actually go with me and talk to the pilots if he wasn't working.... so embarrassing at the time. this accident really shook a lot of people
Glad to see the crew ages have returned.
It gives the crew a better sense of humanity, as it makes me think how I might have responded at that age.
This is honestly my biggest fear when flying, which I do regularly. My friends and family even usually say 'flaps, flaps' to me before I get on a flight, as I told them multiple times about airplane crashes where pilots forgot to extend the flaps correctly for take-off. I do keep an eye on those flaps every time we are taxing to the take off strip. But ultimately, you have to trust the pilots in charge and hope that they stick to the checklists, no matter how many flight hours they already have.
A while ago I read extensively about this accident because i was fascinated that there had been one survivor. I read that the main reason why investigators believed she survived was because she was just small enough that the aircraft seat protected her head and body acting like a sort of shield around her, and she was also just 'big enough' for the seatbelt to protect her. As opposed to being harmed by the seatbelt as some much younger children could be.
Thank you for explaining in basic terms what the components of these planes do. It really helps with understanding these disasters and why they happened.
Superb job on analysis
My coworkers, who were working on some of the very first ambulances to arrive, to this day will not fly. One who was a newer EMT quit within the next couple of weeks. The rest finished their careers overtime, but it was not a subject you ever brought up to them. One is a very good musician who has composed music that is used at the Memorial meetings for families. He’s very active in those groups. I think he finds it very healing.
Thank you for posting this video.
August 16, 1987.
Northwest Airlines Flight 255.
I will never forget. I have ties to this terrible day. It still brings tears to my eyes over 34 years later. At the time, this was the 2nd worst airplane accident in US history. I was stationed in Tucson, Arizona, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and was a Senior airman. I served with the Englert's and knew them for three and a half years. Karen was a Staff Sargent and was the NCO (non-commission officer) in charge of my shop. Charles was in our shop when I first arrived for duty but later went into the reserves, attended college, and worked for the USPS. They were also good friends. My wife did daycare for Charles Jr. (14 months old) My wife and myself were house-sitting for them while visiting their parents back east. We were supposed to pick them up at the Tucson, Arizona airport that night. It was a beautiful day as we waited to go to the airport. That beautiful day turned into the worst day of my life when I got that phone call. Karen’s father called us, and he was concerned that they were on that airplane. Of course, we went to the airport anyway. While waiting at the Tucson Airport, we called the airline to get information. They asked if we were relatives, and I lied. I said that my wife was Karen’s sister. The airline said that they were listed as being on that flight. We waited at the Airport for the connection flight to arrive in Tucson, hoping for a miracle, but they didn’t get off the airplane. As we privately hugged and cried, a news station was filming. I’m so glad that they did not approach us. Several other people were also waiting. One couple waiting for their mother did not know about the crash. I had a copy of the local news story on VHS that a friend recorded for us, but it was destroyed in a house fire several years later. We went back to their home but didn’t get much sleep that night. In the days that followed, I was ordered to turn over the house keys to the Air Force. I was given the solemn duty of accompanying an Air Force Officer to the airport to pick up their parents so they could pack up their belongings. The Air Force Base held a memorial service. This happened three months to the day that my Air Force enlistment was ending, and I spent my remaining time in a mental fog.
Last year I attended the 34th annual memorial service at the crash site in Romulus, Michigan. The first time I've ever attended one. I meet the first responders that are in this video and family members. They are the nicest people! I'm planning on attending the 35th this year.
I posted a video of the memorial service two days ago, and it is in my UA-cam library.
May God Bless you all!
I watched your videos of the recent memorials in Romulus. I'm so sorry for your loss of these people close to you. It's a reminder that everyone on that plane leaves so many lives behind, in shock and grief. It was good of you to attend and make connections with the families and responders.
Another amazing, informative video. Thanks for putting out 2 this week!
A classmate of mine from Costa Mesa High School died in this crash. RIP Hidi!
I'm so sorry for your loss. We still mourn them, this happened before I was born but I remember my parents talking about them when ever we passed the highway where they crashed. And I certainty remembered them when I took the same flight one day, Detroit to Phoenix.
I remember this disaster a lot of the fatality were from Arizona. But there was one cheerleader that was killed in this disaster from Ohio, so they talked to her about that a lot on the news here in Ohio.
i don't fllow how they talked to her
@@dontspikemydrink9382 maybe they meant her family
During a séance?
@@dontspikemydrink9382 you know there was this thing called the news before they were social media. They did interviews with the family members of those who were lost to terrible tragedy.
@@jefferysims4336 no I myself am an atheist so I don't believe in any type of life after death. But what I have seen is news people giving interviews to family members of family members they've lost through tragedy.
I took off from Detroit with a Northwest DC 9 only one month before the crash. I was a tourist from Austria. As we took off I watched the I-94 underneath and thought to myself: This is dangerous. I even mentionrd it to my buddy. Back in Austria I learned about the crash. Couldn't believe it.
I also sat inside the "Mozart" from Lauda Airlines. 1 year later she came down.
1989 I drove over the Oakland Bridge and thought about the danger of an earthquake which was announced.
Back home in Austria she collapsed.
I still fly and still go on vacations.
I've just discovered your channel; I'm enjoying it lots. Thank you very much for your amazing and informative videos . I watch all the prominent aviation channels and your explanations seem to me to add something extra and cover details I've not seen or heard about before.
I've been aware of the Northwest 255 crash for years having seen the various documentaries. In June 2015 I travelled from the UK and was working in the Detroit area. Heading back to DTW for the return flight on the Friday via Romulus and eastbound up the I-94 with my colleague I overshot the exit and doubled back, first of all stopping off to get some gasoline and then headed down Middlebelt Rd towards the airfield. The road name resonated with me and I suddenly recalled that it was where the 'plane came to rest just North of Wick Rd. I mentioned to my co-worker that this was the area where Flight 255 sadly crashed and I took a moment during the halt in traffic to remember and pay respects to all those involved; the images of the emergency response also sprang to mind as I routinely work with ER personnel.
I know that innumerable people drive past the area and the memorial daily and at that time I was in just one such vehicle. If I had not been rushing to get to our flight I would have surely taken the time to stop off and reflect knowing what I did about the incident. My point being that even though I'm from another part of the world - the UK - this accident registered in my conciousness for many years despite it happening when I was just a kid. So much so that I instantly knew that I was nearby. Having looked at my maps history I can clearly see I passed within yards that day and seeing your video today instantly took me back there and my thoughts were with those who sadly lost their lives as well as the people who dealt with the aftermath.
I flew on the MD 80 series as a passenger many times. Great plane!
Yes. Loud and cramped. Great plane.
Not the place buddy
@@lbowsk Much more comfortable than the 757.
IMO, the MD-80 was an awesome jet from a passenger stand point. I flew, as a passenger, just about every week from 1992 through 1996 and my base was IAH mostly Continental Airlines. By far the planes I was on were either DC-9'S or MD-80'S. I loved flying on them, especially the MD-80. I talked to a couple of pilots and they loved flying them, but said they were a little difficult on the ground. The one I didn't like was the Boeing 757.
Imagine having 20k flight hours and it ended this way, gone just like that
ANOTHER upload?! Wow! Thank you for the incredible content as always
ONCE EVERY WEEK IF POSSIBLE
Great video keep up the good work 👏 from Ireland 🇮🇪
I remember this accident when I was first going over the report because if I'm remembering the correct incident a few years later there was another accident like this and listening on the cvr investigators heard the pilots mention this accident and words to leave on the cvr just incase
If I remember correctly, that was a Delta flight out of DFW. It was a 727 that was configured incorrectly, due to the pilots being distracted before takeoff.
@@kristita_888 They were making obscene jokes about flight attendants, and that’s the main reason they forgot the flaps. That recording getting out bothered many pilots, so the NTSB stopped releasing most CVR recordings.
disaster breakdown you make the best videos ever I love your videos
I love your channel. Keep up the amazing work. 😊😊😊
I remember the night this crash happened, my grandfather came over and told us there was a crash in Detroit. My family and I were flying from LAX to DTW and finally on to ORD. We flew out of Detroit 5 hours before this crash happened.
Did you see the accident plane?
Amazing video there
Incredible,! And as always.. excellent production.👌🏽👍🏼
wow, the nostalgia, I remember watching your vids when you had like 500 subs ;). I so enjoy your videos!
I don't understand how both pilots could fail to do something so rudimentary before takeoff.
I grew up in Romulus at Wayne and wick Rd. I remember hearing the crash, and then getting on my bike and riding over to where it crashed, by following the smoke. I remember the horrible sights and smells. It's amazing that Cecilia was able to make it out. It really looked like a bomb had gone off. 😩😩😩
There was Cecelia Cichan, lone survivor of flight 255 crash that was in the news for years in the Detroit area, she lost her parents on that flight. Her survival was credited as a miracle.
I was on lake st Claire fishing that day and the storm hit me quickly.we heard of it when we tied up the sky was pitch black sad Sunday
A crash that has always stuck in my head is the Hughes Airwest Fight 706. If you could do a video on that one that would be awesome. The circumstances seem pretty unique to me even if a midair collision isn't
I’ve watched several videos of this crash and I can’t understand why they didn’t realize the flap position even after takeoff. Would it have made a difference if they extended the flaps afterward?
This is one of the most saddening crashes.
It was stated that the Captain was known as a "by the book" guy but if truly was that he wouldn't have disabled the configuration warning system.
Just because it was disabled doesn't mean that particular pilot did it.
Ahhh…. Happy Saturday!! Another great new video. Man, I really dig your work! 👊🏻✈️
Hello and thank you for the video
great video, as always!
Wow. I wonder if, right after liftoff, if they had noticed the "0" Flaps setting, would have extending them right then given them any chance to recover ??? Or was the airspeed/lift mismatch already too off to allow recovery ??? Can the flaps be "bumped down" at incremental steps, or do they only go fully to the "Take0ff" setting (11 degrees) when activated ??? MUCH different aircraft and situation, but when being instructed on soft-field takeoff in a Cessna 150 back in 1974, we started with FULL flaps down and then after liftoff we "bumped" them up a little at a time as we accelerated in ground effect (or at least that's what my old brain recalls). A horrible accident, RIP to those lost.
The very same day the Northwest 255 crashed in the US, a Cessna 150 crashed in Portugal killing a friend of mine and severely wounding his girlfriend, a Stewardess who then became unfit for her job. I was in the Army then, in my Unit, and at first there was some confusion about what had actually crashed. Only the next day I found in a newspaper that, besides the MD a Cessna 150 flown by my friend had gone down. I had soloed and flown many hours in that very plane. The pilot was former Air Force fast jet, superb in aerobatics and an Airline First Officer flying 727s at the time of the accident. Only to allow the 150 to stall at low altitude and crash in an orchard...
Subsequently I was a civilian ATCo and Supervisor for 31 years and believe me, I learned that some times you never noticed that you were forgetting something very important. You just don't notice, and it happened occasionally with everyone. Eventually, a system protection, a pilot or other workmate noticed and warned in time. Shame on you... 😬 👏👏👏
A crash i’ve always been interested in was a WWII plane that crashed on the 101 freeway in a small city in southern california. It shut down the freeway for hours and was wild!
Nick Vanos, then NBA center for the Suns was on that light and died in the crash as well, reading the CVR, holy hell, seven impacts.
I'd need to find it, but on a now defunct site, it was stated that a lot o auto racing journos were either aware of the crash or were on their way to/in Detroit to fly out following the Winston Cup race at Michigan Int'l Speedway as well.
His fiancée was onboard too.
another great upload I was wondering if you but around the recent airplane crash that happened roughly about I don't know 6 or so odd months ago?
great narration Chloe
I’d love to see something about united flight 173 that crashed near PDX, Oregon in 1978! Landing gear problem caused pilot to lose focus on instruments resulting in a crash that killed 10 people
That plane ran out of fuel. The pilots didn't pay attention to the fuel gauges. The plane went down in an unpopulated block not far from the center of Portland. Fortunately, most passengers survived.
Not entirely true. One of the pilots at least was VERY concerned about the fuel state but he was not the Captain. As a result of this United crash, Crew Resources Management tools were invented and put into place to minimize the chances of accidents in aviation. CRM proved SO effective that many other jobs/trades adopted the basics and developed their own version. One of the first was the medical field which has an astonishing amount of deaths and injuries attributed to bad decision making and procedures in hospitals and doctors offices.@@adotintheshark4848
Remember seeing it on the news when i was a 8 year old kid at that time in 87
Cover Seaboard World Airlines Flight 258A in July 1968. Was carrying 238 US troops bound for Vietnam when it strayed off course & forced down in Soviet territory. Detained for two days, they were released & sent on their way.
I went to this area 24 hours earlier....i used to go to a bar/rrestaurant in the Holiday Inn. Big impact, especially people living within 30 mile radius. I remember the officials asking people to bring in their dogs from the outside.
Some slight amendment on the tech here.
Indeed the flaps are highly important to provide the nessesary lift.
However more important, selecting flaps also does select 'slats' sometimes known as 'leading edge flaps'
Their function is not to provide lift but to lower the angle of attack required for low speeds as with T/O and LDG.
You might be lucky and get away without flaps, but no slats would really require a dramaticly higher airspeed in order to be able to controll the aircraft at all.
Mind that without you're already in a deep stall situation, using ailerons would worsen the situation and make the aircraft just fall out of the sky.
Case is well know and not a isolated accident.
It's a good habbit for a pilot to always check a few memory items just before hidding the trottles or just before final.
These items would be so basic that they are virtualy aircraft type independ.
Mine for landing for instance where: Flaps, Gear, (auto)Brakes, Liftdumpers (Spoilers)
On takeoff: Flaps, Trims, Trust (or torque if props) and Engine Temps
These items all can be checked literaly within two seconds if they are become a habbit.
Finaly... if the aircraft systems don't behave like you expect, there's probarbly a reason for it,
Autotrottles that won't respond on ground also could be an strong indication for misconfiguration.
So much for a "By the Book" Captain!!
Oh wiiie, another disaster breakdown, happy days 😋 much love from, Bangkok, Thailand 🙏🇹🇭❤️
I for one certainly don’t miss the MDs!
Great video man is it possible if you can do the crash of Polish Air Force flight 101 please
Do Mandala 91, a similar accident thats big here in Indo
The most disheartening cases are the ones where the exact same scenario plays out again and kills more people.
Would it have been possible for the pilots, after having realized of such a big error, to deploy the flats once airborne and recover the flight? Thank you.
i think it takes about 10 seconds for them to fully deploy. how long was this plane airborne?
Depends on the terrain.
If they managed to get off the ground at all, then clearly the ground effect is enough.
But you'd need to immediately realize what's wrong and act, and not climb out of the ground effect zone, and be lucky enough to not face any obstacles...
In short: theoretically yes, practically no.
Where have you found that NWA MD-80 checklist? I've been looking for it for ages!
Regardless of checklists and warnings, its unthinkable that a pilot takes off without checking flaps
It's not unthinkable as it has been done numerous times. Think outside the box.
@@lbowsk Wrong. What I think creates reality. I am the alpha and omega. I am the morning sun. I am the nucleus of being. And I always check my flaps.
I would love to know the names of the piano soundtracks in this video!! Beautiful background music!
ANY IDIOT who pulls a breaker because the sound of the alert annoys him should get his pilot license revoked for life.
GREAT VIDEO I JUST WATCHED THE SPANAIR 5022 ACCIDENT BEFORE THIS
Do you plan to due a break down of the Locomotiv Yak service flight 9633.
I heard that one 4 year girl survived named Cecelia Cichan who was sent to hospital in a rough condition after being found in her booster seat attachment.
She has stayed friends with and in occasional contact with the firefighters who saved her ever since.
Interesting, so she was in a car seat?
@@LeolaGlamour CAR SEAT MEANING A RAISED PORTABLE CHAIR.
@@dontspikemydrink9382
No shit, but usually on planes toddlers aren’t in car seats, it’s on required for infants in seats under two.
In the B727 we had the same issue with the TOWS. The reason the circuit breaker would be pulled is that during taxi the TOWS aural warning would trigger when the power levers were moved forward, the warning would sound until you moved the levers back. The sound was irritating to the crews while taxing and performing their duties. They would then push the circuit breaker back in just before takeoff. Yes, very dangerous and against policy and procedures. It was easier on the B727 to push the breaker back in because it was just beside the flight engineer. On the MD 80 there is no flight engineer. I’m guessing whichever pilot would have to undo his seat belt/shoulder harness, turn and reach back to achieve this. After the accident they made changes with how the TOWS was activated on the B727. I don’t know about the MD 80. This is my conjecture and I’m sure there are lots of theories.
@Disaster Breakdown, please do a video about Saudi 163
Do Air Indiana Flight 216. On 12/13/1977 the plane crashed on takeoff killing the University of Evansville basketball team. At least three major safety improvements were recommended as a result of this crash.
Loving your videos man, you need to do the 1999 Learjet crash that happened in Aberdeen South Dakota, that crash had involved a famous golf player.
It hit close to home for me. One of the victims played QB for Alabama back in the 70’s & was a Sports Agent afterwards. Remember cheering for him during his playing days.
Payne Stewart’s plane.
Yes, that's the one When everyone on the Learjet was passed out, and the jet flew as far as it's fuel would take it. What a horrible accident.
8:52 actual the NW255 never retract the landing gears , you did same mistake on TAM 402
I notice that you didn't mention the main evidence for the TCWS breaker having been pulled - the single "Stall" in the stall warning, rather than the dual "Stall-all" that they would have expected to have heard.
Amazing video! Today is actually my birthday
happy bd
Happy Birthday! 🎂
I’m sure a lot of people have asked this but what simulator do you use?
bro I literally said “Is today a Saturday?”
I was half an our late on the publishing. I was thinking myself...
"Something seems off"
Didn’t Delta do this also with a 727? Can’t remember the flight number
delta 1141
I wonder if had the pilots noticed that the flaps weren't deployed while approaching V1 could they have put them into position before loosing altitude and stayed aloft?
Good Vid!
The biggest mistake a pilot can make and in this case they didn`t follow the checklist at all. No words for it.
No matter what they say about flying being safer than other modes of transport, i have never seen anyone getting killed for "forgetting to configure their car before igniting the engine."
A by the book captain who turns off, or allows it, a warning system on his aircraft. Then the captain and first officer forget a crucial checklist. I suggest the captain is not a by the book pilot.
Hey you haven't done a mid air collision plane accident in a long time, I would recommend it.
I've got a couple I really want to do. I should get round to doing one of them soon
Is it one of them: 1960 mid air collision in New York
Pilot: "Let's see, let's take off in a hurry to beat the dangerous weather so we don't crash"..(forgets to configure the plane for take-off)
The aircraft was airborne then the crew lost it….train the crew to not lose it! 37 years later. Come on train the pilots…all they had to do is grab the flap handle and pull it.
An aircraft can take off, land and have enough lift to climb just fine without flaps/slats but must be moving at a much higher speed. The reason flap/slat technology was created is that they provide more lift at slower speed at a cost of more drag. This slower speed is desirable when close to the ground for obvious reasons creating less danger and shorter takeoffs and landings. For this reason airports are also able to create shorter runways as no flaps/slats necessitates longer runways.
Such as in this case, If they stayed on the ground for longer and had enough runway to get up to the needed speed for no flaps condition then this accident would have never happened. The fact is that they were used to the shorter take off distances rotating too soon for no flaps condition and if they didn't rotate they would have run out of runway and crashed anyway.
identical number of passengers & crew killed in both disasters.
Quick question does it really only take a week to make these if not how Iong?
Yet another grateful fan-student
I thought the idea of having 2 pilots was to avoid things like this as they should remind each other about missed tasks?
I still remember this crash like it was yesterday