A few miles from where we stood, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 from Detroit to Santa Ana, Calif. via Phoenix had crashed seconds after takeoff from Metro Airport. Subscribe today. My husband is just devastated by it. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 ATC recording, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 CVR recording, MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, List of aircraft accidents and incidents resulting in at least 50 fatalities, List of sole survivors of airline accidents or incidents, "Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Airlines, Inc. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, N312RC, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Romulus, Michigan, August 16, 1987", "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N312RC Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW)", "United States of America air safety profile", "Ten worst aircraft accidents with lone survivors", "Picture of the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82) aircraft", "Crash Survivor's Psychic Pain May Be the Hardest to Heal", "4-YEAR-OLD CECILIA AWAKENS, ASKS FOR MOTHER, THEN DOLL", "Mother May Not Have Saved Lone Survivor of Plane Crash", "Flight 255: Tragedy Lingers After 20 Years", "Sole Survivor Of Metro Airport Crash Breaks Her Silence", "Northwest Airlines (NW) #261 FlightAware", "Flight Finder Detroit Metro Wayne Co (KDTW) - Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (KPHX) FlightAware", "A mother's long journey follows son's final flight", "Memorial held for victims of 1987 Flight 255 plane crash", "30 years later: Flight 255 bonds victims' families", "Sole Survivor Of Plane Crash Breaks Silence", "Survivor of 1987 Mich. plane crash breaks silence", "1987 Plane Crash: 'Sole Survivor' Cecelia Crocker Breaks Silence On Northwest Airlines Flight 255 Accident", "Tom Higgins: The Wreaths of Middlebelt Road", Pre-crash photos of N312RC on Airliners.net, Evergreen International Airlines Flight 17, 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northwest_Airlines_Flight_255&oldid=1130000402, Airliner accidents and incidents in Michigan, Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error, Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1987, Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-82, Northwest Airlines accidents and incidents, Airliner accidents and incidents caused by stalls, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, # = Expletive deleted; * = Unintelligible word; () = Questionable text; (()) = Commentary; - = Break in continuity; Shading = Radio communication. ((Sound of stick shaker starts and continues until the end of tape)). Aircraft and crew. However, the airline will not release a passenger list in order to. The final takeoff weight for Flight 255s airplane was 144,047. . 5. [21], The crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 was covered in 2010 in "Alarming Silence", a season-9 episode of the internationally syndicated Canadian TV documentary series Mayday. Kirk Murdy was among the 156 people who died in the crash, including six crew members, 148 passengers and two people on the ground on Aug. 16, 1987. The only survivor was four-year-old Cecelia Cichan. in favorable terms. "She was wonderful," Schaffer-Smith says, "I have wonderful memories.". Although 156 people perished in the crash, Graves learned the next day, of a miracle. Three zero zero at one three and we'll be going to page avjet. Pushback for departure was accomplished at 20.34 and the crew received taxi instructions for runway 3C. Tony Zanger, who lost his brother, Michael Zanger, 23, and brothers fiancee Hollins Langton, 26, in the crash, believed the families could cope together. Kirk's flight, Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, took off just about 8:45 p.m. Investigators later discovered that the pilots hadn't properly gone through their. Jerome D. Cook, 48, Phoenix, off-duty Northwest employe. June Marsh of East Lansing admits 30 years later, the crash that killed her son, Craig Hale, and daughter-in-law, Kimberly Hale, both 30, isnt on her mind every day. Most were traveling to the GM Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona. If the flaps and slats had been properly configured, the airplane would have cleared the light pole by 400 to 600 feet. An investigation of their personal background and actions during the days before the accident also turned up normal. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Want to solve climate change? Because lets face it, after the funeral, people go back to their lives. Was that the reason the plane spent only 30 seconds in the . The autothrottle system failing to engage was the first red flag, with the stall warning being the second. Witnesses say that after rolls between 15 degrees and 90 degrees, the planes wings leveled off before veering violently to the left and striking a light pole in a rental car parking lot. The crash is the seventh worst aviation accident in U.S. history. However, the airline has repeatedly said it will not release a passenger list. Flight attendant Michael L Kahle, 34, LeSueur, Minnesota. We didnt even know he was on that flight until his grandmother called, Reid Bushong said. VICTIMS OF FLIGHT 255 - The Washington Post VICTIMS OF FLIGHT 255 Following are names of 155 of at least 156 victims in the crash of a Northwest Airlines jet Sunday at Detroit. I was getting to the end of my shift, it was getting to be twilight when we got word that something had happened at Metro, Rick recalls. including Northwest Airlines flight 255 at Detroit, Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, Continental Airlines flight 1713 in Denver, United Airlines flight 811 over the Pacific Ocean, United Airlines . ", The investigators had spoken with other MD-80 pilots, and learned that many pilots found it a nuisance to hear a take-off configuration warning ("Slats Slats Slats.") while they were simply taxiing. [1]:22 The impact caused the left wing to start disintegrating and catch fire. So over the years, hes used a website and social media to keep everyone connected. Other than one training report during his probationary period, all of the airline's captains with whom Dodds had flown graded him as average or above average. Maus was an experienced pilot who had worked for the airline for 31 years, flying Fairchild F-27, Boeing 727, Boeing 757, McDonnell Douglas DC-9, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. Rick, who now leads theMichigan Public Radio Networkin Lansing,saw the wreckage from a bridge. var _gaq = _gaq || []; We just wish we could get Hidi back.. ((Sound similar to nose gear strut extension)), ((Sound similar to nose wheel spinning down)). Family and friends of Flight 255 victims gathered at the memorial site for a ceremony at 8 p.m. Wednesday to honor the lives of their loved ones. You can check out the full NTSB report below: The flight crew and all but one passenger were killed instantly. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. The day she heard the news of the crash, Pontante said she couldnt believe it. When the airplane hit the eastbound I-94 overpass, it burst into flames. Four flight attendants were also on board. The Safety Boards performance study examined the climb profiles and the planes ability to clear obstacles beyond the end of runway 3C. Calif. Capt. Following the crash, investigators started to attempt to gain an understanding of how Flight 255 crashed. Director Ian Robertson Writers Andre Barro Bernard Vaillot Mike Sheehan Stars Jonathan Aris (voice) Michael Kremko Bill Lake See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 1 User review / CW50 Detroit. J. Cathie Corona, 44, St. Clair Shores, Mich. Lewis Dresch, 45, Sterling Heights, Mich. Peter Frank, age and hometown unavailable. The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. Carl A. Scherer, 58, Clarence Center, N.Y. Jay Strausbaugh, 29, Sterling Heights, Mich. Erica Thomsen, 61, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Phyllis A. Zigler, 32, Gasport, N.Y. ON THE GROUND. Northwest Airlines Flight 185 (to Detroit tower). That fireball was caused by the impact of the DC-9 jet crashing onto Middlebelt Road. And I remember that humid night 30 years ago. On Tuesday evening, Joan Pontante laid a sketched picture of her brother, his wife and three kids on the black granite memorial. The sole survivor of the crash was Cecilia Cichan, a four-year-old girl from Tempe, Arizona, who was returning home alongside her mother, Paula, father, Michael, and a six-year-old brother, David, after visiting relatives in Pennsylvania. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 is one of the deadliest aviation crashes in the nation. Northwest Airlines Flight 1466 (to Detroit tower). At this point the autothrottle is now engaged and the aircraft's computer is now in takeoff mode. Had the lost passengers been local . [25], In Busy Philipps' 2018 memoir This Will Only Hurt a Little, Philipps mentioned that her friend Megan Briggs died the summer going into 5th grade on this plane crash. Proper use of checklist is reliable, and fosters predictable and standardized crewmember interaction., The handbook goes on to say, checklist items may be performed without direct reference to the checklist, however, all checklist items will subsequently be read aloud in sequence while visually checking the items to assure completion. ", However, hearing these names reach every year brings a sense of comfort Schaffer-Smith says, "We still remember. I was helping my brother move into a house in rural Wayne County on August 16, 1987. Also, a marker stone is located at the General Motors Proving Ground in Milford, MI, in memory of the 14 GM employees and seven family members who were killed in the crash. Steve drove his coworker to the airport. Its a representation of love. This evidence suggested that the aircraft had encountered a wind shear that decreased its performance capability. The report claims the flight crew failed to use the taxi checklist, leading to the aircrafts flaps and slats not being properly extended before takeoff. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Flight 255s stall warning stick shaker had activated immediately after liftoff, according to the accident report. She had just spent two weeks at her fathers home in Toledo, Ohio, and was en route to her home in Santa Ana, Calif. All they found was her wallet--badly burnt--with her school ID and Social Security card, said Donnie Ratliff. I know its a cliche, but what else can you say? said Bonnie Monary, a family friend, describing the Robinson family as in a state of shock. The National Transportation Safety Board conducted a full investigation of the crash. "She was a flight attendant," says Elizabeth Schaffer-Smith, who lost her mother in the crash. The crew was also informed about the update of the automatic terminal information service information, to which Dodds reported on weather data update. Following are names of 155 of at least 156 victims in the crash of a Northwest Airlines jet Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, including six crew members, 147 passengers and two people killed on the ground. Editors note: the following is a first-person remembrance. While the investigators felt that the P-40 circuit breaker probably had been pulled by the pilot on the incident flight, they could not definitely confirm if the circuit breaker had been tripped, intentionally opened, or if electric current failed to flow through the breaker to the CAWS while the breaker was closed: "Because the P-40 circuit breaker was badly damaged during the accident, the NTSB could not determine positively its pre-impact condition. As mentioned previously, basically, all of this technical mumbo jumbo just means that as long as the pilots set their flaps to 11 degrees, their plane would safely get off the ground even with their high takeoff weight and short runway.. The flight's captain, John R. Maus, was an experienced pilot with 31 years of experience with the airline. On Aug. 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed shortly after takeoff from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich., killing 154 on board and two on the ground. 2. A black granite memorial was built in 1994 to commemorate the victims. Investigators believedhuman error most likely caused the crash. ((Sound of secondary stall recognition aural warning starts)). February 10, 2020 / 10:23 PM By: Fab. A black granite memorial erected in 1994 in memory of the victims of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 McDonnell Douglas MD-82, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16, 1987. Crocker, then Cichan, was was 4 years old when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 . Northwest Flight 255 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight of a MD-82, that day being N312RC, between Saginaw and Santa Ana, California, with en route stops at Detroit and Phoenix, Arizona. He still remembers that day vividly. Robinson, known to her friends as Ginger, and her family had been visiting relatives in Pontiac, Mich. Family friends said Robinson was returning early to get to her job Monday as a receptionist in a Garden Grove doctors office. After it had activated, the plane failed to either match or approach its predicted climb profile. It was the second-deadliest aviation accident at the time in the United States. The flight's first officer, David J Dodds, had logged more than 8,000 hours of flying in his career. A few miles from where we stood, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 from Detroit to Santa Ana, Calif. via Phoenix had crashed seconds after takeoff from Metro Airport. Something important to keep in mind, on December 15, 1986, an FAA-approved checklist change was made, removing FLAPS from the BEFORE TAKEOFF checklist, and moving it to the TAXI checklist. Traffic was already backing up on I-94 near the airport. In total, 154 people on their way to Phoenix died that day in Detroit on August 16, 1987. The interruption of the input power to the CAWS occurred at the P-40 circuit breaker. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. After dealing with this trauma for over 30 years, he's finally found a way to help ease his pain, as well as pay tribute to those who lost their lives. DETROIT Authorities are searching for a man who, posing as a Catholic priest, comforted grieving relatives of the crash victims of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 while apparently soliciting . Following the crash, Northwest Airlines never used flight number 255 again. View Comments. WDET is a community service of Wayne State University. Their Airplane Flying Handbook stated that good cockpit management requires consistent checklist usage. It was now time to point the investigation towards the actual takeoff. He was called easy to work with, good in all respects, and very personable. His ability and performance were described in favorable terms. That flight was delayed, so Rhett switched to Northwest Flight 255. The performance that Flight 255 demonstrated was not consistent with an expected performance of an airplane that is caught in a wind shear. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 memorial (Bing Maps). DETROIT, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Many remember the tragic crash of Northwest Airlines flight 255 off of I-94. Over the years, Thiede has kept in contact with Cichan. In Loving Memory: Listed below are names of Passengers and Crew Members who lost their lives in the crash. Her son was on board. [1]:6, The flight crew began August 16, 1987, by operating the incident aircraft as Northwest Flight 750 from MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport, flying to MBS International Airport in Saginaw, Michigan. Flight 255 crash scene / Photos courtesy of Getty Images and The Associated Press. The Indian investigative team ruled that the probable cause was the pilots selecting the "Open descent/flight idle" control mode rather . Knowing those lost will not be forgotten. Flight attendant Bruce R. Elfering, 23, Eagan. Copyright 2022 by WDET and Wayne State University. . [1]:1 The jet was manufactured in 1981, entered service with Republic Airlines, and was acquired by Northwest Airlines in its merger with Republic in 1986. ((Sound similar to parking brake released)), Detroit tower (to Northwest Airlines Flight 1466). At 20:35:43, the ground controller instructed to use taxiway C and switch to frequency 119.45MHz to communicate with another controller. He moved through the debris and bodies with a flashlight and discovered Cecelia strapped in a seat turned upside down. Relatives took her in, protecting her from the media throughout her childhood. Rhett Bushong was flying home ahead of his family so he would not miss the first day of football practice at Saddleback College, his father said. It happened at 8:46 p.m. Rick Pluta was a reporter for United Press International at the time. [22][23] She did not speak publicly about the crash until 2013, when the documentary was released. Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, U.S. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. [14] This circuit breaker also controls some of the stall warning sounds. Recordings in the cockpit indicate that the engine power began increasing immediately after the all-clear for takeoff. 2 - David Booth Dreamed About a Commercial Aviation Disaster. But those that are left behind after a death, they are left to deal with the intense reality.. I miss him.. Tulare sheriff said a drug cartel, then backtracks. The Sole Survivor was a 4-year-old girl, Cecelia Cichan, who sustained serious injuries. Because of this, the Safety Board first sought to determine if the plane had encountered a wind shear, it could be the reason the plane went down. Dodds also recalculated the allowable takeoff weight for the flight, and concluded that it was within normal limits. [1]:6, The flight's first officer was 35-year-old David J. Dodds, from Galena, Illinois. 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