Pilot's harrowing final words before plane erupted in fireball just after take-off
A plane carrying 108 people plummeted to earth moments after take-off in a devastating crash that killed 14 people and left 76 others injured.
The pilot's final words, captured on the cockpit recording, were utterly chilling.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was scheduled to travel from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah on August 31, 1988.
Within seconds of departure, the aircraft started rolling with the right wing plunging downwards, before the tail and subsequently the wingtip struck the runway.
The right wing collided with the ILS localiser antenna and burst into flames, reports the Express.
After remaining airborne for a further 120m, the aircraft smashed into the ground and skidded sideways before being engulfed by fire.
The plane was in the air for just 22 seconds in total.
The cockpit recording, documented in the National Transportation Safety Board's aircraft accident report, captured the exchange between the captain and co-pilot.
Moments before the disaster, the co-pilot can be heard shouting "engine failure".
The crew member then said "we got an engine failure", before adding "we're not gonna make it."
The pilot, however, simply responded with "full power" - his final words before the aircraft went down.
The tape transcription then records the "sound of first impact", followed by the second, third, and fourth impact, with only a "sound of scream" in between.
Eyewitnesses reported that as the plane sped down the runway, its wings were visibly rocking from side to side and the aircraft "appeared to be out of control".
The plane then vanished from sight after it crashed and "disappeared into a cloud of dust".
Captain Larry Lon Davis was recognised as a highly experienced pilot, with approximately 17,000 flying hours under his belt, many of which were in the same type of aircraft.
All but one of the fatalities were attributed to smoke inhalation. One passenger managed to escape the wreckage, but tragically died 11 days later from severe burns sustained when he attempted to return to the burning aircraft to help his wife and other passengers.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the likely cause of the crash was partly due to the "Captain and First Officer's inadequate cockpit discipline which resulted in the flightcrew's attempt to takeoff without the wing flaps and slats properly configured". Prior to the flight, the two pilots were overheard discussing birds.
The report also highlighted the "failure of the takeoff configuration warning system to alert the crew the airplane was not properly configured for the takeoff".
Delta's "slow implementation of necessary modifications to its operating procedures, manuals, checklists, training, and crew checking programs" also played a part in the accident, as did "the lack of sufficiently aggressive action by the FAA to have known deficiencies corrected by Delta and the lack of sufficient accountability within the FAA's air carrier inspection process".
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Daily Record
2 days ago
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Chilling last words of pilot before crash killed 14 and injured 76
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashed shortly after take-off, with all but one of the deaths caused by smoke inhalation. The captain's final words were later revealed A plane with 108 passengers on board met with disaster shortly after take-off, resulting in the tragic death of 14 people and injuries to 76 more. The final words of the pilot, later revealed through the cockpit voice recording, were chilling. Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was scheduled to depart from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas for Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah on August 31, 1988. Mere seconds post-lift-off, the aircraft started to roll, causing the right wing to dip and subsequently the tail and wingtip to collide with the runway. The right wing struck the ILS localizer antenna, igniting a fire. The aircraft managed to stay aloft for an additional 120 metres before crashing to the ground and skidding sideways, eventually being engulfed by flames. It remained airborne for a mere 22 seconds, reports the Express. As per the National Transportation Safety Board's report on the accident, the cockpit recording captured the exchange between the captain and co-pilot. Just prior to the crash, the co-pilot is heard announcing "engine failure". Following this, the crew member said "we got an engine failure", and then added "we're not gonna make it." In contrast, the pilot's response was simply "full power" – these would be his last words before the fatal crash. The transcript of the tape then details the "sound of first impact", followed by the second, third, and fourth impacts, interspersed only by a "sound of scream". Eyewitnesses observed that as the aeroplane accelerated along the runway, its wings were noticeably tilting from side to side and the craft "appeared to be out of control". They subsequently lost sight of the plane when it crashed and "disappeared into a cloud of dust". Captain Larry Lon Davis was recognised as an exceptionally skilled aviator, with approximately 17,000 hours of flight time under his belt, a significant portion of which was spent piloting that very model. All but one fatality were attributed to smoke inhalation. There was one survivor who initially escaped the wreckage, only to re-enter in an attempt to rescue his wife and fellow passengers. Tragically, he sustained severe burns and succumbed to his injuries 11 days later. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the likely cause of the accident was partly due to the "Captain and First Officer's inadequate cockpit discipline which resulted in the flightcrew's attempt to takeoff without the wing flaps and slats properly configured". Prior to departure, the two pilots had been overheard conversing about birds. Furthermore, the report highlighted the "failure of the takeoff configuration warning system to alert the crew the airplane was not properly configured for the takeoff". Delta's "slow implementation of necessary modifications to its operating procedures, manuals, checklists, training, and crew checking programs" also contributed to the accident, as did "the lack of sufficiently aggressive action by the FAA to have known deficiencies corrected by Delta and the lack of sufficient accountability within the FAA's air carrier inspection process".
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2 days ago
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Pilot's harrowing final words before plane erupted in fireball just after take-off
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas and Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah A plane carrying 108 people plummeted to earth moments after take-off in a devastating crash that killed 14 people and left 76 others injured. The pilot's final words, captured on the cockpit recording, were utterly chilling. Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was scheduled to travel from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah on August 31, 1988. Within seconds of departure, the aircraft started rolling with the right wing plunging downwards, before the tail and subsequently the wingtip struck the runway. The right wing collided with the ILS localiser antenna and burst into flames, reports the Express. After remaining airborne for a further 120m, the aircraft smashed into the ground and skidded sideways before being engulfed by fire. The plane was in the air for just 22 seconds in total. The cockpit recording, documented in the National Transportation Safety Board's aircraft accident report, captured the exchange between the captain and co-pilot. Moments before the disaster, the co-pilot can be heard shouting "engine failure". The crew member then said "we got an engine failure", before adding "we're not gonna make it." The pilot, however, simply responded with "full power" - his final words before the aircraft went down. The tape transcription then records the "sound of first impact", followed by the second, third, and fourth impact, with only a "sound of scream" in between. Eyewitnesses reported that as the plane sped down the runway, its wings were visibly rocking from side to side and the aircraft "appeared to be out of control". The plane then vanished from sight after it crashed and "disappeared into a cloud of dust". Captain Larry Lon Davis was recognised as a highly experienced pilot, with approximately 17,000 flying hours under his belt, many of which were in the same type of aircraft. All but one of the fatalities were attributed to smoke inhalation. One passenger managed to escape the wreckage, but tragically died 11 days later from severe burns sustained when he attempted to return to the burning aircraft to help his wife and other passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the likely cause of the crash was partly due to the "Captain and First Officer's inadequate cockpit discipline which resulted in the flightcrew's attempt to takeoff without the wing flaps and slats properly configured". Prior to the flight, the two pilots were overheard discussing birds. The report also highlighted the "failure of the takeoff configuration warning system to alert the crew the airplane was not properly configured for the takeoff". Delta's "slow implementation of necessary modifications to its operating procedures, manuals, checklists, training, and crew checking programs" also played a part in the accident, as did "the lack of sufficiently aggressive action by the FAA to have known deficiencies corrected by Delta and the lack of sufficient accountability within the FAA's air carrier inspection process".
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