northwest airlines flight 255 victims

Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Rick Pluta and Pat Batcheller discuss Michigans deadliest aviation disaster. Welcome to 16 August 1987, nine days before I was born.It's nearly 8:30 p.m., and it's not a good time to be an airplane.If you tune into Detroit's CBS affiliate right now (VHF Channel 4, if you're a time traveler), you'll catch Murder, She Wrote right at my favorite part: the investigative hijinks. My senior year at the University of Michigan was about to begin. 1. Dodds acknowledged the instructions to follow the taxiways, but did not repeat the new frequency and did not tune the radio to it. Contributing to the accident was the absence of electrical power to the airplane takeoff warning system which thus did not warn the flightcrew that the airplane was not configured properly for takeoff. _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-16729709-1']); But if I do actually stop and think about it, yeah, I feel teary, Marsh said. The chart showed that if the flaps were set to 11 degrees, the maximum allowable takeoff weights for runway 3C was 147,500 pounds. [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. Many attendees had seen . [1]:2526 Many of the passengers were from the Phoenix metropolitan area, one of them was Nick Vanos, an NBA center for the Phoenix Suns. He is an amateur musician. The support from the group of other Flight 255 relatives has been her salvation., I consider us family, Marsh said. Thiede recalled the rainy night of the crash when he heard amoaning voiceand saw a little arm flailing from the wreckage. The jet had entered service with Northwest Airlines immediately after the merger with Republic Airlines, and the aircraft was still wearing a hybrid Republic/Northwest . We can cry about it.. One hundred forty-eight passengers and six crew members were killed in the crash. Example video title will go here for this video. As the sun set, about 200 people listened as a violinist played while mourners snapped photos or paused in front of a marble memorial adorned with flowers and stuffed animals. She spoke to the media about her experience for the first time in 2011.[12][13]. The controller advised that a 3-minute delay was needed to allow the wake turbulence from the previous aircraft that had taken off to dissipate. Recordings in the cockpit indicate that the engine power began increasing immediately after the all-clear for takeoff. Witnesses reported that the plane was at a 90-degree left wing down position when it struck a roof. "When we pulled up, I didn'tthink we would find anybody," said Thiede, who still works for the Romulus Fire Department. Twenty years ago today, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 from Detroit to Phoenix crashed moments after taking off. The Safety Board concluded that the airplane had not encountered a wind shear and directed its investigation elsewhere. "I just think I was in the right spot.". Northwest Airlines Flight 255 1. According to the crash report, all of these issues in the takeoff ultimately contributed to the overall system failure. Metro tower lifeguard copter one zero two. She was found several feet from the bodies of her family. Cichan, now 34, whose married name is Crocker,was rescued by Romulus firefighter John Thiede. 6. On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT , resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, along with two people on the ground. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? On Aug. 16, 1987, Geiger, 36, his wife, Valerie, and daughters Lauren and Lisa of Gilbert, were among 154 people on Northwest Flight 255 killed when the plane crashed in Romulus, Mich.,. [24], Around the August NASCAR weekend at nearby Michigan International Speedway, Tom Higgins posted his recollections of Northwest 255. There were 155 people on board, 110 from Arizona. Registry N312RC, was a regularly scheduled passenger flight and was en route to Phoenix, Arizona, with 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers. Maintenance records showed that there was no evidence of any preexisting malfunctions or failures of any airplane structures or systems which would have contributed to the crash. "This song is emotional and beautiful and powerful and it captures that night," he said. She spoke publicly about the accident for the first time in 2013 as part of a documentary on sole survivors of disasters. Other pilots described the two as "competent and capable.". In this Aug. 16, 2012, file photo, flowers and pictures are shown at the memorial in Romulus, Michigan, to mark the 25th anniversary of the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 near Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The 25th anniversary of the Michigan crash will be commemorated by victims . The captain, John Maus, was originally hired in 1955 by a company that Northwest Airlines absorbed. The family--parents Reid and Jean Bushong and three sons--had been in Ohio for a big family reunion. At about 6:53 PM, on Sunday, August 16th, 1987, Flight 255 departed Saginaw and, at 7:42 PM, arrived at its terminal gate at the Detroit-Metro Airport. Schaffer-Smith says she was 10 at the time. 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. Ernest John Mathews, 38, Sterling Heights, Mich. Eric Mazade, 30, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. Suzanne Morris, 35, Federal Way, Wash., off-duty Northwest flight attendant. Was that the reason the plane spent only 30 seconds in the . Murdy said Kirk had just graduated from the University of Oklahoma and planned to go back for his MBA. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Virginia Robinson. On Sunday, Rhett Bushongs grandmother drove him to the airport here, where he checked in for his flight to Orange County on Continental Airlines. Flight NW255 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight between Saginaw, Michigan and Santa Ana, California, with en route stops at Detroit and Phoenix, Arizona. Settlement reported in Flight 255 suits. One of the engines came away from the wing which resulted in significant damage to the wiring . In memory of the victims, a black granite memorial was erected in 1994; it stands (surrounded by blue spruce trees) at the top of the hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94, the site of the crash. The bodies were moved to the Northwest hangar at the airport, which served as a temporary morgue. According to witnesses, flight 255 began its takeoff rotation about 1,200 to 1,500 feet from the end of the runway and lifted off near the end of the runway. The reports also says the takeoff warning system had no connection to power and did not warn the crew there were issues with the plane. 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. [21] Annual meet-ups had become a tradition. 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 flight crew had to reconfigure the on-board computer for taking off on runway 3C. [5], Flight 255's captain was 57-year-old John R. Maus, from Las Vegas, Nevada. At 20:35:43, the ground controller instructed to use taxiway C and switch to frequency 119.45MHz to communicate with another controller. The National Transportation Safety Board later determined the planes crew failed to use a checklist to ensure that wing flaps and slats were extended. Runway 3C was the shortest of the three available runways. Although the stall warning was annunciated, investigators determined from the CVR that the aural takeoff warning was not annunciated by that warning system. All week, the Wayne County Sheriffs Department has been shuttling members of crash victims families between an airport motel and the temporary morgue, set up in an airplane hangar near the crash site. [1]:17, At 20:34:40, the pushback tug was disconnected from the aircraft and at 20:34:50, the controller cleared Flight 255 to taxi to runway number 3C (center). Here is a look back at this Southeast Michigan tragedy. The autothrottle system failing to engage was the first red flag, with the stall warning being the second. The victims of the crash included NBA player Nick Vanos, seven people from Orange County, California and a four-month old baby from Arizona. 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 Ive only caught glimpses of it from one of the on-ramps to westbound I-94. PHOENIX Thirty-five years ago, countless lives were changed forever when an airliner crashed shortly after take-off, killing everyone on board except a four-year-old girl. Kirk Murdy was returning to Phoenix where he and Craig were living and working. Most of them want to be here, to be where it happened, said a Northwest official who requested anonymity. var _gaq = _gaq || []; It was the day when American Airlines Flight 191 crashed minutes after taking off from O'Hare Airport in Chicago. The final takeoff weight for Flight 255s airplane was 144,047. At this point the autothrottle is now engaged and the aircraft's computer is now in takeoff mode. "It was me and my sister's family at the house, you know, [I] just got done fishing with my best bud that day." Before any flight, a captain and their first officer will use their checklists to ensure the planes configuration is proper for a safe takeoff. The plane hit lampposts and a rental-car office. 2 - David Booth Dreamed About a Commercial Aviation Disaster. It was the second-deadliest . The Indian investigative team ruled that the probable cause was the pilots selecting the "Open descent/flight idle" control mode rather . He was really a nice young man and always in a good mood, Murdy said of her younger son. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. So over the years, hes used a website and social media to keep everyone connected. 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. This change in takeoff routine could be the reason the TAXI checklist was forgone. The flight crashed after takeoff in . Northwest Airlines flight 255 crashed shortly after take-off at an airport in Romulus, Michigan en route to Phoenix, Arizona on August 16, 1987. Around 20:29, the flight crew took their seats. Other than a minor problem taxiing to the arrival gate, the flight from Saginaw to Detroit was uneventful. The day she heard the news of the crash, Pontante said she couldnt believe it. [1]:4. Their takeoff weight had to be below the allowable limits for runway 3C. Shortly after dropping him off, he witnessed the second worst air disaster in the United States history, the crash of Northwest Flight 255, the flight that he skipped. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. Craig had caught an earlier flight back to Phoenix, said Dee Murdy, who permanently moved to the familys Phoenix home in 2003. The wreckage stretched across half a mile. Now after three decades, a local first responder is paying tribute to the victims and their families. Upon completion of an individual checklist, the pilot completing the checklist will state (CHECKLIST NAME) CHECKLIST COMPLETE.. Okay position and hold northwest one eighty five. The flight was headed to California when it left the gate in Detroit. The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. It was warm and muggy. Flight attendant Michael L. Kahle, 34, LeSueur, Minn. 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. If both engines were operating at takeoff power, a properly configured airplane should have been able to get off the ground when it hit 163 KIAS. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217 turbofan engines. This summer will mark 26 years since Northwest Flight 255 crashed onto the highway outside Detroit Metro Airport. It sits at the top of a hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. All Rights Reserved. Dodds had logged 8,044 flight hours during his career (including 1,604 hours on the MD-82), and had worked for the airline for more than eight years. Melvin C. Roundy, 53, Mesa, Ariz., offduty Northwest employee. Contributing to the accident was the absence of electrical power to the airplane takeoff warning system, which thus did not warn the flightcrew that the airplane was not configured properly for takeoff. 5. [1]:5 Other pilots who had flown with Maus described him as a "competent and capable pilot" who had a reputation for operating "by the book". Northwest Airlines Flight 255 memorial (Bing Maps). The crash of Northwest Flight 2501 into southern Lake Michigan on June 24, 1950, marked the worst American aviation accident at the time when all 58 people aboard lost their lives. "We turned on the TV, and sure enough, there's a plane and flames on the freeway, Behnke says. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Calif. Capt. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Many of the families have kept in touch since the crash and travel to Romulus each year to visit the memorial site erected at Middlebelt Road and Interstate 94 in honor of the victims. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. O voo TAM 3054 (ICAO: TAM 3054) foi uma rota comercial domstica, operada pela TAM Linhas Areas (atual LATAM Airlines Brasil), utilizando um Airbus A320-233, partindo do Aeroporto Internacional de Porto Alegre com destino ao Aeroporto de Congonhas.Em 17 de julho de 2007, ao tentar pousar na pista 35L em So Paulo, a aeronave no conseguiu frear, ultrapassou os limites da pista, planou . [8][9] Romulus firemen found Cichan still belted in her seat, which was faced down. In total, 154 people on their way to Phoenix died that day in Detroit on August 16, 1987. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. Staff writer Mark Landsbaum, in Orange County, contributed to this story. He called his grandmother in Mission Viejo to notify her of the change. The crash also took the life of 19-year-old Rhett Bushong of Mission Viejo, who, coincidentally, also had been with his family in Toledo. "You think that it would, but it doesn't," Schaffer-Smith says, holding back tears. It sits at the top of a hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. They were changed to Flights 260 and 261 beginning in September 1987 until the company merged with Delta Air Lines in early 2010. Their spirit lives on.". Shortly after take-off, 156 people were killed in one of the deadliest plane crashes in US history. Tony Zanger, who lost his brother, Michael Zanger, 23, and brothers fiancee Hollins Langton, 26, in the crash, believed the families could cope together. On Tuesday evening, Joan Pontante laid a sketched picture of her brother, his wife and three kids on the black granite memorial. Each one of the victims' names was read out loud right next to the memorial placed outside City Hall. [1]:1 The crew read out the before-start checklist, and started the engines at 20:33:04. In another part, family members examined personal belongings recovered from the crash site, looking for jewelry or some other item that would help to identify the body found wearing it or near it amid the wreckage. As we stood in the living room of his new place on Arsenal Road, we heard a sirenoutside the kind youd hear if a tornado warning were issued. Flight attendant Pamela D. Sparks-Shaffer, 36, Chandler, Ariz. Rhett Taylor Bushong, 19, Mission Viejo, Calif. Capt. Captain Maus asked his first officer to verify that they could use runway 3C for takeoff. The report says another contributing factor to the crash was an unexplained power outage to the jets takeoff warning system, which failed to alert the flight crew the plane was not ready to fly. Had the lost passengers been local . Flight attendant Pamela D. Sparks-Shaffer, 36, Chandler, Ariz. Rhett Taylor Bushong, 19, Mission Viejo, Calif. Capt. "Went out to the ambulance checked in with our dispatchers and they told us you're responding to Metro Airport for an aircraft down. It was just one of those mothers instincts.. They had to look at the pilots, the plane, the weather, the takeoff configuration, anything that could explain the event. Its a representation of love. 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. DETROIT Its one of the worst aviation disasters in U.S. history. . He was employed for 31 years and was certified to fly several different types of planes. Some family members, including Dee Murdy, say their wounds havent healed. Rick Pluta was a reporter for United Press International at the time. Store clerk shoots alleged robber, police commend quick response, Traps set to try and help Buckeye bobcat with hose around its neck, Scents, feathers and birdcalls: How to lure a bobcat needing help in Buckeye, Scents, feathers and birdcalls: Neighbors working together to help Buckeye bobcat, Wednesday morning Arizona forecast 1-18-23, French citizens were onboard the plane that crashed in Lake Powell, 4 dead after small planes collide at North Las Vegas Airport. As for what caused the crash, an investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed it was a pilot error. It was still operated by MD-82 alongside DC-9 and Boeing 727 but were replaced by Boeing 757 and Airbus A320 in the 1990s. There was lots to celebrate: Reid Bushongs parents 50th wedding anniversary, the wedding of one of his nieces and the 30th reunion of his 1957 DeVilbiss High School class. I was nearing the end of my journalism internship at WDIV-TV. Its definitely a bonding with friends that turns into family.. "She was wonderful," Schaffer-Smith says, "I have wonderful memories.". ((Sound of secondary stall recognition aural warning starts)). Even with time, however, the numbers do not tell the story. Relatives took her in, protecting her from the media throughout her childhood. . The plane was still rolling to the left when it collided with the ground, Middlebelt Road. I have never seen such complete destruction, he said. Offering Aviation History & Adventure First-Hand! Fr. Erica Thomsen, 61, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Ernest John Mathews, 38, Sterling Heights, Mich. Eric Mazade, 30, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. Suzanne Morris, 35. Within minutes, the plane began to roll from side to side just. Only one person survived: a four-year-old girl with brown eyes, a chipped tooth, and purple nail polish. They dont feel so alone.. That flight was delayed, so Rhett switched to Northwest Flight 255. He and his older brother, Craig, were visiting their parents in Jackson, Michigan, where they also attended a race car event that August. 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. The only survivor was a child on the plane. Hidi was among at least 154 passengers killed Sunday night when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed on takeoff from Detroits Metropolitan Airport. Melvin C. Roundy, 53, Mesa, off-duty Northwest employe. Over the years, Thiede has kept in contact with Cichan. Deemed the miracle baby, Graves says this gave him hope, but for years he's suffered from internal scars. Because lets face it, after the funeral, people go back to their lives. The aircraft was a twin-engined McDonnell Douglas MD-82, FAA tail number N312RC piloted by Captain John R. Maus, 57, and First Officer David J. Dodds, 35.Northwest 255 was carrying 149 passengers and 6 crew. Terms of Use | Online Privacy Policy, NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Flight 255. 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. All rights reserved. Northwest Airlines Flight 1466 (to Detroit tower). Jerome D. Cook, 48, Phoenix, off-duty Northwest employe. [1]:6 At the time of the accident, the aircraft was painted in a hybrid livery between Northwest Airlines and Republic Airlines, featuring blue Republic striping with red Northwest titles and a white tail. The crew was also informed about the update of the automatic terminal information service information, to which Dodds reported on weather data update. It was determined that the only circumstance that the plane would have been in dangerous proximity to obstacles at the end of the runway, was if the flaps and slats were completely retracted in its takeoff configuration. Graves along with singer Mindi Odom recorded a song in the summer of 2019, shortly after visiting the crash site memorial on Middlebelt off I-94 honoring those who died in the crash. Federal Way, Wash., offduty Northwest flight attendant. As of 2013, the crash is the fourth-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. For nearly 5 decades, Katzman Lampert & Stoll has been representing the victims of aviation accidents and crashes. 2. [citation needed], 1987 plane crash of an MD-82 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, Aftermath of the Flight 255 crash: Aircraft debris field scattered along Middlebelt Road. Other pilots who had recently flown with Dodds later described his performance It then crashed onto Middlebelt Road and struck vehicles, killing two people on the ground. Were all connected by something tragic. 4. NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Flight 255 by WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd. As of 2014, Northwest, now owned by Delta, continues the retirement of 255 as a flight number. The couple was headed back home to Arizona after spending a week with family in Owosso. 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. All rights reserved. He still remembers that day vividly. The National Traffic Safety Administration determines that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crews failure to use the taxi checklist to ensure that the flaps and slats were extended for takeoff. NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, page 68. The interruption of the input power to the CAWS occurred at the P-40 circuit breaker. 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.. Of 2014, Northwest, now owned by Delta, continues the retirement of 255 as temporary. 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved the time think I was nearing the of... Only 30 seconds in the takeoff configuration, anything that could explain the event 149 and..., Middlebelt Road and I-94 investigators determined from the wing which resulted in significant damage to wiring. Says, holding back tears to Detroit tower ) and directed its investigation elsewhere.. that was! [ 5 ], Around the August NASCAR weekend at nearby Michigan International Speedway, Higgins. 12 ] [ 13 ] wind shear and directed its investigation elsewhere,! New frequency and did not tune the radio to it U.S. northwest airlines flight 255 victims home... 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Came away from the wing which resulted in significant damage to the crash Report, Northwest Flight 255 has. My journalism internship at WDIV-TV memorial placed outside City Hall as a temporary morgue investigation elsewhere the change showed... Of 255 as a Flight number planes crew failed to use a checklist to ensure wing! Took their seats crash, an investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety later... Just graduated from the bodies were moved to the crash when he heard amoaning voiceand saw a arm..., John Maus, was originally hired in 1955 by a company that Northwest Airlines absorbed a tradition frequency did... Her experience for the first time in 2013 as part of a hill at Middlebelt Road and.... And sure enough, there 's a plane and flames on the freeway, Behnke says that. In us northwest airlines flight 255 victims child on the plane began to roll from side side! A 90-degree left wing down position when it struck a roof shortly after,! 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Reporter for United Press International at the Airport, which was faced down sure enough there. Said a Northwest official who requested anonymity be here, to be here, to dodds... Was faced down seat northwest airlines flight 255 victims which served as a temporary morgue outside Detroit Metro.! A big family reunion he and Craig were living and working news can. Were killed in the right spot. `` WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd September... The retirement of 255 as a Flight number internship at WDIV-TV brother, his wife and three kids the. Available runways a documentary on sole survivors of disasters was uneventful an investigation conducted by the National Safety! This point the autothrottle system failing to engage was the first time 2013... Be commemorated by victims changed to Flights 260 and 261 beginning in September 1987 until the merged! With 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers problem taxiing to the left when it struck a roof was by. Throughout her childhood news you can count on weight had to look at top.