Ditching in The Stormy Caribbean | ALM Antillean Airlines Flight 980

[@VincentHaseth]

Here are some info. On this flight, I personaly know 1 crew member who survived, and I know the x fiancee of the 1 stewardess that died, (Margaret Abrahams) it was her day off but changed flights with a colleague so she could go buy her wedding dress in NYC. Most people died, because they didnt follow the commands of the flight crew, some didnt buckle up and where knocked dead from the impact. The Stewards & Stewardes were heroes, they made sure everybody was safely out of the A/C, Ms. Abrahams went down with the plane, while looking for any more survivors. They ditched in very rough seas with heavy rain, SAR was unable to do much at first due to very bad weather. The A/C opperator was pushing this DC9 to the limit opperating routes this long, allready DC9 had arrived with fuel way below reserve on this route. The then pres. of ALM had sent a letter to ONA warning them about these unsafe practices, and warned them about cancelling their contract. Also because the DC9-32 was a very new A/C in service, the opperators have just starting to realize that the Fuel Flow/ Burn figures published by Douglas in the A/C opps. handbook wasn't accurate that it was of by a few %, and this is so they can market the A/C better for sale, also their was issues with these new fuel guages installed in these newer A/C, (all these issues were later corrected). All these little bitts of errors in the A/C didn't pose a problem on the shorter routes where these DC9-32 FLEW most, but when you stretch them thin, that's when the Tigre will bite you.

[@olentangy74]

Vincent Haseth very informative post. Thank you.

[@Gaolii]

@James Cowan This happened in 1970. The aircraft involved in this incident was 12 months old.

[@watchgoose]

Flight Attendants

[@dianamincher6479]

@@olentangy74 Yes thanks for your informative post!

[@ibXCVs-Mom]

Stewardesses and Stewards

[@Mtnmanmike62]

When your captain is named Balsey, you know you’re in for a rough ride...

[@vlz.matthew]

got a bit too "cocky"

[@thomasdaniels6824]

​@@vlz.matthew Guess he had a big sack.

[@radioactivepotato2068]

His fking photo though. It's just all too perfect.

[@MrCrystalcranium]

Just read the comprehensive description of this crash in Macarthur Job's seminal work. Several of the passengers were badly injured when they were thrown through the cabin as they were standing to put on their life preservers when the plane impacted the water. The crew never announced the impact was imminent and the water landing was very violent. Several belted passengers were thrown from their seats despite being restrained as their belts ripped on impact. These injuries contributed significantly to their inability to get out of the rapidly sinking plane. It was also a watershed accident in the calculation and estimation of fuel use during low altitude flight and fuel use estimates that included multiple missed approaches and go around events. The flight deck crew was so panicked by their fuel use situation they forgot to prepare the cabin for impact.

[@wilgatree]

MrCrystalcranium c

[@karenbrown2997]

Thanks for the facts

[@B3Band]

W A T E R S H E D

[@michaelreynolds3592]

This incident should remind us, JUST how impressive Sully's landing really was in the Hudson.

[@HC-cb4yp]

But what was the difference? This pilot was descending "slowly" toward the water. What did Sully do differently?

[@michaelreynolds3592]

@@HC-cb4yp... correct, but everyone survived Sully's, plus this one was a avoidable by the pilot, as Sully's was an act from nature. But my comment DOES retract from this pilots valiant effort. Didnt mean to do that.

[@HC-cb4yp]

@@michaelreynolds3592 I just don't understand why one plane touches down on the water and does fine, but another - without engines in the water even - breaks up. Speed on landing? Angle of descent? Seems like both pilots were letting it down easy onto the water.

[@michaelreynolds3592]

@@HC-cb4yp .. Sully had said the angle of decent, plus the conditions of the water and current. He landed on a decent day, these guys had to do it in low visibility and bad weather. Maybe thats it.

[@HC-cb4yp]

@@michaelreynolds3592 Yeah. Could be.

[@JJDigitalartStudio]

Planes today are 1000 percent safer than they were then. They did not even have the word BRACE to the passengers in '70. Every year with every incident flying gets safer. Especially since 2001.

[@DannybFlat01]

And most passengers had a lit cigarette!

[@mebeasensei]

In 1970 they were telling us the same message. "Flying has never been so safe....more danger of dying in a car crash or train wreck than on a plane...new technology bla bla bla..."

[@Pooneil1984]

@@mebeasensei It was true then and it's true now. It is safer than before. That has never meant that there is no risk to flying. But we do know that the risk has decreased over time. The normal comparison to auto travel somewhat depends on how you make the estimate. In Texas, where I live, there is at least one highway fatality a day. While we don't have the equivalent of two full plane crashes a year. But based on passenger miles, the difference is not so stark, but still compelling. Train travel is usually not compared, at least in the USA, as it isn't really an alternative for most trips due to the extended time trains take.

[@mebeasensei]

@@Pooneil1984 My point is that there is a suggestion that the 'bad old days' are gone because of paradigm change, but it is false, the same compromises and tensions due to economic pressures still apply. And so does the same PR spin.

[@Pooneil1984]

@@mebeasensei I am unaware of anyone with any authority that has proposed that a paradigm change has practically eliminated risk in air travel.

[@leonswan6733]

I am born, raised and typing from St Thomas U.S. Virgin islands. St Croix is 40 miles south of St Thomas, St John is 4 miles east of St Thomas ( no airport ), right next door. Puerto Rico`s eastern coast ( Fajado ) is 40 miles to our west ( San Juan int airport another 20 miles west on the northern coast ) with Calebra island directly between us and PR. St Maarten is 120 miles due east of St Croix U.S.V.I. it was a un seen but bad call of the San Juan, PR ARTCC and the pilots to continue to St Maarten. I also read on the internet ( Wikipedia ) that the St Maarten ATC said the visibility had cleared up over the area..... not true. I am surprised a DC 9 can fly all the way from NY to St Maarten, there is only Bermuda island which is a 1000 miles north of our area to land and re-fuel. Back in 1991, i was on a AA 727 flight from NY back to St Thomas when a guy was having heart problems and we made a emergency landing in Bermuda. Sad for this flight R.I.P to the lost souls. Allec How about doing Trans Caribbean Airways flight 505 from St Croix to St Thomas??? aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19701228-1

[@leonswan6733]

I am not sure if that flight was closer to St Maarten than to St Croix when it ditched in the water. I dont think there is alot of coast guard back then or today. if it was half way between St Croix and St Maarten, thats 60 miles between the two ( the internet said it ditched 30 miles east of St Croix ) There was a lot more sea planes back then. They must of helped. Interesting. Those poor people must have been in the water for some hours though.( 1 1/2 hours by Wikipedia , the crash happened at 3:40 pm local Atlantic time )

[@sharonrose7938]

@@leonswan6733 Always enjoying reading your comments on these vids b/c you always provide information that I learn from. I remember a recent comment you left on (probably) another of Allec's vids where you outlined mechanical facts that helped audience to understand exactly what happened. Thank you for your comments. I appreciate them!

[@watershed44]

@Leon Swan Yes, thanks for your insightful comments on so many incidents that Allec has presented. It helps when actual professional pilots comment to fill in the gaps in the story.

[@leonswan6733]

@@watershed44 😇 I try

[@flybyairplane3528]

Leon Swan had you ever gone into ST THOMAS before it had been extended ?I went in twice, you land going towards a mountain, but there IS a preferred landing speed, and a GO AROUND POINT. AA lost a B727 in the spring of 1976,,pilot did NOT have the required flaps , landed too far, down and could NOT STOP, veered left into some nav aids, a SHELL STATION, and FIRE. RIP

[@lesselp]

This is your captain speaking, "Most of you will survive,do not panic".

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

RIP Gloria Caldwell - only survivor of her family; lost her husband & daughters - then passed away 1 yr later.

[@vlz.matthew]

did she die from her injuries

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

@@vlz.matthew No, she went into severe depression because her family was gone - began drinking heavily - died of alcohol related illness

[@vlz.matthew]

@@neptunenavalmods4420 unfortunate

[@howard385]

My family and the Caldwells were friends and I went to school with Gloria's younger daughter. Gloria told my mother that because she couldn't swim her husband told her to save herself and he would take care of the girls. After the ditching she managed somehow to get to safety even though she was badly hurt but quickly realized that her family was nowhere to be seen. Imagine the horror. Mom's memory is foggy but she believes the last time she spoke to Gloria she was going on a trip to Mexico and that she may have died there.

[@howard385]

Did you know the Caldwells? Maybe you knew my mother as well, Pat Rosen.

[@clarsach29]

As with Avianca 52 some years later, how the hell did the pilots get themselves into a situation where they conducted multiple bad weather missed approaches and ended up with insufficient fuel to land safely?? Why not divert after the first or even second missed approach?

[@edvaira6891]

From seeing both this and the segment on Why Planes Crash, I think poor Captain DeWitt got SCREWED! Very little of this seemed his fault, and yet he never got any chance to redeem himself, never being allowed to fly again despite a masterful job of trying to save his aircraft

[@elcastorgrande]

Thank you, Allec, for all your hard work.

[@Nalini_chapala]

Rip to the 23 members on the plane

[@CharlieND]

There were 63 people on the plane. Only 23 died

[@elliottslayton]

Charlie ND that’s what he said

[@ivanabcdefg9375]

Rip? Like the one that come's out your but when you pas gass?

[@Lxmer_nce]

@@CharlieND What do you mean with "only"?

[@jdizzle18diz]

@Stop the BS I hate to be that guy, especially because I was happy that you called out the other person on their spelling error, but it's "no", not "know". 😬

[@tomb4568]

DC-9 my favorite plane! This is a very long leg for the type and very careful fuel planning and monitoring is a must!

[@38911bytefree]

DC-9s and MD-80s were advertised as "fuel efficient" planes, back in those days when no one talked about that in the aero industry LOL. Nice plane together with the DC-10. I cant give Douglas the credit of the DC-9 because the first was the French Caravelle

[@marks6663]

Once you make a decision to divert due to weather, NEVER go back on that decision. You do not have the luxury of going back and forth. You make the decision and stick with it.

[@herobo123456]

not correct if you have the fuel you can change your decision

[@tomortale2333]

BINGO..........THATS MY POINT EXACTLY...ITS LIKE THE CAPT...STARTED PLAYING SOME KIND OF STUPID GAME CONCERNING LANDING.......AN LOST..........

[@lombremic4840]

I'm a commercial pilot. Thanks for the advice.

[@tomortale2333]

your rite...an ive watched SEVERAL of these where the tower keeps telling a novice pilot ''go back out an try again''' BIG RED FLAG /that plane ended up crashing all 4 were killed. thank u tower..but back to this captain..why o why..dont these fuckin numb nut head/point the plane toward SHORE/not out in the middle of the ocean..which is very deep/less chance of survival.

[@TheAbfromNJ]

I have no experience as a pilot whatsoever. But as a passenger it does make sense to me that in this particular situation, weather being the fickle thing that it is and alternate airport options out over the ocean seemingly minimal, pilots and controllers should stick with decisions to divert once made. Hindsight is 20/20 of course. But my life is in someone else’s hands, and in this case the pilots were taking an unreasonable risk (obviously) that the weather would cooperate.

[@mrylee1663]

Just stumbled across this video. There is a book out about this crash. It’s called “35 Miles from Shore”. My father was the Navy helicopter pilot that rescued 26 people from this crash. I believe He told me that more people would have survived if not for the forward life boat inflating.

[@dragoner3211]

I was waiting for this! R. I. P. In peace to these Peoples who died

[@gailwaters814]

The miracle of the Hudson landing was that there were zero side winds and zero waves, so the water and wind were smooth, making a smooth landing easy. Sully did what any other pilot would have done, he was just lucky that it was a smooth river with zero side wind.

[@leonswan6733]

True... The pilot and crew had it a lot worse, during a Caribbean storm. i looked it up on Wikipedia, they ditched at 3:40 PM local Atlantic time zone but it must have been gray outside. The waters choppy and raining. The main reason 23 people died was i read that the pilot did not announce that he was going to ditch over the PA system, there was no " BRACE BRACE BRACE " I guess, just had the seat belt sign on, and just told the attendants he was going to ditch. so crew members was standing up and most did not have on there seat belts when they hit the water. Also.... St Maarten ATC falsely told the flight and San Juan ARTCC that the storm had cleared up some over St Maarten when it did not. so, it was not all the pilots fault.

[@vikramgupta2326]

The thing that distinguished Sully was the quick decision to ditch in the Hudson.....sometimes only seconds are available to make the critical decision and that makes the difference. Also, whatever favorable conditions existed, the important thing is that he still executed the manuever without error. In an upset condition, dealing with the startle effect, real world, not in a simulator, it is not a given that every pilot would've landed as well as Sully did. The science of human error shows a lot of vulnerability when people have to execute even routine tasks, let alone an unexpected emergency.

[@leonswan6733]

@@vikramgupta2326 True, i am not taking any glory and respect away from Sully. He has the right stuff

[@vikramgupta2326]

@@leonswan6733 my comments were directed towards Andy Capp. I have no disagreement with what you said, very factual. Actually, I have no disagreement with most of what he said either, except that any pilot would've done the same thing. I just thought that part underplayed the result.

[@gendaminoru3195]

Absolutely. Not sure why the media made him into so much of a hero. But then how often does one have a DUAL flameout from a flock of geese at such an altitude? Normally they are closer to the field, not up at 3200 ft. Also should be noted that had he immediately assumed the best angle of glide speed and made a quicker decision on where to land, he could have even made TEB, EWR or a return to LGA. IIRC, he changed his mind a few times on direction to head for landing until he was forced to ditch in the water. Indecision is a potential killer in both of these cases. You've got to make a conservative money decision to assure on acceptable outcome and only then start toying with better alternatives. The most unfortunate part of this story is that the ONA pilot could have made the third approach had he monitored his position and glideslope adequately on this short runway.

[@seancascanet3428]

Ugh, I've flown multiple times and they run through water ditching very quickly and fail to tell the passengers if it does happen to not inflate their vests till they out of the plane...so many people have died in something sinking due to inflating their vests before being out of the vessel or aircraft they're in....all it will do if the water is high enough you'll be pinned to the roof and you will never get out unless you take it off and then you won't have a vest..

[@williamrhenquist483]

Whoa. That sounds awful.

[@ucebuflash]

The captains name was Balsey? Perfect on this occasion

[@phadtrader4962]

This is a difficult approach into St. Maarten. The threshold is about 100yds. from the water. That said, it is still the Captain's duty to get the approach correct with three attempts. It was a matter of pilot skill and do not know what may have affected him and I am not saying he was not a very competent pilot just, sadly, not on this day. A lot went wrong here that started in the left seat.

[@ripvanwinkle1819]

As a non pilot, and a guy who will never go down there, I will process that technically useless advice and when I die some day, I will remember your words in my heart

[@aflacduckquack]

Merry Christmas, Allec. Nice vid. God rest the souls of the dead...

[@TheOmega13a]

If I recall, the captain was fired for this crash.

[@leonswan6733]

Definitely, and he had so much guilt, i saw on a documentary he never flew a plane again, not even privately for fun.

[@theobserver4214]

Leon Swan I sorta feel bad for the guy. While his flying was not top notch, he was able to have survivors in the Caribbean during a storm. Then again, the brain likes to never forget scary experiences, and it probably turned him off from ever going on a flight

[@arliesam217]

@@theobserver4214 I agree with you

[@bravoRYT2018]

Flight Navigator, not what I had in mind but that’s a new one to me.

[@pancathay3417]

I'm glad he never flew commercial again because he made too many mistakes, but to hear him tell the story [on an air crash episode], he just got caught up in a bad situation. Captain Balsey DeWitt demonstrated the "classic" poor CRM; some say he rarely spoke on the PA system because he just didn't like to, but in this instance, the PA just didn't work.

[@johndouglas5712]

I enjoy your videos and thank you for all your hard work . Your comment section is very thoughtful . Happy Holidays from CLE

[@judymotto9829]

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALLEC❤

[@TheAdx1001]

New video!! Thanks!!

[@comments2840]

They took too many chances. Two was enough for omen. After that, should've immediately diverted.

[@tomortale2333]

common thread i read over n over AS SOON AS A PLANE IS ''DIVERTED'' AN TOLD TO ''GO AROUND'' =TROUBLE /SET IT DOWN 1ST TIME/OTHERWISE OOP'S OUTTA FUEL ECT. MORE PROB. START POPPIN UP..DECLARE EMERGENCY AN SET THE FUC*^$% THING DOWN/PERIOD. KNOCK OFF THE NICESTIES.

[@terryofford4977]

To where? and with what fuel ?

[@novola1972]

Allec thanks !!!

[@melcanuck5951]

0:27 i wonder if there are cupholders in the pilot's cabin... possibly not in the 1970's

[@janetmiller2160]

Hey, come back. Our tropical weather will stay open. As it turns out, you'll not be able to see the runway, but give it several shots anyway. Or not.

[@sunnyfon9065]

I been waiting for this for long time

[@rizwankhanengg]

I knew it that u will comment more than 1 time

[@sunnyfon9065]

@Rizwan khan, okay

[@worldtravel101]

Merry Christmas Allec

[@dragoner3211]

Thats not fair! U gets heart and i didnt! Even i was before

[@worldtravel101]

Dragon Race Merry Christmas

[@dragoner3211]

@@worldtravel101 nvm! Merry Aviation xmas for all and xou

[@Brotha00]

Merry Christmas all, safe travels

[@jasontee839]

@@dragoner3211 so what?

[@californiadreaming9216]

Among the many out-of-fuel airline occurrences over the years, this one is one of the most fascinating - and saddest. Nowadays, this occurrence would not happen if aircraft is equipped with a LOCALIZER. Glad that air navigation technology has improved by leaps and bounds.

[@johnny5805]

Googling "Captain Balsey DeWitt" - He was immediately fired by the airline, and he never flew another plane again.I don't know if he's still alive today ? He was hardly a picture of health in 1970.

[@pakey423]

According to this website he was still alive in the beginning of 2018: karlenepetitt.blogspot.com/2018/01/captain-balsey-dewitt.html And another KZbin video about this accident (starting at 11:38). This also contains an interview with Captain DeWitt: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnaZeIyAitWZjMU

[@Stephen-ht4bx]

Flying that low on fuel was balsey.

[@theresechristiansen9769]

Dealing with moving back to partially flooded home....making lunch from bits & pieces, watching live news stream, youtube pops up with Allec Joshua lbay & I'm "STOP. Don't eat, don't move anything. This vid I haven't seen. it's more important than the news." Sitting ON boxes, watching your vids. Awesome day after all. I'm a simple gal: click on aviation and I'm happy. Until I read about fatalities & then I think "God, I am SO damn lucky."

[@cantore98]

THANK YOU FOR FINALLY DOING IT!!!

[@martynh5410]

Happy Holidays Allec.

[@stitch-xx2oo]

It is 😥 that people have to die. Thank God for progress.

[@johnklar5131]

tinwoods Well, thoughts anyway.

[@davida1610]

Agreed, God brings good out results & progress as a result of apparent bad. And He's at work in us humans to improve our lives in more ways than we can count. It's not an either / or proposition, it's a both / and. Thanks again Alec for memorializing those lives lost and reminding us of progress made towards safer travels - Merry CHRIST-mas to you.

[@aintplayinggames7086]

People don`t always have to die. There are crisis and safety experts that can think of thousands of things that can go wrong and how to prevent them, but sometimes companies don`t want to pay, so they gamble instead.

[@kyoakland]

When I meet God I'm going to cuss his ass out and ask him why did you send me to such an evil unforgiving world

[@jackanthony976]

I would thank man for progress..not God.. religion in the name of God has always tried to hinder scientific progress...look how the church persecuted the man who invented the telescope. It is through man's efforts that new developments are made to raise the quality of life on earth.

[@vikramgupta2326]

I felt like something was missing from the lessons learned. Did they not follow the procedures for water landing?

[@leonswan6733]

I read of the Crash on Wikipedia that the captain did not even inform the rear passengers and crew that he was about to ditch, thats why there was so much fatality s.

[@vikramgupta2326]

@@leonswan6733 thanks. I was feeling this video didn't quite explain the contributing cause in sufficient detail. Thank you.

[@f0x23]

Happy Holidays, Allec! Hope you have a good one wherever you are!

[@dadadruma]

Great upload Allec Happy Holidays =D

[@sunnyfon9065]

Oh no, in few days I have flight and I still watching this.

[@cloudaffliate6569]

SunnyFon me too on the 27th😬

[@sunnyfon9065]

DylansHyper 2137, okay, stay safe. 😀

[@cloudaffliate6569]

SunnyFon u too I subbed 2 u

[@sunnyfon9065]

@DylansHyper 2137, thanks, now I had 26 subscribers

[@ALI-jz5nn]

Hope you all are not travelling by American or United

[@danielbrown1724]

Balsey DeWitt? Dopest name ever!!

[@usmale4915]

Another great video. Thank you for the upload and "Happy Holidays"!!

[@jayallan7885]

they went from 8000 lbs of fuel to 600 real quick....misreading the guages....sorry for the losses

[@vhutchjr]

Happy thanksgiving allec

[@thamnosma]

I don't get this one. The crew seemed like bozos. Since there were multiple failures to align with the runway is the assumption here that St. Maarten had no ILS system? The controller there maybe should have just let that plane divert instead of trying to get it in with 800 ft visibility. As passengers I imagine there was building apprehension after THREE failed landing attempts.

[@Paellain]

Yes, Juliana has no ILS. And why they chose to divert with less than 1000lbs of fuel is beyond me

[@HEDGE1011]

Stephen Dreher They were conducting NDB approaches. I've done them in a DC-9 on many occasions and the term "nonprecision approach" is completely apt.

[@leonswan6733]

@@Paellain Juliana airport St Maarten is this the main international airport in St Maarten where we see Boeing 747s landing right over the heads of tourist on a beach at the perimeter fence at the approach end of the runway, then get blown off the fence with 4 GE CF6-80C2 or P&W 4056 engines at take-off ???? The same long runway Air France Concorde`s landed and took-off at ??? and it does not have ILS ??? is it the same today ????

[@leonswan6733]

@@Paellain were they so desperate for the tourist dollars that they still radioed to ALM flight 980 to come on in.... i hope not.

[@Paellain]

@@leonswan6733 Yeah, i don't know if the airport is equipped with an ILS today, but i'm sure that the airport was not equipped with this technology in the 70's...

[@mamalillycat8756]

This was one of them crashes that shouldn't have happen. there was no reason for this and people died because of poor fuel knowledge and it's funny that this was an experienced pilot that should have known about the fuel gages. I wonder if he lost his job as a result. So so sad and unnecessary!

[@leonswan6733]

He was Fired and never flew any planes again for the rest of his life.

[@mamalillycat8756]

@@leonswan6733 Thanks for letting me know. I'm not usually harsh on people making mistakes, but this time it was necessary!

[@flybyairplane3528]

Mary Frazzelle when you want to talk about shitty gauges, B707, B720,DC 8, and DC9,,even cars have better guages than those aircraft had.

[@sanddabz5635]

Great as always, I really enjoy these. Have a Happy New Year!!

[@travist7777]

How did the passengers die? Was it from the impact or from the exposure in the water?

[@HEDGE1011]

Stephen Travis A valid question. The best I can do is refer you to the accident report, section 1.14 that describes the survival aspects. Many people did not have their seat belts fastened and the pilots were unable to make an announcement to brace for impact due to the cockpit PA microphone being inoperative. The Navigator did shout a warning to the cabin but there was insufficient time to secure everything and everyone. A major impediment was a life raft inflating inside the aircraft after the ditching. The report is interesting but sobering reading. libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR71-08.pdf

[@travist7777]

Thanks for the link. The Captain shohld have briefed the cabin crew much better, let alone the passengers. Also, he should have asked for weather updates at St. Maartin every 10 or 15 minutes to discern a trend. Showers are showers, and they should have known better. Alas, hindsight is 20-20...

[@travist7777]

@Infinity Sim Ah, I'd take with those mellow Carib sharks anyday-- their eyes are so blood-shot, they'd probably just cruise right by you...

[@dragonsknights]

I report some of the Vincent Haseth reply "Here are some info. On this flight, I personaly know 1 crew member who survived, and I know the x fiancee of the 1 stewardess that died, (Margaret Abrahams) it was her day off but changed flights with a colleague so she could go buy her wedding dress in NYC. Most people died, because they didnt follow the commands of the flight crew, some didnt buckle up and where knocked dead from the impact. The Stewards & Stewardes were heroes, they made sure everybody was safely out of the A/C, Ms. Abrahams went down with the plane, while looking for any more survivors..."

[@travist7777]

@@dragonsknights That's horrible. Also, those metal-to-fabric seat-belts were eventually outlawed, fortunately. What a true heroine Ms. Abrahams was! "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 117:15

[@itspenguin7187]

Merry Christmas!

[@frankblangeard8865]

It appears that the passengers were not given any warning that they were about to ditch into the ocean. 6:55

[@crunchy_water_]

Love ur videos man, keep it up!

[@theboeingcompany2153]

Merry Christmas to you, Allec.

[@Mo_Ketchups]

This is friggin awesome channel! 👏👏

[@eviehammond9509]

(I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question) Once ATC knows a commercial flight has ditched or crashed into a body of water how long does it take before rescuers get to the site?? I realize a lot would depend on remoteness of the location, but lets just use this flight that was 30 miles from St Croix as an example. I'm not sure exactly why am I curious about this. I'm sure the fact that I do fly pretty frequently & have never been able to swim has something to do with it. I'll be easily recognized at any airport after watching this. I'll be the one at the gate trying to board the flight with oxygen tanks on my back, carrying flippers & wearing a life vest!!😆 Thanks in advance to anyone that takes the time to answer my question.

[@atthebrink74]

Harry and Balsey! Now those are awesome pilot names! And the navigator named Hugh! No way! The plane was literally being flown by Hugh Harry Bals!

[@MikeLoggans]

It was a DC 9. No engineer.

[@amazingazblo0239]

I have a really big request. Can u pls make a simulated incident of air India flight 101 from new dheli to new York

[@simonmcnicholas]

Merry Christmas brother

[@andrewilliamcesardossantos1555]

poor DC-9 rip

[@gmeena1]

I kinda like these planed with wings without engines. Any specific reason as to why they have moved the engines to the wings nowadays?

[@leonswan6733]

The main reason`s you have that engine aircraft layout, with engines mounted to the rear of the fuselage ( body ) is: 1. Quieter cabin since engines are to the rear 2. Shorter landing gear and ground siting height, so cargo and passenger loading is easier without special baggage / cargo loading equipment or high air stairs needed ( that model has a rear hatch door and stairs built into the ACFT rear cone, Boeing 727s had them too but most were sealed shut after the DB Cooper incident up in Seattle, WA SEA-TAC airport in 1972 where it was used by a hi-jacker to exit and para-shoot from a flying jet. 3. A clean wing, free of engines which would increase efficiency, add more fuel capacity to the wing since there is no dry bay areas ( non fuel in the wing section with hydraulic and fuel pluming systems ) needed above the engines pylon. Safer in the case of engine fire and explosions which would puncher and ignite fuel cells ( tanks ) in the wings. This was a short haul type plane which was intended to fly from small airports. The reason they go back to the engines on the wings is there is no need by the reasons mentioned above and the engines are bigger and heavier for more thrust and efficiency than they were back then so the weight in the rear made them tail heavy on the ground. Some ACFT ( old Russian IL-62 i think ) had a 4th landing gear on a long pole that lowered on the ground so the ACFT would not nose up in the air and sit on its tail. Engines on the wings brings the weight on the center of gravity of the ACFT.

[@gmeena1]

@@leonswan6733 yes thats what i asked. Why have they mounted the engines to the wings now.?

[@leonswan6733]

@@gmeena1 The reason they go back to the engines on the wings is there is no need by the reasons mentioned above ( major airports have lots of high air stairs and high loading baggage / cargo lift equipment.). The engines are bigger and heavier for more thrust and efficiency than they were back then so the weight in the rear made them tail heavy on the ground. Some ACFT ( old Russian IL-62 i think ) had a 4th landing gear on a long pole that lowered on the ground so the ACFT would not nose up in the air and sit on its tail. Engines on the wings brings the weight on the center of gravity of the ACFT.

[@gmeena1]

@@leonswan6733 thanks. I have to google a lot of things u mentioned as i am an amateur in this field!!

[@flybyairplane3528]

Gaurav Kumar Meena hey have you any idea where the engines were on aB17, B24 B25?, they were ALL ON THE WINGS, itsNOT a new idea.

[@CAROLUSPRIMA]

I’m sure this has been mentioned but as I recall the intercom from the pilot to the passengers was not working and therefore they had no warning immediately prior to impact. This is hinted at in the NTSB recommendations.

[@ernestkovach3305]

Shocking persistent indecision, inattention to detail, and incompetence.

[@HoneyBoner29]

@allec joshua ibay great job as always! checked out a book from the library on flight 980 about 4 yrs ago, and the extended details are pretty mind blowing. the easily avoidable disasters, are the worst ones for me to accept 😕 p. s... its not very known, but you should check out Pinnacle flight 3701- its an '04 crj crash that happened in my home state, only the 2 pilots were on board & perished, but the circumstances around it is the shocker. its all about this pilot show boating mentality within the crj community, of joining this "410" club,pushing the operating limits of their crj... meaning take it up to FL 410 which is the max. i read more articles where other pilots who were also fellow crj pinnacle pilots, and ex crj pilots also comment that this "410"club was common knowledge. at any rate, they did push their airplane beyond the ceiling limits, and when they stalled, engines flamed out, they did not perform recovery operations correctly & never got them restarted, crashing only about 2 miles short of the airport into homes. the transcript of the cvr is pretty clear, what they were doing and playing air cowboy with their airplane. just thought id mention it to you! love your stuff as always 😁👍👌

[@Slinger43]

I saw the episode of "Air disasters" that covered that crash. The actions of the two pilot's were much like a couple of frat boys, or a couple of wannabe Chuck Yeager's. The saddest part of that sorry, unnecessary crash was the poor folks whose homes were struck. smh, just an all around me shame.

[@CMDRFandragon]

So close to landing and still dont quite make it. Dang.

[@tungstenkid2271]

Perhaps airliners should be fitted with an audible alarm voice saying- "FUEL LOW...FUEL LOW..."

[@leonswan6733]

Present computer based avionics, Military and commercial airline aircraft do have that alarm, in military ACFT it says " Bingo Fuel " not sure if civilian commercial ACFT say bingo or low fuel. Remember this crash happened in 1970 and that was 1960`s ACFT technology in this crash. Analog " steam gauge " cockpits.

[@tungstenkid2271]

Thanks, and another thing I've wondered about is whether modern airliners have a small night vision scope in the cockpit which the pilot can pick up to glance out the window at night to check he's not descending into mountains, or to see where the horizon is in case of instrument failure etc?..The things are only the size of a small video camera, mine cost me £200 (about 220 US dollars) for hiking at night...PS- is there any way to mark youtube vids as "watched", I'm fed up sitting down to watch an air accident vid only to soon realise I've seen it before, and have the chore of rummaging through dozens to find ones I haven't seen.

[@leonswan6733]

@@tungstenkid2271 The very modern Civilian airliners ( with airlines that are not cheap because it`s a optional thing ) do have night vision " enhanced Vision " optical systems, whether its light amplification IR or thermal IR cameras , but it is incorporated in the aircraft avionic`s ( electronic`s ) and is viewed through a ( HUD ) heads -up display or one of the ( MFD ) multi function displays on the main instrument panel, not usually a head mounted battery powered " special ops commando type " goggles. ( in private light airplanes the pilots may have when flying at night ). There usually is a emergency back-up power for that type of system in the commercial ACFT. I am not a expert on KZbin or computers, sorry.

[@flybyairplane3528]

Leon Swan I have a night vision MONOCULAR, use it for wildlife.

[@leonswan6733]

@@flybyairplane3528 I use to have a 1st gen bi-nocular head set light amplification tube ( $400 U.S. russian made stuff ). either a old girl friend or the no good American federal agents stole them 9 years ago when they violated my second amendment rights. sad i miss it.

[@rinan7697]

Great video as always Btw can you post about Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed in Indonesia during the test fly? Curious to know why.

[@cndvd]

The plane was "relatively intact" so why did 22 people die ? Did they have their seat belts on ?

[@B3Band]

No

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

If it hit so hard that parts of the metal airframe were snapped, then it's going to crack some vertebrae.... nevermind the head injuries from 40 lb suitcases hitting you at 80Mph... Or the crush injuries/severed limbs from when the floor buckles...and where the only thing stopping a whole row of seats from crashing down into the cargo bay might be the jagged aluminum shards sticking up from the buckled floor, etc... .. .... Then it's no surprise a few people didn't make it.

[@CN1Global]

I've been waiting for this!

[@nikolitsahasoura1265]

Tremendous..God rest their souls..l'm so sorry

[@After_these_messages]

Dude. Cpt. *_Balsey_* DeWitt. Haven't watched anything passed that opening introduction but ladies and gentleman that is a strong name. Gonna name my first born son Balsey.

[@horrortackleharry]

I guess Captain DeWitt was a bit too ah, 'Balsey' when it came to estimating fuel consumption...

[@rranger1014]

Balsey- yep that's my name

[@flybyairplane3528]

DeShawn 'Dawg' BNBG actually the flight nav/engineer, calculated the fuel down to the minute, and told the pilot that they were NOT going to make it.. I do recalled it when it happened, I have an ALM sticker on my large camera case, then I had a cousin in FLA whom worked for ALM, it no longer operates. The pilots were FIRED !

[@horrortackleharry]

@@flybyairplane3528 Although it wasn't emphasised too much in the video, one of the main criticisms of the pilots was that no-one outside the cockpit was made aware of the ditching until the impact- even though the pilots knew it was going to happen for several minutes. Many- if not all- the lives lost could have been saved if passengers & crew had been told er, you know- just sit down, fasten seat belts and brace. At the enquiry, DeWitt made some pathetic bumbling noises about the PA system being out of action...

[@watchwatch2fly]

@@flybyairplane3528 Seriously, a DC9 has or had a Flight Engineer?

[@flybyairplane3528]

Roadie Ridgeback this was the navigator/engineer, .he was the person, whom told them precesicely, when they were going to RUN OUT OF FUEL,but you ARE correct, in that NOBODY NOTIFIED THE PAX, that they were going down, deriliction of duty? Or not wanting to upset them ?

[@cubanangel1985]

I hope there will be a documentary or movie about this flight...

[@windstorm1000]

They only had 30 miles to go to airport and had 850 lbs of fuel left- wasn't that enough?

[@tomb4568]

No, some of that is unusable fuel and better stay straight and level with that little fuel any turn, climb or descent may cause flame out. Low fuel pressure lights were prolly flickering or on and it's a matter of seconds then.

[@deletedleaf2688]

37? Wow, life sure was rougher back then.

[@Fandango541]

Well I guess you could say that pilot was pretty Balsey, not warning the passengers and playing games with the fuel supply. What a jerk!

[@Nalini_chapala]

Love from India🇮🇳

[@redplayzrblxxofficialchann5369]

Also i am from India

[@slidefirst694]

After the first go around they should have diverted.

[@flushthecatnip]

If not after the first try, then DEFINITELY after the second attempt.

[@gendaminoru3195]

They had fuel for two missed approaches and then San Juan, but they simply screwed around too much and couldn't even make St Croix. With the weather fluctuating like that and having minimum dispatch fuel; 100nm alternate and 45 of hold fuel after ONE missed approach, they had a number of chances to avoid this outcome. Too much indecision and not paying attention to fuel and own position killed them.

[@schoolssection]

Old adage: Make a decision and then don't let anyone talk you out of it.

[@dturner5439]

schoolsection - unless it is an obviously bad decision, no; otherwise, yes. Judgement call.

[@philips62]

My Grandfather passed away on this flight. My Grandmother was rescued holding on to his lifeless body. He was never recovered.

[@gentlyusedchickenpizza]

I’m so sorry

[@CN1Global]

Why was the plane never recovered? (Plus the black boxes)

[@leonswan6733]

Its siting at the bottom with 5000 feet of water above it. 1970, I dont think all commercial ACFT had black boxes at this time. No real need to, the pilots and ATC personnel are still alive to be investigated / interrogated. ATC tapes are available.

[@CN1Global]

@@leonswan6733 Is it possible to recover the plane from that depth?

[@leonswan6733]

@@CN1Global yes....The CIA / Navy recovered a 1950`s technology Golf Class soviet " Boomer " ICBM sub from three times that depth. But why recover that plane???? its done. they will buy a new one.

[@CN1Global]

@@leonswan6733 Well I've seen pictures of underwater planes like the DC 3, but not that DC 9 !

[@CN1Global]

@@leonswan6733 I wonder if anyone found that DC 9 and photographed it

[@aeromexico0015]

Merry Christmas allac

[@chriszbodula1894]

Curious why passengers died of the aircraft remained in tact. The last statement seems to indicate that they didn’t have a proper ditching procedure told to the passengers so they were not strapped in upon hitting the water. Doesn’t sound like it was flooding and drowning but maybe so.

[@robertjones-eb4xo]

It beggars belief that "Short of fuel" can even come into the conversation, not a day trip to Blackpool in a car !

[@abedekok322]

Always surprises me how pilots land on those islands as their airports seem to have a difficult approach.

[@leonswan6733]

That`s aviation, its a risk. St Maarten`s airport is one of the longest runway airports in the Caribbean. Boeing 747s and the Concorde landed there. They and San Juan Puerto Rico`s international airport are the " lesser Antilles islands " ( Puerto Rico and all the islands east heading down south to Trinidad and Tobago, the last islands of the Caribbean till the coast of Venezuela south America ) are the biggest and longest runways in the Caribbean.

[@flybyairplane3528]

Leon Swan also the prevailing winds are an ADVANTAGE, in most these airports.

[@kwinsley1]

@@leonswan6733 You forget Curacao TNCC Concorde landed antonov and so on

[@RubenThomas]

Merry Belated Christmas, Allec from the 🇺🇸 and 🇨🇦.

[@bobdobbs1308]

Bonus points to ID the type of Navy aircraft behind the DC-9 at 6:50

[@tomb4568]

E-2 ?

[@elwhastrummer]

Too hard to tell with the caption in the way, maybe A6?

[@timmiller8593]

why does he have the landing gear down

[@chayn.3918]

WoW Nice video. Which crash is next? You got a like

[@chayn.3918]

I am no. 645

[@coasteyscoasteys]

What's the glide range? Why didn't they climb rapidly when they had fuel then try to glide into st Croix?

[@Ryan-zc1tz]

Well, they were only at 4000 ft and even if they did a rapid climb, they would not have gained enough altitude to glide 30 miles to St. Croix.

[@yas1334]

Great video!

[@b747ultimate]

6:06 what is that sound in the background?

[@xyzlojones264]

B747 Ultimate it’s screaming. Some fs9 Addons have that feature if you make rough landings

[@nadifputra787]

This incident reminds me of GA421 & US1549

[@thomasmoriarty6741]

There is always more than one reason why planes crash, poor fuel management is one in this case.The pilots may have been under pressure by their company to fly to their destination. Also, in that era the co-pilot and navigator may have Been reluctant to question the captain. Did the crew question the weather update they received ?To say flying today is safer; it wouldn't happen today is not true, pilots are responsible for the safe operation of their aircraft

[@julosx]

This crew was also under presure of knowing where to land at all due to the bad weather.

[@ruislip1964]

Poor cockpit communication was also a factor in the crashes of Eastern 401 and United 173

[@LaurenThompsonIsMyRealName]

ATC also.

[@thomasmoriarty6741]

@@ruislip1964 Eastern 401 is one of the most egregious examples of pilots failing to monitor their Instruments. The crash brought about CRM training.

[@brandnazvi9354]

What about aeroperu flight 603?

[@cjoyce27]

Ona just did not understand the runway but is thunderstorm going to land of ona

[@patrickcesalestajodywibowo741]

Good video

[@jessicavasquez6752]

I feel bad for the pilots. They genuinely tried to land everyone safely. They attempted and aborted landings without just recklessly pushing it like we've seen in other crashes. He considered other options. He knew that eventually the plane was going to flame out, so he prepared and got as low as he could to the water. I'm sad people had to die as a result.

[@birbies]

@Denise DeWitt you're welcome

[@Teobi1]

please do the Cubana Flight 455 air crash off the coast of Barbados in 1976 if you can. I love your channel and your content.

[@EphemeralProductions]

I don't get it. Is there something I'm missing? They request clearance to St Croix, and then the next thing the captain says is, "I might have to ditch"? Why would you request clearance for a place you didn't even plan on making it to, and instead are planning on ditching? If he stayed up high enough, couldn't he have glided the rest of the way after the engines flamed out? There was only 30 damn miles left!