Cutting Corners | Alaska Airlines Flight 261

[@bobstewart8032]

Everyone involved with falsifying the maintenance records should be in prison for at least manslaughter on 88 counts.

[@ferdrewflores3014]

☝☝☝🙏

[@nenblom]

Life in prison! Falsifying those records should be a federal offense!

[@victormashatt2521]

Absolutely agree.

[@mynintendogamingfeed5208]

No. Death by Rocket Launchers.

[@islanders1329fan]

AMEN TO THAT!!!! Life in prison. They cost 88 innocent souls that didn’t have die like this. They all could’ve been easily protected from this careless untimely death these mechanics caused. It’s all their fault.

[@grandassassin24]

Stunning piloting, such a great effort and let down by their company. Those men have all my respect.

[@Steve1959]

My father Captain Harvey Beebe Jr knew and met Captain Thompson and First Officer Tansky. When he learned of their deaths in the crash of flight 261, he cried profusely. Dad wrote a letter to Alaska Airlines condemning their cavalier attitude toward maintenance of their aircraft. This issue found its way to his doctoral thesis in aviation safety and security. He was on loan to the FAA to instruct them in how to get it right. Many times they listened to him. Every last issue which has surfaced in regards to aviation safety and security was addressed in Dad's doctoral thesis. He saw it happen before they did. The world will never see another pilot like Captain Doctor Harvey Beebe Jr again. I myself knew about these men. Dad leaned heavily on me during his research.

[@charleschandler9855]

It's amazing and kind of haunting that the captain said "here we go" when they were about to hit the ocean. He sounded completely calm, but he knew that they were all about to die. Incredible, and terrifying.

[@priley218]

Accepting death

[@lnteIIigence]

@James Nuttes Right, because somebody who _was_ outwardly afraid of dying in a plane crash _would_ be that. What a disgusting, thoughtless comment.

[@53bload53]

@@lnteIIigence Chill dude, no one said that. It's a joke to emphazise how badass the pilot was.

[@williameggleton414]

Knowing what they were going through, he probably even didn't care. They were prepared for literally, ANYTHING.

[@stanbearup9200]

I lost 3 friends on tragic Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on January 31, 2000. Back in 1982, I spent quite a bit of time with Morris "Morrie" Thompson, his wife Thelma, and their family while living and working with them at a family member's fish camp on the Yukon River. Morrie was an Alaska Native leader, a businessman, and political appointee working on matters related to Alaska Natives. He was best known as the official in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the state of Alaska during the 1970s' in the Nixon administration, and later, as head of Doyon Limited, the Alaska Native Regional Corporation for Interior Alaska. To celebrate his retirement, Doyon Limited sent Morrie, Thelma and daughter Sheryl to Mexico. They perished on that return flight home to the United States. The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, located along the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks was dedicated on August 12, 2008, and is named for Morrie. May they rest in peace.

[@Pedroism]

Retirement, wow and wife daughter, condolences

[@trob0914]

I"m from FBKS and knew the Thompsons, this crash has always seemed so senseless.

[@benjip4219]

Hope the scum paid out well

[@donaldmaney5935]

My friend had a cousin and her husband on board. Just the thought of the terror those people went through and the pilots made me cry.

[@ashishravi7099]

I'm so sorry to hear that.

[@orvilleredinbacher9679]

Anybody who starts a story with my friends cousin is full of BS

[@paris-1911]

@@orvilleredinbacher9679 I get being skeptical, but this one is legitimate. Be kind please.

[@allystruth9726]

My dear friend Toni Chaote and daughter Jaclyn were on this flight. 2 decades later and it hurts as much as the day it happened. RIP Toni & Jaclyn

[@almorris171]

Imagining their sheer terror is a burden. That is the leading reason for fear of flying.

[@allystruth9726]

al morris Yep, Especially when my son is flying. The thought of their last few minutes used to keep me up at night. And what I didn’t mention was I was supposed to be with them but my baby was only 3 at the time so I didn’t want to leave him. She was actually a little annoyed with me because I canceled at the last minute.

[@CherryFrog321]

@@almorris171 Exactly, people always say how people shouldn't be afraid of flying, because it's so safe, and driving is way more dangerous. Statistically, that is true. But I just can't even fathom being in a situation like this on a plane. What an utterly terrifying way to die. Even if there's only a tiny chance of it happening, that's enough to make me want to avoid flying. At least in a car accident, you usually die quickly and are on the ground. So you don't have to suffer through several minutes of a terrifying plunge to the ground.

[@3v3ry1]

Ally's Truth I’m sorry for your loss

[@kenwayne96]

My deepest and sincerest condolences to you sir. It's heartbreaking.

[@trixiekatz883]

Even at the very end, the captain's voice is steady. I am in absolute awe of these pilots - I panic if my car makes a noise when I'm driving on a flat road at 45 mph and these pilots calmly did their utmost to land a fatally crippled plane and reassure the passengers at the same time. I had tears in my eyes when the Captain told the passengers that they would be arriving in LA in twenty or thirty minutes. And then to head out over the ocean so that they wouldn't crash the plane in a populated area - they must have known at that point that it was hopeless. Yet they persevered until the end. God rest their souls. Never forgotten.

[@leedummett4412]

i agree. captain thompson did everything to save the plane. RIP, passengers and crew.

[@mezobromelia]

I know it's a minor thing, but how sad the other pilot sounds when he says he's hit the water.....hes down, man it hits me in the feels.

[@kevinmalone3210]

Yeah, because he realized all the passengers and crew just instantly lost their lives. Not a pleasant event to witness.

[@benjip4219]

@@kevinmalone3210 no shit Sherlock

[@mswsjsu]

R.I.P KRISTIN MILLS! WE'LL REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS. YOUR FORMER COWORKERS AT RENOAIR

[@mswsjsu]

@Nik Pirouz Reno Airlines. It was a popular low-cost airline on the west coast. It was acquired by American Airlines in 1999.

[@gallowsradio]

In 2011 I was walking on the sands, down the cliff, of Solana Beach, and I saw an Alaskan Airline's logo engraved in the cliff. It's been puzzling me for years, right up until this point. This truly breaks my heart...

[@DBAWESOMESAUCE]

I get that they didn’t mean to do much wrong but maybe they could have just pictured the plane instead of the Alaska Airlines logo considering the cause of the accident.

[@bryandevries7210]

Branding over the tragedy..genius really..

[@tedkier3264]

"just help me! Once we get the speed slowed maybe we'll be ok!" that one line gets me. at that point Captain knew there was very real chance they'd all perish, he knew that it wasn't their fault, and there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it! hard to listen to. thank you, allec

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

@Goose Tater Damn were they out of your Midol?

[@demelof1913]

Those pilots were such heroes. They did everything humanely possible, including getting out over the ocean to prevent more loss of life. They fought with everything they had ALL the way to the end. How sad that it was laziness on the part of Alaska Airlines that caused this to happen. Rest in peace, everyone who was on that plane ❤💔❤

[@rinkydinkpillepalle]

>laziness I think you meant negligence.

[@風雪-d7i]

@@rinkydinkpillepalle greed is the right word here

[@MaturePatriot]

@@風雪-d7i Exactly!

[@stipcrane]

If no one in mgmt. told the mechanics to falsify maintenance reports then saying it was corporate greed is a lie. It would've been sloth on the mechanics' part.

[@johnrogan9420]

Imagine if they crashed on land like the Aero Mexico flight in December 1985...wiped out whole sections of an LA suburb.

[@TheIkaraCult]

When they're inverted and they say 'we're flying'... it's the most heartbreaking thing ive ever heard.

[@shojinryori]

Rangda Rangda right? They sound so hopeful, even at that point. 😰

[@Whyistomatoafruit]

Rangda Rangda yeah that got me too. I felt that one. F*ck man, what a waste of life.

[@delaney6413]

@Goose Tater You, again. They were relatively stable at that moment before the crash. Stop commenting your bullshit.

[@sarabethwrites]

If I remember correctly, after hearing this on the news right after it happened, info was given out about Capt Ted Thompson. He was a former Air Force Pilot who flew C-141s. He was highly experienced. This was so sad, tragic and completely unnecessary. The pilots never gave up to try to find solutions to this problem. They were brave men who kept their cool until the very end. RIP to them and the passengers who lost their lives. Alaska Airlines putting profits over people's lives was outrageous! They should've been forced into bankruptcy and never be allowed to operate any airlines ever again! Those responsible should've done prison time!

[@Jackiezyon]

Sara Beth Williams I knew he had to be a former Air Force pilot. Flying the plane upside down What a lost. 😭

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

@@paulwebber504 ok? is he gonna punish you for crossing the street? ...because thats at your own risk too, you know

[@neverendingluau]

I remember that flight. I was on the flight the previous day, flying standby, and we had a mechanical issue that kept us on the tarmac for hours. Then they bused us to the terminal and waited several more hours until they finally said "ok, we are gonna have to cancel and rebook everyone on the next couple flights out of p.v. they gave everyone hotel food and taxi vouchers. I wasn't eligible for any vouchers (ID90) but the lady at the gate was able to help me anyways. I made it to the airport the next morning, but since I was flying standby I was last to get a seat. They got some of the people from the canceled flight on the next two flights. I was last to get on a flight back to Seattle, and I am pretty sure that the flight I almost went on the previous day, -that left just before I did -was the plane that crashed. I remember when I got home to Juneau, Alaska and walked in the bar where all my friends were, I was like "Hey! I finally made it back!!?!" And everyone was glued to the TV watching the news about the tragedy. I feel very lucky, and sad for the victims and their families. Thanks for the video.

[@doncampbell7303]

Out of all your videos, this one gets me the most. Tough to watch and tough to listen to.

[@PAVLOS2000]

Yeah. Totally agree. Chills!

[@johncaito6607]

I lived in San Jose Ca. when this happened. A mechanic for Alaska Airlines had ordered a new jack screw for this Aircraft but was over ruled by his supervisor, he was trying to cut maintenance costs. Very sad outcome as not only did 88 people perish, the mechanic who they called a whistle blower lost his job for doing the right thing. The Supervisor has this accident hanging on his resume! You can google and get more info. on this tragedy if you carfe but a lot of NTSB meetings and court proceedings follow this crash!

[@peppermintcatsass3141]

John Caito ...they are greedy murderers, deserving slow death!

[@Lem8sh]

John Liotine was his name.

[@tedmalekas5509]

This one is terrifying even watching the simulation.

[@jyrogers6762]

This whole incident is totally disgusting. I used to be an aircraft mechanic and I greased jackscrews many times and many other things and I never took shortcuts.

[@mawmawvee]

My husband was a helicopter pilot, now retired, but I always let the mechanics know that I was so thankful for them and their maintenance in keeping Mike alive and the crew and passengers, as well. People forget that it's the mechanics who keep the planes flyable.

There is something wrong with an aircraft part that has to be greased.

[@davidjohnson7555]

all because of a (nut)......

[@benjip4219]

@@mawmawvee great words, I fly to work on the rigs via chopper

[@sweetstevie]

Someone should have gone to prison for this.

[@samhouston1288]

And the entire company should have been fined so heavily, that they went bankrupt as well.

[@wadedixon6780]

So many examples of heroism however this and the Japan airlines 747 are the two I think of often. Honourable mention has to be the British airlines flight where the pilot was sucked through the window. Incredible stories.

[@sparrowlt]

the saddest part of this horrible incident is that nobody did.. nobody put a foot on prison over this.. whistle blowers are still doomed to lose their jobs and banned to work in aviation .. All this people died due to someone shamelesly cutting cornes and whoever responsible wasnt punished.. neither there were significant changes out of this whole disaster.. thats what enrages me more..

[@Threyon]

@@sparrowlt Seems that all but one case was settled out of court.

[@mdot100]

What horror this must've been for everyone, the nose dive would've been torture enough but imagine flying upside down like that as well? And all because of a cheap ass airline like Alaska! They'll never get a dime of my money...

[@kentkarlsson8277]

Never going to forget this one, working on my friends 65 ft Ketch in Ventura Harbor when we so the plane go down, a few minutes later we where on our way out to assist in our inflatable dingy. When we got to the impact zone it was only debris. Extremely tragic when it could have been prevented by real maintains

[@oceanhome2023]

I live on the Strand , remember the squid/ shrimping boats on the water when it got dark? They use bright Halogen lights to attract their catch I don’t know if that was their planned fishing area or the went there to rescue , many of the boats came in rather quickly after pulling body parts in their nets , the shrimps they did catch were thrown away because they were contaminated with jet fuel .

[@asekun022]

That is why every landing is a blessing. Thank you to these brave pilots who never gave up.

[@mindy6691]

Absolutely my friend you said it well🙏🙏💕🇺🇸💯💯💯💯💯rip#flight261🙏🇺🇸❤️❤️❤️

[@djohanson99]

i remember when this happened in 2000, give me chills hearing these pilots last words. To me this episode stands out from all the others. i remember it. Thank you Mr. Ibay. Tomorrow is not promised.

[@snakedike]

I can't think of many professions where people doing their jobs remain so calm and professional while they are staring into their own deaths. My father (now passed) was a military and commercial pilot with 36,000 hours when he retired. The stories he would tell were stunning.

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

This situation ruffles my feathers every time I come across it. Greed killed almost a hundred people, an expensive airliner, and affected nearby marine life. The executives of Alaska Airlines should have served time!!

[@jamest1148]

gomphrena What do you mean "almost" killed. It did! Had it not been for corporate greed this could have been avoided. I completely agree that criminal negligence and manslaughter charges should have been brought against them.

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

jamest1148 • With all due respect, please re-read my post. Your transposition of two words changes the meaning entirely. "...killed almost (insert number here)..." whereas you're saying I said..."almost killed..." Totally changes the meaning! No worries, friend, I've done it, too.

[@zyrrhos]

Charges should have been brought against them, but the FAA was complicit as noted by the NTSB's contributing factors: Alaska Airlines's extended end play check interval and the FAA's approval of that extension, which allowed the acme nut threads to deteriorate to the point of failure without the opportunity for detection

[@anniebobanee2169]

Dolly Dagger that behavior itself is disgustingly immoral,and is criminal I.m.o.

[@watershed44]

@Bearded Jagger Exactly management and mechanics should have gone to prison for a long time.

[@wa9kzy326]

The pilots sure met their fate with courage and calmness.

[@Code3forever]

In the name of saving maintenance payroll, they cost so many people their lives. Many were their own employees. I remember this well and will never fly Alaska Airlines. The terror those people on board had to feel and the pilots up front who could see in front of them, knew it was the end. By not flying over the land, they saved others from death too! Great Job on this video.

[@Nexus-ub4hs]

Haunting and heartbreaking. The audios from the pilots and other planes brings the reality. Couldn’t help but cry. They tried so hard. For those other plane pilots, it must have been awful to watch, and I imagine it was fairly clear there’d be no survivors. Terrifying for the poor passengers on that flight and the others still in the air. My heart goes out to them. God bless them all, rest in peace 😔🙏 You can’t cut corners in areas of industry like this. Bastards, what were they thinking, the top bosses. Thank you for bringing us this video

[@tbones1289]

They were thinking what ALL top bosses think, $$$$$$$

[@jojojeep1]

Nexus The love of money is the root to all evil, most people say the love of money is the root of evil no no no it’s the root to all evil they were greedy they cut corners on a five dollar part and some grease

[@rossrallown5608]

A lot of the innocent people that died may very well be burning in hell for eternity according to your awful religion.

[@Doxymeister]

@@rossrallown5608 What religion would that be, exactly...'cause no-one on this thread mentioned their religion. Unless you mean the "love of money" religion...

[@rossrallown5608]

@@Doxymeister they said god bless them all. Its an american website. Probably christianity although they are all stupid

[@MrVindler]

I was home on leave visiting family in San Diego when this happened. I had to fly back to Seattle on Alaska the next day. To say that I was a little nervous was an understatement.

[@ccth22]

During the 1996 Olympics I met a pilot and we were discussing the airline industry. I have even more respect for these brave men and women after that conversation. I also began to fly less and now I don’t fly at all.

[@harryohrt5255]

I hope there is a hell for the kind of executives who make the kind of decisions that led to this disaster.

[@Pedroism]

Harry Ohrt there is hell

[@The_Touring_Jedi]

Oh well, executives have their Hell. They are trying to figure out where are they gonna hide their bonuses from IRS. This is their only Hell. Human lives to them are nothing. Fucking assholles should be burned alive.

[@Alvin-1138]

This is why regulations are always needed; business will Always choose profit over everything else! No matter what the Execs say about 'overregulation'.

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

There is no hell. If revenge is to be had, it must be had at the hands of other people

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

We have the internet. Who's on the board of directors of this firm? Where do they live?

[@bboucharde]

ATTENTION Alaska Airlines: This awful negligence is never forgotten---and never forgiven! My family & I will never do business with you.

[@davidkleier9341]

I personally knew an Alaska Airlines pilot who flew that same route on that same plane many times. As I recall he missed flying that day by a couple of days. After the accident I noticed a change in my pilot friend. Much more somber and reflective. A year or so later he retired from Alaska Airlines.

[@McDonnell-Douglas_DC-10]

This video is excellent, beyond belief. I was wet-eyed at the end, reading that Thomson and Tansky had got posthumous awards. Immensely-good pilots.

[@bluewindharp]

R.I.P. Cynthia Oti. She was a KGO radio investment commentator. I still fly Alaska but will never forget this heinous act of negligence.

[@jimleon7894]

Thanks for the remake! You provide a great service, notwithstanding know-it-all critics.

[@saifkhalfay3651]

The pilots were amazing, determination has made their will strong to fly continously, so brave, we have to learn from the.

[@sarabethwrites]

They were, they did such an outstanding job trying to save their plane, despite the impossible odds against them.

[@ccchhhrrriiisss100]

I agree. Still, I wonder -- knowing what we do now -- if there was anything that they could have done that would have led to a different and better scenario.

[@rochymatt]

They could have insisted on diverting immediately rather than accepting the dispatcher's concerns about schedule flow. This still might not have avoided the crash.

[@kevinmalone3210]

@@ccchhhrrriiisss100 after turning on the electric motor to free up the stabilizer, it did so to a degree, but didn't work entirely. After this attempt if they would've stopped working to free up the stabilizer and get the plane down asap I think they would've made it. They continued trying to get the stabilizer to work by hitting other switches, but it further made their situation with the stabilizer worse by putting it in a more downward position, which then led to the stabilizer failing completely. They didn't know that by leaving the stabilizer alone after their 1st try may have been their best option, and then trying to land the plane. This was a serious problem they had with the stabilizer and they wanted to try to correct the problem if they could before attempting to land. They had know way of knowing that attempting to fix the stabilizer problem with a 2nd try was going to make it worse. Those pilots were brave and tried to save the plane right up till the last moment. Alaska Airlines is totally at fault here for cutting corners in their maintenance procedures.

[@ccchhhrrriiisss100]

Thank you for the info, Earl.

[@kenbrownfield6584]

Corporate greed killed these people.

[@Mads-hl8xj]

@WonkaaVision Or maybe the number 23.... whoOaa! :D

[@beehappycoleman7159]

My friend and his fiance were killed in this crash. They were on their way back from vacation. Both were very good people to be missed. All passengers on that plane are missed. Sad.

[@dbaider9467]

Profits before people. Shame.

[@Ot-ej5gi]

The dialogue between the maintenance and the captain is pretty telling: "Umm.. well, it's your discretion, sir, do whatever you want, see you at the gate.." "Yeah, thank you, asshole", the captain should have replied. It takes more than just a bad management... The others, especially maintenance had to be evil too. They were going with it; they were on it. The dialogue hints at it really well.

[@rinkydinkpillepalle]

What's fucking new, hombre

[@DenisPetrov1980]

Capitalism

[@davidemmyg]

In capitalism the crooks buy the government, in socialism the crooks become the government. Either way we are screwed as long as this concept of money and private profit exists

[@isaacfoster2820]

The government should name and publicly shame Alaska for being so reckless

[@eliteschaf5697]

This is one of the saddest part I have seen. These two brave + professional + cool + talented + thinking to not kill someone on the ground, what let them wait and test over the sea, to confirm they can land safely at LA, so they sacrificed themselves. The brave passenger understood what was the problem and rested cool, without to get in panic. In the end they had no chance to safe all peoples on the airplane. These mechanics + chiefs should be get in prison as mass murderer, and not leave it again. My greatest respect.

[@qxflyer]

Lost friends and co-workers in this tragedy. Years may have past, but they are not forgotten.

[@1ZosoLZ]

Imagine what the passengers were thinking being upside down..damn

[@minnesotajack1]

These guys deserve all the credit there is. Denny Fitch, Sully… any of the elite pilots whose names we know because they rose to the occasion…these two deserve that respect.

[@wbwilhite]

I'm a retired engineer. It's always a battle between the bean counters and the people who run the machines. It's a battle between profit margins and safe reliability of operations.

[@Taylordude-Productions]

The pilots never quit and that is all you can ask, The airlines on the other hand, that is another story..

[@Taylordude-Productions]

@Goose Tater Keyboard warrior.. Go back to your room and eat a hot pocket

[@antman5474]

This was a good remake. Nice work

[@cagurl9113]

They crashed by my brothers place near Pthueneme so truly horrific f those who lived there n had body parts washing up on beach! Someone from Alaska should be held criminally responsible as greed cost 2 brave pilots n the passengers their life!

[@ShutDFckOff]

Jap Airline Flight 123 same dilemma on jammed/gone stabilizer. Maintanence manager and Inspector in-charge committed suicide, JAL president resigned. Here in USA,,,,never mind

[@3v3ry1]

CAGurl91 jeez

[@ricerealtor980]

While there are definitely some people problems involved with this tradgedy, the main two problems are engineering and beauracracy. I can see how the honor culture in Japan might put enough pressure on individuals for them to commit suicide, but it doesn't solve the higher order problem of systemic design flaws that directly caused the tragedy. The photo of the control rod was enough to make me realize how flimsy the flight control systems are. No physical redundancy in a fly-by-wire plane also complicates the problem.

[@71superbee39]

Sent to Alaska Airlines a few moments ago ....""After viewing "Alaska Airlines Flight 261"" Cutting corners, words fail to express my emotions ...With the understanding that other airlines may be just as irresponsible and willfully negligent in their service of aircraft... My days of flying Alaska are over.. Forever...."

[@peppermintcatsass3141]

71superbee 3 .. BUT...they all asked for financial bailout with OUR MONEY! Ground them & hunt all CEO/Executives & their families down for slaughter!

[@johngates450]

My neighbor had waited on the Pastor and his wife from Monroe Wa the day before they left at a restaurant in Snohomish Wa. They were going to Mexico to help others. I was working for public schools back then as a custodian. I remember telling one teacher about the plane that crashed and was destined for Seattle. God Bless all whom lost there lives on this flight. So very, very tragic..

[@cjjohnson1821]

My dear old departed friend and mentor Rodney, his lovely wife and their two children perished on this flight, along with so many other others. Rodney was having much success in the restaurant business in those days. So much so that his family could finally afford to have a parent stay home with the children. They chose not to do that since his wife had flying perks as an Alaska Airline employee...

[@AD-yi3qz]

Captain Thompson and FO Tanksy are true heroes. They never gave up and tough their crippled aircraft all the way down. Not enough can be said about their courage in a situation that was doomed from the start.

[@FrecklesAviation]

worried it will disrupt the busy schedule just hang

[@ShutDFckOff]

Jap Airline Flight 123 same dilemma on jammed/gone stabilizer. Maintanence manager and Inspector in-charge committed suicide, JAL president resigned. Here in USA,,,,never mind

[@RDeckardN6]

ShutDFckOff - More. JAL top executives visited EVERY family involved in the crash and apologized personally to any soul who were relatives of the victims. Unthinkable in another country.

[@rinkydinkpillepalle]

You sure about that? At any rate, what good is an apology? When there are no real consequences for wrongdoing, you have no impetus for change. Many people in this firm should have seen at least a few months in prison for criminal negligence and/or involuntary manslaughter.

[@indahooddererste]

@@rinkydinkpillepalle the only wrongdoing were shitty Boeing engineers who repaired the plane faulty.

[@AD-yi3qz]

Agreed. In the town square.

[@JeriGillam]

I was in an aircraft that went inverted over the Pacific, way back in 1973. We were flying from Clark AFB near Manila, to Yakota AFB in Japan, weather was nice, you could see wakes of ships in the ocean below (but never the ships themselves) and out of the blue the crew told us that there was a storm ahead with clouds to 60,000 feet that went all the down to the surface. We could see this could wall out the windows at that point and the crew said that it was too big to get around, above, or under and that we were going to have to fly through it. "Buckle up, hang on, it'll be a rough ride." I'd read enough to know that thunderstorms could rip an airplane into pieces so was scared shitless. We dove right in and it was like being in a barrel over Niagara Falls. Overhead bins all opened, throwing crap everywhere, people screaming (me the loudest I think) and pitch black outside the windows. Then I felt all my weight hit the belt and everything loose hit the ceiling of the aircraft. I started chanting "it'll be ok it'll be ok, it'll be ok" over and over and over. After about the longest two minutes that ever happened in time, we hit clear air and were on our way to being blue side up again. When this crash happened so many years later, I was horrified to think of all those people on board, many of them thinking "it'll be ok, it'll be ok, it'll be ok".. :( Alaska Airlines should have been sold, lock, stock, and barrel, and all the proceeds given to the families of those who died from such horrible malfeasance. The owners should all have been in prison for many years, as well as any MX supervisor who signed off on false maintenance reports. Those pilots flew that aircraft to the bitter end, trying desperately to save their aircraft, passengers, and themselves. They are TRULY heroes.

[@Heart2HeartBooks]

Knowing they are 99.9% going to die and yet.....calm cool and flying the plane to the very end. Wow!

[@randomgooglename]

that comment by f.o. "they are putting pressure on you" damn shame...

[@mh-on7fp]

Heroes in the cockpit. So sad. So unfair. Life just isn't fair.

[@molly9582]

RIP to the elementary school children on this flight. One of my early memories is of going to the memorial your nearby elementary school held for you after the crash. You were so unfortunate, and could have been any of us who flew on Alaska Airlines MD80s before this crash. Alaska Airlines killed you in one of the most terrifying, painful, and prolonged ways a person can die out of sheer penny-pinching and corruption. You made flying safer for the rest of us, and Alaska Airlines has, to their credit, developed an obsession with safety throughout the last 20 years, but you needn’t have died at all and it makes me so sad to think you would be my age now for $8 worth of grease.

[@RobertBlevins]

Alaska Airlines was lucky they didn't go bankrupt after this incident. Everyone in the Puget Sound area were extremely pissed when the details came out. Fortunately, the airline did a 180 on their policies afterward, and are still the main airline out of Seattle. Not that they deserve it, or that people completely trust them yet.

[@ShutDFckOff]

Jap Airline Flight 123 same dilemma on jammed/gone stabilizer. Maintanence manager and Inspector in-charge committed suicide, JAL president resigned. Here in USA,,,,never mind

[@GH-oi2jf]

Robert Blevins - Alaska is the airline I most often use. I trust them completely and I have known about this disaster.

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

@@ShutDFckOff thats not really what happened. it was not a stabilizer issue...or a jamming at least. (yeah... it was half gone), but it was explosive decompression which wrecked the hydraulics. The tail issue was secondary, and would have been useless anyway after the fluid leaked out.

[@troyottosen8722]

Robert, what’s your ignorant ass doesn’t say is how many Seattle residents are employed by Alaska Airlines which even with the “Alaskan name”, it’s based out of Seattle!!! Washington state making money off Alaska, commercial fishing transplants, and cargo ships all based out of Seattle. Making a living off of Alaska, kiss my great big, proud Alaskan ass!!!!!!!

[@troyottosen8722]

How does my Alaska put up with all these Seattle citytards making a living under the Alaskan name, based out of Seattle and not here in Alaska like it should be? You have the college football stadium and basketball area a named”Alaska airlines stadium etc””,in Washington???

[@Rayq007]

I came across this video again, and each time I seen this it brought out strong emotions from me. I can only imagine what the passengers must of gone through, but hearing how the pilots continued to do whatever they could until the last second gave me something good to take away from this tragic incident. They showed me to never give up even in the face of death. RIP my friends

[@marcomoreno5343]

What great pilots. These guys even flying upside down never gave up.

[@derekbrosnan6873]

You do such a good job at paying respect to those who have died in these tragic accidents.. much respect

[@hombredeacero3131]

The people making those decisions at this airline should have been jailed!

[@zyrrhos]

Charges should have been brought against them, but the FAA was complicit as noted by the NTSB's contributing factors: Alaska Airlines's extended end play check interval and the FAA's approval of that extension, which allowed the acme nut threads to deteriorate to the point of failure without the opportunity for detection

[@zariballard]

@Goose Tater And why was that? By all accounts, they tried everything. Didn't have much to work with and almost no help at all from the ground.

[@OOTurok]

@Goose Tater Read the NTSB report dumbass. The airline cut down their maintenance schedule, to save money, & falsified the maintaince records to make it appear the plane was properly & regularly maintained. The pilots had no way of knowing that the plane was not properly maintained... & there was no checklist proceedure for a jammed or broken stabilizer jack screw.

[@OOTurok]

@Goose Tater I have read the NTSB report, & the pilots were commended for keeping the aircraft away from popluated areas, while attempting to regain control of the aircraft. The report also said that the pilots did not have adaquate control of the aircrat to make a safe landing, because of a jammed horizontal stabilizer, & that the CAUSE of the crash was due to improper maintenance. And I suggest you read the FAA regulations again. They clearly state the pilot may break any & all regulations to save the aircraft & all those on board. That is what is meant by the pilot being the FINAL authority.... NOT legal authority. *14 CFR § 91.3 - Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command.* (a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft. (b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency. (c) Each pilot in command who deviates from a rule under paragraph (b) of this section shall, upon the request of the Administrator, send a written report of that deviation to the Administrator. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 2120-0005) End of story... you loose moron.

[@Trout636]

It’s a shame how such an amazing airline had a rough past.

[@zero_bs_tolerance8646]

Incredibly tragic. Those pilots deserve to be remembered as heroes. RIP Passengers & Crew. Thanks for the upload.

[@mb-xg5be]

My friend Bob Ost, his wife and newborn died on this harrowing flight. RIP dear family...

[@billyponsonby]

Alaska’s motto: Fly Smart, Land Happy. I’m amazed this airline was still flying after this despicable act of corporate sabotage

[@Trout636]

Or at least rebranded. Similar to how Valujet became AirTran and SWISSAIR because Swiss International.

[@stephenciotti2127]

Thank you sir! Great job as usual!

[@benetfleck3662]

I was on the next plane. "Honey, lets stay a little longer..." Do I exist? Truly.

[@peppermintcatsass3141]

Benet Fleck ...yes

[@nenblom]

Those heroic pilots fought to the very last second, even when the plane was inverted. RIP passengers and crew of Alaska flight 261.

[@michaelreynolds3592]

Very honorable remake. You put some thought into this one. And your talent shows it off.... awesome, good sir.

[@brokentreeusauka1891]

Alaska Airlines should have been sued into oblivion after this crash. I worked with one of the people killed in this crash and the grief we all felt was a heavy burden. I would never fly this airline again.

[@GH-oi2jf]

BrokenTree Usauka - Alaska is a better airline today. If they had gone out of business, there might have been another airline in its place which was less safe.

[@serraramayfield9230]

@@GH-oi2jf Didn't the CEO at the time literally get kicked out after this incident?

[@inactivefatimahgianna245]

Serrara Willow Fluttershy he was fired yes

[@mezobromelia]

They are now one of the safest airlines. And they actually give you food and drinks instead of charging you 5 dollars for a glass of water. I always choose flying with them.

[@3v3ry1]

BrokenTree Usauka so sorry for your loss

[@ernestkovach3305]

Heroic efforts by pilots. Grace under pressure despite the sad ending. I was amazed at their poise and courage despite how frightening their situation was. They kept FOCUSED . They explored all their options, they also "told it like it was". Shame on A.A. To the very end they had an ounce of hope and abundant courage & competence. So sad that so many people lost their lives all due to that Arline's penchant for greedy profits over passenger SAFETY! Finally, though the ending was sad here, I want to compliment the producer of this OUTSTANDING presentation. You even mixed in actual voice moments from that pilot crew. Great job. From now on THIS VIDEO will be "the standard" for all others to try to achieve. Excellent. Thank you.

[@martinduffy6422]

Respect to the pilots and crew and remembrance of all passengers aboard RIP

[@lawrencegenereux8567]

If I had been one of those pilots and had survived the crash, I would have found the maintenance person with whom they were speaking, and put him in intensive care. His "I don't give a shit" attitude deserved it.

[@valeo6820]

Alaskan Airlines should have been put out of business because of this criminal negligence .

[@transitfan954]

Too bad that American didn't buy and destroy Alaska like they did to Reno Air. Instead, at least for awhile, AA and AS were JV partners.

[@Trout636]

transitfan954 They still are. But what would AA buying Alaska do at all?

[@busfan9874]

​@@transitfan954well it could still happen since Alaska joined oneworld.

[@hansg6336]

It's still amazing every time I fly. What an invention. Like any complex machine, regular maintenance and parts replacement are critical to safe performance, be it a multi-million dollar airplane or a bicycle. Incredible, a couple handfuls of lithium grease and all those people would not have perished. Anyone who complains about government over-regulation needs to watch this video.

[@hansg6336]

Wrong ethnic slur. I'm Norwegian so "weegie" is more appropriate. BTW- I'm not worried about Islam in general, just the ultra conservative, radical types like Wahhabists. Of course this video has nothing to do with Islam or aviation related terrorism. It's more of a cautionary tale about corporate greed.

[@localman8854]

The airline executives should have been hanged for this.

[@victormashatt2521]

Agree

[@PatriciaSilva-oj3hf]

Alaska Airlines sure did cut corners and it cost the lives of all those aboard. I am surprised at the fact that this airline is still in operation. The lawyer for the victims families heard the audio tape in the last moments of the flight. Lots of screaming and then silence as the plane hit the ocean.

[@leebest1a470]

Manslaughter . So sad.

[@cherryrotella3714]

leebest1A clear and simple

[@watershed44]

@leebest1A I'd call it Murder in the 2nd degree.

[@christopherfischer6998]

leebest1A whoever made those decisions should definitely be liable and held responsible

[@ShutDFckOff]

Jap Airline Flight 123 same dilemma on jammed/gone stabilizer. Maintanence manager and Inspector in-charge committed suicide, JAL president resigned. Here in USA,,,,never mind

[@vickiweber4718]

This is just heartbreaking all around. The pilots did everything they could to first fix the problem then try to divert to LA. They're heroes for thinking about the people on the ground. I can't imagine what it was like for the pilots of the other two or three planes that watch this plane go into the ocean. All because the airline was trying to save a few dollars.

[@CyberSystemOverload]

The scumbags who caused this tragedy should have been given 300 year prison sentences in solitary confinement. One of the most heart wrenching things ever. Can you imagine the sheer terror of all those on board? Those two pilots we STAND AND SALUTE. They fought till the end. The greatest respect. May they and the passengers never be forgotten.

[@RealDukeOfEarl]

I remember this one so much. It was one of those accidents that really played into fear of flying, being that it's not the frequency or the numerical risk, but that if you're ever unlucky enough your final few moments could be more terrifying than anything you could imagine, and last ages. One of the saddest vids I've seen on this channel.

[@geneellis217]

As a younger attorney in San Diego I had a client that claimed he worked for a large co. that repaired Maj airlines and they falsified the records to show that they replaced the parts with new parts but in fact they were repairing them and when he objected they fired him and followed him to Cal from back east. I'm 81 now. __________________________________________________________________________Greed in the Corp. setting if it is above and or Monsanto with their incredible false information as they put literally poison into our food and or into the animals that we east's bodies ________________________________________________________________________________I want you to look at "The Widow maker" U tube see more of this at the highest level __________________________________________________________________________________Above fanfiction of records is manslaughter if link can be shown.

[@OjaiRoy]

I worked along the Ventura coast at this time supplying the oil piers. When word got out that a passenger plane had crashed personnel from so many companies kicked it in high gear and got into all sorts of boats and ships and sped to the scene to help out. It was such a tragic scene out in the ocean. These workers thought they would save some lives but instead they did some gruesome work that day and they are never mentioned in news reports.

[@OGSontar]

The execs that ordered this should have been charged with 1 murder/manslaughter charge for every soul on that plane. But, you know, money fixes everything.

[@peppermintcatsass3141]

Sontar ... Tyrannical Greedy Whores, deserving slow horrific death!

[@liveecarbme]

This was of the most tense videos I've ever watched.

[@mscooper1814]

Have you seen the reenactment at kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioPQY4uCj9F3kNk? It was tense.

[@lizatanzawa7910]

Alaska Airlines should have had a corporate death penalty. I bet the CEO got a nice bonus, for his cost cutting, the year of the crash

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

You really think so? After that? Just think about it.

[@kevinallen6197]

I flew to Reno on alaska. Might have been the same plane. Remember watching this the day it happened. 20 years goes by like only 2 years. Time is fleeting. Could've been you or I . God rest their souls.

[@ytlongbeach]

On the plus side, those crack maintenance workers saved Alaska $1 in jack screw grease. The accountants were ecstatic up to the crash, and then the insurance paid the remainder.

[@leexgx]

ytlongbeach think it's little bit more time to get to it, notjust the grease it self (they also dubbed the servicing time between greasing the screw so there was a high risk that they would not grease it up over 3-4 service intervals witch is what happened on this plane they said they had done it when they had not)

[@PrincessGrouchy]

Thanks for this recreation. It was very well made.

[@DemopVWgarage]

Alaska Airlines should have been shut down after this!!

[@MalquiLans]

I have seen many of your vids & don't know why I put myself through the emotional experience. It's very well put together if I feel I'm up there. I do travel but I'm glad I'm watching these things on the ground.

[@SOU6900]

Is this where they got the idea for that movie with Denzel Washington in it?

[@noahdavidson8733]

Yes

[@darmoenoyoga.4422]

Same idea

[@buffya8012]

Minus the alcoholic pilot...yes,this and I think there was another crash as well that they tried the “inverted” maneuver but failed...I don’t think it’s ever actually been done successfully

[@OOTurok]

@@buffya8012 The pilot did not try to perform any inverted maneuver. They plane was out of control & went inverted, because the stabilizer jack screw broke. The pilots tried to regain control & roll the plane back, but couldn't.

[@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783]

For a few moments those two pilots were the baddest fucking men in the world, controlling an airliner fully inverted and staying calm. “At least we have control flying upside down”. Damn...

[@Eric-yc7po]

this story deserved a miracle ending. so sad.

[@Eric-yc7po]

the pilots were flying the plane fucking upside down. god damn if only they could have somehow landed gently and saved some lives.

[@watershed44]

@Eric If that retaining nut could have held on just 15 minutes more they might have managed a controlled crash landing and many might have survived.

[@mickdunne981]

Bless them all.My mother here in Ireland passed away the same day as that crash.May the RIP my thoughts and prayers go to thier family and freinds

[@jeanettea12345]

Sheer terror for the passengers and crew I can't imagine an airplane becoming inverted like this one did.

[@VoluntaryVirtues0com]

Thanks for all your hard work on these videos, they are great!

[@CaLypSO4456]

This is so sad. They really tried to keep the plane stable.

[@samstroup2685]

I got goose bumps watching this, imagining what it must have been like for the pilot/heroes and the passengers. unreal