CBS News Clip: Tenerife Airport Disaster (March 28, 1977)

[@philduritza7717]

Amazing how much of the underlying cause and sequence of events was correctly known that early on in the media coverage.

[@carlphone]

I was thinking the same thing

[@rainscratch]

@@carlphone It was fairly accurate.

[@NicotineRosberg]

The 70s weren't the stone age

[@Cris134l]

​@@NicotineRosberg ya existían tremendos aviones como esos que impactaron

[@adrielsebastian5216]

Crazy how this was just a day after the disaster, but the version of events presented here was almost exactly what happened. The details that was known within a day was incredible.

[@rainscratch]

This tragedy was the result of a whole string of events, weather conditions, no ground radar etc, but of course the main trigger was the KLM Captain taking off without clearance, even though his First Officer hinted that Pan Am may still be on the runway.

[@annmarie7488]

The authorities were more forthcoming in those days. Now, the default is to clam up until “the full investigation is completed” because of liability concerns.

[@londonroulette]

I was at this airport one week before this happened, flying back to the UK from an amazing 2 week holiday. Still to this day this crash is UNBELIEVABLE!!

[@joshstephens3650]

I was twelve days old when this happened.

[@JoshuaReynolds-b3m]

I was 3, now 51

[@visionist7]

"Tenerife" is a byword for unimaginable disaster in the industry since that fateful day. A day which could have been avoided.

[@antoniosanjurjo2259]

The only people to blame for the Tenerife accident are the terrorists. The US gave its support to a terrorist group with the intention of the Canary Islands separating from Spain. Said terrorist group, the MPAIAC, exploded a bomb at the Las Palmas airport, which was the destination for eight 747s. The 747s had only two options. One, the Tenerife Airport, which neither received them nor was prepared to receive them, or the second, which was the bottom of the sea. Thanks to the diversion of the 747s to Tenerife, thousands of lives were saved from the other six 747s. The tragedy could have been greater if the eight 747s had ended up at the bottom of the sea. The blame for the Tenerife tragedy was exclusively the terrorists and the nation that supported them.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

@@antoniosanjurjo2259 well. If the KLM captain had been a little more patient and confirmed take off clearance the accident would not have happened.

[@briantaylor9220]

I was 13,it's mesmerized ever since,rip

[@edwardestes8038]

This was how media should be today....instead of only reporting half of the story....while making up other parts to fit their ideas of what shouldn't be reorted weather it was true or not.

[@scotabot7826]

You mean if CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, or CBS told you that Donald Trump caused this crash 46 years ago, you wouldn't believe them?? Well, I never!! Just do like I did 10 years ago, don't watch the daily continued lies and turn the trash off. Your post couldn't be anymore true!! Now they're trying to rewrite known history. Those people are just disgusting and very evil!!!

[@k4106dt]

I agree that media coverage today has deteriorated and been dumbed down significantly.

[@firemangan]

I agree, nowadays media coverage just appeals to people who have specific political views, left and right.

[@muffs55mercury61]

All the pilots from the Pan Am flight survived and one thru the years told just what happened so that left nothing to speculation. Los Rodeos airport was notorious for it's frequent fog. There were two other crashes. One on takeoff in 1972 and another in 1980 when a jet hit a mountain on final approach due to fog.

[@briannugent5222]

When the news was just reported by fact.

[@droberts8703]

So sorry condolences

[@scotabot7826]

The #1 seniority KLM Captain is the one who made the horrifying error. No takeoff clearance was given, but he went anyway!! So, so sad!

[@benwherlock9869]

But it didn't help that the Pan Am plane took the wrong exit on the runway.

[@null_geodesic]

@@benwherlock9869 That is irrelevant, Pan Am correctly signaled that they're still on the runway. KLM captain consciously decided to go without clearance, cutting off both his FO and ignoring the complaints from the flight engineer, killIng 582 people and himself. His error is pure criminal negligence and CRM was introduced *because of him*. He's lucky he died, would've spent the rest of his life in prison.

[@Escadrille-SPA.46.WW-1]

​@@benwherlock9869 It was to small for a 747-100. Dutch Kamikaze pilot could not wait 2-3 minutes. In dark fog without visibility.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

@@benwherlock9869 take off clearance is required for a reason - to account for the unexpected like jet missing the turn off. There was some confusion among the panam staff about which turn off. The first turn off was too acute a turning angle so they assumed it was the next turn off.

[@StephenLuke]

RIP To the passengers and crew of KLM Flight 4805 and the 335 passengers and crew of Pan Am Flight 1736

[@0331_Lcpl]

Walter cronkite was a true icon, and a consummate professional.

[@0331_Lcpl]

I had just turned 2 on the 2nd of March 77.

[@rainscratch]

An unforgettable tragedy, but not for a whole string of events and circumstances, sudden fog, and taking off without clearance by the KLM Captain Van Zanten, this disaster would not have happened. I recommend two books: 'Never Wait For The Fire Truck' by David Yeager Alexander (a Pan Am survivor who took the iconic photograph of the Pan Am 747 in flames) and 'Collision on Tenerife' by Jon Ziomek. Both excellent, the latter very detailed. Also an interesting TV documentary from Holland that has rare interviews with Pan Am copilot Robert Bragg, E Dreifus from NTSB, and American Pilots Association P Roitsch. These interviews are in English, the rest in Dutch and Spanish. Unfortunately no English translation available, but worth seeing for these interviews and post crash scenes not always shown elsewhere. Documentary here kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3SUaYGkps57p5Y

[@lancemckellar]

I remember this as a boy

[@idolhanz9842]

I remember when Howard Cossell announced this tragedy at a boxing match in Texas...

[@Escadrille-SPA.46.WW-1]

He also announced the assassination of John Lennon on Monday Night football. Dec-8-1980. Miami Dolphins over New England Patriots. 16-13 in overtime. He let the world know before any major news networks. RIP Howard.

[@AllenJones-w3p]

Cosell was a sportscaster, not a newscaster.

[@lancemckellar]

The first person to the PAN AM jet was a taxi driver!

[@kanandaferreira885]

O Maior Acidente Aéreo da História Tenerife 💔😔 !!

[@edwardestes8038]

If Van Zanten wouldn;t have taken on so much extra fuel.....and he wasn't in such a big hurry....he too would be alive today along with all the other victoms..!!

[@muffs55mercury61]

Right. That doesn't make sense why he did that. They were just going to the other side of the island and he would have been too heavy to land with 10,000 more pounds since he wasn't empty before he took it on.

[@Bob31415]

It's highly doubtful van Zanten would be alive today. He was born 96 years ago.

[@edwardestes8038]

Well..what i meant was.....he would have lived a longer life than he did.Sometimes being in that kind of a hurry....well go figure....was deadly for him only thinking of a reputation to uphold.While being stupid andnot being responsable for the lives of his passengers and crew.Just like Chigago crash in 79.....i bet that area is haunted now.Of souls that died so suddenly and don't know they have passed on.Chicagos crash sight....people are still seeing and hearing things@@Bob31415

[@tiadaid]

@@muffs55mercury61 The reasoning was that he took on fuel in Tenerife so that he don't have to take fuel at Las Palmas, delaying him further.

[@k4106dt]

@@tiadaid You are correct. Van Zanten was fighting the clock. He wanted to do a quick turn around on Tenerife and get back to Holland ASAP.

[@randbarrett8706]

“back in the days when jazz became respectable enough for concert halls” the seventies really were a wild time 7:36

[@tiadaid]

8:31 - such system didn't stop the USAir collision at LAX in 1991. It also didn't stop the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 516 which crashed into a plane on the runway earlier this year, thankfully with no fatalites on the JAL jet.

[@jeffreykoran4820]

COULD'VE ALL BEEN AVOIDED IF THE KLM CAPTAIN WASN'T IN SUCH A HURRY...HE TOOK OFF WITHOUT THE TOWERS PERMISSION HITTING THE PAN AM 747 STILL ON THE RUNWAY....ITS A MIRACLE ANYONE SURVIVED....

[@MannyL-g3m]

One of the captain’s had get there-itis and caused this disaster.

[@vickiweber4718]

What other means besides dental records did they use to identify the victims that were unrecognizable? I know it was years before DNA testing became a thing.

[@rainscratch]

Not much to go by really when the body is so affected beyond even being identifiable as a human. Jewellery, watches may have been clues. Some passengers were found in their seat so that is one way.

[@definitelyjustcj4148]

passenger ticketing and seeing who is still alive after

[@hyperaesthesia]

2:00 5:20

[@10Haille]

Ya the Capt on KLM was in a big hurry to takeoff👺👺👺👹👹👹🚨🚨🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

[@dominewimbury2039]

Black and white in 1977?

[@tigerbandalumni]

No, this recording originates from the Vanderbilt University news archives which as well n B&W but the CBS Evening News was color since 1966.

[@hossahunter22]

I think the "cool as ice" voice common nowadays needs to stop. too much mumbling and "sounding cool" on the comms than actually digesting and clarifying information communicated over the radios.

[@antoniosanjurjo2259]

The only people to blame for the Tenerife accident are the terrorists. The US gave its support to a terrorist group with the intention of the Canary Islands separating from Spain. Said terrorist group, the MPAIAC, exploded a bomb at the Las Palmas airport, which was the destination for eight 747s. The 747s had only two options. One, the Tenerife Airport, which neither received them nor was prepared to receive them, or the second, which was the bottom of the sea. Thanks to the diversion of the 747s to Tenerife, thousands of lives were saved from the other six 747s. The tragedy could have been greater if the eight 747s had ended up at the bottom of the sea. The blame for the Tenerife tragedy was exclusively the terrorists and the nation that supported them.

[@muffs55mercury61]

For sure! Los Rodeos was never meant for all that traffic. That and it's frequent fog. There was one previous crash there in 1972 and another that flew into a mountain on final approach in 1980.

[@scotabot7826]

I'm really surprized your not trying to blame Boeing for building the 747's. Come on man!!!!!!!!

[@Escadrille-SPA.46.WW-1]

Dutch Kamikaze pilot could not wait 2-3 minutes in fog! The idiot had been flying since 1951. 2-3 minutes because he could not wait 2-3 minutes.

[@nephi5059]

I worked for Pan American. This was way before my time. However remember. Although I was there the day PAA closed. It's just amazing how the Pan Am name its almost... To this day..amazingly in news. It was the last professional company where people did their jobs and more. All down hill since. Nothing works, no body wants to work and if they do work don't know what they're doing. That goes for doctors, attorneys, teachers etc... How far America has collapsed. We've premited criminal politicians total destroy country. Awake people. Get prepared. Storm is near. Someone owns the Pan Am name and logo. Guess you might say, like piece of Tiffany jewelry in safety deposit box at bank. Holding on. Maybe one day worth alot. How about renaming SpaceX, PAN AM Clipper Orion lll. As in movie 2001.

[@gallinazo29]

The Spanish controller ordered the KLM crew to "run into position and hold", but due to the terrible English accent of the Spanish controller it sounded something like this: "KLM 4805 you're cleared for takeoff". Besides,.the US has some innovative artifacts called "radars" while Spain's airports still rely on smoke signals. I hope my comment is as cynical and stereotyped as this coverage.

[@Top.Allied.Stork-75]

There was nothing wrong with the Spanish aircraft controllers English. Van Zanten was a Dutch Kamikaze pilot who cared more about company money than almost 600 people. COULD NOT WAIT 3 MINUTES! 3 MINUTES! JEEZ! IN THE FOG!

[@gallinazo29]

@@Top.Allied.Stork-75 I was just being sarcastic trying to emulate "American" stereotypical mindset.

[@annmarie7488]

Why is this in black and white? I was alive back then and color was the default even in 1977.

[@pianomanhere]

The TV on which the coverage was taped may have been very old. I don't know if this is directly from CBS evening news.

[@kibitznec700]

The chances of an accident are not remote anywhere. That reporter is totally wrong. It doesnt matter if its in Spain, France, UK or united states.