Crashing Immediately After Takeoff in Detroit | Alarming Silence | Northwest Airlines 255

[@romanbotello15]

I was working at a hospital in Ypsilanti when this happened. We were told there was a plane crash and to prepare for emergency arrivals. After about an hour we were told to stand down. No one was coming.

[@rethablair6902]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

[@paudsmcmack3117]

I can't imagine what that was like.

[@ricbachman1727]

Which hospital? St Joes?

[@romanbotello15]

@@ricbachman1727 Beyer Hospital in Ypsilanti

[@mickeymch876]

I didn't watch this yet but if I remember correctly one little girl survived. She was the sole survivor.

[@greatlakesaerialvideoservi8841]

My first cousin Ken Bell was unfortunately on this flight. I will never forget this day.

[@debrogers626]

So sorry

[@alidabirnia2882]

I am so sorry. It happens to the best of us.

[@b.hamaratouray2859]

My condolences to you and your family.

[@desireelococo1747]

So sorry for your loss.

[@PK-mm8zc]

Iam so sorry to hear this

[@capnye6580]

Never get too comfy in the cockpit... my instructor told me this when I was learning how to fly and I can never forget his words

[@christianWilliams-pc4jn]

How could two pilots miss that? Also how critical are the flaps could it be salvaged if they made that mistake or was it doomed?

[@boblackey1]

@@christianWilliams-pc4jn In 2002 another MD-82 crashed in Spain as soon as it lifted off killing over 100 people. Exact same thing. The pilots forgot to set the flaps for takeoff. The configuration was zero and it runway and weight called for 11 degrees. This Northwest flight was the same. They were at zero and should had been 11 degrees. And in both planes the warning device to alert the pilots they forgot to set the flaps did not sound.

[@christianWilliams-pc4jn]

@@boblackey1 thanks for the response. And this is why I don't fly.

[@boblackey1]

@@christianWilliams-pc4jn Well the good news is no one has lost their life in an airliner in America since 2001. 20 years. And it's been longer than that since the pilots forgot to set the flaps. Delta had a crash in 1988, their last crash, and the pilots forgot to set the flaps for takeoff. Either pilots don't make that mistake now or the warning device always works. The pilots of the Northwest crash in Detroit discovered their computer wasn't set for auto throttle during their take off roll and quickly set it but didn't think they had also forgotten the flaps.

[@christianWilliams-pc4jn]

@@boblackey1 yeah but it does happen. And it will happen again it's inevitable and only a matter of time. I for one do not want to take that chance. If we were meant to be 20,000 ft in the air we would have wings like birds. Just imagine for a second that you're on the plane where it happens. Aside from pilot error which can happen anytime, you have mechanical failure, and inadequate maintenance ( i.e. Alaska flight 261).

[@annabel5976]

A good friend of mine died in this. He was flying back to Phoenix from his reunion in Michigan. He asked me to accompany him but I declined because my dad offered to take me to Vegas instead. He wasn’t even supposed to be on this flight but switched to come home early. Keith K. Rogers. RIP

[@annabel5976]

Nicholas Barton Thank you. 🙏

[@caroler9685]

A death friend of my step Neice was aboard n she was only 18 0r 19..not suppose on flight 55 was bumped off continental..because of mechanical problems n was flying to her parents n was to be my neices roommate at MSU that fall..Joanne Surwitz RIP i knowherparents back in the day herdadwas our milkman her mom was good friends with mystep sister...n stillis as far as i know..RIP Dave, Joanne's late dad who passed years after the crash.. RIP to all crew n passangers excrpt that one little ...girl ..Cecila Surhen..only survivor

[@caroler9685]

Very, very sorry forthe loss of your of your friend...RIP

[@boataxe4605]

That must be the luckiest Vegas trip ever. RIP to your friend.

[@marinnicoleta-laura4500]

@@annabel5976 filme acțiune traduse in romona

[@michaelfarrell8133]

I visited the crash site back in 1999. There are 154 trees planted there in memorial. A very surreal and sad experience. The sole survivor was 4 year old Celia Sheehan. Here brother and parents did not survive. Celia is now married and living elsewhere. RIP to all on board.

[@LV2UXO77]

Michael, thank you for that information. I was going to Google Search the survivor. I Hope & Pray she is happy at this time. What a nightmare to have gone through!

[@axiomist4488]

Not to be disrespectful, but shouldnt there be 156 trees? There were two fatalities on the ground. Two poor souls who had nothing to do with the flight, except to be sitting in their cars . God bless them all. The little girl survivor breaks my heart . Poor baby, she lost her whole family .

[@marwangaming4708]

@@axiomist4488 I agree, it's like they didn't matter or that they were forgotten.

[@scottporter1108]

My ex coworker and his wife are friends with Celia.

[@podunkest]

I grew up about a mile down the road with all the debris on it that's in the black and white photo they use a lot in stories about the crash. I am the exact same age as the survivor... It was kind of a legend growing up to me being so young when it happened but hearing adults telling stories about it all the time. Kind of surreal learning about it later in life as an adult and knowing those were real people who were impacted by that horrible tragedy.

[@hectorrodriguez7002]

My friend and coworker was on that flight, ive never forgotten him or what happened, may you rest in peace, Patrick.

[@PK-mm8zc]

So Sorry

[@gopalkohila7313]

In memory of your friend and coworker

[@amandamich3lle10]

So sorry for you loss!

[@harrietharlow9929]

Very, very sorry. I remember this crash. RIP to all who died that rainy August night.

[@Hanover-ek4jy]

Left out in this report was the very important fact that was discovered many pilots silenced the flap warning system because they found it annoying!

[@None-zc5vg]

One Spanish 747 pilot was yelling at the terrain-warning system to 'shut up' in the seconds before his plane hit the side of a mountain.

[@craigwilson7242]

Exactly! how tragic.

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

Human stupidity will never cease to amaze me.

[@NewscasterNews4]

@@None-zc5vg I don’t even have any words for that one……🤐

[@josephfolz7332]

Nothing about that horrible airline or its horrible crews could ever surprise me. It is a tragedy that so many people paid the ultimate price for Northwest negligence.

[@tiggragg2749]

I was a new Flight Attendant with North west Airlines about 1 1/2 yrs...I was on a 757 going to LAX next for take off after 255...I was the lead Fight Attandant telling the Captain the cabin was secure for departure when it happened...I will never forget that night...after awhile we were taxied back to gate because some passengers wanted to deplane...Sona Roberts a news anchor for LA was on our fight...as we neared the terminal to park at gate seating areas in terminal were calm but other areas you could see people running for phone as news of disaster reached them it was like dominos falling...phone lines were so busy we could not get through to call our families till we got to LAX...It was hard on my parents because Fight Attendants get rescheduled sometimes and are certified on all aircraft..my wonderful Father never cried ...but when he finally heard my voice he cried in relief...I knew Flight Attendants on that flight and also a jumpseater who was going home...it's hard you never know when your time is...God Bless all that have departed...and the little girl that survived...

[@richbrake9910]

I'm from Detroit, but was living in L.A. at the time of the crash. I remember Sona Roberts.

[@zift18]

Your video's almost always leave me sad but with a profound sense of awe, at the unpredictability of life.

[@Solololol]

Well said

[@ABQSkywatcher]

Life is so fragile. Especially obvious when you're in the air.

[@sarahalbers5555]

And the will to survive. This was very hard to watch. But that one survivor- just beyond.....

[@jumpinjojo]

Wyrd Walker Videos*. No apostrophe necessary.

[@DENIEL381]

YES LIFE IS A MYSTERY AND WILL REMAIN SO NOBODY HAS ANSWERS NOT EVEN ME.

[@Jarvis2many]

This killed John Michael Carter a great man and father. He left behind his wife, four daughters and one son all under the age of 18. A very sad day!

[@willtrap4food698]

his wife was under 18 too? kinda sus

[@kellyanderson7624]

@@willtrap4food698 No moron, his kids were all under 18

[@crochelt]

rest in peace

[@herbert286]

@@kellyanderson7624 I think everyone was under 18. The husband the wife and the 5 kids. He started real early

[@michaelconner1771]

This guy's middle and last names are MY first and middle names.

[@cbudzyn]

I was a kid when this happen, my dad flew constantly out of Detroit for work; I remember this vividly when the emergency news flash came on announcing a flight had crashed on take off, my dad flew that evening and constantly booked on NW Airlines; there was panic in the house until my mom found his itinerary & the flight number was confirmed on the news. I feel horrible for the families who didn’t have that relief.

[@desdicadoric]

Sometimes you’re unlucky, sometimes god has other plans

[@perryegolson833]

@@cheeziest2313 Exactly.

[@jeffsmith9351]

Faith is mental illness tbh

[@angelawilliams4239]

@@desdicadoric , if that’s the case what did the poor passengers on the plane do to deserve what happened? God has plans….what a crock!

[@theworldwariioldtimeradioc8676]

@@angelawilliams4239 Death in most ways is not the best of experiences. My personal view is that they did not “deserve” their fate. I believe that when your job in this life is done God calls you home whether you are a day old or 100 years old. It is difficult to understand, but that’s why it is called Faith.

[@andrewnicoll4827]

The work that goes into these videos is immense, well done this is an art!

[@seriousorganizer]

yea felt like i was in the plane so scary!

[@donnabrown4349]

@@seriousorganizer I better never hear stall. I have flown at least 80 times but not so much over the past few years.

[@sylviekins]

Yes they are just amazing!

[@allenhetrick7694]

HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT WORK GOES INTO THESE VIDEOS.

[@sylviekins]

Allen Hetrick why are you so angry?

[@tubechic71]

A former childhood friend's cousin died in this crash. She was visiting her father here in Michigan and was going home to her mom in Arizona. She had begged to stay just one more day. Her father made her go home any way. She was 14 I think.He never got over that and went into a deep depression. He died in a car wreck some years later. May they both continue to RIP. Her name was Dorian Wallington.

[@neerajnongmaithem392]

As a father I would never be able to forget myself, people say time would heal but I know I would not had. I hope the mother is doing well

[@gusmc01]

On the CVR, the pilot's last words were "I'm so sorry, we are going to crash". Heartbreaking.

[@MisterRON]

Such a gut wrenching CVR recording 😢

[@savannahmapping2340]

No it wasn't . It was another plane on the radio

[@richbrake9910]

Perhaps he realized he forgot the flaps and was not about to say that.

[@ChrisZwolinski]

I remember that evening very well. A friend of mine was a first responder to the scene and it wore on him so badly that PTSD affected him marriage, family and friends.

[@VexifyGaming]

Same, I was driving on the road where it crashed

[@Fyrestream]

Interestingly, I was a teen, but a volunteer for the civilian emergency office and was called to respond. I did not go for that very reason. Although I have seen hell since. At that age, I was not prepared for sure. Thanks for sharing.

[@dx1450]

So sorry to hear that. As an ex-911 dispatcher, I know how PTSD from major events and even just the buildup of stress from a bunch of small events over time can affect a person. I saw it happen to many of my coworkers, and my wife said that I just got totally cynical and basically hated people. So glad for my mental health and my marriage that I quit that line of work.

[@jwalker7277]

🤯OMG 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@piperalpha5514]

Then your friend was in the wrong job. You can sympathise but never empathise or you are finished as a first responder.

[@Dickybardo87]

My mom was pregnant with me and scheduled to be on this flight. A few hours before takeoff, she wasn't feeling well and decided to fly out the next day

[@doctorclarke6556]

You're either really good storyteller or you're actually telling the truth I'm surprised it never made international news

[@stephaniebarber17]

@@doctorclarke6556 stfu who would lie about this

[@stephaniebarber17]

God saved your mon

[@donnabrown4349]

I am so happy for you that your Mom had Morning Sickness. It saved your life. My sister took the same flight and Aircraft a week earlier. She lived in Phoenix at the same time and flew with her husband and 3 small children who were ages 4, 3 and 1.

[@lilcoke4069]

@@stephaniebarber17 Cause people lie, especially over the internet. There's plenty of stories on the internet made up just for likes it's not uncommon. I'm not saying this is a lie but I wouldn't be surprised.

[@KVDom]

Its amazing how a simple mistake can doom a plane.

[@garethevans9789]

It's not just one mistake, both pilots made mistakes (skimmed the checklist, the radio) before the problems started.

[@radiobug63]

Hence, the reason for checklists and communication procedures for both pilots, engineer and cabin crews

[@donnabrown4349]

There was a thing back then where Airlines would compete with other Airlines about being on time. Well in this case it proved to be unsafe. I think they wait out wind sheer and more thunderstorm now. If they hadn't been in such a hurry people might have been stuck at Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport over night they were insisting on not having enough time to get to John Wayne Airport in California. If they weren't in such a hurry the people who needed to get to California might have to sit the night in the airport in Phoenix but they would be alive today.

[@larrykeez8616]

.....Yes, and it started with the omission of the "After Start Checklist". Because of the confusion on taxi (misses the turn, night, rain, change of runway and extra computations) there was not a call for Flaps Extension or depressing the TOGA buttons to put the aircraft into the TakeOff mode. This omission deleted the TakeOff warning signals that something was amiss. Also, no "Taxi Checklist" called for. Add to this the omission of the "TakeOff Checklist".....all could have been rectified during the 3 minutes waiting for wake turbulence to subside if they would have scanned the Mode Select panel just one more time....... This is sad.

[@jgrab1]

*A* mistake? They did everything wrong one could do during the checklist for takeoff.

[@stunhsif7]

I went to high school with two of the young men that died on this aircraft, rest in peace Randy and Keith.

[@alienchaser1495]

May they rest in peace if they can mate

[@tylerwilson3507]

If you mean Kieth K. Rogers, a person named Annabel made a similar comment on this same video about how he took an early flight home after your reunion. R.I.P to your friends, I'm truly sorry.

[@stephaniebarber17]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@samanthasmith4038]

That’s horrible so sorry

[@RebeccaHindle]

Sorry for your loss RIP to them

[@RDLouks]

After all these years still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. My Brother was supposed to be on that flight but his meeting got canceled at the last minute.

[@mj6962]

Wow. Divine providence.

[@GraveUypo]

@@mj6962 why didn't that work for all that peple that died on the plane?

[@mj6962]

GraveUypo I don’t know buddy maybe you could take that up with God when you meet him after you leave the earth...

[@GraveUypo]

@@mj6962 i do know. it's because everything good is credited to god and everything bad is credited to fate. such convenience.

[@mj6962]

GraveUypo Wonderful! Well there you go! You had your answer all along, and didn’t even need to ask me. Good for you, man, good. For. You!

[@lisap8192]

I will never forget when this happened! I was just a little girl & we lived in suburban Detroit. The only survivor happened to be a little girl who lost her whole family! My heart broke for her 😞

[@perryegolson833]

Interviews with other pilots of the MD-82 at the time revealed that the aircraft's warning system would often produce various little "nuisance" warnings during taxiing to the runway. It actually worked extremely well, but it was annoying to pilots, because it was normally pretty harmless stuff. So they learned which breaker controlled this system and would often pull it to eliminate the nuisance warnings. Unfortunately, and in what proved to be a deadly coincidence for 156 people, this particular breaker in the MD-82 also controlled the takeoff warning system and would have alerted the pilots that their plane wasn't properly configured for takeoff. It is very likely that this breaker was simply pulled when the pilots boarded the plane. Had it been working properly a very loud warning would have sounded. It would have said "FLAPS" and "SLATS" quite loudly along with accompanying beeps. It also explains why the auto-throttle would not stick. It was never even engaged. This all was because the pilots failed to use the taxi check list due to being preoccupied with other matters.

[@matthewstorer8236]

Other matters being, they didn't want to be delayed and were trying to beat the impending storm. Sad story. My cousin Darcie was part of this clean up and recovery crew. She was never the same. Drank herself to death 20 years ago. Picking up hands and feet and jaw bones can really destroy your psyche. May they all rest in peace.😔

[@wysoft]

@@matthewstorer8236 the pilot had nearly 1,400 hours on this airframe and was otherwise a veteran pilot. Taking off without the flaps extended would be like pulling out of your driveway with your driver's side door wide open - something that you would otherwise never do. Complacency and impatience kills.

[@matthewstorer8236]

@@paulconvery680 Thank you! I have often wondered if there were other stories similar to hers.

[@matthewstorer8236]

@@paulconvery680 I have the deepest sympathy for these first responders. I couldn't imagine having to pick up body parts from a crash this horrific. I did see the other comment. The only way to make it through something this traumatic is dehumanizing the situation the best you can. I have read first responder accounts from the commuter crash in Indiana on Halloween 1994, the USAIR 737 that crashed in Pittsburgh and the crash at O'Hare in 1979. Those three crashes also reduced the passengers to small pieces. I pray those people found some kind of peace. Nobody knows how they will react to that kind of horror until they have to.

[@matteoedwardes2876]

Or they pulled it. Which was mentioned in a documentary. Not blaming them. A pilot said it was kind of commonplace. So changing runways, pulled breaker and finally failing to complete checklist due to distractions is logically the answer. All was not lost as a little girl made it unbelievably.

[@shadydave6036]

My friend was driving on west I 94 and saw the plane headed at her, She floored it and saw it hit I 94 in her mirror. she started crying and praying. she drove close to a mile before she took her foot off the floor. It's still with her like it was just this morning

[@nexpresspro]

I was on I-94 passing the airport in my S10 pick up. I remember looking at my watch, because I was running late getting to Ann Arbor, and the crash happened right behind me. It was so shocking...I just remember seeing a flash in my rear view mirror and pulling off to the shoulder in disbelief. I’ve passed the airport for 33 years since and I’m always reminded of how horrible that was when I see a plane crossing over the highway into or out of the airport.

[@susanhamptonva4203]

If you hadn't been in a hurry, you might have been involved in that crash. What a thing to haunt a person.

[@02WIFE]

I use to get nervous driving on I-94 passing metro airport especially middlebelt

[@JesusRobinson-o1v]

100th like.

[@johnfahey8817]

My mother was on this flight RIP mom

[@PhxAzGuy]

John Fahey, your mother was killed in two separate crashes. She should consider not flying anymore.

[@Satoshi9801]

@@PhxAzGuy You mean he's lying?

[@carrolclark6270]

I was a van driver and I often picked up packages from the airport for American Sunroof I was there the day that happened it was most horrific thing I ever seen in my life

[@luuluubarabaramei8714]

Rip rip yes yes Forever always

[@tubechic71]

I am so sorry

[@catherinefitzpatrick9144]

My brother was driving down Middlebelt and saw this terrible accident, too. And, fwiw, my dad was an automotive body designer at American Sunroof then, too.

[@garethevans9789]

If only one of them glanced at the flaps during that 3 minute delay... Both pilots made errors before the problems started unfolding; skimmed the checklist (forgot atleast two items), the radio, missed the turning. The failed warning system was the final straw. Plus, they had time to correct the flaps before the crash, even partial flaps could have saved them. I think that makes it all the more tragic.

[@microRiZu]

Or there might be some failure with even flaps selected the flaps failed to extend? idk there wasn't much information in this video about the position of the flap handles themselves, tell me if you find anything about the flaps handle cheers!

[@kimberlystewart8980]

My recollection is that flaps weren't on the taxi or takeoff checklists due to the merger between Republic & Northwest. The pilots were held ultimately responsible because it was memory item, but the airline's lack of oversight was cited as a contributing factor.

[@garethevans9789]

I just did a little digging and the timeline portrayed in the video is quite different to the timeline from the voice recorder. The flight was only in the air for 20 seconds! The stick-shaker started after 5 seconds and the aural warning started after 10 seconds. So they had very little time to react. Even if they started to apply flaps the moment the stick-shaker started, they only had 15 seconds to regain control. [Source: en.wikipediaDOTorg/wiki/Northwest_Airlines_Flight_255] @@kimberlystewart8980 Wow, that is bureaucracy at it's finest.

[@kimberlystewart8980]

@@garethevans9789 Yes, the light pole and building they struck are literally at the end of the runway And the Avis rent-a-car wasn't terribly tall, maybe 2 stories. It's still at the end of the runway. They never had a chance to react. www.google.com/maps/place/Avis+Car+Rental/@42.2363902,-83.3347588,15z/data=!4m8!1m2!2m1!1savis+rental+a+car+middlebelt+dtw!3m4!1s0x883b4f2c2e243adb:0x8d78a3be0772db42!8m2!3d42.2363902!4d-83.329913

[@kimberlystewart8980]

@@garethevans9789 I don't think it's fair to the pilots to not mention it, because had been on either list, I don't think they would have made the error. That's what the damned things are for afterall.

[@tjnies]

My neighbor, best friend growing up, was killed on this flight along with his wife and 1 yr-old son. I didn't search for this video; I just "showed up" on my list. eerie...

[@kathymyers-host6187]

Sorry for your loss😔🙏

[@doctorclarke6556]

Enjoy life to the fullest my friend we truly do not know our last day. I would assume you're roughly 50 today. How has life treated you let me know perhaps I can provide a blessing.

[@Javirero]

@@doctorclarke6556 I'm glad there is still people like you on the internet. Hope you are blessed today and always mister!!

[@MarianNicolaou]

omg so sad to hear this, rip

[@breakingames7772]

I was on middlebelt road a mile away and saw it as a kid, for months after people were using metal detectors and looking for valuables from the dead people

[@frankcharlessr.5916]

I was on this crash scene as a local police officer. The flight did not take off during a storm. No lightning, thunder, or rain was in place during push back, taxi, take-of, or impact. There was a light rain shower after the crash, not enough for law enforcement to put on rain gear.

[@casper3130]

I was there also standing on the balcony of my hotel as the plane flew over the right side of the hotel and crashed into the overpass. It was a little before dark when it crashed, cloudy with a lite mist and the wind was blowing a little bit. The plane was banked a little left, the nose a little up going down and I could see the Pilot in the left cockpit window as the plane passed then crashed into the overpass, it shocked the heck out of me.

[@judywein3282]

Thank you for your service that night.

[@bugpal]

Yes the sky was clear. I was just putting the key in my door lock in Norwayne when I heard two big booms. I love thunderstorms so I looked west and there we're stars. Then I saw the news on TV.

[@pattykauth2431]

We lived in Ypsilanti and felt the ground shake. My husband was a first responder and was initially called into work but they were canceled because there as only one survivor. It was a beautiful ev3ning. Warm sunny with no rain in sight.

[@danielhuculak1877]

The front was a little more active up near Oakland-Pontiac. I remember that flight originated from the MBS airport near Saginaw and it still had a stop in MSP before ending in PHX. Whatever the weather radar looked like in Romulus, I'm sure the crew wanted to get in the air asap.

[@CDN1975]

The survivor has grown into a beautiful young woman. It is truly miraculous that she survived. Heartbreaking for the families of those lost. Thanks for presenting these stories with such respect.

[@jeschr3462]

Sadly I think a lot of people survived the initial impact as they were only going about 170mph. It was the fire that killed a lot of them. The little girl was found strapped to her seat away from the fire.

[@raiderrog6412]

Where was she seated?

[@NickyD]

@@jeschr3462 not alot surveied the impact that girl just got lucky its very hard to live a 170 mph impact

[@hyperu2]

@@jeschr3462 Doubt the fire had much to do with it, bodies were scattered all over the place, she was lucky enough to be protected from blunt force trauma.

[@leowondergem6002]

We often wondered how she was. What a sad day in Michigan history.

[@millsmakesonminecraft869]

My grandpa, Doug Hagler, was on this flight.. I never got to meet him

[@stephaniebarber17]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@paulmcpoopiface1389]

God that’s terrible, I truly send my deepest condolences to your grandfather and everyone else aboard the flight that didn’t survive. May they all be remembered. 😔

[@bONjouRpUtA]

May his soul Rest In Peace

[@RebeccaHindle]

Sorry for you loss such a shame you never got to meet him 🙏🌈 I never met my uncle I so wish is could of but he fell off a mountain 😔

[@paulmcpoopiface1389]

@@RebeccaHindle my great great grandfather had a seizure and fell of the face of a mountain while rock climbing in Slovakia when my grandmother was only 3.

[@mpa7056]

Made the memorial stone for this one. Met many of the loved ones when set it up. RIP

[@misscadets89]

Wow 💜

[@Torgo1969]

Where is the stone? I live in SE Mich and I fly out of DTW every now and then. EDIT: I found it at Google Maps. Thank you for such great work.

[@mpa7056]

@@Torgo1969 Right by I94 and Middlebelt Road on the hill. If memory serves me, was right at the crash site I believe. My coworker and I made it and with the help of a crane set it back in 1994.

[@Torgo1969]

@@mpa7056 Yes, that's where I found it. I usually turn off at Merriman when I drive to DTW from Ann Arbor, so I've never seen it on Middlebelt. But I drive down Middlebelt when I go shopping for Polish food in Livonia. One of these times I'll keep driving further south until I find the stone. Respect.

[@dellaparker1469]

@@mpa7056 i hope you see my reply. thank you so much. i lived right around the corner van born and middlebelt rds. it was horrible to say the least thank you again.

[@jobaecker9752]

My father was waiting to board a different flight when the crash occurred. He called us from the airport to say that there was some commotion going on in the airport, and people were looking at some flames or smoke. It wasn't apparent yet what had happened. I think that's when we turned on the TV and discovered what had happened.

[@susansokol5542]

My nephew died on that flight. He was heading to Arizona for work. He worked for gm.

[@donnabrown4349]

I am so sorry.

[@OfficalBlox]

i am so sorry to here that 😥

[@RebeccaHindle]

So sorry 🙏🌈

[@judyflanigan8814]

I’m so very sorry. 😔

[@billolsen4360]

They neglected to do their taxi checklist, with all that experience on the flight deck. Not running things "by the book"

[@karekarenz7683]

Not a pilot, but I noticed the weight they carried was very close to the maximum weight, also the allocated runway 3c was shorter than the other two runway options. So I wonder, along with the flaps, could these other two factors have been of any consequence?

[@Music1222]

@@karekarenz7683 Given the way it struggled to take off, and how it then rolled to one side, I would assume so.

[@Gunsandjewels]

They were not prepared to take off at all!!

[@sludge4125]

The flaps weren’t set. That’s all that mattered.

[@billolsen4360]

@@sludge4125 I think i'll always sit behind the wings from now on, ready to yell "NO FLAPS!!" if I see that they're up.

[@Michelle-ce1qh]

My father was, and still is, a funeral director. He was tasked at going to the site and picking up victims. He said it was the worst thing he's ever seen. I remember him crying at night when this was all happening.

[@brandspro]

I was flying home to NJ with a layover in St. Louis the day after this crash. United’s boarding process was chaos, and by the time they sorted it all out and we pushed back the first drops of rain were hitting the wings. We taxied out to the middle of the field and stopped, the engines winding down, and the Captain coming on the PA to tell us we were going to be there for a while due to a front that had moved through. To keep us entertained during the ground hold the flight attendants decided to bring down the screens and tune in one of the local TV stations. It was around 7:00pm so the news was on. Guess what the lead story was? We sat there on that plane waiting to take off while watching the news coverage of the crash in Detroit, accompanied by footage of flaming wreckage and body bags. Took the flight attendants about five minutes to realize it and change the channel which brought a hearty round of applause from those of us who weren’t busy popping valium. The drink carts were rolled out not long after that!

[@kyleyoungmusic]

Imagine how you would feel being the 1 survivor..

[@beefstew4698]

Kyle Young Music Yes. And God has a plan for her... perhaps for her children🙏

[@kyleyoungmusic]

Phaedra Thank you for posting!!

[@kyleyoungmusic]

Beef Stew 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@Erin.56]

I’d be happy I was alive but so saddened my family was killed

[@johnr033]

He most definitely does and If you didn't believe in God before this horrible accident, one thing you can take is that he is real because nobody and I mean nobody survives that without divine intervention.

[@gohibniugoh1668]

The plane hit under I94 about 30 seconds after i passed over wick road. I thought a gasoline tanker had exploded at a fuel farm near there.

[@misscadets89]

Holy crap! We left late or we would have been in the area at the time of the crash.

[@donnabrown4349]

It all happened so fast.

[@elboberinho]

When they haven t hit tanker There haven t Explode

[@dave_in_florida]

i was on I 275 30 minutes before the crash, i remember how bad the storm was that day!

[@patn8999]

I94 doesn't pass over Wick road.

[@adotintheshark4848]

What isn't mentioned here is that the captain wanted to take off as soon as possible to beat incoming weather, and the takeoff was already a couple hours late. So the crew hurried and did not perform the checklist properly. Also on this flight was Nick Vanos, an NBA first-round draft selection by the Phoenix Suns. He was on his way to meet team officials for the first time.

[@karenshafer234]

"Get There-Itis", as it is called

[@jankirschke7425]

I was lying in bed listening to the radio, about 18 miles away from this tragedy when it occurred. I was expecting our fourth baby 9 days later. He grew up to be a pilot and flies all over the world as part of the USAF.

[@lucamolteni6436]

Experienced pilot, flies by the book = refuses to abort an irregular take off, forgets to check take off procedures, kills everyone.

[@sooners2037]

Except for a 4 year old girl

[@topherd1011]

Pretty much.. too damn reliant on instrumentation rather than flying the aircraft which they’ve been paid very well to do. And .. as someone involved in aviation.. not much has changed since 1987.. very reliant.. almost too reliant on instrumentation and not enough experience just operating the damn airplane. A computer cannot tell you more than your central nervous system especially when you’re used to flying airplanes. If something doesn’t feel right.. you know it.. the pilots on this crash even realized it going down the runway and instead of listening to instinct and muscle memory.. they relied on a computer to tell them different. The computer is only as good as your configuration.

[@donnabrown4349]

The reason this happened was at that time was all about which Airline Could be the most efficient with being on time. This flight was supposed to Phoenix then on to Santa Ana. Today They temporarily ground a lot more aircraft with incoming storms due to change in wind direction. It was very windy and was switching direction. If they would have waited for the storm to pass people might have spent the night in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It would have to late to fly on to Santa Ana but they would be alive.

[@sbphillips177]

@@topherd1011 agreed..why do they God damn insist on having it this way?? Ive had pilots tell me the same thing you said..Id talk with them right before we take off the flight attendants let me say hi when we land and are leaving..I always thank them upfront..theyve said many times.." too much control taken away from us flying the plane..all computers" If pilots dont like it and people have died why do they care if people want to be trained and fly it themselves the way it was? It worked just fine..thanks

[@sludge4125]

From 2011 to 2017, there were zero fatalities on US commercial airlines. In 2018 and 2019, there were two fatal accidents. Tell me again, how technology has made flying more dangerous. Do you people even think at all before posting?

[@ripp846]

I remember driving on I-94 after the crash and seeing all the bouquets of flowers on MB Road and on the grassy slopes near the overpass. Thousands and thousands of flowers COVERED the entire area. It was so powerful it brought me to tears.

[@notpolish1]

This is the best aviation youtuber ever. The animations are so realistic, he clearly states everything that happened, uploads often. 11/10!

[@QuaintMelissaK]

And there is also someone who was affected by the crash that is shown commenting.

[@Solarflare05]

its not animation its a flight simulator

[@100Aces]

He kinda missed a few important details after takeoff and before FINAL impact!

[@Rich_Why]

False doesn't even come close to describing what happened the plane first after barely lifting off clip the corner of a building thats barely 20 ft tall before hitting the train overpass Landing in the road throwing debris on a 94 and under none of that's on your awesome Aviation KZbinr video

[@generalyellor8188]

Don't you get that you, too, could easily create one of these videos? He's using a Flight Simulator software that provides everything except the editing, sound, and text (which is also directly lifted from Wikipedia and other sources).

[@MountainGram112]

My husbands cousin, her husband and 2 kids were on that plane. So hard. Left a house full of their lives in Phoenix for family to take care of. Never got over it.

[@spaa-qw3sj]

Very Sorry.

[@keannawilliams1640]

Heartbreaking

[@donnabrown4349]

Barbara I am so sorry for you loss. No you never get over loved ones when they pass away. My sister and her husband took the same flight and airplane a week beforehand. They lived in Phoenix at the time.

[@misscadets89]

So sorry 💋❤️

[@joeykeenan2079]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@TheDriveInGuys]

I just can't understand how these pilots, with all of their combined hours and years, f-up a routine checklist! After seeing the photo of the aftermath, with plane pieces strewn EVERYWHERE, I was shocked to learn that there was a survivor. A four year old girl, who was traveling with her parents and brother, survived this horrific disaster, which she thinks about every single day. Astonishingly, she still flies. God bless her, and all of the souls who perished. RIP.

[@deepthinker999]

Human Error - We are all capable of it. The pilot's routine was disturbed when the runway assignment changed. I'm sure that it was a lesson for all professional pilots who have taken it to heart. Sadly, many people died to provide that lesson.

[@DanielTrue16]

A former coworker of mine, her boyfriend was on this flight. She never flew in a plan after this. She is too terrified.

[@rokloz418]

false. only 1 person survived this crash. and that was a kid

[@hellkell8693]

aiden maccracken her boyfriend died not her.

[@dinopappous6639]

@@hellkell8693 Horrible sentence structure.....allow me to correct.... A coworker of mine at the time lost her boyfriend in this accident......

[@nxva9807]

aiden maccracken They never said the boyfriend survived-

[@CherryFrog321]

@@rokloz418 I'm assuming that the lady wasn't on the plane with her boyfriend.

[@Chris-Alia]

The girl that survived, and other sole survivors who lived through plane crashes is featured in a documentary called “Sole Survivor”

[@5roundsrapid263]

There was a crash in New Orleans where only a baby girl on the ground survived. I think they met on that show.

[@marcrivera9122]

I was a Deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff Dept. Was dispatched to Detroit Metro to assist Wayne County, actually going down into the crash site at approximately 10:00 pm. Remained there thru the night, the destruction and smells still haunt me to this day. That night will be with me forever.

[@blessedbeyond2118]

ugh so sorry you had to go through that TY for your service

[@judywein3282]

I also live in the area. It will never be forgotten. Thank you for your service that night.

[@timmy841212]

☹️😢

[@davewatson2124]

They said the Captain always flew by the book. He forgot to put the flaps down. That's some book.

[@BlackMan614]

Extend flaps on take-off. They give the plane more lift.

[@generalgrant3189]

Who is " they " ?

[@davewatson2124]

@@generalgrant3189 1-44 into the video. The other pilots who had flown with him. Watch the friggin video

[@generalgrant3189]

Dave Watson , I did watch the " frigging video " - and I don't understand your statement. What's your point ?

[@davewatson2124]

@@generalgrant3189 It is sarcasm. Are you aware that the term "did it by the book " means that he did it as it should be done ? My comment of "that's some book " means that can't be much of a book he is using because he stuffed up big time. I hope you now understand.

[@allens7476]

I returned a rental car the next day, Avis as I recall. It was unreal to see broken parts of the plane in the parking lot, and 90% of the rental cars had the roofs smashed flat.

[@bh638]

I had to pick up a rental car from Avis about four days after the accident. I can still remember the bricks next to the building from where the plane's wing had struck. The lobby was hot. Apparently the air conditioning was damage. We didn’t say much. But we all knew what had happened. It was a strange, heavy feeling.

[@hurithinkbefore1340]

I am from Austria/Europe. In 1987 my two best friends and I were ready for the big adventure. We'd bought a where/ how often you wanna fly/stand by ticket with Northwest. Valid for one month. We did many criss- cross flights, be it only to get something to eat on board. Each of us only had a sleeping bag and a small bag. Many times times we had to transit over Detroit or Memphis as there were no nonstop flights available for us. We were standby travellers. Often we had to sleep at airports. Whenever we had to take off from Detroit I told my friends how dangerous it was. Just above the freeway. Two weeks later after we 3 had alreday arrived back to Austria the unimaginable happened. Northwest crashed onto this very same freeway I was so concerned of. Same type of aircraft. DC 9. We were shocked. We simply couldn't believe it.

[@jpmguitarman]

This was hard to watch - brought back a lot of memories for me. Driving back home from playing golf in Belleville that very night, we were driving on I-94 east bound and got off the very exit where the plane crash occurred, 10 minutes before it crashed.

[@hostrauer]

The sole survivor was 4-year-old Cecilia Crocker (née Cichan) (both of her parents and her 6-year-old brother died in the crash). She remembers nothing about the crash, is not afraid to fly, and as an adult even got a small tattoo of an MD-82 airplane on her left wrist to memorialize the event.

[@calandraglenn3447]

Bless her God

[@donnabrown4349]

The little girl Cecelia was on the front page of our News Paper the Detroit News and they showed her updates daily on the front page.

[@donnabrown4349]

@Andrew Gomez I am so happy she doing well. It took a lot of courage for her together the tattoo asa daily reminder. It is so sad she lost her Mom, Dad and Brother. Even though she doesn't remember it would be more troubling if she remembered that awful day. I live 90 minutes from there now. I never went to see anything until they had the memorial stonier place. They have one like it in Phoenix too because many people were on that plane heading home after a vacation to visit one of the relatives. One of the couples on the plane were newly engaged. There were lives lost in California too. Nicholaas Peter Vanos a basket ball player from the Phoenix Suns. My sister her family took the same flight a week ahead of that. I am glad the make planes wait out on the Tarmac now when there are severe thunderstorms or they delay the flights going out. If you miss a US plane and get stuck at the airport at least you are alive. It was the only time in my life just before it happened driving back from my parents house to celebrate my son Nicholas first birthday that I said in our car that I felt that something horrible was going happen. Winds were blowing from different directions and the sky look real ominous. Of course in those days the only information you get was from the TV news, Radio News and a News Paper the following day. Flight 800 TWA from New York to Paris France was another that stands out in my mind. The Concorde Flight 4590 too. I have flown a lot but never had anything more than turbulence. I been on an Airplane at least 80 times but never flew until I was 35 years old. My husband used to work for Northwest Airlines. He worked in reservations. You have a good heart Andrew Gomez.

[@RCGoetzke]

@@calandraglenn3447 She must have had a better God than they others had.

[@flamlingo3566]

​@@RCGoetzke John 3:16 New International Version (NIV): 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Give Jesus a try--He cares and will make a new heaven and earth. I know it's hard to believe, ask Him to help you. He has come through for me time and time again. I thank Him for His mercy, as I fail Him every day.

[@Kaimine08]

Forgotten the flaps a few times in my student pilot days. You start to know what it feels like to forget them. Awful climb characteristics, potential stall horn, etc. These pilots should have known they forgot the flaps just by how terrible it was climbing. Had they immediately put them in when realizing it, they probably would have climbed out of it just fine. T/O flaps on landing feels weird too. Gotta make mistakes to realize a mistake, it's just sometimes you make a mistake you can't get yourself out of. The only hope you can have at that point is not killing anyone along with yourself.

[@Kaimine08]

@@robertcowling4313 To be fair though, if an alarm goes off enough times, pilots will tune it out. You see quite enough of these in gear up incidents. The thing is with Takeoff/landing, those areas are so critical and the pilot is so focused that they can miss something incredibly obvious.

[@georgeneitz916]

@@robertcowling4313 BS

[@craigwilson7242]

yes, even if just 20 degrees of flaps was the takeoff configuration required, it could have saved the takeoff performance, and they may have been able to climb out of the problem.

[@garyludeke9582]

I read through all the replies and this one hits the nail on the head! There appears to have been ample time for the pilots to recognize the problem and lower the flaps. Even a few degrees may have kept the aircraft in the air! Yes, the flap warning circuit should have worked but basic airmanship should have prevailed to sense this problem!!

[@PhxAzGuy]

BS

[@dahlwilliams180]

There were employees of the General Motors Milford Proving Grounds heading to the GM Desert Proving Grounds on that flight. They will always be remembered.

[@tedskantze5934]

Dahl WILLIAMS ...I saw that a young man named Gary Kimel was on board. People from Special test department/durability. Gary took my place. I think he was married with a newborn. Loved the years I worked at the Grounds.

[@jfsjr46]

I worked with Phyllis A. Zigler before she and her husband Barry were laidoff at her former job. She had only worked at GM for a year or so before this happened.

[@reneetuer3525]

Doug Hagler Rest in Peace

[@hellkell8693]

I went through initial training at American International Airways at Willow Run Airport back in 1995 in one of the old hangars. The wreckage was laid out in one of the hangar bays stored there to look at everyday. There were lawsuits still happening so they couldn’t get rid of it I was told. A stark reminder of the costs of mistakes.

[@Erin.56]

Not having the flaps extended during takeoff is an egregious unforgivable error... it is on the preflight check list!!

[@christianWilliams-pc4jn]

How could two pilots miss that? Also how critical are the flaps could it be salvaged if they made that mistake or was it doomed?

[@christianWilliams-pc4jn]

@Jim Marcum wow. That's like being a doctor and not checking the vitals of your patient. That's incomprehensible.

[@patwilson2546]

@@christianWilliams-pc4jn Speculation: maybe. If they had a longer runway, took a longer takeoff roll, and climbed out at a more shallow angle then maybe. But that would require some awareness at some point. They were totally unaware so there they never had tome to consider the possibilities..

[@christianWilliams-pc4jn]

@@patwilson2546 And that is why I do not fly if I can help it. There's always going to be the chance for human error on top of the chance of mechanical failure or inadequate maintenance.

[@MeistroJB]

@@christianWilliams-pc4jn Driving a car is probably more dangerous. One reason to stay home....

[@daviddelaet8116]

I had dropped a rental car off at Hertz the week before and used that exit to get back onto I 94. I have a friend whose parents were killed in that crash. Terrible.

[@twizatch]

OMG... it coulda been you!

[@JoiRandom]

twizatch 😂

[@dianaminchella9412]

I lost my brother in law and nephew on this flight..hard to watch

[@juliericci6107]

So sorry for your loss. 🙏🙏

[@donnabrown4349]

I am so sorry Diana. Prayers to your family. My sister used to live in Phoenix and had taken the same exact airplane a week before with her husband and 3 small children.

[@donnabrown4349]

I never flew until January of 1992. I was afraid to. This crash really scared me and I only lived 10 minutes from the airport from the time. In January of 1992 I flew to Florida with my 2 young sons and husband and then in April of 1992 I flew to Phoenix with my family too. My sister and her family used to live in Phoenix. There was a woman praying with her rosary before we took off. They changed out flight 3 times due to mechanical issues with the plane. It ended up being a nice flight.

[@sylviavasquez6595]

I am truly sorry for your loss, may God Bless you and keep you strong during this Terrible time

[@misscadets89]

So sorry for your loss ❤️💋

[@cruiserdog9913]

I was driving for a tiny air fright company out of Pontiac Airport north of here. I had a load come in from Alabama that I picked up from Metro Airport on this night. I was on I-94 headed East, about about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile West when I saw the plane hit the ground. It took my brain a couple of minutes to comprehend what I had seen.

[@susanhamptonva4203]

Air "fright" is right!!

[@bernardanderson7569]

As a Professional Pilot and part of a crew in aviation this is the most important part of a cockpit before takeoff briefing is the Checklist:

[@alienchaser1495]

You are right boss. The fearful part of flying are take off and landing

[@PeterNGloor]

I think, Clearance: Received, is also very important.

[@ginabench1981]

A high school classmate's young son, 6 or 8, was on that flight heading back to Phoenix.

[@endokrin7897]

🤔 A highschool classmate of yours had a son, who was 6 (or 8) years old, on that flight? Was your classmate ~10 years old when she or he had that child? Very sad, even with unusual math.

[@la73sh19]

@@endokrin7897, almost makes you wonder if maybe they were classmates, long BEFORE 1987, doesn't it?! Sigh...

[@donnawall5543]

EndoKrin i think she means s former high school classmate

[@BELCAN57]

For years afterwards there's been a series of memorials placed on the grass at that on ramp to 94. The victims are not forgotten.

[@maryopperman2656]

There’s a cemetery and there’s a statue of the little girl on a swing made of brass and there a burial for unclaimed body parts sorry to say

[@danielhuculak1877]

@@maryopperman2656 I saw it in Plymouth Twp. when I was picking up my mother's ashes.

[@maryopperman2656]

@@danielhuculak1877 sorry about your mom

[@aeomaster32]

There is more to this story. The change in runways interrupted their checklist and that was the first step in a chain of events. Also, I understood the reason the take-off warning didn't sound was because the circuit breaker had been pulled. It was often pulled to silence the warning when the thrust levers were advanced in circumstances other than takeoff. That sealed their fate. It was human error not incompetence at play. I always had a policy of starting the check from the beginning after an interruption to avoid situations like this.

[@tomstravels520]

aeomaster32 you are technically correct that other pilots admitted that they pulled the breakers and that the stall warning sounds different to normal however there was no solid evidence to prove the pilots on this flight pulled it due to the damage and the pilots death

[@johnkettlewell4854]

How long does it takes to go through a check list? How many times would a pilot have a disruption? Is it protocol to start a check list over again if there is a disruption? Thanks

[@aeomaster32]

@@johnkettlewell4854 There are several check lists, but just restarting the one that was interrupted would run about a minute. As for being a protocol, it wasn't when I was flying, but it was just a habit of good airmanship. One downside of protocols and checklists is that they can become a substitute for thinking. They can become a mindless rote. They should be there of course, to catch missed items, but sometimes they can be read without the mind being fully focused on them.

[@gunbunnyjunk7881]

RIP to all the passengers onboard that flight. Such a tragedy. Can't even begin to imagine how those people felt at that moment. Also, like the new format you're going with here.

[@lyndawilson2295]

It's just amazing how the NTSB eventually finds out just what and who is responsible for a crash like this, however, it didn't take them long to find out that NO FLAPS was the reason. "FLAPS" IS ON THE CHECKLIST several times before take-off and was ignored! Makes you want to check on the "flaps" setting yourself before take-off. It happens more than you'd like to know.

[@rickfeith6372]

They should have aborted the takeoff when they noticed the auto throttles and takeoff modes were not functioning. What a shame...I'm sure the airplane was ready if set up properly.

[@tomstravels520]

Rick Feith it was another case of the plane being late and pilots wanting to make up for lost time

[@tomstravels520]

Larry Maxwell actually it was the pilots fault for not setting the flaps and it was deemed highly likely they disabled the circuit breaker because other pilots did it do stop nuisance warnings. They just couldn’t prove it as the pilots were dead. And the computer issues happened before V1

[@rickfeith6372]

100% pilots fault. If they did the takeoff checklist the flaps would be set. Takeoff Config alarm should ONLY be the very last line of defense, not a system to be relied upon for incompetence or not following the sterile cockpit rule.

[@patriciamariemitchel]

@@rickfeith6372, right. Plus, the pilot was supposed to be known for doing things by the book. What happened to him, wow.

[@rickfeith6372]

A skirt

[@ladydragonfly5172]

Fantastic job as usual. Those poor people. The music is very haunting and adds to the sadness. I get tears in my eyes every time, thinking the terror those poor souls must have felt. May they rest in peace!

[@tracy406]

The following year I was on my way back to the DC area from Denver. I was directly behind the wings. As we started down the runway I noted that the flaps were not extended. Of course I thought "he'll fix it, dont worry" As we were really picking up speed I was frantically pushing the call button and an off duty pilot across the aisle from me was looking out the window and then up the aisle and back out the window. About the time he took off his seat belt and was jumping up I was yelling at him to move his ass. He raced to the front and started banging on the cockpit door. Was yelling something like "Flaps. Flaps you idiots" I was sure we were not going to make it. They extended the flaps at the last possible second. I did not get on another plane for several years.

[@vaughnpayne]

So their electrical warning system failed also?

[@BB-re6nz]

So many people wouldn’t have done anything even if they knew the flaps weren’t adequate. Thank god for the off duty pilot

[@katgrey6239]

Tracy, Did you talk with the off duty pilot afterwards? I'm so glad the flight was successful!

[@SlapMyA_AndCallMeSally]

Horrific

[@theeater1756]

You don't always need flaps. That is determined by the load they are carrying. In a "light" airplane with very little load they can take off with no flaps, relying only on speed and thrust to weight ratio.

[@jeremieragois5514]

They forgot the flaps... Beginners mistake on a challenging take off😞

[@thefreedomguyuk]

No, they forgot following procedures.

[@MikeBrown-ex9nh]

Beginners mistake by an experienced crew who knew better.

[@turbofanlover]

FUBAR :(

[@DoubleAction2]

You’d think that would be something to not just double check, but to quadruple check. Kind of like making sure the plug is in before launching your boat.

[@Paulsmuse]

They were experienced crew..and even beginner pilots know those flaps must be set. There's a lot more to this story: interruptions, confusion and just plain pilot error. This should have never happened.

[@jayfblank]

A friend, who was a bartender at Andersen's 5th Estate in Scottsdale, was on that plane with his new fiance - they were meeting her parents and talking wedding plans. Shocked the bar, hard.

[@joeykeenan2079]

🙏🏻

[@jeffreykoran4820]

I KNEW MATT WELL..NOT HIS FIANCE..MATT AND I WORKED TOGETHER AT A FEW RESTAURANTS

[@frphxkaboom3008]

It's inconceivable that the flight crew would forget to set the flaps.

[@wilsjane]

I agree fully. My alarm bells were certainly ringing when I read the report. It was discovered that a breaker remined open, but did it? The fault could just as easily been in the power line to a whole row of breakers and one of them could have been controlling the solenoid valves that extend the flaps. Sequential operation should work by a second sensor MECHANICALLY being activated by the flaps and sending a signal back to the flight deck that the operation was completed. A light showing simply that the buttons have been pressed means nothing. I have no idea whether full sequential systems were in use on this aircraft, but I have serious doubts. The state of the wreckage was not going to provide many detailed answers. Hundreds of people died in crashes at the start of the railways before sequential signalling was perfected, so it is easy to imagine the it would be used in aircraft design. However, history has shown that people don't learn from mistakes of the past, particularly when they were in a different industry. Few people realise that the token rings carried by steam train drivers to prevent trains from being in the same place at the same time is the entire basis of the internet and preventing billions of data packages per second from crashing into each other.

[@silasmarner7586]

I remember stepping onboard a commercial jet plane right after they figured out what was wrong, well before the final findings, and I said to the pilot who was outside the cabin as we boarded, "Slats and flaps, please" and he looked irritated. Well, he was irritated and we were all very much alive, thank you very much.

[@avidlyathena]

@@silasmarner7586 And it was all thanks to you. He never would have remembered to do it if you didn't remind him!

[@BillGreenAZ]

@@wilsjane Very cool story. It seems to me that special considerations were made to flaps after this accident. Something like redundant warning systems being put in place. Do you know anything about this?

[@wilsjane]

@@BillGreenAZ I am a chartered engineer and although I don't work in aviation, I worked on a project at Heathrow for 12 years. My admin managers wife is also a BA pilot, so between the 2, I am quite conversant with how aircraft work. What always surprised me is that while pilots can be alone above the Atlantic, they have almost no training on how things work, causing them to make wrong and sometimes fatal decisions when things go wrong. This is made worse by the way that when a fault occurs autopilots trips out. If the plane was being flown by the pilots, they would already have known that something was amiss and been finding ways of working around it. Flaps are always a concern and if a fault occurs on one wing only, at full flaps the aircraft will become uncontrollable. On modern aircraft they are controlled by a single motor and leadscrews below the cabin floor. A series of microswitches in the wings cut the motor out if the differential reaches 2 degrees. This allows the pilot to monitor his airspeed, expect stall warnings based on the ACCTUAL final position of the flaps and work out whether he needs to divert to an airport with a longer runway. With them now being so small and inexpensive, I have always said that planes should be fitted with video cameras viewing along the wing edges, the tail fin, engines and landing gear. I believe that they are now being fitted to new aircraft. I also think that pilots should require either a qualification in science or engineering prior to acceptance and training. During training they should have an allocated period in the workshops along with a few days refresher when new aircraft are introduced onto the fleet. PS, if you have not already guessed, I am in my mid 70s, so I have had 60 years to see how things can go horribly wrong.

[@mikejackson9483]

Worst night of my life. I was the fueling supervisor for this flight. When I called my fueler in to tell him what happened, he turned white and started shaking. NTSB and FAA took our truck out of service immediately for testing of the Jet fuel. We were cleared within a day. Great recreation of flight, but horrible ending.

[@BjManberries]

No one ever thinks of the airport personnel when this happens. Thanks for sharing. I can't imagine what the boarding people must go through.

[@donnabrown4349]

Really sad memory.

[@haroldcampbell3337]

@Billy Mack, Texas Detective How is it inaccurate?

[@ericcriteser4001]

I was ten years old living near Detroit when this happened and remember it vividly. Only one baby survivor; her parents were lost. The plane crashed along our major E/W freeway. A horrible, horrible tragedy. The survivor, now a young woman, has been on TV to talk about her life. She has a tattoo of a plane on her wrist as a remembrance. Bad day to say anything.

[@lulu8090]

Eric Criteser Oh it’s a baby, it makes sense now.

[@bob-pr8ye]

It wasn't her time !!!

[@seancurran6727]

@@lulu8090 The reason the baby survived is that her mothers' body was wrapped around her,which allowed her to survive the impact and the fire.

[@thamnosma]

Incredible that even a baby survived that one. Does she even remember the crash.....maybe too young for that.

[@damaestro119]

I was 11 living near Detroit also. I remember watching tv when one of the local channels came on with breaking news, was hard to grasp then. The survivor was 4 years old, her name is Cecelia Chichan (or close to that), she lived with relatives in Alabama afterwards. I remember reading that she doesn't remember the crash but felt survivor's guilt years later. She seems to be doing well, graduated college and even got married. I believe the firefighter who found her has remained close to her and even was at her wedding!

[@lishsc3]

Just watching this computerized video is so disturbing. I can’t imagine the horror of the people on board who were actually forced to live through such a horrific final minute of their life! So freaking sad 😞

[@dianedubay1704]

As a lowly VFR private pilot, it amazes me how these experienced pilots forgot the flaps. It's flying 101.

[@thefreedomguyuk]

How's that being lowly ?

[@donnabrown4349]

They were in to much of hurry to get to both Airports on time.

[@terribleTed-ln6cm]

"The art of human error " ..Mark Twain

[@hectoralejandro9883]

I’ve forgotten flaps at least 10 times. The audible saved me every time, though inclement weather, a shorter than usual runway, and a near limit cargo weight made this a nearly impossible event to recover from. Copilot should have caught it too.

[@100Aces]

@@donnabrown4349 John Wayne Airport had a 11 o'clock noise restriction that they were ultimately trying to beat! After 11 they wouldn't have been able to land in California!

[@mqandil]

Wow. This video brings up too many memories....I remember this accident too well. My brother was driving us from London Ontario where we were visiting my parents to the Detroit airport. My wife, myself and our new born baby, were supposed to catch a late flight from Detroit back to Portland. At the time of the crash we were only 15 miles away from airport on Hw I94 and trying to rush to the airport, where shortly after the crash the traffic was stopped abruptly, as police cars closed down the freeway completely, then all cars were ordered to exit I94, and we took side roads to reach the main terminal, which took us over 3 hrs to reach. We ended up missing our flight, or perhaps the flight was cancelled. I can’t remember exactly what happened to our flight, but we stayed at the airport all night and took the next flight to Portland in the morning. It was a very sad and strange night. We learnt first about the crash from one of the policemen, who was instructing us to exit the freeway. I remember clearly the state of panic and sadness everyone had on their face that night. It almost feels like it was yesterday. I will never forget that night. This video brought back all the sad memories from that night. RIP for all the souls who died on that flight. Thanks for the video. Mark

[@movedchannelscheckaboutpag2007]

Mark Qandil Please use paragraphs next time lol

[@paulsuprono7225]

Such an experience is so poignant, that you could almost taste it . . . however, live to talk about it !

[@movedchannelscheckaboutpag2007]

Paul Suprono *Shakespeare? When were you resurrected?*

[@rwilson7197]

Yes, I remember this like it was 15 years ago, not 33. I was living in Kalamazoo MI which is 2.5 hours west of the accident and I94 goes through Ka'zoo. So sad😔

[@marybrown769]

Absolutely tragic for all the families and friends of all those who lost their lives RIP

[@sctmcg]

What kind of professional pilot doesn’t perform the checklists? What kind of pilot forgets FLAPS on a take off?? Jesus

[@Powerranger-le4up]

Part of the problem was not only extending the flaps, but the checklist itself. The interrupt caused them to forget where they were. They likely assumed they had already extended the flaps.

[@gpt-jcommentbot4759]

american 191 vs northwest 255

[@lindayeager3126]

I remember the night very well ,it was really warm out still out ,I think it had been raining and it was muggy ,my 17 yr old son pulled in our driveway and I told him and a friend that a plane crashed at metrol ,we lived in Taylor then and he and his friend drove out there ,and when they came back ,they said no one could get to close but it was really bad and yes ,body parts and dabree was everywhere ,horrible ,horrible accident ,all rest in peace .

[@pappy3382]

I was on this plane a week earlier. I’ve been waiting for this video. I still have the plastic wing pins the flight attendant and co-pilot gave me and my little brother. I was 9, my brother 7. We were both scared to fly. They made us feel better and got us to our destination safely. I’ll always be grateful to them. God bless

[@misscadets89]

I was on a bus heading for a drumcorps show in Madison Wisconsin. We were behind schedule leaving Ontario when she crashed. If we would have left on time, we could have been part of this tragic event. We had to drive through some of this wreckage. It was awful. All I can remember were flares, wreckage, pieces of plane and luggage, and little fires all over.

[@Eyewonder3210]

After the area was cleaned, driving past the scorched earth filled you with such an overwhelming feeling of loss in your very soul.

[@juliaann9880]

We lived about two miles from Detroit Metro. We were sitting on our back porch after dinner watching planes take off. First you hear the engines and then you see the planes come up above the trees. We heard 255's engines and then my neighbors lights flickered and then we saw the fire mushroom above the trees.

[@66lwmorgan]

I remember this accident, it was a miracle anyone survived. Excellent work like always tfc, thank you again for your hard work and the amount of time you put into your video's, it shows and it's worth it.

[@roberthagedorn290]

Just one person out of all those people. Just one.

[@able_archer01]

The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl. She was found by firemen still belted in her seat, several feet from the bodies of her mother, father, and six-year-old brother. Tragic.

[@roberthagedorn290]

@@able_archer01 Thank you for providing this information. Your reply is the Highlighted reply, and it certainly deserves to be the highlighted one. Yes, tragic.

[@mindyschocolate]

Richard Xiong at least one child made it. 😔

[@sircumalot1368]

Luck and circumstances. Recall when the plane the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was flying. Some died on impact, some were seriously wounded, others walked away unscathed. Depends on where you were at the time and the way the plane crashed. In the case of 255, the amount of energy released from the impact, it was indeed a miracle that little girl Cecilia survived. It wasn't her time.

[@chrissybayby1591]

The Flight 255 crash is unforgettable for me - I was just starting 7th grade and some time shortly after the crash that evening, a family friend called our house and I answered the phone. She was so scared and worried because her husband was leaving on a flight that evening, and she couldn't find out any information on him over the phone. I talked to her calmly for a few minutes and then I got my parents on the phone. The next morning my Mom and I drove to her house around the corner and there was still no information. I remember saying that we're going to help you until we find out where he is. I even made some calls, that morning and I found out he was on flight 255.

[@isaacbruner65]

The lone survivor was a 4 year old girl, she was interviewed many years later and said she wasn't aware that she was sole survivor until she was in middle school. She also said she still keeps in contact with the first responders who found her.

[@JSmith-zr2ve]

I remember it like it was yesterday. We lived about 8 miles from the airport and heard the explosion. A family friend was one of the first responders. Horrible scene.

[@shariys1]

I lived near Detroit my entire life, til moving out of state 3 years ago. I've traveled in and out of Detroit Metro many times, and I have clear memories of all this. To this day, I can't believe how such experienced pilots could f*** up that bad. That picture of Middlebelt Rd really brought back the bad deja vu. The configuration warning may have been defective, but they wouldn't have needed it if they had done the damn checklist instead of BS'ing with each other and the flight attendants. It wasn't quite sterile enough in that cockpit. Just an unbelievable tragedy to this day. Excellent video.

[@MendTheWorld]

shariys1 It seems from your comments that there were some pertinent details that were omitted from the story of this crash. But at least we found out that the F.O. eventually got the radio tuned to the correct frequency.

[@damaestro119]

Especially when the captain was 58 years old with over 20,000 flight hours, with a reputation of doing things by the book!

[@watershed44]

@Paul G. I almost wonder if the pilot was in a diminished capacity..perhaps a TIA (tiny stroke)? 58 is still young but they isn't unusual at this age...it can temporarily disorient people and they don't even realize there is anything wrong at the moment. I don't think this was fully understood at the time this accident happened.

[@MendTheWorld]

shariys1 BTW, if you drive up Middlebelt north to Schoolcraft (now I-96) And head east, that’s where my wife grew up. Driven and flown there many times.

[@shariys1]

@@MendTheWorld - I'll check that on Google Street level, since it's been awhile. I lived my entire life in Toledo, and came up to Detroit frequently for one thing or another. Now I'm in FL. Last time I went up to Metro, about six years ago, I got lost as hell. The place was unrecognizable. 😅😱

[@SeanP7195]

Was in High School when this happened. Lived 10 minutes from Airport. We were driving on I-94 about 30 minutes after it happened. Ohh the traffic, the FBI was already everywhere. A homeowner was directing traffic as his street was a dead end. Took hours to get out of it. I drive past Metro everyday and the planes come in to land right over the freeway and I still get uneasy to this day.

[@peggycampbell9778]

I lived in the Detroit area at the time. I was busy vacuuming, when all of a sudden the thought "plane crash" entered my mind. I figured out later, on the news, why...

[@jeffreygosselin1143]

They planted 154 trees 🌲 on the berm on the side of East bound I-94 in their memory. Drove by it often when I worked at DTW for NW, US and NK during my airline career there. RIP to all.

[@gmw1635]

You can see it( the memorial) from the middlebelt exit going eastbound on 94… I wish this never happened.🥺

[@william8654]

Sometimes takeoff become so routine, like pulling your car out of the garage. But checklists are there for one reason and one reason only. To make sure everything is prepared correctly. Going through the pre flight checklist would have shown the pilots that the flaps were at zero. This plane had no chance to gain altitude.I drive I-94 by Metro-Airport all the time, which is not in Detroit but 30 miles west of Detroit. Not a time goes by when I drive over the exit the plane went under do I not think about this flight.

[@williamw6823]

I remember that evening well I am a doc and I remember hearing about the crash driving up to Trenton from Toledo. I changed course and drove straight to the former Heritage Hospital ER. Waited for an hour until we got word that no one would be coming to the hospital. Very sad. There were several other factors in the plane's demise besides the flaps. It was a hot, sticky night (poor lift), plane was fully loaded near max weight, they were given the shortest runway to use, and, finally, during takeoff roll the wind changed to a 3-5 mph tailwind. Hard to overcome all of those negative factors.

[@sarahalbers5555]

Just heartwrenching. My dad was a doc too, the older i get the more i understand the total commitment. Thank you

[@sarahalbers5555]

@@velvetbees I was an f/a for ual and pan Am. The airport in Detroit is not user friendly. I remember a couple of go arounds. This really upset me too

[@donnabrown4349]

The wind kept blowing in different directions and there were thunderstorms.

[@Killerpixel11]

Very easy to overcome, in fact, by just properly setting the damn plane for takeoff? How do pilots just forget about flaps? If they're THAT absentminded to need a checklist in order to remember to set flaps and then ignore that checklist, as well....they shouldn't be allowed to tie their own shoelaces, much less operate a commercial airliner.

[@100Aces]

@@donnabrown4349 the storms had passed over it rained a little bit and it was dry by the time fire rescue arrived on scene...windy from all directions yes.

[@frederickbecker8672]

One (1) survived. Amazing and heart breaking.

[@maxxcastillo9347]

It was an infant, nonetheless

[@money4083]

she comes to my grandmas house every cookout we have

[@ClaudiaGilmanMais]

@Carol Young I believe it was her aunt.

[@deletebilderberg]

I was at Detroit airport when that plane crashed. Freaked my girlfriend- now wife - out she refused to fly. For years.

[@randifreeman3792]

I was on the way to the Airport. I flew home (after they reopened the airport) and then didn't for many years. My brother, who was with me, still never has.

[@Doritheexplori]

Did she fly again? I've decided not to fly again. I flew one time. It was not a great experience. Then I found this channel. I did research and realized I can travel to wherever I may want to go by ship (out of country.) No planes for me.

[@mikeanderson6422]

I dropped my brother off at metro that day to fly to Montana, it wasn't raining but threatening and not that dark as portrayed in this. I just got on I-94 and saw the flash of the crash in my mirror behind me.

[@pepperspot805]

I was also at the airport. It was shocking to hear on the PA system "Detroit Metro Airport is now closed". I was headed to Traverse City. It was very nerve wracking the next morning to board a puddle jumper for the hour flight north.

[@nenaradicevic8079]

Excellent video, chronology, time,failure, animation RIP Northwest airlines flight 255 from Detroit 155 victims

[@BunsAndGunsCalendars]

My first jet was the MD80 in 1990. I was on it for 7 months. The MD80, in my opinon, had a design flaw with the flap system. In high altitude hot days the jet needed extra lift and that was obtained with higher takeoff speeds, which were about 205 kts, a lot faster than normal take-off speeds of 155-160ish. That high speed exceeded the flap deployment speed, so they designed a "DIAL A FLAP" system that deployed the leading edge slats, and a minimum flap setting of 1-3 degrees. The DIAL A FLAP wheel was bout 3 inches across, and was set by moving the lever into a side track and dialing the little flap wheel into a low flap setting. I'm thinking from 1990 memory and may be wrong on the method of entry into Dial A Flap. It was a terrible system design and it was hard to see where the flaps were set for takeoff. So as they were anticipating a normal takeoff, the Dial A Flap setting was telling the airplane "we are in the mountains and/or hot thin air of "RENO" and there is no warning to the different settings. The plane kept accelerating to the high speed with little lift. We practiced this in the simulator but I never used it in a real flight. By the way this was NORTHWEST's accident, Not American. The survivor was a 4-year-old girl who was pinned under passengers while they were burning. The little girl survived. I retired 2018 from American after 30 years flying MD80, 737, 757, 767 Intl, CRJ's, EMB190, and the Airbus Intl 319-320-321, 1988-2018.

[@lunaasmrthings9269]

Glynn Knox ARE YOU A PILOT??

[@BunsAndGunsCalendars]

@@lunaasmrthings9269 Yes I am Luna.

[@lunaasmrthings9269]

Glynn Knox Can you teach me???

[@donnabrown4349]

I remember that day like it was yesterday but so very long ago. The crash happened about 10 minutes from my house. I was actually North and West of there driving back from my parents house. We just celebrated my 2nd son's first birthday. My husband and I drove back home with our 4 year old son and 1 year old son. He was born on August 16th 1986. The wind and sky were really strange that night. There were thunderstorms and the wind was blowing from different directions and I had this ominous feeling and told my husband I think that something terrible is going to happen but I don't know what. The only time in my life I ever felt that way. My sister had actually taken the same flight a week before and she lived in Phoenix at the time with her husband and 3 kids. So when we got home I turned the TV on and I couldn't believe it. No social media or cell phones then just the TV or radio. Nothing ever happened like this before at Detroit Metro Airport. So scary. I was 30 when this happened and I am 63 now. I never had an ESP again. Only that time. So sad. Flight 255 has a memorial at the crash site in Detroit and a memorial in Phoenix too.

[@markforster6457]

Donna, I know you couldn't have done anything. I've always lived by my gut because it's usually right. I bid you peace.

[@donnabrown4349]

@@markforster6457 Thank you Mark. I was afraid to fly for the longest time.My husband worked for Northwest Airlines starting in 1990. We flew with our 2 sons on many vacations. I probably flew over 80 times. What got me over my fear was learning about the aircraft and the fun places we could go. My sister and her husband and their children lived in Phoenix from 1985 until 1995. Then they moved to Philadelphia PA in 1995 until 2005 and they are in Gainesville, Georgia on Lake Lanier. I haven't flown in almost 5 years because of cost and COVID 19. Also in 2003 Northwest Airlines Reservations closed their office in the end of 2003. They eventually were bought out by Delta. I feel so sorry for all lives lost. People still decorate the area off of Middlebelt Road near the Airport. To this day I get upset about how people could steal from dead bodies. I guess they do not have any. respect. Any thing that was found should have been returned to the families. I know there is a monument in Phoenix listing the passengers of the ill fated flight. Thank you for your kind words Mark.

[@markforster6457]

@@donnabrown4349 You're welcome, Donna. My father had to miss a business trip because he got real sick. A friend he worked with took his place and the plane crashed. His friend was killed. I once made a night flight. Before takeoff the pilot walked out of the cockpit holding one of the flight instruments. Five minutes later he returned with what I presume was a replacement. Ten minutes later we were airborne. I am also sorry for the loss of lives. Read about the Comair plane that crashed at Blue Grass airport, in Kentucky. None of the flight crew realized they had taxied to runway 26, which was closed, instead of runway 22, as they were assigned. Only the F/O survived and he's in a wheelchair now. Watch the short video made at the North Colorado regional airport. This involved a private plane. It reminds me of how quickly your life can end. If you look carefully at the smoke, you can briefly see what I call the "death faces of three of the victims." Pure shock and terror. Take care!

[@bloodgrss]

My sad connection with this was a fellow actor (and Mom) who I had worked with, a lovely lady. The years have made me forget her name-I think it was Mildred. Anyway, I had not seen her for quite some time, though' I had heard she was going through a contentious divorce from an increasingly abusive husband. Totally by chance-I met her coming out of a building I owned that had a store she had been in. We chatted merrily for a bit; she was so excited to finally get out of the marriage, and was planning a new life by moving near her daughter in college and stating fresh in a warmer climate than Detroit. Yes, Phoenix. And , yes two days later, when I was looking at the front page of the newspaper, with many pictures of lost passenger's, there she was. We may question anyone's belief in 'God", but surely, a 'compassionate' one would hardly take the life of someone on the very first step of a new and liberating life. As a bit more of personal empathy, some weeks later I was on a flight taking off from Detroit, and for a moment it pitched a bit in the wind on takeoff. My heart was literally in my throat; for in that split second I had the horrifying image of what it must have felt to feel that pitch, then realize and experience, not a correction as I did, but a loud and terrifying decent into oblivion. I can only hope the end was split second quick...