The NTSB published its final report on May 10, 1988, in which it concluded that the accident was caused by pilot error: "The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew's failure to use the taxi checklist to ensure that the flaps and slats were extended for takeoff. Seven were from Orange County, California, and the remainder were from Arizona, Michigan or other states. Amid the carnage was 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan, the sole survivor of Northwest Flight 255. ((Sound similar to nose gear strut extension)), ((Sound similar to nose wheel spinning down)). On Sunday, Rhett Bushongs grandmother drove him to the airport here, where he checked in for his flight to Orange County on Continental Airlines. In 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 255 crashed minutes after taking off from Detroit's Metro Airport, killing 154 people on board and two people on the ground, but leaving behind one tiny miracle. Kirk's flight, Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, took off just about 8:45 p.m. Investigators later discovered that the pilots hadn't properly gone through their. Nicole Polecs, whoseaunt and uncle, Lisa Polec-Klaft and Don Klaft, died in the crash, said herlate grandmother formed a support group to help others affected by the tragedy and sees the anniversary gathering as an extension of those efforts. Northwest Airlines held a very strong position on pre-flight checklists. J. Cathie Corona, 44, St. Clair Shores, Mich. Lewis Dresch, 45, Sterling Heights, Mich. Ernest John Mathews, 38, Sterling Heights, Mich. Eric Mazade, 30, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. Suzanne Morris, 35, Federal Way, Wash., off-duty Northwest flight attendant. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. ((Sound of stick shaker starts and continues until the end of tape)). Pushback for departure was accomplished at 20.34 and the crew received taxi instructions for runway 3C. As the sun set, about 200 people listened as a violinist played while mourners snapped photos or paused in front of a marble memorial adorned with flowers and stuffed animals. 1. [21], The crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 was covered in 2010 in "Alarming Silence", a season-9 episode of the internationally syndicated Canadian TV documentary series Mayday. Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16, 1987, at about 8:46 p.m. EDT (00:46 UTC August 17), killing all six crew members and 148 of its 149 passengers. [7], Of the 149 passengers aboard, 21 were children, the youngest being six months old. Most of them want to be here, to be where it happened, said a Northwest official who requested anonymity. So over the years, hes used a website and social media to keep everyone connected. Captain Maus asked his first officer to verify that they could use runway 3C for takeoff. The chart showed that if the flaps were set to 11 degrees, the maximum allowable takeoff weights for runway 3C was 147,500 pounds. Maintenance records showed that there was no evidence of any preexisting malfunctions or failures of any airplane structures or systems which would have contributed to the crash. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Erica Thomsen, 61, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Ernest John Mathews, 38, Sterling Heights, Mich. Eric Mazade, 30, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. Suzanne Morris, 35. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. On 16 August, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, killing all of the crew and passengers except for a 4-year-old girl, Cecelia Cichan, who sustained serious injuries. "I just think I was in the right spot.". [17] The memorial has a dove with a ribbon in its beak reading, "Their spirit still lives on"; below it are the names of those who perished in the crash. Thirty years ago today, a flight outbound from Detroit Metro Airport on its way to Phoenix never reached its destination. Two motorists on Middlebelt Road were also killed. Welcome to Northwest Flight 255 Memorial Home | The Crash | In Loving Memory | Resources | Guestbook | eMail | Search View the Memorial Marker Copyright 2003 Flight 255 Memorial. The flight crew had to reconfigure the on-board computer for taking off on runway 3C. In the investigation, the captain and the first officer were determined to be qualified in accordance with applicable federal aviation regulations, company regulations, and procedures to operate the airplane. Which of course as a first responder is something that's going to get your very immediate attention," said Northwest Flight 255 First Responder Andy Graves. The crew was also informed about the update of the automatic terminal information service information, to which Dodds reported on weather data update. [1]:1 The crew read out the before-start checklist, and started the engines at 20:33:04. In Flight 255s case, it did not lift off until it was accelerating at 169 KIAS. The families of dozens of victims have been flown into Detroit, booked into hotels near the airport and assigned a personal counselor by Northwest Airlines. Pat Batcheller is a host and Senior News Editor for 101.9 WDET, presenting local news, traffic and weather updates during Morning Edition. Example video title will go here for this video. It was a day you wouldnt want anybody to go through, said Pontante of Fulton, New York. Binding together after the Flight 255 crash has also led to some changes in aviation laws. The only survivor, Cecelia Cichan, a four-year-old from Arizona, was traveling with her mother, father, and older brother. The FDR data showed that, at liftoff, the planes airspeed was about 169 KIAS (the airplane equivalent of MPH or KPH) and that instead of decelerating over the 14 seconds of the flight like an airplane that hit a wind shear would, the plane accelerated to about 184 KIAS and climbed almost 50 feet. [1]:22 The impact caused the left wing to start disintegrating and catch fire. In Loving Memory: Listed below are names of Passengers and Crew Members who lost their lives in the crash. Rick Pluta and Pat Batcheller discuss Michigans deadliest aviation disaster. Before any flight, a captain and their first officer will use their checklists to ensure the planes configuration is proper for a safe takeoff. On Aug. 16, 1987, Geiger, 36, his wife, Valerie, and daughters Lauren and Lisa of Gilbert, were among 154 people on Northwest Flight 255 killed when the plane crashed in Romulus, Mich.,. The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. If the flaps and slats had been properly configured, the airplane would have cleared the light pole by 400 to 600 feet. Northwest Airlines yesterday released the names of the crew and three-off duty employees who were killed aboard the plane. . Family and friends of Flight 255 victims gathered at the memorial site for a ceremony at 8 p.m. Wednesday to honor the lives of their loved ones. . Cecelia Cichan was just four years old when she became the sole survivor of doomed Northwest Airlines Flight 255. . Eyewitnesses stated that Flight 255's takeoff roll was longer than usual and that the aircraft took off at a steeper angle. Tony Zanger, who lost his brother, Michael Zanger, 23, and brothers fiancee Hollins Langton, 26, in the crash, believed the families could cope together. A black granite memorial erected in 1994 in memory of the victims of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 McDonnell Douglas MD-82, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16, 1987. . The true scope of the tragedy is revealed in the flight manifest. Northwest fourteen sixty six so far that's approved I'll advise different. [1]:6 At the time of the accident, the aircraft was painted in a hybrid livery between Northwest Airlines and Republic Airlines, featuring blue Republic striping with red Northwest titles and a white tail. The Safety Boards performance study examined the climb profiles and the planes ability to clear obstacles beyond the end of runway 3C. Its strength going on here, he said. They text about sports, life events and he attended her wedding in 2006. She then locked arms with two other women brought together by the tragedy and gazed at the 156 names engraved on the memorial as the sun beamed on them. Northwest two fifty five runway three center turn right heading zero six zero cleared for takeoff. This evidence suggested that the aircraft had encountered a wind shear that decreased its performance capability. Flight attendant Michael L. Kahle, 34, LeSueur, Minn. In another part, family members examined personal belongings recovered from the crash site, looking for jewelry or some other item that would help to identify the body found wearing it or near it amid the wreckage. The MD-82's rate of climb was greatly reduced as a result of the flaps not being extended,[1]:67 and about 2,760ft (840m) past the end of runway 3C, the plane's left wing struck a light pole in an airport rental car lot. Flight NW255 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight between Saginaw, Michigan and Santa Ana, California, with en route stops at Detroit and Phoenix, Arizona. Donnie and Mary Ann Ratliff had the gruesome task this week of going to the temporary morgue at Detroit Metropolitan Airport to identify the personal belongings of their 16-year-old daughter, Hidi. It was determined that the only circumstance that the plane would have been in dangerous proximity to obstacles at the end of the runway, was if the flaps and slats were completely retracted in its takeoff configuration. DETROIT, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Many remember the tragic crash of Northwest Airlines flight 255 off of I-94. This coincided with the missing sounds from the CVR of the incident flight.[14]. Word of Robinsons death pained neighbors and friends at the Faith Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, where she was superintendent of Sunday school and her husband is chairman of the church board of directors. Citation five ninety four Charlie charlie metro tower winds three zero zero at thirteen runway three right cleared to land where are you parking on the field. [1]:2526 Many of the passengers were from the Phoenix metropolitan area, one of them was Nick Vanos, an NBA center for the Phoenix Suns. Detroit tower (to Northwest Airlines Flight 255). Melvin C. Roundy, 53, Mesa, off-duty Northwest employee. Virginia Robinson. The DC-9 Super 82 pilots forgot to conduct their pre-flight checks, as a result, the warning system never turned on. Their statements on whether or not the flaps and slats were extended varied, but most responded that they were extended, although they could not tell how far. The Safety Board determined through an airplane performance study that Flight 255 was not configured properly for takeoff. And I remember that humid night 30 years ago. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. [1]:5 Other pilots who had flown with Maus described him as a "competent and capable pilot" who had a reputation for operating "by the book". Here is a look back at this Southeast Michigan tragedy. trial was to have determined whether and to what degree Northwest and McDonnell Douglas were to blame for the crash of Flight 255 on takeoff from Detroit for . The couple was headed back home to Arizona after spending a week with family in Owosso. Subscribe today. The identification process has been slow, Spitz told reporters outside the morgue Tuesday. [4], The aircraft involved in the crash was a twin-engined McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registration number N312RC), a derivative of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and part of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series of aircraft. 2 - David Booth Dreamed About a Commercial Aviation Disaster. 6. It was the second-deadliest . Two motorists on nearby Middlebelt Road also perished and five people on the ground were injured, one seriously. Family members have yet to make the trip to the morgue to sift through belongings. [citation needed], 1987 plane crash of an MD-82 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, Aftermath of the Flight 255 crash: Aircraft debris field scattered along Middlebelt Road. The forecast that evening called for a chance of thunderstorms. This change in takeoff routine could be the reason the TAXI checklist was forgone. Witnesses reported that the plane was at a 90-degree left wing down position when it struck a roof. Registry N312RC, was a regularly scheduled passenger flight and was en route to Phoenix, Arizona, with 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers. The devastation claimed the lives of six crew members and 148 passengers, along with two people on the ground. The interruption of the input power to the CAWS occurred at the P-40 circuit breaker. He enjoys suffering through Lions games on Sundays in the fall. The Sole Survivor was a 4-year-old girl, Cecelia Cichan, who sustained serious injuries. February 10, 2020 / 10:23 PM The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 ATC recording, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 CVR recording, MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, List of aircraft accidents and incidents resulting in at least 50 fatalities, List of sole survivors of airline accidents or incidents, "Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Airlines, Inc. McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, N312RC, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Romulus, Michigan, August 16, 1987", "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) N312RC Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW)", "United States of America air safety profile", "Ten worst aircraft accidents with lone survivors", "Picture of the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (DC-9-82) aircraft", "Crash Survivor's Psychic Pain May Be the Hardest to Heal", "4-YEAR-OLD CECILIA AWAKENS, ASKS FOR MOTHER, THEN DOLL", "Mother May Not Have Saved Lone Survivor of Plane Crash", "Flight 255: Tragedy Lingers After 20 Years", "Sole Survivor Of Metro Airport Crash Breaks Her Silence", "Northwest Airlines (NW) #261 FlightAware", "Flight Finder Detroit Metro Wayne Co (KDTW) - Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (KPHX) FlightAware", "A mother's long journey follows son's final flight", "Memorial held for victims of 1987 Flight 255 plane crash", "30 years later: Flight 255 bonds victims' families", "Sole Survivor Of Plane Crash Breaks Silence", "Survivor of 1987 Mich. plane crash breaks silence", "1987 Plane Crash: 'Sole Survivor' Cecelia Crocker Breaks Silence On Northwest Airlines Flight 255 Accident", "Tom Higgins: The Wreaths of Middlebelt Road", Pre-crash photos of N312RC on Airliners.net, Evergreen International Airlines Flight 17, 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northwest_Airlines_Flight_255&oldid=1130000402, Airliner accidents and incidents in Michigan, Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error, Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1987, Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-82, Northwest Airlines accidents and incidents, Airliner accidents and incidents caused by stalls, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, # = Expletive deleted; * = Unintelligible word; () = Questionable text; (()) = Commentary; - = Break in continuity; Shading = Radio communication. Over the years, families of the victims have gathered at a black granite memorial near I-94 and Middlebelt to mark the anniversary of the disaster. Flight attendant Pamela D. Sparks-Shaffer, 36, Chandler, Ariz. Rhett Taylor Bushong, 19, Mission Viejo, Calif. Capt. Her son was on board. The high school reunion was Saturday. Northwest will pay for the funeral and will fly the family back home, as it is doing for other victims families. Melvin C. Roundy, 53, Mesa, off-duty Northwest employe. The flight's captain, John R. Maus, was an experienced pilot with 31 years of experience with the airline. Rhett Bushongs suitcase arrived in Orange County unscathed late Sunday night--presumably aboard the Continental flight he was originally booked on. [] 1987 8 16, 255 4 . After passengers disembarked the flight from Saginaw, a Northwest mechanic entered the cockpit to review the airplane and cabin maintenance logbooks prior to Captain Maus and First Officer Dodds taking over. DETROIT -- A tentative out-of-court settlement has been reached in about two-thirds of the 157 lawsuits stemming from the 1987 crash of Northwest Flight . Family and friends of Flight 255 victims gathered at the memorial site for a ceremony at 8 p.m. Wednesday to honor the lives of their loved ones. Traffic was already backing up on I-94 near the airport. [1]:2526[11] After the crash, Cichan moved to live with her maternal aunt and uncle in Birmingham, Alabama. There was only one survivor from the crash, 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan. Everybody was milling around the table trying to see something, Donnie Ratliff said about the scene inside the morgue. Shortly after it took off from Metro Airport around 8:45 p.m. on a Sunday evening, the MD-82 airplane bound for Phoenix stalled and struck a light pole near the end of the runway, ripping a hole in the left wing and igniting the jet fuel stored there. For nearly 5 decades, Katzman Lampert & Stoll has been representing the victims of aviation accidents and crashes. Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft, bound for Phoenix, Arizona, attempted to takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul . Some family members, including Dee Murdy, say their wounds havent healed. The now uncontrolled plane crashed inverted onto Middlebelt Road and struck vehicles just north of its intersection with Wick Road, killing two people on the ground in a car. VICTIMS OF FLIGHT 255 - The Washington Post VICTIMS OF FLIGHT 255 Following are names of 155 of at least 156 victims in the crash of a Northwest Airlines jet Sunday at Detroit. More: Firefighter who pulled lone survivor from Flight 255 wreckage talks about crash, 35 years later, From the Vault: News coverage from crash of Northwest Flight 255 in 1987. ", However, hearing these names reach every year brings a sense of comfort Schaffer-Smith says, "We still remember. Even with time, however, the numbers do not tell the story. The jetliner was bound for Phoenix, and many of the victims were from the Valley. Ive only caught glimpses of it from one of the on-ramps to westbound I-94. It then crashed onto Middlebelt Road and struck vehicles, killing two people on the ground. Four flight attendants were also on board. She spoke publicly about the accident for the first time in 2013 as part of a documentary on sole survivors of disasters. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Tulare sheriff said a drug cartel, then backtracks. On Tuesday evening, Joan Pontante laid a sketched picture of her brother, his wife and three kids on the black granite memorial. ((Sound of secondary stall recognition aural warning starts)). The Safety Board concluded that the airplane had not encountered a wind shear and directed its investigation elsewhere. The 35-year-old first officer, David Dodds, was hired in 1979. 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