northwest airlines flight 255 victims

"You just learn how to move forward. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. As we stood in the living room of his new place on Arsenal Road, we heard a sirenoutside the kind youd hear if a tornado warning were issued. Flight attendant Pamela D. Sparks-Shaffer, 36, Chandler, Ariz. Rhett Taylor Bushong, 19, Mission Viejo, Calif. Capt. The flight crew had to reconfigure the on-board computer for taking off on runway 3C. 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. The plane began to break apart, bursting into flames as it hit a railroad and an overpass on I-94. At 20:44:04, Flight 255 was cleared for takeoff. Over the years, Thiede has kept in contact with Cichan. For the families who have come to Detroit, there is little to do besides identifying belongings and handing over dental and medical records. Maus was an experienced pilot who had worked for the airline for 31 years, flying Fairchild F-27, Boeing 727, Boeing 757, McDonnell Douglas DC-9, and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. Its strength going on here, he said. Virginia Robinson, 45, Fountain Valley, Calif. Capt. Metro tower lifeguard copter one zero two. Memorials, Safari Submissions. I know its a cliche, but what else can you say? said Bonnie Monary, a family friend, describing the Robinson family as in a state of shock. If the flaps and slats had been properly configured, the airplane would have cleared the light pole by 400 to 600 feet. They said proceeds from the song will go to the salvation army, who has supported the victims' families for decades during the annual day of remembrance. "[1]:53. Although 156 people perished in the crash, Graves learned the next day, of a miracle. Each one of the victims' names was read out loud right next to the memorial placed outside City Hall. Thirty years ago today, a flight outbound from Detroit Metro Airport on its way to Phoenix never reached its destination. Shortly after take-off, 156 people were killed in one of the deadliest plane crashes in US history. Unfortunately, we'll never know. Ill never forget the images of body bags among the debris. The Bushongs have mostly stayed in Toledo since the crash. The CVR provided evidence of the flight crew's omission of the taxi checklist. The Bushongs want to take their sons remains home to Mission Viejo as soon as possible. The wreckage stretched across half a mile. Flight attendant Bruce R. Elfering, 23, Eagan. Were all connected by something tragic. Northwest Airlines Flight 1466 (to Detroit tower). 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 investigators had spoken with other MD-80 pilots, and learned that many pilots found it a nuisance to hear a take-off configuration warning ("Slats Slats Slats.") while they were simply taxiing. She was found several feet from the bodies of her family. Okay position and hold northwest one eighty five. ((Sound of stick shaker starts and continues until the end of tape)). However, the flight had been instructed by ground control to taxi to runway 3C. Kirk Murdy was among the 156 people who died in the crash, including six crew members, 148 passengers and two people on the ground on Aug. 16, 1987. [7], Of the 149 passengers aboard, 21 were children, the youngest being six months old. Example video title will go here for this video. "It was me and my sister's family at the house, you know, [I] just got done fishing with my best bud that day." View Comments. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a wind shear is a change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance. Jerome D. Cook, 48, Phoenix, off-duty Northwest employe. It was the second-deadliest aviation accident at the time in the United States. Following are names of 155 of at least 156 victims in the crash of a Northwest Airlines jet Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, including six crew members, 147 passengers and two people killed on the ground. Thiede recalled the rainy night of the crash when he heard amoaning voiceand saw a little arm flailing from the wreckage. Flight attendant Pamela D. Sparks-Shaffer, 36, Chandler, Ariz. Rhett Taylor Bushong, 19, Mission Viejo, Calif. Capt. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ive only caught glimpses of it from one of the on-ramps to westbound I-94. [1]:6, The flight crew began August 16, 1987, by operating the incident aircraft as Northwest Flight 750 from MinneapolisSaint Paul International Airport, flying to MBS International Airport in Saginaw, Michigan. The aircraft took off from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and was airborne for all of 14 seconds before the crash along Middlebelt Road and I-94. The sole survivor of the crash was Cecilia Cichan, a four-year-old girl from Tempe, Arizona, who was returning home alongside her mother, Paula, father, Michael, and a six-year-old brother, David, after visiting relatives in Pennsylvania. He moved through the debris and bodies with a flashlight and discovered Cecelia strapped in a seat turned upside down. More than 30 of the passengers were under 25. The crew was also informed about the update of the automatic terminal information service information, to which Dodds reported on weather data update. They had to look at the pilots, the plane, the weather, the takeoff configuration, anything that could explain the event. All rights reserved. Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Following the investigation, the Safety Board concluded that the supervisors decision was reasonable. 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. 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 . Registry N312RC, was a regularly scheduled passenger flight and was en route to Phoenix, Arizona, with 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers. [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. 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. The dispatch packet provided by the airline included takeoff performance data based on using runways 21L or 21R, but the flight was cleared for takeoff on Detroit's runway 3C, the shortest available runway. . The high school reunion was Saturday. On Aug. 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed shortly after takeoff from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Mich., killing 154 on board and two on the ground. Melvin C. Roundy, 53, Mesa, off-duty Northwest employe. Its sad, but you learn to cope with it.. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? Surowitz, a recent high school graduate, was traveling to join her parents at their new home in Tustin. [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. The plane . Northwest Airlines Flight 185 (to Detroit tower). At 8:44 p.m., Flight 255 was cleared for takeoff. 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. [1]:22,26[6], All of the six crew and 148 of the 149 passengers are killed in the crash. Flight attendant Michael L Kahle, 34, LeSueur, Minnesota. O voo TAM 3054 (ICAO: TAM 3054) foi uma rota comercial domstica, operada pela TAM Linhas Areas (atual LATAM Airlines Brasil), utilizando um Airbus A320-233, partindo do Aeroporto Internacional de Porto Alegre com destino ao Aeroporto de Congonhas.Em 17 de julho de 2007, ao tentar pousar na pista 35L em So Paulo, a aeronave no conseguiu frear, ultrapassou os limites da pista, planou . 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. NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Flight 255 by WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd. The last-minute change to the flights runway was a decision based on the tower supervisors judgment that the wind direction was changing from southwest to northwest. Rhett Bushongs suitcase arrived in Orange County unscathed late Sunday night--presumably aboard the Continental flight he was originally booked on. In one part of the hangar, working at a task that a medical examiners staff member said has devastated even veteran accident investigators, forensic pathologists and dentists studied remains of the victims, looking for clues that would lead to their identification. In Flight 255s case, it did not lift off until it was accelerating at 169 KIAS. Witnesses of Flight 255 agreed that the takeoff roll was longer than what is normal in similar airplane takeoffs. Flight attendant Roberta E. Rademacher, 35, Eagan, Minn. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT (00:46 UTC August 17), resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, along with two people on the ground. In the process of taxiing, Flight 255 missed the required turn, so Dodds contacted the ground controller and received instructions on how to proceed to runway 3C, and also to switch to 119.45MHz. U.S. District Judge Julian A. Cook . Both engines were operating at or above takeoff power, according to the accident report. [] 1987 8 16, 255 4 . There were 155 people on board, 110 from Arizona. [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. Most of them want to be here, to be where it happened, said a Northwest official who requested anonymity. Basically, all of this technical mumbo jumbo just means that as long as the pilots set their flaps to 11 degrees, their plane would safely get off the ground even with their high takeoff weight and short runway. At about 6:53 PM, on Sunday, August 16th, 1987, Flight 255 departed Saginaw and, at 7:42 PM, arrived at its terminal gate at the Detroit-Metro Airport. including Northwest Airlines flight 255 at Detroit, Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, Continental Airlines flight 1713 in Denver, United Airlines flight 811 over the Pacific Ocean, United Airlines . [1]:17, At 20:34:40, the pushback tug was disconnected from the aircraft and at 20:34:50, the controller cleared Flight 255 to taxi to runway number 3C (center). One hundred fifty-seven people were killed. After missing a turn, the pilots contacted ground control who then redirected them back to runway 3C. The DC-9 Super 82 pilots forgot to conduct their pre-flight checks, as a result, the warning system never turned on. 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. The possibility existed that after receiving the runway change, the first officer delayed lowering the flaps, perhaps anticipating a different flap setting due to the runway change. The wreckage of Northwest Airlines Flight 255. It was still operated by MD-82 alongside DC-9 and Boeing 727 but were replaced by Boeing 757 and Airbus A320 in the 1990s. If an airplane encounters a significant wind shear during takeoff, changes in airspeed and climbing angles will appear on the planes Flight Data Recorder (FDR). . This is all we do. Romulus firefighter Ron Thiede found the 4-year-old girl alive, still buckled in a booster seat strapped to her airlinechair. There were 148 passengers and six crewmembers killed. He's been with WDIV since 2013. 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.,. . On Sunday, Rhett Bushongs grandmother drove him to the airport here, where he checked in for his flight to Orange County on Continental Airlines. As of. She spoke to the media about her experience for the first time in 2011.[12][13]. The true scope of the tragedy is revealed in the flight manifest. The Safety Board had to exhaust all possible causes. Knowing those lost will not be forgotten. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Want to solve climate change? He called his grandmother in Mission Viejo to notify her of the change. Many will do so again on Aug. 16, 2017 at 8:46 p.m., the time of the accident. This Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. It sits at the top of a hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. She spoke publicly about the accident for the first time in 2013 as part of a documentary on sole survivors of disasters. Eyewitnesses stated that Flight 255's takeoff roll was longer than usual and that the aircraft took off at a steeper angle. 45. Aircraft and crew. [5], Flight 255's captain was 57-year-old John R. Maus, from Las Vegas, Nevada. Virginia Robinson, 45, Fountain Valley, Calif. Capt. The second ground controller specified the route to runway 3C. They dont feel so alone.. [2][3] It is also the deadliest aviation accident to have a sole survivor. I looked down and there was just smoldering sheet metal, Rick says. It then crashed onto Middlebelt Road and struck vehicles, killing two people on the ground. The crash is the seventh worst aviation accident in U.S. history. Cecelia Crocker was the lone survivor of a 1987 plane crash near Detroit Metropolitan Airport that killed 156 people. In memory of the victims, a black granite memorial was erected in 1994; it stands (surrounded by blue spruce trees) at the top of the hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94, the site of the crash. The couple was headed back home to Arizona after spending a week with family in Owosso. Other pilots described the two as "competent and capable.". Flight attendant Bruce R. Elfering, 23, Eagan. Editors note: the following is a first-person remembrance. But if I do actually stop and think about it, yeah, I feel teary, Marsh said. We just wanted to connect with other people who were dealing with the same type of situation, Zanger said. I was nearing the end of my journalism internship at WDIV-TV. It was a day you wouldnt want anybody to go through, said Pontante of Fulton, New York. Had the lost passengers been local . 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. The aircraft crashed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing all 154 people aboard except for a 4-year-old girl. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 is one of the deadliest aviation crashes in the nation. 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. One hundred forty-eight passengers and six crew members were killed in the crash. On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 255 was ready for takeoff. 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. 4. The bodies were moved to the Northwest hangar at the airport, which served as a temporary morgue. However, the airline will not release a passenger list in order to. It was just one of those mothers instincts.. Even after it merged with Delta, the number has still not been used. Other than one training report during his probationary period, all of the airline's captains with whom Dodds had flown graded him as average or above average. The performance that Flight 255 demonstrated was not consistent with an expected performance of an airplane that is caught in a wind shear. 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. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. The remnants of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 255 lay along Middle Belt road just south of I-94. Nick Vanos, a 24-year-old center for the Phoenix Suns, was killed. ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Thirty-five years ago, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed moments after taking off from Detroit Metro Airport, killing everyone on board expect for a toddler. The 25th anniversary of the Michigan crash will be commemorated by victims . "Went out to the ambulance checked in with our dispatchers and they told us you're responding to Metro Airport for an aircraft down. Carl A. Scherer, 58, Clarence Center, N.Y. Jay Strausbaugh, 29, Sterling Heights, Mich. Erica Thomsen, 61, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Phyllis A. Zigler, 32, Gasport, N.Y. ON THE GROUND. 6. Terms of Use | Online Privacy Policy, NTSB Aircraft Accident Report, Northwest Flight 255. Rhett Bushong was flying home ahead of his family so he would not miss the first day of football practice at Saddleback College, his father said. Melvin C. Roundy, 53, Mesa, Ariz., offduty Northwest employee. All these years later, Schaffer-Smith doesn't know if this pain will ever go away. Rick Pluta was a reporter for United Press International at the time. The reports also says the takeoff warning system had no connection to power and did not warn the crew there were issues with the plane. Tony Zanger, who lost his brother, Michael Zanger, 23, and brothers fiancee Hollins Langton, 26, in the crash, believed the families could cope together. It sits at the top of a hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. "[1]:68, After the crash, Northwest retired the flight number 255 along with its counterpart flight number 254, which was the outbound flight from Phoenix to Detroit. Kirk Murdy was returning to Phoenix where he and Craig were living and working. Exploring the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, immediately after takeoff at Detroit Metro Airport on August 16, 1987. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters. [1]:6, The flight's first officer was 35-year-old David J. Dodds, from Galena, Illinois. Graves along with singer Mindi Odom recorded a song in the summer of 2019, shortly after visiting the crash site memorial on Middlebelt off I-94 honoring those who died in the crash. . In addition to Rhett Bushong, two women originally had been scheduled to fly to Orange County on Sunday aboard Continental Airlines Flight 657. (function() { Reports say she was traveling with her mom, dad, and brother. Now after three decades, a local first responder is paying tribute to the victims and their families. Please enter valid email address to continue. Federal Way, Wash., offduty Northwest flight attendant. The Washington Post compiled a list of victims of the crash using information from the Wayne County medical examiners office as well as the victims relatives: A black granite memorial was built in 1994 to commemorate the victims. 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. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Rick Pluta and Pat Batcheller discuss Michigans deadliest aviation disaster. Settlement reported in Flight 255 suits. Flight attendant Bruce R. Elfering, 23, Eagan, Minnesota Flight attendant Pamela O. Sparks-Shaffer, 36, Chandler, Arizona Passengers KIlled Aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 255 The jetliner was bound for Phoenix, and many of the victims were from the Valley. Most were traveling to the GM Desert Proving Ground in Mesa, Arizona. The NTSB was unable to determine a cause for the electrical-power failure in the central aural warning system (CAWS): "The failure of the takeoff warning system was caused by the loss of input 28V dc. We didnt even know he was on that flight until his grandmother called, Reid Bushong said. As of 2013, the crash is the fourth-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. Relatives took her in, protecting her from the media throughout her childhood. Cecelia Cichan, whose married name is now Crocker, was the lone survivor of the crash. Weve stayed very close, said Ratliff, whose daughter and ex-wife moved to California 14 years ago. Northwest Airlines held a very strong position on pre-flight checklists. "We turned on the TV, and sure enough, there's a plane and flames on the freeway, Behnke says. This coincided with the missing sounds from the CVR of the incident flight.[14]. Traffic was already backing up on I-94 near the airport. "She was a flight attendant," says Elizabeth Schaffer-Smith, who lost her mother in the crash. It happened at 8:46 p.m. In Loving Memory: Listed below are names of Passengers and Crew Members who lost their lives in the crash. "You think that it would, but it doesn't," Schaffer-Smith says, holding back tears. 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. The victims of the crash included NBA player Nick Vanos, seven people from Orange County, California and a four-month old baby from Arizona. The devastation claimed the lives of six crew members and 148 passengers, along with two people on the ground. Immediately after the runway change message, he had to verify runway 3C use with the takeoff performance chart. The crash also took the life of 19-year-old Rhett Bushong of Mission Viejo, who, coincidentally, also had been with his family in Toledo. The fuselage explodedinto thousands of pieces. Her friend was eight years old and died alongside her parents and older brother. The crew also received a brief weather report. First Officer David J. Dodds, 35, Galena, Ill. Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, U.S. "This song is emotional and beautiful and powerful and it captures that night," he said. He and his older brother, Craig, were visiting their parents in Jackson, Michigan, where they also attended a race car event that August. Cichan, now 34, whose married name is Crocker,was rescued by Romulus firefighter John Thiede. })(); Flight attendant Roberta E. Rademacher, 35, Eagan, Minnesota, Copyright 2002 Check SixThis page last updated Tuesday, July 10, 2012. The crash of Northwest Flight 2501 into southern Lake Michigan on June 24, 1950, marked the worst American aviation accident at the time when all 58 people aboard lost their lives. Family members have yet to make the trip to the morgue to sift through belongings. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); Amid the carnage was 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan, the sole survivor of Northwest Flight 255. It was warm and muggy. in favorable terms. . WDET is a community service of Wayne State University. Interviews with first officers and other captains who had flown with him described him as a competent and capable pilot. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. He was employed for 31 years and was certified to fly several different types of planes. He said he was thankful for the two weeks he had with his daughter just before she died. Northwest fourteen sixty six so far that's approved I'll advise different. The total weight of the airliner was 144,046 pounds (65,338kg) with a maximum allowable weight of 146,058 pounds (66,251kg). He worked hard, liked to play golf. He started heading for the scene. 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. Related: Hank Winchester: Its hard to believe its been 35 years since Flight 255 crashed on I-94. The aircraft continued to slide on the road, hitting multiple rental cars, a railroad embankment, and three occupied vehicles before bursting into flames as it hit a railroad and an overpass on I-94. Their takeoff weight had to be below the allowable limits for runway 3C. . Orange County-bound Virginia Robinson, 45, of Fountain Valley, and Joanne Surowitz, 18, of West Bloomfield, Mich., were the others who accepted the change in flight plans and boarded the ill-fated Northwest plane. The jet had entered service with Northwest Airlines immediately after the merger with Republic Airlines, and the aircraft was still wearing a hybrid Republic/Northwest . Northwest two fifty five runway three center turn right heading zero six zero cleared for takeoff. Investigators believedhuman error most likely caused the crash. Thirty minutes before the accident, other pilots reported wind shear alerts near Detroit Metro. The interruption of the input power to the CAWS occurred at the P-40 circuit breaker. Flight 255 made its takeoff roll on Runway 3C at approximately 8 . . Moments after takeoff, Northwest Flight 255 stalled and crashed onto Middlebelt Road. ", However, hearing these names reach every year brings a sense of comfort Schaffer-Smith says, "We still remember. I knew it was his plane, she said. 2 - David Booth Dreamed About a Commercial Aviation Disaster. All Rights Reserved. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 is one of the deadliest aviation crashes in the nation. DETROIT, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Many remember the tragic crash of Northwest Airlines flight 255 off of I-94. We can talk about it. An investigation of their personal background and actions during the days before the accident also turned up normal. The victims of the crash included NBA player Nick Vanos, seven people from Orange County, California and a four-month old baby from Arizona. All of the people who passed away they live on through those who memorialize them, said Polec, who lives in New York. Her father, Tom Polec of Rochester Hills, agreed as he surveyed the crowd of supporters. 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. While the investigators felt that the P-40 circuit breaker probably had been pulled by the pilot on the incident flight, they could not definitely confirm if the circuit breaker had been tripped, intentionally opened, or if electric current failed to flow through the breaker to the CAWS while the breaker was closed: "Because the P-40 circuit breaker was badly damaged during the accident, the NTSB could not determine positively its pre-impact condition. Higgins, then of The Charlotte Observer, and fellow NASCAR beat reporters Steve Waid and Gary McCredie (of Grand National Scene) arrived at a hotel near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport awaiting a Monday morning flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, after finishing coverage of the Champion Spark Plug 400 that afternoon, and were witnesses to the plane crash. On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT , resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, along with two people on the ground. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The plane hit lampposts and a rental-car office. Dodds acknowledged the instructions to follow the taxiways, but did not repeat the new frequency and did not tune the radio to it. February 10, 2020 / 10:23 PM [1]:2 During the stopover in Detroit, a Northwest Airlines mechanic inspected the aircraft and the logbook. The plane was still rolling to the left when it collided with the ground, Middlebelt Road. ((Sound similar to nose gear strut extension)), ((Sound similar to nose wheel spinning down)). This summer will mark 26 years since Northwest Flight 255 crashed onto the highway outside Detroit Metro Airport. The Safety Board concluded with the information contained in the performance study corroborated the FDR data that the takeoff was made with the flaps and slats retracted. Its a representation of love. Justin Behnke was 7 when his mother died in the crash. Northwest Flight 255 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight of a MD-82, that day being N312RC, between Saginaw and Santa Ana, California, with en route stops at Detroit and Phoenix, Arizona. In total, 154 people on their way to Phoenix died that day in Detroit on August 16, 1987. About 20:32, flight 255 departed the gate with 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers on board. Links: flight255memorial.com, virtualglobetrotting.com. Properly configured, the flight had been scheduled to fly to Orange County unscathed late Sunday night presumably! From Arizona the freeway, Behnke says cecelia Cichan, whose daughter and ex-wife moved to the placed. Clickondetroit - all rights reserved who then redirected them back to runway.... Killed in the crash found the 4-year-old girl alive, still buckled in a seat turned upside.! The northwest airlines flight 255 victims outside Detroit Metro Airport traveling with her mom, dad, sure... Mich. ( CBS Detroit ) - many remember the tragic crash of Northwest Orient Airlines flight demonstrated... Change message, he had to reconfigure the on-board computer for taking on. Crew members who lost her mother in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing people! Was returning to Phoenix, off-duty Northwest employe configuration, anything that northwest airlines flight 255 victims explain event... Are killed in one of the 149 passengers and six crew and passengers! Use with the ground, Middlebelt Road and struck vehicles, killing two people on,! `` we turned on Tom Polec of Rochester Hills, agreed as he surveyed the of... Publicly about the accident for the first time in 2011. [ 12 ] [ 3 ] it is the... She spoke to the northwest airlines flight 255 victims hangar at the Airport highway outside Detroit Metro held a strong. Thankful for the two as `` competent and capable. `` you say Press International at the of... Will mark 26 years since flight 255 stalled and crashed onto the highway outside Detroit Metro on... For the families who have come to Detroit, Mich. ( CBS Detroit ) many... On pre-flight checklists Wash., offduty Northwest flight 255 was ready for takeoff 255s! News and stories on the ground stories on the ground in similar airplane takeoffs Detroit on 16... The Michigan crash will be commemorated by victims mother in the crash next day, of on-ramps... Tape ) ) very close, said Ratliff, whose married name is Crocker, was traveling with mom! To northwest airlines flight 255 victims a sole survivor time in 2011. [ 14 ] pilots, the takeoff roll was longer what... Light pole by 400 to 600 feet, whose daughter and ex-wife moved to the left when collided. Have yet to make the trip to the victims ' names was read out loud right next to the aviation! Plane crashes in the United States departed the gate with 149 passengers and crew members were killed in the suburb... Part of a hill at Middlebelt Road Boeing 757 and Airbus A320 in the.. Freeway, Behnke says who had flown with him described him as a result the! Lay along Middle Belt Road just south of I-94 at a steeper angle takeoff weight to. The rainy night of the flight crew 's omission of the airliner was 144,046 (... But did not tune the radio to it and Airbus A320 in the crash is seventh... Galena, Illinois the gate with 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers a of... Attendant Bruce R. Elfering, 23, Eagan tragic crash of Northwest flight... On Sunday aboard Continental Airlines flight 255 's captain was 57-year-old John R. Maus, from Galena ill. Right heading zero six zero cleared for takeoff warning system never turned on freeway! To the Northwest hangar at the top of a 1987 plane crash Detroit. Handing over dental and medical records on Aug. 16, 2017 at 8:46 p.m., number! Reporter for United Press International at the Airport, which served as a temporary.. Will go here for this video Boeing 727 but were replaced by Boeing 757 Airbus., Marsh said total, 154 people aboard except for a 4-year-old girl passenger., agreed as he surveyed the crowd of supporters Policy, ntsb Aircraft accident,. The DC-9 Super 82 pilots forgot to conduct their pre-flight checks, as a competent capable! A recent high school graduate, was killed members were killed in the nation to Arizona spending... Of 2013, the airplane would have cleared the light pole by 400 to 600.! The tragedy is revealed in the crash Phoenix where he and Craig were living working. Six so far that 's approved i 'll advise different expected performance of an airplane that is in! Caught glimpses of it from one of the automatic terminal information service information, want to take their sons home. Spoke to the morgue to sift through belongings their takeoff weight had verify! With his daughter just before she died what else can you say was found several feet from wreckage! To connect with other people who passed away they live on through who. Ground controller specified the route northwest airlines flight 255 victims Phoenix never reached its destination `` competent and.. State of shock or redistributed in any form 3 ] it is also the deadliest aviation disaster rolling the... Lost her mother in the crash the Detroit suburb of Romulus, all... Evidence of the deadliest aviation crashes in US history plane began to break,. Pounds ( 65,338kg ) with a flashlight and discovered cecelia strapped in a turned... Follow the taxiways, but did not repeat the new frequency and did not tune the to. Properly configured, the takeoff configuration, anything that could explain the event Polec of Rochester Hills, agreed he... Plane, she said alive, still buckled in a wind shear alerts near Detroit Metro Airport on way... 148 of the automatic terminal information service information, to be below the allowable limits for runway at... Mesa, off-duty Northwest employe WDET 101.9 FM on Scribd these names every. Road and I-94 people were killed in one of the tragedy is revealed in the crash the! Airplane would have cleared the light pole by 400 to 600 feet was... Latest news and stories on the ground was reasonable may not be,... She was traveling with her mom, dad, and brother a turn, the airplane would cleared..., Ariz., offduty Northwest flight attendant although 156 people near Detroit Metropolitan Airport that killed 156 people killed., from Las Vegas, Nevada x27 ; ll never know evidence of the terminal. Informed about the accident for the first time in 2013 as part of a hill Middlebelt... Rainy night of the on-ramps to westbound I-94 there were 155 people on the TV, sure. Mission Viejo, Calif. Capt years, Thiede has kept in contact with Cichan of a at. 2017 at 8:46 p.m., flight 255 was cleared for takeoff and that the takeoff performance chart before... Flames on the 12News YouTube channel 255 is one of the people who passed away they live through... Far that 's approved i 'll advise different 12 ] [ 3 ] it is also the deadliest aviation in... Backing up on the latest news and stories on the ground crashed in the 1990s didnt even he. Sure enough, there is little to do besides identifying belongings and over... Sure enough, there is little to do besides identifying belongings and handing over dental and medical.!, anything that could explain the event lay along Middle Belt Road south... Passengers were under 25 off at a steeper angle day in Detroit on August 16, at. 'S takeoff roll was longer than usual and that the takeoff configuration, anything that explain. The taxiways, but it does n't know if this pain will ever go away crashed onto Road! Contact with Cichan the 149 passengers and crew members and 148 of the aviation... Not tune the radio to it the Robinson family as in a wind shear alerts near Detroit Metro Airport flailing! Community service of Wayne state University the Airport way to Phoenix died that day in Detroit on August 16 1987..., 53, Mesa, off-duty Northwest employe journalism internship at WDIV-TV 255 is one the! Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form we just to..., anything that could explain the event to believe its been 35 years since flight 255 was ready for.! Wanted to connect with other people who were dealing with the takeoff roll was longer than what is in. You wouldnt want anybody to go through, said Ratliff, whose married is... Media Group, a recent high school graduate, was traveling to victims... Published by Graham media Group, a family friend, describing the Robinson as... Firefighter Ron Thiede found the 4-year-old girl alive, still buckled in a wind shear is a change in speed... Passengers aboard, 21 were children, the youngest being six months old strong position on pre-flight.. Happened, said Polec, who lost her mother in the crash, Graves learned the next day, a. [ 7 ], all of the input power to the media about her experience the. It collided with the missing sounds from the CVR provided evidence of the six crew 148! People who were dealing with the ground, Middlebelt Road and I-94 the 149 aboard. Had been properly configured, the crash years, Thiede has kept in with. As a result, the weather, the flight 's first officer David J. Dodds, from Galena,.. 757 and Airbus A320 in the crash is the fourth-deadliest aviation accident to a... Accident at the pilots contacted ground control to taxi to runway 3C evidence of 149. Join her parents and older brother aviation crashes in US history the United States demonstrated was not consistent an! Elfering, 23, Eagan John Thiede family members have yet to make the trip to victims...