Delta Air Lines Flight 1141
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 31, 1988 |
| Summary | Mechanical failure, Pilot error |
| Site | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 727 |
| Operator | Delta Air Lines |
| Registration | N473DAdisaster[1] |
| Flight origin | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport |
| Destination | Salt Lake City International Airport |
| Passengers | 101 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 14 |
| Injuries | 76 (26 serious) [2] |
| Survivors | 94 |
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was a commercial airline flight that flew from Jackson, Mississippi, to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. On August 31, 1988, Flight 1141 crashed after takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
Two cabin crew members (out of four) and twelve of the 101 passengers on board lost their lives: a total of 14 deaths. One passenger, who sat in 29C and had exited the aircraft through the aft break in the left side of the fuselage [1] (Pg. 37), attempted to re-enter the aircraft, received burn wounds, and died 11 days later [2] (Pg. 11).
Two flight crew members, two cabin crew members, and 22 passengers were seriously injured. One flight crew member and 49 passengers received minor injuries. 18 passengers received no injuries [3].
The flight crew consisted of 3: Captain Larry Davis, 48, a veteran Delta pilot, co-pilot Gary Kirkland and flight engineer Steven Judd, 31.
The aircraft was a Boeing 727 Advanced, registration number N473DAdisaster[3]. It was delivered in 1973, the 992nd Boeing 727 to be delivered.
Two causes were primarily blamed for the incident: The crew had not ensured that the wing's flaps and slats were properly positioned for take-off, and the plane's takeoff warning horn, designed to alert the crew if the engines are throttled to take-off power without the flaps and slats being correctly set, was not operating correctly. The airplane did not gain sufficient speed to climb in a flaps-and-slats-retracted condition, causing a loss of lift and subsequent collision with equipment pertaining to the ILS (instrument landing system) at the departure end of the runway.
In an unexpected sequel to the investigation, the broadcast of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) by the media (demonstrating why the crew mistakenly mispositioned the flaps) provoked such an outcry by pilots that subsequent releases of CVR data are protected by law and are carefully vetted by the NTSB.[citation needed] FAA regulations require a sterile cockpit before takeoff. This means there is to be no conversation outside of talk pertaining to the plane and pending flight. (For example, reviewing Pre-Takeoff checklists.) The CVR tapes recorded extensive talk about the CVR itself and how on Continental Airlines Flight 1713 crew discussions were recorded about the dating habits of the flight attendants.
See also
References
- ^ "FAA Registry (N473DA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
- ^ Aircraft Accident Report—Delta Air Lines, Inc.; Boeing 727-232, N473DA; Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Texas; August 31, 1988 (PDF), NTSB, 1989, AAR-89/04
- ^ "FAA Registry (N473DA)". Federal Aviation Administration.