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40 years ago, America's deadliest plane crash killed 273 people at Chicago, O'Hare Airport
40 years ago, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed at O'Hare. After losing an engine on the runway, the DC-10 banked sharply after takeoff. Seconds later it slammed into the ground and burst into flames. All 271 on board, along with 2 on the ground, were killed. (graphics.chicagotribune.com) More...
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A few days later I was a passenger on a DC-10 out of O'Hare to Montreal and was amazed that the big screen showed the view out the front and thought about what the passengers on Flight 191 must have seen. You could also select a cockpit radio over the earphones and it made you feel like you were in the cockpit. That was my only DC-10 flight.
My other recollection is going to Falcon recurrent a few months later and this accident being all the talk and triggering a training change. They used to teach, with an engine failure during or shortly after takeoff to not exceed V2 and to slow to it if you were already above it. After the accident, they said up to V2+10 was fine as long as the plane was performing. The investigation apparently showed that slowing to V2 contributed to the loss of control roll over and that the aircraft was capable of flight at a higher airspeed even with the damage on the left wing.
My other recollection is going to Falcon recurrent a few months later and this accident being all the talk and triggering a training change. They used to teach, with an engine failure during or shortly after takeoff to not exceed V2 and to slow to it if you were already above it. After the accident, they said up to V2+10 was fine as long as the plane was performing. The investigation apparently showed that slowing to V2 contributed to the loss of control roll over and that the aircraft was capable of flight at a higher airspeed even with the damage on the left wing.
Incredible effort on the memorial by the Tribune.
I remember it vididly. My parents and I were supposed to fly out on that jet, but we got held up in traffic and missed our destiny. I saw the smoke rising above the airport for seemed hours. The thrill of watching your takeoff from the large screens on the bulkheads - well they'll never forget it. AAL to this day still has not accepted responsibilty for this crash - nor did they pay the victims families. Thirty years after the crash, they reluctantly installed a monument in DesPlaines. I still will not support them, even if they were the only carrier left.
One of the difficulties in putting it together for the memorial was to compile a complete list of victims’ names — something American Airlines refused to release then and now. “We never release the names of our passengers, regardless of circumstance,” an American Airlines media spokesperson wrote in an e-mail based upon a recent request.
the sadness and tragedy of this accident was overwhelming to many..the dc 10 fleet of aircraft on all major carriers was grounded afterward,for serious inspections of engines,parts and pieces..had American airlines maintenance at the time,properly inspected and installed the engine,this might not have occurred..it is hard to believe that was 40 years ago...
Eight other DC10's were found to have had similar cracks in the pylons after the grounding.
The second incident would be 9/11; he was the manager of Quantum Computer's NYC office. The address: Floor 78, Tower 1, World Trade Center. When the planes hit the tower, he was duty person responsible for handling that floor in the case of any emergency. He and his guide dog, Roselle, not only made it out, but got their entire floor out of that building and 5 blocks away before Tower 2 fell.
It was that action that had both Hingson and Roselle receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and IIRC, Roselle and Salty, another guide dog that helped people out of the WTC, were the first civilian service animals to receive that award.