He was the grandson of O.B. It stars Denzel Washington as William Whip Whitaker Sr., an alcoholic airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mechanical failure, saving nearly everyone on board. 4:39 PM EST, Thu February 8, 2018. In September 2000, he filed a $20 million libel lawsuit against Alaska Airlines, arguing that he had been right all along and that Alaska had maliciously harmed his reputation. Michael Bernard, 30, SeattleA music lover, Mr. Bernard owned four guitars and cut a compact disc of original rock songs for his parents, Paul and Irene Bernard of Kirkland. WebOn Flight 261, the nut portion of the jackscrew (located on the horizontal stabilizer) screwed itself off the jackscew. Holy shit, said Thompson, pulling back hard on the controls. The following is a list of some of the victims of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. / CBS News. No survivors Erickson indicated that he and the pilot had been drinking alcoholic beverages, investigator Brice Banning wrote. Lorna Thorgrimson, 52, PoulsboTraveling with her husband, Robert Thorgrimson, Mrs. Thorgrimson was also accompanied by her close friends, Patty and Bob Williams. WebLoosely inspired by the plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, the film stars Denzel Washington as William "Whip" Whitaker Sr., an alcoholic airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mechanical failure, saving nearly everyone on board. You did try the suitcase handles and the pickle switches, right? the maintenance technician asked. Possibly. The legal limit for operating a commercial plane is a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent or higher. Bob Williams, 65, Poulsbo, Kitsap CountyHe was a builder who served on the Poulsbo city Planning Commission. Janice Stokes, 48, Ketchikan, AlaskaMs. Flight 261 was traveling from Puerto Vallarta to San Francisco on Jan. 31, 2000 when a mechanical malfunction inverted the jet and sent it downward off the Ventura County coast. If a pilot is discovered to have a BAC of 0.04 or more, the FAA can have the pilots license suspended for a year or place criminal charges, even if they havent taken off in an aircraft. Tom Stockley, 63, SeattleRespected wine columnist for The Seattle Times, Mr. Stockley was traveling with Peggy Stockley, his wife of 40 years. He moved to San Francisco last year. Over time, this minute difference will cause the jackscrew to wear away the threads on the nut if metal-on-metal contact is allowed to occur. Robert Hovey, 50, San FranciscoHe was an athletic, outdoorsy, avid traveler who lived on a sailboat on San Francisco Bay. They heard a helicopter, but they were unable to fire the flare gun successfully and the helicopter left. Gabriela Chavez, 33, Puerto Vallarta, MexicoA homemaker, wife and mother of one, Ms. Chavez was flying to San Francisco to visit her sister. Kick! he shouted. He grew up in Olympia. She and Monte Donaldson had just bought a home and planned to be married, then honeymoon in Ireland and Bali. A former Alaska Airlines captain faces jail time for piloting a plane carrying passengers while under the influence of alcohol, over four years after the incident took place. The pilot of Flight 261, Capt. Friends said she was shy but very gentle and loving. At 15:55, the dispatcher returned with wind speeds, wind directions, and runway conditions at San Francisco and Los Angeles. Lives would have been saved if they had. Alaska Airlines flight AS261 crashed on January 31, 2000, about 1621 Pacific standard time, Alaska Airlines, Inc., flight AS261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, N963AS : it crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California.. LOS ANGELES -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Alaska Airlines captain on federal charges of piloting a plane while intoxicated. However, the procedures available to them did not state that this was necessary, which doubtlessly contributed to their decision to continue on. Linda Knight, 51, MonroeLinda Knight, co-pastor and missionary with her husband, Joe Knight, overcame her fear of public speaking by practicing while standing on a stump in her yard. FAA employees charged with overseeing safety compliance at Alaska before the crash complained that they did not have sufficient staff to closely track its operations, which doubtlessly contributed to the airlines ability to keep woefully deficient maintenance practices under the radar of the federal government. He lived with his mother in Oakland and spent much of his time caring for exotic birds, his koi pond and a garden. He was vacationing with his daughter, Jacquelyn Choate. A Warner Bros. The problem, again, was a lack of redundancy: if the threads on the nut failed, there was no other structure that could absorb the load, and the catastrophic failure of the trim system leading to the loss of the airplane was inevitable. Born in Hawaii, Mr. Ing grew up on Mercer Island, graduating from Mercer Island High School in 1990. Ryan Busche, 28, SeattleMr. The flight departs from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and arrives in Haines, Skip to content You got it? And more than 21 years after the crash of flight 261, it is far from clear that the FAA is any less understaffed than it was when it let safety at Alaska Airlines fall to pieces at the cost of 88 lives. They had no way of knowing at this stage that the problem was mechanical in nature. Described by friends as a soft-spoken, caring person, Ms. Thompson is survived by two sisters. Yes sir, he he hit the water, said the SkyWest pilot, his voice nearly cracking. Anything more than that and the nut would need to be replaced. He will be sentenced this spring in US District Court in Santa Ana, California, according to the attorney. However, this premise was based on the assumption that one of the threads might separate from the nut due to metal fatigue or improper workmanship, and did not consider the possibility of abnormal wear simultaneously compromising the strength of both threads. In fact, by now there were several other airplanes in the area that were keenly watching the unfolding situation. Stepping on the rudder pedals while upside down was no easy task. Dr. David Clemetson, 40, SeattleA specialist in infectious diseases, Dr. Clemetson was traveling with his wife, Carolyn Clemetson, and the couples four blended-family children, Coriander, Blake, Miles and Spencer Clemetson. His mother said he was a sweet, handsome man who loved his job and loved people. I dont think we should, if it can fly, its like . The Knights, who had recently celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary at the time of the crash, began their ministry with Bible readings in their home in 1978. By 2000, Alaska Airlines only inspected the wear on the jackscrew nut every 30 months, equivalent to 9,550 flight hours, whereas the manufacturer recommended an interval no larger than 7,200 flight hours. Technical logs fell through the cracks; critical forms were left incomplete; paperwork was outright falsified to show work done when it was not. As such, it is critically important that the jackscrew be kept in good working order, primarily through the liberal application of grease at regular intervals. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. Those operating commercial vehicles may face criminal penalties and license suspensions. The revelations were in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Anchorage Daily News reported . He was traveling with his wife, Patty Williams and their friends Bob and Lorna Thorgrimson. It began life as a regional airline in Alaska, and by the time deregulation arrived in the late 1970s, it only had one destination in the lower 48 states. It was clear that nobody had survived the crash. The charge of operating a common carrier while under the influence of alcohol or drugs carries a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The 2 pilots, 3 cabin crew members, and 83 passengers on board were killed, and the airplane Less than one second later, Alaska Airlines flight 261 slammed into the Pacific Ocean, obliterating the aircraft and instantly killing all 88 people on board. A Newport Beach airline pilot has been arrested and charged with piloting an Alaska Airlines jet full of passengers while under the influence of alcohol, authorities said Thursday. Uh, you getting full nose trim down but are you getting any you dont get no nose trim up, is that correct? maintenance asked. Former owner of a travel business, she was a very giving person, friends said, and was working toward a masters degree in art therapy. Described as the mother hen of the block, Mrs. Pearson was the block-party organizer and Christmas-party hostess. By trimming the stabilizer to (for example) a nose up position, the pilots or the autopilot can keep the plane in a steady climb without touching the controls at all. Alaska Airlines 261 is a chartered flight operated by Alaska Airlines. He retired in 1989, but continued his column, which began in 1973. After Alaska Airlines received the test results it removed Arntson from all safety-sensitive duties. It got worse, okay. Violent vibrations shook the airplane. Still, the pilots did not give up; Thompson thought it might be possible to roll out right-side-up using the rudder. But as the airline began cutting costs over the following decade, one of the areas that got put on the chopping block was maintenance. KTLA 5 adds that Arnston will also have to pay a $10,000 fine, in addition. Web19K views 2 years ago. And so began a slash-and-burn cost-cutting campaign a campaign that culminated in a terrible black mark which will forever hang over the company, a tragedy so horrible and so preventable that it would call the safety of the entire industry into question. Even though the pilots fought for control for a short period, an MD-80 will not Were flying were flying tell em what were doing.. Finally, the Safety Board also felt that there were lessons to be learned from the actions of the pilots. LOS ANGELES -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Alaska Airlines captain on federal charges of piloting a plane while intoxicated. Captain Thompson was not happy with this reasoning. At that moment they effectively were dead. According to the official maintenance manual, greasing the jackscrew involved three main steps. January 21, 2016 / 9:24 PM If they had not attempted to move the stabilizer immediately before the first dive, their chances of safely reaching an airport before the jackscrew failed entirely would have been much greater. Okay, well, your discretion, said maintenance. First, pressurized grease was to be injected into a special tube on the nut until it filled all the thread gaps between the nut and the jackscrew and started to bulge out the top. On board flight 261, Captain Thompson vented to First Officer Tansky: Drives me nuts, he said. The controller granted the block altitude. The report says that at levels above 0.15, individuals may have significant loss of muscle control and major loss of balance. At levels over 0.20, individuals may experience amnesia or blackouts and double vision.. In theory this was adequate, but only if the grease was applied correctly every time. Dean Forshee, 47, Benicia, CalifThe professional musician was a skilled pedal steel, acoustic and electric guitar player who taught lessons and devoted his life to music, especially country and rockabilly. The stabilizer is attached to a giant threaded screw, called the jackscrew, which feeds through a nut attached to the aircraft structure inside the tail. Charlene Sipe, 53, BrierTraveling with Harry Stasinos, Ms. Sipe was also a longtime insurance agent. Williams, traveling with her husband, Bob Williams, would have celebrated her 64th birthday on Feb. 8, 2000. The revelations were in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Anchorage Daily News reported . However, Alaska Airlines maintenance personnel often did it in as little as one hour not because they found a more efficient way, but because they didnt understand the proper procedure and skipped some of the steps. Upon deplaning in San Diego, he was randomly selected for drug and alcohol testing by the carrier. WebAlaska Flight 261 Pilots Awarded ALPA Gold Medal Air Line Pilot, March 2001, p. 22 By Chris Dodd, Staff Writer Two Alaska Airlines pilots who fought until their last moments to regain control of their MD-80 despite an inoperative horizontal stabilizer have been honored with ALPAs Gold Medal for Heroism in a special ceremony in Seattle. PLANE CRASH, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Pacific Ocean Other Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list more. If done correctly, the process took about four hours. Mechanical stops attached to the jackscrew prevent the stabilizer from moving farther than 2.5 degrees upward or 12.5 degrees downward. For several months he surreptitiously recorded his bosses violating safety rules and handed the tapes over to FAA investigators. Fuck me, he said. Uh, if you want to try it, thats ok with me, if not, thats fine. The turn of the millennium had just come and gone, and the future again seemed limitless. Federal regulations limit alcohol levels to 0.04 for airplane crew members.Were the bodies of Flight 261 recovered? The state medical examiner found the cause of Weimers death was injuries from the crash but also that alcohol intoxication may be viewed as a factor contributing to death., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Then in 1999 Alaska Airlines retaliated against John Liotine, putting him on indefinite leave from his job and circulating false rumors about him; the airline sought to portray him in the media as a disgruntled employee who wanted to get back at supervisors who passed him over for promotion. WebAlaska Flight 261 Pilots Awarded ALPA Gold Medal Air Line Pilot, March 2001, p. 22 By Chris Dodd, Staff Writer Two Alaska Airlines pilots who fought until their last moments to regain control of their MD-80 despite an inoperative horizontal stabilizer have been honored with ALPAs Gold Medal for Heroism in a special ceremony in Seattle. It went down, it went to full nose down.. It might be mechanical damage too. Ellen Masland Salyer, 51, Sebastopol, Calif.She was an active community volunteer who was dedicated to various organizations, including the Boy Scouts. Jacquelyn Choate, 17, Santa Cruz, Calif.She was returning from a vacation with her father, Toni Choate. Investigators also found that the planes gross weight at the time of the accident was about 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) over the approved maximum. As flight 261 climbed through 23,400 feet at approximately 13:49 that day, the badly worn threads started to tear away from the nut, wrapping themselves around the jackscrew and causing the stabilizer to jam. Web3.3M views 1 year ago Air Alaska Flight 261 dives into the ocean shortly after takeoff, killing the 88 passengers and crew on board. Visit r/admiralcloudberg to read and discuss over 190 similar articles. He had gone to Mexico with his cousins, Anjesh Prasad and Avinesh Prasad, to celebrate. Erickson was a student pilot. But in the end he was forced to accept a mere $500,000 settlement, far less than the $20 million he had sought, and only then on the condition that he resign from his job. Carol Karlsson, 42, Petaluma, Calif.Wife of Karl Karlsson, she was fun-loving and cheerful. Oh yeah, let me get said Tansky. They had run out of altitude. Bryant was a travel agent who was excited when he received free tickets for a trip to Mexico. Within the next several minutes the pilots expected to pass abeam Los Angeles off the coast, and they were strongly considering a diversion to LAX, given that none of their troubleshooting had fixed the problem. When he landed in Orange County, he was selected for random drug and alcohol testing, according to a statement from the US Attorneys Office. What temperature outside is unsafe for babies? ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) The pilot of an airplane in a fatal Alaska crash had six times the legal limit of alcohol in his system for flying, according to federal investigators. At that moment they effectively were dead. Are we flying? he said. Naomi Laigo, 53, Fairfield, Calif.A devoted mother of three sons who was a nurse at a clinic in San Leandro, Calif., she grew roses in her spare time. Arntson's co-pilot on the two flights remembered seeing the drug tester when the plane landed at John Wayne Airport, according to the complaint. Clemetson was traveling with her husband, Dr. David Clemetson and their family. Updated The US aviation industry has nevertheless managed to go a long time without another major crash, but as for whether something like Alaska 261 could happen again well, never say never. Furthermore, the pilots were reluctant to believe that the failure was mechanical, rather than electrical, in nature. In September of 1997, maintenance workers in Oakland performed the aforementioned test on N963AS and found a wear depth of exactly one millimeter. But over the next two decades, Alaska Airlines pursued an aggressive strategy of expansion, aiming to become an affordable option for travelers throughout the Western United States. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. A former Alaska Airlines pilot will spend a year behind bars for flying intoxicated at three times over the legal limit in June 2014. With Tom Church, he opened Six Degrees, which he hoped to turn into a chain of high-end neighborhood restaurants. The free-swinging stabilizer rotated up past its stop, slamming back against the aerodynamic fairing that encased the tail. N963AS, the plane that would later become Alaska Airlines flight 261, was one of many in the airlines fleet that was subject to these marginal maintenance practices. The pilot of Flight 261, Capt. The main character Whip Whitaker (played by Denzel Washington) has been through a divorce and the estrangement from his son. Push and roll! Thompson shouted, trying to coordinate with Tansky to roll the plane right-side-up. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. How long does it take for a potato to cook at 350? Who was the pilot of Alaska Airlines Flight 261? Sheryl Thompson, 33, Valdez, AlaskaTraveling with her parents, Morris and Thelma Thompson, Ms. Thompson was an important figure in extreme skiing in Valdez, helping organize annual events. While Tansky held the plane steady, Thompson contacted LAX maintenance again. Under the terms of the plea agreement unveiled Tuesday, he will serve one year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the plea agreement obtained by CNN. Nevertheless, investigators praised the pilots for their heroic last-ditch efforts to save their aircraft, even attempting to fly upside down when they found they could not level the plane. Almost all of these recommendations were implemented. WebAlaska Airlines Flight 261 was a flight from Licenciado Gustavo Daz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, to SeattleTacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washington, United States, with an intermediate stop at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California. Join the discussion of this article on Reddit! She was traveling with her father, Dr. David Clemetson, her stepmother, Carolyn Clemetson, and their blended family. Terry Ryan, 55, RedmondMr. Okay, we are inverted, and now we gotta get it. Who is the girl in the opening scene of flight? Long story short: the result of an investigation into drinking before a flight is typically career-ending. Alaska Airlines had hung him out to dry, and to add insult to injury, his blowing the whistle failed to prevent the crash of flight 261. WebAnswer (1 of 11): If the pilots of Alaska Airlines 261 had known exactly what was wrong, is there anyway they could have salvaged the situation? Push push push, push the blue side up!, Okay, now lets kick rudder, left rudder, left rudder. Salvage vessels had to be brought in to raise the rest of the plane from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. But the mechanism by which Alaska Airlines fell to such a dismal level of safety is not entirely gone. On every level, it was a tragedy that did not need to happen and to this day, it serves as a grim example of the depths to which an airline may fall when oversight becomes too thinly stretched. What caused Alaska Airlines 261 to crash? The FAA approved the extension without assessing the effect this would have on individual inspection tasks that were tied to the C-check interval. She was part of the Flight 261 crew. How much does Alaskan airline pilot make? Federal regulations limit alcohol levels to 0.04 for airplane crew members. It was the first sign that something was in fact gravely wrong with their airplane. I think if its controllable, we ought to just try and land it, said Tansky. She was traveling with her former college classmates. Thompson was an Air Force veteran who had flown for Alaska Airlines for more than 17 years. For the relatives of the victims, this fact made it all the more important that Alaska Airlines pay for its negligence. On board the stricken MD-83, the pilots managed to slow the dive somewhat, pulling up from 70 degrees nose down to 28 degrees, but the plane remained inverted, falling upside down toward the rapidly approaching ocean at a high rate of speed. The Gulf of California stretched out below them, bright and blue. Neither the electric switches (which the pilots called pickle switches) nor the fully manual trim handles (referred to as the suitcase handles) could move the stabilizer. The 2 pilots, 3 cabin crew members, and 83 passengers on board were killed, and the airplane I didnt want to call you guys, said the flight attendant, but that girl theyre like, you better go up there and tell them., I need you strapped in, dear, said Thompson, cause Im going to release the back pressure and see if I can get it back..
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