Delta Air Lines Flight 1141
Encyclopedia
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was a routine domestic passenger flight between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
and Salt Lake City International Airport
, Salt Lake City, Utah
. On August 31, 1988, the flight, operated by a Boeing 727
, crashed upon takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth, killing 14 of the 108 passengers and crew on board, and injuring 76 others.
Two cabin crew members of four and twelve of the 101 passengers on board lost their lives. One passenger, who sat in 29C and had exited the aircraft through the aft break in the left side of the fuselage, attempted to re-enter the aircraft, received burn wounds, and died 11 days later.
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.
The flight crew consisted of Captain Larry Davis, 48; First Officer Gary Kirkland, 37; and Flight Engineer Steven Judd, 31.
The cabin crew consisted of four flight attendants: Dixie Dunn, 56, Diana George, 40, Rosilyn Marr, 43, and Mary O'Neill, 57.
Flight Attendants Dixie Dunn and Rosilyn Marr and passengers Millar Browne, 55; Glen Campbell, 54; Jennifer Campbell, 44; Marian Fadal, 65; Barbara Morgan, 29; Patrick Morgan, 28; Tiffany Morgan, 14 months; Jerry Owens, 29; Robert Speer, 25; Philip Vogel, 69; and Thelma Morgan, 67, died in the crash.
The aircraft was a Boeing 727
Advanced, registration number . It was delivered in 1973, the 992nd Boeing 727 to be delivered.
Two causes were primarily blamed for the accident: 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. The continued high angle of attack combined with a lack of lift resulted in a configuration where disturbed air flowing over the wings disrupted the air flow into the engines causing compressor stall
. Subsequent collision with equipment pertaining to the ILS (instrument landing system
) at the departure end of the runway lead to the breakup of the aircraft.
FAA regulations require a sterile cockpit
before takeoff, which means there is to be no conversation unrelated to the aircraft and pending flight. The cockpit voice recorder
(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. Media broadcast of the CVR tapes, which demonstrated why the crew mistakenly mispositioned the flaps, provoked such an outcry by pilots that subsequent releases of CVR data have been restricted by law and carefully vetted by the NTSB.
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and is the busiest airport in the U.S. state of Texas...
and Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
, Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. On August 31, 1988, the flight, operated by a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
, crashed upon takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth, killing 14 of the 108 passengers and crew on board, and injuring 76 others.
Two cabin crew members of four and twelve of the 101 passengers on board lost their lives. One passenger, who sat in 29C and had exited the aircraft through the aft break in the left side of the fuselage, attempted to re-enter the aircraft, received burn wounds, and died 11 days later.
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.
The flight crew consisted of Captain Larry Davis, 48; First Officer Gary Kirkland, 37; and Flight Engineer Steven Judd, 31.
The cabin crew consisted of four flight attendants: Dixie Dunn, 56, Diana George, 40, Rosilyn Marr, 43, and Mary O'Neill, 57.
Flight Attendants Dixie Dunn and Rosilyn Marr and passengers Millar Browne, 55; Glen Campbell, 54; Jennifer Campbell, 44; Marian Fadal, 65; Barbara Morgan, 29; Patrick Morgan, 28; Tiffany Morgan, 14 months; Jerry Owens, 29; Robert Speer, 25; Philip Vogel, 69; and Thelma Morgan, 67, died in the crash.
The aircraft was a Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
Advanced, registration number . It was delivered in 1973, the 992nd Boeing 727 to be delivered.
Two causes were primarily blamed for the accident: The crew had not ensured that the wing's flaps
Flap (aircraft)
Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
and slats
Leading edge slats
Slats are aerodynamic surfaces on the leading edge of the wings of fixed-wing aircraft which, when deployed, allow the wing to operate at a higher angle of attack. A higher coefficient of lift is produced as a result of angle of attack and speed, so by deploying slats an aircraft can fly at slower...
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. The continued high angle of attack combined with a lack of lift resulted in a configuration where disturbed air flowing over the wings disrupted the air flow into the engines causing compressor stall
Compressor stall
A compressor stall is a situation of abnormal airflow resulting from a stall of the aerofoils within the compressor of a jet engine. Stall is found in dynamic compressors, particularly axial compressors, as used in jet engines and turbochargers for reciprocating engines.Compressor stalls result in...
. Subsequent collision with equipment pertaining to the ILS (instrument landing system
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
) at the departure end of the runway lead to the breakup of the aircraft.
FAA regulations require a sterile cockpit
Sterile Cockpit Rule
The Sterile Cockpit Rule is an FAA regulation requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight, normally below 10,000 feet...
before takeoff, which means there is to be no conversation unrelated to the aircraft and pending flight. The cockpit voice recorder
Cockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
(CVR) tapes recorded extensive talk about the CVR itself and how on Continental Airlines Flight 1713
Continental Airlines Flight 1713
Continental Airlines Flight 1713 crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado on . The Douglas Aircraft DC-9-14 was operated by Continental Airlines and was a scheduled flight to Boise, Idaho...
crew discussions were recorded about the dating habits of the flight attendants. Media broadcast of the CVR tapes, which demonstrated why the crew mistakenly mispositioned the flaps, provoked such an outcry by pilots that subsequent releases of CVR data have been restricted by law and carefully vetted by the NTSB.
See also
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- Spanair Flight 5022Spanair Flight 5022Spanair Flight JK 5022, from Barajas Airport in Madrid to Gran Canaria Airport in Gran Canaria, Spain, crashed just after take off from runway 36L of Barajas Airport at 14:24 CEST on 20 August 2008. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration EC-HFP...
- Northwest Airlines Flight 255Northwest Airlines Flight 255Northwest Airlines Flight 255 was a flight that originated at MBS International Airport in Saginaw, Michigan, and was scheduled to terminate at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, with intermediate stops at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, near Detroit,...
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