PLANE CRASH, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Pacific Ocean Other Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list more. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The pilots didnt want to discover on final approach that the plane was uncontrollable at low speeds. 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. That plane just started to do a big, huge plunge, said one pilot. At that moment they effectively were dead. Charles Weimer, 31, and three others died in the Aug. 4 crash near Girdwood, a ski town in the municipality of Anchorage. Craig Pulanco was working as a flight attendant aboard Flight 261. And because of the increased interval between applications of new grease, a jackscrew with insufficient grease couldnt expect to see more until the plane had been in the air for another 2,250 hours. Yes sir, he he hit the water, said the SkyWest pilot, his voice nearly cracking. 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.. Toxicology results showed that Weimers blood-alcohol was 0.238. It was not designed to handle that kind of pressure, and over those ten minutes, it started to fracture. Ms. Halls only brother died four years ago of a motorcycle accident. Related: Has my pilot had too much to drink? The 63-year-old aviator, from Newport Beach, Calif.,previously pleaded guilty to the crime in February of this year. 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. If done correctly, the process took about four hours. Luque had worked at Taste Catering in San Francisco since 1994. According to the plea agreement, both breathalyzer tests performed on Arnston were well above the federal limit of 0.04 percent for pilots, indicating blood alcohol concentrations of 0.134 and 0.142 percent, over three times the legal limit. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS. The pilot of Flight 261, Capt. Okay, we had a big bang back there, said the flight attendant. The criminal investigation also proved to be a disappointment. What would cause an airplane to nosedive? 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. James Ryan, 30, PortlandA flight attendant for Alaska, James Ryan turned 30 the day the family left for Mexico. In 1991, after posting a record loss of $121 million, the companys business analysts concluded that to remain competitive, Alaska Airlines needed to reduce expenses. Web19K views 2 years ago. Glenn Hatleberg, 65, Eugene, Ore.The husband of Barbara Hatleberg, retired father of three grown children and grandfather of two small girls, Mr. Hatleberg was beloved at his Lutheran church in Eugene, where he served as an usher during services. In his time in prison, Whip is clean and has gained the trust of his ex-wife and son again. Shortly after the accident, Liotine discovered that the jackscrew nut he had inspected in 1997 was not in fact replaced and had actually gone on to cause the crash. Indeed, by the end of the 1990s, what had once been a small regional carrier had successfully transformed itself into one of Americas largest airlines. Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more. With no grease at all, the rate of wear would increase by a factor of ten or more. The investigation uncovered a daunting list of operational problems and regulatory mistakes that led to the crash. The report noted that the crash could have been avoided if they had immediately returned to Puerto Vallarta when they encountered the jammed stabilizer. Alaska has not had a fatal crash since the overhaul, nor has there been another major loss of a US airliner due to any kind of mechanical failure. At 16:07, flight 261 contacted Alaska Airlines Los Angeles maintenance facility on the radio. Joe Knight, 54, MonroePastor and missionary Joe Knight, with his wife, co-pastor and co-missionary, Linda Knight, worked to help starving children and families in Mexico. Capt. If youve got any hidden circuit breakers wed love to know about em. Over the next couple minutes the pilots reported to maintenance that electrical current was present when they activated the trim motors, but that the motors nevertheless could not move the stabilizer. Were pretty busy up here working this situation. When greased regularly, the nut on the MD-80 series is designed to last for 30,000 flight hours before requiring replacement long enough that most planes will see only two or three different jackscrew nuts during their entire time in service. Despite Alaska Airlines numerous regulatory violations, the investigation ended in 2003 without any charges being filed. Seeking opportunity during the Great Depression, he stowed away on an Alaska-bound steamship hoping to find better times. It was really tough there for a while.. She grew up in Sacramento. Uh, its a lot worse than it was? Tansky asked. First published on January 21, 2016 / 9:24 PM. Many workers who greased jackscrews didnt apply additional grease to the screw itself after greasing the nut. Alaska two sixty one, say again sir, said the controller. And then, as the plane passed through 23,400 feet, a warning light flicked on in the cockpit: AUTOPILOT TRIM, it said. SkyWest 5154, you still got your eyes on him, sir?. It added dozens of new routes, expanded to a large number of new cities, and even added services to Mexico in order to offset the seasonal nature of its flights to Alaska. The massive aerodynamic force pushing up on the horizontal stabilizer was normally absorbed by the nut, but with its threads stripped, all that force was transmitted through the mechanical stop instead. Bryant was a travel agent who was excited when he received free tickets for a trip to Mexico. Allen Friedmann, 48, Round Lake Beach, Ill.A marathon runner remembered for being a good neighbor in his Chicago suburb, Mr. Friedmann is survived by his wife, a daughter, 16, and a son, 5. 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. Robert Thorgrimson, 63, PoulsboA special-education teacher for North Kitsap School District, Mr. Thorgrimson was known as a sincere man who helped save the local chapter of DeMolay, the Masons club for boys. He had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.134 percent and 0.142 percent, according to the DOJ. Joan Smith, 53, Belmont, Calif.A manager of a San Francisco medical office, she had been called home on business from a monthlong vacation with her son, Jesse, and her daughter, Holly, whom she left behind in Mexico. 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. 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. Finally, the Safety Board also felt that there were lessons to be learned from the actions of the pilots. Push and roll! Thompson shouted, trying to coordinate with Tansky to roll the plane right-side-up. PLANE CRASH, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Pacific Ocean Other Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list more. CNN A former Alaska Airlines pilot plans to plead guilty in California to flying with a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit for pilots. Alaska Airlines 261 is a chartered flight operated by Alaska Airlines. During the 1990s, low-cost competitors such as MarkAir in Alaska and Southwest Airlines in the Pacific Northwest began trying to undercut Alaskas more traditional fare model on numerous core routes. Kick! he shouted. He was the grandson of O.B. As they struggled to regain control, Thompson radioed Los Angeles and said, Center, Alaska two six one, we are in a dive here, and Ive lost control, vertical pitch! An overspeed warning blared in the cockpit. 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. Thompson was an Air Force veteran who had flown for Alaska Airlines for more than 17 years. or redistributed. He was traveling with several college friends. 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.. Thorgrimson, a founding partner of a prominent Seattle-based law firm. According to court documents, Arntson piloted two Alaska Airlines flights on June 20, 2014. It can be interpreted (and alcoholics often reverse the order in their mind) that he therefore feels lost and is drinking and using drugs to run away from that sadness. Gabriela Chavez, 33, Puerto Vallarta, MexicoA homemaker, wife and mother of one, Ms. Chavez was flying to San Francisco to visit her sister. She was a food-and-beverage agent for Alaskas sister airline, Horizon Air. The NTSB report did not identify a probable cause of the crash. The anger he must have felt is difficult to fathom. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The metal from which the jackscrew is made is ever so slightly harder than the metal used in the nut. 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. He had planned to spend his retirement trading stocks on the Internet and taking leisurely afternoon walks with his wife of 30 years, Bonnie. The eight-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registered as N963AS, outwardly seemed to be in good shape. 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. 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. She edited the Floating Homes Association newsletter. I cant reach it! said Tansky. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Coriander Clemetson, 8, SeattleShe was a quiet, poised student at John Hay Elementary School on Queen Anne Hill. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much What I want to do is get the nose up, and then let the nose fall through and see if we can stab it when its unloaded. It was his belief that the stabilizer might move nose up if there was no aerodynamic force pushing it upward into the nose down position. Numerous people saw the plane flying parallel to a mountain ridge before it turned and descended. For Linious Mac McGee, 1932 marked the beginning of a new way of life, and steady work. He was traveling with his cousins, Anjesh Prasad and Avinesh Amit Deo. He won commendations from a booster group for the action. He was with his wife, Ileana, their 4-month-old daughter, Emily, and his mother and her longtime companion. A year after the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, lawyers representing families of the victims contend the jet's pilots erred by failing to quickly land the MD-80 when problems first surfaced minutes into the flight. He was an outgoing, friendly first-grader. According to court documents, Arntson piloted two Alaska Airlines flights on June 20, 2014. Well see you at the gate. This would be the last transmission between flight 261 and Alaska Airlines maintenance. The pilots, 53-year-old Captain Ted Thompson and 57-year-old First Officer Bill Tansky, could not have known that they were about to play out the final chapter in a sordid story that had been building toward its conclusion for years. How much does Alaskan airline pilot make? Different speeds and phases of flight require the stabilizer to apply varying amounts of downforce on the tail in order to keep the plane level, and further adjustments must be made to ensure that the pilots dont have to continuously pull up or push down using the elevators in order to climb or descend. Blake Clemetson, 7, SeattleBlake was Corianders younger sister, the daughter of Dr. David Clemetson and his first wife, Dr. Claire Barnett. On the 31st of January 2000, an Alaska Airlines MD-83 bound for San Francisco suddenly plunged from the sky off the coast of California, spiraling downward until it slammed into the Pacific Ocean. 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. Video of the flight as well as the cockpit voice recorder confirm this. 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. She had treated herself to a weekend getaway in Puerto Vallarta and was scheduled to go on the air two hours after the flight was expected to land in San Francisco. At Alaska Airlines, our roots trace back to the Great Depression and the resourcefulness of Mac McGee. Thankfully, Mr. Arntson was never involved in an accident, but his conduct could have resulted in tragic consequences.. His mother said he was a sweet, handsome man who loved his job and loved people. The basic design of the stabilizer is relatively simple. Federal regulations limit alcohol levels to 0.04 for airplane crew members.Were the bodies of Flight 261 recovered? Still flying inverted, the plane leveled further, to nine degrees nose down. A former Alaska Airlines pilot will spend a year behind bars for flying intoxicated at three times over the legal limit in June 2014. McRorys restaurants. The free-swinging stabilizer rotated up past its stop, slamming back against the aerodynamic fairing that encased the tail. 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. 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? Pilots of nearby planes caught sight of flight 261 and radioed Los Angeles air traffic control. Anything more than that and the nut would need to be replaced. Charlene Sipe, 53, BrierTraveling with Harry Stasinos, Ms. Sipe was also a longtime insurance agent. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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.. The 2 pilots, 3 cabin crew members, and 83 passengers on board were killed, and the airplane Not according to that its not, said Tansky. The pilots pulled back as hard as they could on their control columns and deployed the flaps to try and slow down, but their efforts were utterly hopeless. Following the crash and the damning FAA special inspection report, Alaska Airlines overhauled its maintenance program, including through its compliance with a new FAA airworthiness directive mandating that the jackscrew lubrication interval not exceed 650 flight hours. Long story short: the result of an investigation into drinking before a flight is typically career-ending. Who was the pilot of Alaska Airlines Flight 261? View on timesmachine. Note: this accident was previously featured in episode 2 of the plane crash series on September 16th, 2017, prior to the series arrival on Medium. However, the procedures available to them did not state that this was necessary, which doubtlessly contributed to their decision to continue on. N963AS nearly made it anyway its next jackscrew inspection was scheduled for March 2000. The legal limit for operating a commercial plane is a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent or higher. David Hans Arntson's deal includes a year in federal prison, He'll also get three years of supervised release. Larry Baldridge Jr., 34, Novato, Calif.A businessman with a knack for the Internet, he was working to set up venture-capital business with Michael Schwab, the son of legendary brokerage leader Charles Schwab. Jacquelyn Choate, 17, Santa Cruz, Calif.She was returning from a vacation with her father, Toni Choate. 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. Alaska Airlines 261 is a chartered flight operated by Alaska Airlines. Craig Pulanco, 30, SeattleFormerly Craig Gruhl, Mr. Pulanco changed his name to that of his long-time partner, Paul Pulanco. 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. Russel Ing, 28, SeattleA visual-arts graduate who worked in graphic design for Kinkos in Woodinville, Mr. Ing won awards for his photography. Retired from a career at the U.S. Treasury, he collected miniature trains and loved to take his wife on rail trips. Collins said the bodies recovered were those of an infant, two women and a man. The threads eventually lost up to 90% of their thickness, compared to 22% at the maximum wear depth of one millimeter. Tragically, they didnt. The revelations were in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Anchorage Daily News reported . Thus the fundamental principle of redundancy was violated. This may seem strange to make such a change in the cabin based on a superstitious belief. Increasing the interval between lubrications meant that every lubrication had to be done correctly in order to prevent accelerated wear and tear. It looks like hes turning hes turning over in front of you now, said the controller. Alaska Airlines 261 is a chartered flight operated by Alaska Airlines. He is survived by his wife of five years, Susan da Silva. Toxicology results showed that Weimers blood-alcohol was 0.238. Meghann Hall, 19, EnumclawA graduate of Enumclaw High School, she had considered a career in sports medicine or coaching. All rights reserved. Were gonna stay up here and burn a little more gas, get all our ducks in a row, and then well be talking to LAX when we start down to go in there. The plan was to stay on course a little longer, burning fuel to reduce their landing weight and test out the planes handling capabilities, before turning around and heading into Los Angeles. It was the first sign that something was in fact gravely wrong with their airplane. Its on the stop now, its on the stop, Thompson said. The pilots decided that Los Angeles looked better. Ryan Busche, 28, SeattleMr. He will be sentenced this spring in US District Court in Santa Ana, California, according to the attorney. Erickson indicated that he and the pilot had been drinking alcoholic beverages, investigator Brice Banning wrote. / CBS News. We went to full nose down and Im afraid to try it again to see if we can get it to go in the other direction.. Weve run just about everything. He was working in Microsofts games group as a temporary employee for ArtSource. In December of 1998 the federal government launched a criminal investigation into Alaska Airlines, seizing documents and interviewing witnesses. Fuck me!. Friends said she was shy but very gentle and loving. LOS ANGELES -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Alaska Airlines captain on federal charges of piloting a plane while intoxicated. Market data provided by Factset. Mr. Williams wore a ring identifying him as a Mason; the ring was found off the California coast and saved as a gift for his daughter, Tracy Knizek. So theyre trying to put pressure on you, said Tansky. When the stabilizer moves upward, downforce on the tail decreases, and the nose pitches down; similarly, when the stabilizer moves downward, downforce increases, and the nose pitches up. She was traveling with her fiance, Malcolm Branson. It went down, it went to full nose down.. Bob Williams, 65, Poulsbo, Kitsap CountyHe was a builder who served on the Poulsbo city Planning Commission. Rodney Pearson, 45, SeattleMr. James Jay Luque, 40, San FranciscoMr. The 2 pilots, 3 cabin crew members, and 83 passengers on board were killed, and the airplane What he liked best in life was family, said his longtime medical assistant. Allison Shanks, 33, SeattleThe opportunity to travel lured Ms. Shanks to her job as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines 12 years ago. She was a flight attendant for Alaska. First Officer William (Bill) Tansky, 57, had 8,140 total flight hours, including about 8,060 hours as first officer in the MD-80. He opened the mic for the public address system but never managed to get any words out. The pilots consisted of Captain Edward (Ted) Thompson, 53, who had 17,750 flight hours, and had more than 4,000 hours experience flying MD-80s. Web19K views 2 years ago. In 1987, Alaska Airlines greased the stabilizer jackscrews on its MD-80s every 500 flight hours, the value recommended by the manufacturer. Thelma Thompson, 56, Fairbanks, AlaskaMrs. The pilots were able to stabilize the plane, inverted, for less than a minute (with a 9pitch towards the ocean). The stabilizer on the MD-80 series rests on top of the tail, and like all airliners, it can move up and down to adjust the pitch angle at which the plane is stable. Then, additional grease was to be applied to the entire length of the screw, filling all the threads. Do you poke holes in potatoes when boiling? Robert Gandesbery, 69, Davis, Calif.The husband of Jean Gandesbery, Mr. Gandesbery was retired from a career with child-welfare services. All large airplanes have what is referred to as a trimmable horizontal stabilizer. Mr. Sparks was a guard on his schools varsity basketball team, and is remembered as a champion of the underdog who stood up for less-popular classmates. He was traveling with his wife, Thelma, and daughter Sheryl. Nina Voronoff, 32, San FranciscoA nurse at the pediatric cancer unit at the University of California, San Francisco, she had gone to Mexico for a yoga retreat and was met by her boyfriend, Larry Baldridge Jr. Renato Bermudez, 39, San FranciscoMr. Yeah, we got it back under control here.. 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. Juan Marquez, 34, San FranciscoAn adult-education book salesman, he owned two condos in Puerto Vallarta with his partner, Dale Rettinger, and went there often to relax. The design of the jackscrew on the MD-80 series was identical to that of the original 1960s-era Douglas DC-9, which was certified to meet requirements stating that no reasonably probable single failure of the control system could jeopardize the controllability of the airplane. Stanford Poll, 59, Mercer IslandHe was a colorful and visionary entrepreneur with many business and property interests. In September of 1997, maintenance workers in Oakland performed the aforementioned test on N963AS and found a wear depth of exactly one millimeter. Do smaller potatoes take less time to bake. But airline dispatchers in Seattle were less keen on this idea and preferred that flight 261 continue to San Francisco as scheduled. When daughter Grace was born two years ago, he started saving Sundays for family. Pilots Thompson and Tansky disconnected the autopilot to see what they were up against, and found that the stabilizer had jammed slightly nose down, requiring constant force on the elevators to overcome it and continue climbing. A year after the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, lawyers representing families of the victims contend the jet's pilots erred by failing to quickly land the MD-80 when problems first surfaced minutes into the flight. Permanent License Revocation If the investigators conclude that the pilot was intoxicated prior to a flight, the FAA will typically revoke the pilots license permanently. He was survived by his wife, Gabriel, two daughters and two sons. 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. Most importantly, the National Transportation Safety Board excoriated Alaska Airlines decision to increase the intervals between jackscrew lubrications and wear inspections, and the FAAs approval of these intervals, which it considered to be a direct cause of the accident. 4:39 PM EST, Thu February 8, 2018. Said the friend: Monte will always be an inspiration to stop myself from jumping in the rat race, to take the moment, to take it all in.. You have the airplane. As the NTSB investigation continued, so too did the criminal investigation and the saga of John Liotine. Even though the pilots fought for control for a short period, an MD-80 will not 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. January 21, 2016 / 9:24 PM