Delta Air Lines Flight 1141
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 31, 1988 |
| Type | Mechanical failure, Pilot error |
| Site | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport |
| Fatalities | 14 |
| Injuries | ? |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 727 |
| Operator | Delta Air Lines |
| Tail number | N473DA |
| Passengers | 101 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Survivors | 94 |
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 was a flight that flew from 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 of the seven crew members and twelve of the 101 passengers on board lost their lives.
On this occasion, the aircraft was a Boeing 727 Advanced, registration number N473DA. It was delivered in 1973, the 992nd Boeing 727 to be delivered.
Two facts were primarily blamed for the tragedy of flight 1141: The crew had not ensured that the wing's flaps were properly positioned for take-off, and the plane's unprepared take-off horn was not functioning. As a result, the plane struck a nearby object immediately after taking off, causing the accident.
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. 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 pilots' mixed beverages and the dating habits of the stewardesses.
