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. Thus the fundamental principle of redundancy was violated. With Tom Church, he opened Six Degrees, which he hoped to turn into a chain of high-end neighborhood restaurants. They heard a helicopter, but they were unable to fire the flare gun successfully and the helicopter left. The following is a list of some of the victims of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. Before the flight, he told a friend that Weimer, an airline transport pilot, would be at the controls for the short sightseeing trip, according to the NTSB report. Traveling with Colleen Whorley in Mexico, he e-mailed a friend poetic descriptions of their time together. This was not one of those cases. With the stabilizer angled 3.1 degrees toward nose down, more than the design maximum of 2.5 degrees, flight 261 immediately entered a high-speed dive, hurtling downward at more than 6,000 feet per minute. 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. 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. Pearson was the first chef at the Jake OShaughnesseys and F.X. 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. Analyzer of plane crashes. A technician for Alaska Airlines performed two breathalyzer tests that showed Arntson had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.134% and 0.142% well above the federal limit of 0.04% for pilots. Lorna Thorgrimson, 52, PoulsboTraveling with her husband, Robert Thorgrimson, Mrs. Thorgrimson was also accompanied by her close friends, Patty and Bob Williams. A special inspection by the FAA after the accident found further evidence of a massively deficient safety culture at Alaska Airlines. 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. This article is written without reference to and supersedes the original. Spencer Clemetson, 6 months, SeattleA peaceful baby, Spencer blended the new Clemetson family, with older sisters Coriander and Blake on his fathers side, and brother Miles on his mothers side. Whatever we did is no good, dont do that again, said Tansky. Thompson continued to think about ways to unjam the stabilizer. Yeah, we are out of 26,000 feet, we are in a vertical dive not a dive yet, but uh, weve lost vertical control of our airplane., However, slowly but surely, Thompson and Tansky started to rein in their excessive speed and flatten out the slope of the dive. Hard-working, compassionate and caring, the Pulancos shared their Beacon Hill home with two dogs and a cat. She edited the Floating Homes Association newsletter. Oh yeah, let me get said Tansky. Two electric motors spin the jackscrew within the nut, causing the stabilizer to move up or down. Even though the pilots fought for control for a short period, an MD-80 will not 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Consequences of Flying Drunk So what happens when a pilot is arrested for flying under the influence? Watching the death throes of flight 261, the SkyWest pilot told controllers, Yeah, hes inverted., Okay, said the controller, apprehension evident in his voice. Toxicology results showed that Weimers blood-alcohol was 0.238. 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. The couple was considering starting their own insurance agency. 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. Abigail Busche, 25, SeattleRecently hired by Microsoft as a permanent employee, she was traveling with her husband, Ryan Busche. Before that, he was a principal at two elementary schools in the Snohomish School District. Salvage vessels had to be brought in to raise the rest of the plane from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Deo immigrated from Fiji with his family when he was young. And hes just hit the water, said one pilot. I think the stab trim thing is broke, said Thompson. She was traveling with her father, Dr. David Clemetson, her stepmother, Carolyn Clemetson, and their blended family. The pilots were able to stabilize the plane, inverted, for less than a minute (with a 9pitch towards the ocean). WebOn Flight 261, the nut portion of the jackscrew (located on the horizontal stabilizer) screwed itself off the jackscew. First published on January 21, 2016 / 9:24 PM. 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. Not according to that its not, said Tansky. Even though the pilots fought for control for a short period, an MD-80 will not Who is the girl in the opening scene of flight? In hindsight, the crew should have turned around and immediately landed back in Puerto Vallarta. Friends described her as a culture bearer who mastered all she attempted. James Jay Luque, 40, San FranciscoMr. All rights reserved. SkyWest 5154, you still got your eyes on him, sir?. I think its at the stop, full stop, said Thompson. Morris Thompson, 62, Fairbanks, AlaskaAn advocate for Alaska natives, he was celebrating his retirement after 12 years as president of Doyon, Ltd., a multimillion dollar Alaska Native regional corporation. 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. Robert Ost, 39, San Bruno, Calif.A veteran San Francisco firefighter and avid mountain climber, he considered risk part of his job and his life. 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. Increasing the interval between lubrications meant that every lubrication had to be done correctly in order to prevent accelerated wear and tear. He came to America from Fiji when he was 17 months old. Erickson indicated that he and the pilot had been drinking alcoholic beverages, investigator Brice Banning wrote. Rodrigo Laigo, 53, Fairfield, Calif.An engineer for Arco, he was traveling with his wife, Naomi, on one of their many golf vacations. I went tab down, right, and it should have come back. His mother said he was a sweet, handsome man who loved his job and loved people. Monte Donaldson, 31, SeattleA freelance landscaper, his passion was music and filmmaking. After the June 2014 incident, Arntson retired from Alaska Airlines, and the Federal Aviation Administration revoked his pilots license, the US Attorneys Office said. 4:39 PM EST, Thu February 8, 2018. The flight departs from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and arrives in Haines, Skip to content When he landed in Orange County, he was selected for random drug and alcohol testing, according to a statement from the US Attorneys Office. 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. Meghann Hall, 19, EnumclawA graduate of Enumclaw High School, she had considered a career in sports medicine or coaching. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. By requesting any altitude between 20,000 and 25,000 feet, the crew of flight 261 could ensure that if they nosedived again, nearby planes wouldnt be in danger. Still descending at high speed, flight 261s engines proved unable to keep combustion going in such an unusual attitude and started to stall with a series of loud bangs. Uh, if you want to try it, thats ok with me, if not, thats fine. Harry Stasinos, 54, BrierMr. 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. Thompson was an Air Force veteran who had flown for Alaska Airlines for more than 17 years. What he liked best in life was family, said his longtime medical assistant. Okay, well, your discretion, said maintenance. 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. Were slowing here, and were gonna do a little troubleshooting, can you give me a block altitude between twenty and twenty five?. For several months he surreptitiously recorded his bosses violating safety rules and handed the tapes over to FAA investigators. If done correctly, the process took about four hours. More importantly, investigators felt that the pilots should not have attempted to troubleshoot the problem after exhausting the procedures in the checklist, considering that they didnt know the extent of the damage. A flight attendant opened the cockpit door, and Captain Thompson briefed her on the situation. He worked at Travel Trends in San Francisco, and was traveling with a friend, James Luque. The FAA approved the extension without assessing the effect this would have on individual inspection tasks that were tied to the C-check interval. You mean, use this again? Tansky asked, presumably pointing at the trim switches. She was a food-and-beverage agent for Alaskas sister airline, Horizon Air. Malcolm Branson, 39, Seward, AlaskaAn oiler for the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, Mr. Branson was vacationing with his fiancee, Janice Stokes. Ms. Halls only brother died four years ago of a motorcycle accident. The main character Whip Whitaker (played by Denzel Washington) has been through a divorce and the estrangement from his son. The metal from which the jackscrew is made is ever so slightly harder than the metal used in the nut. Ileana Ost, 30, San Bruno, Calif.She had just returned to work at the Alaska Airlines ticket counter in San Francisco after four months of maternity leave following the birth of her first child, Emily. WebOn Flight 261, the nut portion of the jackscrew (located on the horizontal stabilizer) screwed itself off the jackscew. 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. Grace Pearson, 23 months, SeattleLittle Grace Pearson was traveling with her parents, Sarah and Rodney Pearson, and her sister, Rachel. He is also survived by a grown son, Fred. Captain Thompson was not happy with this reasoning. James Ryan, 30, PortlandA flight attendant for Alaska, James Ryan turned 30 the day the family left for Mexico. 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. In 1998, fed up with a maintenance environment that did not seem to prioritize safety, John Liotine blew the whistle and alerted the FAA to some of Alaskas numerous violations. View on timesmachine. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Finally, the stabilizer was to be moved repeatedly between full nose up and full nose down so that the nut could spread the grease evenly over the entire jackscrew. PLANE CRASH, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Pacific Ocean Other Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list more. (David Arnston Google+). Performing maintenance less frequently saved on labor costs and kept the planes in the air longer, thus increasing revenue. She had gone with her family to Mexico to celebrate the birthday of her mother, Jean Permison. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He lived in Brier with his partner, Charlene Sipe. In theory this was adequate, but only if the grease was applied correctly every time. 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. You want to try it or not?, Keying the public address system, Captain Thompson announced, Folks, we have had a flight control problem up front here; were working it Uh, thats Los Angeles off to the right there, thats where were intending to go. The crew scrambled to react to the massive upset. Discovery Company. 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? When the jackscrew was hauled to the surface, investigators could not find any trace of grease on it, except for some old, dried out leftovers outside the normal working area of the screw. But mostly he loved his wife, his grown son, golf and travel. The pilot of Flight 261, Capt. Over the next couple minutes, the pilots found the plane to be reasonably stable at lower speeds. Alaska Airlines 261 is a chartered flight operated by Alaska Airlines. Market data provided by Factset. However, the pilots were clearly under pressure to continue on to San Francisco, and maintenance technicians and dispatchers on the ground did not appreciate the direness of the situation. 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. Russell was traveling with his companion, Jean Permison, and her family. He was survived by his wife, Gabriel, two daughters and two sons. 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. At 15:55, the dispatcher returned with wind speeds, wind directions, and runway conditions at San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Gulf of California stretched out below them, bright and blue. At 15:49, after flying for two hours with a jammed stabilizer, Thompson and Tansky contacted Alaskas Seattle maintenance base for advice. She loved golf as much as her husband, Rodrigo. Kick! he shouted. 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. He retired in 1989, but continued his column, which began in 1973. In the cockpit, the pilots heard a loud clunk followed by two thumps, and the plane pitched steeply downward. January 22, 2016 Examined 9:54 Whats next for LOS ANGELES -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Alaska Airlines captain on federal charges of piloting a plane while intoxicated. Yes sir, he he hit the water, said the SkyWest pilot, his voice nearly cracking. Seeking opportunity during the Great Depression, he stowed away on an Alaska-bound steamship hoping to find better times. The jackscrew is one of the few components of the MD-80 series that does not have a redundant backup in case of failure. All of these factors could have contributed to their decision to troubleshoot a problem that was best left alone. Keep in mind that the pitch of the stabilizer itself is actually inverse to the pitch of the airplane.). View on timesmachine. Alaska two sixty one, say again sir, said the controller. 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. So theyre trying to put pressure on you, said Tansky. The criminal investigation also proved to be a disappointment. Join the discussion of this article on Reddit! Even though the pilots fought for control for a short period, an MD-80 will not By torqueing the screw up and down without turning it, and measuring the amount of play in the system, it was possible to roughly determine the depth of the wear on the nut threads, which the manufacturers guidelines stated must be less than one millimeter. The only layer of protection against a catastrophe was therefore the assumption that poorly trained, low-paid maintenance workers would apply enough grease. Tom Stockley, 63, SeattleRespected wine columnist for The Seattle Times, Mr. Stockley was traveling with Peggy Stockley, his wife of 40 years. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. I cant reach it! said Tansky. According to court documents, Arntson piloted two Alaska Airlines flights on June 20, 2014. 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. Coriander Clemetson, 8, SeattleShe was a quiet, poised student at John Hay Elementary School on Queen Anne Hill. In some accidents, relatives of those who died can take some small comfort in the possibility that their loved ones never knew what hit them. Mechanical stops attached to the jackscrew prevent the stabilizer from moving farther than 2.5 degrees upward or 12.5 degrees downward. She was a treasured volunteer at a Eugene elementary school. Push and roll! January 22, 2016 Examined 9:54 Whats next for It went down, it went to full nose down.. A member of Ski Patrol, he was known to friends as Pat. Okay, we had a big bang back there, said the flight attendant. Meanwhile in the cockpit, the pilots tried to figure out what had happened. She used to drive a riding lawn mower around their yard, and relax in the family swimming pool. Thelma Thompson, 56, Fairbanks, AlaskaMrs. Minimum first-time offenses include fines, possible jail time and mantadory alcohol treatment classes, among other penalties. Ryan Busche, 28, SeattleMr. In fact, by now there were several other airplanes in the area that were keenly watching the unfolding situation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also revoked his pilots license. School counselors said she and her friend, Rachel Janosik, were funny, enjoyable, mature young women. Ah, here we go, said Captain Thompson, uttering the last words captured on the cockpit voice recorder. 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. Video Alaska Airlines Pilot Accused of Flying Drunk - ABC News Jimmy Carter Kellie Pickler's husband dies Georgia shooting Escaped NYC zoo owl Tesla union launch Alaska Airlines Pilot Accused of Flying Drunk Authorities say 60-year-old David Hans Arnston flew drunk twice in one day. 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. 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. 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. Legal Statement. 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. Finally, the Safety Board also felt that there were lessons to be learned from the actions of the pilots. Both of them were creative, outgoing people. Im thinking, can it get any worse, but it probably can, he continued. Capt. David Hans Arntson, 62, of Newport Beach, California, agreed to enter a guilty plea in US District Court this week. Charles Weimer, 31, and three others died in the Aug. 4 crash near Girdwood, a ski town in the municipality of Anchorage. Barbara Hatleberg, 64, Eugene, Ore.The wife of Glenn Hatleburg, mother of three and grandmother of two, she was retired but used her skills at accounting and finance to volunteer in the office of her church. As Fred Miller, father of crash victim Abby Miller-Busche, put it in a 2003 interview, It seems like such an unholy type of loss. Representatives for Alaska Airlines not immediately return Fox News request for comment. The seemingly simple task of greasing the jackscrew was not immune to this degradation of the maintenance environment. 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. What would cause an airplane to nosedive? 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. Indeed, all seemed normal as flight 261 climbed out from Puerto Vallarta, heading for its cruising altitude of 31,000 feet. Let me just try it, Tansky said, offering to take over the strenuous task of holding the plane level. An airliner cannot truly fly upside down maintaining level flight in such a condition is essentially impossible, and the engines will quickly die but if anyone ever came close, it was Captain Thompson and First Officer Tansky as they heroically tried to save their stricken aircraft, even after all hope was lost.
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