Terry Ryan, 55, RedmondMr. He was the grandson of O.B. He was traveling with his wife, Barbara Ryan, and their sons, Bradford Patrick Ryan and James Ryan, and five friends of James Ryan. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Her husband, Lee, 41, and children, 5-year-old Barbara and 11-year-old Daniel, stayed behind in Mexico. At 15:49, after flying for two hours with a jammed stabilizer, Thompson and Tansky contacted Alaskas Seattle maintenance base for advice. She was traveling with her former college classmates. CNN has reached out to Alaska Airlines for comment. It was not designed to handle that kind of pressure, and over those ten minutes, it started to fracture. AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGER BITTEN BY BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER ON PLANE, LAWSUIT CLAIMS. In 2014, Arntson flew two Alaska Airlines flights, the first leg from San Diego to Portland, Oregon, followed by a second trip from Portland to Orange County, California, according to the criminal complaint. 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. Charlene Sipe, 53, BrierTraveling with Harry Stasinos, Ms. Sipe was also a longtime insurance agent. In 1996, Alaska Airlines applied to the FAA to extend the interval between its C-checks from 13 months to 15 months. He was a vice president of business development for Creditland, Inc. 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. She grew up in Sacramento. One of six children born to Jovanna Luque of Olympia, Mr. Luque is the second child she has lost. The basis for the approval of the design under this rule was the fact that the nut has two independent threads that did not link with one another, such that if one thread failed, the other could still hold the jackscrew in place. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Arnston had worked for Alaska Airlines since 1987, along with Jet America prior to its merger with Alaska Airlines, Huish said. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. She used to drive a riding lawn mower around their yard, and relax in the family swimming pool. She loved golf as much as her husband, Rodrigo. I think the stab trim thing is broke, said Thompson. By nightfall, working with the help of flood lights from squid fishing boats, recovery workers managed to find just seven bodies. A case worker at the Northwest AIDS Foundation, he joined with his partner in a commitment ceremony two years ago at First Baptist Church in Seattle with one of their dogs as the ring-bearer. When daughter Grace was born two years ago, he started saving Sundays for family. 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. Despite Alaska Airlines numerous regulatory violations, the investigation ended in 2003 without any charges being filed. 13 months later. As Thompson fought with all his might to regain control, Tansky shouted Mayday! but forgot to key his mic. The seemingly simple task of greasing the jackscrew was not immune to this degradation of the maintenance environment. 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.. 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. Stacy Schuyler, 20, Federal WayA ground-service agent for Horizon Air, Ms. Schuyler was a 1997 graduate of Puyallup High School. In the cockpit, the pilots heard a loud clunk followed by two thumps, and the plane pitched steeply downward. Fox News Alexandra Deabler contributed to this report. Web19K views 2 years ago. 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. But there was nothing to be done. David Hans Arntson's deal includes a year in federal prison, He'll also get three years of supervised release. Born in Hawaii, Mr. Ing grew up on Mercer Island, graduating from Mercer Island High School in 1990. Kristin Mills, 26, Las VegasShe lived in Las Vegas with her husband of three years, Dave, but kept a home in Seattle so she could work at her dream job as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines. Hard-working, compassionate and caring, the Pulancos shared their Beacon Hill home with two dogs and a cat. The first flight was from San Diego International Airport to Portland, Oregon. I really didnt want to hear about flow being the reason youre calling us, he said to the dispatcher, Cause Im concerned about overflying suitable airports., Well we want to do whats safe, said the dispatcher, so if thats what you feel is safe we just want to make sure you have all the info., The pilots asked for information on the runway conditions in San Francisco, and the dispatcher temporarily signed off to go find some. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. As a result, Alaska Airlines slowly increased the interval between jackscrew lubrications from 500 flight hours in 1987 to every eight months (approximately 2,250 flight hours) in 1999. Described as the mother hen of the block, Mrs. Pearson was the block-party organizer and Christmas-party hostess. All rights reserved. Harry Stasinos, 54, BrierMr. Those operating commercial vehicles may face criminal penalties and license suspensions. Flight 261 immediately plunged into a near-vertical dive, hurtling downward toward the Pacific Ocean. Seeking opportunity during the Great Depression, he stowed away on an Alaska-bound steamship hoping to find better times. She was a first-grader at Hay Elementary. He is a resident of Newport Beach, California. Erickson indicated that he and the pilot had been drinking alcoholic beverages, investigator Brice Banning wrote. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Erickson was a student pilot. For the next few minutes, they calculated landing weights and center of gravity and other values while controllers in Los Angeles prepared to accommodate them. 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. He was an outgoing, friendly first-grader. Captain Thompson was not happy with this reasoning. The NTSB report did not identify a probable cause of the crash. 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. Im thinking, can it get any worse, but it probably can, he continued. 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. The single mother of a daughter, Hailey, and an avid fitness buff, she was an attendant with the crew of Flight 261.Looo. Okay, well, your discretion, said maintenance. Aloysius Han, 65, Oakland, Calif.A retired architect for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Mr. Han often traveled to Mexico, where he owned a condominium and other property. Its an outcome that has left many of them bitter to this day. Yes sir, he he hit the water, said the SkyWest pilot, his voice nearly cracking. He was coming home from Mexico with his girlfriend, Nina Voronoff. It might be mechanical damage too. Coriander Clemetson, 8, SeattleShe was a quiet, poised student at John Hay Elementary School on Queen Anne Hill. 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. Anything more than that and the nut would need to be replaced. Ryan Busche, 28, SeattleMr. 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? The flight departs from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and arrives in Haines, Skip to content 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. While Tansky held the plane steady, Thompson contacted LAX maintenance again. 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.. He had flown for four decades and worked for Alaska Airlines since 1985. Copyright 2023 Childrensbookadayalmanac.com. In 1987, Alaska Airlines greased the stabilizer jackscrews on its MD-80s every 500 flight hours, the value recommended by the manufacturer. By this point the amount of force he needed to apply to the control column to keep the nose level was pushing him to the limit of his physical ability. He is also survived by a grown son, Fred. 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. The Piper PA-22-150 left Girdwood at about 4:15 p.m. and crashed 15 minutes later in steep terrain on Goat Mountain, investigators said. Alaska two sixty one, say again sir, said the controller. Uh, its a lot worse than it was? Tansky asked. 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. The crew scrambled to react to the massive upset. 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. 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. 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. Jerri Fosmire, 48, Eugene, Ore.She was returning home early from a family vacation in Puerto Vallarta after suffering a back injury. 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. Captain Thompson argued that conditions would be more suitable for landing at Los Angeles, and the dispatcher admitted that the reason they preferred San Francisco was because a diversion would disrupt flow, worsening mounting delays in Alaskas flight schedule. At least upside down, were flying!. At 15:55, the dispatcher returned with wind speeds, wind directions, and runway conditions at San Francisco and Los Angeles. 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. Stasinos was a longtime Seattle insurance agent and an active member of the Seattle-area Greek community. No survivors from Flight 261 have been found. 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. Hes in sight, hes, uh, definitely out of control, said the SkyWest pilot. At that moment they effectively were dead. Then, additional grease was to be applied to the entire length of the screw, filling all the threads. Did maintenance errors cause the tragic crash? Busche was traveling with his wife, Abigail Busche, whom he met when they were students at Western Washington. 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. The stab trim, I think.. The Gulf of California stretched out below them, bright and blue. Were pretty busy up here working this situation. Williams, traveling with her husband, Bob Williams, would have celebrated her 64th birthday on Feb. 8, 2000. Emily Ost, 4 months, San Bruno, Calif.She was the infant daughter of Ileana and Robert Ost. 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.. Legal Statement. LOS ANGELES -- Federal authorities have arrested a former Alaska Airlines captain on federal charges of piloting a plane while intoxicated. Thelma Thompson, 56, Fairbanks, AlaskaMrs. Yeah, we tried everything together, said Thompson. The jackscrew is one of the few components of the MD-80 series that does not have a redundant backup in case of failure. The report noted that the crash could have been avoided if they had immediately returned to Puerto Vallarta when they encountered the jammed stabilizer. He was vacationing with his daughter, Jacquelyn Choate. Tom Stockley, 63, SeattleRespected wine columnist for The Seattle Times, Mr. Stockley was traveling with Peggy Stockley, his wife of 40 years. The threads eventually lost up to 90% of their thickness, compared to 22% at the maximum wear depth of one millimeter. Hes ah, down.. The couple was considering starting their own insurance agency. Ms. Halls only brother died four years ago of a motorcycle accident. 2. Do you poke holes in potatoes when boiling? That was the last time anyone ever measured the wear on the jackscrew nut on N963AS. Uh, you getting full nose trim down but are you getting any you dont get no nose trim up, is that correct? maintenance asked. Arnston was then removed from all safety-sensitive duties by Alaska Airlines, and he retired from employment with the carrier after a 20-plus year career as a captain, KTLA reports. 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. Watching the death throes of flight 261, the SkyWest pilot told controllers, Yeah, hes inverted., Okay, said the controller, apprehension evident in his voice. He is survived by his wife, Earlene Shaw, who works at the state Senate cafeteria. Many workers who greased jackscrews didnt apply additional grease to the screw itself after greasing the nut. She was traveling with her husband, Terry, their two sons, and their sons friends. He was traveling with his cousins, Anjesh Prasad and Avinesh Amit Deo. The airline extended numerous maintenance intervals, while simultaneously skimping on personnel and training. The rows jump straight from 12 to 14. Three seconds later, the fairing failed, and the stabilizer swung unimpeded on its hinge to a position of at least 14 degrees aircraft nose down. With the jackscrew completely separated from the nut, aerodynamic forces acting on the stabilizer pushed it up beyond the normal full nose down position, halting only when the mechanical stop on the bottom of the jackscrew slammed into the nut. Among major US airlines, Alaska has charted perhaps the most unusual course across its long and fascinating history. Friends said she was shy but very gentle and loving. You have the airplane. As far as the pilots were concerned, the electric motors had probably seized and they could fly on to San Francisco without trimming the stabilizer. 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. He was traveling with several college friends. On June 20, 2014, Arnston piloted two flights from San Diego, Calif., to Portland, Ore., with 160 passengers on board; and then returned to San Diego piloting a second Alaska Airlines flight carrying 80 passengers. He moved to San Francisco last year. William Bryant, 45, San FranciscoMr. After four days in the woods, they were rescued and taken to Boise Memorial. 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. He also served for a time with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some did still less, failing even to ensure that grease totally filled the inside of the nut. His son soon after comes to visit him, asking to interview him for a report, to find out more about his father, whom it seems has been absent through much of his life. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Meanwhile, N963AS continued to fly, and maintenance workers continued to grease the jackscrew every eight months. 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. He lived in Brier with his partner, Charlene Sipe. 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. However, the procedures available to them did not state that this was necessary, which doubtlessly contributed to their decision to continue on. 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. The problem was that with insufficient grease, the threads on the nut began to wear down at an accelerated rate. Rescue vessels raced to the crash site three kilometers east of Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel, hoping to find survivors. But as the airline began cutting costs over the following decade, one of the areas that got put on the chopping block was maintenance. She was traveling with her father, Dr. David Clemetson, her stepmother, Carolyn Clemetson, and their blended family. Robert Hovey, 50, San FranciscoHe was an athletic, outdoorsy, avid traveler who lived on a sailboat on San Francisco Bay. Almost all of these recommendations were implemented. The revelations were in a report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Anchorage Daily News reported . 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. She is survived by her husband of 13 years, Phil Salyer. Rachel Janosik, 20, BellevueA graduate of Enumclaw High School, she was traveling with former schoolmates Ryan Sparks and Meghann Hall. Having decided not to touch the trim system anymore, the crew now performed some final tests of the airplanes low speed handling. Web19K views 2 years ago. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Over the next couple minutes, the pilots found the plane to be reasonably stable at lower speeds. Keep us advised.. He had planned to spend his retirement trading stocks on the Internet and taking leisurely afternoon walks with his wife of 30 years, Bonnie. After the June 2014 incident, Arntson retired from Alaska Airlines, and the Federal Aviation Administration revoked his pilots license, the US Attorneys Office said. Colleen Whorley, 34, SeattleAn art director at Microsoft, Ms. Whorley honed her skills in photography. The whole episode must have left him a bitter man although unlike most whistleblowers, he did manage to restart his career in the industry. 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. Described by friends as a soft-spoken, caring person, Ms. Thompson is survived by two sisters. Bradford Patrick Ryan, 33, RedmondThe trip to Mexico with his parents, Terry and Barbara Ryan, was meant in part to celebrate his graduation from Washington State University with a civil-engineering degree. His mother said he was a sweet, handsome man who loved his job and loved people. 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. N963AS nearly made it anyway its next jackscrew inspection was scheduled for March 2000. 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. 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. Sheri Christensen, 25, Federal WayShe grew up in Yakima, one of four children of Bob and Pat Stookey, and moved to the Seattle area with her husband, Jeff Christensen. Pearson was the first chef at the Jake OShaughnesseys and F.X. Alaska Airlines 261 is a chartered flight operated by Alaska Airlines. For two hours, the crew of the ill-fated jet had struggled with a malfunctioning stabilizer, unaware that this critical flight control system had turned into a ticking time bomb counting down toward catastrophic failure. What he liked best in life was family, said his longtime medical assistant. 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. But the measurements were imprecise and repeated tests often produced different results allowing a certain amount of ambiguity as to whether the value was over or under the limit. No decision was made at this point about whether or not to divert. Following the incident, Arntson retired from Alaska Airlines. 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. However, the plane ran into a streak of at least two or three grease applications that were not done correctly, including one in September 1999 by a notorious San Francisco-based mechanic who was later found to have applied virtually no grease to any of the jackscrews he worked on. Ah, here we go, said Captain Thompson, uttering the last words captured on the cockpit voice recorder. And hes just hit the water, said one pilot. She was also accompanied by her longtime companion, Charles Russell. The free-swinging stabilizer rotated up past its stop, slamming back against the aerodynamic fairing that encased the tail. According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday, Arntson was the pilot of two Alaska Airlines flights on in June 2014, in which he was under the influence. But when we slowed down lets slow it, lets get it down to two hundred knots and see what happens., Now Thompson and Tansky slowed down and deployed the flaps and slats, simulating a landing configuration, to make sure the plane would be controllable on final approach.