by "someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
Published 03/27/2017 at 13:21
by "someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
Published 03/27/2017 at 13:21
Tags: planelopnik history
STARS: 5
A KLM 747 attempted to take off as a Pan Am 747 was still clearing the runway in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Both aircraft were completely destroyed by impact and fire, with 583 dead. There were only 61 survivors. It remains the worst single air accident of all time.
The story is one often recounted in CRM training, as the KLM Captain ignored his second officer airing concerns about the Pan Am 747 not being clear of the runway before he started to take off. It is also an aviation case study in that a huge number of things went wrong in order to allow the accident to happen (from weather, to congestion - a bomb closed their original destination at Las Palmas, to the physics of VHF radio transmissions).
Here is a good summary of the incident, from the Telegraph today:
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"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
03/27/2017 at 13:26, STARS: 1
From what I remember, 20 feet more altitude and it would’ve been the most pants shittingness close call ever.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
03/27/2017 at 13:29, STARS: 0
Yeah the KLM Captain’s decision to refuel there vs. at Las Palmas might have been the deciding factor between underwear change and what happened that night.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
03/27/2017 at 13:31, STARS: 1
At the end of the day though, it boiled down to not verifying that the path was clear that made it an incident at all. I believe the plane tracking systems in the towers are much better these days.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
03/27/2017 at 13:36, STARS: 4
Yep if the KLM Captain had asked again if the runway was clear, none of the other contributing factors would have made a difference. Many people died that day because the KLM captain couldn’t be bothered to double check.
"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
03/27/2017 at 13:38, STARS: 3
Visibility was obviously the biggest issue, but based on the CVR, the single overarching factor was the culture of aviation at the time — first officers don’t question the captain. Some of that can be chalked up to the fact that most captains in the 70s were WWII pilots and had a pretty badass reputation behind them, for better or worse. Communications were much more militaristic and hierarchical.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
03/27/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 3
Visibility and arrogance. This gets a big write up tomorrow.
"Matt Nichelson" (whoismatt)
03/27/2017 at 13:52, STARS: 1
It’s amazing just how many things came together for it to happen. Take any one of them away from the rest and we wouldn’t be sitting here discussing it.
Here’s an interesting fact. The Pan Am 747 was also the first 747 to be hijacked. It landed in Cuba, also a first, where it was met by none other than Fidel Castro.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
03/27/2017 at 14:16, STARS: 2
I’ve read a lot about this accident. Visibility and arrogance pretty well sums it up, perhaps with a dash of impatience.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
03/27/2017 at 14:32, STARS: 1
Was also the 747 that operated the first commercial 747 flight on Jan. 22, 1970.
That’s also quite the story:
The Time magazine article on the inaugural has one of the steakhouse-bound buses going off the road on the way to dinner...