This was not fair to Donald, "Chip," as heis known. Washington, DC: NTSB, 8-18-1982. Pilots have been criticized for misinterpreting approach charts and approach procedures, with little consideration given to the operating environment in which the procedures and charts are used and the degree to which these procedures and charts themselves may be conducive to error. DC-10 crew at fault. Hutchinson News, KS, 12-15-1979, p. Weather conditions were deteriorating during Flight 2605's instrument approach. Western Airlines Flight 2605. 10-5-2016 modification. 74 Eckert. The gear leg separated and struck the right tailplane and elevator, causing substantial damage. ), Associated Press. On the flight, Eddy and Chip sat in the aft FA seats. 3.). Aftermath: Wrong Runway Landing, Flying, Dec 1983, pp. I was riding shotgun in a Bonanza>several years ago, and we did one at Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma>City - we used the ILS for 17L right down to about 1/2 mile out, then>split off and landed on 17R. Western Airlines: 2605: Charlie,Charlie get it up. Descend through a fog bank was continued below the 600 feet minimum for instrument approaches. Why? Flight 2605 was piloted by Captain Charles Gilbert (53), First Officer Ernst Reichel (46) and Flight Engineer Daniel Walsh (39). at 0140 h local time on 31 October 1979. On October 31, 1979, at 5:42 a.m. CST (UTC-06:00), the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating the flight crashed at Mexico City International Airport in fog after landing on a runway that . The plane popped right open and I was around two or three behind the wing so I could get out. [7] Nine of 11 crewmembers, 63 of 77 passengers died; thus 72 fatalities of the 88 aboard the plane. Ground fatalities were reported as being just one (the driver of the truck parked on Runway 23L) to as many as three (the driver and two people in the Eastern Airlines building). Page 10", "Hallaron Otro Cadver Entre Restos del DC-10", "No Han Sido Reclamadas 3 Vctimas del Avianazo", "Cuatro Meses Para Conocer Causa del Accidente Areo", Complete passenger and crew list, with nationalities where known (newspapers.com), WA 2605, a 35 aos del peor accidente areo en la Ciudad de Mxico, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_Airlines_Flight_2605&oldid=1149192334, Crashed into construction equipment during landing on a closed runway, 3 passengers in intensive care at American British Cowdray Hospital, 9 passengers in satisfactory condition at American British Cowdray Hospital, 5 passengers already released from other hospitals after first-aid treatment, This page was last edited on 10 April 2023, at 18:14. Cockpit voice recording audio of the last seconds of the flight indicated that the first officer and captain agreed that they were cleared for 23R (not the runway they were still on approach to). Part of the DC-10's left wing traveled well off airport grounds, impacting a residential building on Matamoros Street in the Pen de los Baos colonia, causing a fire there too. Aircraft flying government officials, Helicopters Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/RecLetters/A80_59_60.pdf, National Transportation Safety Board. Western Airlines Flight 2605 was a red-eye flight. western airlines flight 2605 passenger listoffice furniture liquidators chicago June 14th, 2022 mazda 3 2021 bose sound system Passengers have taken to Twitter to express their frustration with delayed flights, poor customer service, and unclear communication. :103. On October 31, 1979, at 5:42 a.m. the flight crashed at Mexico City International Airport in fog, after landing on a runway closed for maintenance. 28 Nov 1979: Air New Zealand: 901: NTSB Safety Recommendation A-80-59 and -60: On October 31, 1979, Western Airlines, Inc., McDonnell Douglass DC-10-10, N-903WA, crashed at Mexico City International Airport, Mexico. This pushed us apart. As a passengerand paying customeryou have rights when your trip is delayed or canceled. Airliners.net is the leading community for discovering and sharing high-quality aviation photography. The procedure is shown as a straight-in approach to an adjacent runway, as a circling approach to the sidestep runway, or as a note at the bottom of the chart giving ceiling and visibility minima. This caused the landing gear leg complete with the two rear tires, wheels and brake units to be thrown about 70 m beyond the point of collision with the truck. The rest were identified by nationality. On October 31, 1979, at 5:42a.m. CST (UTC06:00), the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating the flight crashed at Mexico City International Airport in fog after landing on a runway that was closed for maintenance. Western Airlines 2605 is a crash that sticks out in my mind as one of the most mysterious accidents of all time, as comparatively little about the accident itself has been released to the public. Last week, before he took off at 12:50 a.m. from Los Angeles in command of Flight 2605, the "Night Owl," carrying 13 crew members and 75 passengers, he was reminded that he had to land on. I don't think even the gullible publicwould believe that one. Letter to Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration. The bank angle continued to increase to the point that the right wing began to cut into the ground and taxiways next to the closed runway. 3 Washington (Auburn {1} and Seattle {2}). Props and jets from the good old days, Flight Decks [3], 74 AP. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/santa-ana/santa-ana-orange-county-register-evening/1979/11-01/page-11?tag, Associated Press, Mexico City. The same building was later turned into a temporary morgue. (UPI. With the aircraft at a speed of 130 knots, the main landing gear touched down, with the left gear on the grass left of Runway 23L and the right gear on the runway shoulder, producing a force greater than 2 g0. It seems that 'Spooky' is retired. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=8BVI6sNpT4wC&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false, Gepfert, Ken (Los Angeles Times). The crew was advised on at least four occasions by either Mexico City Air Route Traffic Control Center or the tower that they were to land on runway 23R. Sixty-one passengers and 11 crewmembers were fatally injured [72]; 13 passengers and 2 crewmembers were seriously injured [15];[19] and one person on the ground was fatally injured. Go-around power was added and the nose lifted 10-11deg. Accessed 10-5-2016 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19791031-0. Western Airlines Flight 2605, nicknamed the "Night Owl", was an international scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles, California, to Mexico City, Mexico. :106 On October 19, 1979, a notice to airmen was issued stating that Runway 23L would be closed until further notice for resurfacing work. While we did not double-check by name in obituaries all the deceased, we did do so for a handful, and the reporting by name in the AP article was correct for them. I just saw that the plane was tilted a little bit toward the right, and it touched down with the right tire. As the surviving Flight Attendant aboard WAL Flt. Pascalais wrote in message <19990502162013@ng-cg1.aol.com> Dan Rupp wrote in messagenews:7gieve$jd7$0@dosa.alt.net >Dan,>IIRC, parallel runways One was closed for maint..>Low ceiling Low Vsby>Forget which runway the approach was aligned..(23L)>Aircraft broke out and landed (23R)..>Don't recall much more Old man, short memory>>Al>>Dan Rupp wrote in message>news:7gieve$jd7$0@dosa.alt.net>> Thanks, but does anyone how many of the crewmembers were killed? All the radio aids and lighting systems for Runway 23 Right were operating normally. 26 1979 Accidents, No. So who's really the gullible one here, Dan? There are a few youtube videos of the cockpit voice transcript from this accident. At 0542 h on 31 October 1979, Western Airlines Flight 2605, a DC-10 aircraft, crashed while landing on Runway 23 Left at Licenciado Benito Jurez International Airport, Mexico City. The data obtained from the aircrafts flight recorder shows that the crew was making an instrument approach. Following are the names of 60 passengers and 11 crew members. Western Airlines Flight 2605, nicknamed the "Night Owl", was an international scheduled passenger flight from Los Angeles, California, to Mexico City, Mexico.On October 31, 1979, at 5:42 a.m. CST, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating the flight crashed at Mexico City International Airport in fog after landing on a runway that was closed for maintenance. The collision occurred under these conditions and in spite of the violence of the impact the aircraft remained airborne and flew on, although lift was precarious due to the loss on the right side of the tailplane complete with elevator and the inner section of the wing flap. As many as 30 people were injured, including those on the ground injured by flying debris. Most survivors of Flight 2605 were found in a 20 foot long section of fuselage that did not burn. Letter to Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration. Further, it indicated that landing on the closed 23L required only that the crew continue their current flight path, which was a straight-in ILS approach to 23L. [9] On page 103 notes the fatalities as 11 of the 13 crew, 61 of 76 passengers and 1 other (truck driver). All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The collision with the truck, which was loaded with 10 tonnes of earth, removed the right landing gear leg with part or sections of the main gear beam to which it is attached, bursting three of the four tires. Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, USA. For quite some time you could see where the right wing tip scribed and arc for as the airplane initiated the go around to the impact with the hangar. This would bring total to 73. The aircraft struck heavy equipment on runway 23L as the crew attempted to execute a missed approach. The captain realized this, saying "No, this is the approach to the goddamned left." Flight 2605 remains the deadliest air accident to have occurred in Mexico City. Most of the right main gear separated from the aircraft and struck the right horizontal stabilizer. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! The Safety Board believes that it is the obligation of the developers of approach procedures and charts to incorporate human factors considerations into their design so that the possibility for pilot confusion, misinterpretation, or error is eliminated. (NTSB Safety Recommendation(s) A-82-91 through -93, p. Eddy told me at that time that the Mexicans who were working on the ground ran after the crash occurred and didn't return to help. Sadly there was a truck loaded with dirt doing some maintainace work and the gear hit this truck ripping ripping the right wing. I, Thanks, but does anyone how many of the crewmembers were killed? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Airlines_Flight_2605. Oct 31, AP: Mexico City (AP) A Western Airlines DC-10 jetliner bound from Los Angeles with 88 persons reported aboard crashed while landing in fog and smog at the Mexico City airport today, plowing into two buildings, and Red Cross officials at the scene said they had recovered 55 bodies from the wreckage. On the transcription of the cockpit voice recorder the pilot-in-command is heard to have said that he was on the flight path to Runway 23 Left, just before the left landing gear wheels touched down on the grass to the left of Runway 23 Left and the right landing gear wheels on the runway shoulder. One of the passengers, Ken Lucoff, was an ABC field producer who covered the American Airlines 191 crash at O'Hare in Chicago. A missed approach had been initiated. As Flight 2605 approached Mexico City International Airport, air-traffic controllers cleared it for an instrument approach using the ILS of Runway 23L, with an expected landing runway of 23R. On October 31, 1979, at 5:42 a.m. the flight. According to our analysis, Afriqiyah Airways is the most hated airline in Libya. I heard a big explosion. Before that time not such manuver was everrecorded in the Jepsen Maunal or anywhere else to any U.S.airline", Sadly, the conditions, bad enough when I first landed there in 1957,continue each year to grow worse, with no end in sight except repeattragedies or halting flying. My recollection is that the crew did not survive - but I am unsure on thatitem. The crash was one of three fatal DC-10 accidents in 1979 and occurred just over five months after the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and less than a month before the crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 on Mount Erebus in Antarctica. On October 31, 1979, at 5:42a.m. CST, the aircraft used for the flight, aMcDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed atMexico City International Airportin fog, after landing on a runway closed for maintenance. United Press International, Mexico City. In this case the crew continued with the landing procedure, ignoring the requirement to call out the altitude values and the decision minimum, and descended until the landing gear touched down off-centre of Runway 23 Left, which was closed to all operations. Washington, DC: NTSB, 7-14-1980, revised 8-21-1980. Washington, DC: NTSB, File 1-0026, no date. The controller also points out that the>aircraft is left of the assigned runway, which the crew merely>acknowledges but does not explain or say that it will correct. Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR, Military Aircraft Flight 2605 was on short final to the closed runway at 5:42 a.m. [1] While there are a number of estimates of 74 or 75 fatalities, these are all from newspaper reports and could well reflect that early reports included the deaths of two or three locals on the ground. Lots of yelling, profanity ect. Survivor Tells of Crash. Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21. One person on the ground was fatally injured. CARRIER: Western Air Lines FLIGHT: 605 AIRCRAFT: Douglas DC-10-10 REGISTRY: N903WA S/N: 46929 ABOARD: 88 FATAL: 72 GROUND: 1 DETAILS: The aircraft struck a vehicle after landing on a closed. Rafael Martinez, 31, a Mexican resident of Los Angeles, died Sunday [Nov 18] at the American British Cowdray Hospital from multiple injuries he suffered in the Oct. 31 crash, hospital spokesmen said Monday. One second later the crew decided to abort the landing and applied go-around power. Investigators probe DC-10 crash site. The Daily Herald, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7. Yes they didn't make the sidestep to the active runway but they didn't even land on the closed runway, instead contacting the ground with one main gear off the runway in the grass. Western Airlines Flight 2605. 10-5-2016 modification. Confusion Over Runways Caused DC-10 Crash. Pharos-Tribune, 11-1-1979, p.21. I'm not surprised you have no info.a cover-up is just that. The damaged aircraft, still airborne with takeoff thrust engaged, began to bank to the right. Rich Ahrens wrote in message <372E2AD1@visi.com> You're right. [16], 26 UPI. Probably nothing, but it could give me a competitive edge over Kilroy atAD.com. 73 Wikipedia. Survivors reported that large pieces of the building continued to fall onto the wreckage of the aircraft several minutes after the crash as rescuers arrived on the scene. Unfortunately (and that word is an understatement - perhaps tragically orstupidly works better) they forgot to cross to the right as cleared, and landedon the left which was closed for reconstruction and flew into a bulldozer. No U.S. investigator was allowed on the crash site nor allowed to investigate the wreckage or airport facilities. It seems to me that with only one of the two runwayseven being ILS-equipped, the approach chart would have clearly statedwhich one that was. Error appears to be in noting two deaths on the ground. About 0541 Mexican Central Time Western Airlines DC-10 Flight 2605 was making an approach to the airport in reported VFR conditions when it Seventy-two persons on board the aircraft and one person on the ground were killed in the accident. [4], 74 AP. Before that time not such manuver was ever recorded in the>Jepsen Maunal or anywhere else to any U.S. airline.">. Accessed 10-6-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/logansport/logansport-pharos-tribune/1979/11-01/page-21?tag, United Press International, Mexico City. He seemed to me then to be suspicious of their actions. On October 31, 1979, the aircraft used for the flight, a McDonnell Douglas. Around three or four minutes before we were landing there was a lot of fog around the place and the airplane sort of rattled up a bit and about a half a minute later it just went flat, just crashed. Western[15], 26 UPI. It then impacted anEastern Airlinesservice buildingnorth of both runways, 26 seconds after it initially touched down. To me, Eddy was clearly deeply affected by being a survivor, needed to talk, and I sensed no ego or pride in his story. Investigators probe DC-10 crash site. The Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7. This is a challenging airport and approach in vmc conditions. Last I heard, he is an F/A for Delta in Portland,", Donald Richards died on board. <<. Not pretty. Investigators probe DC-10 crash site. The Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7. [10], 73 NTSB. Chip was not mobile due to a leg injury, so Eddy had to help him out. Page 10", "Hallaron Otro Cadver Entre Restos del DC-10", "No Han Sido Reclamadas 3 Vctimas del Avianazo", "Cuatro Meses Para Conocer Causa del Accidente Areo", Complete passenger and crew list, with nationalities where known (newspapers.com), WA 2605, a 35 aos del peor accidente areo en la Ciudad de Mxico, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 740, Airliner accidents and incidents involving fog, Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Airliner accidents and incidents involving ground collisions, Crashed into construction equipment during landing on a closed runway, 3 passengers in intensive care at American British Cowdray Hospital, 9 passengers in satisfactory condition at American British Cowdray Hospital, 5 passengers already released from other hospitals after first-aid treatment. Plane Crash Podcast: Western Airlines Flight 2605, Stories That Empower: 095 Eduardo Valenciana. Wikipedia. When I opened them I saw a lot of fire and I heard a lot of voices. We've been shot. touched down on the dirt on the left of the edge of Runway 23 Left, which was closed to traffic. The Safety Board believes that a separate instrument approach chart is needed for the 33 airport runways that utilize the sidestep maneuver in the United States. Accessed 10-6-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/arlington-heights/daily-herald-suburban-chicago/1979/11-02/page-38?tag, United Press International, Mexico City. [4] The number 74, however, includes the statement that three people died on the ground (truck driver and two persons in an Eastern Airlines building when it was hit by the plane. One part of the DC-10's left wing travelled well off airport grounds, impacting a residential building on Matamoros Street in the Pen de los Baoscoloniaand causing a fire there as well. It's not likely from his comments to date that Dan has ever flown into, I thought it was complete BS from the first e-mail. However, none of these air traffic control (ATC) communications contained phraseology similar to that used n United States ATC communications regarding a sidestep maneuver. I found a site which recently added some pictures I've never seen, as of November 11, 2014. [18] Footnote 1 in original: A visual alignment maneuver required of a pilot executing an approach to one runway while cleared to land on a parallel runway., [20] A visual maneuver accomplished by a pilot at the completion of an instrument approach to permit a straight-in landing on a parallel runway that is separated by 1200 ft or less.Pilots are expected to commence the maneuver as soon as possible after the runway, or runway environment, is in sight. (The Free Dictionary.). I was a Western Airlines FA during the time of the WAL 2605 crash, and I flew many times to Mexico City without any incidents or concerns with the three pilots who died on WAL 2605. This was not fair to Donald, "Chip," as he>is known. 26 (Circular 173-AN/109). Although the aircraft was cleared for a Tepexpan arrival and was advised that the landing runway was 23R, the crew continued the approach to runway 23L, which had been closed for repairs. Views from inside the cockpit, Aircraft Cabins In the accident case, the Mexico City chart for runway 23 right contained only ceiling and visibility minima. The airplane operated on a flight from Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX) to Mexico City-Benito Jurez International . [13] Notes 11 crew deaths and 2 crew minor/no injuries; 61 passenger fatalities, 13 serious injured and 2 with minor/no injuries. Weird crash - the pilot-not-flying didn't make any radalt callouts (200 above touchdown, 100, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 is normal) or 'decision height'. I couldnt see the ground. Just afterbecoming airborne, the DC-10 then collided with a ground vehicle - alarge dump truck, IIRC - that was being driven along the runway. Both pilots knew that 23L was closed, as they had previously landed on 23R without incident while 23L was out of service. Safety Recommendation(s) A-80-59 and -60. History of the Flight Flight No. Deference to Captain Charlie, he'd want them to speak up. The ALPA study surmised that the crew was confused as to what was required for the sidestep approach. No Han Sido Reclamadas 3 Victimas del Avianazo. El Informador, Retrieved 2016-05-05., [16] A U.S. Embassy spokesman said 26 of the dead and five of the 16 survivors were Americans.. Rose Hills Memorial Park. DC-10 Crashes in Mexico City. The Register, Orange County, CA, 10-31-1979, p. 1. Text remarks for the sidestep approach to 23R described only ceiling and visibility minimums. Thirty days>After the>crash, the FAA went to Mexico and along side La Officina De Navagacion>Espacio Mexicana, developed a side step manuver for U.S. pilots into Benito>Juarez Airport. I was sitting near the back, near the window.When we left Los Angeles at 3 in the morning, the plane was going up very slowly.When we arrived in Mexico City, the DC-10 was going down little by little, very slowly, and then we found a lot of fog and I couldnt see anything else. RE: Western 2605 In MEX - New Pics #8819177 BY thegoldenargosy - Fri Nov 28, 2014 3:22 am One of the flight attendants survived and is still flying for DL in SLC. We were close, but when the companyparaded us around the system in a "dog & pony show," other crew members werequick to cataterize us as "hero" and "the one that got pulled out." Sidebar on Nationality and On board fatalities. I spoke to Chip while he was recovering in the hospital after the crash, and he remembered very little, only a few snippets about his personal experiences. Thanks for sharing that link. What did those with a vested interest have to hide? NTSB Safety Recommendation(s) A-82-91 through -93: .On October 31, 1979, a Western Airlines, Inc., DC-10-10, crashed while making an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to the Mexico City International Airport. We were close, but when the company>paraded us around the system in a "dog & pony show," other crew members were>quick to cataterize us as "hero" and "the one that got pulled out." The captain further stated that they were in fact (still) on the approach to 23L, saying "No, this is the approach to the goddamned left". This turned out more informative than I would have imagined. "Error de Pilotos." Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/ohio/east-liverpool/east-liverpool-evening-review/1979/11-20?tag. DC-10 crew at fault. Hutchinson News, KS, 12-15-1979, p. 2. As go-around power was being added, the aircraft's right main landing gear collided with a parked truck, separated, and hit the right tailplane and elevator. Plane Toll Hits 75. Evening Review, East Liverpool, OH, 11-20-1979, p. 1. However,23L was the only runway equipped with ILS, and the WAL crew elected touse a side-step approach by which they'd follow the ILS of 23L to acertain point and then veer off and land on 23R. This runway was closed for repairs at the time. He remembers nothing. (You young folks will have to Google her.) DC-10 Passenger List. Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. Also killed on the ground were an Eastern Airline employee working in a building flattened by the plane[21] and the driver of a truck hit by the plane at the top of runway 23-left, Western Airlines officials said. That runway is closed to traffic, the correct one is 23-right. The control tower told Capt. Upon entering the runway, theWAL crew went to full power and initiated a go-around. This page was last updated at 2023-04-29 03:53 UTC. Plot info: Marigold Lawn-Section 21-Lot 4663-Grave 1-Entrance Gate 1. Plane Toll Hits 75. Evening Review, East Liverpool, OH, 11-20-1979, 1. First of all I don't believe there ever was an official NTSB report on this accident. 21. As Flight 2605 crashed on Mexican soil, the accident investigation was performed by the Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC).

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