I remember where I was [in Ann Arbor visiting a dear friend Charlotte] on August 16, 1987 when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed at 8:49 p.m., killing all the crew and all passengers except one 4-year old girl, Cecelia Cichan, who did sustain serious injuries. The mother, Paula Cichan, of this little girl saved her daughter's life by placing her own body over her daughter to protect little Cecilia from injuries. The mother was successful. The seat containing Cecelia was found clear of the wreckage face up with Cecelia alive in it. Her mom gave her life to save her daughter's life. The news of this crash came immdiately over the TV, and I heard it all live. It was stunning, a cut to the very heart. The plane crashed into the an overpass of I-94. Many local volunteers went to the scene. One man needed to get therapy when helping to bring the dead into a hanger. The crash was so violent one passenger's head could be seen without brains. That was more than some volunteers could handle. That would be hard for any of us. This was the "worse sole surviving air disaster in aviation history even to this day.
This crash should never have happened. I did not happen because of pilot error but partly because of equiptment failure due to maintence negligence. You won't find these thoughts expressed on the news. How do I know about them? I had occasion to talk to another Northwest Pilot after the crash. How he opened up to me so much is hard to know now after these 24 years. But he trusted me with this information as if I were a fellow pilot. Here is what he said: There is a rule that no one can talk to the pilot on take off. He goes through a check list, of at least 11 items. But a crew member was telling the pilot a joke [caught on tape] that distracted the pilot who had to take off at the set time just before he could check out the near last item: "flaps down". So, the plane began take off with this critical item not checked. The pilot cannot see if the flaps are down or not out his window. So, the crew member is directly the cause of critical pilot interference at take off. How critical are "flaps down". Well, when flaps are normal there still is lift for a plane. But not when a plan is filled to the max: Jet fuel, baggage, and full passengers. Flaps MUST be down in take off to give the plane a boost in life. You know that wings of planes are curved so that air passing over the wing on top moves faster that the air on the bottom of a wing. Where the ait velocity is the greatest, the pressure is is the least. So, air a plane races down the runway, air flowing on top of the wing is flowing much faster than the wind under the wing. Air pressure is 14lbs per square inch on any surface. But when the air flows faster on top of the wing, the air pressure per inch becomes less; thus the air pressure under the wing lifts the plane in the air. The flaps being down helps this greater velocity of air over the surface of the top of the wing.
Flight 255 took off without the flaps down, and the pilot did not know it. He would have known it if her were not distracted by the crew member. The plane took off rolled to the left and hit a pole at the end of the runway servering part of the wing and spilling jet fuel; then it rolled 90 degrees to the right causing the right wing to tear through the roof of the Avis car rental building. Uncontrolled the plane crashed inverted unto Middlebelt Road hitting vehicles. The plane broke apart and burst into flames as it hit a railroad overpass and the overpass of Estbound Intersatate 94.
Secondly, there is an electronic device on board that if take off is attempted with flaps up, the computer of the plane shuts down the take off. That electrical device failed.
Just writing about this great tragedy is heart wrenching and causes me to re-live that night. I pray that God has received all those souls of Flight 255 into His arms to keep them safe forever.
What lessons do we learn? The same as we learned from the Space Shuttle Challenger's disaster. On January 28, 1986, just a year and a half before the Flight 255 disaster, the U.S. Shuttle Challenger exploded during takeoff/launch. Why? Because of executive human caupable error and because of equiptment error. Are not those the two very errors that caused Flight 255 to crash? Let's look at NASA's errors and the equiptment failure: For Ford I did risk assessments on all components in the vehicle. A Major Risk is one that will hold up Job 1, that is the vehicle cannot go into production. The NASA engineer in a memo wrote to an executive that the O- Rings were tested at 50 degrees and above. But launch was at a temperature or 38 degrees. So, therefore, the shuttle launch would be taking place in 38 degrees with essentially an untested part. The engineers also verbally told the executive of this problem; and the executive told the engineer he would bring it up in a meeting with all the other executive team. BUT HE DID NOT. He wanted the launch to go up because millions of dollars were riding on it. To delay would cost money and lose money. The launch went up with an untested part - O-Rings - and they FAILED, killing all the crew. Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher, was warned just before take off - by a would be prophet. He little daughter said to her mom: "Mommy, do not go up in space. It is not safe in space." Now that prophetic message was not taken seriously by her mom. But had Christa McAuilffe thought it over....why her daughter would say such an adult thing and such a critical time....if McAuliffe would have seen in her daughter a prophet speaking for God, then McAuliffe would have saved the whole mission. If she were to have backed out - which she was perfectly free to do - the whole mission would have been saved because the lauch go not go without her. It would have been cancelled. One man who was watching the Chellenger explode heard a little girl screa,omg: "Mommy!" He said: "which broke my heart into millions of pieces like the challenger."
So, now what are the lessons that seem to me to are self evident: Greed kills people. Caulpable human errors kills people. Breaking aviation cockpit rules kills people. Mechanic erros kill people. Not listening to engineers kills people. Not listening to our kids when they speak for God kills people.
Dearest Father in Heaven, it is not You who cause disasters in the world. You try to prevent them. When we break Your Commandments, we hurt ourselves. You did not punish the Prodigal son when he came home to You. You gave him full reistatement into the family and a home-coming pardy. I am sorry that some people blame you because You could have stopped it. But You do things to stop disaster: You sent an engineer and a little girl to stop the Challenger from exploding. You gave common sense to the Flight 255 pilor to stop the crew member from talking to him. The Pilor could have delayed take off and began the check list again once he knew that is was incomplete. You have given us a mind to use in safeguarding life.
Please take to Your bosom, Father, all those who died in Flight 255 and in Challenger. I offer You the Precious Bood of Jesus in attonement for all their sins and the sins of those who caused these disasters. Pardon any and all sins of those who lost their lives and give them the joy of heaven. Give them a great and joyous home-coming party and blissful eternal life with you. Reunite all of them with their families one day in Heaven. All this we ask in Jesus' Name.
Love, Pio
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