On August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport at about 20:46 EDT (00:46 UTC August 17). All six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, as well as two people on the ground, were killed. The sole survivor was a four-year-old girl named Cecelia Cichan, who sustained serious injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the accident was the flight deck crew's failure to set flaps and slats for takeoff. A contributing factor was a lack of power to the aircraft's central aural warning system, which prevented the takeoff warning system from providing an audio alert to the crew of the improper takeoff configuration.
Background
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a twin-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registration number N312RC), a derivative of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and part of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series of aircraft. The jet was manufactured in 1981, entered service with Republic Airlines and was acquired by Northwest Airlines in its merger with Republic in 1986. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217 turbofan engines.
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| colspan="3" |* = Unintelligible word; () = Questionable text; (()) = Commentary; — = Break in continuity; Shading = Radio communication
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!Time
!Source
!Content
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|20:43:48
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Detroit tower (to 594CC)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Citation five ninety four Charlie Charlie, metro tower. Winds three zero zero at thirteen, runway three right, cleared to land. Where are you parking on the field?
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|20:43:55
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |594CC (to Detroit tower)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Three zero zero at one three, and we'll be going to page avjet.
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|20:43:59
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Detroit tower (to Northwest Airlines Flight 766)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Northwest seven sixty six, contact ground one two one point eight.
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|20:44:04
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Detroit tower (to Northwest Airlines Flight 255)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Northwest two fifty five runway three center, turn right heading zero six zero, cleared for takeoff.
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|20:44:08
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |First officer (to Detroit tower)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Right to zero six zero, cleared to go, northwest two fifty five.
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|20:44:12
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Detroit tower (to Northwest Airlines Flight 185)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Northwest one eighty five metro tower three center taxi into position and hold you have about three minutes two to three minutes on the runway.
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|20:44:17
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Northwest Airlines Flight 185 (to Detroit tower)
|style="background:#E8F6F3;" |Okay, position and hold, northwest one eighty five.
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|20:44:14.8
| colspan="2" style="font-size: 1.00em;" | ((Sound similar to parking brake released))
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|20:44:21
| colspan="2" style="font-size: 1.00em;" | ((Sound of increasing engine power))
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|20:44:28
|Captain
|Won't stay on.