Delta Air Lines Flight 191 Crash At DFW Airport
On the 2nd of August in 1985, Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crashed before it could land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. 137 people were killed and 28 were injured. Flight 121 crash site is located on the Irving side of DFW, 400 yards from Texas State Highway 114.
Timeline
3:10 pm Eastern Time
The Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar tail number N726DA left Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The destination was Los Angeles International Airport with a stop at DFW airport. Isolated thunderstorms were expected in Northern Texas.
5:43 pm Central Time
Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center cleared Flight 191 to descend to 10000 feet and 11 minutes later the plane had descended to 5000 feet.
6:04 pm Central Time
First officer Rudolph P. Price Jr noticed lightning coming out of a cloud ahead of the plane. At about the same time the plane encountered heavy rain but the crew was in full control at the time.
6:05 pm Central Time
Captain Edward N. Connors, age 57 warns first officer to watch his airspeed. 7 seconds later the captain was recorded saying “You’re gonna lose it all of a sudden, there it is.” At 6:05:26 he says “Push it up, push it way up.” The crew did not know that they had encountered a gust of wing called a microburst, also known as a downburst.
Even though the plane was at full power, airspeed continued to decrease before going up slightly. A few seconds later it was hit by a strong gust causing the airplane to roll to the right. The Ground Proximity Warning System began to sound and the Captain called “TOGA”, calling for a go around.
The aircraft touched down in a field 6000 feet north off runway 17L. It crossed Texas State Highway 114 striking a Toyota and instantly killing its driver. After striking a few light poles on the highway a fire began. The left wing and cockpit area stuck two 4-million gallon water tanks causing a huge explosion.
Location
The crash site is located on the Irving side of DFW airport. Both 4-million gallon water tanks still exist today. A memorial can be found 2 miles west of the sight at Founder’s Plaza in Grapevine Texas.
Were you in the Metroplex when this tragedy happened? We would love to hear your story in the comment section below.