About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

75 A.B.A. J. 52 (1989)
Animated Evidence - Delta 191 Crash Re-Created through Computer Simulations at Trial

handle is hein.journals/abaj75 and id is 1512 raw text is: BI ITI(ATIflWI Animated Evidence Delta 191 crash re-created through computer simulations at trial BY PAUL MARCOTTE s Delta Flight 191, with 163 people aboard, approached Dallas-Fort Worth Interna- tional Airport at 5:52 p.m., Aug. 2, 1985, weather conditions were ripe for thunderstorms. The Delta crew could see the sun shining at the airport 35 miles to the southwest. But while the airport baked under 101-degree heat, two cloud cells stood in the path of in- coming planes. Within minutes one cell would swell dramatically, form- ing a narrow storm to the north of the airport. Meanwhile, air traffic control- lers directed the wide-bodied Lock- Paul Marcotte, a lawyer, is a re- porter for the ABA Journal. heed L-1011 north, west and south toward its final approach. A flight controller in the tower saw lightning hit the ground shortly before 6 p.m. Witnesses later would describe the fast-developing storm as a wall of water, the worst in years. Ground radar detected the rain's growing intensity, but the informa- tion wasn't relayed to pilots because a federal government meteorologist took an extended lunch break and there wasn't a replacement on duty. As Delta 191 continued in, First Officer Rudolph Price remarked to crew members, We're going to get our airplane washed. When the plane hit light rain, Delta Captain Edward Connors told controllers, Tower, DL191 heavy, out here in the rain, feels good. About the same time, a control- ler told a supervisor, That is heavy, heavy rain off the approach end of both runways. Shortly thereafter, Price said, Lightning coming out of that one. Where? Connors asked. Right ahead of us, said Price. As Flight 191 hit heavy rain about a minute later, Connors ex- claimed, You're going to lose it all of a sudden, there it is. To exhortations of Push it up, push it up, way up, Price added air- speed. Seven seconds later Delta 191 was hit by a 44 knot wind shear. Eight seconds after experiencing the wind shear-a violent change ipl direction and speed of the wind the Delta 191 crew tried to abort the landing. But it was too late for the crew to do anything. The plane was caught in powerful wind vortexes 52 ABA JOURNAL / DECEMBER 1989

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most