20 December 1995 - Tower Air 41

Tower Air Flight 41, a B747-136 with registration N605FF, bound for Miami was pushed back from the gate at 10.36h. At 11.00h de-icing procedures were started at 11.00h, using both Type I and Type II fluids. The crew received clearance for runway 4L at 11.16h and started to taxi slowly towards the assigned runway. The aircraft was stopped on the taxiway to clear the engines of any ice by increasing power to 45% N1 for 10 seconds. The aircraft continued and the flight was cleared to taxi in position and hold at 11.32h and got take-off clearance at 11.36h. The take-off was normal, until shortly before 80kts. The aircraft started to move to the left; corrections by the crew were ineffective. The captain then aborted the takeoff by retarding power levers to idle and by applying maximum braking. He didn't use reverse thrust, because of the slow speed, long runway and the possibility that it could worsen directional control. At 2100ft past the threshold, the 747 departed the left side of the runway. The aircraft finally struck a transformer, causing the no,4 engine to separate. The Boeing came to rest at 4800ft past the threshold and 600ft to the left of the runway centerline with the nosegear collapsed.

Transcript of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)

Legenda:
CAM = Cockpit-area microphone voice or sound source
RDO = Radio transmission from accident aircraft
GND = Radio transmission from JFK ground control
TWR = Radio transmission from JFK local control
DL9901 = Radio transmission from Delta Air Lines Flight 9901
SB117 = Radio transmission from British Airways Flight 117
KW134 = Radio transmission from Carnival Flight 134
GMTC = Radio transmission from ground-maintenance vehicle
-1 = Voice identified as captain
-2 = Voice identified as first officer
-3 = Voice identified as flight engineer
-6 = Voice identified as jumpseat rider
-? = Voice unidentified
* = Unintelligible word
# = Expletive

1122:56	CAM-1:	I'm gonna uh, stop and run these engines right here.
1123:00	CAM-2:	OK.
1123:09	CAM-1:	Mike, keep your eye outside. If we start to move let me know.
1123:13	CAM-2:	** tell ground what we're doing?
1123:14	CAM-1:	Naw.
1123:16	CAM:	[Sound similar to increase in engine RPM]
1123:20	CAM-2:	Feels like we're moving.
1123:21	CAM:	[Sound of click]
1123:23	CAM:	[Sound similar to decrease in engine RPM]
1123:25	CAM-6:	It started to move.
1123:26	CAM-?:	Yep.
1123:27	CAM-6:	Slippery out there.
1123:33	DL9901:	And ground, Delta nine (niner) one.
1123:35	CAM-1:	It's an ice rink here.
1123:37	GND:	Delta ninety nine zero one, ground.
1123:40	DL9901:	Yes sir, any word uh, thirty one?
1123:44	GND:	No, it's still closed.
1123:46	DL9901:	The estimate uh, is what now?
1124:06	GND:	I don't know when it's gonna open. Probably be a couple of hours. May want to call the Port Authority.
1124:11	DL9901:	OK, earlier they had an eleven o'clock. That's why we were checking.
1124:16	GND:	All right.
1124:24	GND:	Tower forty-one heavy, you can stay on the inner. Cross three one left at Kilo.
1124:29	RDO-2:	Inner to three one left at Kilo, thank you, Tower forty-one.
1125:45	CAM-1:	Boy they got some sick # at America West with their pay sheets, don't they?
1125:49	CAM-2:	I tell you I ***.
1125:52	CAM-6:	Shades of Braniff.
1125:53	CAM:	[Sound of laughter]
1125:55	CAM:	[Sound similar to electric seat motion]
1125:58	CAM-?:	***.
1126:05	GND:	Tower forty-one heavy, cross runway three one left. On the other side monitor nineteen one, good day.
1126:10	RDO-2:	Tower forty-one, we'll monitor on the other side. Thanks.
1128:50	CAM-?:	***.
1129:04	CAM-2:	*** body gear steering.
1129:35	CAM-?:	* right.
1129:49	CAM-1:	Get around the corner here. Ralph take a little walk and check the wings for me will you?
1129:53	CAM-3:	Sure.
1130:06	CAM:	[Sound of clicks similar to crew harness release]
1130:42	CAM-1:	OK?
1130:42	CAM-3:	OK.
1130:46	CAM:	[Sliding sound similar to seat adjustment]
1130:55	CAM:	[Sound of clicks similar to cockpit door operating]
1131:46	SB117:	Uh, Speed Bird uh, one one seven, just for your information, we'll be leaving our flaps down ***.
1131:52	TWR:	Uh roger, I can't see you from up here anyway. You uh, it'll be full flaps down?
1131:53	SB117:	Uh, yes.
1131:59	CAM:	[Sound similar to cockpit door opening]
1132:01	CAM-3:	It's very clean out there.
1132:03	CAM-1:	OK.
1132:03	CAM-3:	**.
1132:07	TWR:	Tower forty-one heavy, four left, taxi into position and hold. Traffic down field right to left.
1132:11	CAM-1:	Right.
1132:13	RDO-2:	Position and hold ni ... four left, Tower Air forty-one heavy.
1132:15	CAM-1:	Position and hold, before-takeoff checklist.
1132:16	CAM-3:	Before-takeoff checklist.
1132:17	TWR:	DHL seven, wind three two zero at one one. Frequency change approved.
1132:23	CAM-3:	Flight attendants please be seated for takeoff. Thank you.
1132:35	CAM-3:	Takeoff announcement is complete.
1132:47	CAM-3:	Air condition packs off.
1132:52	CAM:	[Sound of three clicks]
1132:53	CAM-3:	Ignition, flight start.
1132:54	CAM-3:	Transponder and radar?
1132:56	CAM-2:	On and on.
1132:58:	CAM-3:	And stand by for body gear steering.
1133:40	TWR:	TWA one eighty-six, cleared to land. Wind three three zero at one two.
1134:00	GMTC:	Tower car nine nine.
1134:01	TWR:	Nine nine, Kennedy.
1134:02	GMTC:	OK uh, all clear of runway three one left. The runway will be (ops) at this time, full length, and uh safety check and brake check.
1134:10	TWR:	Nine nine, roger.
1134:14	KW134:	And tower, Carnival one thirty-four with you on the ILS four right.
1134:18	TWR:	Carnival one thirty-four, Kennedy tower runway four right, braking action reported fair to good towards the middle of the runway and poor at the turn off. Wind three three zero at one two, number two.
1134:26	CAM-2:	I don't guess you'll be able to get much of a run-up.
1134:29	CAM-1:	No. Just do the best we can. If it starts to move, we're going to take it.
1134:34	CAM-?:	Okay.
1134:35	CAM:	[Sound similar to crew seat operation]
1135:09	CAM-2:	I see an airplane looks like it's clear down the end.
1135:12	CAM-?:	Hold on.
1135:18	CAM-3:	Body gear steer?
1135:22	CAM:	[Sound of click]
1135:22	CAM-3:	Disarmed, before-takeoff checklist complete.
1135:25	CAM-?:	OK.
1135:26	RDO-2:	Tower Air forty-one is in position four left.
1135:29	TWR:	Yes sir, just continue holding.
1135:34	CAM-1:	Try a run-up here and see what happens.
1135:39	CAM:	[Sound similar to increase in engine RPM]
1135:47	CAM-1:	Start your clock **.
1135:49	CAM-?:	**.
1135:52	CAM-3:	It's about forty-five right there.
1136:02	CAM-2:	It's about fifteen.
1136:04	CAM:	[Sound of click and sound similar to decrease in engine RPM]
1136:15	CAM-1:	Pretty good uh, crosswind from the *.
1136:25	TWR:	Tower forty-one heavy, wind three three zero at one one, runway four left, RVR's one thousand eight hundred, cleared for takeoff.
1136:31	RDO-2:	Cleared for takeoff four left, Tower Air forty-one.
1136:34	CAM-1:	Checklist is complete?
1136:35	CAM-3:	Yes, checklist is complete.
1136:39	CAM:	[Sound of click similar to parking brake release]
1136:40	CAM:	[Sound similar to increase in engine RPM]
1136:44	CAM-3:	Power's stable.
1136:48	CAM:	[Sound similar to crew seat operation]
1137:00	CAM:	[Low-frequency sound similar to further increase in engine RPM]
1137:04	CAM-1:	Set time, takeoff thrust.
1137:05	CAM-3:	Set the takeoff thrust.
1137:10	CAM-?:	Watch it.
1137:10	CAM-?:	Watch it.
1137:11	CAM:	[Sound of click]
1137:11	CAM:	[Low-frequency sound similar to engine noise can no longer be heard.]
1137:12	CAM-3:	OK, losing it.
1137:12	CAM-2:	Going to the left.
1137:13	CAM-?:	Going to the left.
1137:13	CAM-3:	To the right.
1137:14	CAM-3:	You're going off.
1137:15	CAM-?:	Going off.
1137:16	CAM-1:	Aw #.
1137:17	CAM-1:	Easy guys.
1137:18	CAM-1:	OK.
1137:19	CAM:	[First sound of impact]
1137:20	CAM-?:	Pull up. Pull up.
1137:21	CAM:	[Second sound of impact]
1137:21	CAM:	END OF RECORDING

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