August 2, 1985
Ft. Worth-Dallas, Texas
Delta Airlines, Flight 191
Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar
N726DA
While on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Dallas/ Forth Worth, the
aircraft crashed while making an landing attempt in thunderstorm activity. The
plane touched down 6,000 feet short of the runway and 360 feet to the left of
the runway centerline, became airborne again, struck a car killing the driver,
crossed the highway and crashed into two water tank reservoirs. Microburst
induced wind shear. The flightcrew's decision to initiate and continue the
approach into a cumulonimbus cloud which they observed to contain lightning.
Lack of training for avoiding and escaping from low-altitude wind shear.
One-hundred-thirty-four of 163 aboard killed.
TWR = Dallas Tower
APP = Dallas Approach
CAM = Cockpit area mike
CAM 1 = Captain
CAM 2 = First Officer
CAM 3 = Flight Engineer
RT = Radio transmission from Delta 191
?? = unknown.
*** = Unintelligible word
| 18.02:10 | AA539 | Three thousand American five thirty nine. |
| 18.02:14 | CAM ? | * * * |
| 18.02:15 | APP | Delta one ninety one heavy, traffic ten o'clock a mile northbound twenty hundred unverified. |
| 18.02:18 | RDO 1 | Thank you. |
| 18.02:23 | APP | American five thirty nine reduce speed one seven zero, caution wake turbulence you'll be following heavy TriStar. |
| 18.02:27 | AA539 | One seventy on the speed American five thirty nine. |
| 18.02:35 | APP | Delta one ninety one heavy is six miles from the marker, turn left heading one eight zero join the localizer at or above two thousand three hundred cleared for ILS one seven left approach. |
| 18.02:43 | RT 1 | Deta one niner one roger, all that appreciate it. |
| 18.02:46 | DL557 | Regional approach Delta five fifty seven with you. |
| 18.02:48 | [Sound of gear warning horn begins five times due to airspeed oscillation about one hundred and eighty knots] | |
| 18.02:49 | APP | Delta five fifty seven approach fly heading two seven zero, expect ILS approach one seven left. |
| 18.02:53 | [Sound of gear warning horn] | |
| 18.02:55 | DL557 | One seven zero for the left side Delta five fifty six. |
| 18.03:03 | APP | Delta one ninety one heavy, reduce your speed to one six zero please. |
| 18.03:06 | RT 1 | Be glad to. |
| 18.03:08 | [Sound of gear warning horn] | |
| 18.03:09 | CAM 1 | One six zero. |
| 18.03:10 | CAM 2 | All right. |
| 18.03:11 | CAM 1 | Localizer and glideslope captured. |
| 18.03:12 | [Sound of gear warning horn] | |
| 18.03:14 | APP | American five thirty nine turn left two three zero. |
| 18.03:16 | AA539 | Two three zero American five thirty nine. |
| 18.03:16 | CAM 1 | One six zero is your speed. |
| 18.03:19 | APP | Delta five fifty seven reduce speed to one seven zero. |
| 18.03:22 | DL557 | One seventy Delta five fifty seven. |
| 18.03:31 | APP | And we're getting some variable winds out there due to a sh.. shower on short out there north end of DFW. |
| 18.03:31 | APP | American five thirty nine turn left to two two zero. |
| 18.03:34 | CAM ? | Stuff is moving in *** |
| 18.03:35 | CAM ? | *** |
| 18.03:36 | CAM ? | *** |
| 18.03:40 | [Sound of gear warning and altitude chord] | |
| 18.03:43 | CAM 1 | One six zero's the speed. |
| 18.03:45 | AA539 | Two two zero American five thirty nine. |
| 18.03:46 | APP | Delta one ninety one heavy, reduce speed to one five zero, contact tower one two six five five. |
| 18.03:49 | RDO 1 | One two six five five, you have a nice day, we appreciate your help |
| 18.03:52 | APP | Bye. |
| 18.03:53 | RT ? | Five eighy six. |
| 18.03:58 | RT 1 | Tower Delta one ninety one heavy, out here in the rain, feels good. |
| 18.04:01 | TWR | Delta one ninety one heavy, regional tower one seven left cleared to land, wind zero nine zero at five gusts to one five. |
| 18.04:05 | RT 1 | Thank you, sir. |
| 18.04:07 | CAM 2 | Before landing check. |
| 18.04:08 | CAM 3 | Landing gear. |
| 18.04:10 | CAM 1 | Down, three green. |
| 18.04:10 | TWR | American three fifty one, if you can make that next high speed there, pull up behind Delta and hold short of one seven right this frequency. |
| 18.04:11 | CAM 3 | Fourteen green. |
| 18.04:12 | CAM 1 | Thirty three, thirty three, green light. |
| 18.04:15 | CAM 3 | Fourteen green. |
| 18.04:15 | AA351 | Three fifty one. |
| 18.04:18 | CAM 2 | Lightning coming out of that one. |
| 18.04:19 | CAM 1 | What? |
| 18.04:21 | CAM 2 | Lightning coming out of that one. |
| 18.04:22 | CAM 1 | Where? |
| 18.04:23 | CAM 2 | Right ahead of us. |
| 18.04:29 | RT | [Sound of open microphone] |
| 18.04:30 | CAM 3 | You get good legs don't ya. |
| 18.04:30 | TWR | Delta ten sixty one cross one seven right without delay ground point six five after you cross. |
| 18.04:36 | DL1061 | Crossing seventeen right Delta ten sixty one. |
| 18.04:38 | TWR | Three fifty one cross one seven right ground point six five after you cross. |
| 18.04:39 | CAM 2 | *** [Comment unintelligible because of radio transmission] |
| 18.04:41 | CAM 1 | I don't have a DME on mine. |
| 18.04:43 | CAM 2 | I don't know, you haven't had it for the last five minutes |
| 18.04:45 | TWR | Delta nine sixty three and American six nineteen cross one seen right ground point six five after you cross. |
| 18.04:51 | AA619 | American six nineteen. |
| 18.04:52 | DL963 | Nine six three roger. |
| 18.04:54 | TWR | Three fifty one did you copy to cross. |
| 18.04:55 | AA351 | Yes sir we're on the way American three fifty one. |
| 18.04:57 | TWR | Thank you. |
| 18.05:04 | CAM ? | Wash that off a little bit. |
| 18.05:05 | CAM 1 | A thousand feet. |
| 18.05:08 | CAM 1 | Seven sixty two in the baro. |
| 18.05:12 | CAM 1 | I'll call 'em for you. |
| 18.05:13 | CAM 2 | Aw right. |
| 18.05:14 | AA178 | You want American one seventy eight to turn the corner? |
| 18.05:16 | TWR | Yes sir, everybody around the corner when you're number one. |
| 18.05:19 | CAM 1 | Watch your speed. |
| 18.05:20 | [Sound similar to rain begins and continues to impact] | |
| 18.05:20 | TWR | American one fifty six contact departure, good day. |
| 18.05:21 | CAM 1 | You're gonna lose it all of a sudden, there it is. |
| 18.05:22 | AA156 | American one fifty six, so long. |
| 18.05:26 | CAM 1 | Push it up, push it way up |
| 18.05:27 | CAM 1 | Way up |
| 18.05:28 | CAM 3 | Way up |
| 18.05:29 | CAM 1 | Way up |
| 18.05:29 | [Sound of engines high RPM] | |
| 18.05:30 | CAM 1 | That's it. |
| 18.05:35 | RDO | [Sound of microphone keying] |
| 18.05:36 | TWR | American six twenty two cleared for takeoff |
| 18.05:36 | CAM 1 | Hang on the son-of-a-bitch. |
| 18.05:38 | AA622 | Cleared for takeoff American six twenty two |
| 18.05:39 | CAM 2 | What's vee ref? |
| 18.05:40 | TWR | Five eight six into position one seven right. |
| 18.05:44 | GPWS | [Whoop whoop pull up] |
| 18.05:44 | AA586 | Into position and hold five eighty six. |
| 18.05:44 | [Whoop whoop pull up] | |
| 18.05:45 | CAM 1 | TOGA |
| 18:05:46 | GPWS | [Whoop whoop pull up] |
| [Sound of go-around initiation - beeping] | ||
| 18.05:46 | CAM ? | Holy shit! |
| 18.05:46 | TWR | November one five juliot fox can you make the ah we'll expedite down to the ah taxi thirty one and a right turn off the traffics a mile final. |
| GPWS | [Whoop whoop pull up] | |
| 18.05:46 | [Sound of radio altimeters] | |
| 18.05:46 | GPWS | [Whoop whoop pull up] |
| 18.05:47 | CAM ? | Push it way up. |
| 18.05:48 | GPWS | Whoop whoop pull up |
| 18.05:49 | GPWS | Whoop whoop pull up |
| 18.05:52 | [Sound of noise similar to landing (first impact). Sound of takeoff warning horn (continues for 1.6 seconds)] | |
| 18.05:53 | N15JF | Juliet Fox roger. |
| 18.05:53 | CAM ? | Shit! |
| 18.05:55.5 | CAM ? | Oh Shit! [second impact] |
| 18.05:56 | TWR | Delta go around. |
| 18.05:57 | [End of recording] |