The pilot of American Airlines Flight 191 uttered a single final word — "damn" — moments before the aircraft crashed, killing all 273 people on board in what remains the deadliest aviation disaster in US history.
The domestic flight departed from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979, bound for Los Angeles under fine flying conditions. The first sign of trouble emerged just moments after the plane left the tarmac.
Engine Detachment and Hydraulic Failure
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10's left front engine detached from the left wing, flipped over, and crashed onto the runway with a thud. As the engine tore away, it severed several hydraulic fluid pipes that keep the wing's slats in place.
Approximately three feet of the left wing was also damaged as the plane began its ascent, still with full take-off thrust engaged. With 258 passengers and 13 crew members on board, the plane began to roll in the air.
Loss of Control and Final Words
The pilot lost complete control of the aircraft, and the cockpit crew was unable to halt the chain of events. The plane slid side to side in the air. The final word recorded on the cockpit voice recorder, after pilots heard a loud bang when the engine broke away, was "damn".
The plane crashed into a field at the end of the runway, and all 273 people on board died on impact.
Aftermath and Investigation
Two weeks after the crash, the DC-10-10 was taken off the runways. The design of the plane was later stated as safe and had no part in causing the disastrous take-off. Instead, a flawed maintenance procedure during a previous engine change is thought to have caused the damage that led to the left front engine detaching from the aircraft.
American Airlines was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine, which would equate to $1.4 million in today's money.
