Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Tragic Incident

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was a tragic incident in the year 2000, where the MD-83 aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure in its horizontal stabilizer mechanism, leading to the loss of control and a subsequent crash into the Pacific Ocean near California.

[MedievalRichard]

Can’t imagine being upside down at full speed going towards the water … must of been hell :/

[diegomazon]

This one always makes my eyes teared, they tried everything until the end😢

[margaretmathis]

This was so sad. There was no way for the pilots to recover, but they fought to the end and never stopped flying that plane. Shame on the airline culture for allowing this to happen in the first place.

[jackmeyhoffer]

It happened because Alaska Airlines maintenance cheaped out and didn’t replace a faulty jack screw.

[KwaPaNR]

Last words
Captain: „Ah, here we go“
First officer: „It‘s been a pleasure flying with you“
Knowing you are going to die in a second and being so calm is just badass

[chuckgottschall]

OMG so sad may they all rest in peace 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[muneerclt]

Great captain who try to calm always and try his best to save people, rip sir

[eliascrookshank]

All because the airline wanted to save a few bucks.
Unimaginable. How they are still in business is beyond me.

[Coolestchannelever]

Rest and present for the 88 people had died 😢😢😢

[QUCKSCP]

Controller :Wait nevermind we have it back under controll
Pilot: no we dont

[jamesford]

All Heroes don’t wear capes, Those Brave pilots FOUGHT-until the Very end. As someone who had over 8k hours for Uncle Sam (Me) I always told my Wife if something was to happen to me I would want it to be QUICK, Lights on-Lights off, But who I will every feel Bad for is the passengers who had no Idea of what was happening, The cockpit Definitely had a idea what going on before the Demise. This Still UPSETS me to this Day. Nothing but Blue Skies for all involved with this. May you forever Dwell in the House of the Lord.

[carolynmarshall]

Imagine being in that united plane and seeing an upside-down plane nosedive💀💀💀

[Tracy-nuqe]

These heroic Pilots, wrestled with that huge girl[MD-83], to the very last second. RIP, to all souls lost.😢🙏😒

[HailAnts]

The threads on the screw jack that controls the horizontal stabilizer became stripped from lack of grease.

After breaking loose and initially losing control the nut became jammed against the physical stop at the end of its length of travel, temporarily giving the pilots some control again.

However this stop was not designed for this and after a few moments it too broke free and then the plane was completely uncontrollable.

Lack of maintenance..

[clintgodlonton]

Jesus, tried fighting a losing battle, rest in peace to all souls on board.

[JP]

Very brave pilots. They knew there was no hope.

[ClarkParker-tf]

we Not trying to make a joke by the way

[Wilhelm-dj]

They should have followed the QRH not become test pilots. They had a controllable airplane when they released the autopilot the first time. They should have never attempted to put the autopilot back on.