Comment on The investigation of the Tenerife airport disaster didn't need to run past 3 pages

frank@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

• Lupus108@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  Worst aviation disaster in history. Basically the pilot initiated the take off during poor visibility and without proper take off clearance despite his cabin crew repeatedly voicing doubts about the runway being clear. The plane taking off crashed into another plane that hasn’t cleared the runway yet, killing 583 people.

  This accident lead to several changes in aviation procedures, including Crew resource management. The captain overruled legitimate concerns of his crew by pulling rank - now the procedures call for every cabin crew member having equal voice in concern to flight procedures. Also :

  The word “takeoff” is now spoken only when the actual takeoff clearance is given, or when cancelling that same clearance (i.e., “cleared for takeoff” or “cancel takeoff clearance"). Until that point, aircrew and controllers should use the word “departure” in its place (e.g., “ready for departure").

  That was also a point of confusion due to garbled radio calls.

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• ephrin@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  Maybe this?

  After the KLM plane had started its takeoff roll, the tower instructed the Pan Am crew to “report the runway clear.” The Pan Am crew replied, “OK, will report when we’re clear.” Upon hearing this, the KLM flight engineer expressed his concern about the Pan Am not being clear of the runway by asking the pilots in his own cockpit, saying “Is he not clear, that Pan American?” Veldhuyzen van Zanten emphatically replied, “Oh, yes”, and continued with the takeoff.[25]

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster?wprov=sfti1#Communication_misunderstandings

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  • sj_zero ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago federation: confirmed

    That story is a reminder to us all that even people who are highly competent make mistakes.

    This guy was literally the posterboy of the airline, tons of experience, trained others, horrible outcome due to a massive collapse in judgement regardless.
  • acockworkorange@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    “Wilco” would have prevented it. What a world.

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