‘We've lost control': Chilling cockpit audio resurfaces from Alaska Airlines Flight 261 before deadly 2000 crash

Hindustan Times

19-05-2025

A haunting cockpit voice recording from the final moments of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 resurfaced on social media platform X, clocking more than 5 million views. The recording, capturing the last exchanges between the flight crew and air traffic control, offers a chilling insight into the mechanical failure that caused the aircraft to plummet into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, killing all 88 people on board.
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The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft was en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with scheduled stops at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and its final destination, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Everything appeared normal at takeoff, but mid-flight, the crew reported serious control issues.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the root cause of the accident was a mechanical failure in the tail of the plane. The horizontal stabiliser, crucial for pitch control, stopped responding due to the failure of a component called the jackscrew. Investigations revealed that the threads of the jackscrew had worn down excessively due to insufficient lubrication, ultimately rendering the aircraft uncontrollable.
As the situation unfolded, the cockpit recording captured the flight crew's increasingly urgent communications:
'This is a test flight of the LF-261, which is in a dive here. LF-261, say again? LF-261, say again, sir? We're at 26,000 feet. We're in a vertical dive. Not a dive yet. But we've lost vertical control of our airplane…'
The crew momentarily regained some control, reporting,
'We got it back under control, ma'am.'
But the relief was short-lived as the situation deteriorated again:
'We're at 21,000 feet. Kind of stabilized… There's a little trouble shooting up. Can you give me a block between 20 and 25?'
Controllers can be heard giving calm instructions, attempting to maintain communication and gather positional information. A key voice says, 'Okay. Sir, just do what you need to do there, Skywrath 5154. Keep us advised. Any intent in the water?'
A voice responds, 'Yeah, I have the water in front of me,' indicating a chilling proximity to the ocean. The exchange reveals a desperate effort to both regain control and provide real-time updates as the situation rapidly deteriorated.
Shortly after, controllers and other pilots tried to pinpoint the crash location. One voice reports, 'He's about two and a half miles off the east end of Anacapa,' confirming the aircraft's impact point.
Another adds, 'Actually, he's on the northeast end, probably at 030 heading on Anacapa.' The reference to 'a boat in the area out right of Anacapa' and 'do you still see the spot?' suggests that the crash site had been visually confirmed on the water's surface, marking the tragic moment the aircraft hit the Pacific Ocean.
All 83 passengers, two pilots, and three cabin crew members lost their lives in the tragedy.
In remembrance of the victims, a memorial was established at Port Hueneme, California. The site features a 20-foot-long sundial, which casts a shadow on a plaque every January 31 to mark the day of the tragedy.
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