McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), Northwest Airlines, N312RC : Fatal accident occurred August 16, 1987 at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (KDTW), Detroit, Michigan

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf  

NTSB Identification: DCA87MA046
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 33859.
Scheduled 14 CFR NORTHWEST AIRLINES, INC.
Accident occurred Sunday, August 16, 1987 in ROMULUS, MI
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/28/1989
Aircraft: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-9-82, registration: N312RC
Injuries: 156 Fatal, 2 Serious, 4 Minor.

NTSB investigators traveled in support of this investigation and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The Safety Board's full report on this investigation is provided as Aviation Accident Report number AAR-88/05. To obtain a copy of this report, or to view the executive summary online, please see the Web site at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/publictn.htm 

NORTHWEST FLT 255 (NW255) CRASHED AFTER TAKEOFF FM RWY 3C AT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT. WITNESSES SAID NW255 ROTATED FOR TAKEOFF 1200-1500 FT FROM THE END AND LIFTED OFF NR THE END OF THE 8500 FT RWY. AFTER LIFTOFF, THE WINGS ROCKED LT AND RT AND THE ACFT FAILED TO CLIMB NORMALLY. 18 FEET OF THE LT WING SEPARATED WHEN THE WING CONTACTED A LIGHT POLE 2760 FT BEYOND THE RWY END. THE ACFT ROLLED STEEPLY TO THE LEFT AND STRUCK POLES, A BLDG, AND AUTOMOBILES BEFORE CRASHING INTO A RAILROAD EMBANKMENT. THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE FLAPS AND SLATS WERE IN THE UP/RETRACT POSITION AND HAD NOT BEEN DEPLOYED FOR TKOF. NEITHER PLT RECITED THE ITEMS OF THE TAXI CKLIST. STALL WARNINGS WERE ANNUNCIATED BUT AN AURAL TKOF WARNING WAS NOT ANNUNCIATED BY THE CENTRAL AURAL WARNING SYSTEM (CAWS). IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT 28 VOLT DC PWR WAS NOT PROVIDED TO THE CAWS PWR SUPPLY #2. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WAS TRACED TO A CIRCUIT BRKR BUT NO MALF OF THE CB WAS FND. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, SEE NTSB/AAR-88/05.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

CHECKLIST..NOT PERFORMED..PILOT IN COMMAND 
LOWERING OF FLAPS..NOT PERFORMED..COPILOT/SECOND PILOT 
LOWERING OF SLATS..NOT PERFORMED..COPILOT/SECOND PILOT 

Contributing Factors:

WARNING SYSTEM(OTHER)..DISABLED 

ROMULUS, Mich. — The only person who survived the 1987 crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 near Detroit Metropolitan Airport that killed 154 others aboard is sharing her story. 

Cecelia Cichan discussed the crash for "Sole Survivor," an upcoming documentary featuring stories of plane crash survivors. In clips of the film broadcast by WDIV-TV in Detroit, she says she thinks about the crash that killed her brother and parents "every day." An image shows her with a tattoo of an airplane on a wrist.

The Phoenix-bound MD-80 crashed Aug. 16, 1987, in the Detroit suburb of Romulus. Two people also died on the ground.

Cecelia Cichan was 4 at the time. She's now married and her name is Cecelia Crocker. The Detroit News reports a memorial is Thursday in Romulus.

http://www.solesurvivorfilm.com