Southern Airways Flight 242 (April 4, 1977)

Date: April 4, 1977
Passengers: 81
Crew: 4
Fatalities: 63
Ground fatalities: 9
Total fatalities: 72
Cause: "...the total and unique loss of thrust from both engines while the aircraft was penetrating an area of severe thunderstorms. The loss of thrust was caused by the ingestion of massive amounts of water and hail which in combination with thrust lever movement induced severe stalling in and major damage to the engine compressors."


Legend:
CAM     Cockpit area microphone or sound source
RDO     Radio transmission from accident aircraft
PA      Public address system
IC		Aircraft's intercom
GND		Huntsville Ground Control
TWR		Huntsville Tower Control
DEP		Huntsville Departure Control
APP		Atlanta Approach Control
MC		Memphis Center
AC		Atlanta Center
CR		Company Radio
143		Eastern Airlines Flight 143
584		TWA Flight 584
611		Eastern Airlines Flight 611
683		Eastern Airlines Flight 683
759		Delta Airlines Flight 759
-1      Voice identified as captain
-2      Voice identified as first officer
(ST)-A	Voice identified as Stewardess A (forward cabin)
(ST)-B	Voice identified as Stewardess B (rear cabin)
-?      Voice unidentified or unknown
*       Unintelligible word
@       Non-pertinent word
&       Third-party personal name
#       Expletive
( )     Questionable insertion
(( ))   Editorial insertion
...     Pause
Times are expressed in GMT.


---


2107:57		CAM		((CVR power interruption for 36s))

2108:33		CAM		((sound of rain for 40s))

2108:34		AC		Southern two forty two Atlanta

2108:37		CAM-2	Got it, got it back Bill, got it back, got it back

2108:38		PA-B	* * check to see that all carry-on baggage is stowed completely underneath the seat in front of you, all carry-on baggage * * put all carry-on baggage underneath the seat in front of you, in the unlikely event that there is a need for an emergency landing we do ask that you please grab your ankles, I will scream from the rear of the aircraft, there is nothing to be alarmed but we have lost temporary APU power at times, so in the event there is any unlikely need for an emergency you do hear us holler, please grab your ankles, thank you for your cooperation and just relax, these are precautionary measures only

2108:42		RDO-1	Uh, two forty two, stand by

2108:46		AC		Say again

2108:48		RDO-1	Stand by

2108:49		AC		Roger, maintain one five thousand if you understand me, maintain one five thousand, Southern two forty two

2108:55		RDO-1	We're trying to get it up there

2108:57		AC		Roger

2108:59		584		TWA five eighty four's in the clear for awhile

2109:05		AC		Uh, TWA five eight four report out of one five thousand

2109:09		584		We're out of fifteen in the clear

2109:11		RDO		((mike keyed))

2109:15		RDO-1	Okay, uh, two forty two uh, we just got our windshield busted and uh, we'll try to get it back up to fifteen, we're fourteen

2109:24		CAM-2	Fifteen thousand

2109:25		AC		Southern two forty two you say you're at fourteen now?

2109:27		RDO-1	Yeah, uh, couldn't help it

2109:30		AC		That's okay, uh, are you squawking five six two three?

2109:36		CAM-2	Left engine won't spool

2109:37		RDO-1	Our left engine just cut out

2109:42		AC		Southern two forty two roger, and uh lost your transponder squawk five six two three

2109:43		CAM-2	I am squawking five six two three, tell him I'm level fourteen

2109:49		RDO-1	Five six two three, we're squawking

2109:53		AC		Say you lost an engine and uh busted a windshield?

2109:56		RDO-1	Yes sir

2109:59		CAM-1	Auto pilot's off
			CAM-2	I've got it, I'll hand fly it

2110:00		AC		Southern two forty two, you can descend and maintain one three thousand now, that'll get you down a little lower

2110:02		IC		Sandy...

2110:04		CAM-2	My #, the other engine's going to, #

2110:05		RDO-1	Got the other engine going too

2110:08		AC		Southern two forty two, say again

2110:10		RDO-1	Stand by...we lost both engines

2110:14		CAM-2	All right Bill get us a vector to a clear area

2110:16		RDO-1	Get us a vector to a clear area Atlanta

2110:20		AC		Uh, continue present southeastern bound heading, TWA's off to your left about fourteen miles at fourteen thousand and says he's in the clear

2110:25		RDO-1	Okay

2110:27		RDO-1	Want us to turn left?

2110:30		AC		Southern two forty two, contact approach control one two six point nine and they'll try to get you straight into Dobbins

2110:35		RDO-1	One two...

2110:36		CAM-2	Give me...I'm familiar with Dobbins, tell them to give me a vector to Dobbins if they're clear

2110:38		RDO-1	Give me, uh, vector to Dobbins if they're clear

2110:41		AC		Southern two forty two, one twenty six point nine, they'll give you a vector to Dobbins

2110:45		RDO-1	Twenty six nine, okay
			RDO		((sound of click on radio channel))

2110:49		683		Eastern six eighty three

2110:50		CAM-2	Ignition override, it's gotta work by #...#

2110:52		APP		Learjet triple nine mike reduce speed to one seven zero knots

2110:56		CAM		((power interruption for 2min 4s))

2113:00		CAM		((power restored))

2113:03		CAM-1	There we go

2113:03.5	CAM-2	Get us a vector to Dobbins

2113:04		RDO-1	Uh, Atlanta, you read Southern two forty two

2113:08		APP		Southern two forty two Atlanta approach control uh, go ahead

2113:11		RDO-1	Uh, we've lost both engines...how about giving us a vector to the nearest place we're at seven thousand feet

2113:17		APP		Southern two forty two roger, turn right heading one zero zero, will be vectors to Dobbins for a straight-in approach runway one one, altimeter two niner five two, your position is fifteen, correction twenty miles west of Dobbins at this time
			PA-B	Ladies and gentlemen, please check that your seatbelts are securely again across your pelvis area on your hips

2113:18		CAM-2	What's Dobbins weather, Bill? How far is it? How far is it?

2113:31		RDO-1	Okay, uh one forty heading and twenty miles

2113:35		APP		Ah, make a heading of one two zero Southern two forty two, right turn to one two zero

2113:40		CAM-2	Declare an emergency, Bill
			RDO-1	Okay, right turn to one two zero and, uh, you got us our squawk haven't you on emergency?

2113:45		APP		Uh, I'm not receiving it but radar contact your position is twenty miles west of Dobbins

2113:50		RDO-1	Okay

2113:51		APP		Delta seven fifty nine, contact approach control one two seven point two five now

2113:56		759		((sound of mike click))

2113:58		APP		Eastern six eighty three contact approach control on one point two seven point two five

2114:02		683		Eastern six eighty three

2114:03		CAM-2	Get those engines (*...)

2114:04		APP		Eastern one forty three reduce speed to one seven zero knots

2114:07		143		Roger

2114:09		APP		Eastern six eleven reduce speed to two one zero knots

2114:12		RDO-?	*

2114:14		APP		TWA five eighty four descend and maintain one one thousand, you can expect an ILS runway two six, and that altimeter two nine five two, localizer frequency one zero eight point seven

2114:24		RDO-2	All right, listen, we've lost both engines, and, uh, I can't, uh, tell you the implications of this uh, we uh, only got two engines and how far is Dobbins now?

2114:34		APP		Southern, uh, two forty two, uh, nineteen miles

2114:40		RDO-1	Okay, we're out of, uh, fifty eight hundred, two hundred knots

2114:44		CAM-2	What's our speed, let's see what's our weight Bill, get me a bug speed

2114:45		APP		Southern two forty two, do you have one engine running now?

2114:47		CAM-2	No

2114:48		RDO-1	Negative, no engines

2114:50		APP		Roger

2114:53		APP		Eastern one forty three fly heading one nine zero

2114:56		143		Roger

2114:59		CAM-1	One twenty six
			CAM-2	One twenty six
			CAM		((sound of trim noise))

2115:04		CAM-1	Just don't stall this thing out
			CAM-2	No I won't
			CAM-1	Get your wing flaps
			CAM		((sound of lever movement))

2115:11		CAM-2	Got it, got hydraulics so we got
			CAM-1	We got hydraulics

2115:13		APP		Eastern six eleven, reduce speed to one seven zero knots

2115:17		CAM-2	What's the Dobbins weather?
			611		Roger

2115:18		RDO-1	What's your Dobbins weather?

2115:22		APP		Stand by

2115:25		CAM-2	Get Dobbins on the approach plate

2115:28		APP		TWA five eighty four reduce speed to one seven zero knots

2115:32		584		One seventy, five eighty four

2115:42		CAM-1	I can't find Dobbins
			CAM-1	Tell me where's it at? Atlanta?
			CAM-2	Yes

2115:46		APP		Southern two forty two Dobbins weather is two thousand scattered, estimated ceiling three thousand broken, seven thousand overcast, visibility seven miles

2115:57		RDO-1	Okay, we're down to forty six hundred now

2115:59		CAM-2	How far is it? How far is it?

2116:00		APP		Roger, and you're approximately uh, seventeen miles west of Dobbins at this time

2116:02		CAM		((sound of windshield wipers coming on))

2116:05		RDO-1	I don't know whether we can make that or not

2116:07		APP		Roger

2116:09		APP		Eastern one forty three, contact approach control one two seven point two five

2116:11		CAM-2	Ah, ask him if there is anything between here and Dobbins?
			CAM-1	What?
			CAM-2	Ask him if there is anything between here and Dobbins

2116:13		143		Roger

2116:15		APP		Eastern six eleven reduce speed to one seven zero knots

2116:18		611		We're doing it six eleven, what is he a Martin or con...uh, nine?

2116:22		APP		DC...nine

2116:25		RDO-1	Uh, is there any airport between our position and Dobbins, uh

2116:28		IC		((sound of three chimes))
					((no times listed))
			ST-A	Sandy
			ST-B	Yea
			ST-A	They would not talk to me...when I looked in the whole front windscreen is cracked
			ST-A	Okay so what do we do
			ST-B	Ah, have they said anything
			ST-A	Ah he screamed at me when I opened the door just sit down so I didn't ask him a thing, I don't know the results or anything, I'm sure we decompressed
			ST-B	Ah yes we've lost an engine...
			ST-A	I thought so
			ST-B	Okay Katty, have you briefed all your passengers in the front?
			ST-A	Yes, I told them I checked the cockpit and help me take the door down
			ST-B	Have you removed your shoes?
			ST-A	No I haven't
			ST-B	Take off your shoes, be sure to to stow them somewhere right down in the galley in a compartment in there with the napkins or something
			ST-A	I got them behind the seat, so that's no good
			ST-B	It might keep the seat down now
			ST-A	Okay
			ST-B	Right down in one of the closets, I took off my socks so I'd have more ground pull with my toes, okay?
			ST-A	You'd have what?
			ST-B	So I took off my socks so I wouldn't be sliding
			ST-A	Yea
			ST-B	Okay
			ST-A	That's a good idea too
			ST-B	Okay
			ST-A	Thank you, bye bye

2116:29		APP		Southern two forty two uh, no sir, uh closest airport is Dobbins

2116:34		RDO-1	I doubt we're going to make it, but we're trying everything to get something started

2116:38		APP		Roger, well there is Cartersville, you're approximately ten miles south of Cartersville, fifteen miles west of Dobbins

2116:44		CAM-2	We'll take a vector to that yes, we'll have to go there

2116:45		RDO-1	Can you give us a vector to Cartersville

2116:47		APP		All right, turn left, heading of three six zero be directly, uh, direct vector to Cartersville

2116:52		RDO-1	Three six zero, roger
			CAM-2	What runways? What's the heading on the runway?

2116:53		RDO-1	Three six zero, roger

2116:58		APP		Stand by

2116:59		RDO-1	And how long is it?

2117:00		APP		Stand by

2117:02		Eastern one forty three, contact approach control one two seven point two five

2117:08		CAM-1	Like we are, I'm picking out a clear fild

2117:12		CAM-2	Bill, you've got to find me a highway
			CAM-1	Let's get the next clear open field
			CAM-2	No * (...)

2117:17		APP		TWA five eighty four turn left heading one one zero

2117:21		584		One hundred ten degrees five eighty four

2117:25		APP		Eastern six eleven, uh, reduce speed to one seven zero knots and contact approach control one two seven point two five now

2117:35		CAM-1	See a highway over...no cars
			CAM-2	Right there, is that straight?

2117:39		CAM-1	No

2117:44		CAM-2	We'll have to take it
			APP		Southern two forty two the runway configuration

2117:55		APP		At Cartersville is uh, three six zero and running north and south and the elevation is seven hundred fifty six feet and, uh, trying to get the length of now...it's three thousand two hundred feet long

2117:58		CAM		((beep on gear horn, gear horn steady for 4s))

2118:02		RDO-1	Uh, we're putting it on the highway we're down to nothing

2118:07		CAM-2	Flaps
			CAM-1	There at fifty
			CAM-2	Oh # Bill, I hope we can do it

2118:14		CAM-2	I've got it, I got it

2118:15		CAM-2	I'm going to land right over that guy

2118:20		CAM		* (...)
			CAM-1	There's a car ahead

2118:25		CAM-2	I got it Bill, I've got it now, I got it
			CAM-1	Okay

2118:30		CAM-1	Don't stall it
			CAM-2	I gotta bug

2118:31		CAM-2	We're going to do it right here

2118:32		584		Eleven for five, five eighty four

2118:33		CAM-?	((woman's voice)) Bend down and grab your ankles

2118:34		CAM-2	I got it

2118:36		CAM		((sound of breakup))

2118:38		CAM-?	* (#)

2118:39		CAM		((more breakup sounds))

2118:43				((end of recording))