Like the end play check intervals, Alaska Airlines received FAA permission to extend their jackscrew lubrication intervals four times from 1987 to 1996 with no supporting data. Within the next several minutes the pilots expected to pass abeam Los Angeles off the coast, and they were strongly considering a diversion to LAX, given that none of their troubleshooting had fixed the problem. For several months he surreptitiously recorded his bosses violating safety rules and handed the tapes over to FAA investigators. However, Alaska Airlines maintenance personnel often did it in as little as one hour not because they found a more efficient way, but because they didnt understand the proper procedure and skipped some of the steps. As such, it is critically important that the jackscrew be kept in good working order, primarily through the liberal application of grease at regular intervals. On board flight 261, Captain Thompson vented to First Officer Tansky: Drives me nuts, he said. And more than 21 years after the crash of flight 261, it is far from clear that the FAA is any less understaffed than it was when it let safety at Alaska Airlines fall to pieces at the cost of 88 lives. Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crash documentary - Cutting Corners The procedure involves pulling down on the stabilizer by applying torque to a Boeing restraining fixture essentially a turnbuckle used to change the load on the jackscrew crew from tension to compression. You want to try it or not?, Keying the public address system, Captain Thompson announced, Folks, we have had a flight control problem up front here; were working it Uh, thats Los Angeles off to the right there, thats where were intending to go. The jackscrew assembly was still attached and jutting out awkwardly (see image 3). And at the same time, the increased inspection interval meant that it was now possible for a jackscrew nut to pass an inspection, later receive inadequate lubrication, and then wear down to the point of failure, all before the next inspection came around. The investigation found that Alaska Airlines had fabricated tools to be used in the end-play check that did not meet the manufacturer's requirements. [34] The Ted Thompson/Bill Tansky Scholarship Fund was named in memory of the two pilots. As they struggled to regain control, Thompson radioed Los Angeles and said, Center, Alaska two six one, we are in a dive here, and Ive lost control, vertical pitch! An overspeed warning blared in the cockpit. Thats affirm, said Thompson. [26], The investigation then proceeded to examine why scheduled maintenance had failed to adequately lubricate the jackscrew assembly. citizens. Were gonna stay up here and burn a little more gas, get all our ducks in a row, and then well be talking to LAX when we start down to go in there. The plan was to stay on course a little longer, burning fuel to reduce their landing weight and test out the planes handling capabilities, before turning around and heading into Los Angeles. But Boeing refuted the claim and inferred that it was more likely the airline did not properly lubricate or check the jackscrew. Upon crossing the Mexican border while tracking north off the coast of San Diego, the CVR began to pick up the crew conversations regarding the jammed stabilizer and initial dive. But the measurements were imprecise and repeated tests often produced different results allowing a certain amount of ambiguity as to whether the value was over or under the limit. An engineering fix developed by engineers of NASA and United Space Alliance promises to make progressive failures easy to see and thus complete failures of a jackscrew less likely.
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