Tue, May 13, 2003
But Nothing Else Was Heard From Doomed Flight
-
1345:26 LCW Air
Midwest 5481, Runway 18, taxi into position and hold.
- 1345:28 AMW5481 Position and
hold, 18 Right, Air Midwest 5481.
It happened so fast. USAirways Express Flight 5481, an Air
Midwest-operated Beech-1900 with 21 souls on board, taxied into
position for take-off with no indication that anything was wrong
with the aircraft.
The FAA Monday released transcripts of the conversation between
the tower at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and arriving
and departing aircraft on Jan. 8.
- 1345:31 LCW Piedmont
3204, heading 230, contact departure, see ya.
- 1345:33 PDT3204 230, 3204,
good day, sir.
- 1345:37 LCW Good
day.
Capt. Katie Leslie was at the controls of the Beech-1900.
Jonathan Gibbs was her copilot. Conversation in the cockpit and in
the tower appeared routine as they awaited clearance.
- 1346:18 LCW Air
Midwest 5481, turn right heading 230. Cleared for take-off.
-
1346:22 AMW5481 230,
cleared for take-off, Air West 5481.
Capt. Leslie began her take-off roll, not suspecting something
might be fatally wrong with her aircraft.
-
1346:26 LCW Gulfstream
903 Fox Hotel, Charlotte - correction - Gulfstream 901 Fox Hotel,
Runway 18 Right, taxi into position and hold.
- 1346:31 N901FH Position
and hold, 18 Right, 901 Fox Hotel.
At this point, Capt. Leslie became aware she was in dire
straits.
- 1347:16 AMW5481 We
have an emergency for Air Midwest Fifty-Four-Eight...
The sound of a cockpit alarm is heard before Capt. Leslie ends
transmission. The aicraft under her command slams into a hangar on
the right side of the runway.
-
1347:26 AAL979 American
979 (unintelligible)
-
1347:27 UNK (unintelligible)
-
1347:30 LCW (unintelligible)
901 Fox Hotel, exit the runway now.
- 1347:33 N901FH 901
Fox Hotel, exit the runway now.
-
1347:43 UNK (unintelligible)
- 1347:56 LCW All
right, ahhh, 901 Fox Hotel, just exit this runway. Pull in behind
that Beech 1900 and wait there.
- 1348:03
N901FH Understand. Park it.
There was a fireball where 5481 imacted the hangar and adjascent
parking lot. Fire crews rushed to the scene, but were unable to
save any of the 19 passengers, Capt. Leslie or FO Gibbs.
-
1348:53 USA684 ...and
US Air 684 is turning final, 18 Right.
- 1349:07 LCW US
Air... ahhh... 684 are you on?
- 1349:10 USA684 Sir,
that's us calling in.
- 1349:12 LCW US Air
684, Runway, ahh, 18 Right, cleared to land. Wind is 250 at
11.
-
1349:17 USA684 Cleared
to ahh land, US Air 684. Is that the fire department
practicing?
- 1349:24 LCW Ummm...
we'll talk about it later.
-
1251:01 USA684 (unintelligible)...
loud and clear, sir.
News of the end of 5481 spreads throughout the tower.
-
1352:13 DRW Local?
- 1352:17 LCW US
Air.. ahh... 684, turn left next taxiway and contact ground, point
eight.
-
1352:22 USA684 684.
-
1352:23 LCW Local.
- 1352:24 DRW Local,
I gotta Air Midwest 5481 strip down here.
- 1352:27 LCW Aahh...
just hold him.
- 1352:29 DRW Okay,
I'll hold it.
- 1352:30 LCW Just
hold that one.
- 1352:30 DRW I'm
holding him.
- 1352:31 LCW Just
hold that one, all right? That's the one that had a problem.
As the extent of the disaster sinks in, airport officials decide
to close Runway 18R.
-
1353:59 PDT3438 Tower,
Piedmont 3438, we're go ahead and shut down. Will you give us a
little bit of time to... ahhh... start it back up?
-
1354:04 LCW Okay, don't
shut 'em down just yet, 'cause I think... ahhh... well, they're
gonna close - they've closed the right. So we're gonna try to maybe
bring you guys back around to Runway 18 Left. Just... just hang on
just a moment.
-
1354:17 PDT3438 Okay,
we'll do, 3438.
Transcript ends.
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