the quiver in the captain's voice. he was trying so hard to stay calm. heartbreaking.

Rest in peace Stacey Schuyler, you were a wonderful friend

"He hit the water. He's, uh...he's down." The shakiness in witness voices speaks volumes. 😥

It's amazing how you can feel the change in emotions from concerned, to urgency, to fear, to hopelessness, and ultimately, sadness in everyone's voices.

One thing was made clear by the CVR, those pilots NEVER gave up, they fought until the very end. Balls of steel, both of them, RIP.

Can you imagine how sick to your stomach you would be if you were a pilot seeing that plane plunge into the water? I can barely handle listening to this. Yet I thank you for this recording. Incredible.

For those wonder why the ATC said “Very good” in a very obvious serious situation. The term “Very Good” in aviation basically means “I understand what your saying”. It’s just a term for acknowledgement.

For anyone unfamiliar with the details of this tragedy, I highly recommend that you search a documentary on the crash investigation, though it's likely to make your blood boil! In short, Alaska Airlines decided to cut corners on maintenance and repairs of their planes to increase profits. This deliberate negligence directly led to this fatal crash.

God, you could hear the barely restrained fear in the Captain's voice. RIP crew and passengers of this plane

Pilots got an award for heroism... There was nothing they could have done to save that plane considering what they later found out was the problem... Alaska Airlines maintenance cutting corners in their work killed those poor people. Should have been charged with manslaughter..

Both pilots were military vets. Pure professionalism til the end. RIP.

"Plane's inverted, sir." Chilling & haunting

"yes he uhhh... he hit the water. He's, he's down" I can't even imagine how the rest of those other flights conversations went after watching that happen. You can hear the sound of shock in their voice

Heartbreaking. Such professionals. They have two minutes to live.... and he's "We're going to do a little troubleshooting." I'm thinking about those twenty seconds at the end. God bless them

Captain: "Yeah we've got it back under control her-" First Officer: "No we don't" :(

For those wondering, this accident is very unlikely to happen again simply because newer airplanes use a much better design to adjust horizontal stabilizer incidence. The DC-9 and MD-80 used a steel ACME screw with an aluminum nut riding on it. The idea was that the nut would always wear faster than the screw, since it’s a much smaller part that’s easier to replace. Even with proper lubrication, the nut has a finite life span, and was calculated to wear just so much with every flight hour. Periodic lubrication was required, and endplay checks would be performed to find out just how much life the nut had left. The problem was that Alaska Airlines had asked for and been granted an increase to the lubrication interval. Several lubrication points on the accident air craft were clogged and would not take grease. They were not repaired, starving the mechanism of lubrication and causing it to wear much faster than normal. Finally, they were using locally fabricated tooling to measure stabilizer endplay which was later found to be inaccurate. This led to the nut on the accident airplane wearing out until the threads stripped out in flight, causing the stabilizer to go in to a full nose down position, and beyond. There were no mechanical stops to keep it from going beyond its designed maximum nose down limit. Modern airplanes have done away with ACME jackscrews, instead relying on ballscrews for stabilizer trim. In this arrangement, the screw is a raceway of U-shaped channels, and the “nut” is made of many small ball bearings. There is no sliding friction in this arrangement, and it is expected to last the entire life of the airplane. They do require grease, but it functions mostly to drive water out and thus prevent corrosion. Even without grease, a ball nut will still roll fine with minimal wear. Besides that, stabilizers on newer airplanes cannot go beyond basic mechanical limits. This is both a function of their basic configuration and a desirable safety feature.

That's one of the saddest crashes tbh. The crew did everything. . .

The executives at Alaska Airlines should have gone to prison for this.

"Later, during the public hearings into the accident, the request by the pilot not to overfly populated areas was mentioned." Even when facing their death, the pilots thought of others, so sad they had to go because of corporate greed, may they all rest in peace.

Pilots amaze me with their fearlessness and professionalism. They guys were literally flying upside down, yet still kept enough composure to follow their training and trying everything to get that airplane back on the ground intact. No matter how many times you fly, you can never forget you're trusting your life to the guys on the ground who inspect, maintain, and work hard to keep the airplane airworthy.

The crew gave it everything. They didn’t deserve to die.

The pause in SKW5154 when he said: "He...He hit the water." Got to me. RIP brave souls.

These pilots amaze me. Even in the midst of crisis and eminent death. They stay calm and dignified until the end. Such a horrible way to go. May all these souls Rest In Peace

I think all crashes are tragic, but for some reason this one can really bring a tear in my eye. The crew fought so hard to get this plane under control. Even in the last few seconds the pilot wanted to make a passenger announcement and explain why they inverted the plane.

The feeling of helplessness controllers must feel when they receive mayday calls comes across listening to this one, I suppose because it's the ATC recording. The controller is listening to perhaps the last words of the pilots and can do nothing. That's some serious heavy shit to carry with you. I see some comments about how he sounds emotionless, like he doeesn't care... I'd say the guy is in work mode and knows he has to keep his composure. No doubt it'll replay in his head for years to come.

I work in an operations center and I'm always amazed at how professional and calm dispatchers / traffic controllers generally are when dealing with intense situations like this. Getting emotional, screaming, yelling, doesn't help you recall what your procedures are. It doesn't make it easier for others to understand what you're saying. Just an amazing job.

The pilots flew that aircraft upside-down just to keep it in the air. Ever hung upside down in a tree? Blood rushes to your head and you can't even think. The unthinkable terror of those pilots, passengers and crew. I hope those Alaskan Airline executives spend the rest of their lives waking up to the thought of those people's final moments in their heads. -Fucking criminal.

Rip captain Thompson, and to all the people aboard the aircraft. We shall not forget. Thanks for uploading this.

I was an Alaska Airlines ramp agent at SFO when this happened. We would load up this plane daily. I can specifically remember hearing of an Alaskan Air flight attendant with her baby and family coming back from vacation that were aboard that flight. The look on people's faces that were there waiting for their loved ones I will never forget. May God bless all those souls that perished that day.

I truly can’t imagine the absolute horror of being a passenger on this flight. Going through two massive nose dives before inverting and then slamming into the water must have been so beyond terrifying I can’t even imagine. I mean time slows down with adrenaline so passengers in the back of the plane had to see the plane exploding in those microseconds before death and realized this is how it ends. May they Rest In Peace and in heaven and praise to the pilots for giving it their all, god rest their souls.

A friend of mine was on board that flight. Breaks my heart to hear these recordings. Cynthia Oti. RIP ONS

Got to be one of the most heartbreaking atc tapes u can hear...i feel like when I listen it brings some kind of sympathy to them and what they were trying to do in an impossible situation, bless them all...

Most heroic and brave pilots ever. The horror those other pilots witnessed is incomprehensible. Those pour souls suffered tremendously in their last minutes. Heartbreaking.

R.I.P Sheri I was to young to really know you but my mom tells me you where a great aunt

Although the ATC was controlling his emotions, he got quiet toward the end. Think also of the experience of the pilots who witnessed this. Makes it pretty hard to go to work again the next day. A tragedy that was so clearly avoidable by proper maintenance.

In a year and a half, it'll be twenty years. Almost two decades ago. And it still hurts to hear this.

For me... Hands down the saddest one of them all. This one affected me then and affects me today every time I catch wind of it. I can't imagine the horror the occupants felt.

i feel like i'm about to cry oh wait i already did at the start of the video- also SKW5154's pause in the "Yes, sir. He... He hit the water. He's down." (3:11) actually really hit me

That really is the stuff of nightmares.

Never heard of this crash. So sad. Everyone was so professional and attentive. The emotions of the pilots who witnessed the crash effected me hard.

I hope Heaven holds a place for these guys. They fought for everything until the end.

He saved countless people on the ground by taking it out over bay. The Pilots were heroes fighting to their last seconds of life even flying inverted knowing they too would die but they tried and tried to save many others until they met their own fate. That is what being a hero is. Heroes might not always save the day but the fact they never give up despite the odds being completely against them shows courage and character. Sad that so many great people like these meet a tragic early fate and pure slime walk the Earth in their place.

I was driving back from LAX along Pacific Coast Highway, right before Point Mugu Rock when the plane hit the water. I didn't see the plane go down but a few cars in front of me did and we all stopped, searching the water with our eyes (it was too far away). How helpless all of the pilots and crew must have felt - an absolute tragedy. And to think that Alaska wasn't held accountable for their corner-cutting actions just sickens me.

They won't release the actual cockpit recording, but they said you can hear the high pitched whine of the engines and screaming for the last 20 seconds. Absolutely terrible way to go.

That SkyWest pilot's voice when he reports that they hit the water is heartbreaking.

0:31 I like how Tansky, the First Officer, instantly jumps in with “No, we don’t” to correct Captain Thompson’s claim that the ‘plane was “back under control”. That shows someone who’s totally on the ball, despite the egregious situation they’re in.

Lost a friend on this flight, I knew her from childhood. Really sad, gave me nightmares for years. Probably because I knew someone on the airplane, this crash more than any other still haunts me to this day.

Morris Thompson, once the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs and his wife and daughter were aboard this plane. I didn't know him, but I did once interview him for a national publication. He was a very nice man, and I wish this hadn't happened. RIP, Commissioner.

They falsified the maintenance records they were NOT checking the elevator screw jack threads for lubrication like they should have. The maintenance crew manager killed all those people. The pilots saved a lot of lives by trying to free up the elevator over water instead of just trying to land.

I can't even imagine how they felt knowing they couldn't pull out of it. There's no word's to describe it im sure. Hearing the pilots voice makes it so real. I know this was a few years ago but prayers to the families for their loss.

Those passengers had approximately 3 minutes to contemplate death.

You can hear it in the 1st officers response. He knew right then and there that it was over =(

My father retired from the FAA after 30 years. Air Traffic Controller (ATC) training is similar to the military ATCs - and First Responders! All must remain somewhat detached in order to do their jobs. It's after a crisis that the emotions and reactions slam the individuals and throughout their lives they try to cope as best as they can. Air Traffic Controllers have one of the top 10 most stressful jobs. Now, about those UFOs - the ATCs know the truth.

This must be one of the saddest air traffic exchanges ever.... RIP :(

Heartbreaking absolutely moving! 88 on board all passed and what remains is the voice of a captain who did whatever he could to save them all. Rest In Peace

May God rest the souls of all aboard that craft. Those pilots did everything they could to fix their airplane, but the sad irony is the more they tried, the worse the situation became. Alaska Air didn't repair their planes on schedule, falsified maintenance logs, and left that plane w a faulty screw in the horizontal stabilizer. Dozens of lives meant less to them than profit. Nice post, Allec :) Keep em coming...

I was 12 years old when this happened. Will never forget this as a So Cal native. Those pilots did everything they could. There was no way they could've known about the state of the stabilizer and the jackscrew. I have avoided Alaska at all costs. They cared more about their profits than the safety of the passengers. Absolutely disgraceful. I'll never fly Alaska. The maintenance people who falsified the records should have gone to prison for fraud and negligence. John Liotine lost his job after he blew the whistle to the FBI.

“The plane’s inverted, sir.” “Okay, very good.”

Really gets your attention at :32 where the co-pilot says "No we don't" after the pilot radios it's under control. Co pilot says it instantly.

Man, I really feel bad for not just the victims of the crash, but that Skywest Pilot really seemed shaken up by seeing the crash.

Very sad. I was working at Port Hueneme Police Department when the media called us about a plane that had gone down in the area. RIP

2:45 "He's Inverted" turns my stomach everytime

The restraint ATC and other pilots helping have without freaking out is amazing. It really shows you how skilled you need to be to work in Aviation. Heartbreaking tragedy

I really cannot imagine how the Center controller must have felt when he heard the news from N50DX that Flight 261 had just hit the water. I also feel really sad for the pilots of N50DX, Skywest 5154, American 161 and some plane with registration starting with Charlie (pilot must have had gate access to the final moments of the drama). They all must have had traumatizing nightmares about this air crash for a very long time already. I hope that everyone involved in this saddening tragedy are all doing alright.🙏🏻

And for 3:00+ minutes that we watched this video, those poor passengers were totally aware that they were going to die...terrible, just terrible!

I had two friends on that flight. People here, near Seattle still talk about it. We all know the cause, but also that mechanic departnent, in Oakland had had numerous warnings for other failed repairs

The composure of everyone involved (particularly the pilot of Flight 261) is what makes this so chilling.

N50DX: Plane's inverted,sir. ARTCC: Okay,very good.

When the nearby pilots say he is inverted, then say he hit the water, and he is down, I cry every time. 😢

This doomed flight and the Fed Ex 705 are the most powerful for me. Two sets of superior air crew doing what they can to the best of their ability. Oh, and the third set, Flight 232. Heartbreaking, courageous, hopeful, stupefying by turns. Bless them all.

The pilot and co-pilot had balls of steel, the CVR showed that right up to impact even though it was clearly hopeless they were still trying to coordinate between themselves and regain control. "But we're still flying" was what the pilot kept telling the co-pilot every time things got worse, trying to keep hope right up till the end.

One of my favorite radio personalities was on board. Cinthia Oti was a talk show host on 560 AM KSFO out of San Francisco...Rest in peace Cinthia, i miss listening to you.

Man as soon as the ATC said to the other flight keeping an eye on 261 “do what you have to do but keep an eye on him..” is bloody saddening, even him knew not much could’ve been done at that point to salvage the situation.

That controller, knowing one plane is being lost, while many more need his directions, focus, and care to safely land...thank you sir, for your professionalism and courage to go on, and RIP to all of the innocent lives lost on that Alaska Air flight.

I had to talk to SKW right after this. The Center was working with us (LA approach) to get him back to LAX when he went down. SKW was quite professional as I had no idea he had just witnessed the crash. The worst part about being a controller is watching something like this and not being able to do anything.

My God, Makes it even more heartbreaking when you hear the final moments 🙏

This is by far the most heart-wrenching thing I've heard in a long time. The shakiness of this pilot as he still stayed professional to the end and did what he was supposed to do. His plane failed him and I really hope that people understand that he did everything he could to keep that airplane in the air as did the co-pilot. God bless them all. The flight crew and passengers alike it must have been horrifying.🙏 😭🛬😭🙏

The calmness in the voices of ATC as well as all of the planes witnessing the disaster.... you could tell they were all horrified at what was going on, but still maintaining professionalism. This whole situation makes me cry every time. I lived in the area plus had an uncle who was a pilot for Alaska Air.

It has been 20 years now.......My condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this enormous act of human irresponsibility. RIP the crew and the passengers

Cutting corners is the mindset created and fostered by corporate executives. Why did they not receive jail terms for involuntary manslaughter?

I was ATC about 11 years ago. It's never fun feeling helpless like that...Geeze. God be with them.

The emotions in this recording are so raw. First it's urgency, you can tell the crew are struggling and fighting for their lives. ATC is clear, concise and alert, trying to help. Then as the situation grows ever hopeless, you can hear a distinct shift in the voice of the ATC ending in a very palpable saddness. The crews of nearby planes watching this unfold in front of them, it must have been so gut wrenching to witness. You can hear it in their communication. I once read the CVR recording for this flight. That crew fought hard all the way. Even when they were impacting the water they were still making control inputs. Last words recorded were from the co-pilot: "Here we go". So tragic.

My dear friend Toni and her daughter Jaclyn died in this crash. She was a wonderful person who changed my life and I miss her everyday. 🙏🏻RIP Toni, Jaclyn and the other 86 souls on board.

This crash was totally avoidable if the higher ups would have let the mechanics do the proper maintenance proceedures. The fking jackscrew that controlled the rear stabilizers had stripped the threads off of it, rendering it useless. It was past due to be replaced 2 years earlier!

I had this experience as a captain of an airliner when a privat jet crashed on my frequency. NEVER ever forget the panic in the voice of that pilot.

1:47 - 3:08 that's how long it took from beginning final dive until crash, just a minute and 21 seconds. But while listening to this during that time period, it feels like eternity knowing that people were upside down, pressed into their seats from the downward g forces, most likely nearly everyone either screaming or crying or in too much shock to react. It was only about 10 minutes from the first moment the people realized they might be in danger until their lives came to a merciful end. Not many ways to die can top that in the horror department.

Always amazed how everyone keeps calm, really thought this pilot would make it. The way they all communicate for the next slot. Even though air traffic control know they won’t make it.

When you really find out why this plane went down you wonder why some of the top brass mgmt at Alaska Airlines didn't went to prison

The movie flight with Denzel Washington was based around this. They used quite a lot of this recording in the script.

This is heartbreaking. What the crew and Passengers went through is unimaginable

I was just watching the movie Flight which is a good movie on it’s own but my heart is so broken as I hear of what happened to all 88 passengers. Hearing the pilot in this recording you can tell he’s trying to remain calm knowing that in those final moments 😞 I couldn’t even imagine. I was reading about the passengers and how sad that there were so many people traveling with their children. My heart goes out to the families!

The pilots intentionally kept their aircraft over water saving untold lives on the ground and continously fought for control up to impact. I can't even begin to imagine what everyone on board was going through but the flight crew never gave up. TRUE HEROES!!!!!

I can’t imagine anything scarier

I don’t know why I watch these heartbreaking clips b4 bed...rip all who lost there lives ❤️ by the way those pilots were bad ass x

Thank you for making the video. It was a tragic day for everyone involved. Not one that is going to be forgotten.

My dad flies for United. My brother flies f18s. I’m in flight school to become an airline pilot. My gf hates I watch these, but my dad showed me them. Said watching flight disaster videos are learning experiences. He’s had a few crazy things happen. Engine blown off his md80 over the Gulf of Mexico. Almost crashed on final in a 757 from wake turbulence at Newark. He always said “this job will get your heart pumping a few times in your career, but that’s why we train so hard.”

Just saw this. I was at SeaTac airport where this plane was to end it's flight after a stop over in San Fransisco. We were all watching the news in the bar when someone from the airport called and told them to change the channel. I had a cell phone, but no smart phone yet. My Alaska Airlines flight to Palm Springs was delayed about 4 hours. A very surreal experience to be at an airport when it happened.

This is still one of the crashes that sticks in my mind because if how awful it must have been but also because of how avoidable it was

Two heroes until the end. May their spirits guide and overlook all other pilots ❤❤❤

@2:26 that's when the captain gave up flying upright and try to fly inverted hoping to level the jet knowing there's little time. Sad sad sad.