What happened to the pilot of Alaska Airlines 261?


What happened to the pilot of Alaska Airlines 261? Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was an Alaska Airlines flight of a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, roughly 2.7 miles (4.3 km; 2.3 nmi) north of Anacapa Island, California, following a catastrophic loss of pitch control, killing all 88 on board: two pilots, three cabin ...


How long was Flight 261 upside down?

The pilots were able to stabilize the plane, inverted, for less than a minute (with a 9°pitch towards the ocean). Video of the flight as well as the cockpit voice recorder confirm this. While attempting to rotate (barrel roll) the plane upright they ran out of room and impacted the ocean.


What were the pilots last words on Flight 261?

“Got it,” said Tansky. But there was nothing to be done. They had run out of altitude. “Ah, here we go,” said Captain Thompson, uttering the last words captured on the cockpit voice recorder.


Who owns Alaska Airlines?

Alaska Air Group, Inc. SeaTac, Washington, U.S. The group owns two certificated airlines, Alaska Airlines, a mainline carrier, and Horizon Air, a regional carrier.


Did anyone survive flight 261?

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was an Alaska Airlines flight of a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 plane that crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, roughly 2.7 miles (4.3 km; 2.3 nmi) north of Anacapa Island, California, following a catastrophic loss of pitch control, killing all 88 on board: two pilots, three cabin ...


How fast did Flight 261 hit the water?

Flight recorder data showed that Flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean at 4:22 p.m., at a speed of more than 200 miles per hour.


Who was the face on Alaska Airlines?

The logo was changed to an image of a smiling Eskimo, which remains today. Although the exact identity of the Eskimo is unknown, some believe it to be the face of either Chester Seveck, a reindeer herder in Kotzebue, or Oliver Amouak, an Inupiat Eskimo. Both were Alaskan natives.


Was the pilot of Flight 261 intoxicated?

A technician for Alaska Airlines performed two breathalyzer tests that showed the pilot had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.134 percent and 0.142 percent – both of which were well above the federal limit of 0.04.