CVR Transcript for the Crash of Air Florida Flight 90

A supplement to John Laming's article "When Engine Instruments Lie."

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01/13/1982 16:01

LOCATION: Washington, DC
CARRIER: Air Florida
FLIGHT: 90
AIRCRAFT: B-737-222
REGISTRY: N62AF
ABOARD: 79
FATAL: 74
GROUND: 4
DETAILS: Crashed shortly after takeoff into the Potomac River and sank. Failure to turn on engine anti-icing system. Crew inexperience in icing conditions.

Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript Air Florida flight 90 – DCA-FLL Boeing 737-222 N62AF 71 (75) + 4

CAM-1 Captain’s Cockpit Area Microphone CAM-2 First Officer’s Cockpit Area Microphone RDO-1 Captain’s Radio TWR Washington National Tower

15:59:16 CAM-1 Given.

15:59:16 CAM-2 Bleeds?

15:59:17 CAM-1 They’re off.

15:59:18 CAM-2 Strobes, external lights.

15:59:18 CAM-1 On.

15:59:19 CAM-2 Anti-skid?

15:59:19 CAM-1 On.

15:59:21 CAM-2 Transponder?

15:59:21 CAM-1 On.

15:59:24 TWR Palm 90 cleared for takeoff.

15:59:28 TWR No delay on departure if you will, traffic’s two and a half out for the runway.

15:59:32 CAM-1 Okay, your throttles.

15:59:35 [SOUND OF ENGINE SPOOLUP]

15:59:49 CAM-1 Holler if you need the wipers.

15:59:51 CAM-1 It’s spooled. Real cold, real cold.

15:59:58 CAM-2 God, look at that thing. That don’t seem right, does it? Uh, that’s not right.

16:00:09 CAM-1 Yes it is, there’s eighty.

16:00:10 CAM-2 Naw, I don’t think that’s right. Ah, maybe it is.

16:00:21 CAM-1 Hundred and twenty.

16:00:23 CAM-2 I don’t know

16:00:31 CAM-1 Vee-one. Easy, vee-two.

16:00:39 [SOUND OF STICKSHAKER STARTS AND CONTINUES UNTIL IMPACT]

16:00:41 TWR Palm 90 contact departure control.

16:00:45 CAM-1 Forward, forward, easy. We only want five hundred.

16:00:48 CAM-1 Come on forward….forward, just barely climb.

16:00:59 CAM-1 Stalling, we’re falling!

16:01:00 CAM-2 Larry, we’re going down, Larry….

16:01:01 CAM-1 I know it.

16:01:01 [SOUND OF IMPACT]

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