At 1805:_44, the Ground Proximity Warning System's (GPWS) §/ "Whoop whOop pull up" alert sounded and the captain commanded "TOGA". 9/ At 1805:48 and 1805:49, two more GPWS alerts were recbrded. At 1805:52 a sound similar to that produced by a landing airplane and the sound of thetakeoff warning born 12/ were recorded. At 1805:56, the local controller in the tower told flight 191 to "go around,"'and the CVR recording ended at 1805:58. . r . -
Witnesses on or near State Highway 114' north of the airport saw flight 191 - emerge from the rain about 1.25 miles from the end of runway 17L and then strike an I automobile in the westbound lane of State Highway 114. Subsequent investigation shoWed ’ that the airplane had touched down earlier and became airborne again before Striking: the automobile. - - ‘ 1 - 3
. The local controller handling flight 191 also saw itemerge from the rain at the north end of the field. He testified that,__ ‘
When Delta came out of the rain shower his attitude to me did not appear to be safe. As many aircraft as I've seen land in my years at DFW, normal attitude is nose slightly up . . . and when he appeared out' of the rain he was in what appeared to be straight and level flight. It ‘ just didn't look right to me. (So I told the flight) just, ‘Delta go around'.‘ "
After the plane Struck the car and a light pole on the highway, other witnesses saw fire on the left side of the airplane in the vicinity of the wing root. The witnesses generally agreed that the airplane struck the ground in a left—wing—low attitude, and that ' the fuselage rotated counterclockwise after the left wing and cockpit area struck a water tank onthe airport. (See figures 1 and 2.) A large explosion obscured the witnesses' view
' momentarily, and then the tail section emerged from the fireball, skidding backwards.
The tail section finally came to rest on its left side 'with the empennage pointing south and was subsequently blown to an upright position by wind gusts. One hundred and thirty— four persons on board the airplane and'the driver of the automobile which was struck by the airplane were killed in the accident; 27 persons on board the airplane and 1 rescue worker at the accident site were injured, 2 passengers on» the airplane were uninjured. '
The accident occurred at 1805:52 during daylight hours at coordinates 32° 55'N latitude and 97°01'W longitude. ' - - -'
E7'The_-G'FWS-warh§ the flightcrew of a potentially dangerous flight path relative to the ground. The following abnormal flight conditions will produce a "Pull Up" warning: an excessive sink rate below 2,500 feet above the ground (AGL);- excessive closure rate . toward rising terrain; descent immediately after takeoff; not in landing configuration below 500 feet AGL; and excessive deviation below the ILS glide slope.
2/ TOGA - Takeoff/Go Around Switch. A pilot—actuated switch ’which, when selected and the airplane is being flown manually, provides flight director command bar guidance for an optimum climbout maneuver. I 5
113/ A throttle-actuated warning system: If flaps, speed brakes, or stabilizer'trim are not set correctly for takeoff, the takeoff warning horn will sound when the throttles are advanced. The same horn sounds on the ground if an elevator jam is detected and the throttles are retarded. When airborne, with gear and flaps up and below 180 KIAS, the _ system will provide an aural warning when the throttles are retarded -to flight idle.
