39 years ago, Flight 255 crashed moments after Detroit Metro takeoff
Loved ones of Flight 255 crash return to memorial honoring those lost
They come from all over to remember and honor a list of names 154 long - also to remember the one 4-year-old child who was the sole survivor of the crash.
ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Thirty-nine years ago, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed moments after taking off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing everyone on board except a toddler.
The backstory:
The plane was headed to Phoenix on Aug. 16, 1987. It cleared the runway at 8:46 p.m. and began to tilt. The left wing clipped a light pole before the plane sheared the roof off a rental car building.
Local perspective:
The plane then crashed onto Middlebelt Road, just north of Wick Road, and burst into flames. During the crash, it struck vehicles on the road, killing two people.
The crash killed 154 people aboard the plane — all six crew members and 148 passengers. Cecelia Cichan, who was 4 years old at the time, survived. She was traveling home with her mother, father and brother. Cichan suffered severe burns, broken bones and a skull fracture.
Cichan went to live with family after the crash and later shared her story in the 2013 film "Sole Survivor."
Big picture view:
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the flight crew failed to properly set the wing flaps for takeoff. The agency also found that a cockpit warning system failed to alert the crew to the problem because of an electrical issue.
After the crash, Northwest Airlines stopped using flight No. 255. The airline later merged with Delta Air Lines, which also does not use Flight 255.
Read the full investigation report below. (Click here if you can't see it):