A total of 137 people died on Aug. 2, 1985, after a jumbo jetliner crashed as its pilots attempted to land at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport during a severe thunderstorm.
DALLAS — Forty years ago, Texas saw its worst ever airline disaster.
The startling news videos of the huge, charred tail section of a Delta jetliner resting in a field just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) served as a stark reminder of the fury of unpredictable summertime weather.
On Aug. 2, 1985, as a Lockheed L-1011 jumbo jet made its final descent before landing, the plane encountered a weather phenomenon known as a microburst: a downward rush of air that caused the pilots to lose control of the plane. According to investigators, rapidly changing wind directions known as wind shear and pilot error contributed to the disaster.
The plane struck the ground short of the runway, hit a car on a nearby highway killing the driver, then smashed into a water tower ripping it apart.
The flight had originated in Florida and was to go on to Los Angeles after its brief stopover at DFW. A total of 137 people died in the crash, but 28 survived, many of them who had been seated in the rear of the plane that was torn away by the impact of the crash.
The disaster led to major changes for aviation. Now, all commercial aircrafts are equipped with wind shear detectors that can warn pilots if dangerous weather conditions exist before landing.