Accident Summary
Northwest Airlines Flight 255 (NW255) crashed after taking off from runway 3C at Detroit Metro Airport. Witnesses reported that the aircraft rotated for takeoff 1,200 to 1,500 feet from the end of the 8,500-foot runway and lifted off near the runway end. After liftoff, the wings rocked left and right, and the aircraft failed to climb normally. An 18-foot section of the left wing separated when it contacted a light pole 2,760 feet beyond the runway end. The aircraft then rolled steeply to the left, striking poles, a building, and automobiles before crashing into a railroad embankment. The aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that the flaps and slats were in the up/retract position and had not been deployed for takeoff. Neither pilot recited the items of the taxi checklist. Stall warnings were annunciated, but an aural takeoff warning was not annunciated by the Central Aural Warning System (CAWS). It was confirmed that 28-volt DC power was not provided to CAWS power supply #2. The loss of electrical power was traced to a circuit breaker, but no malfunction of the circuit breaker was found.
Flight Operations
Flight 255 was a scheduled passenger service. The crew did not perform the taxi checklist as required. The lack of flap and slat deployment prevented the aircraft from achieving normal climb performance after takeoff.
Aircraft Systems
The flaps and slats are critical for generating lift at low speeds. Their retracted position during takeoff significantly degraded aerodynamic performance. The CAWS failed to provide the aural takeoff warning due to missing power to supply #2. The reason for the circuit breaker condition could not be determined.
For further information, see NTSB/AAR-88/05.