What happened
On the evening of the accident, Northwest Airlines flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, was operating a scheduled service from Saginaw, Michigan, with planned stops in Detroit and Phoenix. After arriving at Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, the aircraft prepared for its next leg with 149 passengers and 6 crewmembers on board. During the taxi phase, the flightcrew received updated instructions regarding their route to runway 3C and a change in radio frequency. While navigating the taxiways, the captain missed a designated turnoff at taxiway C.
At 20:44:04, the aircraft was cleared for takeoff. As the engines increased power, the crew engaged the autothrottle system. Shortly after reaching rotation speed, the aircraft's stall warning systems activated. The plane began an unstable flight path, rolling left and right before striking a light pole in a rental car lot. The aircraft continued its trajectory, hitting a second light pole and the wall of an auto rental facility. After leaving the airport boundary, the airplane struck a road, hit a railroad embankment, and broke apart. The crash resulted in 155 fatalities among the occupants (with only one survivor) and 2 deaths on the ground.
Findings
Investigations determined that the primary cause of the accident was the flight crew's failure to utilize the taxi checklist, which would have confirmed that the flaps and slats were properly extended for departure. A significant contributing factor was the failure of the takeoff warning system due to a lack of electrical power, which prevented the crew from being alerted to the improper aircraft configuration.