American Airlines Flight 191 facts for kids
N110AA, The aircraft involved in the accident. Photographed at O'Hare International Airport in 1974
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 25, 1979 |
| Summary | Loss of control caused by engine detachment due to improper maintenance |
| Place | Des Plaines, Illinois, United States (Near O'Hare International Airport) 42°0′35″N 87°55′45″W / 42.00972°N 87.92917°W |
| Passengers | 258 |
| Crew | 13 |
| Fatalities | 271 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 |
| Airline/user | American Airlines |
| Registration | N110AA |
| Flew from | O'Hare International Airport Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Flying to | Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
American Airlines Flight 191 was a regular flight from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to Los Angeles International Airport. The plane used was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10. On May 25, 1979, this plane crashed into an open field in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Sadly, all 271 people on the flight died. This included 258 passengers and 13 crew members. Two people on the ground were also killed. Five others on the ground were hurt. The crash happened because one of the plane's engines broke off. This damaged the left wing. The engine came off due to improper maintenance done about eight weeks before the crash. This accident is the worst plane crash in United States history. This does not include the September 11 attacks, which were caused by hijackers.
The Airplane
The plane that crashed was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10. Its tail number was N110AA. American Airlines received this plane new in 1972. It had flown for 19,871 hours before the accident. The plane had three General Electric CF6-6D engines.
What Happened
The plane had just arrived from Phoenix. It was scheduled to fly as Flight 191 from Chicago to Los Angeles. At 2:59 PM local time, the plane began to move towards runway 32R. At 3:02 PM, it was cleared for takeoff.
As the pilots started to lift the plane's nose, the number one engine broke off. This engine was on the left wing. There was not enough runway left to stop the plane safely. So, the pilots continued the takeoff. They knew a DC-10 could fly with two engines.
Soon after the engine broke off, the plane climbed to 300 feet. Then, it began to roll sharply to the left. The plane also started to turn. The pilots could not control the plane. It turned further left and began to fall. The plane crashed into a trailer park. This was about 4,680 feet northwest from the end of runway 32R. The left wing hit the ground first.
All 258 passengers and 13 crew members died. Two people on the ground were also killed. This accident became the deadliest plane crash in the United States.
People on Board
The table below shows where the people on board Flight 191 were from.
| Country | Persons |
|---|---|
 Argentina |
1 |
 Australia |
2 |
 Bolivia |
2 |
 Belgium |
1 |
 Brazil |
6 |
 Canada |
6 |
 Chile |
1 |
 China |
2 |
 Colombia |
4 |
 Dominican Republic |
4 |
 Ecuador |
1 |
 El Salvador |
1 |
 Finland |
1 |
 France |
3 |
 Germany |
5 |
 Guatemala |
1 |
 Haiti |
1 |
 Hong Kong |
1 |
 Hungary |
1 |
 India |
1 |
 Ireland |
2 |
 Italy |
2 |
 Jamaica |
2 |
 Japan |
4 |
 Mexico |
9 |
 New Zealand |
1 |
 Panama |
1 |
 Paraguay |
1 |
 Peru |
2 |
 Russia |
1 |
 South Korea |
1 |
 Spain |
2 |
 Sweden |
1 |
 Switzerland |
2 |
 Taiwan |
1 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
1 |
 Uruguay |
1 |
 United Kingdom |
9 |
 United States |
181 |
 Venezuela |
2 |
| Total | 271 |
Images for kids
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N110AA, the aircraft involved in the accident, photographed five years prior
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Crash site of American Airlines Flight 191
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Flight 191 after impact
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Firefighters survey the Flight 191 crash site in Des Plaines, Illinois
See also
In Spanish: Vuelo 191 de American Airlines para niños
