Air Disasters: Dramatic black box flight recordings. Malcolm MacPherson

705. 27.4 Express 704 on 33.0 Leaving one six direct Razorback Express 705.

      FIRST OFFICER: Zero one, okay. Here we go.

      CAPTAIN: That’s Crowley’s Ridge, you know about Crowley’s Ridge?

      FIRST OFFICER: Naw, naw.

      CAPTAIN: That’s it right there.

      FIRST OFFICER: All, all this area right here?

      CAPTAIN: See these trees?

      FIRST OFFICER: Yeah.

      CAPTAIN: That’s a natural fault line.

      FIRST OFFICER: Oh, this is the New Madrid, uh…

      CAPTAIN: Well, it’s part of it, yeah, but it’s much higher in elevation and the…climate is different. You drive in Arkansas, you drive right over it.

      FIRST OFFICER: Well, I…

      CAPTAIN: You see all those trees there, that’s it.

      FIRST OFFICER: I know it, but I wonder about that. You go, Wynne, and all the, you know, stuff over here, you know, where it’s flat and you cross over that and I wondered about that. That’s not part of the no vaculight uplift and all that, that’s where? That’s further west, isn’t it?

      CAPTAIN: Yeah.

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: Altimeters.

      FIRST OFFICER: Nines and twos here.

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: After takeoff is complete.

      FIRST OFFICER: Do you, uh, live over in Arkansas, Dave, or…?

      CAPTAIN: Naw, I live in Fisherville.

      FIRST OFFICER: Aw, Fisherville, great spot.

      [Sound of hammer blows striking first officer and flight engineer]

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: Ow!

      FIRST OFFICER: God!

      FIRST OFFICER: Oh, ah, shit.

      CAPTAIN: God almighty!

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: Ow!

      FIRST OFFICER: What the fuck are you doing?

      CAPTAIN: God, [groan] God almighty! God, God, God…

      FIRST OFFICER: Get him, get him, get him.

      CAPTAIN: He’s going to kill us.

      FIRST OFFICER: Get him!

      CAPTAIN: Get up, get him!

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: I can’t, God!

      UNIDENTIFIED: Stop! Hold his goddamn…

      JUMP-SEAT PASSENGER: Sit down, sit down, get back in your seat, this is a real gun, I’ll kill ya.

      FIRST OFFICER: Get him, get him, get him, get him, get him, get him!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      FIRST OFFICER: Get him, get him, get him!

      JUMP-SEAT PASSENGER: I’m gonna kill you! Hey, hey! I’ll kill ya!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      CAPTAIN: Get him, get him, get him!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      CAPTAIN: Yeah, get him!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      FIRST OFFICER: Get him, get him, get him, Andy, I got the aeroplane!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      FIRST OFFICER: Get him, Andy, get him!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      [Sound of struggling in background] [Overspeed warning] [Series of clicks]

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Centre, centre, emergency! Centre, emergency!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Centre, listen to me!

      Express 705, I’ve been wounded. We’ve had an attempted takeover on board the aeroplane. Give me a vector

      [direction] please, back to Memphis at this time. Hurry!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Zero nine five, zero nine five, direct Memphis, get an ambulance and uh, alert the, uh, airport facility!

      AUTO WARNING HORN: Bank angle, bank angle.

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Hey, Memphis, you still with me? [Struggling in background]

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Listen, hey, centre!

      [Struggling in background]

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Centre, give me a heading to Memphis!

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Zero nine zero, roger, this is an emergency…! [Overspeed warning—series of clicks in background] [Struggling in background]

      UNIDENTIFIED FROM REAR OF COCKPIT: Let go of it! [Sounds of struggle] Let go of the spear!

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: One zero, thousand, okay, keep me advised, where is Memphis? [Struggling in background]

      FIRST OFFICER: Okay, say my direction to Memphis.

      FIRST OFFICER: Look, just keep talking to me, okay?

      CAPTAIN: Jim!

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Yeah, we need an ambulance and, uh, we need, uh, armed intervention as well.

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Down to 5000 feet.

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: Put it on autopilot!

      FIRST OFFICER TO REAR OF COCKPIT: I’ve got it!

      FLIGHT ENGINEER: Help, the son of a bitch is biting me! [Sounds of struggle]

      FIRST OFFICER TO REAR: Andy!

      CAPTAIN FROM REAR OF COCKPIT: Put it on autopilot and come back here!

      FIRST OFFICER TO REAR OF COCKPIT: Keep him back there guys, I’m flying!

      CAPTAIN FROM REAR OF COCKPIT: Put it…

      FLIGHT ENGINEER FROM REAR OF COCKPIT: Hurry up, Jim…

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: Request a single frequency.

      FLIGHT ENGINEER FROM REAR: Jim!

      FIRST OFFICER TO CENTRE: 19.1.

      CAPTAIN FROM REAR: Jim, is it on autopilot?

      FIRST OFFICER TO REAR OF COCKPIT: No, I got it.

      CAPTAIN FROM REAR: Put it on autopilot and come back here!

      FLIGHT ENGINEER FROM REAR: Quick, Jim!

      FIRST OFFICER TO REAR: Okay.

      CAPTAIN FROM REAR: Hurry, Jim! Come back here now!

      FIRST OFFICER TO REAR: Okay…wait a minute, I’m coming.

      CAPTAIN FROM REAR: Jim, do it now!

      FLIGHT ENGINEER FROM REAR: Hurry, hurry!

      [First officer exits co-pilot seat and goes to rear of cockpit]

      FIRST OFFICER: You move, I’ll kill ya!

      FIRST OFFICER TO CAPTAIN: Go up and get the aeroplane.

      CAPTAIN: I’m going.

      FIRST OFFICER: If you can.

      CAPTAIN: Are you in control?

      FIRST OFFICER: Yeah, can you take this?

      [Captain returns to his seat, sounds of him buckling in]

      CAPTAIN TO REAR: Jim, are you in control? Jim, are you in control?

      FIRST