May 9, 1987
Warsaw, Poland
LOT Polish Airlines, Flight 5055
Ilyushin Il-62M
SP-LBG
The No. 2 engine failed, causing an engine fire, cabin decompression, damage to the No. 1
engine,loss of elevator control and damage to the electrical system. A fire in the cargo hold
was not detected because of damage to the fire warning system. While attempting to return
to Warsaw and attempting a turn to land, the aircraft crashed into a forest, 9 miles short of
the runway. The cause of the engine failure was an overheated bearing. All 183 aboard were
killed.
CVR fragment - the moment of engine explosion
10.41.28
Intermittent acoustic signal of autopilot disengage
10.41.30
Crew: Hey! Pressurization!
10.41.32
Acoustic ringing signal of cabin decompression
10.41.34
Crew: Is [there a] fire? What's going on?
10.41.35
Crew: Probably a fire.
10.41.37
Crew: Engine? Shut it down!
10.41.39
Crew: ...shut down. That first one is burning!
10.41.42
Crew: ...fire...
10.41.44
Crew: ...all small [referring to engines' throttles]
10.41.45
Crew: Warsaw?
10.41.46
Crew: ...all small. Decompression.
10.41.48
Crew: Two engines are gone!
10.41.49
Continuous acoustic signal of engine fire.
10.41.50
Crew: Two engines are gone!
Crew: Shut down...
Crew: We're turning around! Fire!
10.41.55
Crew: Danger!!! Warsaw radar LOT! Warsaw radar! [calling flight control]
Okęcie Tower: From your current position you have about 15 kilometers to the runway.
Crew: Understood.
Crew: ...[turn] to the left! Engines to the left!
11.10.13 am
Tower: 5055, to the left, to the left zero-five-zero.
Crew: OK.
11.10.40 am
Tower: 5055, to the left, course 360.
Crew: We want to turn. That's just what we want. [implied meaning: "we're trying"]
Tower: Keep turning, turn to three-six-zero. Now you have about 12 kilometers to the runway.
Crew: OK.
11.11.02 am
Tower: 5055, to the left, course 330.
Crew: We are turning to the left.
Tower: Start final approach about 11 kilometers from the runway.
Crew: We will do all we can.
Tower: Understood.
Tower: [Turn] to the left, course 320.
Crew: Understood.
11.11.34 am
Tower: You've come to the right hand side of the runway centreline, continue left, course 300.
Tower: Wind is 290 degrees, 22 kilometers per hour. You are cleared for runway three-three.
Crew: OK.
11.12.10 am
The transmitter was turned on four times. Fragments of unintelligible utterances.
11.12.13 am
Crew: Goodnight!!! Goodbye!!! (scream) Bye!!! We perish!