Aviation Safety

The Final Moments and Tragic End of LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055

"Good night! Goodbye! Bye, we're dying!". The Ilyushin II-62M, en route from Warsaw to New York with a planned stop in San Francisco, crashed into the Kabaty Woods nature reserve near Warsaw on May 9, 1987. The disaster claimed the lives of all 172 passengers and 11 crew members, making it the deadliest event in Polish aviation history and the worst involving an Ilyushin II-62M.

Air traffic control recordings captured the cockpit's final communication at 11:12 am local time. Captain Pawlaczyk, a seasoned pilot with nearly 20,000 flight hours, led a crew of Polish nationals. The flight carried 172 souls, including 155 from Poland and 17 from the United States. The flight began with instructions to climb to an altitude of 5,500 meters. As the crew applied maximum thrust, defective bearings in engine number two overheated and failed catastrophically, causing the shaft to explode.

The crew quickly realized the elevator control systems were compromised and the engines were rendered inoperative. Passengers were reportedly aware of the dire situation. One passenger, Halina Domeracka, inscribed a chilling note in her New Testament. Following the crash, the nation observed two days of mourning, with international figures expressing their sorrow. The route continued to be serviced by the Ilyushin II-62M until 1989, later transitioning to Boeing 767s and then to Boeing 787s in 2012.

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5 Comments

Avatar of Katchuka

Katchuka

The legacy of this disaster can lead to necessary changes in the industry. We must keep discussing it.

Avatar of Leonardo

Leonardo

As painful as it is, recounting events like this can lead to better policies and improved safety regulations.

Avatar of Raphael

Raphael

Remembering these tragedies helps improve safety measures in aviation. We must learn from the past.

Avatar of Michelangelo

Michelangelo

Why dwell on such a dark moment? It brings up more pain than useful lesson for air safety.

Avatar of Bella Ciao

Bella Ciao

Hearing about the final moments helps us empathize with the passengers and crew who faced such a tragic fate.

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