But Nothing Else Was Heard From Doomed Flight

• 1345:26 LCW Air Midwest 5481, Runway 18, taxi into position and hold.
• 1345:28 AMW5481 Position and hold, 18 Right, Air Midwest 5481.

It happened so fast. USAirways Express Flight 5481, an Air Midwest-operated Beech-1900 with 21 souls on board, taxied into position for take-off with no indication that anything was wrong with the aircraft.

The FAA Monday released transcripts of the conversation between the tower at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and arriving and departing aircraft on Jan. 8.

• 1345:31 LCW Piedmont 3204, heading 230, contact departure, see ya.
• 1345:33 PDT3204 230, 3204, good day, sir.
• 1345:37 LCW Good day.

Capt. Katie Leslie was at the controls of the Beech-1900. Jonathan Gibbs was her copilot. Conversation in the cockpit and in the tower appeared routine as they awaited clearance.

• 1346:18 LCW Air Midwest 5481, turn right heading 230. Cleared for take-off.
• 1346:22 AMW5481 230, cleared for take-off, Air West 5481.

Capt. Leslie began her take-off roll, not suspecting something might be fatally wrong with her aircraft.

• 1346:26 LCW Gulfstream 903 Fox Hotel, Charlotte - correction - Gulfstream 901 Fox Hotel, Runway 18 Right, taxi into position and hold.
• 1346:31 N901FH Position and hold, 18 Right, 901 Fox Hotel.

At this point, Capt. Leslie became aware she was in dire straits.

• 1347:16 AMW5481 We have an emergency for Air Midwest Fifty-Four-Eight...

The sound of a cockpit alarm is heard before Capt. Leslie ends transmission. The aicraft under her command slams into a hangar on the right side of the runway.

• 1347:26 AAL979 American 979 (unintelligible)
• 1347:27 UNK (unintelligible)
• 1347:30 LCW (unintelligible) 901 Fox Hotel, exit the runway now.
• 1347:33 N901FH 901 Fox Hotel, exit the runway now.
• 1347:43 UNK (unintelligible)
• 1347:56 LCW All right, ahhh, 901 Fox Hotel, just exit this runway. Pull in behind that Beech 1900 and wait there.
• 1348:03 N901FH Understand. Park it.

There was a fireball where 5481 imacted the hangar and adjascent parking lot. Fire crews rushed to the scene, but were unable to save any of the 19 passengers, Capt. Leslie or FO Gibbs.

• 1348:53 USA684 ...and US Air 684 is turning final, 18 Right.
• 1349:07 LCW US Air... ahhh... 684 are you on?
• 1349:10 USA684 Sir, that's us calling in.
• 1349:12 LCW US Air 684, Runway, ahh, 18 Right, cleared to land. Wind is 250 at 11.
• 1349:17 USA684 Cleared to ahh land, US Air 684. Is that the fire department practicing?
• 1349:24 LCW Ummm... we'll talk about it later.
• 1251:01 USA684 (unintelligible)... loud and clear, sir.

News of the end of 5481 spreads throughout the tower.

• 1352:13 DRW Local?
• 1352:17 LCW US Air.. ahh... 684, turn left next taxiway and contact ground, point eight.
• 1352:22 USA684 684.
• 1352:23 LCW Local.
• 1352:24 DRW Local, I gotta Air Midwest 5481 strip down here.
• 1352:27 LCW Aahh... just hold him.
• 1352:29 DRW Okay, I'll hold it.
• 1352:30 LCW Just hold that one.
• 1352:30 DRW I'm holding him.
• 1352:31 LCW Just hold that one, all right? That's the one that had a problem.

As the extent of the disaster sinks in, airport officials decide to close Runway 18R.

• 1353:59 PDT3438 Tower, Piedmont 3438, we're go ahead and shut down. Will you give us a little bit of time to... ahhh... start it back up?
• 1354:04 LCW Okay, don't shut 'em down just yet, 'cause I think... ahhh... well, they're gonna close - they've closed the right. So we're gonna try to maybe bring you guys back around to Runway 18 Left. Just... just hang on just a moment.
• 1354:17 PDT3438 Okay, we'll do, 3438.

Transcript ends.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov