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{{Short description|December 1985 plane crash in Newfoundland, Canada}}
{{Infobox Airliner accident
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
|name=Arrow Air Flight 1285
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
|Crash image=ArrowDc-8.png
| occurrence_type = Accident
|Image caption=Illustration of [[DC-8|DC-8-63CF]] N950JW
| name = Arrow Air Flight 1285R
|Date=December 12, 1985
| image = N950JW (Arista International) N950JW - McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF - AIA Arista International at Zuerich-Kloten Airport (ZRH) in April 1984.jpg
|occurrence_type = Accident
| image_upright = 1.15
|Type=Icing (on board fire and possible explosion per minority report)
| alt =
|Site=[[Gander, Newfoundland]]
| caption = N950JW, the aircraft involved in the accident in 1984 while still in service with a previous operator.
|Fatalities=256
| date = 12 December 1985
|Injuries=0
| summary =
|bgcol=transparent
[[Atmospheric icing]] and overloading leading to [[stall (fluid dynamics)|stall]]
|Origin=[[Cairo International Airport]]
| site = [[Gander International Airport]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]], Canada
|Stopover=[[Cologne Bonn Airport]]
| coordinates = {{coord|48|54|43|N|54|34|27|W|type:event|display=inline,title}}
|Last stopover=[[Gander International Airport]]
| occupants = 256
|Destination=[[Fort Campbell]]
| passengers = 248
|Operator=[[Arrow Air]]
| crew = 8
|Tail Number= N950JW
| fatalities = 256
|Passengers=248
| survivors = 0
|Crew=8
| aircraft_type = [[Douglas DC-8|McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF]]
|Survivors =0
| origin = [[Cairo International Airport]], Egypt
|Aircraft Type=[[McDonnell Douglas]] [[DC-8|DC-8-63CF]]
| stopover0 = [[Cologne Bonn Airport]],<br />[[North Rhine-Westphalia]], West Germany
| last_stopover = [[Gander International Airport]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], Canada
| destination = [[Campbell Army Airfield]], [[Kentucky]], United States
| aircraft_name =
| operator = [[Arrow Air]]
| tail_number = N950JW
| IATA = MF1285R
}}
}}
{{Location map|Canada |label=Gander&nbsp; |marksize=5 |mark=Red_pog.svg |relief=yes |lat_dir=N |lat_deg=48.911 |lat_min= |lat_sec= |lon_dir=W |lon_deg=54.574 |lon_min= |lon_sec= |position=top |width=300 |float=right |caption=Location in [[Canada]]}}
{{Location map|Newfoundland |relief=yes |label=Gander |marksize=5 |mark=Red_pog.svg |lat_dir=N |lat_deg=48.911 |lat_min= |lat_sec= |lon_dir=W |lon_deg=54.574 |lon_min= |lon_sec=|position=bottom |width=200 |float=right |caption=Location in [[Newfoundland]]}}
'''Arrow Air Flight 1285R''' was an international charter flight carrying U.S. Army personnel from [[Cairo]], Egypt, to their home base in [[Fort Campbell]], [[Kentucky]], via [[Cologne]], West Germany, and [[Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|Gander]], [[Newfoundland]].<ref name=tfeki >{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=36YyAAAAIBAJ&pg=1624%2C659619 |newspaper=The Citizen |location=Ottawa, Canada |agency=The Canadian Press |title=258 killed in Gander plane crash |date=12 December 1985 |page=1}}</ref> On the morning of Thursday, 12 December 1985, shortly after takeoff from Canada's [[Gander International Airport]] en route to Fort Campbell, the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-8]] serving the flight [[Stall (fluid dynamics)|stalled]], crashed, and burned about half a mile from the runway, killing all 248 passengers and 8 crew members on board.<ref name=tbro>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BD0yAAAAIBAJ&pg=1698%2C1240370 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |agency=news services |title=Terror bomb ruled out in Canada's worst crash |date=13 December 1985 |page=A1}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, it is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on Canadian soil.<ref name=asn>{{ASN accident|id=19851212-0}}</ref> At the time of the crash, it was the deadliest aviation accident involving a DC-8; its death toll was surpassed by the crash of [[Nigeria Airways Flight 2120]] nearly six years later.<ref name=asn />


The accident was investigated by the [[Canadian Aviation Safety Board]] (CASB), which determined that the probable cause of the crash was the aircraft's unexpectedly high drag and reduced lift condition, most likely due to [[Icing (aeronautics)|ice contamination]] on the wings' leading edges and upper surfaces, as well as underestimated onboard weight.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> A [[Dissenting opinion|minority report]] stated that the accident could have been caused by an onboard explosion of unknown origin before impact, with one of these dissenting investigators later telling a [[United States congressional committee]] that a thin layer of ice could not bring down the aircraft.<ref name="CASB Minority Report">{{cite book |url=http://www.avsaf.org/reports/CANADA/1985.12.12_ArrowAirInc_MF1285R%28DissentingOpinion%29.pdf |title=Dissenting Opinion, Arrow Air Inc. Douglas DC-8-63 N950JW, Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, 12 December 1985 |publisher=[[Canadian Aviation Safety Board]] |date=14 November 1988 |access-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050404060705/http://www.avsaf.org/reports/CANADA/1985.12.12_ArrowAirInc_MF1285R%28DissentingOpinion%29.pdf |archive-date=4 April 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Mayday>{{Cite episode |title=[[List of Mayday episodes#ep75|Split Decision]] |series=[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]] |publisher=[[Cineflix]] |network=[[Discovery (Canada)|Discovery Channel Canada]] <!--- per country of origin: other nations' networks and series titles can be found at the linked article ---> |season=11 |number=3 |date=2011-08-26}}</ref> The dissenting report led to delays in changes to [[Ground deicing of aircraft|de-icing]] procedures, and a thin layer of ice caused the deadly crash of [[Air Ontario Flight 1363]] in Canada in 1989.
'''[[Arrow Air]] Flight 1285''' was a [[McDonnell Douglas]] [[DC-8|DC-8-63CF]] [[jetliner]], registered N950JW, which operated as an international charter flight carrying U.S. troops from [[Cairo, Egypt]], to their home base in [[Fort Campbell]], [[Kentucky]], via [[Cologne]], [[Germany]] and [[Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|Gander, Newfoundland]]. On the morning of December 12, 1985, shortly after takeoff from Gander en route to Fort Campbell, the aircraft [[Stall (flight)|stalled]], crashed, and burned about half a mile from the runway, killing all 256 passengers and crew on board.<ref name=asn>{{ASN accident|id=19851212-0}}</ref> It is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on Canadian soil and the second deadliest involving a DC-8 after [[Nigeria Airways Flight 2120]].


In response to lack of confidence in accident investigations by the CASB, the Government of Canada shut the board down in 1990, replacing it with an independent, multi-modal investigative agency &ndash; the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]].{{Cn|date=May 2024}}
The accident was investigated by the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada|Canadian Aviation Safety Board]] (CASB), which determined the probable cause of the crash was the aircraft's unexpectedly high drag and reduced lift condition, most likely was due to [[Atmospheric icing|ice contamination]] on the wings' leading edges and upper surfaces.<ref name=csb/> A [[minority report]] stated that the accident could have been caused by an onboard explosion of unknown origin prior to impact.<ref name=csbd>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/investigations/minority_report/html/_cover_page.shtml|title=CASB Minority Report}}</ref>


==Flight history==
==Flight history==
[[File:Wreckage from Arrow Air Flight 1285 in storage.jpg|thumb|right|Wreckage from Arrow Air Flight 1285R in storage at a Gander Airport hangar on 16 December 1985]]
The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF, was chartered to carry [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] personnel, all but 12 of them members of the [[101st Airborne Division]], back to their base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They had completed a six-month deployment in the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]], in the [[Multinational Force and Observers]] peacekeeping mission.<ref name=asn/> The DC-8 involved in the accident (registration {{Airreg|N|950JW|)}} was manufactured in 1969, and was first delivered to [[Eastern Air Lines]] and then leased to other airlines before being leased to [[Arrow Air]] under its owner/parent company, International Air Leases.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/>


The flight was made up of three legs, with refuelling stops in Cologne and Gander.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> The aircraft departed Cairo at 20:35 [[UTC]] on Wednesday 11 December 1985, and arrived at Cologne on Thursday 12 December 1985, at 01:21 UTC.
The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF, was chartered to carry U.S. service personnel, all members of the [[101st Airborne Division (United States)|101st Airborne Division]], [[United States Army]], from a six-month deployment in the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]], where they had served in the [[Multinational Force and Observers]] peacekeeping mission, back to their base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.<ref name=asn/> The DC-8 involved in the accident had been constructed in 1969, and had been leased to Arrow Air by its owner, International Air Leases.<ref>[http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/investigations/majority_report/html/_1-6.shtml Sandford.org]</ref> The flight was made up of three legs, the first between Cairo and Cologne, the second between Cologne and Gander, and the third between Gander and Fort Campbell.<ref name=History/> The aircraft departed Cairo at 2035 [[Greenwich Mean Time]] (GMT), and arrived at Cologne on December 12, 1985, at 0121 GMT. A new flight crew (consisting of pilots John Griffin and John R. Connelly, both 45, and Flight Engineer Michael "Mike" Fowler, 48) boarded the aircraft, before it departed for Gander at 0250 GMT.<ref name=History/> The aircraft arrived at [[Gander International Airport]] at 0904, where passengers departed the aircraft while the aircraft was refuelled. Witnesses reported the flight engineer conducted an external inspection of the aircraft, after which the passengers reboarded the aircraft.<ref name=History>[http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/investigations/majority_report/html/_1-1.shtml Sandford.org]</ref>


A new flight crew, consisting of [[Pilot in command|Captain]] John Griffin and [[First officer (aviation)|First Officer]] Joseph Connelly (both 45), and [[Flight engineer|Flight Engineer]] Michael Fowler (48),<ref>{{cite web|title= Disasters: Gander, Newfoundland Plane Crash December 12, 1985|url= http://nlt.rootsweb.com/disasters/gander/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060427175825/http://nlt.rootsweb.com/disasters/gander/|archive-date= 27 April 2006}}</ref> boarded the aircraft before it departed for Gander at 02:50 UTC.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> The aircraft arrived at [[Gander International Airport]] at 09:04, where passengers departed the aircraft while the aircraft was refuelled. Witnesses reported that the flight engineer conducted an external inspection of the aircraft, after which the passengers re-boarded the aircraft.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/>
The DC-8 began its take-off roll on runway 22 from the intersection of runway 13 at 10:15 UTC (06:45 [[Newfoundland Standard Time|NST]]). It rotated near taxiway A, 51 seconds after brake release at an airspeed of about 167 [[Indicated airspeed|KIAS]].<ref name=History/> Witnesses reported the aircraft had difficulty gaining altitude after rotation; the airspeed reached 172 KIAS and began to decrease again, causing the DC-8 to descend. After crossing the [[Trans-Canada Highway]], located about {{convert|900|ft|m}} from the departure end of runway 22, at a very low altitude, the pitch angle increased and the aircraft continued to descend.<ref name=History/> Witnesses driving on the highway said a bright glow emanated from the aircraft before it struck terrain just short of [[Gander Lake]], and crashed approximately {{convert|900|ft|m}} feet beyond the departure end of the runway.<ref name=History/> The aircraft destroyed an unoccupied building,<ref>[http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/investigations/majority_report/html/_1-4.shtml Sandford.org]</ref> before it broke up, causing a fire, increased in severity by the large amount of fuel aboard for the flight. All 248 passengers and eight crew aboard the aircraft perished.<ref name=asn/><ref name=History/>

The DC-8 began its takeoff roll on runway 22 from the intersection of runway 13 at 10:15 UTC (06:45 [[Newfoundland Standard Time|NST]]). It [[Rotation (aeronautics)|rotated]] near taxiway A, 51 seconds after brake release, at an airspeed of about {{convert|167|kn|km/h mph}} [[Indicated airspeed|IAS]].<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> Witnesses reported the aircraft showed difficulty gaining altitude after rotation. Once airborne, the airspeed reached {{convert|172|kn|km/h mph}} IAS before decreasing again, causing the DC-8 to descend. After crossing the [[Trans-Canada Highway]], located about {{convert|900|ft|m}} from the departure end of runway 22, at a very low altitude, the aircraft's pitch increased, and it continued to descend.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/>

Witnesses driving on the highway stated that they saw a bright glow emanating from the aircraft before it struck terrain just short of [[Gander Lake]] and crashed approximately {{convert|3500|ft|m}} beyond the departure end of the runway.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> Flight 1285R broke up, struck an unoccupied building<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> and exploded; this started an intense fire fed by the large amount of fuel carried on board for the final leg of the flight. All 248 passengers and 8 crew perished.<ref name=asn/><ref name="CASB Majority Report"/>


==Investigation==
==Investigation==
The [[Canadian Aviation Safety Board]] (CASB) investigated the crash, and, under the signature of five of nine board members, found that during its approach toward Gander, precipitation conditions were favorable for the formation of ice on the aircraft's wings. After landing, it continued to be exposed to "freezing and frozen precipitation capable of producing roughening on the wing upper surface" in addition to the freezing temperature. They also found that prior to takeoff the aircraft had not been [[De-ice|de-iced]].<ref name=majfindings>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/investigations/majority_report/html/_3-1.shtml|title=CASB Majority Report:Findings}}</ref>
The [[Canadian Aviation Safety Board]] (CASB) investigated the crash and, in a report signed by five of its nine board members, found that during its approach toward Gander, precipitation conditions were favourable for the formation of ice on the aircraft's wings. After landing, it continued to be exposed to "freezing and frozen precipitation capable of producing roughening on the wing upper surface" in addition to the freezing temperature. They also found that prior to takeoff the aircraft had not been [[de-ice]]d.<ref name="CASB Majority Report"/> The board issued the following probable cause statement in its final report:<ref name=asn/><ref name="CASB Majority Report">{{cite web|url=http://flightopsresearch.org/data/files/arrow1285.pdf|title=Aviation Occurrence Report, Arrow Air Inc. Douglas DC-8-63 N950JW, Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, 12 December 1985 |publisher=[[Canadian Aviation Safety Board]] |date=14 November 1988 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref>
The Board issued the following Probable Cause statement in its final report:<ref name=asn/><ref name=csb>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandford.org/gandercrash/investigations/majority_report/html/_i.shtml|title=CASB Majority Report}}</ref>
{{quotation|The Canadian Aviation Safety Board was unable to determine the exact sequence of events which led to this accident. The Board believes, however, that the weight of evidence supports the conclusion that, shortly after lift-off, the aircraft experienced an increase in drag and reduction in lift which resulted in a stall at low altitude from which recovery was not possible. The most probable cause of the stall was determined to be ice contamination on the leading edge and upper surface of the wing. Other possible factors such as a loss of thrust from the number four engine and inappropriate take-off reference speeds may have compounded the effects of the contamination.}}


<blockquote>The Canadian Aviation Safety Board was unable to determine the exact sequence of events that led to this accident. The Board believes, however, that the weight of evidence supports the conclusion that, shortly after lift-off, the aircraft experienced an increase in drag and reduction in lift that resulted in a stall at low altitude from which recovery was not possible. The most probable cause of the stall was determined to be ice contamination on the leading edge and upper surface of the wing. Other possible factors such as a loss of thrust from the number four engine and inappropriate takeoff reference speeds may have compounded the effects of the contamination.</blockquote>
Four members of the CASB dissented, issuing a minority opinion asserting that there was no evidence presented proving that ice had been present on leading edges such as the wings, and the minority report speculated that:<ref name=csbd/>
{{quotation|An in-flight fire that may have resulted from detonations of undetermined origin brought about catastrophic system failures.}}


Four (of nine) members of the CASB dissented, issuing a minority opinion asserting that there was no evidence presented proving that ice had been present on leading edges such as the wings, and the minority report speculated that "An in-flight fire that may have resulted from detonations of undetermined origin brought about catastrophic system failures."<ref name="CASB Minority Report"/>
The one piece of evidence that would show which one is correct was the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). However, this device was defective and failed to record anything. Also, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was an older model that only recorded 4 parameters. It was scheduled to have been replaced a few weeks later.


The report also noted the inadequacy of the data from the antiquated [[Flight recorder#Early designs|foil-tape flight data recorder]], which recorded only airspeed, altitude, heading, and vertical acceleration forces. The plane also took off with a non-functioning cockpit area microphone. There were no steps on any of the standard checklists to test the microphone's functionality, despite the existence of a button in the cockpit for that sole purpose. The defect went undetected for an indeterminate number of flights leading up to the accident flight, and thus the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) did not record any useful data.<ref name="CASB Majority Report" />
[[Willard Estey]], a former [[Supreme Court of Canada]] judge, submitted a review of the CASB report in 1989, ruling that the available evidence did not support either conclusion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1989-07-22/news/mn-3309_1_air-crash|title=Canada Judge Rejects New Gander Crash Probe|publisher=Los Angeles Times|date=22 July 1989|accessdate=27 August 2011}}</ref> As a result the Canadian public's confidence in the CASB was undermined. The federal government responded by creating the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]].<ref>Watson, Blair. "[http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/articles/aviation/2008/ht_20080701.asp The Transportation Safety Board Taking centre stage to advance aviation safety]." ''[[Wings (magazine)|Wings]]'' at [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]]. July/August 2008. Retrieved on September 17, 2010.</ref>

The main final report is 95 pages long while the minority report is only 14 pages long. The main report has overwhelming support in evidence produced by the 31 investigators working on the crash for 3 years. The minority report on the other hand consists of multiple hypotheses supported solely by witness statements and improbable claims with very little supporting evidence that were deemed unreliable and dismissed by experienced investigators.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

[[Willard Estey]], a former [[Supreme Court of Canada]] judge, submitted a review of the CASB report in 1989, ruling that the available evidence did not support either conclusion. Estey reviewed the report from the perspective of [[beyond a reasonable doubt]] as per a court of law rather than based on the available evidence as how investigators make their conclusions. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-22-mn-3309-story.html|title=Canada Judge Rejects New Gander Crash Probe|website=Los Angeles Times|date=22 July 1989|access-date=27 August 2011}}</ref> As a result, the Canadian public's confidence in the CASB was undermined. The federal government responded by creating the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]].<ref>Watson, Blair. [http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/articles/aviation/2008/ht_20080701.asp "The Transportation Safety Board Taking centre stage to advance aviation safety"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925140925/http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/articles/aviation/2008/ht_20080701.asp |date=25 September 2010 }}. ''[[Wings (Canadian magazine)|Wings]]'' at [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]]. July/August 2008. Retrieved on 17 September 2010.</ref>


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
[[File:Memorial service for Arrow Air Flight 1285.jpg|Caskets being carried in for a memorial service at [[Dover AFB]] on 16 December 1985|thumb|right]]
[[Image:Gander airport Silent witness.jpg|thumb|left|The "Silent Witness" Arrow Air Flight 1285 memorial at Gander Lake, as a DC-8 takes off in the background]]
[[File:Gander airport Silent witness.jpg|The "Silent Witness" by Kentucky artist Steve Shields. Arrow Air Flight 1285R memorial at Gander Lake, with a DC-8 taking off in the background|thumb|right]]
[[Image:Ft Campbell memorial for Arrow Air Flight 1285.jpg|thumb|right|Arrow Air Flight 1285 memorial at Ft. Campbell]]
[[Image:Arrow Air crash Memorial sign at Gander .jpg|thumb|left|Interpretive sign at Arrow Air Flight 1285 memorial at Gander Lake]]
[[File:Ft Campbell memorial for Arrow Air Flight 1285.jpg|Arrow Air Flight 1285R memorial in Fort Campbell, Kentucky|thumb|right]]
[[Image:Memorial service for Arrow Air Flight 1285.jpg|thumb|right|Caskets being carried in for a memorial service at [[Dover AFB]] on December 16, 1985]]
On the day of the crash, responsibility was claimed by [[Islamic Jihad Organization|Islamic Jihad]], a wing of [[Hezbollah]].


The claim was dismissed by the Canadian and U.S. governments soon afterward. According to [[United Press International]] "Hours after the crash the Islamic Jihad &ndash; a Shiite Muslim extremist group &ndash; claimed it destroyed the plane to prove [its] ability to strike at the Americans anywhere." Pentagon and Canadian government officials rejected the claim, made by an anonymous caller to a French news agency in Beirut.<ref>{{cite news|title=Errors By Crew Reportedly Cited In Gander Crash|date=November 6, 1988|publisher=Philadelphia Inquirer, United Press International|page=A33|first=Laurie|last=Watson}}</ref>
On the day of the crash, responsibility was claimed by the [[Islamic Jihad Organization]] (de-facto part of [[Hezbollah|Hezballah]]<ref name="NB">{{cite book |author=Nicholas Blanford |title=Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah's Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel |publisher=Random House |year=2011 |isbn=9781400068364 |pages=16, 32}}</ref>). Islamic Jihad had already claimed responsibility for the [[1983 Beirut barracks bombings]] that killed more than 200 American Marines. The claim was dismissed by the Canadian and U.S. governments soon after.<ref name=tbro/><ref name=pawqu>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4KYyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2583%2C1290274 |newspaper=The Citizen |location=Ottawa, Canada |agency=staff and wire reports |title=Plane's airworthiness questioned |date=13 December 1985 |page=1}}</ref> According to [[United Press International]], "Hours after the crash the Islamic Jihad – a [[Shiite Muslim]] extremist group – claimed it destroyed the plane to prove [its] ability to strike at the Americans anywhere." Pentagon and Canadian government officials rejected the claim, made by an anonymous caller to a French news agency in Beirut.<ref>{{cite news|title=Errors By Crew Reportedly Cited in Gander Crash|date=6 November 1988|publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer, United Press International|page=A33|first=Laurie|last=Watson}}</ref>


256 people died, including 248 U.S. servicemen and eight crew members. {{As of|2009}}, that death toll constituted the deadliest plane crash in Canada,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=C|title=Aviation Safety Network|accessdate=2006-10-22| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20060928035505/http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=C| archivedate= 28 September 2006 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> and the United States Army's single deadliest air crash in peacetime.<ref>Wolf, Marion E. (1990). ''Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Etiology, Phenomenology, and Treatment''. American Psychiatric Pub, p. 127. ISBN 0880482990</ref>
The death toll of all 256 people on board – 248 U.S. servicemen and 8 crew members, still constitutes the deadliest plane crash in Canada,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=C|title=Canada air safety profile|last=Ranter|first=Harro|website=aviation-safety.net|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928035505/http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/country/country.php?id=C|archive-date=28 September 2006|access-date=2006-10-22}}</ref> and the U.S. Army's single deadliest air crash in [[peacetime]].<ref>Wolf, Marion E. (1990). ''Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Etiology, Phenomenology, and Treatment''. American Psychiatric Pub, p. 127. {{ISBN|0880482990}}</ref>


Of the 248 servicemen, all but 12 were members of [[101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)]], most of whom were from the 3d Battalion, [[502nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|502nd Infantry]]; eleven were from other Forces Command units; and one was an agent from the [[U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID)|Criminal Investigations Command (CID)]].<ref>{{cite book|chapterurl=http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1986/appA.htm|chapter=Tragedy at Gander|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]| title =Department of the Army Historical Summary Fiscal Year 1986| first= Terrence J.| last = Gough|year = 1995 }}</ref>
Of the 248 servicemen, all but twelve were members of [[101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)]], most of whom were from the 3d Battalion, [[502nd Infantry Regiment (United States)|502nd Infantry]]; eleven were from other [[United States Army Forces Command|Forces Command]] units; and one was an agent from the [[United States Army Criminal Investigation Command|Criminal Investigations Command]] (CID).<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1986/appA.htm|chapter=Tragedy at Gander|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]|title=Department of the Army Historical Summary Fiscal Year 1986|first=Terrence J.|last=Gough|year=1995|access-date=6 July 2010|archive-date=4 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704232041/http://www.history.army.mil/books/DAHSUM/1986/appA.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>


A memorial to the 256 victims at the crash site overlooks Gander Lake, and another memorial was erected at Fort Campbell. There is also a Memorial Park in Hopkinsville, KY, just north of Fort Campbell.
A memorial to the 256 victims at the crash site overlooks Gander Lake, and another memorial was erected at Fort Campbell. There is also a Memorial Park in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, just north of Fort Campbell. {{As of|2018}}, the scar from the crash is still visible from the ground and by satellite.


The dissenting report led to delays in changes to de-icing procedures, after a [[Atmospheric icing|thin layer of ice]] caused the deadly crash of [[Air Ontario Flight 1363]] in Canada in 1989. In response to lack of confidence in accident investigations by the CASB, the government of Canada shut down the board in 1990, replacing it with an independent, multi-modal investigative agency &ndash; the [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]].
In 1991, Les Filotas, one of the four CASB board members who dissented in the final report, published an exhaustive argument for the minority opinion.<ref>Filotas, Les (1991). ''Improbable cause : dissent and deceit in the investigation of Canada's worst air disaster''. Toronto: Seal Books.</ref>


==In popular culture==
==Dramatization==
The television documentary series ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]]'' featured the Flight 1285R crash and investigation in a season 11 episode titled [[List of Mayday episodes#ep75|"Split Decision"]], which included interviews with accident investigators and a dramatic recreation of the accident.<ref name=Mayday/>
In August 2011, the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash was featured on an episode of the television series ''[[Mayday (TV series)|Mayday]]'', entitled "Split Decision".


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft]]
{{Portalbox|Newfoundland and Labrador|United States|Aviation|Disasters|1980s}}
*[[List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft]]
*[[Swissair Flight 111]], the other major air disaster to occur in Atlantic Canada.
*[[Air Ontario Flight 1363]] is a different crash, also occurring in Canada, very similar to Flight 1285.
{{-}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|last=Collins|first=Gary|title=Where Eagles Lie Fallen: The Crash of Arrow Air Flight 1285, Gander, Newfoundland|year=2010|publisher=Flanker Press |isbn=978-1-8973176-7-9}}
*{{cite book|author=Saul M Montes-Bradley II|title=Gander: Terrorism, Incompetence, and the Rise of Islamic National Socialism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCt9vgAACAAJ|year=2016|publisher=Thomas Osgood [[Bradley Foundation]]|isbn=978-0-9859632-5-5}}
*{{Cite book|last=Filotas|first=Les|title=Improbable Cause: Deceit and Dissent in the investigation of America's Worst Military Air Disaster|year=2007|publisher=Booksurge |isbn=978-1-4196512-5-0}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.avsaf.org:80/reports/CANADA/1985.12.12_ArrowAirInc_MF1285R.pdf Final report] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20051109103302/http://www.avsaf.org/reports/CANADA/1985.12.12_ArrowAirInc_MF1285R.pdf Archive]) – Canadian Aviation Safety Board
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050404060705/http://www.avsaf.org/reports/CANADA/1985.12.12_ArrowAirInc_MF1285R%28DissentingOpinion%29.pdf Dissenting opinion] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20050404060705/http://www.avsaf.org/reports/CANADA/1985.12.12_ArrowAirInc_MF1285R(DissentingOpinion).pdf Archive]) – Canadian Aviation Safety Board
* {{cite thesis |type=MA |last=Goodno|first=Barbara Ann|others=Directed by Benjamin F. Holman and Carl Sessions Stepp|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA220840.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106075544/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA220840.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=6 January 2022|access-date=6 January 2022|date=1988|title=Grief Reporting: A Print Media Content Analysis of the Gander, Newfoundland Air Disaster|publisher=[[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland]]}}
* {{Cite journal|last1=Bartone|first1=Paul T.|last2=Ursano|first2=Robert J.|last3=Wright|first3=Kathleen M.|last4=Ingraham|first4=Larry H.|date=June 1989|title=The Impact of a Military Air Disaster on The Health of Assistance Workers|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00005053-198906000-00001|journal=The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease|volume=177|issue=6|pages=317–328|doi=10.1097/00005053-198906000-00001|pmid=2723619 |s2cid=25271993 |issn=0022-3018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627063217/https://login.wolterskluwer.com/as/OXG9b/resume/as/authorization.ping|archive-date=27 June 2022}} [http://www.hardiness-resilience.com/docs/milairdisaster.pdf Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106075541/http://www.hardiness-resilience.com/docs/milairdisaster.pdf |date=6 January 2022 }}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category|Arrow Air Flight 1285}}
{{ external media
{{external media
| align = right
| float = right
| width =
| width =
| image1 = [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?cnsearch=46058/433&distinct_entry=true Pre-crash photos of the DC-8 in service with Arrow Air and other airline companies] at [http://www.airliners.net/ Airliners.net]
| image1 = [http://www.airliners.net/search?keywords=46058/433&sortBy=dateAccepted&sortOrder=desc&perPage=36&display=detail Pre-crash photos of the DC-8 in service with Arrow Air and other airline companies] at [http://www.airliners.net/ Airliners.net]
}}
}}
Media links:
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960478,00.html Time Magazine - The Fall of the Screaming Eagles] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,975391,00.html Time Magazine - Gander: Different Crash, Same Answers] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/1989_cr/h890720-gander.htm Globalsecurity.org - 1989 Congressional Debates on Gander Crash] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/search/?t=article&q=Gander Fort Campbell Courier - Gander-related news articles] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.gandercanada.com/explore_gander/pops/arrow.htm Gandercanada.com - Photos of the 20th Anniversary Memorial Service in Gander] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/12/12/Air-Arrow-051212.html CBC News - Ceremonies mark anniversary of deadly Newfoundland air crash] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2005/12/12/nf_arrow_air_20051212.html CBC News - Broken Arrow: debate continues after 20 years] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://nlt.rootsweb.com/disasters/gander/ Rootsweb.com - List of victims] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.airforce.forces.ca/9wing/about_us/general2_e.asp Canadian Air Force - The Silent Witness Memorial in Gander] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006
*[http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/counties/christian/101memorial/ Rootsweb.com - Photographs of the Gander Memorial in [[Hopkinsville, Kentucky]]] - retrieved 28 Dec 2006


*Magnuson, Ed (23 December 1985). [http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,960478,00.html "The Fall of the Screaming Eagles"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
{{Aviation incidents and accidents in 1985}}
*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/1989_cr/h890720-gander.htm Globalsecurity.org – 1989 Congressional Debates on Gander Crash] – retrieved 28 December 2006
{{coord|48|54|43|N|54|34|27|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark_scale:30000|display=title}}
*[https://archive.today/20130123104602/http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/search/?t=article&q=Gander Fort Campbell Courier – Gander-related news articles] – retrieved 28 December 2006
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061023100307/http://www.gandercanada.com/explore_gander/pops/arrow.htm Gandercanada.com – Photos of the 20th Anniversary Memorial Service in Gander] – retrieved 28 December 2006
*[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ceremonies-mark-anniversary-of-deadly-newfoundland-air-crash-1.545904 CBC News – Ceremonies mark anniversary of deadly Newfoundland air crash] – retrieved 28 December 2006
*[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/broken-arrow-debate-continues-after-20-years-1.524648 CBC News – Broken Arrow: debate continues after 20 years] – retrieved 28 December 2006
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060427175825/http://nlt.rootsweb.com/disasters/gander/ Rootsweb.com – List of victims] – retrieved 28 December 2006
*[http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/9-wing/index.page Canadian Air Force – The Silent Witness Memorial in Gander] – retrieved 28 December 2006
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlOYh9tQ584 Fatal Combination for Arrow Air Flight 1285] – [[Smithsonian Channel]] – retrieved 12 December 2021
*[http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/counties/christian/101memorial/ Rootsweb.com – Photographs of the Gander Memorial] in [[Hopkinsville, Kentucky]] – retrieved 28 December 2006


[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1985]]
{{Aviation incidents and accidents in 1985|state=collapsed}}
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by ice]]
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Canada}}
{{Portal bar|Aviation|1980s|United States<!--Country of the airline-->|Canada}}

[[Category:101st Airborne Division]]
[[Category:1985 meteorology]]
[[Category:1985 meteorology]]
[[Category:1985 in Canada]]
[[Category:1985 in Canada]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Canada]]
[[Category:Disasters in Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:20th-century military history of the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century military history of the United States]]
[[Category:Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-8]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-8]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by ice]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Canada]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by sabotage]]
[[Category:Arrow Air accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:Arrow Air accidents and incidents]]
[[Category:101st Airborne Division]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1985]]
[[Category:Canada–United States relations]]

[[Category:December 1985 events in the United States]]
[[es:Vuelo 1285 de Arrow Air]]
[[Category:Disasters in Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[fr:Vol 1285 Arrow Air]]
[[Category:Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[pl:Katastrofa lotu Arrow Air 1285]]
[[Category:Multinational Force and Observers]]
[[pt:Voo Arrow Air 1285]]
[[zh:飛箭航空1285號班機空難]]

Latest revision as of 01:43, 6 December 2024

Arrow Air Flight 1285R
N950JW, the aircraft involved in the accident in 1984 while still in service with a previous operator.
Accident
Date12 December 1985
SummaryAtmospheric icing and overloading leading to stall
SiteGander International Airport, Newfoundland, Canada
48°54′43″N 54°34′27″W / 48.91194°N 54.57417°W / 48.91194; -54.57417
Aircraft
Aircraft typeMcDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF
OperatorArrow Air
IATA flight No.MF1285R
RegistrationN950JW
Flight originCairo International Airport, Egypt
1st stopoverCologne Bonn Airport,
North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Last stopoverGander International Airport, Newfoundland, Canada
DestinationCampbell Army Airfield, Kentucky, United States
Occupants256
Passengers248
Crew8
Fatalities256
Survivors0
Gander  is located in Canada
Gander 
Gander 
class=notpageimage|
Location in Canada
Gander is located in Newfoundland
Gander
Gander
class=notpageimage|
Location in Newfoundland

Arrow Air Flight 1285R was an international charter flight carrying U.S. Army personnel from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, West Germany, and Gander, Newfoundland.[1] On the morning of Thursday, 12 December 1985, shortly after takeoff from Canada's Gander International Airport en route to Fort Campbell, the McDonnell Douglas DC-8 serving the flight stalled, crashed, and burned about half a mile from the runway, killing all 248 passengers and 8 crew members on board.[2] As of 2024, it is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on Canadian soil.[3] At the time of the crash, it was the deadliest aviation accident involving a DC-8; its death toll was surpassed by the crash of Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 nearly six years later.[3]

The accident was investigated by the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB), which determined that the probable cause of the crash was the aircraft's unexpectedly high drag and reduced lift condition, most likely due to ice contamination on the wings' leading edges and upper surfaces, as well as underestimated onboard weight.[4] A minority report stated that the accident could have been caused by an onboard explosion of unknown origin before impact, with one of these dissenting investigators later telling a United States congressional committee that a thin layer of ice could not bring down the aircraft.[5][6] The dissenting report led to delays in changes to de-icing procedures, and a thin layer of ice caused the deadly crash of Air Ontario Flight 1363 in Canada in 1989.

In response to lack of confidence in accident investigations by the CASB, the Government of Canada shut the board down in 1990, replacing it with an independent, multi-modal investigative agency – the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.[citation needed]

Flight history

[edit]
Wreckage from Arrow Air Flight 1285R in storage at a Gander Airport hangar on 16 December 1985

The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF, was chartered to carry U.S. Army personnel, all but 12 of them members of the 101st Airborne Division, back to their base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They had completed a six-month deployment in the Sinai, in the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission.[3] The DC-8 involved in the accident (registration N950JW)[7] was manufactured in 1969, and was first delivered to Eastern Air Lines and then leased to other airlines before being leased to Arrow Air under its owner/parent company, International Air Leases.[4]

The flight was made up of three legs, with refuelling stops in Cologne and Gander.[4] The aircraft departed Cairo at 20:35 UTC on Wednesday 11 December 1985, and arrived at Cologne on Thursday 12 December 1985, at 01:21 UTC.

A new flight crew, consisting of Captain John Griffin and First Officer Joseph Connelly (both 45), and Flight Engineer Michael Fowler (48),[8] boarded the aircraft before it departed for Gander at 02:50 UTC.[4] The aircraft arrived at Gander International Airport at 09:04, where passengers departed the aircraft while the aircraft was refuelled. Witnesses reported that the flight engineer conducted an external inspection of the aircraft, after which the passengers re-boarded the aircraft.[4]

The DC-8 began its takeoff roll on runway 22 from the intersection of runway 13 at 10:15 UTC (06:45 NST). It rotated near taxiway A, 51 seconds after brake release, at an airspeed of about 167 knots (309 km/h; 192 mph) IAS.[4] Witnesses reported the aircraft showed difficulty gaining altitude after rotation. Once airborne, the airspeed reached 172 knots (319 km/h; 198 mph) IAS before decreasing again, causing the DC-8 to descend. After crossing the Trans-Canada Highway, located about 900 feet (270 m) from the departure end of runway 22, at a very low altitude, the aircraft's pitch increased, and it continued to descend.[4]

Witnesses driving on the highway stated that they saw a bright glow emanating from the aircraft before it struck terrain just short of Gander Lake and crashed approximately 3,500 feet (1,100 m) beyond the departure end of the runway.[4] Flight 1285R broke up, struck an unoccupied building[4] and exploded; this started an intense fire fed by the large amount of fuel carried on board for the final leg of the flight. All 248 passengers and 8 crew perished.[3][4]

Investigation

[edit]

The Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB) investigated the crash and, in a report signed by five of its nine board members, found that during its approach toward Gander, precipitation conditions were favourable for the formation of ice on the aircraft's wings. After landing, it continued to be exposed to "freezing and frozen precipitation capable of producing roughening on the wing upper surface" in addition to the freezing temperature. They also found that prior to takeoff the aircraft had not been de-iced.[4] The board issued the following probable cause statement in its final report:[3][4]

The Canadian Aviation Safety Board was unable to determine the exact sequence of events that led to this accident. The Board believes, however, that the weight of evidence supports the conclusion that, shortly after lift-off, the aircraft experienced an increase in drag and reduction in lift that resulted in a stall at low altitude from which recovery was not possible. The most probable cause of the stall was determined to be ice contamination on the leading edge and upper surface of the wing. Other possible factors such as a loss of thrust from the number four engine and inappropriate takeoff reference speeds may have compounded the effects of the contamination.

Four (of nine) members of the CASB dissented, issuing a minority opinion asserting that there was no evidence presented proving that ice had been present on leading edges such as the wings, and the minority report speculated that "An in-flight fire that may have resulted from detonations of undetermined origin brought about catastrophic system failures."[5]

The report also noted the inadequacy of the data from the antiquated foil-tape flight data recorder, which recorded only airspeed, altitude, heading, and vertical acceleration forces. The plane also took off with a non-functioning cockpit area microphone. There were no steps on any of the standard checklists to test the microphone's functionality, despite the existence of a button in the cockpit for that sole purpose. The defect went undetected for an indeterminate number of flights leading up to the accident flight, and thus the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) did not record any useful data.[4]

The main final report is 95 pages long while the minority report is only 14 pages long. The main report has overwhelming support in evidence produced by the 31 investigators working on the crash for 3 years. The minority report on the other hand consists of multiple hypotheses supported solely by witness statements and improbable claims with very little supporting evidence that were deemed unreliable and dismissed by experienced investigators.[citation needed]

Willard Estey, a former Supreme Court of Canada judge, submitted a review of the CASB report in 1989, ruling that the available evidence did not support either conclusion. Estey reviewed the report from the perspective of beyond a reasonable doubt as per a court of law rather than based on the available evidence as how investigators make their conclusions. [9] As a result, the Canadian public's confidence in the CASB was undermined. The federal government responded by creating the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.[10]

Aftermath

[edit]
Caskets being carried in for a memorial service at Dover AFB on 16 December 1985
The "Silent Witness" by Kentucky artist Steve Shields. Arrow Air Flight 1285R memorial at Gander Lake, with a DC-8 taking off in the background
Arrow Air Flight 1285R memorial in Fort Campbell, Kentucky

On the day of the crash, responsibility was claimed by the Islamic Jihad Organization (de-facto part of Hezballah[11]). Islamic Jihad had already claimed responsibility for the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings that killed more than 200 American Marines. The claim was dismissed by the Canadian and U.S. governments soon after.[2][12] According to United Press International, "Hours after the crash the Islamic Jihad – a Shiite Muslim extremist group – claimed it destroyed the plane to prove [its] ability to strike at the Americans anywhere." Pentagon and Canadian government officials rejected the claim, made by an anonymous caller to a French news agency in Beirut.[13]

The death toll of all 256 people on board – 248 U.S. servicemen and 8 crew members, still constitutes the deadliest plane crash in Canada,[14] and the U.S. Army's single deadliest air crash in peacetime.[15]

Of the 248 servicemen, all but twelve were members of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), most of whom were from the 3d Battalion, 502nd Infantry; eleven were from other Forces Command units; and one was an agent from the Criminal Investigations Command (CID).[16]

A memorial to the 256 victims at the crash site overlooks Gander Lake, and another memorial was erected at Fort Campbell. There is also a Memorial Park in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, just north of Fort Campbell. As of 2018, the scar from the crash is still visible from the ground and by satellite.

The dissenting report led to delays in changes to de-icing procedures, after a thin layer of ice caused the deadly crash of Air Ontario Flight 1363 in Canada in 1989. In response to lack of confidence in accident investigations by the CASB, the government of Canada shut down the board in 1990, replacing it with an independent, multi-modal investigative agency – the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

[edit]

The television documentary series Mayday featured the Flight 1285R crash and investigation in a season 11 episode titled "Split Decision", which included interviews with accident investigators and a dramatic recreation of the accident.[6]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "258 killed in Gander plane crash". The Citizen. Ottawa, Canada. The Canadian Press. 12 December 1985. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b "Terror bomb ruled out in Canada's worst crash". Montreal Gazette. news services. 13 December 1985. p. A1.
  3. ^ a b c d e Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Aviation Occurrence Report, Arrow Air Inc. Douglas DC-8-63 N950JW, Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, 12 December 1985" (PDF). Canadian Aviation Safety Board. 14 November 1988. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  5. ^ a b Dissenting Opinion, Arrow Air Inc. Douglas DC-8-63 N950JW, Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, 12 December 1985 (PDF). Canadian Aviation Safety Board. 14 November 1988. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Split Decision". Mayday. Season 11. Episode 3. Cineflix. 26 August 2011. Discovery Channel Canada.
  7. ^ "FAA Registry (N950JW)". Federal Aviation Administration.
  8. ^ "Disasters: Gander, Newfoundland Plane Crash December 12, 1985". Archived from the original on 27 April 2006.
  9. ^ "Canada Judge Rejects New Gander Crash Probe". Los Angeles Times. 22 July 1989. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  10. ^ Watson, Blair. "The Transportation Safety Board Taking centre stage to advance aviation safety" Archived 25 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Wings at Transportation Safety Board of Canada. July/August 2008. Retrieved on 17 September 2010.
  11. ^ Nicholas Blanford (2011). Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah's Thirty-Year Struggle Against Israel. Random House. pp. 16, 32. ISBN 9781400068364.
  12. ^ "Plane's airworthiness questioned". The Citizen. Ottawa, Canada. staff and wire reports. 13 December 1985. p. 1.
  13. ^ Watson, Laurie (6 November 1988). "Errors By Crew Reportedly Cited in Gander Crash". The Philadelphia Inquirer, United Press International. p. A33.
  14. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Canada air safety profile". aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 22 October 2006.
  15. ^ Wolf, Marion E. (1990). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Etiology, Phenomenology, and Treatment. American Psychiatric Pub, p. 127. ISBN 0880482990
  16. ^ Gough, Terrence J. (1995). "Tragedy at Gander". Department of the Army Historical Summary Fiscal Year 1986. United States Army Center of Military History. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2010.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arrow Air Flight 1285.
External image
image icon Pre-crash photos of the DC-8 in service with Arrow Air and other airline companies at Airliners.net
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Arrow_Air_Flight_1285R&oldid=1261429038"