TAPES TELL FLIGHT 261'S TRAGIC STORY CREW BATTLED TO KEEP JET IN AIR.

Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer

In the final terrifying minutes of doomed Alaska Airlines Flight 261, the pilots told flight controllers of their desperate struggle to stabilize the plane as it dived, leveled off and finally plunged into the Pacific Ocean.

The last transmission was the words ``thank you,'' after the crew was given permission to fly out over the ocean to make sure there was no risk of ground casualties if the plane crashed on its way to Los Angeles International Airport for an emergency landing.

Just two minutes later, the pilot of a private aircraft relayed the tragedy: ``That plane has just started to do a big, huge plunge.'' A commercial pilot flying nearby reported the plane had ``hit the water.''

Audio tapes of the final minutes of Flight 261, which crashed off the Ventura Coast on Jan. 31, killing all 88 aboard, were released Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The tapes reveal in vivid detail the efforts of Capt. Ted Thompson, 53, and First Officer William Tansky, 57, to keep the MD-83 airborne as they fought to overcome problems with the plane's stabilizer.

The plane's crash off the coast of Port Hueneme ended what began as a routine flight from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to San Francisco.

At 4:09 p.m., more than three hours into the four-hour flight, one of the pilots radioed controllers in Los Angeles that the plane was in trouble.

``Center, Alaska 261, we are, uh, in a dive here,'' said the trembling voice from the cockpit, which the FAA did not identify. ``Yeah, we're out of 26,000 feet, we're in a vertical dive - not a dive yet - but, uh, we've lost vertical control of our airplane.''

Seconds later, the pilot - growing breathless - radioed the plane had dropped 2,300 feet. ``We've got it back under control there - no we don't.''

One minute later, the Alaska crew indicated they have ``kinda stabilized'' the craft and climbed back up to 24,000 feet. ``We're slowing down here and, uh, we're going, uh, to do a little troubleshooting.''

At 4:15, the crew said it had found the source of the trouble, and had descended to 22,500 feet. ``We're with you . . . we have a jammed stabilizer and we're maintaining altitude with difficulty, uh, but, uh, we can maintain altitude, we think, and our intention is to land at Los Angeles.''

Controllers gave the pilots some bearings and the OK to land at Los Angeles International Airport.

``Center, Alaska 261, I need to, uh, get down (to 10,000 feet), change my configuration, make sure I can control the jet, and I'd like to do that out here over the bay if I may.''

Given the go-ahead at 4:17 p.m., the pilot calmly responded, ``Thank you.''

Those were the last two words heard from Flight 261.

At 4:19, the first report of imminent trouble came from the private pilot who saw the jet in a nose dive. The controller contacted a Sky West pilot in the area.

``Another pilot reports he's really looking pretty bad there ahead and to your right. Do you see him?''

The Sky West pilot responded: ``Yes sir, ah, I concur he is, uh, definitely in a nose-down, uh, position, descending quite rapidly.''

The pilots of the private craft and the Sky West plane monitored the doomed Alaska jet, and at 4:20 p.m., reported the impact in solemn voices.

``And he's just hit the water,'' the private pilot told controllers, followed seconds later by the Sky West pilot saying, ``Ah, yes sir, he, ah, he, ah, hit the water. He's, ah, down.''

Four months after the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause.

``We don't know when the probe will be completed,'' said NTSB spokesman Phil Frame. ``Investigations like this usually take at least a year.''

The investigation has focused on the jet's vertical stabilizer, a winglike portion of the tail used to keep the plane level. Early evidence points to a worn jackscrew mechanism, which would have given the pilots less control of the stabilizer.

Alaska Airlines, one of the 10 largest airlines in the country, has been under federal investigation of its Oakland maintenance facility since 1998 for maintenance issues.Final contact

Excerpts of communications between air traffic controllers and the flight crew of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 before the plane crashed north of Los Angeles on Jan. 31:

4:09:55 p.m.:

Cockpit: Center Alaska 261, we are, uh, in a dive here.

Tower: Alaska 261, uh, say again.

Cockpit: (Unintelligible) pitch.

Tower: Alaska 261, say again sir.

Cockpit: Yeah, we're out of 26,000 feet, we're in a vertical dive -- not a dive yet -- but, uh, we've lost vertical control of ou Tower: Alaska 261, roger.

Cockpit: We're at twenty-three-seven request, uh -- yeah we've got it back under control there -- no we don't (unintelligible).

------ < 4:15:19 p.m.:

Cockpit: L.A., Alaska 261, uh, we're with you, we're at twenty-two-five, we have a jammed stabilizer and we're maintaining altitude with difficulty, uh, but, uh, we can maintain altitude we think and our intention is to land at Los Angeles.

Tower: Alaska 261, L.A. center, roger, uh, you're cleared, uh, to Los Angeles airport via present position, uh, direct Santa Monica, direct Los Angeles, and, uh, you want to lower now or what do you wanna do sir?

Cockpit: Center, Alaska 261, I need to, uh, get down about ten, change my configuration, make sure I can control the jet and I'd like to do that out here over the bay if I may.

------ < 4:19:39 p.m.:

Private pilot: Five-zero delta X-ray, that plane has just started to do a big, huge plunge.

Tower: A big huge plunge, ah, thank you. Sky West 5154 the MD-80 is, ah, one becoming about two o'clock about 10 miles now. Another pilot reports he's really looking pretty bad there ahead and to your right. Do you see him?

Sky West pilot: Yes sir, ah, I concur he is, uh, definitely in a nose down, uh, position, descending quite rapidly.

Tower: OK very good, keep your eye on him. Alaska 261, are you here with us yet sir?

------ < 4:20:59 p.m.:

Private pilot: And he's just hit the water.

Sky West pilot: Ah, yes sir, he, ah, he, ah, hit the water. He's, ah, down.

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