CVR transcript Alitalia Flight 4128 - 23 - DEC 1978
Cockpit voice recorder transcript of the December 23, 1978 accident of Alitalia Flight 4128, a Douglas DC-9 off Palermo.
Source: English translation of original Italian transcript of the CVR, reported on VOLARE, year V, n. 44.
CVR transcript provided by Enrico Zaffiri.
The reader of these transcripts is cautioned that the transcription of a CVR tape is not a precise science but is the best possible product from a group investigative effort. The transcript, or parts thereof, if taken out of context can be misleading. Therefore, the CVR transcripts should only be viewed as an investigative tool to be used in conjunction with other evidence. Conclusions or interpretations should not be made using the transcript as the sole source of information.
Furthermore, this transcript is made available for educational purposes, so the reader is encouraged to read the accident description associated with the transcripts for better understanding of the circumstances.
Furthermore, this transcript is made available for educational purposes, so the reader is encouraged to read the accident description associated with the transcripts for better understanding of the circumstances.
Legenda:
APP: Palermo Procedural Approach Control
CAPT: Captain
PIL: Co-Pilot
Stw: steward
RDR: Palermo Radar Monitor
C.RAD: radio transmission by the Captain
[...]: phrases included in square brackets are integration for better clarity.
APP: Palermo Procedural Approach Control
CAPT: Captain
PIL: Co-Pilot
Stw: steward
RDR: Palermo Radar Monitor
C.RAD: radio transmission by the Captain
[...]: phrases included in square brackets are integration for better clarity.
| time | source | content |
|---|---|---|
| 0:34:00 | PIL | Let's say we're leaving Guffy and four thousand. [position about 17.5 NM from PRS, altitude about 4100 ft, slightly east of the 217 radial] |
| C.RAD | Alitalia four one two eight leaving Guffy and four thousand. | |
| APP | Roger, leaving Guffy and four thousand at three-five. Report...twelve miles out. | |
| C.RAD | Twelve miles out. | |
| 0:35:15 | APP | For further, contact Radar 118.6 |
| C.RAD | One-eighteen-six. | |
| C.RAD | Radar, four-one-two-eight, good evening | |
| RDR | 4128, Radar, good evening, go ahead. | |
| C.RAD | We're leaving three thousand now and we're thirteen and half miles from Rais [PRS VOR/DME] | |
| RDR | Roger. Proceed as cleared by the Approach. Report ten miles from PRS for identification. Radar monitor service, VOR/DME two approach, runway in use 21. | |
| C.RAD | Runway 21. VOR/DME two. We'll call you at ten miles. | |
| PIL | Uh, if it's a run...we could also make a straight... | |
| Stw | Nooo.... | |
| PIL | Ah... | |
| CAPT | Mmmh...uh...Straight, there it is. Straighter than this...we're going straight to the runway. We have it slightly displaced... | |
| Stw | Yeah, I've briefly got it. | |
| CAPT | Me too, but it appears then disappers... | |
| Stw | ...then desappears and we get fucked ! | |
| PIL | Ten miles now. | |
| 0:37:00 | C.RAD | Ten miles, 4128. |
| RDR | Identified. Continue [approach]. Slightly to the right, to the right of the 217 [radial]. Report runway in sight. | |
| C.RAD. | We'll call you with the runway in sight. (Sound of radioaltimeter tone, preselected) [Aircraft is passing 2000 ft radio, about 10.5 NM out, almost perfectly aligned with the 217 radial, slightly below theoretical descent path] | |
| PIL | I see the runway. | |
| Stw | It could be that one... | |
| CAPT | No, it's better to... | |
| PIL | Radioaltimeter...our minima here are seven hundred. | |
| PIL | He told us we're to the right... | |
| CAPT | Slightly to the right. | |
| PIL | I'd say we're to the left. | |
| Stw | To left for me also. | |
| CAPT | Uh... | |
| 0:37:30 | PIL | The runway, that's it just ahead of us. So we were slightly to the right and not to the left. [according to radar recordings, distance is now 7.5 NM from PRS and the aircraft is diverging from the radial, being slightly to the east, that is to say right o |
| RDR | Seven miles. Aligned now. Continue and report. | |
| C.RAD. | We'll report. | |
| CAPT | Would we put something ? | |
| PIL | Fifteen ! [flaps are lowered to 15 ] | |
| PIL | Those were other lights. | |
| Stw | Maybe I was fooled by that one... | |
| 00: 38: 00 | PIL | Gear. [landing gear is extended. The aircrafts is at about 6 DME, approaching 700 ft when altitude should be 1500 ft, east of the 217 radial] |
| (sound of radioaltimeter tone, 700 ft preselected) | ||
| RDR | 4128, now you're going to the left of radial. Going left of radial, about...one mile. [this information is correct regarding to the aircraft] | |
| C.RAD. | We're slightly left of radial. Which is our position at the moment ? | |
| RDR | Your position five miles. Five miles from PRS. | |
| CAPT | You got this one. But the runway is that one ! | |
| Stw | Uh. | |
| PIL | So he gave us wrong indications. | |
| CAPT | Yes. | |
| RDR | 4128, Radar. [The pilot initiates a mild right turn while continuing descent) | |
| C.RAD. | Go ahead. | |
| RDR | Four miles, still left of two-one seven. | |
| 0:38:40 | (sound of radioaltimeter tone, 200 ft, automatic) | |
| CAPT | Wait a minute... | |
| PIL | So he gave us wrong indications... [Descent is stopped] | |
| CAPT | Let's call Radar... | |
| PIL | We thought we were to the left... (noise of crash. End of recording) |
