25 Years Since Delta 191 Crash; Rescuers Remember

A granite memorial will soon pay tribute to rescuers and victims of the Delta Airlines Flight 191 crash at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

A ceremony was planned Monday at the airport, on the 25th anniversary of the fiery jumbo jet crash. The airliner, first sped up and then slowed down by windshear, clipped a car on state Highway 114, killing the driver, before bouncing into a water tank and exploding on the north side of the airport.

When the plane struck the storage tanks it sent millions of gallons of water into the field. In some places, firefighters and rescuers found themeselves wading through neck-high water that was full of debris and burning jet fuel.

In all,137 people were killed on the flight from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The crash drew attention to ways to better detect wind shear and other weather phenomena, brought about many improvements to emergency response vehicles and rescue techniques and changed the way pilots communicate while in the cockpit.

DFW airport spokesman David Magana said the granite memorial, about two miles west of the crash site, will also honor emergency responders to the Aug. 25, 1985, accident.

NBC DFW's Scott Friedman contributed to this report.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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