Part 3/8:
The pilots struggled to maintain control over the aircraft, exerting extreme force on their control columns to keep Flight 261 flying at a safe altitude. Although the plane stabilized at cruising altitude, hidden mechanical failures were about to precipitate a catastrophic disaster.
The Hidden Danger of Maintenance Cuts
Behind the scenes, the root of the problem lay in Alaska Airlines’ management decisions. Cost-cutting measures had led to a lack of essential maintenance on critical components like the jack screw assembly that controlled the stabilizer. Over time, the threads within this assembly had worn down dangerously. Unfortunately, the crew was unaware that the threads were merely hanging on by a thread, making this an inevitable disaster waiting to happen.