Part 2/10:
Delta Airlines Flight 1086, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, embarked on what would be its final flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta to the busy airspace of LaGuardia in New York. With experienced pilots at the controls—Captain Theodore Lower and First Officer David Phillips—the flight carried 127 passengers and five crew members. The MD-88 had a long-standing reputation for safety and reliability, yet its unique rear-mounted engine design would soon factor into the flight's unfortunate outcome.