A Chronology of the Crash of Flight 587

Nov. 14, 2001 -- It was less than three minutes from the time that American Airlines Flight 587 lifted off a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport until it crashed into a residential neighborhood of New York City, killing everyone on board and at least five people on the ground. Here is a chronology:

9:14:34 a.m. — American Airlines Flight 587 departs JFK, retracts landing gear and begins ascent. Altitude: 100 feet. Speed: 162 mph.

9:14:53 a.m. — Plane starts to level off, begins to turn to the left. Altitude: 1,000 feet. Speed: 213 mph.

9:15:16 a.m. — Pilots bring the plane out of its turn and decrease the acceleration. Altitude: 1,500 feet. Speed: 243 mph.

9:15:29 a.m. — The plane, well out over Jamaica Bay, begins to climb again though speed is nearly steady. Altitude: 1,700 feet. Speed: 268 mph.

9:15:47 a.m. — The cockpit voice recorder picks up the sound of a rattle throughout airplane. Altitude: Approximately 2,400 feet. Speed: Approximately 273 mph.

9:15:54 a.m. — Pilots discuss the rattling sound and the plane's shaking, saying they are encountering turbulence from a Japan Airlines 747 that took off two minutes before the American Airlines flight. Altitude: Approximately 2,600 feet. Speed: 273 mph.

9:16:01 a.m. — The plane rattles for a second time as it reaches the northern shoreline of Rockaway peninsula, and the transponder records its final altitude and speed readings. Altitude: 2,800 feet. Speed: 273 mph.

9:16:05 a.m. — The first mate, who was piloting the plane, calls for maximum power.

9:16:07 a.m. — Pilots talk about their inability to control the plane.

Source of altitude and speed data: Megadata PASSUR System.