On This Day: August 16, 1987 — Northwest Airlines Flight 255 and the 4-Year-Old Who Survived Alone
Quick Answer: Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed on August 16, 1987, seconds after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing 154 of the 155 people on board. The crew had failed to extend the wing flaps before liftoff — a single pre-takeoff checklist item left unchecked. The sole survivor was 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan, found still strapped…