Here is a transcript of the flight’s last minutes Nov. 10, 2015. Numbers are military times. HOT 1 is the pilot (the first officer was piloting the plane); HOT 2 is the co-pilot (the captain was co-piloting). CAM refers to a sound picked up from the plane. APR and RDO are others who were on the same frequency. Asterisks (*) mark unintelligible words and pound symbols (#) mark expletives.
14:49:41.3 HOT-1: Look, you’re going one twenty. [120 is speed in knots] You can’t keep decreasing your speed **--
14:49:45.3 HOT-2: No. One tw--. How do you get one twenty? (said with emphasis)
14:49:47.1 HOT-2: ** one twenty five **.
14:49:48.9 HOT-1: V-ref plus (fifteen). [v-ref is the landing reference speed moments before touchdown]
14:49:50.9 HOT-2: (Which) is the approach speed.
14:49:53.0 HOT-1: You’ve (still) got. flaps to go. *
14:49:54.9 HOT-2: And when you put them —
14:49:56.1 HOT-1: That’s what I’m saying. If you keep decreasing your speed—.
14:50:00.3 HOT-2: But why?
14:50:02.1 HOT-1: * because we gonna stall. I don’t want to sta—
14:50:03.9 HOT-2: How do you—
14:50:05.1 HOT-1: (But in) I-M-C.
14:50:12.5 HOT-1: All right. After Akron. We are down to.
14:50:16.2 HOT-2: Minimums.
14:50:17.0 HOT-1: Fifteen hundred.
14:50:21.0 HOT-? ***--.
14:50:29.7 RDO-1: (we’ll change on to the advisory frequency) ***.
14:50:35.8 HOT-? ***.
14:50:50.8 HOT-? (one) mile.
14:50:53.9 AC-91S: Hey, guys. Ah, we just landed on the loc. And, uh, broke out right at minimums (right at a) mile.
14:50:58.9 RDO-1: Appreciate it.
14:51:00.9 HOT-2: (Four) miles. Full flaps.
14:51:06.7 HOT-1: Gear down. Before landing. Three lights. One. And.
14:51:13.6 CAM (sound of decreased background sound, similar to power reduction)
14:51:14.4 HOT-1: (Are) we going down to.
14:51:15.7 HOT-2: (to).
14:51:17.1 HOT-1 *.
14:51:17.4 CAM [sound of thunk]
14:51:31.3 HOT-2: All right, we go to minimums.
14:51:32.9 HOT-1: All right.
14:51:36.3 HOT-2: Can you check. Can you check (if I got) (everything)? (ignition).
14:51:39.6 HOT-1: Everything is (all set).
14:51:56.6 HOT-1: On localizer. You’re diving. You’re diving. Don’t dive. Two thousand feet per minute, buddy ... (said with emphasis)
14:52:01.8 HOT-2: Yeah.
14:52:02.5 HOT-1: ... two thousand feet per minu — don’t go 2,000 feet per minute (said with emphasis).
14:52:05.1 HOT-1: You’re ** (me there).
14:52:06.4 HOT-1: Oh, don’t.
14:52:07.1 HOT-2: Yeah.
14:52:07.3 HOT-1: Don’t go 2,000 feet per minute
14:52:10.2 HOT-1: When you are fifteen hundred feet above the ground. Or minimums.
14:52:20.5 HOT-1: Keep going.
14:52:27.3 HOT-1: OK, level off, guy (spoken rapidly).
14:52:27.4 CAM sound of rattle, similar to stick shaker
14:52:28.3 HOT-2: Got it.
14:52:30.1 CAM sound of rattle, similar to stick shaker
14:52:31.3 HOT-1: Oh, #. (focus). (spoken loudly, rapidly)
14:52:32.8 GPWS: Pull up. [GPWS is the ground proximity warning.]
14:52:33.6 HOT-1 and or 2: Oh, oh, oh, oh (said with emphasis).
14:52:34.7 HOT sound of thunk, similar to impact