Transcript of the cockpit voice recorder on the AWACS plane in the 90 seconds before it crashed on September 22. Times are local for Anchorage, Alaska.
7:45:41 a.m. Radio transmission from copilot: And Yukla Two Seven Heavy (the AWACS' call sign) cleared for takeoff, traffic in sight.
7:45:44 Co-pilot: Cleared for takeoff, crew.
7:45:45 Flight Engineer: (Unidentifiable) check complete.
7:45:45 Cockpit microphone: (sound of engines revving)
7:45:47 Pilot: Engineer, set takeoff power.
7:45:49 Cockpit microphone: (engines spool up)
7:46:09 Co-pilot: Eighty knots, co-pilot's aircraft.
7:46:11 Pilot: Your airplane.
7:46:20 Pilot: V1.
7:46:28 Pilot: Rotate. (Plane leaves ground.)
7:46:28 Co-pilot: All the birds.
7:46:31 Flight Engineer: Lotta birds here.
7:46:33 Pilot: (Expletive) we took one.
7:46:33 Aircraft Commander: (Expletive) we took one.
7:46:36 Co-pilot: What do I got?
7:46:37 Flight Engineer: We took two of `em.
7:46:37 Pilot: We got two motors.
7:46:37 Flight Engineer: Flight start.
7:46:38 Co-pilot: Roger that.
7:46:40 Pilot: Take me to override.
7:46:41 Co-pilot: Go to override on, on the --
7:46:43 Radio transmission from co-pilot: Elmendorf tower. Yukla Two Seven Heavy has an emergency. Lost ah No. 2 engine. We've taken some birds.
7:46:44 Instructor Flight Engineer: You're in override. There's the rudder.
7:46:46 Flight Engineer: Got it.
7:46:47 Instructor Flight Engineer: You're in override.
7:46:48 Pilot: Thank you.
7:46:49 Flight engineer: Start dumping fuel.
7:46:51 Pilot: Start dumping.
7:46:52 Tower: Yukla Two Seven Heavy, Roger. Say intentions.
7:46:56 Radio transmission from co-pilot: Yukla Zero Two Heavy's coming back around for an emergency return.
7:46:58 Co-pilot: Lower the nose, lower the nose, lower the nose.
7:47:00 Tower: Two Seven Heavy, roger.
7:47:02 Co-pilot?: Oh my God.
7:47:02 Pilot: Oh (Expletive.)
7:47:04 Co-pilot: OK, give it all you got, give it all you got.
7:47:06 Radio transmission from co-pilot: Two seven heavy, emergency.
7:47:09 Tower: Roll the crash, roll the crash.
7:47:11 Co-pilot: Crash (landing.)
7:47:11 Pilot: We're going in. We're going down.