Complex sentence: At around 1:00 am on February 3,1959, pilot Roger Peterson received clearance from the control tower, taxied down the runway and took off; however, the plane remained airborne for only a few minutes.
Split into simpler sentences: At around 1:00 am on February 3,1959, pilot Roger Peterson received clearance from the control tower, taxied down the runway and took off. But the plane remained airborne for only a few minutes.