Northwest Airlines Flight 255 , a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 , crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16 , 1987 , at about 8:46 p.m. EDT ( 00:46 UTC August 17 ) , killing all six crew members and 148 of its 149 passengers .
Northwest Airlines Flight 255 , a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 , crashed in Romulus , Michigan shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16 , 1987 , at about 8:46 p.m. EDT ( 00:46 UTC August 17 ) . It killed all six crew members and 148 passengers .