Part 2/8:

With the eastern United States experiencing severe weather, the flight took off nearly two hours late at 11:05 PM. The captain, Kenneth Lee, a veteran pilot with over 8,000 flying hours, and the first officer, John Richards, with 5,000 hours, faced an immediate challenge as they ascended into turbulent skies. The situation worsened when the air traffic control tower at Bradley was evacuated, leaving a solitary supervisor behind who was unaccustomed to manning the controls.