>>1897370The phrase "We gaan" is a Dutch phrase that translates to "We're going" in English. In the context of the Tenerife airport disaster, the phrase was used by the captain of KLM Flight 4805, Veldhuyzen van Zanten, just before his plane collided with another plane on the runway. Veldhuyzen van Zanten, believed that he had received clearance to take off from the control tower, but due to miscommunication and confusion, he had not actually been cleared to do so.
At the time of the accident, the airport was experiencing heavy fog and was operating under "instrument meteorological conditions," which means that pilots were required to navigate using their instruments rather than visual cues. The control tower was extremely busy, with several planes waiting to take off and others trying to taxi to their gates. As a result, there was a lot of radio traffic and communication was difficult.
When the air traffic controller cleared KLM Flight 4805 to taxi down the runway, he included instructions for the flight to take off, but he did not actually give clearance for takeoff. However, due to a misunderstanding, van Zanten and his crew believed that they had been cleared to take off and began their takeoff roll, despite the fact that Pan Am Flight 1736 was still on the runway.
It's important to note that the exact reasons for the miscommunication and confusion that led to the accident are still a matter of debate and have been the subject of extensive investigation and analysis.
