Three Years Later

Susan Wilkie of Chicago, Ill., wipes away tears as she stands near the ocean Jan. 31, 2003, during a rememberance ceremony for the victims of Flight 261 near the Port Hueneme Pier in Port Hueneme, Calif. Her husband, Steve Wilkie, was one of 88 aboard the ill-fated Alaska Airlines flight spiraled out of control Jan. 31, 2000, and into the ocean.

A new bronze memorial for the victims of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was unveiled Jan. 31, 2003. The giant bronze sundial sculpture with leaping dolphins at its base and 88 plaques bearing the victims' names was dedicated three years from the day the airplane crashed 10 miles off shore, killing everyone aboard.

Family members of the victims of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 embrace as they dedicate the memorial. Federal authorities have reopened a criminal investigation into the crash of Alaska Airlines' Flight 261, the Seattle-based airline's parent company disclosed in a regulatory filing March 12, 2003.

Family members console each other after placing roses by the newly unveiled memorial.

The investigation into the crash is continuing. Almost from the beginning, investigators focused on a lack of grease on the jet's jackscrew, a tail component that helps move the plane's stabilizer and sets the angle of flight. In December 2002, the NTSB ruled that the airline's shoddy maintenance was the reason for a lack of grease, excessive wear and the eventual failure of the jackscrew.

Jeff Hatleberg hugs his sister, JoAnne Jamieson, both of Eugene, Ore., during the memorial ceremony Jan. 31, 2003, in Port Hueneme, Calif., for the victims of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. Jeff and JoAnne lost their parents, Glenn and Barbara Hatleberg, in the crash.

A family member of one of those who died in the Alaskan Airlines Flight 261 to place a rose at the new memorial.