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  • 5/21/2025

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00:00Requesting permission to land.
00:03Boeing 737 was heading to the Brazilian airport off the coast of the Amazon.
00:07Weren't we supposed to land in Belen?
00:09I think we're close.
00:11But flight VARIC 254 has not yet arrived at the destination.
00:15Something is clearly wrong here.
00:18No visible lights.
00:2054 people and a jetliner disappeared without a trace.
00:23When the flight did not arrive, the emergency status was announced.
00:28They checked the area where the plane was supposed to be, but it was not there.
00:33Desperate search of the missing plane.
00:36We need to look here.
00:38They led to an amazing find.
00:40It's some kind of mystique.
00:42Air Disaster Investigation
00:55Air Disaster Investigation.
00:57This is a true story based on official documents and testimony of eyewitnesses.
01:07In the late 1990s, Brazil was experiencing a transitional period.
01:11The largest state in South America was preparing for the first presidential election in 30 years.
01:18But on that day, all eyes were on another competition.
01:24Millions of football fans in Brazil watched the fight between their favorite team and an old rival,
01:29the Chilean national team, in the final qualifying match of the World Cup.
01:35It was a very important match.
01:37Because in case of defeat, the Brazilian team would leave the fight for a trip to the World Cup for the first time.
01:49Everyone talked about this decisive match in Rio.
01:54Even at a distance of more than 1500 kilometers, at Maraba airport,
01:58where the crew of the Varig 254 was preparing for takeoff.
02:02The external inspection is complete.
02:04Nilsson, do you think Chile has a chance today?
02:08At the World Cup, no one has a chance in the match against Brazil.
02:15The 254 flight of the Varig airline was supposed to fly north from the mining town of Maraba to Belen,
02:21in the mouth of the Amazon.
02:24The crew checked the forecast and set the course for the flight to the destination.
02:29Boeing 737-200 is an old generation aircraft.
02:33Its navigation equipment does not include a modern positioning system.
02:38It is guided by old radio navigation systems.
02:44There were 48 passengers on board, including Carlos Siqueira.
02:51I was on vacation. I worked at a mine in Maraba and returned home to Belen.
02:59Let's go.
03:05That evening, the captain was Cesar Garces.
03:09The second pilot, Nilsson Zille, was watching the devices.
03:13Takeoff.
03:16Takeoff.
03:19Boeing 737 took off at 17.35.
03:23It was an ordinary flight.
03:26The day was clear, the weather was good.
03:30There were no reasons to be worried at all.
03:37The flight was supposed to last less than an hour.
03:41I worked in Maraba and usually flew this flight every 20 days.
03:46In 23 minutes, the on-board computer showed that they were approaching Belen.
03:52The aircraft was equipped with a performance control system.
03:57The flight range was entered, and the system helped to effectively consume fuel.
04:02We almost arrived.
04:05The pilots tried to contact the airport dispatchers.
04:08Belen Tower, Varik 254, request permission to descend.
04:12Oddly enough, the tower did not respond.
04:16Belen Tower, Varik 254.
04:21Belen Tower, do you read me?
04:27Let me try.
04:29Belen Tower, Varik 254, request permission to descend.
04:33Belen Tower, do you read me?
04:35Let me try.
04:36Belen Tower, Varik 254.
04:41I think the pilots were surprised.
04:44First, they had problems with radio communication.
04:47Why can't they contact the air traffic controllers?
04:51That's funny.
04:52What?
04:54There is no beacon signal.
04:56High-frequency all-directional azimuthal radio beacons, or RMA, are installed at airports.
05:03They send signals through which planes find take-off and landing lanes.
05:08Nothing.
05:09The Varik 254 flight did not receive a signal from Belen Airport.
05:14I will contact the tower via RMA.
05:16The aircraft commander switched the radio to the high-frequency range and tried to establish communication.
05:22Belen Tower, Varik 254.
05:25They were not able to contact the air traffic controllers via RMA.
05:30It happens occasionally.
05:32And it requires the use of a much longer range radio system.
05:38Belen Tower, Varik 254.
05:41The strategy worked.
05:43Varik 254, Belen Tower, do you read me?
05:46As you approach the destination,
05:48you have a radio navigation system tuned to a specific beacon on the ground.
05:54Belen, we're on our way, but we don't see RMA.
05:57Is the beacon out of order?
05:59Not at all, 254.
06:00You have a problem.
06:03In this case, they did not see the signal.
06:05Understood.
06:06And they were calculating the coordinates or calculating the location.
06:12The commander evaluated the data of the performance control system and calculated the arrival time.
06:17Belen, we're 25 minutes.
06:19We ask for permission to land.
06:23Roger.
06:24Varik 254.
06:25Clear to go down to echelon 2-0-0.
06:30The dispatcher allowed the take off to 6,100 meters.
06:34Echelon 2-0-0, Varik 254.
06:37Air traffic controllers do not radars,
06:39they separate them from the plane by time.
06:42So these messages in the radar of the location are crucial.
06:45If the calculated arrival time is more than 3 minutes,
06:48the dispatcher must be notified of it.
06:55The plane was supposed to arrive at the airport soon.
06:58When the plane started to descend,
07:01it seemed that it was just a normal landing.
07:06The plane descended below the clouds,
07:08and the commander began to search for Belen's lights.
07:13They flew out of the clouds, expecting to see a familiar terrain.
07:19Where are the lights?
07:20Expecting to see the airport.
07:22Where is the airport?
07:25To visually align the plane for landing on the runway.
07:28But they didn't see anything.
07:30Ahead, wherever you look, there was only darkness.
07:37Then everyone thought,
07:39where is he going to land?
07:41There is no runway.
07:43There is no city.
07:45We were supposed to land in Belen.
07:47Panic began to rise in the cabin.
07:50People asked, why are we not in Belen?
07:53What's going on?
07:59Wait a minute.
08:01I think we just flew past the airport.
08:04Perhaps the crew realized what the problem was.
08:07The on-board computer showed
08:09that they flew 50 kilometers away from the destination.
08:12Do you want to turn around?
08:14Yes. Right turn course 090.
08:20Right turn course 090.
08:24The crew realized they made a small navigation mistake.
08:28They needed to find the airport and land.
08:33The pilot didn't explain anything.
08:35He just started turning the plane around.
08:38It was already dark.
08:43Belen, we are very close.
08:45Requesting further descent to runway 4-0.
08:482-5-4, you are cleared for descent to runway 4-0.
08:51Requesting further descent to runway 4-0.
08:56The dispatcher allowed a further descent to a height of 1,200 meters.
09:00The commander expected to land in Belen within 5 minutes.
09:06Brazil took the lead on the football field.
09:09The world championship was becoming more and more real.
09:13But in the air,
09:15you can't see the lights.
09:18The pilots of the flight 2-5-4 couldn't find the airport.
09:23Their actions indicate
09:25that they started realizing
09:28that they don't know where they are.
09:31What's our fuel?
09:33Now the question arises,
09:35what do we do now?
09:41At the Belen airport, the dispatcher began to worry.
09:45Flight 2-5-4 was supposed to land 10 minutes ago.
09:52You can't see the lights.
09:57Then they realized that there was a serious problem.
10:00When the flight did not arrive,
10:02an emergency was declared.
10:07On board the flight 2-5-4, the situation became critical.
10:11We need to land, or the fuel will run out.
10:15I think we're close.
10:17According to the pilots, the plane flew over Belen,
10:20but they didn't see the city,
10:22although it's hard not to notice it.
10:24They didn't understand what was going on.
10:26Let's try to catch the local radio station.
10:29The commander of the aircraft
10:31tried to tune in to the frequency of the local radio station,
10:34hoping that the signal would help them determine where the city is.
10:38This radio compass or ARK
10:40is capable of tuning up to the frequency of the local radio station
10:43with amplitude modulation.
10:45This device would have been very helpful,
10:47because that area was sparsely populated,
10:49and there was no visual orientation.
10:51It's the Amazon jungle.
10:56Reports of the super-important football match
10:58were broadcast all over the country.
11:01Brazil won 1-0.
11:0420 minutes remained until the end of the match.
11:09Suddenly, there was an incident on the field.
11:13One of the fans threw a firecracker,
11:15which fell right next to the Chilean goalkeeper.
11:18He pretended that the firecracker hit him
11:21and cut himself with a blade.
11:25His whole face was covered in blood,
11:28and the Chilean team left the field.
11:34In case of leaving the field for safety reasons,
11:37the Chileans could announce the winners of the match.
11:41On board of flight 254,
11:43the pilots were able to catch the local radio station
11:45broadcasting the match.
11:48Now we can follow the signal towards Belen.
11:51Turning right, heading 165.
11:56The passengers could not understand
11:58why the plane was turning again.
12:01We were very excited.
12:04The plane was flying back and forth.
12:08The stars and the moon were on one side,
12:11and now they are on the other side.
12:13Something is wrong here.
12:15What's going on?
12:17The commander of the aircraft was sure
12:19that he took the right course.
12:21He noticed the compass on the radar.
12:23There we go.
12:26We're over the Amazon.
12:28Belen is at the mouth of the Amazon.
12:30The river was supposed to take the pilot to the city,
12:33but a few minutes later,
12:35there was a serious problem.
12:37The fuel was running out.
12:39Flight 254 was almost out of fuel.
12:41Suddenly, the pilots realized
12:43that they couldn't make it to Belen.
12:45Do you want to put out some flaps
12:47in case of a loss of power?
12:49Yes.
12:50They were forced to make an emergency landing
12:53in the dense Amazon jungle.
12:55Flaps to two.
12:57Flaps to full.
12:59We need to do a control descent.
13:02I better prepare this situation.
13:06Ladies and gentlemen,
13:08we had a malfunction with the navigation equipment.
13:11We will make a forced landing.
13:14What did he say to us?
13:16He said that there will be a forced landing
13:19and that we need to take a safe position,
13:22lower our heads and keep our legs together.
13:26And that God will help us.
13:28That's what he said.
13:30And that God will help us.
13:36Panic started in the cabin.
13:40Some prayed.
13:42Others rushed to the bar
13:44and drank everything.
13:46Someone was looking for the best place
13:49in case of an accident.
13:51One of the passengers
13:53sat in the last row.
13:55He took the airbags
13:57and covered himself with them.
14:02At 20.45,
14:04fuel ran out on board of flight 254.
14:07First, the left engine stopped.
14:11We just lost the engine.
14:13Hang on.
14:15I'm going to put her down.
14:17There goes the other one.
14:47There were only a few seconds
14:49before the inevitable collision.
14:53You just need to sit down.
14:55Softly.
14:57And quietly.
15:02Then the plane started to touch
15:04the top of the trees.
15:08Everyone was preparing for the worst.
15:17And then...
15:38It was the most difficult
15:40forced landing in the history of aviation.
15:43It feels weird to say.
16:13Many were seriously injured,
16:15including the second pilot, Zille.
16:19On one side, the second pilot,
16:21Nilsen Zille, was pierced by a branch.
16:23The wound was serious.
16:25He had a leg fracture and a shoulder fracture.
16:28Nilsen,
16:29Commander Garces quickly took
16:31the situation under control.
16:33I'll come back to you.
16:34I have to check the passengers.
16:36The commander of the aircraft, Garces,
16:38was not injured.
16:39There were no scratches on him.
16:43No!
16:50From that moment on,
16:52Garces acted like a commander.
16:56He helped those who could.
16:59He freed everyone who could
17:01from the rubble.
17:03We have to get you out of here, okay?
17:05Can you hear me?
17:06We have to get you out of here.
17:08Okay, listen.
17:13It was a miracle.
17:14But now their survival
17:15was under a new threat.
17:17They were in the middle of
17:18endless Amazonian jungles,
17:20without food and water,
17:21without the certainty
17:22that they would ever be found.
17:25Is there anyone?
17:34The damaged fuselage of the Boeing 737
17:36was now the only refuge
17:38for the survivors of the
17:40Varik 254 flight.
17:42The sudden disappearance of the plane
17:44over the Amazonian jungles
17:45caused concern
17:46in the Brazilian aviation services.
17:49They turned to Colonel Ronald Jenkins,
17:52an aviation disaster investigation specialist
17:54of the Brazilian Air Force.
17:56They called me and told me
17:59that the passenger plane
18:01was supposed to land in Belém,
18:03but it did not.
18:05No one knew
18:06what exactly happened to it.
18:09They left Maraba on time,
18:15but never got to Belém.
18:18This is our searcher,
18:19right here, gentlemen.
18:22The first thing we had to do
18:25was find the plane
18:26and figure out
18:27how to get to it.
18:29At first, we did not know
18:32what had happened.
18:39The investigators talked to the last person
18:41who had anything to do with the 254 flight,
18:43an air traffic controller from Belém.
18:47According to the controllers,
18:49the connection was normal.
18:51There was only one strange fact.
18:53The plane did not receive the RMA signal
18:56in Belém.
18:59He said it was close
19:01and asked for permission to land.
19:03There was no radar at the airport in Belém.
19:05The controller could tell the investigators
19:07that this was the last
19:09claimed location of the plane.
19:11Because there was no radar,
19:13the air traffic controller relied
19:15only on the navigational skills of the pilots
19:17and their timely reports.
19:21Having no other information,
19:23the rescuers concentrated their search
19:25in the vicinity of Belém,
19:27but found no signs of the 254 flight.
19:30Searches never start
19:32with a certain warning
19:34about what happened.
19:37In other words,
19:39you start looking for an aircraft
19:41that left one point
19:43and was supposed to arrive at another.
19:46The investigators also began to study
19:48the satellite data,
19:50hoping to find a signal
19:52of the plane's emergency transmitter.
19:54The emergency radio beacon
19:56is activated after the incident
19:58to help rescuers detect the plane.
20:00The impact should have set off their beacon.
20:02All we have to do
20:04is to identify the 254 flight.
20:08But the radio beacon
20:10transmitted a signal
20:12at the same frequency
20:14as the other emergency transmitters,
20:16which made it difficult
20:18to identify the plane.
20:20Each time,
20:22when using this frequency,
20:24the satellite receives these signals,
20:26so a lot of work had to be done
20:28to find out
20:30exactly where the plane was.
20:32Meanwhile, in the Amazon jungle,
20:34the survivors of the 254 flight
20:36were desperately fighting for survival.
20:42I joined a group
20:44that went
20:46to look for water.
20:50There was a stream nearby.
20:52We got drunk and got water
20:54for those who stayed on the plane.
20:56Drink some water.
20:59Here's some water.
21:01But as Carlos did not try,
21:03he could not save everyone.
21:05There were seriously injured passengers.
21:07They began to die
21:09in terrible torments.
21:13If there is no help soon,
21:15there will be more deaths.
21:17The commander hoped
21:19that the rescuers from Belen
21:21would find the place of the accident
21:23in a few hours.
21:25A day passed,
21:27and the emergency radio beacon
21:29did not send a signal.
21:31I think it will work
21:33if I just pour water on it.
21:35Some beacons should work
21:37only when the plane falls into the sea.
21:39In the case of the Varig airplane,
21:41the emergency radio beacon
21:43worked only after it was
21:45immersed in water.
21:49In order not to waste precious water,
21:51Garcés found an original solution.
21:57We immersed ourselves in the container
21:59to immerse the beacon
22:01and activate it.
22:07I will send a helicopter
22:09and find out the source of this signal.
22:13The rescuers always can't wait
22:15to take the plane as soon as possible,
22:17because the most realistic thing
22:19is to survive the first two days.
22:21After this time,
22:23the survivors will most likely die.
22:27After two nights in the jungle,
22:29the survivors realized
22:31that they could not just sit
22:33and wait for salvation.
22:35People were weakened.
22:37We had water,
22:39but there was no food.
22:41Good luck!
22:43A small group went to the jungle
22:45for help.
22:51After a few hours,
22:53they came across a farm.
22:55The rescue was coming to an end.
22:57The survivors were found.
22:59Everyone felt relieved,
23:01knowing that the picture
23:03was not as tragic as expected.
23:05There was an irresistible desire
23:07to get there as soon as possible
23:09and start the evacuation.
23:11But then the investigators were shocked.
23:13Where did you say they were found?
23:15The place of the accident
23:17was not at all close to Belén.
23:19It fell right here.
23:21The wreckage of the plane
23:23was found in the jungle
23:251,100 kilometers from the destination.
23:27How on earth did they get there?
23:31We were very surprised
23:33to find out that the plane
23:35was in that place,
23:37very far south-west,
23:39not at all where it should be.
23:45No wonder we couldn't spot the radio beacon.
23:47It was too far from the destination.
23:49The search and rescue team
23:51flew to the place of the crash,
23:53and the investigators were puzzled.
23:57They were not supposed to be there.
23:59So they got lost during the flight.
24:01What caused it
24:03remains a mystery.
24:11The Brazilian military
24:13got to the remote location
24:15of the crash of the Varig 254.
24:17The plane was evacuated by air.
24:19Five people died
24:21while waiting for the rescuers.
24:23Another one died later.
24:27Several people died
24:29not during the crash,
24:31but later,
24:33due to the lack of medical assistance.
24:37Many people think
24:39that there would have been
24:41much more dead
24:43if it had not been for
24:45the Brazilian people
24:47who considered Garcet
24:49a real hero,
24:51because he managed
24:53to land the plane in the dark
24:55and save 42 passengers
24:57out of 54.
25:01I know this guy.
25:03He's a good pilot.
25:05I'm going to put her down.
25:07The investigators were puzzled
25:09how such a model pilot
25:11like Garcet
25:13could do such a thing.
25:15I worked as an inspector
25:17in the Varig airline
25:19and I evaluated Garcet's work
25:21twice.
25:23It was obvious to me
25:25that he was a very disciplined pilot
25:27and a real professional.
25:29He knew the aircraft,
25:31knew the procedures,
25:33he did everything right.
25:37Our navigation instruments
25:39didn't work.
25:41I've never seen anything like this.
25:43The aircraft's commander
25:45claimed that the equipment
25:47went out of order
25:49and he had to improvise
25:51for the radio signal.
25:53Why don't we see
25:55if we can pick up
25:57a local radio station from Belen?
25:59The news that the crew
26:01set up for a commercial radio
26:03caused suspicion
26:05that the pilots got lost
26:07because they were distracted
26:09You hear a lot of things
26:11during an accident
26:13that are based on
26:15ungrounded speculations.
26:17I would call it
26:19absolutely
26:21groundless.
26:23There were important evidence
26:25at the scene of the accident.
26:27Two flight attendants.
26:31The so-called black box
26:33kept detailed information
26:35about the course of the aircraft.
26:37The investigators hoped
26:39that this information
26:41would help to understand
26:43why the Bord 254
26:45deviated so much from the course.
26:47We were counting on the data
26:49of two flight attendants.
26:51Both pilots were alive
26:53and we thought
26:55that we would come
26:57to a certain conclusion.
26:59All the documents
27:01were taken out of the cabin.
27:03At that moment
27:05there were navigation schemes,
27:07manuals,
27:09notes.
27:13Everything that helped the pilots
27:15to control the aircraft.
27:17Each page
27:19was photographed
27:21to prevent further damage.
27:23Meanwhile,
27:25the investigators,
27:27using the data about the course,
27:29recreated the trajectory of the aircraft.
27:31They took off
27:33in the direction of course 270.
27:39The data of the flight attendants
27:41became the basis of the investigation.
27:43They allowed us to track
27:45the movement of the aircraft,
27:47its position,
27:49time intervals,
27:51where the aircraft flew.
27:53But this flight
27:55depicted a confusing picture.
27:57Instead of flying north,
27:59to Belen,
28:01the aircraft was flying in the wrong direction.
28:03They were flying in the wrong direction
28:05all the time.
28:07This became the main question
28:09of the investigation.
28:11Why was the aircraft
28:13so off course?
28:15Why?
28:17The mistake could be explained
28:19by a failure of the navigation system.
28:21But when the investigators
28:23tried to get an explanation
28:25from the crew,
28:27they came across an unexpected obstacle.
28:29The aircraft was flying in Rio de Janeiro
28:31and the investigators were not allowed
28:33to approach it for several days.
28:37The trade union believed
28:39that the investigators would be responsible
28:41for the crash of the pilots.
28:47So far, the investigators could hear
28:49the voices of the pilots
28:51only from the films of the autopilot.
28:53Let's hear it.
28:55We just lost our engine.
28:57Just sneeze.
28:59We just need to find out
29:01how to fly nice and slow.
29:11We just lost the other one.
29:17Rewind it, please.
29:19Start from the beginning.
29:25It's clear.
29:27It's different.
29:29We're over the Amazon.
29:33At the beginning of the recording,
29:35the pilots didn't know
29:37where they were.
29:39The accident happened
29:41at the beginning of the flight.
29:43The cockpit voice recorder
29:45records the last 30 minutes of the flight.
29:47Only in recent years
29:49the length of the recording
29:51has been increased to 2 hours.
29:55The problem started
29:57from the first minutes of the flight.
29:59The recording didn't record it
30:01because of the limitation
30:03of the length of the conversation
30:05in the cockpit voice recorder.
30:07The investigators needed more information.
30:09They studied the navigation devices
30:11extracted from the cockpit.
30:13We decided to conduct a full analysis
30:15of the entire navigation system
30:17of the aircraft.
30:21The commander complained
30:23that the navigation devices
30:25were deviating more than 1,000 km.
30:27It's strange.
30:29What?
30:31We're not picking up the beacon.
30:33The investigators had to understand
30:35what could cause such a malfunction.
30:37Otherwise, the lives of passengers
30:39around the world were in danger.
30:41We were very worried
30:43because in Brazil
30:45there were at least 30 aircraft
30:47of the same model.
30:49If this happened to one,
30:51it could happen to the others.
30:53The investigation was under
30:55a lot of pressure.
30:59The investigators examined
31:01the possibility that the navigation system
31:03of the aircraft Varig 254
31:05failed.
31:09In this situation,
31:11the pilots didn't know
31:13where they were.
31:15One question came up.
31:17What systems
31:19may have malfunctioned?
31:21They suspected
31:23that the key to the puzzle
31:25may be in the cargo.
31:27Boeing 737 has a magnetic sensor
31:29in the tail,
31:31which performs the function
31:33of the onboard compass.
31:35It tracks in which direction
31:37the aircraft is flying
31:39and transmits this information
31:41to the dashboard in the cockpit.
31:43If there was a strong magnetic field
31:45in the cargo compartment of the 254,
31:47the compass could detect
31:49even the pallets
31:51on which it lay.
31:55They also checked
31:57all components of the navigation system
31:59in search of signs of failure.
32:01But in the cargo compartment
32:03nothing could affect the compass,
32:05and the devices worked correctly.
32:09We confirmed
32:11that there could be
32:13no electromagnetic interference.
32:17Nothing could force
32:19to change the course
32:21or influence
32:23to make such a decision.
32:25As a result,
32:27there was a breakthrough.
32:29The flight plan was extracted from the cockpit.
32:31The airlines give flight plans
32:33to all the crews.
32:35They contain the most important data
32:37about the flight route,
32:39including the course.
32:43Let's see what this will give us.
32:47The airlines give the flight plan
32:49in the form of a computer printout
32:51to the flight crews.
32:53It provides a series of waypoints
32:55that the pilots must look for
32:57to fly the ground track.
32:59But what if the airlines
33:01gave the pilots a wrong flight plan
33:03that sent them
33:05in the opposite direction?
33:07Maybe this was the clue
33:09that everyone was looking for.
33:11I think I know what this is about.
33:13A detailed analysis of the flight plan
33:15of flight 254
33:17shed light on the matter.
33:19In this particular case,
33:21there were four numbers
33:23in the flight plan.
33:25This is very unusual.
33:27Almost always,
33:29the computer system
33:31has four digits.
33:33The numbers 0, 2, 7, 0
33:35were intended to be
33:3727.0 degrees.
33:39When we noticed this,
33:41it became clear
33:43that instead of setting
33:45the course to Belen,
33:470, 2, 7,
33:49the pilot set it to 2, 7, 0.
33:51He was supposed to fly
33:53north heading 0, 2, 7.
33:55The captain read it
33:57as 270 degrees
33:59to the west.
34:01So, instead of flying northeast,
34:03he was going west instead.
34:05So, instead of flying northeast,
34:07he was going west instead.
34:09He was going 2, 7, 0.
34:11He entered the wrong heading.
34:13He set the airplane
34:15up to depart west.
34:17270 degrees.
34:19What corresponds to the direction
34:21to the west on the compass
34:23is 243 degrees more
34:25than the given north direction,
34:2727 degrees.
34:29The moment of truth has come
34:31when Commander Garcezza
34:33was again invited
34:35I'll try to help you,
34:37but I think I've already told you
34:39everything I know.
34:41We told Garcezza,
34:43look, we have the onboard
34:45charts, the records,
34:47and all the documents.
34:49We have verified the reliability.
34:51Tell the truth.
34:55At first, he refused
34:57to admit that he made a mistake.
34:59We told him,
35:01Garcezza, tell the truth.
35:03You didn't have a problem
35:05with the navigation system.
35:07Under the harsh interrogation,
35:09Garcezza finally admitted
35:11that he read the flight plan
35:13incorrectly.
35:15Listen, it was not a mistake.
35:17From that moment on,
35:19the main cause of the accident
35:21was determined.
35:23The investigators found out
35:25that the airline started
35:27printing flight plans
35:29in a new way
35:31Now it is clear
35:33why he made a mistake.
35:35Varig acquired
35:37more advanced aircraft
35:39that had devices
35:41with a tenth of a degree.
35:43But on that aircraft
35:45it didn't matter
35:47because the Boeing 737-200
35:49didn't have a tenth of a degree.
35:51But there was another question.
35:53The second pilot
35:55was also supposed to
35:57follow the flight plan.
35:59What do you think?
36:01Is there a chance today?
36:03Why did he make the same mistake
36:05as the commander?
36:07The aviation psychologist
36:09Katie Majer can answer.
36:11The second pilot probably
36:13thought that the commander
36:15never makes a mistake
36:17and never had to be checked.
36:19He just entered the same data
36:21and assumed that it was the right thing.
36:23In this case, he was not insured
36:25and did not check the data.
36:27He was supposed to think
36:29before he took off.
36:31Once you take off,
36:33the automation does
36:35what it was told to do.
36:37Varig 254 flew
36:39exactly to the west
36:41instead of the north.
36:43Straight up to the sunset.
36:45Did they not realize
36:47they were flying in the sun?
36:49That should have been a big cue.
36:51They must have been
36:53very confident
36:55that they had done everything right.
36:59The opinion of the pilots
37:01regarding the cause of the accident
37:03was divided.
37:05We need to land
37:07or we will run out of fuel.
37:09I think we are close.
37:13The second pilot
37:15started to defend himself
37:17and say that he did everything right.
37:19And it was all Garces's fault.
37:21The original
37:23navigation mistake
37:25was that of the captain.
37:27The failure
37:29to implement an independent
37:31verification course
37:33was the second part
37:35of the first officer.
37:37What is disheartening here
37:39is that both pilots
37:41went along with it.
37:43It became clear
37:45that the plane took
37:47the wrong course.
37:49We thought
37:51that the captain
37:53knew what he was doing.
37:57At least three passengers
37:59reported to the flight attendants
38:01that the plane was going
38:03in the wrong direction.
38:05But the flight attendants
38:07thought that the captain
38:09was more visible.
38:11So they did not tell Garces
38:13that he was going in the wrong direction.
38:15We thought
38:17that the pilot was in the sky.
38:21But the captain's
38:23subsequent actions
38:25turned the mistake into a disaster.
38:33The crew of the Varik 254
38:35made a fatal decision.
38:37We decided to switch
38:39to the radio station
38:41to find our way.
38:43Instead of asking for help
38:45they decided to go back
38:47to their course
38:49without admitting their mistake.
38:51Pride did not allow them
38:53to tell their colleagues
38:55that they were in trouble.
38:57It would have been
38:59a better decision.
39:01Their attempt to use
39:03commercial radio stations
39:05to find the airport
39:07did not succeed.
39:09They mistakenly believed
39:11that the signal came from Belen
39:13and that they could get
39:15the same transmission
39:17from different places.
39:21Incredible!
39:23They still haven't resumed the game!
39:25You need to verify
39:27that you are in the right station
39:29to hear its name.
39:31Then you can be sure.
39:35What kind of people are they?
39:37Many continue to believe
39:39that the pilots were distracted
39:41during the game,
39:43although there is no
39:45convincing evidence for this.
39:47They say that he listened
39:49to the broadcast of the game
39:51between Brazil and Chile
39:53because he did not notice
39:55his mistake.
39:57But investigators believe
39:59that the mistake
40:01can be explained
40:03from the point of view
40:05of psychology.
40:07There we go.
40:09You decide on
40:11an initial judgment
40:13and you think that it's right.
40:15And so you look
40:17around for things
40:19that support your position.
40:25So he decided
40:27to fly along the river
40:29to the south
40:31to get to Belen.
40:33But the river they saw
40:35was not the Amazon River.
40:37It flows thousands of kilometers
40:39to the south of Belen.
40:41They were filming the wrong river?
40:43How could they be so confused
40:45for so long?
40:49The investigators concluded
40:51that the crew was biased
40:53to confirm their point of view.
40:55They paid attention
40:57only to what did not contradict
40:59their opinion.
41:01I think we're close.
41:03Confirmation bias
41:05is very characteristic
41:07of people who have to
41:09make decisions.
41:11And the thing that's insidious
41:13about it is that you don't
41:15recognize your mistake.
41:17When I saw the river,
41:19I was sure that we were
41:21close to Belen.
41:23This means that anyone
41:25can fall into the trap
41:27of a wrong decision.
41:29And even experts
41:31have to be on guard.
41:33This is one of the most unusual
41:35actions I have ever read
41:37or am aware of.
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