Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Two jumbo jets.
00:09583 people.
00:10The deadliest air crash of all time.
00:13This was a nightmare beyond all expectation.
00:17If I messed this up, I could actually lose my license.
00:20Blame soon falls on one pilot.
00:23Stand by for takeoff, I will call you.
00:26Why would he ignore those instructions?
00:28But as investigators sift through all the evidence...
00:32We are now at takeoff.
00:33Whoa, whoa, whoa. What just happened there?
00:37The disaster in Tenerife grows more and more mysterious.
00:42Why didn't they get off where they were told?
00:47These are the top guys. These are the best in the business.
00:51How could this happen?
00:52B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B...
01:09Sunjet 282, proceed directly to runway, backtrack and hold.
01:27Los Rodeos Airport on the Spanish island of Tenerife is busier than it's ever been.
01:33VA783, hold short of the runway and stand by for taxi clearance.
01:38The controllers are swamped.
01:40Scandinavian, 1420, you are cleared for takeoff.
01:45Sterling, 7392, you are next in line.
01:48Sierra, Alpha, type of Alpha 639.
01:51Right turn heading 040, goodbye.
01:58A few hours ago, dozens of flights were diverted here after a terrorist bombing shut down a larger airport in nearby Las Palmas.
02:08It's a single runway airport with a single parallel taxiway.
02:12And because of the terrorist event in the region, they had much more traffic than I'm certain that they would normally see.
02:20Sterling, 7392, taxi to the runway and exit at taxiway Charlie 3.
02:27They were dealing with aircraft that had been delayed for a good part of the day, and now there was a sense of urgency to get them out and safely on their way.
02:37With so many planes parked on the taxiways, the controllers instruct departing flights to taxi along the airport's only runway to get into position for takeoff.
02:47One of the planes waiting to get to Las Palmas is Pan Am Flight 1736.
02:59It must be getting close.
03:01Sure hope so.
03:02We're ready for the beach.
03:0339-year-old Robert Bragg is the first officer.
03:07After we got to Las Palmas, we were supposed to have a day there, and then fly the airplane to Paris and Abedale, and then back to New York.
03:16So it was supposed to be a very good trip.
03:19His captain is Victor Grubbs.
03:22Flight engineer George Warnes completes the highly experienced crew.
03:28Pan American World Airways was not only a pioneer, but they were the one we all looked up to tremendously.
03:34Those of us who wanted to be pilots and who later were always had that fantasy that we might someday fly for Pan American.
03:40So they were the creme de la creme for so many, many decades.
03:43The Pan Am crew is ready to get back in the air, but they can't taxi to the runway.
03:52A KLM 747 has stopped in front of them to refuel.
03:56We were about 12 feet short of getting around them.
04:00We were all on the same radio.
04:02I asked him how long would it be for him to finish fueling.
04:07He said about 45 minutes.
04:10You're trying to get your passengers where they want to go, and now KLM wants more fuel.
04:15And it's just one of those things. It gets frustrating.
04:18These irritations are small, but at the end of a long day, they begin to add up.
04:25Not even a sandwich?
04:27It's been a long day for the 378 passengers on board the Pan Am airplane.
04:33The flight started in Los Angeles, before stopping in New York and now in Tenerife.
04:39They had been on the airplane 12, 13 hours, so they were getting tired.
04:45The passengers have no idea how long the delay will last.
04:49KLM was a big concern, and we found out his fueling would be finished.
04:59Tenerife, KLM 4805, you finish refueling, requesting clearance for start-up.
05:04The KLM aircraft is finally ready to roll.
05:07Both 747s should be back in the air soon.
05:11Flipper 1736, requesting start clearance.
05:18I said, okay, Pan Am is ready to start also.
05:23Flipper 1736, you are clear to start.
05:32Okay, pre-start checklist, please.
05:35Ladies and gentlemen, the flight deck once again.
05:41I'm happy to say we've been finally cleared to get moving.
05:44We should have you in the air in about 15 minutes from now.
05:54The Canary Islands lie off the west coast of Africa.
05:58Tenerife is one of seven in the Spanish archipelago.
06:01The mountainous island is famous for constantly changing weather.
06:11Can't see anything out there.
06:14A fog bank rolled in, and visibility went down to almost zero.
06:20Clipper 1736 cleared taxi into the runway following the 747 from KLM.
06:26Clipper 1736.
06:31To expedite the departures of both KLM and Pan Am,
06:37they taxied both on the runway at the same time
06:39to put them in a position where they would be ready for a departure.
06:42He said, follow KLM down a runway, backtrack, make an exit to get around the back of KLM.
06:58So that's what we were doing.
07:01Once they get in the air, the flight to Las Palmas should only take about 25 minutes.
07:08KLM 4805, how many taxiways did you pass?
07:09I think we just passed Charlie 4 now.
07:10Okay.
07:11The KLM 747 will be the next plane to take off.
07:13At the end of the runway, make 180 and report ready for ATC clearance.
07:18Yeah, after these two, we're finished.
07:19First officer Bragg is unfamiliar with the airport.
07:20He checks a runway diagram to help find the plane.
07:21The KLM 747 will be the next plane to take off.
07:25At the end of the runway, make 180 and report ready for ATC clearance.
07:32Yeah, after these two, we're finished.
07:39First officer Bragg is unfamiliar with the airport.
07:44He checks a runway diagram to help find their turning.
07:48Okay, that's this one right here.
07:52It goes ahead.
07:53It's going to put us on the taxiway.
07:56As they taxi, they listen to the tower controller tell the KLM crew ahead of them what to do after departure.
08:02You are clear to the Papa Beacon.
08:06Climb 2 and maintain flight level 90.
08:09Right turn after takeoff.
08:11Roger.
08:12Clear to the Papa Beacon.
08:14Flight level 90.
08:15Right turn up.
08:16We are now at takeoff.
08:17Okay.
08:18Standby for takeoff.
08:20I will call you.
08:21And we're still taxiing down the runway.
08:24Clipper 1736.
08:26Papa Alpha 1736.
08:29Report runway clear.
08:31Okay.
08:32We'll report when we're clear.
08:35The Pan Am crew will be turning off the runway in just a few more yards.
08:43But now something's wrong.
08:46First officer Bragg can see a plane through the fog.
08:49I think he's moving.
08:50I looked up and there he was coming down the runway.
08:55It was very obvious that he was moving because his landing lights were shaking.
09:00Look at him.
09:01That idiot's coming.
09:02It's all KLM too.
09:03Get off.
09:04Get off.
09:05Get off.
09:06Captain Grubbs tries to steer clear of the oncoming KLM.
09:12But it's bearing down on them at nearly 200 miles an hour.
09:25He had lifted off the runway.
09:26I could see his rotating beacon underneath.
09:27Get off.
09:28Get off.
09:29Get off.
09:30Get off.
09:31Get off.
09:32Get off.
09:33Get off.
09:34Get off.
09:35Get off.
09:36And then I duck and set a real quick pair.
09:37Trying to help he misses us.
09:42The unimaginable collision.
10:10The unimaginable collision between two jumbo jets has turned a runway in Tenerife into a disaster zone
10:27Opened my eyes first thing I noticed all the wounds were gone
10:30And it looked like somebody had taken a big knife and just cut the whole top of the airplane off
10:42Get up!
10:46Get up!
10:48That's when I decided to assign, please
10:51It's a 45-foot drop onto solid concrete
10:57And it just jumped right on us, I didn't even think about it
11:07When I hit, I rolled on the ground and looked around and discovered I wasn't hurt
11:15Some passengers in the shattered cabin of the Pan Am have also survived
11:24Get up!
11:27They're desperate to get off the plane
11:29The airplane was totally burning
11:35There were flames probably 200 feet high
11:40An opening in the fuselage offers the possibility of escape
11:45But there are no emergency slides
11:48The long drop to the runway could be fatal
11:51With the plane engulfed in flames, it's the only way out
11:56We're going to have to jump!
11:59I thought the airplane was going to blow up
12:01And I yelled out and started jumping
12:05And they did
12:07Only 61 people from the Pan Am flight survive
12:18The cockpit crew is alive
12:21But 335 others are dead
12:24On the KLM flight, there are no survivors
12:28248 passengers and crew have been killed
12:34All told, the disaster claims 583 lives
12:39It's the deadliest aviation accident of all time
12:43583 people with only a few getting out on Pan Am
12:52This was something that we really had not contemplated when we started building bigger airplanes
12:58Nobody ever thought, what if we lost two of them in a collision on the ground?
13:01This was a nightmare beyond all expectation
13:06The next morning, investigators from Spain, the Netherlands and the United States are on the scene
13:15We didn't have a whole lot of experience with 747s crashing at that point
13:21So from an accident investigation standpoint, it was going to be as big a deal as you can get
13:27Pan Am clearing the runway
13:29KLM on its take-off roll
13:31Someone messed up
13:32They face a huge task
13:35Trying to untangle the chain of events that led to this catastrophic runway collision
13:40The search for the black boxes begins immediately
13:48The recorders could hold important details about what was happening in both cockpits
13:53Voice recorders, in this case, were vital
13:57You had two airworthy aircraft coming together on the runway
14:01So the events leading up to that, you know, were key
14:06It was busy
14:08Controllers had to get almost 50 planes off the ground in just a few hours
14:13Investigators know that Los Rodeos Airport has no ground radar to help controllers track planes
14:19At a busy location, it's unusual for a controller to have to work without ground radar
14:25It increases the stress a little bit in the tower
14:28There's no question that the small airport was dealing with more traffic than usual
14:33Was it too much for controllers to handle?
14:37Did they make a fatal mistake?
14:40A visit to the tower is the obvious next step
14:44We've never been that busy
14:46And I, okay, well, the planes were parked here and here
14:51They had to use the runway to taxi into position one at a time
14:55They were actually having to park aircraft on the taxiway
14:59The only taxiway that they had
15:00And, uh, therefore, kind of deviate from their standard operating procedures
15:06And any time you do that, unfortunately, risk, things get a little bit riskier
15:12So I instructed KLM to taxi to the foot of the runway
15:15Make a 180 and wait for takeoff clearance
15:20At the end of the runway, make 180 and report ready for ATC clearance
15:28And a couple of minutes later, he reported that he was in position here
15:35KLM is ready for takeoff, waiting for ATC clearance
15:38When KLM had turned around at the end of the runway
15:42And was in position for takeoff, we call that, uh, line up and wait
15:45So they are waiting for takeoff clearance, which will equal a clear runway
15:51And then I had Pan Am move up the runway right behind the KLM
15:56Papa Alpha 1736, report runway clear
16:01Okay, we'll report when we're clear
16:04It's true, we were busier than we've ever been before
16:07But we were managing
16:08We were getting the job done
16:11It's becoming clear to investigators that the cause of the Tenerife tragedy
16:18Goes beyond a busy airport
16:19Controllers had a lot to do, but they were not overwhelmed
16:24There must have been other factors at play
16:27In accident investigation, we learned a long time ago that there is never ever just one cause
16:38And there are a multiplicity of moving parts on this
16:40I couldn't actually see what happened
16:43A thick fog had rolled in
16:46Visibility was almost zero by then
16:51This particular airport had a unique characteristic in that
16:54Um, it was high enough so that you would get actually clouds rolling in across the runway
17:01KLM 4805, how many taxiways did you pass?
17:07The controllers looking out the window could not see any aircraft that were taxiing either on the taxiways or on the runways
17:15And instead had to rely solely on transmissions from the pilots to report whether or not they were clear of the runway
17:22Investigators know that if the controller couldn't see the airplanes through the fog
17:27His instructions to the pilots would have to be crystal clear
17:31They gather recordings from air traffic control
17:36Perhaps the tapes can paint a better picture of what really happened
17:41That was the key to the whole investigation
17:43Where were the aircraft on the runways?
17:46And what was being said along their path down the runway?
17:52Get off! Get off! Get off!
17:59History's deadliest air crash is leading newscasts around the world
18:04The pressure for answers is not about to let up
18:08We knew we had a tremendous task on our hands to solve this accident
18:12All right, let's start with the KLM nearing the end of the runway
18:26502
18:27Investigators want to know if the Tenerife controller said anything to the KLM or Pan Am pilots that could have led to the collision
18:35KLM 4805, how many taxiways did you pass?
18:42They listened to the recordings from inside the tower
18:44I think you just passed Charlie 4 now
18:47Okay, just passed Charlie 4, right here
18:50KLM captain Jacob van Zanten and his first officer Klaus Muers taxi up the runway in thick fog
19:03By the time that the main island airport at Las Palmas reopened and everybody was getting ready to go
19:09It was down to about 700 to 900 yards of visibility and that's just right at minimums
19:14At the end of the runway, make 180 and report ready for ATC clearance
19:21Okay, KLM was told to proceed to the end of the runway, turn around, and wait
19:28What was the Pan Am flight told to do?
19:30Clipper 1736, leave the runway, uh, 31, out to your left
19:37Whoa, what did they just ask him to do?
19:40I'm sorry, say again please?
19:42Leave the runway, the third one to your left
19:46Okay, uh, taxi down the runway and leave the runway at the first intersection on the left
19:51Is that correct?
19:52Negative, the third one, the third one
19:56Whenever we look at the question of whether or not the air traffic controllers in the tower
20:00The two gentlemen on the tower were giving clear instructions
20:03You gotta remember we have kind of a linguistic problem here
20:06Because these were two Spaniards who speak Spanish as their native language
20:09Attempting to speak in aviation English to an American crew and to a KLM Dutch crew
20:14He's on an active runway and he doesn't know if he's being told to get off here
20:18Here, or maybe here
20:21There seemed to be some confusion with, uh, as to what, uh, accent, uh, they were supposed to take
20:28And, um, I have a feeling, uh, part of that had to do with the accents involved
20:33Maybe I'll ask him again
20:36Would you confirm that you want clipper 1736 to turn left at the third intersection?
20:42It takes an extra effort, but the controller eventually makes himself understood
20:47The third one, sir
20:49One, two, three, the third one, third
20:52The controller's accent may have been another complicating factor for pilots
20:57In an unfamiliar airport on a very busy day
21:01But for investigators it's not enough to explain the crash
21:05They need to keep digging
21:07One, two, three
21:09This is where they were told to get off
21:11And they clearly understood
21:13But they moved past C3
21:18Why didn't they get off where they were told?
21:22The Pan Am plane taxied past the third exit
21:25Why did it stay on the runway?
21:28For more insight, investigators examined the geometry of the turn the Pan Am pilots were asked to make
21:34That leads to a surprising discovery
21:37So we have a 148 degree turn here
21:40Followed by another one here
21:46Leaving the runway at the third intersection would have required two very sharp turns
21:51Both tighter than 90 degrees
21:54That's practically impossible
21:56747 is a beast
21:58This is a big, big airplane
22:00You just can't turn it on a dime
22:01So a crew is going to always be reluctant
22:04An experienced crew especially like Pan Am's
22:06To take a turn if it doesn't look logical to them
22:09And this one did not look logical to them
22:11Alright
22:12So the collision happened here
22:14So he obviously passed C3
22:16And was headed for C4
22:18Instead of leaving the runway at an exit that required two very difficult turns
22:24The Pan Am crew headed for the fourth exit
22:27It was further along the runway but provided a much easier turn
22:31If you see C4, it's the only taxiway going off the runway at a 45 degree angle
22:42The other C3 would have not done what we need to do
22:47I can see how that would definitely have induced the Pan Am crew to think that Charlie 4 was the exit that they were supposed to turn at
22:56In the fog, the KLM crew would not have been able to see that Pan Am 1736 was taxiing past the C3 exit as they waited for takeoff instructions from the controller
23:08KLM is ready for takeoff awaiting ATC clearance
23:15The first clearance they were asking for was an air traffic control route clearance
23:22Which tells pilots how to get from the airport that they were at, Tenerife, to their destination airport
23:29The air traffic control recording suggests the KLM crew knew the correct procedures and was following them
23:36You are clear to the Papa Beacon
23:39Flight 2 and maintain flight level 90
23:42Right turn after takeoff
23:44Sounds fine
23:46Roger, clear to Papa Beacon
23:48Flight level 90 right turn out
23:50We are now at takeoff
23:52Okay
23:54Standby for takeoff, I will call you
23:57It's kind of a verification between the controller and the pilot that they are doing what they should be doing
24:02He's telling the tower he's in takeoff position
24:05But he's been told to wait for takeoff clearance
24:10So why does he start his takeoff roll?
24:14Investigators are mystified
24:16Nothing on the tower recording can explain why the KLM crew started down the runway before they were cleared to do so
24:23The big question then was, you know, once you get over the horrific nature of it, say, how could this happen?
24:42At the crash site, there's new hope of finding some answers
24:45Investigators have recovered the black boxes
24:50The voice recorders were key to the investigation
24:54That gave us an insight into what was going on in the respective cockpits
24:59They can only hope the new evidence will be enough to finally solve the mystery of the worst air disaster the world has ever seen
25:06We've located the CVR
25:09The investigation into the Tenerife disaster shifts to the Washington headquarters of the National Transportation Safety Board
25:18Investigator Dennis Grossi has painstakingly matched up the cockpit voice recordings with the known movements of both planes
25:28Okay, let's listen to the Pan Am
25:30Okay, let's listen to the Pan Am
25:32In this case, fractions of a second mattered
25:35So it was important that we had those recorders synced up
25:40So you could hear it and you could have precise measurements of when things were said
25:45That's that 45 there
25:51That's this one right here
25:53The next one is almost a 45
25:56Goes ahead
25:57It's gonna put us on the taxiway
25:59The Pan Am cockpit tape confirms that the crew was having a hard time figuring out where to leave the runway
26:05They're passing C3
26:07Yeah, no one sees them
26:09Did the KLM crew think the Pan Am plane was already off the runway?
26:16Keep it going
26:18What the tape reveals next suggests the answer is no
26:22We are now at takeoff
26:24And we're still taxiing down the runway, Clipper 1736
26:28Both crews are using the same radio frequency
26:32KLM should have heard First Officer Bragg report his location
26:37That's why I said we're still on the runway
26:43And we will report clear runway
26:46Papa Alpha 1736, report runway clear
26:51Okay, we'll report when we're clear
26:54Thank you
26:56Crystal clear for all to hear
26:59You're still on the runway
27:01Yet KLM continues to take off
27:06Captain Van Zanten is a highly experienced pilot with more than 11,000 hours in the air
27:15What led him to believe the runway ahead was clear?
27:19And that he had permission to take off?
27:22It just seems so alien for the crew to make that mistake
27:29I mean, these are the top guys
27:32These are the best in the business
27:34He lands just after 13.30
27:39Investigators turn to the KLM voice recording for answers
27:44Perhaps something said in that cockpit
27:47Can explain the incomprehensible decision to start down the runway
27:51We landed here at 1.30 a?
27:54Yes, I know that
27:55But we'd have to start from 7 o'clock
27:57That's when we checked in
27:58You're trying to recreate the cockpit environment
28:01Why certain decisions were made?
28:03Why things were said?
28:04The time limit is 10 hours of flying with an amplitude of 13 hours
28:08That's a fun stopover
28:10The recording reveals that the captain is worried about work hours
28:15If the crew exceeds their duty time
28:18They'll be forced to cancel the flight
28:22And that means probably 30, 40,000 dollars of hotel rooms
28:25For the outbound passengers
28:26They're not going to be able to carry back that night
28:28It is a bit of a logistical nightmare
28:30Especially in an outstation in a foreign place
28:33Dutch regulators have also recently tightened the rules governing flight crew duty time
28:40A Dutch pilot can now have his license revoked
28:43If he exceeds the legal number of hours
28:48The crew left Amsterdam at 9 in the morning
28:51They still have to get their passengers to Las Palmas
28:54Pick up another load of passengers
28:56And get back to Amsterdam before the clock runs out
29:00If I mess this up, I could actually lose my license
29:04We certainly wouldn't want that
29:06Well, if you're waiting, you might as well refuel
29:09Tenerife, KLM 4805
29:12Now requesting refueling at the apron
29:15Van Santen's concern over duty time
29:18Explains why he decided to refuel while in Tenerife
29:21He was going to do everything in his power
29:26To make sure that he could, you know, complete the flight
29:31Within his legal duty time limits
29:35But then, a short time later
29:37The airport in Las Palmas reopens
29:40To all aircraft, Las Palmas has reopened
29:42You may ask for start-up and clearances at your discretion
29:47And Van Santen's plan backfires
29:49Refueling takes much longer than expected
29:53And now he can't move until it's done
29:56When Las Palmas reopened
29:57Here he is
29:58Sucking on a fuel hose
29:59Instead of starting the engines and moving
30:01This is Clipper 1736
30:03Requesting start-up clearance
30:05Van Santen's decision has a huge impact
30:07On the Pan Am flight as well
30:10The KLM beside you has requested a refuel
30:12And it doesn't look like you're going to get by here
30:15The Pan American 747, they didn't have enough wing-tip clearance
30:20You gotta be kidding me
30:24Roger, Tenerife, Clipper 1736
30:29The other captains were unhappy with him
30:31Because he was the cork in the bottle
30:35The refueling delay means the KLM crew
30:37Now has only two hours until they're grounded
30:40Half hour to taxi
30:43Half hour to get there
30:45An hour to swap passengers and get back in the air
30:49It's tight
30:51And, guess what?
30:55The weather's getting worse
30:57KLM 4805, you are cleared to taxi to the runway
31:02The question facing investigators now
31:04Is did the rush to get off the ground in worsening weather
31:07And in worsening weather
31:09Caused the KLM crew to jump the gun
31:13So he taxis to the end of the runway
31:16And does his 180
31:17We know this from the tower tapes
31:18Can we hear it from that point, please?
31:22About to hear disarmed
31:23Landing lights on
31:24Checklist complete
31:26Investigators hear more evidence
31:28That the captain of KLM flight 4805
31:31May have been in a rush
31:33Is he throttling, huh?
31:34Wait a minute
31:38We do not have ATC clearance
31:40No, I know that
31:42Go ahead and ask
31:44It was obvious
31:46That time
31:48Was an important factor
31:50In the KLM captain's decision making
31:52He wasn't going to waste any time
31:55Once he got to the end of the runway
31:57KLM is ready for takeoff
31:59Waiting for ATC clearance
32:00So he requests ATC clearance
32:03We're about a minute
32:05From the collision
32:07When the first officer asked for the clearance
32:09He was asking for the air traffic control clearance
32:11Completely separate from the clearance
32:12To actually roll this
32:14500, 600,000 pound monster down the runway
32:17You are clear to the Papa beacon
32:19Climb 2 and maintain flight level 90
32:22Right turn after takeoff
32:24What investigators hear next
32:26Answers many of the questions plaguing this investigation
32:30Yes, brother, clear to the Papa beacon
32:33Let's go, check for us
32:35Flight level 90, right turn out
32:37We are now at takeoff, okay?
32:39Whoa, whoa, whoa
32:41What just happened there?
32:43Clear that again, please?
32:44The controller is providing instructions for what to do after takeoff
32:48You are clear to the Papa beacon
32:50Climb 2 and maintain flight level 90
32:53Right turn after takeoff
32:55Yes
32:57But the captain reacts as if he's actually been cleared for departure
33:01They get a clearance from air traffic control
33:04That contains the word takeoff
33:06And that confirms for them that everything is the way it should be
33:10When in fact, everything was not
33:11Roger, clear to the Papa beacon
33:14Let's go, check thrust
33:16Before his first officer has finished reading back the instructions
33:20Captain Van Zanten is already on the roll
33:23Flight level 90, right turn out
33:26We are now at takeoff
33:28Investigators now know what the Dutch first officer meant by at takeoff
33:32He's reporting that he's actually taking off, not that he's ready to take off
33:37Unfortunately, in this case, it meant they were taking off from the KLM perspective
33:44And for the air traffic control perspective, they were hearing we are at takeoff position
33:51But for investigators, there's something about the radio exchange that still doesn't make sense
33:57According to the tower transcripts, the controller advised him to stay put
34:02Okay, stand by for takeoff, I will call you
34:10Why didn't the KLM crew follow that clear instruction to stand by?
34:15Give me Pan Am at 1706
34:18That's when Pan Am reports on the same frequency that they're still on the runway
34:21And we're still taxiing down the runway, Clipper 1736
34:28Hold it there
34:33Why would he ignore them?
34:38The cockpit recordings continue to baffle investigators
34:42Until they hear another critical moment on the KLM tape
34:46We are now at takeoff
34:48Okay
34:49That's what he heard?
34:55It's a stunning discovery
35:00Flight level 9-0, right turn out, we are now at takeoff
35:03Okay
35:07The two warnings to stay put were never heard in the KLM cockpit
35:11The tower and the Pan Am flight both made their critical calls at the exact same moment
35:19Okay, and we're still taxiing down the runway, Clipper 1736
35:25The simultaneous transmissions produced a four-second squeal in the KLM cockpit
35:29We are now at takeoff
35:30We are now at takeoff
35:32Okay, not time for takeoff, we are going to number 1736
35:36The crew heard only one word, okay
35:40Unfortunately, this happened during that pause after the controller says okay for KLM
35:47They had no opportunity to hear the controllers staying standby for takeoff
35:52Nor were they able to hear, because they were speaking at the same time, the Pan Am crew reporting that they were still on the runway
35:58So what's next?
36:03There's one final transmission recorded in the KLM cockpit
36:07Papa Alpha 1736, report runway clear
36:12It should have alerted the crew that another plane was still on the runway
36:17Okay, we'll report when we're clear
36:19Thank you
36:21Only the flight engineer seems to have understood it
36:25Is he not clear then?
36:27What did you say?
36:28Is he not clear then, the Pan American?
36:30Oh yes
36:32The pilots ignore his concern
36:33And miss their last chance to avoid a disaster that will claim 583 lives
36:42Oh damn it!
37:04Van Zanten should not have moved without explicit clearance
37:08You learn that in probably the first or second lesson in aviation
37:14Do not take off unless you get a clearance
37:18Investigators dig into the career of Captain Van Zanten
37:22They're looking for anything that might explain why an experienced pilot would violate such a fundamental rule
37:29This guy was a superstar
37:30They learned that Van Zanten was one of KLM's top pilots
37:35He was the face of the airline
37:37The director of flight safety
37:39And head of the flight training department
37:42How could a human being with so much intelligence, so much capability and experience and position
37:48And the director of safety, how could he fail like this?
37:51Investigators suspect that in an odd twist, the Captain's elevated status may have played a role in the Tenerife disaster
38:07Back in those times, everyone had an awe of the Captain, if you will
38:15His word was God, his word was unquestioned
38:20If he has that kind of authority, it's less likely for someone, his junior, in this case the flight engineer and the first officer, to challenge anything he does
38:33Okay, we'll report when we're clear, thank you
38:39Is he not clear then?
38:41What did you say?
38:42Is he not clear then, the Pan American?
38:44Oh yes
38:45The conversation in the KLM cockpit leading up to the accident seems to support that notion
38:55But Van Zanten's esteemed status doesn't explain the most troubling question of all
39:01Why did he believe it was safe to take off in the first place?
39:05Logically, you should make extra clear that, hey, we're taking off, is the runway clear?
39:11Investigators search desperately for an answer, and come across a stunning detail in the Captain's flight log
39:20It could be the final piece of the puzzle
39:23This was his first flight in three months
39:25Records show that Van Zanten's cockpit hours had dropped dramatically in recent years
39:31He was spending most of his time in a simulator, training other pilots
39:37The simulation is interesting, because when you spend a lot of time as an instructor in a simulator
39:43It's an artificial environment that we try to make as real as possible
39:47Okay, checklist complete, let's go, let's go
39:52Flight simulators do a remarkably good job at recreating the experience of a real flight
39:57But there is one very important element missing
40:02There is no air traffic controller in a simulator
40:05This focus was on training
40:08And there was this difference in the way you treat air traffic control communications
40:15In the training environment versus the real world
40:17Okay, let's go, thrust
40:21V1
40:23Here we go, takeoff thrust
40:25Rotate
40:27Okay, let's go, takeoff thrust
40:29Thrust, let's go
40:31All the time you spend in the simulator works against him
40:34Climb 2 and maintain flight level 90
40:37Right turn after takeoff
40:39Roger, clear to the papa beacon
40:41Let's go, check thrust
40:43Jacob Benzanton's attempt to take off without a clearance
40:47Resulted from his time in the simulator
40:49And that he kind of reset himself
40:52He was his own clearance authority in the simulator
40:54And then two separate radio calls
40:58That should have told him that Pan Am was off the runway
41:01Cancel each other up
41:03Okay, we're still passing down
41:05We're on number 1736
41:07The world's deadliest airline accident is now all but inevitable
41:12I think he's moving
41:17Look at him
41:19That idiot's coming
41:25Basically, we had a captain who wanted to get off the ground as rapidly as possible
41:29Oh, dammit
41:30Oh, dammit
41:40The weather was not cooperating
41:43And he was about out of cruise any time
41:45And in a situation like that
41:47The human mind, our carbon-based brains
41:49Tend to jump a few cogs, so to speak
41:51Get off, get off, get off
41:53Get off, get off, get off
41:54Get off, get off
42:04He had a gun cocked and loaded by various factors
42:07And he was the one that pulled the trigger
42:09But you have to take them all in connection
42:17The investigation into the collision at Tenerife results in dozens of recommendations
42:22Few aviation accidents have triggered a greater number of significant changes
42:28That's what began to be the seed of training for what we later call crew resource management
42:35Where we said to the captain, we're on to you, bub, you're a human being
42:38You can make mistakes even when you have no intention to
42:41And even when you're completely qualified
42:45KLM and other airlines transform their training methods for captains
42:49Helping them become more responsive to their crewmates
42:54Even the most senior and the most highly trained individuals can make mistakes
43:01And we need to rely on the resources of all the crew members to compensate for that
43:09You are clear to the Papa Beacon
43:14Climb 2 and maintain flight level 9 or 0, right turn after takeoff
43:19The accident also changes the very language used by controllers around the world
43:25Controllers don't use the word takeoff unless they actually mean and intend for the aircraft to be doing just that, taking off
43:30Instead they will substitute the word after departure, turn right heading 040 or something to that effect
43:42Those 583 people, those people did not die in vain
43:47We have learned those lessons, they changed the whole face of aviation safety
43:51They changed the whole face of aviation safety