- 6/5/2025
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TVTranscript
00:00Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
00:04What is that going on? Hooray! Hooray!
00:07A Sukhoi Superjet 100.
00:09One of the world's newest and most advanced airliners slams into a mountain.
00:15Killing everyone on board.
00:18Why was the plane so far off course?
00:20Indonesian investigators face one of the biggest challenges they've ever encountered.
00:25The crash site was below an 800 meter cliff.
00:29Only an elite team can get there.
00:33You guys search up here. I'm going down.
00:36Risking life and limb to recover the black box.
00:39The situation was quite scary.
00:41And it's just mind-blowing.
00:43But will it give investigators the answers they need?
00:49Mayday! Mayday!
00:51It's a Wednesday afternoon in Jakarta, Indonesia.
00:55At Halim Pedanakusuma International Airport.
00:59Flight RA 36801 is almost ready for departure.
01:03It's a Wednesday afternoon in Jakarta, Indonesia.
01:05At Halim Pedanakusuma International Airport.
01:11Flight RA 36801 is almost ready for departure.
01:15Champagne sir?
01:16Champagne sir?
01:1736 invited guests are getting the gold star treatment.
01:18On a demonstration flight for a brand new Russian aircraft.
01:20The atmosphere in the cabin during a demonstration flight is usually pretty realistic.
01:21The atmosphere in the cabin during a demonstration flight is usually pretty realistic.
01:26People are chitchatting, you know…
01:27People are chitchatting, you know…
01:28People are schmoozing, people are cracking jokes.
01:29It's a very light atmosphere.
01:30The atmosphere in the cabin during a demonstration flight is usually pretty relaxed.
01:38People are chitchatting, you know…
01:47The atmosphere in the cabin during a demonstration flight is usually pretty relaxed.
01:51People are chit-chatting, you know, people are schmoozing, people are cracking jokes.
01:54It's a very light atmosphere.
01:59The plane is a Sukhoi Superjet 100.
02:05Well, Sukhoi is an aircraft manufacturer that's known for making military aircraft.
02:09Russia hadn't really dove into the realm of creating commercial airliners,
02:14and this was their first, so it was kind of a big deal for them.
02:17This afternoon's flight is part of a six-country Welcome to Asia tour.
02:23The passengers are a mix of potential buyers from major airlines and journalists who can create some buzz.
02:32Alexander Kavalyev is a reporter who has been covering the development of the plane since the beginning.
02:40I joined the tour at the very start.
02:42It's a brand-new airplane, and presenting it to top members of government and potential buyers delighted me.
02:49In the cabin, a flight engineer and navigator prepare to monitor the plane's performance from take-off to landing.
03:01But that's not their only job today.
03:06They know that in Russia, there are hopes the Superjet 100 will help revive the nation's troubled aviation industry.
03:13A big part of their job is to help sell the plane.
03:17Russia has kind of a poor reputation for safety over the decades, so a lot is at stake.
03:24This is the beginning of their reputation, and these reputations will carry on in the future.
03:30I'm sorry, I'm going to have to take that glass from you.
03:33I'll bring you another when we're in the air.
03:34The Superjet has already flown demonstration flights in Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and Pakistan.
03:51Jakarta is the fourth stop on the whirlwind tour.
03:56The tour's Russian organizers have hired local Indonesian flight attendants for the day.
04:04The young flight attendants were anticipating a flight on a brand-new airplane.
04:15It was a big chance for them.
04:18And a big honor.
04:25Lapse 15.
04:28Lapse 15, check.
04:30Captain Alexander Yablontsev is Sukhoi's chief test pilot.
04:36Transponder.
04:39Set.
04:40He has 10,000 flight hours under his belt, and more hours in the Superjet than any other pilot.
04:49The chief pilot was involved in this project from the very start.
04:53As Russian pilots say, he gave the plane wings.
04:57Before takeoff, the checklist is complete.
05:03First officer, Alexander Kocetkov, is also a seasoned test pilot.
05:09Both pilots conducted themselves in the most professional manner.
05:13Absolutely impeccably.
05:15Sukhoi 36801, cleared for takeoff.
05:19Runway 6.
05:21Here we go.
05:22V-1, rotate.
05:41This is the second demonstration flight of the day.
05:44The first flight from Halim airport was completely unremarkable.
05:54But before the second flight, I was asked to shoot the plane from the ground.
05:59I simply set out towards the runway to shoot video of the Superjet 100 ascending into the skies.
06:05The flight is planned to be a tight 30-minute loop, south from Jakarta, into the rural area of Bogor, then back to the airport.
06:26Sukhoi 36801, turn right, turn to intercept radial 200 and climb to 10,000.
06:35Air traffic control guides the plane away from the busy commercial flight zone near the city.
06:41Jakarta control, Sukhoi 36801, intercepting radial 200 and climbing to 1,000.
06:47The Superjet is the first new Russian passenger jet since the collapse of the Soviet Empire.
07:00It's been 12 years in development.
07:03Sukhoi hopes it's now ready to take on the world.
07:07The Superjet itself was a regional aircraft designed to compete globally against other aircraft manufacturers like Canadair and Embraer,
07:14which had other regional jets, about 100 feet long, about 100 passengers, a little bit less, and are very popular around the world.
07:22And with a growing population of 240 million, Indonesia could be a huge market for Sukhoi.
07:31Jakarta control, Sukhoi 36801, reaching level 1,000.
07:37Roger, 36801, proceed to Bogor at your discretion.
07:44Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.
07:47Sukhoi welcomes you on port of the Superjet 100.
07:53You've seen I've turned off the seatbelt sign.
07:56Now you have a few minutes to tour the cabin.
08:01That's a very smooth ascent.
08:03For this second flight, there's a potential customer in the cockpit,
08:07a pilot from a major Indonesian airline.
08:10In a demonstration flight, they're not operating under the same exact rules as an airline flight.
08:17It's not abnormal at all in any part of the world to invite one of the folks up and just give them that special experience.
08:27As promised, a fresh glass of champagne.
08:30The short flight is already almost half over, but no one in the cabin is in a rush to get back on the ground.
08:38Let's get down to 6,000, so we can start to turn back.
08:42Jakarta control, Sukhoi 36801, requesting descent to 6,000.
08:47Sukhoi 36801, cleared to 6,000 feet.
08:51EY-7136, cleared to land.
08:54JT-792, continue approach to runway 24.
08:57Impressive flight deck.
09:05I could certainly get used to this.
09:07All right, then.
09:09Let's do the full orbit before we return.
09:12The captain decides to prolong the flight by flying an extra loop.
09:17Jakarta control, Sukhoi 36801, requesting right orbit at 6,000.
09:21It was just them having a little bit of fun.
09:24A little holding spin over here, just to show you what that looks like.
09:28Sukhoi 36801, right orbit approved.
09:31AK-734, wind southeast, 10 knots, proceed with approach.
09:41Everything is exactly where it needs to be.
09:44Very pilot-friendly.
09:54The turn is so smooth, passengers hardly feel it in the cabin.
09:59Would you care for some Russian caviar?
10:01Another great feature is the TOS.
10:06It gives us excellent terrain awareness.
10:09It has predictive hazard warning.
10:11And it's really state-of-the-art.
10:19The Superjet was equipped with the latest in aviation technology.
10:24This definitely set it apart from its many worthy competitors,
10:27which were available on the market.
10:29Do you want to do another orbit, or shall we begin the approach?
10:36Let's start the approach.
10:38As the first officer checks his approach chart,
10:41an automated warning begins to sound.
10:45Torain, torain.
10:47Torain, torain.
10:49Why is that going off?
10:51Maybe the database.
10:52Torain, torain.
10:56Here, here.
10:59At the control center, the air traffic controller notices a problem.
11:18The Sukhoi Superjet has vanished from radar.
11:25Where did you go?
11:33Sukhoi 36801, please come in.
11:37In Jakarta, air traffic controllers are trying to understand what happened to a Russian plane on a demonstration flight.
11:46Come on, come on, talk to me.
11:48On our approach, a crew is always listening to air traffic control.
11:51They're always waiting for their next command of guidance.
11:54Communication is not constant, but they're aware of each other.
11:59Sukhoi 36801, please come in.
12:03After four calls, there's still no reply.
12:06The controller knows the plane should have landed by now.
12:10Sukhoi 36801 is off radar.
12:13He alerts his supervisor, and authorities declare an emergency.
12:19All of us who remained on the ground were deeply worried about the people on board.
12:24We called their cell phones, and two phones suddenly started working.
12:28The signal was there, but nobody answered them.
12:31As minutes turned to hours, the mystery deepens.
12:39The fear is that the plane went down in the mountains south of Bogor.
12:44Relatives of passengers camp out overnight at the airport,
12:48desperate for news of their loved ones.
12:52We didn't answer, so we must have been there.
12:55At 8.35am the next day, 18 hours after the plane vanished,
13:20a helicopter pilot finally gets close enough to spot something.
13:24Blue and white specks in the distance.
13:28The Sukhoi superjet has crashed into Mount Salak,
13:32the debris spilling thousands of feet down a cliff face.
13:40Marjono Siswasuwano is the lead investigator assigned to the case by the KNKT,
13:47Indonesia's transportation safety agency.
13:50When I first heard about the location of the crash,
13:52my initial reaction was, how could this plane end up there?
13:57Mount Salak has a fierce reputation.
14:00Its jagged peaks reach 7,200 feet.
14:03Locals call it an airplane graveyard.
14:06Mount Salak is infamous according to the local press.
14:11The mountain and its surroundings have seen many crashes of different light planes and helicopters.
14:23I personally felt the negative energy of this mountain.
14:31The crash site is right here.
14:33How could a brand new jet with sophisticated navigation systems and an expert crew crash into a notorious mountain?
14:43When there's a crash, everything is on the table.
14:46You have no idea there are any number of variables at play until it gets eliminated by providing fact.
14:53We need to send a team up this mountain fast.
14:59It's one of the most challenging locations Indonesian crash investigators have ever faced.
15:04Our mission was to search for the black box.
15:08But how do we find it and retrieve it?
15:10This is the problem and our biggest challenge.
15:12There are no easy routes.
15:17Marjono knows only the most skilled mountaineers will be up to the task.
15:21We need to bring in only for this.
15:26Oni Wibowo is a junior investigator with the KNKT.
15:31He's also an expert climber,
15:34now tasked with joining a group of Indonesian marines on a treacherous hike up Mount Salak.
15:39Before I joined the KNKT I developed a hobby for trekking,
15:46mountaineering, and rope work.
15:49Keep moving guys.
15:50This location was quite extreme for me.
15:54We had to create a new path and it required a lot of effort.
15:59We had to climb to higher elevation before we were able to reach the location.
16:04It takes nine hours, but finally they reached the crash site.
16:11What they find is overwhelming.
16:16When I reached the site, the situation was quite scary.
16:21There was lots of smoke and wreckage and debris everywhere.
16:26It was such a sad thing to witness.
16:30There's no hope of survivors.
16:31Forty-five people are dead.
16:36Indonesian, Russian, American, and French.
16:41I tried to imagine what the people who were in the cabin at the time felt,
16:45and how it ended.
16:48It's the single memory which has haunted me ever since.
16:54Somehow they must regroup and try to find the black boxes.
16:57I was determined to use all my knowledge to find out why this plane crash at Mount Salak happened.
17:10In Jakarta, the search for answers to what brought down a Sukhoi demonstration flight
17:15takes investigators to air traffic control.
17:19So, can you tell me what happened?
17:23Well, they were just supposed to do a 30-minute loop.
17:26Then before I knew it, they had disappeared from radar.
17:31So where did they end up at Mount Salak?
17:35I don't know.
17:37But weren't you supposed to be monitoring them?
17:39I was so busy, I lost track of the plane.
17:47Investigators learned that the controller had an exceptionally heavy workload.
17:52He was monitoring about a dozen flights.
17:55EY-7136, clear to land.
17:58JT-792, continue approach to runway 24.
18:02Making matters worse, both his assistant and his supervisor were absent that shift.
18:08He was doing three jobs.
18:11This person was working beyond the edge of his limitations for any air traffic controller.
18:17And that alone is incredibly unsafe.
18:19Any air traffic control organization around the world usually has backups in place.
18:24Even when their staffing is low, they will delay aircraft and keep them on the ground.
18:29To not have that is huge.
18:33Why did you clear them to fly at 6,000 feet?
18:36You must have known they will never clear the mountain.
18:39My system said it was a military jet.
18:43Investigators discover that the airport's status system had incorrectly labeled the plane as Su-30,
18:50which identifies it as a Sukhoi military aircraft.
18:53The air traffic controller had labeled this plane similar to the Sukhoi military aircraft that belonged to the Indonesian Air Force.
19:05The Indonesian Air Force.
19:08Not knowing it was in fact a civilian aircraft.
19:13Military can fly pretty much as low as they want.
19:15When the pilots requested a descent, the controller assumed they were heading for a military training area in Bogor,
19:27right along the Sukhoi's flight path.
19:30Sukhoi 36801, cleared to 6,000 feet.
19:34EY-7136, cleared to land.
19:37JT-792, continued approach to runway 24.
19:40The ATC thought that it was a military aircraft flying in a military airspace,
19:47so 6,000 is not a concern for them.
19:51But I still don't understand, why was the plane so far off course?
19:56That's a good question.
19:58I really don't know.
20:00The plane was supposed to turn and fly north towards Jakarta,
20:08but instead it flew south and hit a mountain 54 kilometers from the airport.
20:15Investigators need to know why.
20:21They hope the black boxes can give them some answers.
20:25The most important thing is the black box,
20:30which records the flight data and the conversation inside the cockpit.
20:36This is what we're looking for.
20:38But they could be anywhere.
20:41You guys search up here?
20:43I'm going down.
20:45The search team targets the thickly forested valley below.
20:48From my experience, I could predict that a relatively small object,
20:53like a black box, would fall down to the base of the cliff.
20:57So this was their biggest challenge.
21:06The crash site was below an 800 meter cliff.
21:09800 meter.
21:11800 meter.
21:39The crash site was below an 800 meter.
21:40The crash site was below an 800 meter.
21:41The crash site was below an 800 meter.
21:45Finally, six days after the crash, a breakthrough.
21:51We found it.
21:53We found the CBR.
21:55The recorder's outer casing is damaged.
21:58But if the data inside can be retrieved,
22:02investigators may finally be able to understand
22:04why the jet veered fatally off course.
22:09While investigators wait for the cockpit voice recordings,
22:14they consider two stark possibilities
22:17regarding the fate of Flight 36801.
22:22Either the Sukhoi's flight systems failed
22:25and led the plane off track,
22:27or the pilots made a deadly error.
22:31Since news of the crash broke,
22:33there's been speculation that the chief test pilot
22:35was showing off,
22:37trying to give passengers a better view.
22:39This guy had a spotless record.
22:43But his personnel files reveal
22:45that during his 36 years of flying,
22:47there has been no hint of reckless behavior.
22:53His flight records showed he had more than 10,000 hours.
22:59He was never unprofessional.
23:00I flew several thousand kilometers on that plane
23:04through varied conditions and weather.
23:06He was not a reckless pilot.
23:09So what do we know about the days leading up to the accident?
23:12How busy were they?
23:14They study the pilot's work schedules,
23:17looking for anything unusual.
23:18They discover that the captain and his first officer
23:23were on the fourth leg of the demonstration tour.
23:25Maybe they were tired.
23:29A closer examination reveals that the Sukhoi pilots
23:32had the evening off the day before the crash,
23:34and the demonstration flight that preceded the accident
23:37lasted only 22 minutes.
23:39This was not a tough schedule.
23:42We didn't find any evidence
23:44that the pilot was physically unfit.
23:47Investigators are at a loss,
23:49still with no solid clues about the cause of the crash.
23:53They were supposed to go south to the area of Bougal,
23:56turn and come right back to the airport.
24:00How did they end up over here?
24:02Makes no sense.
24:03Let's get down to 6,000 so we can start to turn back.
24:08The Russian crew had never flown in Indonesia before.
24:12But handling new routes is something
24:14all professional pilots are trained to do.
24:19Flying in a new area is very common.
24:23But this needs to be accompanied
24:25by having a very detailed briefing.
24:27Investigators wonder
24:34how well-briefed was the crew
24:36before the fatal flight.
24:38Can I help you?
24:39Yes.
24:40Can you tell me
24:41how the briefing with the pilots went?
24:44They check in with the ground handling agent.
24:47It went fine.
24:48Except the pilots never showed up.
24:51So who exactly did you brief?
24:55Investigators are surprised to learn
24:57that only the chief navigator
24:58attended the briefing.
25:01I think it would have been helpful
25:02if the pilots were present in that briefing.
25:05But I don't think it's that big of a deal
25:07as long as the navigator is doing
25:09his or her job to make sure
25:11that the pilots have their information.
25:15According to the agent,
25:16the briefing was short.
25:17Just a quick chat about the flight plan
25:19with no mention of terrain.
25:22You didn't warn him about the mountains?
25:25Didn't ask.
25:25Mind you,
25:27you didn't speak English very well.
25:30It seems a language barrier
25:32may have prevented the communication
25:34of a key piece of information.
25:36The most important part of the briefing
25:39that should be given to the pilot
25:41is the area.
25:43They should show a Bokor area
25:45southwest of Jakarta
25:47and surrounding the area
25:49with high mountains.
25:50But a missed briefing
25:52doesn't explain the crash.
25:55Investigators know
25:56that the pilots had flight charts
25:57that should have given them
25:59detailed information
26:00about the local topography.
26:02It's terrain,
26:03it's safe altitudes,
26:04weather charts,
26:06just general threats
26:07that might be specific
26:08to an area
26:09that they may not be used to.
26:11All these different things
26:11should all be understood
26:13and briefed.
26:15OK, let's put this up
26:16and see what they were given.
26:19Investigators scrutinize
26:20the topographical map
26:22of the area.
26:24They then compare it
26:25to the navigational chart
26:26provided by the ground handler.
26:28They make a disturbing discovery.
26:39The chart shows
26:40no terrain contours
26:41or altitudes of any kind.
26:44The mountain's not indicated
26:45on the chart at all.
26:49The map they needed
26:50is available in Indonesia
26:52and you can buy it anywhere.
26:54But they didn't have
26:55this map on board.
26:57Why?
26:57I have no idea.
27:00I mean,
27:01to not have any terrain info
27:02and not have any idea
27:04that there even
27:04would have been terrain
27:05to even be aware of
27:08is mind-blowing.
27:11The weather office
27:12near Mount Salak
27:13reported low clouds
27:14and poor visibility
27:15that afternoon.
27:17Without knowing
27:18to look for the mountains,
27:20the pilots may not
27:21have spotted them.
27:22Check out the control.
27:232.3-6-8-0-1
27:25reaching level 1-0-1.
27:27The pilots
27:28had no idea
27:29the mountains were there.
27:36Why didn't the plane's
27:37computer system
27:38want them?
27:42Investigators
27:43turn their attention
27:43to the Sukhoi
27:44Superjet 100.
27:46is the state-of-the-art
27:47aircraft somehow
27:48to blame
27:49for the crash?
27:54I want to know more
27:55about how this
27:56TORS system works.
27:58The investigative
27:59spotlight
27:59now shines
28:00on one of the
28:01Sukhoi Superjet's
28:02most important
28:03safety systems.
28:05It's called
28:06TORS,
28:07Terrain Awareness
28:08and Warning System.
28:10Using GPS,
28:11it tracks the plane's
28:12heading
28:12and predicts
28:13when it's at risk
28:14of colliding
28:15with terrain.
28:16It's designed
28:17to alert pilots
28:18in plenty of time
28:19to respond.
28:21Maybe the system
28:22somehow failed.
28:26Everyone
28:27wants the answer.
28:28For days,
28:34the news
28:35has shown
28:35search-and-rescue
28:36teams collecting
28:37body parts
28:38from the mountaintop
28:39and flying them
28:40to Jakarta
28:41for DNA analysis.
28:47Family members
28:48only hope
28:49is that their
28:50loved ones'
28:51remains
28:51can be identified
28:52for burial.
28:53All the fragments
29:00were identified
29:00with the help
29:01of DNA experts.
29:05There were lots
29:05of flowers
29:06at the ceremony
29:07which happened
29:09right at Halim Airport.
29:13The highest-ranking
29:14Indonesians
29:15were present.
29:17It was truly
29:18a national
29:19state of mourning.
29:21It stretched
29:21over several days.
29:23for several days.
29:26Airlines put
29:26purchase orders
29:27for the superjet
29:28on hold.
29:30Millions of dollars
29:31are on the line.
29:32It still stands
29:33to be a huge,
29:33huge blemish
29:34for Sukhoi
29:35and a costly
29:36one at that.
29:39While investigators
29:40wait for the
29:41cockpit voice recorder,
29:42they start
29:43with the flight
29:44data recorder
29:44which was recovered
29:4621 days
29:47after the crash.
29:48The flight
29:49data recorder
29:50becomes important
29:50in crashes like this
29:51because everyone
29:52was deceased
29:53on the aircraft.
29:54It holds secrets
29:55that no one
29:56would otherwise know.
29:58This is the
29:59original flight path
29:59here.
30:01And we know
30:01from the controllers
30:02that they requested
30:03permission
30:04to do an extra
30:05360-degree turn.
30:07Impressive flight deck.
30:09I could certainly
30:09get used to this.
30:11All right then.
30:13Let's do the full orbit
30:14before we return.
30:18Champagne, sir?
30:19The flight from
30:21Halim to Bogor
30:22only take like
30:23very short flights
30:25and flight attendant,
30:27they will not have
30:28adequate time
30:29to serve all
30:29the passengers.
30:31Would you care
30:31for some Russian caviar?
30:34But the question is,
30:36how did they end up here?
30:38The flight path data
30:39shows the plane's
30:40exact route.
30:41As he's going
30:42southwest,
30:44he's on a heading
30:45of 240 degrees.
30:47It also shows
30:48all compass headings
30:50entered by the pilots.
30:51As he starts
30:52to loop down,
30:54he changes
30:54to 333 degrees.
30:57At first,
30:58everything seems
30:59to be going
30:59according to plan.
31:00But then,
31:01investigators discover
31:02something they
31:03can't explain.
31:06We were all
31:07surprised and confused
31:09as to why
31:10this plane
31:11was headed south.
31:13The last input
31:14was 174
31:15heading south.
31:17Over here.
31:18Right here.
31:20He should have
31:21put in another input
31:22heading back
31:23to the north.
31:25A compass heading
31:26of 174 degrees
31:28took the plane
31:29south into the mountain.
31:30The pilot
31:31needed to input
31:32another heading
31:33of 333 degrees
31:35to turn the plane
31:36back towards
31:36Halim Airport.
31:39This is where
31:40something went wrong.
31:41Right here.
31:41Our biggest question
31:47was,
31:48what was the reason
31:49for the flight path
31:50heading south
31:51after the orbit
31:53over Bogor?
31:58Investigators wonder
31:59if the navigation
32:00system somehow
32:01failed,
32:02leading the pilots
32:03off course.
32:05They study the data
32:06looking for any sign
32:08of a malfunction.
32:11Flight systems
32:12look fine.
32:13Data from the black box.
32:15The black box data
32:17showed no problems
32:18with this plane.
32:20All the engine
32:21and flight control
32:21systems were
32:22in normal condition.
32:23All the engine
32:24and flight control
32:25systems were
32:26in normal condition.
32:29Can you isolate
32:30the terrain warning
32:31system?
32:32Next,
32:33they look at how
32:34the terrain warning
32:34system performed.
32:35Did it alert
32:37the pilots
32:38to impending danger?
32:40There's
32:40TORS warnings.
32:43The data
32:43shows the TORS
32:44sent out multiple
32:45alerts in the
32:46final 40 seconds
32:47of flight.
32:49The terrain
32:50awareness warning
32:51system has
32:52two types
32:53of warnings.
32:54First,
32:55visual warning
32:55with lights
32:56and oral warnings
32:58with sounds.
33:00So,
33:00it is impossible
33:01for the pilot
33:02that they will not
33:04recognize the warning.
33:05I don't get it.
33:08If the warnings
33:09worked,
33:10then these guys
33:10would have known
33:11what to do.
33:13Investigators
33:13are stumped.
33:15Flight data
33:16shows the captain
33:17made no attempt
33:18to turn the plane.
33:20Even more baffling,
33:21the TORS system
33:22was deactivated
33:2328 seconds
33:24before the crash.
33:27Did the pilot
33:27turn it off?
33:29Why that happened
33:30is a complete mystery.
33:32We didn't know
33:36for sure
33:36if the crew
33:37had indeed
33:37disabled the system
33:38or if there
33:39was an error
33:40in the system.
33:43240 miles an hour
33:45straight into
33:46the side of a mountain.
33:49So,
33:49the big question
33:50was,
33:51why didn't they
33:51take any action
33:52to avoid the crash?
33:53Let's hope the CVR
33:56can give us
33:57something more.
34:00Indonesian investigators
34:01now know
34:02that the pilots
34:03of the Sukhoi superjet
34:04failed to complete
34:06a turn,
34:07sending their planes
34:08straight into a mountain.
34:09They also know
34:13that the aircraft's
34:14advanced terrain
34:15warning system
34:16was shut down
34:17before the impact.
34:19What they don't
34:19understand is why.
34:22They hope to find
34:22some answers
34:23on the cockpit
34:24voice recording,
34:26a recording they feared
34:27they might never
34:28get to hear.
34:29When we received
34:30the CVR,
34:31the memory module
34:33wire was burned,
34:34so it takes some time
34:36for us to rewire this.
34:39Ready?
34:41Investigators
34:42synchronize the audio
34:43from the cockpit
34:44to the flight data
34:46to create
34:47a comprehensive timeline.
34:53The FDR data
34:54shows the direction
34:56of the flight
34:56every second.
34:59If we superimpose
35:00this data
35:01with the CVR,
35:03then we can know
35:04second by second
35:05the position
35:06of the flight
35:07and what the pilots
35:08were conversing
35:09about it.
35:10Highly important data.
35:16So we know
35:17everything is fine
35:18when the plane
35:19heads towards Bogor.
35:20It's on course
35:21facing southwest.
35:24Play from there.
35:26Let's get down
35:26to 6,000
35:27so we can start
35:28to turn back.
35:31The plane
35:31is about 20 miles
35:32south of Jakarta,
35:34flying over Bogor
35:35when the first officer
35:36radios air traffic
35:37control.
35:38Check out the control.
35:39So we're 36801
35:41requesting to set
35:42to 6,000.
35:46Dark cloud ahead.
35:49It's a crucial
35:50three words.
35:52Dark clouds
35:53between cockpit
35:54and the mountain.
35:56They probably
35:57don't see the mountain
35:58in front of them.
35:59The dark clouds
36:04were in the direction
36:04of Mount Salath.
36:06They wouldn't be able
36:06to see anything,
36:07not even a mountain.
36:09All right then.
36:11Let's do the full orbit
36:12before we return.
36:13Check out our control.
36:14Sukhoi 36801
36:16requesting right orbit
36:17at 6,000.
36:21Sukhoi 36801,
36:22right orbit approved.
36:23As the plane
36:29starts to turn
36:30and descend,
36:31it initially moves
36:32away from the
36:33cloud-covered mountains.
36:35The flight computer
36:36does all the work
36:37for me.
36:38A pilot would be
36:39demonstrating
36:39to a potential customer
36:42that was in the
36:42flight deck
36:43at this time,
36:44hey, this is how
36:45this works,
36:45this is how this happens.
36:46It's actually showing
36:47how automation
36:48and other knobs
36:50are creating a turn
36:51in an aircraft.
36:52I know he's trying
36:53to showcase the plane,
36:55but shouldn't he focus
36:56on flying the orbit?
36:58Investigators suspect
36:59that on this flight,
37:02the cockpit demonstration
37:03became too much
37:04of a distraction
37:05for the pilots.
37:06The aircraft
37:07started to make orbit.
37:08We heard the discussion
37:10among three persons
37:11in the cockpit.
37:12The captain tried
37:13to show
37:14the sophisticated
37:15of the aircraft.
37:17As the plane turns,
37:19the captain
37:19keeps talking.
37:20Another great feature
37:22is the toss.
37:23This discussion
37:24took about
37:2538 seconds.
37:27It gives us
37:28excellent terrain awareness,
37:30it has predictive
37:31hazard warning,
37:32and it's really
37:33state-of-the-art.
37:34Now he's showing
37:35off the toss.
37:36Now the plane
37:37is about a third
37:38of the way
37:38through the 360-degree turn.
37:41But no problem
37:43with the terrain
37:44at this moment.
37:45Yes, because
37:45it's flat terrain.
37:47Wait, stop there.
37:48Now, they are
37:50in a wide turn,
37:52facing this way.
37:54And the toss
37:54is telling them
37:55it is flat.
37:57But it won't be
37:57for long.
38:00The aircraft
38:01was on heading
38:03towards Jakarta
38:04when there is
38:05no mountain ahead.
38:06It was only
38:07flat area
38:08and the sea.
38:10Let's keep playing.
38:11How does the fuel
38:16consumption?
38:17Fantastic.
38:18As you can see,
38:19we've hardly
38:19burned any fuel.
38:21Yeah, these engines
38:22are so efficient.
38:24Wait, stop.
38:27His last input
38:28was 174.
38:30They would take them
38:31towards the mountain
38:32and he needs
38:33to keep turning.
38:35But he's talking
38:36about the engines.
38:37Investigator's
38:40suspicions
38:41proved to be
38:41correct.
38:42The captain
38:42is so distracted
38:43he never
38:44completes the circle.
38:50As we learned,
38:51they ended up
38:52not performing
38:53a full orbit
38:54but went off track
38:57at 174 degrees.
38:59He's so busy
39:03chatting,
39:04he simply forgot
39:05to input
39:05the rest of the turn.
39:07During this time
39:08where the discussion
39:09was so intense,
39:11the pilot
39:12did not
39:14reselect
39:14the heading
39:15to get
39:16a complete circle.
39:19Let's start
39:20the approach.
39:21I'll check the charts.
39:24After the fuel
39:25consumption talk,
39:27the pilots
39:28prepare for landing.
39:30The captain
39:31thinks he's
39:32on course
39:32for the airport
39:33when in fact
39:35he's heading
39:35for disaster.
39:37Make a request
39:38to Jakarta.
39:40Terrain,
39:40terrain.
39:41Pull up.
39:43This definitely
39:43did a toss.
39:45The CVR
39:46confirms
39:47that the warning
39:47system did sound
39:48when it needed to.
39:49Pull up.
39:51Why aren't they
39:52doing anything
39:53about the terrain
39:53warning?
39:55Why is that
39:55going on?
39:57Pull up.
39:57They knew
39:59that this
40:01warning
40:01indicate that
40:02they fly
40:03toward the terrain
40:05but
40:06they're starting
40:08questions
40:09why it should
40:10be active.
40:12Investigators
40:13know that
40:13the TORS
40:14warning system
40:15will be shut
40:15off moments
40:16before the plane
40:17flies straight
40:18into a mountain.
40:19But they still
40:20don't know why
40:21until the CVR
40:24provides a crucial
40:25clue.
40:26There's a database.
40:27Wait.
40:29That's it.
40:30Database.
40:31The database.
40:33The flight
40:34computer has a
40:35database loaded
40:36with terrain
40:37information
40:37but the captain
40:38thinks it is
40:39faulty
40:40and he hasn't
40:41seen the mountain
40:42because of the
40:43clouds
40:44and it's not
40:46on his navigation
40:47chart.
40:48he is convinced
40:52TORS warning
40:53is an error.
40:57We strongly
40:58believe the
40:59captain thought
41:00he was on
41:00flat ground.
41:03This is supported
41:04by what we heard
41:05the pilot say.
41:07Why is this
41:07it may be data.
41:09Why is this
41:10maybe
41:10data.
41:12To the captain
41:15the potentially
41:16life-saving
41:17TORS warning
41:18is nothing more
41:19than a harsh
41:20annoying sound.
41:29Alerts like
41:30terrain ahead
41:31or pull up
41:32are strong
41:33warnings.
41:34In this case
41:35he should have
41:36pulled up.
41:36Don't bother
41:42asking if it's
41:43a drill
41:43or a real
41:44fire.
41:46He was not
41:47well-briefed.
41:48He didn't
41:49take the
41:49diligence to
41:50find out
41:51what the
41:52potential threats
41:52were.
41:54The crash
41:55is now
41:55inevitable.
41:59Ah!
42:06Either pilot
42:10should have
42:10stepped up
42:11to act
42:11let's move
42:12let's
42:12climb
42:13let's
42:14turn
42:14let's
42:15get out
42:15of the
42:15way
42:16for what
42:16this
42:16system
42:17is
42:17telling
42:17us
42:17to
42:18do.
42:18Both
42:19of
42:19these
42:19pilots
42:19just
42:19kind
42:20of
42:20let it
42:21be.
42:22They went
42:23about
42:23their
42:23merry
42:23way.
42:24We conduct
42:25simulations
42:26based on
42:27the FDR
42:27data.
42:29The simulation
42:29conclude
42:30that the
42:31pilot
42:31have
42:31around
42:3122
42:32seconds
42:33to
42:33decide
42:34and
42:34react
42:35properly.
42:35I was
42:36quite
42:36sad
42:37that
42:37the
42:37pilot
42:37did
42:38not
42:38react
42:39to
42:39the
42:39warning.
42:41In
42:42their
42:42final
42:42report
42:43investigators
42:44conclude
42:45that the
42:45crew
42:45disregarded
42:46the
42:46TOR's
42:47warnings
42:47because
42:48they
42:48were
42:48unaware
42:48of
42:49the
42:49nearby
42:49mountains.
42:51They
42:51were
42:51flying
42:52in the
42:52wrong
42:52direction
42:53due
42:53to
42:53distractions
42:54in
42:54the
42:54cockpit.
42:56I
42:56think
42:56that
42:57this
42:57accident
42:58was
42:58almost
42:59all
42:59human
42:59error.
43:00Humans
43:00not
43:01properly
43:01charting
43:01the
43:02area.
43:02Humans
43:02not
43:03properly
43:04taking
43:04care of
43:05the air
43:05traffic
43:05controller.
43:06The
43:06pilots
43:07being
43:07lazy
43:08about
43:09their
43:09decision
43:09making
43:10in
43:10the
43:10flight
43:10deck.
43:11These
43:11are
43:12all
43:12human
43:12factors,
43:13every
43:13single
43:13one
43:14of
43:14them.
43:15The
43:15most
43:16important
43:16part
43:17to be
43:17learned
43:17from
43:18this
43:18accident
43:18was
43:19that
43:19the
43:20pilot
43:21should
43:21react
43:21properly
43:22to
43:22the
43:22warning.
43:22the
43:25super
43:25super
43:25jet
43:25continues
43:26to
43:26fly
43:26but
43:27without
43:27making
43:27much
43:28of
43:28a
43:28dent
43:28in
43:28the
43:28global
43:29marketplace.
43:30The
43:30Sukhoi
43:31super
43:31jet
43:31has
43:31not
43:32performed
43:32exactly
43:33as
43:33desired.
43:35There's
43:35just
43:35a little
43:36over
43:36a hundred
43:36that
43:37were
43:37built
43:38and
43:38delivered
43:38which
43:39falls
43:40very
43:40short
43:40of
43:41where
43:41Sukhoi
43:41had
43:42wanted.
43:43The
43:44worst
43:44part
43:45was
43:45that
43:45those
43:45were
43:46people
43:46with
43:46whom
43:46I
43:46had
43:47already
43:47flown
43:47several
43:47thousand
43:48kilometers
43:48and
43:50now
43:50they're
43:50gone.
43:52I
43:52don't
43:52know
43:52what
43:53they
43:53felt
43:53in
43:53their
43:53last
43:54minutes.
43:55I
43:55hope
43:55they
43:55didn't
43:56have
43:56time
43:56to
43:56feel
43:56anything.
Recommended
43:59
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