Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Oh, God!
00:02Passengers fight for their lives inside a burning plane
00:05at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.
00:07Hey, hey, what's happening here?
00:09A brand-new L-1011 crashes in a remote swamp
00:12in the Florida Everglades.
00:14Oh, hell broke loose.
00:17Why is that going off?
00:19And a Sukhoi Superjet 100
00:21slams into a mountain south of Jakarta.
00:24Why was the plane so far off course?
00:28Three devastating disasters.
00:31Investigators are baffled by the evidence they uncover.
00:35Look at this!
00:36Really ground down.
00:38Gentlemen!
00:40How's it going in here?
00:42Is that the flight attendant?
00:43And what is she doing in there now?
00:45We were amazed at the lack of discipline in the cockpit.
00:48Get down there and see if that damn thing...
00:50This won't come out, Bob.
00:52All three crashes triggered by an identical cause,
00:55a fatal distraction.
00:58B-DayB-DayB Ass estos shows.
01:01Neverreally'll remain here.
01:04Some payload is so корабly and there are certain lounen наши
01:05eight people's force to enter a hall of love.
01:07You're right, if you could home.
01:08One, four, four, six people.
01:09Cook out of M2-8Z.
01:10One way you do that.
01:11I've become what 2 them are for everybody.
01:12May not go.
01:13Okay, come on, call me, I'll find you.
01:14I thought they were just waiting for tonight.
01:25If you're lucky, he didn't know anything.
01:27Fort Worth International the third busiest airport in America 1056 fly
01:34heading 185 runway 18 left clear for takeoff controllers here handle more
01:40than 670,000 takeoffs and landings every year
01:481141 push off of 15 let's go tail straight back prepared in taxi call me
01:52when you're ready okay brakes often tail straight back Roger the pilots of Delta
02:02Airlines flight 1141 prepare their Boeing 727 for a flight to Salt Lake City Utah
02:09we're starting beacon it's on parking brake it's off captain Larry Davis and
02:18first officer Wilson Kirkland are both veteran Delta pilots stop off close
02:24flight engineer Steven Judd is the newest member of the team
02:28that's 1141 give me a right turn bring it between south right to 30 hold short of inner
02:341141 Roger excuse me can I have a coffee sorry you'll have to wait until we're in the air
02:41Paul Verheiden is an architect flying to Utah on business I had a project just outside Salt Lake City I
02:49had to go up there to make some field surveys basically on routine trip the plane is ready
02:57for departure but the 727's progress onto the taxiway is stalled by other passing planes hopefully we'll get
03:05out of here while we still have teeth in our mouths growing great the south red
03:10Dixie Don is a senior flight attendant with more than 30 years experience
03:17gentlemen how's it going in here we're gonna go all the way down there and once all those planes are gone
03:27we can go to 41 come south on the inner until taxiway 21 then move to the outer hold short of 19
03:351141 Roger the 727 is finally cleared to taxi towards the runway but now there's a long lineup of planes
03:45ahead of them so what else are we gonna talk about well we could discuss the dating habits of our flight
03:53attendants that way we have it on the recorder you know in case you crash good morning ladies and
04:02gentlemen we are number four for departure flight attendants prepare the cabin please we are ready
04:10thank you as the air traffic controller juggles many planes he sees an opportunity to clear the logjam
04:211141 taxi to position runway one eight left and hold
04:25okay 1141 position and hold it's an unexpected but welcome change of plans
04:32delta 1141 is bumped to the front of the line
04:36shoulder harness they're on flaps 1515 green light flight control tops and bottoms checked
04:46nav instruments they're set takeoff briefing is complete oh finally
04:54delta 1141 fly heading 185 runway 18 left cleared for takeoff 1141 185 cleared to go
05:02power set engine instruments look good
05:10airspeed's coming up on both sides 80 knots
05:20vr
05:25v2
05:2984
05:33speed
05:364
05:414
05:465
05:486
05:495
05:536
05:55As the cabin fills with smoke and fire, 108 people struggle to get out of the plane alive.
06:10Oh, God.
06:12It was so dark, so black, so thick, I could not breathe.
06:18I was on my last breath. Flashing through my mind was my wife and two kids, and this is it.
06:38Incredibly, 94 people make it off the plane alive, including the pilots and Paul Verheiden.
06:45I looked bad, and I could see the plane was burning up.
06:52Flight attendant Dixie Dunn and 13 others are not so lucky.
07:06Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are quick to arrive.
07:09It is a long runway. There was no weather at the time.
07:16There was no reason he shouldn't have gotten off, so we knew there was something wrong with either the airplane or configuration.
07:24Now we're getting somewhere.
07:26Soon after the crash, the black boxes are recovered.
07:30Make sure you get those to D.C. ASAP.
07:32With the recorders on their way for analysis, investigators hunt for clues on site.
07:40Take a look at this.
07:43Back of the wing here.
07:45It's really ground down.
07:48Skid shoe looks like it hit the ground, too.
07:49On the Boeing 727, it has a tail skid in the very aft part of the fuselage.
07:57And it's a little metal shoe that rides below the fuselage in case the airplane's nose is rotated up too high.
08:04You would actually hit this tail skid before you would hit the bottom of the fuselage.
08:09Let's find out where it hit.
08:14First impact with the skid shoe right there.
08:17Mark and measure, please.
08:19To strike the tail skid, we knew that the airplane was at a 10-degree nose-up pitch attitude at that point along the runway.
08:3010 degrees nose-up is enough angle to get a 727 airborne safely.
08:37But that didn't happen.
08:40The question is, why?
08:42They try to eliminate as many possible causes for the failed take-off as they can.
09:01What was the weight of the plane?
09:09The actual weight was 157,683 pounds.
09:14Well below maximum.
09:17Let's check the fuel logs.
09:18If the 727 was fuelled improperly, it may have been dangerously unbalanced on take-off.
09:27Investigators eliminate each of their initial theories on the crash one by one.
09:45The failed take-off of 1141 remains a mystery.
09:55Investigators face intense pressure to find out why Delta Flight 1141 crashed on take-off.
10:01But then a detail from the crash site grabs their attention.
10:10Hey, take a look at that photo.
10:15It looks like the flaps weren't extended.
10:18All commercial airliners must have their wing flaps extended for take-off.
10:26Without the flaps, the wings cannot generate enough lift to carry the plane skyward.
10:33The investigators should be able to tell if the plane's flaps were actually extended on take-off by reviewing the flight data recorder.
10:44Is this it?
10:45But they discover it's an older model.
10:49To their frustration, it's captured very little data.
10:53There's no information regarding the flaps at all.
10:57Okay, you ready?
10:59Maybe the cockpit voice recorder will provide the answers they need.
11:041141, prepare to taxi. Call me when you're ready.
11:07Okay. Brakes off and tail straight back.
11:10Roger.
11:11When we finally listened to the voice recorder that afternoon,
11:15hopefully we'll get out of here while we still have teeth in our mouths.
11:19There was some extraneous conversations on their long taxi out.
11:23I forgot to get my paycheck.
11:26Did you get yours?
11:28Yeah, I got mine.
11:29They should be focused on the flight and not talking about paychecks.
11:33Investigators are disturbed by the casual conversation in the cockpit.
11:36Gentlemen, how's it going in here?
11:41Is that the flight attendant?
11:43And what is she doing in there now?
11:46What kind of birds are those?
11:49Egrets or whatever you call them.
11:52They're cousins to the ones by the sea.
11:55Sitting in the cockpit talking about birds.
11:57The pilots are not allowed to have non-pertinent conversations from taxi takeoff up to 10,000 feet.
12:06We were pretty amazed at the lack of discipline in the cockpit during taxi prior to takeoff.
12:14Well, we could discuss the dating habits of our flight attendants.
12:17So far, they've heard nothing about the flap configuration.
12:24But what they hear next is a stunning revelation.
12:271141, taxi to position runway 1, 8 left and hold.
12:31Okay, 1141's position and hold.
12:33Hold up a minute. Stop.
12:35Here's where the controller bumps them into first position.
12:41They're going to have to rush to get airborne.
12:42In the course of about 90 seconds, they were to finish the taxi checklist,
12:49do the before takeoff checklist, and take off.
12:53That's a rush.
12:56Play it.
12:58Were the pilots first so distracted and then so rushed
13:02that they overlooked an essential item on their checklist, extending the flaps?
13:07Shoulder harness. They're on. Flaps.
13:0915, 15, green light.
13:11Wait, stop.
13:13Clear as day. Flaps extended to 15 for takeoff.
13:18What's going on here?
13:20You could go right down the checklist and they got them all.
13:25When asked, the crew maintained the flaps were extended,
13:29but investigators need proof.
13:32Let's dig up the jack screws.
13:33A device called a jack screw is an integral part of the flap system.
13:42As it turns, it moves a nut that extends or retracts the flaps.
13:46If the flaps were extended, this nut would have been here.
13:55That seals it.
13:57Those flaps were never extended.
13:59It's the conclusive evidence they need.
14:03The flaps were not extended before takeoff.
14:06So why did the pilots think they were extended?
14:11The team returns to the cockpit recording,
14:14hoping to hear something that might explain the discrepancy.
14:17That was fast.
14:28Is he checking or just answering?
14:32Flaps, 15, 15, green light.
14:39There was less than one second between the flaps call and his response.
14:43There's no way he had time to check and see if the flaps were actually out.
14:47It would have been very difficult to actually move the flap lever
14:52from, say, zero to 15 degree detent that rapidly.
14:58Investigators finally know what caused the crash of the Boeing 727.
15:04Distracting conversation resulting in a rushed checklist.
15:09Shoulder harness.
15:10They're on.
15:11Flaps.
15:1115, 15, green light.
15:13Led the pilots to believe their plane was ready for takeoff
15:17when it was anything but.
15:22Super's wrong.
15:31You have to be totally focused on the task at hand.
15:40If you're doing the checklist in the middle of other conversations
15:43that aren't related to operating the airplane,
15:46then it's easy to get distracted and it's easy to miss things.
15:50Both pilots lose their jobs.
15:54The lessons learned from this accident on cockpit discipline,
15:58proper training, proper leadership by the captain.
16:01There are a lot of important things that came out of this accident.
16:05Now, crew members must visually confirm the execution of all checklist items
16:10to help ensure that none are missed.
16:1429 years later, it's like it was yesterday.
16:18It happened and it still causes me to appreciate
16:22giving the opportunity to survive something like that.
16:24While the rules prohibit non-essential conversation
16:32in the cockpit below 10,000 feet,
16:34they don't always prevent pilots from becoming distracted.
16:40Put it in the wrong way, huh?
16:43The altitude?
16:44What?
16:44Hey, hey, what's happening here?
16:45A new, state-of-the-art L-1011 TriStar
16:59is nearing the end of a 3-hour and 15-minute flight
17:03from New York to Miami International Airport.
17:0830-year veteran Captain Bob Loft
17:11is commanding Eastern Airlines Flight 401.
17:15It's a three-person crew.
17:18Another off-duty maintenance employee
17:20sits in with the pilots and flight engineer.
17:23Welcome to Miami.
17:24The temperature's in the low 70s
17:27and it's a beautiful night out there tonight.
17:30There are 176 people on board tonight's flight.
17:35Ron and Lily Infantino have been married for only 20 days.
17:43Go ahead and throw them out.
17:45On approach,
17:47First Officer Albert Stockstill flies the plane.
17:51Flight engineer Don Repo performs a landing checklist.
17:55Radar.
17:57Up.
17:57Off.
17:59Hydraulic panels checked.
18:0035, 33.
18:02Gear down.
18:07Bird, is that handling?
18:08No nose gear.
18:12The light indicating that the nose gear is locked
18:15hasn't lit up.
18:17I'm going to raise it back up.
18:20Captain Loft knows that if the gear isn't all the way down,
18:23the landing will be disastrous.
18:28He tries again.
18:31Still no light.
18:33But is the nose gear truly broken
18:35or is the bulb merely burnt out?
18:38Loft needs to find out which.
18:40Uh, Tower, this is Eastern, uh, 401.
18:44Looks like we're going to have to circle.
18:46We don't have a light on our nose gear yet.
18:49Eastern, 401.
18:50Roger.
18:51Pull up, climb straight ahead to 2000.
18:53Air traffic control directs flight 401 to climb
18:58and circle away from the airport
19:00until the problem is solved.
19:03Do you want me to fly, bro?
19:05I'll put the autopilot on here.
19:06All right.
19:08Stockstill programs the autopilot
19:10to fly at 2,000 feet.
19:14You want me to test the lights or not?
19:16Yeah, check it.
19:17Flight engineer Repo performs a test
19:22that lights up every warning light in the cockpit.
19:26The nose gear indicator light fails the test.
19:30Now, see if you can get that light out.
19:32All right.
19:33Loft decides to remove the bulb for a closer look.
19:36You got a handkerchief or something
19:39so I can get a little better grip on this?
19:41Pull down and turn to your right.
19:42Anything I can do it with?
19:43Turn to your left one time.
19:46Hey, hey, get down there
19:47and see if that damn nose wheel is down.
19:49Captain Loft orders the flight engineer
19:51into the electronics bay underneath the cockpit.
19:55The room, nicknamed the Hell Hole,
19:57has a window from which the front landing gear can be viewed.
20:02This won't come out, Bob.
20:03If I had a pair of pliers, I could cushion it with that clean hand.
20:06I can give you a pair of pliers,
20:07but if you force it, you'll break it.
20:08Just believe it.
20:09Ah, dang.
20:09Screwing around with a 20-cent piece of light equipment.
20:13As the crew struggles to remove the bulb,
20:16in the cabin, passenger Richard Pragluski
20:19notices something the pilots haven't.
20:24The plane is getting closer and closer to the swamp below.
20:29He was still fairly high off the ground,
20:31so it wasn't overly concerned.
20:35Captain Loft assumes the flight engineer down in the Hell Hole
20:38will soon confirm the nose gear is locked.
20:41He wants to return to the airport.
20:44Tower, this is Eastern 401.
20:48Okay, we'd like to turn around and come back in.
20:52Eastern 401, turn left, heading 180.
20:56Zero.
21:02Suddenly, the pilots make an alarming observation.
21:05We did something to the altitude?
21:07What?
21:08We're still at 2,000, right?
21:10Hey, hey, what's happening here?
21:11I see the lights in the cabin just flickering on and off.
21:24And there was a violent, I mean, a violent whipping sensation.
21:30Then all hell broke loose.
21:31I remember the flash.
21:39I remember that I tried breathing.
21:42I could not get my breath.
21:44And that's the last thing I remember until I got up in the swamp.
21:48Those who survive the impact find themselves in a living nightmare.
22:01Both pilots and the flight engineer are killed.
22:05Ron Infantino was knocked out by the crash.
22:09His new wife, Lily, was nowhere to be seen.
22:12Miraculously, 77 people survive, many suffering horrific injuries.
22:2599 people are killed.
22:28Lily Infantino is among the victims.
22:32She's just a wonderful person.
22:33I was 27 years old and she was the same age.
22:35And it was actually my first love.
22:37Soon, it will be up to crash investigators to find out why Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades.
22:50The crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 into the Florida Everglades is headline news around the world.
22:59There's tremendous pressure on investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board to find out what happened.
23:06It was an enormous puzzle because this was the newest, the most sophisticated, the best of the airliners.
23:14It apparently was in perfect working condition.
23:18The condition of the nose and the long trail of debris suggests to investigators that the plane's descent was slow and gradual before it hit the swamp.
23:27While recovery teams pull pieces of wreckage from the crash site, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board sift through and document the debris.
23:42By examining photographs of the cockpit instrument's final settings, they discover that the autopilot was set to maintain an altitude of 2,000 feet.
23:53Put the autopilot on here.
23:55So why did the plane come down?
24:00Could the autopilot have malfunctioned?
24:04The plane's autopilot computer surprisingly survived the crash.
24:10To test it, investigators install the autopilot on a different TriStar and fly the identical route as Flight 401.
24:18This time, the autopilot holds the plane at 2,000 feet.
24:26So why hadn't it on the night of the accident?
24:33With autopilot malfunction shelved as a possible cause of the crash, investigators turn to the cockpit voice recorder for any new lead.
24:40Uh, tell her, this is Easton, uh, 4-0-1.
24:45Looks like we're gonna have to circle.
24:47We don't have a light on our nose here yet.
24:51As they continue to listen, they discover an important clue.
24:58Do you hear that?
24:59The altitude warnings went off in the cockpit moments before the crash.
25:07How'd they miss it?
25:08But for some reason, the alarm is ignored.
25:15Investigators review all the cockpit transcripts and audio to try to understand why the crew missed the alarm.
25:21I don't know what the hell's holding that damn thing in there.
25:24Put it in the wrong way, huh?
25:26Swear to me.
25:27Just before the alarm sounded, the pilots were completely absorbed with something else.
25:33Can't you get the oil?
25:34The landing gear light.
25:37It's always something.
25:39The pilots didn't hear a perfectly audible alarm.
25:45Because they were focused entirely on solving another problem.
25:48That chime, which is clearly heard on the, uh, cockpit voice recorder, was not registering in the minds of all the men on that flight deck.
25:58Not because they weren't trying to pay attention, but because they were tunneled in on this one problem.
26:05Investigators wonder, how could the crew get so distracted that they crashed the plane?
26:10They had to look at the human beings.
26:13They had to look at the interaction.
26:14They had to look at why no one was paying attention to the airplane as it began to creep out at 2,000 feet.
26:20Hey, hey, what's happening here?
26:23That was scary territory in 1972.
26:33Investigators suspect that the Eastern crew was so confident in their autopilot.
26:38Put the autopilot on here.
26:40All right.
26:40That they didn't monitor their instruments as closely as they should have.
26:45Once the autopilot was on, they became so consumed with fixing a light bulb, neither pilot paid attention to actually flying the plane.
26:56Now, see if we can get that light out.
26:58All right.
27:01But one vital question remains.
27:04We've still got to find out why that plane went down.
27:13To better understand what the pilots were discussing at the precise moment the plane started to descend,
27:19investigators match up the cockpit voice recorder with the flight data recorder.
27:24They make a startling discovery.
27:28At 11.37 and 8 seconds, the plane begins to drop.
27:34The same time, the captain gave instructions to the flight engineer to check the landing gear in the hellhole.
27:41Hey, hey, get down there and see if that damn nose wheel is down.
27:44They believe that when Captain Loft turned around, he accidentally bumped his control wheel with just enough pressure to disengage the autopilot's altitude control.
27:59Without the crew realizing it, a simple nudge of the control wheel started a gradual descent.
28:07It was determined that occasionally, with just a soft bump, autopilot disengaged.
28:18The consequence is catastrophic.
28:24The NTSB comes to a sobering conclusion.
28:28The plane crash was due to pilot error.
28:30The crew was distracted.
28:34They mishandled the plane's sophisticated automation.
28:38And they hadn't been properly trained.
28:41The problem was that we did not teach Bob Loft or Stockstill or any of these folks at the time
28:47that when something goes wrong, the commander's first responsibility is to maintain aircraft control.
28:53The outcome of this accident alters the way in which pilots are trained to handle their interactions at all stages of flight.
29:05Even when there are sophisticated automated systems that control the plane, pilots must not lose focus on key priorities.
29:14Fantastic. It's really state-of-the-art.
29:17But distractions come in many forms and in just the blink of an eye.
29:23Why is that going off?
29:27A slight distraction can turn into a disaster.
29:36At Halim Perdana Kusuma International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia,
29:41a demonstration flight is almost ready for departure.
29:4636 invited guests are getting the Gold Star treatment on board a brand new Russian aircraft.
29:53The plane is a Sukhoi Superjet 100.
29:55Well, Sukhoi is an aircraft manufacturer that's known for making military aircraft.
30:00Russia hadn't really dove into commercial airliners.
30:04And this was their first, so it's kind of a big deal for them.
30:08This afternoon's flight is part of a six-country tour, introducing the new plane to the Asian market.
30:14The passengers are a mix of potential buyers from major airlines and journalists who can create some buzz.
30:23Russia has kind of a poor reputation for safety.
30:27So a lot is at stake.
30:28This is the beginning of their reputation.
30:30Captain Alexander Yablontsev is Sukhoi's chief test pilot.
30:41Transponder set.
30:44He has more hours in the superjet than any other pilot.
30:48Before takeoff, the checklist is complete.
30:50First officer Alexander Kuchetkov is also a seasoned test pilot.
30:56In the cabin, an engineer and navigator monitor the plane's performance.
31:02Sukhoi 36801 cleared for takeoff.
31:06Here we go.
31:07The plan is to make a quick 30-minute flight south to the rural area of Bogor, then return back to the airport.
31:31Ladies and gentlemen, Sukhoi welcomes you on board of the superjet 100.
31:38That's a very smooth ascent.
31:40A potential customer from a major Indonesian airline is a guest in the cockpit today.
31:47In a demonstration flight, they're not operating under the same exact rules as an airline flight.
31:52It's not abnormal at all to invite one of the folks up and just give them that special experience.
31:59They fly the first portion of the loop at an altitude of 10,000 feet, away from the busy commercial routes.
32:05Champagne, sir.
32:10Midway through the flight, Yablonsiev changes course.
32:14Let's get down to 6,000 so we can start to turn back.
32:18Check out the control.
32:19Sukhoi 36801.
32:21Requesting to set to 6,000.
32:24Sukhoi 36801.
32:26Clear to 6,000 feet.
32:27Everything is exactly where it needs to be.
32:34Very pilot-friendly.
32:37Impressive flight deck.
32:39I could certainly get used to this.
32:41All right then.
32:42Let's do the full orbit before we return.
32:44The captain decides to prolong the flight by flying an extra 360-degree orbit, or loop, before heading back to Jakarta.
32:55Jakarta control.
32:56Sukhoi 36801.
32:58Requesting right orbit at 6,000.
33:00It was just them having a little bit of fun.
33:04Sukhoi 36801.
33:05Right orbit approved.
33:06To turn the plane, Yablonsiev will need to input a series of compass headings into the autopilot at different times.
33:21The maneuver is so smooth, passengers hardly feel it in the cabin.
33:26Would you care for some Russian caviar?
33:33Do you want to do another orbit, or shall we begin the approach?
33:36Let's start the approach.
33:39As the first officer checks his navigation chart, an automated warning begins to sound.
33:46Why is that going off?
33:49Maybe the database.
33:59Moments later, at the control center, the Sukhoi superjet vanishes from radar.
34:06Where did you go?
34:10Sukhoi 36801, please come in.
34:16Four calls later, there's still no reply.
34:19The plane should have landed by now.
34:23Sukhoi 36801 is off radar.
34:26Authorities declare an emergency.
34:29The fear is that the plane went down in the jagged peaks of Indonesia's Mount Salak, south of Bogor.
34:3718 hours after the plane vanished, a helicopter pilot spots aircraft debris spilling thousands of feet down a cliff face.
34:48It's one of the most challenging locations Indonesian crash investigators have ever faced.
34:57A group of crash investigators and marines must trek up Indonesia's treacherous Mount Salak to find the wreckage of a Sukhoi superjet.
35:12Keep moving, guys.
35:16It takes nine hours, but finally they reach the crash site.
35:23What they find is overwhelming.
35:25When I reached the site, the situation was quite scary.
35:34There was lots of smoke and wreckage and debris everywhere.
35:39It was such a sad thing to witness.
35:41In the tangled wreckage, there's no hope of survivors.
35:49To begin finding out what caused this crash, investigators interview air traffic controllers.
35:56They learned that the plane was supposed to fly south towards Bogor and then turn north back to Jakarta.
36:03Well, they were just supposed to do a 30-minute loop.
36:07But instead, it looped back south again and hit a mountain.
36:16How did they end up over here? Makes no sense.
36:19They consider two stark possibilities.
36:24Either the Sukhoi's navigation systems failed or the pilots made a deadly error.
36:29Investigators wonder if the crew was well-briefed before the fatal flight.
36:38They check in with the ground handling agent.
36:42Can you tell me how the briefing with the pilots went?
36:45It went fine.
36:47It said the pilots never showed up.
36:50Investigators are shocked to learn that only the chief navigator attended the briefing.
36:54They also discover Mount Salak is not marked on the navigation chart.
37:01And the agent never mentioned it in the discussion.
37:06It appears the pilots of the Russian demonstration flight aren't alerted to the presence of a high mountain near their route.
37:12But investigators wonder why didn't the pilots see it during their flight.
37:24Everyone wants the answer.
37:30Finally, the aircraft's black boxes are ready for analysis.
37:35Investigators focus in on the flight data recorder first.
37:38It shows the plane's exact route.
37:42As he's going southwest, he's on a heading of 240 degrees.
37:48It also shows all compass headings entered by the pilots.
37:51As he starts to loop down, he changes to 333 degrees.
37:57That would turn the plane back towards Jakarta.
38:02But then investigators discover something they can't explain.
38:08The last input was 174 heading south, over here, right here.
38:15He should have put in another input, heading back to the north.
38:20A compass heading of 174 degrees took the plane south into a mountain.
38:26The pilot needed to input at least one more heading to turn the plane back towards Halim Airport.
38:31This is where something went wrong, right here.
38:41Ready?
38:43To learn more, investigators synchronize the audio from the cockpit to the flight data to create a comprehensive timeline.
38:51The plane is about 20 miles south of Jakarta when the first officer radios air traffic control.
39:04Jakarta control, Sukhoi 36801.
39:07Requesting to set to 6000.
39:11Dark cloud ahead.
39:12The pilot has now added the orbit, or loop, to his flight plan.
39:42But for the autopilot to execute the loop, he needs to add another compass heading into the computer.
39:48The flight computer does all the work for me.
39:51I know he's trying to showcase the plane, but shouldn't he focus on flying the orbit?
39:56Everything is exactly where it needs to be.
39:59Another great feature is the TARS.
40:01It gives us excellent terrain awareness.
40:03Now he's showing off the TARS.
40:08TARS, the terrain awareness and warning system, uses flight data and GPS to track the plane's heading,
40:16and alerts pilots when the plane is at risk of colliding with terrain.
40:19This discussion took about 38 seconds.
40:26It has predictive hazard warning, and it's really state-of-the-art.
40:31Now the plane is about a third of the way through that 360-degree turn.
40:36But no problem with the terrain at this moment?
40:40Yes, because it's flat terrain.
40:43The aircraft was heading towards Jakarta.
40:46There is no mountain ahead.
40:48There's only flat area and the sea.
40:52The plane continues turning south.
40:56How is the fuel consumption?
40:57Fantastic.
40:58As you can see, we've hardly burned any fuel.
41:01Wait, stop.
41:02His last input was 174.
41:08That would take them towards the mountain.
41:10And he needs to keep turning.
41:13But he's talking about the engines.
41:16Investigators' suspicions prove to be correct.
41:19The captain is so distracted, he only inputs enough headings to complete a half circle,
41:25instead of the full 360 degrees.
41:27He simply forgot to input the rest of the turn.
41:33Let's start the approach.
41:35The pilots prepare for landing.
41:37The captain thinks he's on course for the airport,
41:40when in fact he's heading for disaster.
41:43Arrange, arrange.
41:45Arrange, arrange, arrange.
41:48This definitely did the toss.
41:50The cockpit voice recorder confirms that the warning system sounded when it needed to.
41:55Why aren't they doing anything about the terrain warning?
42:00Arrange, arrange.
42:02Why is that going off?
42:04Arrange, arrange.
42:04Maybe in the database.
42:06Arrange, arrange.
42:06Wait.
42:07That's it.
42:08Database, the database.
42:11The computer's database is loaded with terrain information,
42:15but the pilots think there's something wrong with it.
42:18But the captain thinks it is faulty,
42:21and he hasn't seen the mountain because of the clouds.
42:25And it's not on his navigation chart.
42:29He is convinced.
42:31Toss warning is an error.
42:33Arrange, arrange.
42:35Arrange.
42:36To the captain,
42:37the potentially life-saving Toss warning
42:39is nothing more than a harsh, annoying sound.
42:45The crash is now inevitable.
42:47In their final report,
43:00investigators conclude that the crew disregarded the Toss warning
43:04because they were unaware of the nearby mountains.
43:07They were flying in the wrong direction
43:09due to distractions in the cockpit.
43:11It's a mistake that cost the lives of 45 people.
43:21Even though the Federal Aviation Administration
43:23established the sterile cockpit rule in 1981...
43:28Gentlemen, how's it going in here?
43:31Sometimes this rule was broken.
43:34Now it is more strictly enforced.
43:36The decision to enter a cockpit must be made very carefully.
43:44History has shown just one small distraction can lead to disaster.
43:48According to the past it will be destroyed.
43:58One small discourage
43:59one short Crash
44:01two monthsoration
44:03one short First