All language subtitles for Air.Disasters.S18E09.Fire.on.Board.1080p.SMIT.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-maldini_track3_[eng]

FLIGHT INTERCOM:
Ladies and gentlemen,

we are starting our approach.

FLIGHT CREW: We
lost both engines.

FLIGHT INTERCOM: Put
the mask over your nose.

Emergency descent.
FLIGHT CREW: Mayday!

Mayday?

[yells]

It's going to crash!

[explosion]

[music playing]

NARRATOR: In 1998, off
Canada's East Coast,

a modern passenger
jet, run by one

of the world's best airlines,
catches fire at 33,000 feet.

[airplane engine]

FLIGHT CREW: Swissair 111,
we are dumping fuel now,

and we must land immediately.

[explosion]

NARRATOR: In its
final six minutes,

communications from
the cockpit cease.

FLIGHT CREW: It's
gaining already.

NARRATOR: Then the plane
plummets into the ocean.

[explosion]

229 people are dead.

What caused the
fire is a mystery.

RADIO REPORTER:
Many of the vessels

reported to the Canadian Navy
vessel standing by on scene

that they were finding bodies,
and making repeated requests

for more body bags, and get the
bodies that were on their boats

off.

NARRATOR: The search
for answers led

to one of the largest
investigations

in aviation history.

And was a wake-up call for
the entire airline industry,

to ensure that what
happened aboard Swissair 111

would never happen again.

This accident
investigation was

a unique opportunity to assess
the materials in airplanes.

The problem is not only
just the stuff that can burn,

but the fact you can't see it.

When you really
have fire on board,

the clock is
running against you.

FLIGHT CREW: Good
morning, Wisconsin.

392--

NARRATOR: September 2, 1998.

Swissair flight 111
prepares to depart

New York's JFK International
Airport en route

to Geneva, Switzerland.

The aircraft was a McDonnell
Douglas 11, or MD-11,

a model first developed
in 1986 as a highly

automated modern replacement
of the antiquated DC-10.

It was considered one of the
most reliable passenger jets

in the skies.

And Swissair pilots were among
the world's best trained.

FLIGHT CREW: OK,
after start checklist.

Engine anti-ice.

Not required.

Roger.

Not required.

Auto brakes?

Take off?

NARRATOR: Swissair 111's pilots
were Captain Urs Zimmerman,

and first officer Stefan Lowe.

Swissair 111, hold short.

3, 1 left.

NARRATOR: Zimmerman encouraged
an easygoing atmosphere

in the cockpit.

But he was also known for
his by-the-book precision.

When not flying, he
was an instructor

of new pilots for
Switzerland's national airline.

Flaps and slats, flaps
set 15 degrees, set at 15.

NARRATOR: On board,
were 215 passengers,

12 crew, and two pilots.

Most were French,
American, or Swiss.

23-year-old Stephanie
Shaw was on her way home

to her parents in Geneva.

Stephanie was
blessed in many ways.

She was physically
very attractive.

She was an intelligent girl.

She-- the reason
she went to New York

was that she had been
invited to become

a member of the
World Economic Forum,

which is based in Geneva.

And she wanted to have this
trip before she joined.

She was a darling,
an absolute darling.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
Swissair 111 heavy.

Clear for takeoff.

Cleared for takeoff.

Roger, Swissair 111.

NARRATOR: For safety,
the Swissair pilots

push the throttle
forward together,

ensuring no single pilot
can botch a takeoff.

VR B2.

NARRATOR: Swissair
flight 111 lifted off

and made his way Northeast
toward the open Atlantic.

[music playing]

Atlantic air traffic is handled
by a remote center in Moncton,

New Brunswick, Canada.

Almost half an hour after
takeoff, Captain Zimmerman

made his first
communication with Moncton.

Moncton Center,
Swissair 111 heavy.

Good evening, level 330.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Swissair
111 heavy, Moncton Center.

Good evening.

Reports of occasional light
turbulence at all levels.

Moncton Swissair.

NARRATOR: It was a perfectly
normal transatlantic crossing.

[music playing]

In first class, Swissair
passengers were among the first

in the world to have a
personalized in-flight

entertainment network.

Though now common, the system
was an innovation in 1998.

Passengers could choose their
own movie, browse the internet,

and gamble.

They evaluated the market, and
they thought that introducing

a modern in-flight
entertainment system,

combined with a gambling system
so that passengers actually can

use their credit card and gamble
during long range flights would

make them more attractive.

NARRATOR: This luxury
would be the source

of controversy to come.

[suspenseful music]

Do you smell something?

Yeah, what is that?

Go have a look.

I'll take the controls.
- Roger.

You have control.

NARRATOR: First officer
Lowe investigates the area

near the air conditioner
vent, harmless smoke

traces from air
conditioning systems

are common on commercial jets.

I don't see anything, Urs. And
there's nothing up there now.

You yelled for me, Captain?

Stefan and I were
sure we smelled

smoke a few seconds ago.

Can you smell anything?

I smell it too.

Yeah.

Could you smell it in the
cabin before you came in?

No.

Definitely not.

NARRATOR: They agree
the air conditioner

was the likely culprit.

Can't see it or
smell it anymore.

Air conditioning is it?

Yeah.

Please close it.

Thanks.

NARRATOR: Behind
the sealed panel,

the pilots could not see that
the problem was getting worse.

Less than 45 seconds after
smoke disappeared in the cockpit

of Swissair 111, it returned.

Zimmerman followed
Swissair procedure.

There it is again.

NARRATOR: He made plans to
divert to the nearest place

to land.

Find the closest
place to land, Stefan.

We'll need the nav
charts from the library,

also weather data for the area.

Boston's close.

It's not doing
well at all up there.

NARRATOR: Zimmerman
radioed air traffic control

in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Moncton Center,
Swissair 111 heavy.

Good evening.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: United
920 heavy Moncton Center.

Good evening.

NARRATOR: The controller
dealt with another aircraft

before responding to Swissair.

Other aircraft
calling say again?

Swissair 111 heavy is
declaring pan-pan-pan.

We have smoke in the cockpit.

Request immediate return
to a convenient place,

I guess Boston?

NARRATOR: Pan-pan-pan
is an international term

used to notify air traffic
control of an urgent situation.

One step below declaring mayday.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: You
said, Boston, you want to go?

I guess Boston.

We need first the weather there.

We are starting right turn
here, Swissair 111 heavy.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
Swissair 111, Roger.

And descent to flight level 310.

310.

310 Swissair 111 heavy.

NARRATOR: This is the first
interview with one in the air

traffic controllers in Moncton.

My name is Bill Pickrell.

And on September 1998,
September 2, 1998,

I was one of two Halifax
terminal controllers

working the evening shift.

The pan and any kind
of a special condition

is usually dealt
with as an emergency.

And this, in fact, was
dealt with that way.

The aircraft was
immediately given priority,

and the high level supervisor
initiated a call to the Rescue

Coordination Center.

NARRATOR: Pickrell's colleague
determined that Swissair

111 was just 66 nautical
miles from Halifax,

and 300 from Boston.

But Captain Zimmerman had
chosen an airport he knew.

A lot of times when
you're having a problem,

you would rather be
dealing with an issue

where you're much more
familiar with the airport,

because that relieves
a little stress on you.

His initial problem,
he's sitting there.

He's looking up there,
and he's trying to think,

well, I've got smoke here.

Now what does it mean?

Let's see.

Where are we?

Where's the closest place
I can go to that I can

talk to a Swissair mechanic?

Boston.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
Swissair 111 Center.

Swissair 111 heavy.
Go ahead.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Would
you prefer to go into Halifax?

Urs, we better
put the masks on.

Standby.

NARRATOR: Realizing
their location,

Zimmerman decided Halifax
was now the best option.

Affirmative
Swissair 111 heavy.

We prefer Halifax
from our position.

Swissair 111, Roger.

Proceed direct to Halifax,
descend now to flight level

290.

Level 290 to Halifax,
Swissair 111 heavy.

[suspenseful music]

Swissair 111 heavy, yeah,
we have the oxygen masks on.

Go ahead with the weather.

NARRATOR: Swissair
111 starts its descent

to below 30,000 feet, the
pilots calm and in control.

It would take about 20
minutes to reach Halifax.

Roger, Swissair 111 heavy.

We copy, 2980.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
Swissair 111,

you're clear to 10,000 feet.

And the Halifax
altimeter is 2980.

Swissair 111 heavy,
2980 at 10,000 feet.

And Swissair 111, can you tell
me what your fuel on board is?

Standby for this.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
Speedbird 1506

is at Tusky, listening out.

Speedbird 1506, Roger.

Swissair 111--

NARRATOR: The controller signs
off with another aircraft.

His jurisdiction was
high altitude flights.

As Swissair was on
descent to Halifax,

he hands over responsibility
to Bill Pickrell.

At that point,
everything was normal.

I gave the pilot
an initial descent,

and he requested to level off
at an intermediate altitude

to get the cabin in order
for the landing, which I took

to mean that they needed
to pack away dinner trays,

and things like that.

It was an indication to me
that while his situation was

unusual, that they
weren't considering it

as an emergency at that time.

Watch your speed, Stefan.

Don't descend too fast.

Roger.

Yes, captain.

We have smoke in
the cockpit here.

Have the cabin crew
prepare for landing.

We'll be setting down in
Halifax in about 20 minutes.

I'm about to start
the checklist here.

Yes, Captain Zimmerman.

NARRATOR: Zimmerman
has two checklists

for smoke in the cockpit.

To complete both
will take 20 minutes.

But this is Swissair
company policy.

In the meantime, Lowe continued
the descent into Halifax.

Stefan, I'll need
you to handle the radio

while I do this checklist.

All right 119.2 for
the Swissair 111 heavy.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Roger.

NARRATOR: Swissair 111 is
now at about 25,000 feet.

Pickrell advises them to
descend to 3,000 feet.

But first officer
Lowe says he'd rather

fly at 8,000 until the
passenger cabin was cleared.

050.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
Swissair 111.

NARRATOR: Their attitude
underscored the sense

of control in the cockpit.

2979.

We went--

BILL PICKRELL: From
my point of view,

it gave all initial appearances
that it should be a fairly

straightforward operation.

That assuming that
everything happened normally,

the aircraft would require
a minimum of handling

to lead them into Halifax.

[music playing]

[bell alarm]

NARRATOR: Captain Zimmerman
needed information

for the unfamiliar airfield.

But his flight bag
is out of reach.

He summoned the flight
attendant to help.

You hailed me, Captain.

For two minutes now, I
need that flight bag there.

It's got the approach
charts for Halifax.

[suspenseful music]

OK.

Get back to your crew.

Yes, Captain.

This is your Maitre
d' cabin speaking.

NARRATOR: The chief flight
attendant notified passengers

that the flight was diverted.

Please note the
seat-belt sign--

NARRATOR: There was no panic.

The plane was flying normally.

And there was no sign
of smoke in the cabin.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Swissair
111, the localizer frequency

is 109.9.

You've got 30 miles to
fly to the threshold.

We're going to need
more than 30 miles.

NARRATOR: But still at
more than 20,000 feet,

Swissair 111 was
too high to make

a landing in just 30 miles.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL:
The frequency

is 109.9 for the localizer.

OK, Roger.

109.9, and we are
turning left heading

North, Swissair 111 heavy.

And we've got to dump fuel.

Agreed.

NARRATOR: So far, communications
from Swissair have been calm.

Still, Moncton Center
initiated emergency efforts

at Halifax Airport.

Preparing ground crews
for an emergency,

Pickrell sought information
from the pilots.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Swissair
111, do you have time,

could I have your number
of souls on board,

and your fuel on board,
please, for emergency services?

Roger.

At this time fuel on
board is 230 tons.

We have to dump some fuel.

May we do that in this
area during descent?

NARRATOR: Pickrell is surprised
to learn so late that Swissair

111 needed to dump fuel.

At that point, it became more
of a complicated situation.

In fact, with every
transmission after that,

it became more and
more complicated.

NARRATOR: Pickrell
considered his options

for a safe place that
wouldn't take the aircraft too

far from Halifax.

He decided to direct the
plane over St Margaret's Bay,

about 30 miles from the airport.

The other choice, if he had
said he needed to stay close,

was to start the aircraft in a
right-hand turn to set them up

for any of the other runways.

I had to keep him flying in
a circle or a constant track,

so that he wouldn't fly
back into his own fuel,

which would have been not good.

NARRATOR: Dumping fuel
is standard procedure.

A fully fueled passenger
jet is too heavy,

and could break up on landing.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Are you
able to take a turn back--

NARRATOR: But
co-pilot Lowe wondered

if given their situation they
might forgo the regulations.

They want us to
turn to the South.

Should we just forget about
dumping and just land?

No.

Dump it.

OK.

We are able for a left or
right turn to the South

in order to dump.

I initiated the vector
back toward St Margaret's Bay

to start him in that direction.

It indicated to me
that, again, it wasn't

a critical situation on board.

Then, in fact, he did have time
to be able to go back and dump

his fuel over the water.

Swissair 111, Roger.

Turn left, heading
of 200 degrees

and advise me when
you're ready to dump.

It will be about 10 miles
before you're off the coast.

You will still be within
about 25 miles of the airport.

FLIGHT CREW: Roger, we
are turning left 200.

In that case, we are going
to descend to only 10,000 feet

in order to dump the fuel.

Roger.

Maintain 10,000.

I'll advise you when
you're over the water.

It will be very shortly.

Roger.

NARRATOR: While Zimmerman
continued with his checklist.

Lowe accidentally transmits
to Bill Pickrell in Moncton.

Are you in the
emergency checklist

for air conditioning smoke?

Yes.

Swissair 111,
say again, please.

Sorry that was not for you.

Swissair 111 was
asking internally.

OK.

Airspeed is decreasing below
306, level off speed here.

Just fly the plane as
you see fit, Stefan.

Swissair 111, continue
left heading 180.

You'll be off the coast
in about 15 miles.

Left hang 180, Roger.

Swissair 111, and
maintaining at 10,000 feet.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Roger.

Cabin bus off.

Cabin bus off, Roger.

NARRATOR: The cabin
bus switch knocked out

all the lighting in the cabin.

It was an indication for
the passengers aboard

that something was wrong,
but hardly alarming.

Ladies and gentlemen,
we have temporarily

lost the lights in the cabin.

Please remain calm.

The crew will be coming
around with flashlights

to assist in landing.

NARRATOR: Despite a
cockpit filled with smoke,

there is still no trace of
it in the passenger cabin.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: You will
be staying within about 35,

40 miles of the airport,
if you have to get

back to the airport in a hurry.

OK.

That's fine with us.

Please tell us when we can
start to dump the fuel.

NARRATOR: Suddenly, the
aircraft sent out a warning

that the smoke was
a sign of a more

serious problem on flight 111.

Autopilot disconnect.

Copy that.

Autopilot disconnect.

Swissair 111--

NARRATOR: The
autopilot disconnected,

because the plane's computer
sensed erratic readings.

In the next 90 seconds,
those readings went haywire.

11,000 and 9,000 feet.

Swissair 111, you can block
between 5,000 and 12,000

if you wish.

NARRATOR: One by one
the instruments failed.

The calm in the
cockpit dissolved.

Copy that!

We are clear between
12,000 and 5,000 feet.

We are declaring emergency now.

Swissair 111 at time 01:24.

NARRATOR: Then the two
pilots speak simultaneously.

Combined with other distractions
in the control room,

Pickrell is unable to hear
a critical transmission,

Lowe's declaration that
they must land immediately.

We are dumping fuel now.

We must land immediate.

Swissair 111, just
a couple more miles.

I'll be right with you.

Roger that.

And we're declaring emergency.

Now Swissair 111.

NARRATOR: Missing this
transmission is a moment

Bill Pickrell relives today.

I'm not sure that
it's a feeling that you

can adequately describe.

I recall reviewing the events
of that night a thousand times

to determine if there was
something additionally that I

could have done, or if there
was some mistake that I

might have made, or
was there any way

that I contributed to this.

And eventually, I was
able to come to the point

of realization that
there wasn't anything

that I could have done, and
that everything that could have,

was done.

NARRATOR: Now, there was
nothing to do but wait.

[alarms]

I'm just flying, nothing else.

NARRATOR: 30 seconds after
declaring an emergency,

the pilots of Swissair
111 faced an inferno.

All my screens are down.

I'm flying on
standby instruments.

Maintaining 300.

Swissair 111, you
are cleared to commence

your fuel dump on
that track, and advise

me when your dump is complete.

BILL PICKRELL: Soon
after I gave him

authorization to
commence the fuel dump,

there was no acknowledgment.

Initially, I wasn't
concerned by that

because I considered that he was
probably doing the fuel dump.

He was reviewing a checklist,
he was busy doing things.

And as for our training, we're
told not to bother the pilots

in those kinds of situations.

Swissair 111 check, you are
cleared to start the fuel dump.

[alarms]

[fire extinguisher splays]

[alarms]

NARRATOR: There was no
further communication

from the aircraft.

[birds crying]

Six minutes later,
residents of Peggy's Cove

heard a devastating explosion.

[explosion]

No one knew what had
happened to 229 people

after six minutes of silence.

BILL PICKRELL: It was probably
one of the most helpless

feelings that any individual
can have, not being able to do

anything but just sit
and watch the target,

and hope that it would turn
back toward the airport.

And of course, it didn't.

[music playing]

[birds crying]

[boat engines]

The following morning,
would-be rescuers

glimpsed the terrible
remains of Swissair 111.

Only one body was
discovered intact.

[helicopter]

[suspenseful music]

In Geneva, Ian Shaw
has a premonition

about his 23-year-old
daughter, Stephanie.

That night, the night on
which she was due to return,

for reasons I can't explain
even now, I was restless,

and I was disturbed.

And I slept early and woke
while my wife was still awake,

and asked her if she had
heard news of Stephanie.

No, she had not.

But she didn't expect to
have news of Stephanie.

We knew she was
coming on that flight,

and that she would certainly
expect me to be at the airport

to fetch her in the morning.

I awoke around 6:00
Geneva time, and

on television there was a report
of the crash of Swissair 111.

And I knew instantaneously
that we had lost our daughter.

NARRATOR: Air traffic controller
Bill Pickrell was in shock.

BILL PICKRELL: It's
a strange experience.

I'm not sure that I
can adequately express

the feelings, but it's--

you work to-- to provide
a service and you--

you read about aircraft
flying into a mountain

or ending up in a swamp
in some distant country.

But you never expect
that it's going

to happen in your backyard.

And when it does, it's a--

it's kind of a lonely
experience I guess in one sense.

NARRATOR: The Transportation
Safety Board of Canada

launched the largest
disaster investigation

in the nation's history.

They only knew that Swissair
111 experienced a cockpit fire.

But what caused it
remained a mystery.

Well, this accident was a
challenging one to investigate,

in that initially,
of course, we had

to recover the aircraft
from about 55 meters

of water, around 185 feet.

Of course, it was
also in many pieces.

As it turns out, it was in
a couple of million pieces.

So that was the
initial challenge.

And then after that, of course,
when you have so many pieces,

you need to determine which
are the relevant ones,

and what are these pieces
telling you about what happened

and why.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: The Canadian TSB
embarked on a five-stage plan.

First, divers were deployed
to survey the wreckage.

They discovered that
the plane was smashed

into millions of pieces.

But as the autumn weather
worsened, the risks to divers

increased.

At this rate, the salvage
would take years to complete.

Stage two, with help from
the United States Navy,

remote operated vehicles
began a more detailed search.

The ROVs help investigators
survey the site.

But the question remained.

How to recover tiny
pieces of twisted metal

from the bottom of the sea?

We have to go
through little bits

of airplanes, little pieces.

In Swiss Air, we've had about
2 million pieces of airplane.

And we pretty much almost had
to look at them all, because we

had to discredit certain
things, terrorists, bombs,

various other types of faults.

That's it.

Weigh it, guys.

NARRATOR: The Canadian
TSB investigators

finally got the breakthrough
they'd been seeking,

the black boxes.

Recordings of cockpit
and computer data

told investigators that
everything on the plane

was working perfectly
until the last few minutes.

When the crew declared the
pan-pan-pan that they had smoke

in the cockpit, after
going through all of these

parameters, we found no
anomalies or no problems in any

of that flight data
that suggested there was

a problem with the aircraft.

So this led us to believe
that the crew had a relatively

operational aircraft.

Aside from the-- the smoke in
the cockpit that they noted

everything else appeared
to be working fine.

And as they were making their
plan to descend the aircraft,

they experienced a
series of systems

failures that were in rapid
succession, and exponential.

Copy that.

Autopilot disconnect.

Swissair 111, we must
fly manually now.

Mike Poole's CVR team then
faced a serious setback.

The last six minutes on both
flight recorders were missing.

You're losing systems
rapidly on the airplane

in that 90 second period that
things are happening very fast.

And the last thing we-- one of
the last things we know about,

was the two recorders
went offline.

So the fire has
presumably breached

the lines, breached the--

breached the sources
to these recorders,

and has stopped them.

NARRATOR: With the failure
of the black boxes,

investigators were no closer to
learning how or where the fire

started on Swissair 111.

[music playing]

Stage three, barges
were deployed to scour

the seabed for evidence.

One by one, sad remnants of the
airplane reached the surface.

The engines were recovered,
then the landing gear.

These are among the largest
pieces of Swissair 111

to be recovered.

The rest were mere
fragments, dredged

up in a painfully slow process.

Stage four, a nearby
military hangar

provided a makeshift
lab for the growing

team of forensic investigators.

Representatives from the
American NTSB, Boeing,

Swissair, and the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police

joined in the
search for answers.

Pieces of Swissair 111
arrived by the truckload,

organized into various
categories for analysis.

Soon, the hangar was
stacked to capacity

with the biggest jigsaw
puzzle in aviation history.

All the investigators
knew for sure

was that an initially
small cockpit fire suddenly

had turned to catastrophe.

[suspenseful music]

The team sorted
through nearly 155

miles of wiring, retrieved from
the wreckage of Swissair 111.

Here, the first real clue.

Evidence of electrical arcing.

Scorch marks on metal reveal
that the source of the fire

was in the back of
the cockpit directly

behind the first officer.

By examining the
aircraft's wiring plans,

investigators found a likely
suspect, the entertainment

system in first class.

The system had some
major deficiencies.

It was getting very hot.

It drew a lot of power.

And thereby, for
example, raising

the cabin temperature
considerably,

because it was always running.

They did not install
a simple off switch,

nor did they install
appropriate cooling systems

to cool the system down.

NARRATOR: The Canadian
TSB investigators

finally thought they
had the breakthrough

they'd been seeking.

Our report indicates that
there was a design flaw

in the way the in-flight
entertainment network installed

in the first class and business
class sections of the aircraft

were installed integrated
into the electrical

system of the airplane.

NARRATOR: When Captain Zimmerman
threw the cabin bus switch,

all power to the cabin should
have been switched off.

But the entertainment system
remained on, overheating.

KEN ADAMS: If you'd
ask most pilots,

they would say, well, if I
push the cabin bus switch,

it's going to turn off the
things behind the cockpit.

It's going to isolate
that electrically for me,

so I don't have to
worry about that.

And then I can just concentrate
on those things that might

affect me flying the airplane.

Well, as it turns
out, that this switch

was bypassed in this
case for this IFEN

or entertainment system.

NARRATOR: Swissair immediately
disabled the entertainment

systems on the
rest of its fleet.

And the US National
Transportation

Safety Board ordered an
inspection of cockpit wiring

on all MD-11s.

Unfortunately, this simple
solution proved insufficient.

VIC GERDEN: By the time that
cabin switch was turned off,

the fire was well underway.

And so that had no
real bearing on the--

the initiation or
propagation of the fire

in the Swissair 111 aircraft.

NARRATOR: But investigators
determined that the problem

with the entertainment
system alone could not

have brought down Swissair 111.

The search for
answers continued.

[clock ticking]

Stage five, undaunted, the
Canadian TSB reconstructed

the MD-11 from the wreckage.

A wireframe mock-up
they call the jig

provided a spine for
placing tiny pieces

back where they once belonged.

The reconstruction revealed
that the fire spread

with alarming speed
from the cockpit

back into the first
class galleys.

Some metals showed heat
damage from temperatures

as high as 600 degrees Celsius
or 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit.

As the investigation
continued, some

argued that the
actions of the pilots

may have contributed
to the disaster.

Some experts charge
that Zimmerman

and Lowe's by the book approach
may have cost them their lives.

Swissair 111 was
asking internally.

Some operators emphasized
in a very early stage, land

as soon as possible.

And then if you have time,
go into the checklist.

Others said, here's
the checklist.

And at the end of the
checklist, if that doesn't help,

then land as soon as possible.

Pretty contradictory to
basic flying instructions,

where student pilots learned
at a very early stage

that whenever you have
smoke, you have a fire.

And fire means land
as soon as possible.

Emergency light switch on.

Emergency light switch on.

KEN ADAMS: Unfortunately
in this case, the way

the checklist was written,
it didn't identify that now

start towards the divert.

It started more on
let's try to see

if we can solve the problem.

And so now, all of a sudden,
you're taking on a problem.

It just kind crept up on you.

You weren't expecting it.

No, we're going to
need more than 30 miles.

NARRATOR: But the Canadian
TSB considered the timeline,

and disagreed.

Investigators
determined that Swissair

111 would not have
made Halifax airport

under any circumstances.

There just wasn't enough time.

109.9.

NARRATOR: Whatever caused
the fire on Swissair 111,

it happened at a lethal speed.

The mystery remained.

[music playing]

A year after the crash
of Swissair flight

111, another ambitious
operation began.

[waves crashing]

The Canadian TSB hired a
sophisticated Dutch salvage

ship, "Queen of
the Netherlands."

[ship horn]

The vessel has a
gigantic vacuum system,

capable of dredging even the
tiniest pieces of Swissair 111

from the ocean floor.

A mixture of seawater,
silt, and aircraft

were pumped into
the ship's hold.

This cargo was then
pumped into a specially

constructed reservoir onshore.

When the water drained
away, investigators

find another million
pieces of the aircraft.

Any one of them may
hold the clue to what

caused the catastrophic fire.

The painstaking sorting
once again resumed.

Finally, after 15 months, they
found what they'd been seeking,

a single faulty wire.

VIC GERDEN: We looked at all
of the possible sources of heat

that might start a fire in that
area, and in this instance,

we did discover a wire
that arched in that way,

and right next to it was some
very flammable material called

metallized polyethylene
terephthalate,

covering material, that covers
the insulation blankets.

NARRATOR: This polyethylene
insulet, which lined the MD-11,

was then common on commercial
airlines worldwide.

It had passed the industry's
flammability tests that require

materials to self extinguish
after a reasonable period

of time.

The investigation now
took an abrupt turn.

Instead of seeking
the cause of the fire,

the Canadian TSB now focused
on the flammable materials

that fueled it.

VIC GERDEN: This thermal
acoustical material

that was in this aircraft was
very flammable, even though it

passed a test, and
it does sustain

and it does propagate flame.

So this investigation did
focus on the flammability

of materials, and
the requirement

to reassess the criteria that
is used to certify materials,

not just thermal acoustical
insulation blanket material,

but also other materials
that goes into aircraft,

much of it in hidden areas.

NARRATOR: Investigators
now had their answer.

A wire arched in a closed
space behind the cockpit.

The arc ignited the
insulation, which

in turn lit other materials,
such as foams and plastics.

The pilots could not sense how
quickly the fire intensified.

But 14 minutes after they
declared pan-pan-pan,

the fire disabled all
electronics in the cockpit.

The black boxes went dead.

Forensic examination
also shed light

on the desperate final
minutes in the cockpit.

Lowe was in his seat.

Captain Zimmerman
was not, likely

fighting the fire, and
probably dead before impact.

At 10:30, Lowe
shut down engine 2.

Investigators determined he
likely received a warning

that the engine was on fire.

Chillingly, it
proved that Lowe was

alive a minute before impact.

They could not determine
whether the passengers

were aware of the fire, at least
until the very final moments.

There were traces
found of suit and smoke

extending as much far to the
business class overhead area.

Whether the passengers
had smelled the smoke,

it's not known.

DNA analysis showed that they
had no residue in their body.

NARRATOR: The aircraft hit the
water with a force of 350 G's.

The Canadian teaspoon spent 4
and 1/2 years and 40 million

USD analyzing the wreckage
of Swissair 111, one

of the largest air
disaster investigations

in Canada's history.

In March of 2003, America's
NTSB issued its final report

and made 23 air safety
recommendations,

including higher standards
for wiring tests,

teaching crews aggressive
in-flight firefighting

strategies, and the conclusion
that flammable materials did

not belong on
commercial aircraft.

The rate of progression
in this airplane I think

surprised us and
surprised others.

And that's why we emphasize
again the importance of raising

the bar on the flammability
standards for materials

used in airplanes.

NARRATOR: Ian Shaw waited
four years for the report

to reveal the fatal flaw that
took the life of his daughter.

But the truth has not diminished
his anger at Swissair.

IAN SHAW: There has
to be accountability.

If you are involved
in wrongdoing,

you must be held accountable.

And you must declare your
sense of responsibility.

Otherwise you are hiding.

And you are hiding in this case
behind the flag of Switzerland.

I think it's unbelievable.

NARRATOR: After the
release of the report,

the thermal acoustical
insulation material

that had significantly
contributed to the rapid spread

of the fire on flight
111 was removed

from approximately
1,500 airplanes,

banned from future planes.

The industry now conducts much
tougher flammability tests

on materials used in aircraft.

This major overhaul
was designed to ensure

that what took place on Swissair
111 would never happen again.