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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:06,439 --> 00:00:08,808 ATTENDANT: Ladies and gentlemen, we are starting our approach. 2 00:00:08,808 --> 00:00:10,143 PILOT: We lost both engines. 3 00:00:10,143 --> 00:00:11,711 ATTENDANT: --the mask over your nose. emergency descent. 4 00:00:11,711 --> 00:00:12,512 PILOT: Mayday, mayday. 5 00:00:12,512 --> 00:00:13,980 ATTENDANT: Brace for impact! 6 00:00:13,980 --> 00:00:17,417 [music playing] 7 00:00:18,852 --> 00:00:19,853 MAN: He's gonna crash! 8 00:00:19,853 --> 00:00:23,256 [music playing] 9 00:00:30,630 --> 00:00:32,599 NARRATOR: June 10th, 1990. 10 00:00:32,599 --> 00:00:37,203 An airliner full of passengers out of control at 17,000 feet, 11 00:00:37,203 --> 00:00:41,174 and the pilot trapped outside of the plane. 12 00:00:41,174 --> 00:00:43,810 In the cockpit, three frightened flight attendants 13 00:00:43,810 --> 00:00:45,578 are clinging to his legs. 14 00:00:45,578 --> 00:00:48,448 If he slips from their grasp, the Captain's body 15 00:00:48,448 --> 00:00:52,318 could be sucked into the engine and bring down the plane. 16 00:00:52,318 --> 00:00:55,955 At the controls, a young copilot is battling to get the plane 17 00:00:55,955 --> 00:00:57,090 to the nearest airport. 18 00:00:57,090 --> 00:00:58,758 ALASTAIR ATCHISON: Mayday, mayday, mayday. 19 00:00:58,758 --> 00:01:00,794 London, this is Speedbird 5390. 20 00:01:00,794 --> 00:01:03,730 [music playing] 21 00:01:04,864 --> 00:01:07,167 NARRATOR: The lives of 87 passengers and crew 22 00:01:07,167 --> 00:01:09,135 are in serious and immediate danger. 23 00:01:09,135 --> 00:01:11,805 [music playing] 24 00:01:11,805 --> 00:01:13,239 A lot of people go through life thinking, 25 00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:16,142 it'll never happen to me, but you tend to go 26 00:01:16,142 --> 00:01:18,311 through life thinking, it can. 27 00:01:18,311 --> 00:01:20,680 I said, I thought I was gonna die, mother. 28 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,515 I thought I was gonna die. 29 00:01:22,515 --> 00:01:25,752 NARRATOR: This accident and the investigation that follows not 30 00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:28,021 only expose the mistakes behind it, 31 00:01:28,021 --> 00:01:30,657 but lead to new ways of preventing them. 32 00:01:30,657 --> 00:01:34,127 [music playing] 33 00:01:46,906 --> 00:01:48,408 You're welcome. 34 00:01:48,408 --> 00:01:50,510 NARRATOR: For the crew of the British Airways flight 35 00:01:50,510 --> 00:01:53,079 from Birmingham, England to Malaga, Spain, 36 00:01:53,079 --> 00:01:56,249 the tenth of June began like any other day. 37 00:01:56,249 --> 00:01:58,351 Old friends about to do a job they love. 38 00:01:58,351 --> 00:02:00,987 [music playing] 39 00:02:00,987 --> 00:02:02,055 You remember that? 40 00:02:02,055 --> 00:02:03,289 SIMON ROGERS: Yeah, but I'm not doing-- 41 00:02:03,289 --> 00:02:05,058 NARRATOR: Flight attendants Nigel Ogden, 42 00:02:05,058 --> 00:02:07,227 Simon Rogers, and Sue Prince have worked 43 00:02:07,227 --> 00:02:10,897 together on and off for years. 44 00:02:10,897 --> 00:02:12,966 They're an experienced, capable team 45 00:02:12,966 --> 00:02:14,267 that takes pride in their work. 46 00:02:14,267 --> 00:02:17,337 [music playing] 47 00:02:17,337 --> 00:02:20,039 The one new member of the group is Alastair Atchison. 48 00:02:20,039 --> 00:02:22,909 An experienced copilot, he has just driven down 49 00:02:22,909 --> 00:02:24,177 from Manchester this morning. 50 00:02:24,177 --> 00:02:26,613 [music playing] 51 00:02:26,613 --> 00:02:28,181 SIMON ROGERS: Would you go to anything special? 52 00:02:28,181 --> 00:02:28,982 Not really. 53 00:02:28,982 --> 00:02:30,750 It's just-- 54 00:02:30,750 --> 00:02:32,552 Morning, Alastair? 55 00:02:32,552 --> 00:02:34,220 Come with me. 56 00:02:34,220 --> 00:02:36,022 NARRATOR: Tim Lancaster is the Captain. 57 00:02:36,022 --> 00:02:38,992 He has been a commercial pilot for 21 years. 58 00:02:38,992 --> 00:02:41,694 Well, we better get started, eh? 59 00:02:41,694 --> 00:02:43,129 OK, OK. 60 00:02:43,129 --> 00:02:43,930 Malaga. 61 00:02:43,930 --> 00:02:44,731 Right. 62 00:02:44,731 --> 00:02:46,432 Looking forward to this. 63 00:02:46,432 --> 00:02:50,370 Right, Nige, you can sit up with me up front and talk rugby. 64 00:02:50,370 --> 00:02:51,838 Sue, where would you like? 65 00:02:51,838 --> 00:02:52,805 Over the wing. 66 00:02:52,805 --> 00:02:55,942 OK So, Simon, you're at the rear. 67 00:02:55,942 --> 00:02:59,178 All right, now just a few safety questions. 68 00:02:59,178 --> 00:03:00,980 Nigel. 69 00:03:00,980 --> 00:03:02,715 NARRATOR: Before takeoff, the copilot 70 00:03:02,715 --> 00:03:05,885 performs a walk-around, checking the outside of the aircraft 71 00:03:05,885 --> 00:03:06,786 for anything wrong. 72 00:03:06,786 --> 00:03:09,589 [music playing] 73 00:03:09,589 --> 00:03:11,591 In the cockpit, Captain Lancaster 74 00:03:11,591 --> 00:03:13,459 reviews a log of maintenance carried out 75 00:03:13,459 --> 00:03:16,062 on the plane the day before. 76 00:03:16,062 --> 00:03:16,963 Everything OK? 77 00:03:16,963 --> 00:03:18,197 Fine. 78 00:03:18,197 --> 00:03:21,301 She just come out of maintenance by the look of it. 79 00:03:21,301 --> 00:03:22,635 Nothing much though. 80 00:03:22,635 --> 00:03:24,537 Just changed the windscreen. 81 00:03:24,537 --> 00:03:25,905 NARRATOR: Many of the passengers know 82 00:03:25,905 --> 00:03:28,841 the flight well and look forward to a relaxed trip to Spain. 83 00:03:35,148 --> 00:03:37,216 I was going to catch a plane from Birmingham 84 00:03:37,216 --> 00:03:38,751 to Malaga to meet my mom. 85 00:03:38,751 --> 00:03:41,754 My sister and I were joining her there for a week's 86 00:03:41,754 --> 00:03:45,625 holiday, a girl's week. 87 00:03:45,625 --> 00:03:49,529 I live in the South of Spain, and two or three times 88 00:03:49,529 --> 00:03:51,864 a year, I come back to see my grandchildren and also 89 00:03:51,864 --> 00:03:53,566 my mother. 90 00:03:53,566 --> 00:03:55,668 So everyone lives near Birmingham, 91 00:03:55,668 --> 00:03:58,638 so that's the route I'd normally take, Malaga to Birmingham. 92 00:04:03,443 --> 00:04:05,278 NARRATOR: These unsuspecting passengers 93 00:04:05,278 --> 00:04:09,782 and crew are about to face a series of terrifying events. 94 00:04:09,782 --> 00:04:11,417 You seem to have made yourself comfortable. 95 00:04:11,417 --> 00:04:12,218 Too right. 96 00:04:17,924 --> 00:04:20,259 Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. 97 00:04:20,259 --> 00:04:21,761 My name is Tim Lancaster. 98 00:04:21,761 --> 00:04:24,998 Welcome aboard this British Airways flight to Malaga. 99 00:04:24,998 --> 00:04:26,165 Unfortunately, it-- 100 00:04:26,165 --> 00:04:30,570 He seemed laid back and quite jovial, really. 101 00:04:30,570 --> 00:04:32,138 Why, it's a lovely day in Malaga. 102 00:04:32,138 --> 00:04:33,539 Blue skies, sunshine. 103 00:04:33,539 --> 00:04:34,707 Sit back and enjoy the flight. 104 00:04:34,707 --> 00:04:36,009 TIMOTHY LANCASTER (OVER INTERCOM): 105 00:04:36,009 --> 00:04:38,611 --sunny and we still expect to get you there on time. 106 00:04:38,611 --> 00:04:40,880 Birmingham tower, Speedbird 5390. 107 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:42,615 We're ready to start and push. 108 00:04:42,615 --> 00:04:44,350 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Speedbird 5390, 109 00:04:44,350 --> 00:04:45,451 clear to start and push. 110 00:04:45,451 --> 00:04:48,855 [music playing] 111 00:04:55,695 --> 00:04:56,496 80 knots. 112 00:04:56,496 --> 00:04:59,799 [music playing] 113 00:05:03,102 --> 00:05:06,806 NARRATOR: The BAC 111 is known as the Jeep of the skies, 114 00:05:06,806 --> 00:05:09,042 a workhorse that is easy to maintain 115 00:05:09,042 --> 00:05:10,376 and has a good safety record. 116 00:05:10,376 --> 00:05:13,613 [music playing] 117 00:05:19,485 --> 00:05:22,288 At 43 tons, this pressurized hull 118 00:05:22,288 --> 00:05:25,258 is carrying 81 passengers and six crew 119 00:05:25,258 --> 00:05:30,263 and is now climbing to 23,000 feet. 120 00:05:30,263 --> 00:05:32,632 In just over two hours, they should be in Spain. 121 00:05:35,568 --> 00:05:37,837 Only a catastrophic accident can bring 122 00:05:37,837 --> 00:05:41,340 this plane out of the sky. 123 00:05:41,340 --> 00:05:44,410 Alastair, I can see my house from here. 124 00:05:44,410 --> 00:05:47,080 [music playing] 125 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,115 NARRATOR: Two minutes into the climb, the pilots 126 00:05:49,115 --> 00:05:50,650 switch on the autopilot. 127 00:05:50,650 --> 00:05:53,019 Captain Lancaster takes off his shoulder straps 128 00:05:53,019 --> 00:05:55,822 and relaxes into the flight. 129 00:05:55,822 --> 00:05:57,857 Now, I went into the flight deck 130 00:05:57,857 --> 00:06:03,563 to ask Tim and Alastair what they would like to drink. 131 00:06:03,563 --> 00:06:04,764 You gentlemen like a tea? 132 00:06:04,764 --> 00:06:05,798 Please, the usual. 133 00:06:05,798 --> 00:06:06,966 Milk, one sugar, please. 134 00:06:06,966 --> 00:06:08,468 And I said, your breakfast is on. 135 00:06:08,468 --> 00:06:10,203 It'll only be a few minutes. 136 00:06:10,203 --> 00:06:13,139 NARRATOR: It's now almost 13 minutes after takeoff, 137 00:06:13,139 --> 00:06:16,876 and at 17,300 feet, they're just 5,000 feet 138 00:06:16,876 --> 00:06:18,578 from their assigned altitude. 139 00:06:18,578 --> 00:06:21,214 But in an instant, everything changes. 140 00:06:21,214 --> 00:06:24,584 [music playing] 141 00:06:30,456 --> 00:06:33,092 With a huge explosion, the Captain's windscreen 142 00:06:33,092 --> 00:06:35,161 blows out into the sky. 143 00:06:35,161 --> 00:06:37,830 Almost immediately, a white fog forms. 144 00:06:40,366 --> 00:06:45,404 That's that really intense stomach, body-shaking thud. 145 00:06:52,245 --> 00:06:54,514 STEPHANIE JENKINS: We were just diving, really. 146 00:06:54,514 --> 00:06:56,916 And then we started to judder like this. 147 00:06:56,916 --> 00:06:58,284 And I was a bit stunned. 148 00:06:58,284 --> 00:07:01,053 I thought, oh, god, it's a bomb. 149 00:07:01,053 --> 00:07:04,223 [alarm blaring] 150 00:07:05,291 --> 00:07:07,126 NARRATOR: Alastair Atchison, the copilot, 151 00:07:07,126 --> 00:07:11,764 is suddenly fighting for control in a 350 mile-an-hour wind. 152 00:07:11,764 --> 00:07:14,367 There's no time to think about the Captain, who has been 153 00:07:14,367 --> 00:07:17,003 blasted out of the window by pressurized air 154 00:07:17,003 --> 00:07:18,271 escaping from the aircraft. 155 00:07:18,271 --> 00:07:21,374 [alarm blaring] 156 00:07:22,742 --> 00:07:24,944 The rushing wind pins Captain Lancaster 157 00:07:24,944 --> 00:07:25,978 to the roof of the cockpit. 158 00:07:25,978 --> 00:07:29,081 [music playing] 159 00:07:31,417 --> 00:07:35,054 Inside, his legs have jammed the control column forward, 160 00:07:35,054 --> 00:07:37,356 disconnecting the autopilot and pushing 161 00:07:37,356 --> 00:07:39,025 the plane down into a dive. 162 00:07:39,025 --> 00:07:42,061 [music playing] 163 00:07:43,896 --> 00:07:47,300 Atchison needs all his flying experience now. 164 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:48,401 He's on his own. 165 00:07:48,401 --> 00:07:51,237 [music playing] 166 00:07:52,371 --> 00:07:54,907 While he fights to bring the plane under control, 167 00:07:54,907 --> 00:07:57,877 flight attendant, Nigel Ogden, sees his Captain being 168 00:07:57,877 --> 00:08:00,780 sucked out of the aircraft. 169 00:08:00,780 --> 00:08:01,914 NIGEL OGDEN: And I looked in. 170 00:08:01,914 --> 00:08:06,185 The flight deck door was resting on the controls, 171 00:08:06,185 --> 00:08:07,820 and all I could see was Tim out the window. 172 00:08:07,820 --> 00:08:10,857 [alarm blaring] 173 00:08:12,158 --> 00:08:16,662 I jumped over, put one foot in the Captain's footwell, 174 00:08:16,662 --> 00:08:20,099 and the other one was down the side of his seat. 175 00:08:20,099 --> 00:08:24,270 I just grabbed him before he went out completely. 176 00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:26,772 NARRATOR: Ogden holds onto the Captain for dear life. 177 00:08:26,772 --> 00:08:29,408 [alarm blaring] 178 00:08:29,408 --> 00:08:33,379 Outside, the air temperature is nearing zero degrees Fahrenheit 179 00:08:33,379 --> 00:08:36,816 as a 390 mile-an-hour blast of wind smashes 180 00:08:36,816 --> 00:08:39,585 into Tim Lancaster's body. 181 00:08:39,585 --> 00:08:41,988 The extreme force of the wind in the cockpit 182 00:08:41,988 --> 00:08:44,023 is giving Atchison major problems. 183 00:08:44,023 --> 00:08:45,458 Mayday, mayday, mayday. 184 00:08:45,458 --> 00:08:48,928 London, this is Speedbird 5390. 185 00:08:48,928 --> 00:08:51,898 NARRATOR: Air traffic control can hear his cries for help, 186 00:08:51,898 --> 00:08:53,900 but the wind rushing through the cockpit 187 00:08:53,900 --> 00:08:55,101 drowns out their replies. 188 00:08:55,101 --> 00:08:55,935 Mayday. 189 00:08:55,935 --> 00:08:59,906 London, this is Speedbird 5390. 190 00:08:59,906 --> 00:09:01,607 NARRATOR: The Captain's feet are still 191 00:09:01,607 --> 00:09:03,609 pushing against the control column, 192 00:09:03,609 --> 00:09:07,613 and Atchison is struggling to get full control of the plane. 193 00:09:07,613 --> 00:09:10,283 He is now diving through some of the busiest air 194 00:09:10,283 --> 00:09:12,218 lanes in the world with the added 195 00:09:12,218 --> 00:09:13,819 danger of a mid-air collision. 196 00:09:13,819 --> 00:09:17,123 [alarm blaring] 197 00:09:19,125 --> 00:09:22,094 From the cabin, lead flight attendant, John Heward, 198 00:09:22,094 --> 00:09:26,899 sees the chaos in the cockpit and does what he can to help. 199 00:09:26,899 --> 00:09:30,536 I looked up, and there was Nigel hanging across the seat 200 00:09:30,536 --> 00:09:31,871 in the flight deck. 201 00:09:31,871 --> 00:09:34,840 In front of me, the flight deck door had fallen forwards 202 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,911 and trapped itself between the actual door frame and 203 00:09:38,911 --> 00:09:40,179 the throttles of the aircraft. 204 00:09:40,179 --> 00:09:43,683 So I literally stamped on it twice, 205 00:09:43,683 --> 00:09:45,484 and it literally broke into three or four pieces. 206 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,056 Behind on the wall of the flight deck, 207 00:09:50,056 --> 00:09:53,025 there is a spare seat for anybody to observe the flight 208 00:09:53,025 --> 00:09:54,427 or whatever. 209 00:09:54,427 --> 00:09:56,662 And I thought, well, if I put me arm through the seat belt 210 00:09:56,662 --> 00:09:59,398 there, I can grab both of them, and at least 211 00:09:59,398 --> 00:10:01,634 we've got some sort of anchor point inside the aircraft. 212 00:10:01,634 --> 00:10:04,603 [alarm blaring] 213 00:10:06,005 --> 00:10:08,207 NARRATOR: Atchison, who has never flown with this crew 214 00:10:08,207 --> 00:10:10,509 before, has to trust them and focus 215 00:10:10,509 --> 00:10:11,911 on getting the plane to safety. 216 00:10:11,911 --> 00:10:14,447 [music playing] 217 00:10:15,448 --> 00:10:17,984 He now has control of the throttles. 218 00:10:17,984 --> 00:10:20,553 Seward and Ogden have wrenched the Captain's feet 219 00:10:20,553 --> 00:10:24,757 away from the control column, but instead of slowing down, 220 00:10:24,757 --> 00:10:28,094 Atchison decides to continue the rapid descent. 221 00:10:28,094 --> 00:10:31,030 It will quickly take him out of the way of any other air 222 00:10:31,030 --> 00:10:34,266 traffic and take him to a lower altitude, where oxygen 223 00:10:34,266 --> 00:10:37,436 equipment won't be needed. 224 00:10:37,436 --> 00:10:39,438 Staying too long at a high altitude 225 00:10:39,438 --> 00:10:43,576 risks oxygen starvation, and this older aircraft 226 00:10:43,576 --> 00:10:45,811 is not fully equipped with oxygen for all 227 00:10:45,811 --> 00:10:48,080 the passengers on board. 228 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,383 The airspeed indicator goes into the red. 229 00:10:50,383 --> 00:10:53,519 [music playing] 230 00:10:56,889 --> 00:11:00,326 In the cabin, the two other flight attendants, Sue Prince 231 00:11:00,326 --> 00:11:02,395 and Simon Rogers, are trying to prepare 232 00:11:02,395 --> 00:11:05,064 the passengers for what they hope will, at worst, 233 00:11:05,064 --> 00:11:06,298 be an emergency landing. 234 00:11:08,668 --> 00:11:10,302 Speedbird 5390. 235 00:11:10,302 --> 00:11:12,238 Mayday, mayday, mayday. 236 00:11:12,238 --> 00:11:14,740 Emergency depressurization on-- 237 00:11:14,740 --> 00:11:18,778 NARRATOR: British Airways Flight 5390 dives to 11,000 feet 238 00:11:18,778 --> 00:11:22,648 in just two and 1/2 minutes, but as it levels out and slows down 239 00:11:22,648 --> 00:11:26,585 to 170 miles per hour, the Captain's body is 240 00:11:26,585 --> 00:11:28,454 no longer pinned to the roof. 241 00:11:28,454 --> 00:11:30,690 It slides around to the side of the plane. 242 00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:32,558 ALASTAIR ATCHISON: --100. 243 00:11:32,558 --> 00:11:36,095 Mayday heading 195. 244 00:11:36,095 --> 00:11:38,564 NARRATOR: Working his way from the back of the cabin, 245 00:11:38,564 --> 00:11:40,566 flight attendant, Simon Rogers, now 246 00:11:40,566 --> 00:11:43,569 catches sight of the chaos in the cockpit for the first time. 247 00:11:43,569 --> 00:11:46,572 [interposing voices] 248 00:11:48,007 --> 00:11:50,276 Now the aircraft had got to flying fairly level, 249 00:11:50,276 --> 00:11:53,412 Simon came up from the back. 250 00:11:53,412 --> 00:11:54,213 Get yourself in the 251 00:11:54,213 --> 00:11:55,915 [interposing voices] 252 00:11:55,915 --> 00:11:59,118 Nigel was beginning to get really achy now with his arms, 253 00:11:59,118 --> 00:12:02,021 and I knew he wasn't gonna let go unless he was sure that Tim 254 00:12:02,021 --> 00:12:05,124 wouldn't fly out of the window. 255 00:12:05,124 --> 00:12:06,592 We all had fear in our eyes. 256 00:12:06,592 --> 00:12:07,993 We were all worried sick. 257 00:12:07,993 --> 00:12:13,399 Because we thought, either Tim's gonna die, or we're gonna die. 258 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:14,333 You know? 259 00:12:14,333 --> 00:12:16,602 That was going through me mind. 260 00:12:16,602 --> 00:12:19,071 But it was up to Alastair then, and it was up to us 261 00:12:19,071 --> 00:12:22,041 three, Simon, and John, and meself, 262 00:12:22,041 --> 00:12:25,544 to hold on to grim [inaudible]. 263 00:12:25,544 --> 00:12:27,346 Mayday, mayday, mayday. 264 00:12:27,346 --> 00:12:28,681 London, this is-- 265 00:12:28,681 --> 00:12:31,250 NIGEL OGDEN: All I remember is Tim's arms flailing out. 266 00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:33,886 His arms seemed about six foot long, 267 00:12:33,886 --> 00:12:37,957 and I'll never forget that his eyes were wide open. 268 00:12:37,957 --> 00:12:42,795 His face was hitting the side of the side screen, 269 00:12:42,795 --> 00:12:45,297 but he didn't blink. 270 00:12:45,297 --> 00:12:49,702 And I thought to meself, and I said to John, I said, 271 00:12:49,702 --> 00:12:51,403 I think he's dead. 272 00:12:51,403 --> 00:12:54,440 I think he's dead. 273 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,309 And I said, you and Simon'll have to hold on. 274 00:12:57,309 --> 00:12:59,245 I can't hold on anymore. 275 00:12:59,245 --> 00:13:00,212 I can't hold on anymore. 276 00:13:00,212 --> 00:13:01,447 I've lost the feeling in me arms. 277 00:13:15,094 --> 00:13:16,695 And we decided to put Simon-- 278 00:13:16,695 --> 00:13:18,497 I said to Simon, you sit in that jump seat 279 00:13:18,497 --> 00:13:19,698 and fasten yourself in. 280 00:13:25,838 --> 00:13:28,440 With Simon sitting in the seat, we'd 281 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:30,476 freed Tim's legs from between the control 282 00:13:30,476 --> 00:13:31,844 column and the seat. 283 00:13:31,844 --> 00:13:34,713 So we hooked his feet over the back of the Captain's seat, 284 00:13:34,713 --> 00:13:37,016 and then Simon literally put his hands on the top 285 00:13:37,016 --> 00:13:39,318 to say he was holding his ankles down. 286 00:13:39,318 --> 00:13:41,520 [attendants grunting] 287 00:13:47,693 --> 00:13:49,595 Hey, look, what's going on? 288 00:13:49,595 --> 00:13:53,699 We're gonna be all right, but I think the Captain's dead. 289 00:13:53,699 --> 00:13:55,467 Well, I couldn't believe it, because he'd just told 290 00:13:55,467 --> 00:13:56,802 us what a lovely day it was. 291 00:13:56,802 --> 00:13:59,505 Blue skies, sunshine. 292 00:13:59,505 --> 00:14:00,840 Relax and enjoy the flight. 293 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,343 And next minute, he's dead? 294 00:14:04,343 --> 00:14:06,178 NARRATOR: Rogers and Alastair Atchison 295 00:14:06,178 --> 00:14:08,914 now face one of their most difficult decisions. 296 00:14:08,914 --> 00:14:13,252 What to do with the lifeless body of the Captain. 297 00:14:13,252 --> 00:14:15,120 Can you hold on to him, please? 298 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:16,822 NARRATOR: But Atchison's order isn't 299 00:14:16,822 --> 00:14:19,892 simply an act of compassion. 300 00:14:19,892 --> 00:14:22,795 STANLEY STEWART: Releasing the body at the position it was in, 301 00:14:22,795 --> 00:14:27,032 it would have gone close to the upper area of the wing. 302 00:14:27,032 --> 00:14:28,767 It could have damaged the leading edge of the wing. 303 00:14:28,767 --> 00:14:30,469 Had it gone over the wing, it could very well 304 00:14:30,469 --> 00:14:31,670 have gone into the engine. 305 00:14:31,670 --> 00:14:33,505 Quite a lot of damage could have been caused 306 00:14:33,505 --> 00:14:34,907 by the release of the body. 307 00:14:34,907 --> 00:14:37,476 So I think it was a very sensible decision to try 308 00:14:37,476 --> 00:14:39,645 and keep him where he was. 309 00:14:39,645 --> 00:14:42,848 NARRATOR: Atchison has managed to get the plane down to 11,000 310 00:14:42,848 --> 00:14:45,918 feet, but without the Captain to help, 311 00:14:45,918 --> 00:14:48,387 he's operating the plane's systems from memory 312 00:14:48,387 --> 00:14:51,223 and shepherding it around Heathrow, 313 00:14:51,223 --> 00:14:55,094 some of the most congested airspace in the world. 314 00:14:55,094 --> 00:14:57,696 Seven minutes out of contact with the ground, 315 00:14:57,696 --> 00:14:59,765 he is able to hear the voice of air traffic 316 00:14:59,765 --> 00:15:01,867 control for the first time. 317 00:15:01,867 --> 00:15:04,470 --requesting radar resistance onto the nearest airfield, 318 00:15:04,470 --> 00:15:05,604 please. 319 00:15:05,604 --> 00:15:07,740 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Speedbird 5390, roger. 320 00:15:07,740 --> 00:15:10,109 Can you accept landing at Southampton? 321 00:15:10,109 --> 00:15:13,646 Speedbird 5390, I am familiar with Gatwick. 322 00:15:13,646 --> 00:15:15,147 Would appreciate Gatwick. 323 00:15:15,147 --> 00:15:17,683 NARRATOR: Atchison wants to land at Gatwick Airport 324 00:15:17,683 --> 00:15:20,719 since he has flown there many times before. 325 00:15:20,719 --> 00:15:22,988 But Southampton is nearer, and even 326 00:15:22,988 --> 00:15:24,723 though he has never flown there, he 327 00:15:24,723 --> 00:15:26,558 knows he has to get down fast. 328 00:15:26,558 --> 00:15:28,894 --and I am on 150 knots. 329 00:15:28,894 --> 00:15:31,430 Requesting radar assistance into Southampton. 330 00:15:31,430 --> 00:15:33,666 When you're going to an airport that you're not used 331 00:15:33,666 --> 00:15:37,403 to, you normally have charts, let-down plates, 332 00:15:37,403 --> 00:15:43,208 that kind of thing that you can read up on and learn something 333 00:15:43,208 --> 00:15:45,411 of the airport you're going to. 334 00:15:45,411 --> 00:15:47,313 But he knew nothing of Southampton. 335 00:15:47,313 --> 00:15:48,314 He hadn't been there. 336 00:15:48,314 --> 00:15:49,648 He had no charts, because everything 337 00:15:49,648 --> 00:15:51,050 had gone out the window. 338 00:15:51,050 --> 00:15:53,519 There was no let-down plates to look at the approach and so on. 339 00:15:53,519 --> 00:15:56,555 [music playing] 340 00:15:56,555 --> 00:15:59,725 NARRATOR: Only the air traffic controller can guide Atchison. 341 00:15:59,725 --> 00:16:01,126 He turns toward Southampton. 342 00:16:01,126 --> 00:16:03,996 [music playing] 343 00:16:06,365 --> 00:16:09,068 Southampton, this is Speedbird 5390. 344 00:16:09,068 --> 00:16:10,402 Do you read? 345 00:16:10,402 --> 00:16:13,839 CHRIS RUNDLE (OVER RADIO): Speedbird 5390, good morning. 346 00:16:13,839 --> 00:16:17,509 Identified on handover from London radar six miles West 347 00:16:17,509 --> 00:16:19,211 of Southampton Airfield. 348 00:16:19,211 --> 00:16:21,280 What is your passing level? 349 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:22,281 Roger, sir. 350 00:16:22,281 --> 00:16:24,149 I am not familiar with Southampton. 351 00:16:24,149 --> 00:16:26,185 Request you shepherd me on to the runway. 352 00:16:26,185 --> 00:16:28,988 When he spoke, he was obviously stressed. 353 00:16:28,988 --> 00:16:32,725 It sounded as if he was under a fair bit of pressure. 354 00:16:32,725 --> 00:16:35,561 What is your number of persons on board? 355 00:16:35,561 --> 00:16:38,664 We have 84 passengers on board, 356 00:16:38,664 --> 00:16:41,266 and I think that will be all until we are on the ground. 357 00:16:41,266 --> 00:16:42,401 Roger, that's copied. 358 00:16:42,401 --> 00:16:44,303 I've been advised it's pressurization failure. 359 00:16:44,303 --> 00:16:46,372 Is that the only problem? 360 00:16:46,372 --> 00:16:47,473 Negative. 361 00:16:50,109 --> 00:16:55,781 The Captain is half out of the airplane, I understand. 362 00:16:55,781 --> 00:16:58,984 I believe he's dead. 363 00:16:58,984 --> 00:17:01,153 Roger, that is copied. 364 00:17:01,153 --> 00:17:03,789 My feeling was when he told me what was going on, 365 00:17:03,789 --> 00:17:10,229 it was one of disbelief, because it doesn't actually happen. 366 00:17:10,229 --> 00:17:11,330 It's one of these things that you 367 00:17:11,330 --> 00:17:13,098 see in films that happens in films, 368 00:17:13,098 --> 00:17:15,234 but it doesn't happen in real life. 369 00:17:15,234 --> 00:17:20,272 And it was the hairs in the back of the neck go up, 370 00:17:20,272 --> 00:17:22,374 and there's this feeling down the spine, 371 00:17:22,374 --> 00:17:23,509 the tingle down the spine. 372 00:17:23,509 --> 00:17:24,877 And you think, no. 373 00:17:24,877 --> 00:17:26,545 It's not for real, but it's got to be. 374 00:17:26,545 --> 00:17:28,147 ALASTAIR ATCHISON (OVER RADIO): Flight attendant 375 00:17:28,147 --> 00:17:31,150 holding on to him, but requesting an emergency 376 00:17:31,150 --> 00:17:34,086 facility for the Captain. 377 00:17:34,086 --> 00:17:37,423 I think he is dead. 378 00:17:37,423 --> 00:17:38,290 Affirm. 379 00:17:38,290 --> 00:17:39,425 What is your passing level? 380 00:17:39,425 --> 00:17:40,859 ALASTAIR ATCHISON (OVER RADIO): Leaving flight 381 00:17:40,859 --> 00:17:46,265 level 5,500 feet on 1019. 382 00:17:46,265 --> 00:17:48,233 Roger, that's copied. 383 00:17:48,233 --> 00:17:51,136 I'll give you a little bit more space then I'll turn 384 00:17:51,136 --> 00:17:54,807 you on to a heading of 180. 385 00:17:54,807 --> 00:17:55,974 Yeah, it's a full emergency. 386 00:17:55,974 --> 00:17:57,242 It's a 111- 387 00:17:57,242 --> 00:17:59,445 NARRATOR: Chris Rundle contacts the emergency services 388 00:17:59,445 --> 00:18:00,312 at the first opportunity. 389 00:18:00,312 --> 00:18:01,613 --but I'll let you know. 390 00:18:10,689 --> 00:18:13,625 Could you confirm that the length of runway at Southampton 391 00:18:13,625 --> 00:18:17,229 is acceptable for a 111? 392 00:18:17,229 --> 00:18:19,631 Yes, it is acceptable for a 111, 393 00:18:19,631 --> 00:18:21,533 and I'll give you the figures shortly. 394 00:18:21,533 --> 00:18:24,303 As long as we have at least 2 and 1/2 1,000 meters, 395 00:18:24,303 --> 00:18:25,104 I am happy. 396 00:18:27,573 --> 00:18:29,108 CHRIS RUNDLE (OVER RADIO): I'm afraid we don't 397 00:18:29,108 --> 00:18:31,777 have 2 and 1/2 1,000 meters. 398 00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:33,045 Neither do Bournemouth. 399 00:18:33,045 --> 00:18:41,553 We have a maximum of 1,800 meters. 400 00:18:41,553 --> 00:18:42,821 5390. 401 00:18:42,821 --> 00:18:44,990 NARRATOR: Atchison is concerned that the plane is 402 00:18:44,990 --> 00:18:46,992 above its maximum landing weight, 403 00:18:46,992 --> 00:18:49,728 being full of fuel for the journey to Malaga, 404 00:18:49,728 --> 00:18:52,698 and the BAC 111 can't dump fuel. 405 00:18:52,698 --> 00:18:56,201 If the runway isn't long enough, he faces more problems. 406 00:18:56,201 --> 00:18:58,470 Whether the aircraft could actually stop on the runway, 407 00:18:58,470 --> 00:19:01,406 or whether the tires would, burst or whether he would 408 00:19:01,406 --> 00:19:03,175 go off the end of the runway. 409 00:19:03,175 --> 00:19:04,910 That's obviously what he was worried about when 410 00:19:04,910 --> 00:19:07,813 asking for 2,200 meters. 411 00:19:07,813 --> 00:19:09,848 5390. 412 00:19:09,848 --> 00:19:12,684 Thank you very much. 413 00:19:12,684 --> 00:19:20,359 We are three cleans and flaps 45. 414 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:25,097 So we are set for approach, but make it please very gentle. 415 00:19:25,097 --> 00:19:26,198 Yes, I will indeed. 416 00:19:26,198 --> 00:19:28,400 You are number one traffic. 417 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,702 If you think about it, all the airline pilot 418 00:19:30,702 --> 00:19:34,139 training is done with two pilots, 419 00:19:34,139 --> 00:19:35,941 both compos mentis in the cockpit. 420 00:19:35,941 --> 00:19:38,377 One flying the aeroplane, and the other one 421 00:19:38,377 --> 00:19:39,845 doing all the emergency drills. 422 00:19:39,845 --> 00:19:43,081 So what you actually had was the Captain hanging out the window, 423 00:19:43,081 --> 00:19:45,417 at least one person hanging on to his legs, 424 00:19:45,417 --> 00:19:48,487 and Alastair flying the aeroplane with nobody else 425 00:19:48,487 --> 00:19:49,688 to talk to. 426 00:19:49,688 --> 00:19:53,158 Speedbird of 5390, it's nine miles from touchdown. 427 00:19:53,158 --> 00:19:54,226 You are clear to land. 428 00:19:54,226 --> 00:19:57,296 Wind indicates 020 degrees at 1/4 knots. 429 00:19:57,296 --> 00:20:00,199 Descend to height to 15 for 00 feet. 430 00:20:00,199 --> 00:20:02,434 The cure fee is 1017. 431 00:20:02,434 --> 00:20:03,235 Roger, sir. 432 00:20:03,235 --> 00:20:07,139 Descending to 1,500 feet. 433 00:20:07,139 --> 00:20:09,007 Talk me down all the way. 434 00:20:09,007 --> 00:20:11,577 I need all the help I can get. 435 00:20:11,577 --> 00:20:12,878 CHRIS RUNDLE (OVER RADIO): Roger you'll 436 00:20:12,878 --> 00:20:15,247 be able to stop the aircraft on the runway 437 00:20:15,247 --> 00:20:18,217 and evacuate the aircraft on the runway. 438 00:20:18,217 --> 00:20:20,619 He must have been about six or seven miles from touchdown, 439 00:20:20,619 --> 00:20:24,156 and, obviously, at that point, I kept talking until he was 440 00:20:24,156 --> 00:20:25,857 happy he could see the runway and was 441 00:20:25,857 --> 00:20:28,026 happy to continue looking out the window 442 00:20:28,026 --> 00:20:30,696 and land the aeroplane. 443 00:20:30,696 --> 00:20:34,132 At the point he said, he was visual with the runway, 444 00:20:34,132 --> 00:20:35,500 I effectively stopped talking. 445 00:20:44,409 --> 00:20:46,445 You need not acknowledge unless requested. 446 00:20:46,445 --> 00:20:48,413 It will be an uninterrupted talkdown, 447 00:20:48,413 --> 00:20:51,617 but feel free to interrupt if you feel you need to. 448 00:20:51,617 --> 00:20:53,452 5390. 449 00:20:53,452 --> 00:20:55,754 Thank you very much. 450 00:20:55,754 --> 00:20:57,155 I have the runway in sight. 451 00:20:57,155 --> 00:20:58,390 CHRIS RUNDLE (OVER RADIO): Thank you. 452 00:20:58,390 --> 00:20:59,925 You are clear to land. 453 00:20:59,925 --> 00:21:03,395 Do you wish me to continue with any further information? 454 00:21:03,395 --> 00:21:04,563 Negative. 455 00:21:13,071 --> 00:21:16,575 NARRATOR: 32 minutes after takeoff, with 81 terrified 456 00:21:16,575 --> 00:21:19,911 passengers, a nearly full fuel tank, and the Captain 457 00:21:19,911 --> 00:21:23,448 blasted out of the window, Alastair Atchison attempts 458 00:21:23,448 --> 00:21:24,950 a dangerous, difficult landing. 459 00:21:39,731 --> 00:21:43,235 [music playing] 460 00:22:04,189 --> 00:22:08,794 At 8:55 AM, Flight BA 5390 makes a perfect landing 461 00:22:08,794 --> 00:22:11,096 at Southampton Airport. 462 00:22:11,096 --> 00:22:14,667 Immediately, emergency vehicles surround the plane. 463 00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:17,269 Firefighters remove the body of the Captain 464 00:22:17,269 --> 00:22:19,238 and lead the passengers and crew away. 465 00:22:19,238 --> 00:22:22,541 [music playing] 466 00:22:28,914 --> 00:22:31,817 I remember seeing the copilot, the man who really, 467 00:22:31,817 --> 00:22:35,487 if it wasn't for him, we'd have been on the other side by now. 468 00:22:35,487 --> 00:22:40,960 And is walking down the runway very slowly, shaking his head, 469 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,295 and he got an ambulanceman walking 470 00:22:43,295 --> 00:22:47,733 with him with his arm around the shoulders of the copilot. 471 00:22:47,733 --> 00:22:50,536 And the copilot was shaking his head, as if-- 472 00:22:50,536 --> 00:22:51,904 I remember that distinctly. 473 00:22:51,904 --> 00:22:53,205 I don't know why, but I do. 474 00:22:53,205 --> 00:22:56,308 [music playing] 475 00:22:59,578 --> 00:23:01,513 NARRATOR: Alastair Atchison has carried out 476 00:23:01,513 --> 00:23:04,683 a remarkable piece of flying almost unprecedented 477 00:23:04,683 --> 00:23:07,519 in aviation history. 478 00:23:07,519 --> 00:23:10,889 He has had to pilot his plane without his Captain, who has 479 00:23:10,889 --> 00:23:13,125 undergone physical stresses that no one 480 00:23:13,125 --> 00:23:14,493 can be expected to survive. 481 00:23:14,493 --> 00:23:17,830 [music playing] 482 00:23:21,767 --> 00:23:24,403 I think these extreme conditions no one expects 483 00:23:24,403 --> 00:23:26,538 to occur in their lifetime. 484 00:23:26,538 --> 00:23:30,109 His survival time must have been measured in no more than tens 485 00:23:30,109 --> 00:23:33,679 of minutes as he became colder and colder, and his body 486 00:23:33,679 --> 00:23:36,382 systems began to shut down. 487 00:23:36,382 --> 00:23:38,450 NARRATOR: Tim Lancaster's body was subjected 488 00:23:38,450 --> 00:23:39,818 to a two-pronged assault. 489 00:23:39,818 --> 00:23:43,055 [music playing] 490 00:23:45,958 --> 00:23:47,660 The physical violence that his body 491 00:23:47,660 --> 00:23:49,662 suffered being blown out of the plane 492 00:23:49,662 --> 00:23:54,800 and the extreme cold and lack of oxygen at 17,000 feet. 493 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,003 Every 1,000 feet of altitude causes the temperature 494 00:23:58,003 --> 00:24:00,472 to drop by about 3 and 1/2 degrees, 495 00:24:00,472 --> 00:24:02,708 so the temperature on the outside of the plane 496 00:24:02,708 --> 00:24:05,110 would have been near zero. 497 00:24:05,110 --> 00:24:07,680 The extreme wind chill also meant his body 498 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,915 was losing heat very rapidly. 499 00:24:09,915 --> 00:24:12,384 He would have lapsed into semi-consciousness and then 500 00:24:12,384 --> 00:24:14,920 unconsciousness, and as the temperature, 501 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,623 his core body temperature, fell, he would have 502 00:24:17,623 --> 00:24:20,693 finally died as a result of the excessive 503 00:24:20,693 --> 00:24:23,729 cold in that environment. 504 00:24:23,729 --> 00:24:26,632 NARRATOR: Despite the trauma that Lancaster's body suffered, 505 00:24:26,632 --> 00:24:28,834 there is one final twist to his story. 506 00:24:28,834 --> 00:24:32,071 [music playing] 507 00:24:36,308 --> 00:24:37,976 Do you know, it's only once I've ever been here, 508 00:24:37,976 --> 00:24:39,511 and that was 10 years ago? 509 00:24:39,511 --> 00:24:40,512 15 years ago? 510 00:24:40,512 --> 00:24:42,414 NARRATOR: In the Oxfordshire countryside, 511 00:24:42,414 --> 00:24:44,983 John Heward and Nigel Ogden are visiting 512 00:24:44,983 --> 00:24:46,652 one of their crew members, who shared 513 00:24:46,652 --> 00:24:49,054 their horrific experiences. 514 00:24:49,054 --> 00:24:51,156 NIGEL OGDEN: Here he is. 515 00:24:51,156 --> 00:24:52,391 Hi, guys. 516 00:24:52,391 --> 00:24:53,692 John. How are you? 517 00:24:53,692 --> 00:24:54,493 Nice to see you, mate. 518 00:24:54,493 --> 00:24:55,461 Nice to see you, mate. 519 00:24:55,461 --> 00:24:56,395 Nige, come in. 520 00:24:56,395 --> 00:24:57,696 Come in. Hi. 521 00:24:57,696 --> 00:24:59,231 Like when I see Pete, when you go in, you've 522 00:24:59,231 --> 00:25:00,466 got to pretend that-- 523 00:25:00,466 --> 00:25:02,768 NARRATOR: The Captain of that flight, Tim Lancaster, 524 00:25:02,768 --> 00:25:05,904 has somehow survived his horrific ordeal. 525 00:25:05,904 --> 00:25:09,141 There were no fatalities on BA 5390. 526 00:25:09,141 --> 00:25:10,342 That's another. 527 00:25:10,342 --> 00:25:13,112 You can go on the three-day cruise across the-- 528 00:25:13,112 --> 00:25:15,714 NARRATOR: As his frozen, lifeless body was removed 529 00:25:15,714 --> 00:25:18,484 from the plane, nobody thought that Lancaster could 530 00:25:18,484 --> 00:25:20,352 have survived such punishment. 531 00:25:20,352 --> 00:25:22,921 But remarkably, he was slowly beginning 532 00:25:22,921 --> 00:25:25,724 to emerge from the effects of his horrific accident. 533 00:25:25,724 --> 00:25:27,726 MAN: Tim, can you hear me? 534 00:25:27,726 --> 00:25:29,695 I regained some consciousness on the ground 535 00:25:29,695 --> 00:25:32,097 at Southampton, because I remember big red and white 536 00:25:32,097 --> 00:25:33,432 things, which were obviously fire 537 00:25:33,432 --> 00:25:36,702 engines and ambulances, not people and not conversation. 538 00:25:36,702 --> 00:25:39,972 And then my next clear, lucid thoughts 539 00:25:39,972 --> 00:25:41,006 are in hospital in Southampton. 540 00:25:41,006 --> 00:25:43,876 [music playing] 541 00:25:45,244 --> 00:25:48,781 Over the next few days, all the bits eventually arrive back 542 00:25:48,781 --> 00:25:50,382 in my consciousness. 543 00:25:50,382 --> 00:25:53,786 And I put the jigsaw together and played 544 00:25:53,786 --> 00:25:55,821 the whole story for myself. 545 00:25:55,821 --> 00:25:57,956 And I understood what had happened. 546 00:25:57,956 --> 00:26:01,193 [music playing] 547 00:26:05,130 --> 00:26:06,265 I went down there last year, but 548 00:26:06,265 --> 00:26:08,100 they've changed the airports. 549 00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:12,671 NIGEL OGDEN: I'm glad they did hold on, because Tim was alive. 550 00:26:12,671 --> 00:26:14,506 He's a very strong man. 551 00:26:14,506 --> 00:26:17,442 He most have been to survive that. 552 00:26:17,442 --> 00:26:20,546 I wouldn't have been able to survive it. 553 00:26:20,546 --> 00:26:23,949 [music playing] 554 00:26:27,386 --> 00:26:29,288 TIMOTHY LANCASTER: That's all very dramatic. 555 00:26:29,288 --> 00:26:30,556 It is, look. 556 00:26:30,556 --> 00:26:32,024 NARRATOR: Tim Lancaster's survival 557 00:26:32,024 --> 00:26:34,193 is little short of miraculous. 558 00:26:34,193 --> 00:26:38,297 He'd been minutes away from death. 559 00:26:38,297 --> 00:26:41,834 It was Alastair Atchison's flying that saved his life. 560 00:26:41,834 --> 00:26:44,736 His quick-thinking and getting the plane to the ground in only 561 00:26:44,736 --> 00:26:47,639 22 minutes saved Lancaster from dying 562 00:26:47,639 --> 00:26:51,009 from the effects of exposure. 563 00:26:51,009 --> 00:26:52,411 I like it-- 564 00:26:52,411 --> 00:26:55,247 NARRATOR: And by pure chance, the physical trauma he suffered 565 00:26:55,247 --> 00:26:56,615 was limited. 566 00:26:56,615 --> 00:26:59,551 It included a bone fracture in his right arm and wrist, 567 00:26:59,551 --> 00:27:03,589 a broken left thumb, bruising, frostbite, and shock. 568 00:27:03,589 --> 00:27:06,792 Remarkably, within five months, Lancaster 569 00:27:06,792 --> 00:27:11,363 had made a full recovery and was flying again. 570 00:27:11,363 --> 00:27:12,931 Speedbird 5390-- 571 00:27:12,931 --> 00:27:15,200 NARRATOR: Of course, the Captain wasn't the only one to go 572 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:16,969 through a horrific experience. 573 00:27:19,638 --> 00:27:23,408 Flying alone, battling nearly 400 mile an hour winds, 574 00:27:23,408 --> 00:27:26,778 and defeating the possibility of oxygen deprivation, 575 00:27:26,778 --> 00:27:30,682 Alastair Atchison's achievement in saving Flight 5390 576 00:27:30,682 --> 00:27:32,017 was outstanding. 577 00:27:36,723 --> 00:27:40,927 Even as the crisis is unfolding on Flight 5390, 578 00:27:40,927 --> 00:27:43,629 accident investigators are rushing to Southampton 579 00:27:43,629 --> 00:27:45,698 to find an explanation. 580 00:27:45,698 --> 00:27:48,968 On the ground at Southampton Airport, the search for clues 581 00:27:48,968 --> 00:27:50,203 begins. 582 00:27:50,203 --> 00:27:52,972 Initial investigation shows no distortion 583 00:27:52,972 --> 00:27:55,508 to the frame of the windscreen, so this rules out 584 00:27:55,508 --> 00:27:57,243 a problem with the structure. 585 00:27:57,243 --> 00:27:59,912 The fact that there are no shards of glass 586 00:27:59,912 --> 00:28:01,681 also discounts a bird strike. 587 00:28:01,681 --> 00:28:04,851 [music playing] 588 00:28:06,319 --> 00:28:08,621 Stuart Culling senior investigator 589 00:28:08,621 --> 00:28:11,124 of the air accident investigation branch, 590 00:28:11,124 --> 00:28:14,327 has little to go on. 591 00:28:14,327 --> 00:28:15,461 Wind's cone was missing. 592 00:28:15,461 --> 00:28:17,764 There was a certain amount of blood around. 593 00:28:17,764 --> 00:28:21,167 There were some minor dents and scrapes on the fuselage 594 00:28:21,167 --> 00:28:23,569 as you'd expect if the window had gone past, 595 00:28:23,569 --> 00:28:27,140 and really, that was about it apart from a lot of paper 596 00:28:27,140 --> 00:28:29,976 scattered around inside. 597 00:28:29,976 --> 00:28:32,612 NARRATOR: One of his first clues comes from the log 598 00:28:32,612 --> 00:28:35,214 recovered from the plane. 599 00:28:35,214 --> 00:28:38,751 He knows it had been serviced just the day before, 600 00:28:38,751 --> 00:28:42,321 and that a windscreen had been replaced. 601 00:28:42,321 --> 00:28:45,558 He immediately pays a visit to the British Airways Maintenance 602 00:28:45,558 --> 00:28:47,927 hangar in Birmingham. 603 00:28:47,927 --> 00:28:50,263 I wanted to find out exactly what had happened 604 00:28:50,263 --> 00:28:52,398 to the aircraft before it took off, 605 00:28:52,398 --> 00:28:55,501 and I'd arranged that I should talk to the shift maintenance 606 00:28:55,501 --> 00:28:58,104 manager who fitted the window. 607 00:28:58,104 --> 00:29:00,373 There was a slight problem there, because he'd 608 00:29:00,373 --> 00:29:01,808 been on night duty. 609 00:29:01,808 --> 00:29:04,777 And consequently, he had finished his shift 610 00:29:04,777 --> 00:29:06,813 at roughly the same time as the windscreen 611 00:29:06,813 --> 00:29:07,947 came out of the aircraft. 612 00:29:07,947 --> 00:29:10,016 And he wasn't in a fit state to be interviewed. 613 00:29:10,016 --> 00:29:11,117 He needed to get some sleep. 614 00:29:11,117 --> 00:29:14,253 [music playing] 615 00:29:15,688 --> 00:29:16,522 Stuart Culling-- 616 00:29:16,522 --> 00:29:17,323 Good morning. 617 00:29:17,323 --> 00:29:18,257 Pleased to see you. 618 00:29:18,257 --> 00:29:19,058 I was expecting you. 619 00:29:19,058 --> 00:29:20,159 Yes, good. 620 00:29:20,159 --> 00:29:20,993 Thank you very much. 621 00:29:20,993 --> 00:29:22,461 Is this the hangar in question? 622 00:29:22,461 --> 00:29:23,796 This is the main hangar, yes. 623 00:29:23,796 --> 00:29:25,031 Yes. 624 00:29:25,031 --> 00:29:28,568 So in the meantime, I looked around the facility. 625 00:29:28,568 --> 00:29:32,271 I made sure that any paperwork and any records of the aircraft 626 00:29:32,271 --> 00:29:34,807 had been identified and taken away, 627 00:29:34,807 --> 00:29:37,543 so they couldn't be accessed by anyone else. 628 00:29:37,543 --> 00:29:39,545 And waited until he came in. 629 00:29:39,545 --> 00:29:42,815 [music playing] 630 00:29:45,618 --> 00:29:47,620 Hello, I'm from the AAIB. 631 00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:49,488 Yes, and this is my colleague. 632 00:29:49,488 --> 00:29:51,524 What I'd like to do today is just 633 00:29:51,524 --> 00:29:53,793 find out what went on that-- 634 00:29:53,793 --> 00:29:56,095 during that shift pattern and how it went. 635 00:29:56,095 --> 00:29:56,896 Thank you very much. 636 00:29:56,896 --> 00:30:00,366 [music playing] 637 00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:04,370 Did you notice anything about the window itself? 638 00:30:04,370 --> 00:30:06,706 Any stress marks that were worrying you? 639 00:30:06,706 --> 00:30:09,575 My first conversation with the shift maintenance manager 640 00:30:09,575 --> 00:30:12,612 was relatively general, because at that stage, 641 00:30:12,612 --> 00:30:14,547 we had no evidence that it was relevant. 642 00:30:14,547 --> 00:30:15,748 --yourself? 643 00:30:15,748 --> 00:30:17,383 You didn't delegate it to somebody else and then-- 644 00:30:17,383 --> 00:30:19,652 Stuart, there's a phone call for you just come in. 645 00:30:19,652 --> 00:30:20,853 Oh, right. 646 00:30:20,853 --> 00:30:23,089 Would you mind if I took this and-- 647 00:30:23,089 --> 00:30:25,057 so I took the call and found that it 648 00:30:25,057 --> 00:30:27,026 was information about the windscreen, which 649 00:30:27,026 --> 00:30:28,594 had been found near Didcot. 650 00:30:28,594 --> 00:30:31,264 And there was something like 30 bolts found with it, 651 00:30:31,264 --> 00:30:35,067 most of which were one size short in diameter, one size 652 00:30:35,067 --> 00:30:36,869 too small in diameter. 653 00:30:36,869 --> 00:30:38,638 NARRATOR: It is a crucial error. 654 00:30:38,638 --> 00:30:42,041 On some planes, windscreens are fitted from the inside 655 00:30:42,041 --> 00:30:44,677 and use the internal pressure inside the cabin 656 00:30:44,677 --> 00:30:46,078 to keep them in place. 657 00:30:46,078 --> 00:30:50,549 But on the 111, the windscreen is bolted on from the outside. 658 00:30:50,549 --> 00:30:52,852 Any weakness in the bolts could mean 659 00:30:52,852 --> 00:30:54,654 that the pressure inside the plane 660 00:30:54,654 --> 00:30:56,923 would blow the windscreen out. 661 00:30:56,923 --> 00:30:59,625 It appears that Culling has very quickly found 662 00:30:59,625 --> 00:31:02,161 the mistake and the guilty man. 663 00:31:02,161 --> 00:31:03,796 STUART CULLING: --which I think is very relevant. 664 00:31:03,796 --> 00:31:07,833 I've heard from my colleagues, who are working on the bolts. 665 00:31:07,833 --> 00:31:09,702 They tell me they're the wrong bolts. 666 00:31:09,702 --> 00:31:11,737 They're the wrong diameter. 667 00:31:11,737 --> 00:31:13,406 No, that's not possible. 668 00:31:13,406 --> 00:31:16,709 They're the exactly the same bolts that I took out of there. 669 00:31:16,709 --> 00:31:18,144 He was a professional man. 670 00:31:18,144 --> 00:31:22,315 He's very keen on doing things, to his mind, 671 00:31:22,315 --> 00:31:25,318 in the interests of the company, and he's suddenly 672 00:31:25,318 --> 00:31:27,253 told that he's put a windscreen and using 673 00:31:27,253 --> 00:31:28,487 bolts of the wrong size. 674 00:31:28,487 --> 00:31:32,191 And his-- he's absolutely shocked. 675 00:31:32,191 --> 00:31:33,426 I can show you. 676 00:31:33,426 --> 00:31:35,394 I can show you the bolts I got out of there. 677 00:31:35,394 --> 00:31:37,330 One thing that came out was that he said, oh, 678 00:31:37,330 --> 00:31:39,865 the old bolts went into a waste bin in the hangar, where 679 00:31:39,865 --> 00:31:41,634 he did the job. 680 00:31:41,634 --> 00:31:42,668 They may still be there. 681 00:31:42,668 --> 00:31:44,170 So we rushed across to the waste bin 682 00:31:44,170 --> 00:31:46,372 and found something like 80 discarded bolts. 683 00:31:46,372 --> 00:31:47,173 Here. 684 00:31:47,173 --> 00:31:48,174 They'll be in here. 685 00:31:48,174 --> 00:31:50,676 This is where I put them. 686 00:31:50,676 --> 00:31:51,777 These are the bolts. 687 00:31:51,777 --> 00:31:53,079 STUART CULLING: And these are the ones you 688 00:31:53,079 --> 00:31:54,747 checked against the new ones? 689 00:31:54,747 --> 00:31:56,115 That's right. Yep, I took-- 690 00:31:56,115 --> 00:31:57,249 STUART CULLING: From the carousel? 691 00:31:57,249 --> 00:31:59,218 It was really excellent evidence. 692 00:31:59,218 --> 00:32:00,820 Gold as far as I was concerned. 693 00:32:00,820 --> 00:32:02,822 Well, I'll take these away. 694 00:32:02,822 --> 00:32:04,256 ENGINEER: OK. 695 00:32:04,256 --> 00:32:07,126 [music playing] 696 00:32:07,126 --> 00:32:09,462 NARRATOR: By comparing the maintenance manual to what 697 00:32:09,462 --> 00:32:12,298 the engineer has told him, Culling is quickly 698 00:32:12,298 --> 00:32:15,968 able to identify the first part of the story, what went wrong 699 00:32:15,968 --> 00:32:18,838 the previous night when the window of the BAC 111 700 00:32:18,838 --> 00:32:21,140 had been replaced. 701 00:32:21,140 --> 00:32:23,476 We went through the whole chain of events that 702 00:32:23,476 --> 00:32:28,414 had occurred, and we found that there were something 703 00:32:28,414 --> 00:32:33,552 like 13 different anomalies, which led 704 00:32:33,552 --> 00:32:36,822 to the fitting of the bolts. 705 00:32:36,822 --> 00:32:39,792 And had any of these caused him to think, 706 00:32:39,792 --> 00:32:41,460 the sequence of events would not have continued, 707 00:32:41,460 --> 00:32:42,828 and there wouldn't have been an accident. 708 00:32:42,828 --> 00:32:46,065 [music playing] 709 00:32:56,475 --> 00:32:59,078 NARRATOR: The engineer has come in early for his shift, 710 00:32:59,078 --> 00:33:01,213 and at about 4:00 AM has gone to work 711 00:33:01,213 --> 00:33:04,250 removing the old windscreen from the plane. 712 00:33:04,250 --> 00:33:06,252 The hangar is full, and the plane 713 00:33:06,252 --> 00:33:08,687 has been pushed against the hangar door, which makes 714 00:33:08,687 --> 00:33:10,956 the windscreen hard to reach. 715 00:33:10,956 --> 00:33:13,692 Stretched across the fuselage, he has problems 716 00:33:13,692 --> 00:33:14,827 controlling his screwdriver. 717 00:33:14,827 --> 00:33:18,064 [music playing] 718 00:33:19,432 --> 00:33:21,233 The windscreen that he has taken out 719 00:33:21,233 --> 00:33:24,203 has itself been fitted with the wrong length bolts, 720 00:33:24,203 --> 00:33:26,005 but they are still strong enough to hold 721 00:33:26,005 --> 00:33:30,142 the screen in and have survived without a hitch for four years. 722 00:33:30,142 --> 00:33:32,244 But he is a conscientious engineer. 723 00:33:32,244 --> 00:33:35,781 He decides that he will replace the old bolts with new ones 724 00:33:35,781 --> 00:33:37,316 when he installs the new screen. 725 00:33:37,316 --> 00:33:40,152 [music playing] 726 00:33:41,220 --> 00:33:43,389 He chooses not to go to the parts catalog 727 00:33:43,389 --> 00:33:45,391 and look up the part he needs. 728 00:33:45,391 --> 00:33:48,661 Instead, he goes straight to the parts store. 729 00:33:48,661 --> 00:33:49,462 Good morning. 730 00:33:49,462 --> 00:33:50,262 Morning. 731 00:33:50,262 --> 00:33:52,398 [music playing] 732 00:33:53,766 --> 00:33:56,602 NARRATOR: There, he matches by eye new bolts with the ones 733 00:33:56,602 --> 00:33:57,803 he has taken out of the screen. 734 00:33:57,803 --> 00:34:01,107 [music playing] 735 00:34:03,609 --> 00:34:05,644 His eye match is good, and he finds 736 00:34:05,644 --> 00:34:11,016 a few fresh bolts of exactly the same types in the drawer. 737 00:34:11,016 --> 00:34:13,018 What I'm after is I'll need 90 7Ds. 738 00:34:13,018 --> 00:34:14,787 I'm just doing a windscreen on a 111 over there, 739 00:34:14,787 --> 00:34:15,788 and I need some new bolts. 740 00:34:15,788 --> 00:34:17,323 8Ds on a 111. 741 00:34:17,323 --> 00:34:18,724 Well, no. These are seven. 742 00:34:18,724 --> 00:34:19,525 This is a seven. 743 00:34:19,525 --> 00:34:20,459 I've just taken it out. 744 00:34:20,459 --> 00:34:22,094 We haven't got any sevens anyway. 745 00:34:22,094 --> 00:34:22,895 OK. 746 00:34:22,895 --> 00:34:24,263 Right. 747 00:34:24,263 --> 00:34:25,698 NARRATOR: The store manager knows which bolts the engineer 748 00:34:25,698 --> 00:34:28,033 should be looking for, but the engineer 749 00:34:28,033 --> 00:34:31,770 chooses to ignore his advice. 750 00:34:31,770 --> 00:34:34,740 Instead, he drives to the other side of the airport 751 00:34:34,740 --> 00:34:37,810 to find a match for his bolts. 752 00:34:37,810 --> 00:34:42,381 It is now about 5:15 AM, and in a dark corner of the hangar, 753 00:34:42,381 --> 00:34:45,784 he continues to search for new bolts identical to the ones 754 00:34:45,784 --> 00:34:47,386 he has taken out of the plane. 755 00:34:47,386 --> 00:34:50,222 But in the gloom, his luck finally runs out. 756 00:34:50,222 --> 00:34:52,858 He thinks they match, but they don't. 757 00:34:52,858 --> 00:34:56,362 He picks bolts that are just over 0.02 of an inch 758 00:34:56,362 --> 00:34:57,630 too narrow for the job. 759 00:34:57,630 --> 00:35:00,766 [music playing] 760 00:35:03,102 --> 00:35:05,971 Returning to the hangar, he stretches over the plane 761 00:35:05,971 --> 00:35:08,240 and begins fitting these new bolts. 762 00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:11,577 Working at an angle, he can't see that the new bolts 763 00:35:11,577 --> 00:35:12,611 don't fit correctly. 764 00:35:12,611 --> 00:35:15,915 [music playing] 765 00:35:22,721 --> 00:35:26,125 Signing off his work at 6:00 AM, the engineer has managed 766 00:35:26,125 --> 00:35:27,993 to get his work done on time. 767 00:35:27,993 --> 00:35:30,596 The plane is now ready to be handed over to Captain 768 00:35:30,596 --> 00:35:31,730 Lancaster and his crew. 769 00:35:31,730 --> 00:35:34,667 [music playing] 770 00:35:34,667 --> 00:35:36,969 It is a disaster waiting to happen. 771 00:35:36,969 --> 00:35:37,970 [music playing] 772 00:35:40,707 --> 00:35:43,343 The morning of the following day, British Airways 773 00:35:43,343 --> 00:35:47,080 Flight 5390 was at 17,300 feet. 774 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:49,582 The difference in pressure between the sealed hull 775 00:35:49,582 --> 00:35:51,417 of the jet and the thin atmosphere 776 00:35:51,417 --> 00:35:54,187 was climbing quickly to the 1/2 ton per square foot 777 00:35:54,187 --> 00:35:57,023 the pressure would reach at 35,000 feet. 778 00:35:57,023 --> 00:36:00,360 This pressure was looking for a weakness, and it found it. 779 00:36:03,196 --> 00:36:05,798 For Culling, finding out what happened that night 780 00:36:05,798 --> 00:36:07,233 is only the first step. 781 00:36:07,233 --> 00:36:09,802 No one has hidden from him what they did, 782 00:36:09,802 --> 00:36:13,039 but he knows he has to go deeper to understand the reason 783 00:36:13,039 --> 00:36:15,308 behind this sequence of events. 784 00:36:15,308 --> 00:36:17,377 Why the engineer did what he did, 785 00:36:17,377 --> 00:36:20,713 and whether this is an isolated incident or the symptom 786 00:36:20,713 --> 00:36:22,415 of a bigger problem. 787 00:36:22,415 --> 00:36:24,951 Accident investigation, certainly on aircraft, 788 00:36:24,951 --> 00:36:26,586 comprises two parts. 789 00:36:26,586 --> 00:36:28,321 The first part is, what's happened? 790 00:36:28,321 --> 00:36:31,457 And that's usually relatively the easy bit. 791 00:36:31,457 --> 00:36:34,260 And the second part is, why did it happen? 792 00:36:34,260 --> 00:36:35,928 NARRATOR: Why did the engineer ignore 793 00:36:35,928 --> 00:36:38,631 procedure, bypass the technical manuals, 794 00:36:38,631 --> 00:36:41,000 and ignore helpful advice? 795 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,070 Culling's search for the answers is, in its own way, 796 00:36:44,070 --> 00:36:45,371 revolutionary. 797 00:36:45,371 --> 00:36:51,277 If we talk to people without giving them warning, 798 00:36:51,277 --> 00:36:54,714 we felt we'd get more information, because they'd 799 00:36:54,714 --> 00:36:56,649 be freer to discuss it. 800 00:36:56,649 --> 00:36:59,419 If we gave them a formal caution as it were, 801 00:36:59,419 --> 00:37:03,656 we thought that they would dry up. 802 00:37:03,656 --> 00:37:04,657 Coffee? ENGINEER: Yes, please. 803 00:37:04,657 --> 00:37:05,458 STUART CULLING: Great. 804 00:37:05,458 --> 00:37:06,859 How was the journey? 805 00:37:06,859 --> 00:37:08,094 ENGINEER: Oh, well, usual stuff. 806 00:37:08,094 --> 00:37:09,962 NARRATOR: They decide to talk to the engineer 807 00:37:09,962 --> 00:37:13,099 well away from the hangar in a cozy hotel room. 808 00:37:13,099 --> 00:37:15,001 Well, thanks for coming in. 809 00:37:15,001 --> 00:37:17,603 NARRATOR: To gain insight into the methods of the maintenance 810 00:37:17,603 --> 00:37:20,206 engineers, Culling then does something 811 00:37:20,206 --> 00:37:22,141 no one has done before. 812 00:37:22,141 --> 00:37:27,380 He brings in a behavioral psychologist. 813 00:37:27,380 --> 00:37:29,816 Is the aircraft normally in the hangar 814 00:37:29,816 --> 00:37:31,784 when you're doing that? 815 00:37:31,784 --> 00:37:33,486 NARRATOR: Psychologists have been used 816 00:37:33,486 --> 00:37:36,088 before to try to analyze why pilots 817 00:37:36,088 --> 00:37:37,824 make mistakes under pressure. 818 00:37:37,824 --> 00:37:40,626 It's a discipline called human factors, 819 00:37:40,626 --> 00:37:45,264 but in 1990, using human factors in engineering is unheard of. 820 00:37:45,264 --> 00:37:50,470 STUART CULLING: I wanted a professional slant on what is 821 00:37:50,470 --> 00:37:53,039 really psychological territory. 822 00:37:53,039 --> 00:37:56,909 I would hope that, as far as the shift maintenance manager was 823 00:37:56,909 --> 00:38:00,346 concerned, that it gave him extra confidence that we were 824 00:38:00,346 --> 00:38:02,582 trying to be even-handed, and that we were trying 825 00:38:02,582 --> 00:38:04,150 to get to the bottom of it. 826 00:38:04,150 --> 00:38:05,184 You know the parts catalog. 827 00:38:07,887 --> 00:38:09,889 When you're getting the bolts out, 828 00:38:09,889 --> 00:38:13,259 do you go straight to the parts catalog, or do you just-- 829 00:38:13,259 --> 00:38:14,227 Not usually. 830 00:38:14,227 --> 00:38:15,595 Why? 831 00:38:15,595 --> 00:38:17,597 If I've got a set of screws out, they're the same screws. 832 00:38:17,597 --> 00:38:20,166 I just got get them up out of the carousels. 833 00:38:20,166 --> 00:38:21,334 Right. 834 00:38:21,334 --> 00:38:23,870 You find it's easier to do it visually. 835 00:38:23,870 --> 00:38:25,838 It was in that case easier to do it visually from the bolts 836 00:38:25,838 --> 00:38:26,939 you take? - Yeah. 837 00:38:26,939 --> 00:38:28,040 Yeah. 838 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:29,008 Because they're the same bolts that come out. 839 00:38:29,008 --> 00:38:29,976 The same ones go back in. 840 00:38:29,976 --> 00:38:31,077 So same size bolts. 841 00:38:31,077 --> 00:38:32,278 There's no difference. 842 00:38:32,278 --> 00:38:34,247 And if it worked before, it must be the right bolt? 843 00:38:34,247 --> 00:38:35,948 Yeah, it's just replacing like with like, really. 844 00:38:35,948 --> 00:38:36,749 Yeah. 845 00:38:36,749 --> 00:38:38,084 Because it had been flying. 846 00:38:38,084 --> 00:38:46,993 We were somewhat horrified that they admitted those things 847 00:38:46,993 --> 00:38:50,496 to us, because after all, we were 848 00:38:50,496 --> 00:38:53,332 officially inverted commas. 849 00:38:53,332 --> 00:38:54,967 And they were quite proud of them. 850 00:38:54,967 --> 00:38:58,371 We would have thought that had they used such practices, 851 00:38:58,371 --> 00:39:00,039 they would have kept very quiet about it. 852 00:39:00,039 --> 00:39:03,442 If I'd had to go check with the computers 853 00:39:03,442 --> 00:39:06,312 what bolts I needed, and what parts, and how to fit 854 00:39:06,312 --> 00:39:08,147 the thing, then there was good chance 855 00:39:08,147 --> 00:39:10,816 they wouldn't have been flying at the time it was meant to be. 856 00:39:10,816 --> 00:39:11,651 Good. 857 00:39:11,651 --> 00:39:13,252 Good. 858 00:39:13,252 --> 00:39:18,558 So when you're doing the job now, 859 00:39:18,558 --> 00:39:20,960 you're an experienced engineer. 860 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:24,564 It might not be by-the-book or the time 861 00:39:24,564 --> 00:39:26,966 like you would train somebody who was new? 862 00:39:26,966 --> 00:39:28,200 No, not usually. 863 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:30,102 We've been doing these things for years. 864 00:39:30,102 --> 00:39:32,872 NARRATOR: Culling is stunned by what he is hearing, 865 00:39:32,872 --> 00:39:34,774 but there are more revelations to come. 866 00:39:34,774 --> 00:39:37,677 [music playing] 867 00:39:38,678 --> 00:39:40,713 The engineer's dangerous approach is 868 00:39:40,713 --> 00:39:42,515 becoming clearer by the minute. 869 00:39:42,515 --> 00:39:47,620 You trusted your own knowledge better than the store 870 00:39:47,620 --> 00:39:49,288 supervisor's Knowledge? 871 00:39:49,288 --> 00:39:51,023 Well, I'm an engineer. 872 00:39:51,023 --> 00:39:54,026 I got 7D bolts out, so I put 7D bolts back in. 873 00:39:54,026 --> 00:39:56,228 There's no problem with that. 874 00:39:59,298 --> 00:40:01,000 It's that simple. 875 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,670 So you trusted that the aircraft had been flying, 876 00:40:04,670 --> 00:40:06,706 so therefore, they must have been the right bolts? 877 00:40:06,706 --> 00:40:08,007 Yeah. 878 00:40:08,007 --> 00:40:11,143 That aircraft did a lot of hours with that windscreen. 879 00:40:11,143 --> 00:40:13,379 STUART CULLING: Their whole aim was to expedite 880 00:40:13,379 --> 00:40:18,184 work through their station. 881 00:40:18,184 --> 00:40:19,819 They had a lot of work coming. 882 00:40:19,819 --> 00:40:23,723 It was all done at night, and in many cases, 883 00:40:23,723 --> 00:40:27,026 they had more work than they could reasonably handle. 884 00:40:27,026 --> 00:40:33,466 And they had devised little stratagems to get around that. 885 00:40:33,466 --> 00:40:35,901 NARRATOR: Culling and the psychologist's insights 886 00:40:35,901 --> 00:40:39,305 make their way into the first draft of their report. 887 00:40:39,305 --> 00:40:42,675 It says that there are systemic faults in the maintenance 888 00:40:42,675 --> 00:40:44,744 procedure in Birmingham. 889 00:40:44,744 --> 00:40:47,313 But under pressure from British Airways lawyers, 890 00:40:47,313 --> 00:40:49,815 and because they have not carried out their investigation 891 00:40:49,815 --> 00:40:51,884 following normal procedure, they are 892 00:40:51,884 --> 00:40:55,788 forced to change the emphasis of their final report. 893 00:40:55,788 --> 00:41:00,026 Hour by hour, the Treasury solicitor 894 00:41:00,026 --> 00:41:03,696 or whoever was advising the branch 895 00:41:03,696 --> 00:41:07,600 confirmed that under natural law, 896 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:10,836 it was unfair to use that information. 897 00:41:10,836 --> 00:41:13,639 Because we hadn't gone through the whole procedure. 898 00:41:13,639 --> 00:41:20,179 And so we had to remove that from the report. 899 00:41:20,179 --> 00:41:22,081 NARRATOR: The investigators have never produced 900 00:41:22,081 --> 00:41:24,250 an accident report like it. 901 00:41:24,250 --> 00:41:26,452 Working with a psychologist, Culling 902 00:41:26,452 --> 00:41:28,988 develops a completely novel way of using 903 00:41:28,988 --> 00:41:32,725 human factors to explain why this accident happened. 904 00:41:32,725 --> 00:41:36,529 They uncovered pressures in the hangar that caused an otherwise 905 00:41:36,529 --> 00:41:39,098 proficient engineer to make potentially 906 00:41:39,098 --> 00:41:41,500 lethal mistakes while being certain he 907 00:41:41,500 --> 00:41:43,569 was doing the right thing. 908 00:41:43,569 --> 00:41:46,706 This psychological approach takes air accident 909 00:41:46,706 --> 00:41:49,508 prevention to a new level. 910 00:41:49,508 --> 00:41:53,079 Through the sheer skill of the crew of BA 5390, 911 00:41:53,079 --> 00:41:58,584 as well as a measure of luck, 87 people are still alive. 912 00:41:58,584 --> 00:42:01,020 As a consequence of this investigation, 913 00:42:01,020 --> 00:42:05,291 others may never have to go through the same ordeal. 914 00:42:05,291 --> 00:42:07,259 In the aftermath of the incident, 915 00:42:07,259 --> 00:42:09,462 the crew are treated as heroes. 916 00:42:09,462 --> 00:42:11,530 They receive numerous awards, and 917 00:42:11,530 --> 00:42:13,899 Alastair Atchison receives the coveted Gold 918 00:42:13,899 --> 00:42:15,501 Medal for Airmanship. 919 00:42:15,501 --> 00:42:19,371 Their colleagues also show their appreciation. 920 00:42:19,371 --> 00:42:22,441 JOHN HEWARD: One of the most moving things 921 00:42:22,441 --> 00:42:23,476 was to go back to Birmingham. 922 00:42:23,476 --> 00:42:25,878 [music playing] 923 00:42:25,878 --> 00:42:28,380 As we walked into the airport, the whole of the airport 924 00:42:28,380 --> 00:42:30,349 stopped. 925 00:42:30,349 --> 00:42:32,818 And all the ground staff, and all the checking girls, and all 926 00:42:32,818 --> 00:42:34,954 that just stood and applauded as we walked through the building, 927 00:42:34,954 --> 00:42:38,724 and it was really quite moving at the time. 928 00:42:38,724 --> 00:42:42,228 You wanted to get out of the way, so that you could-- 929 00:42:42,228 --> 00:42:43,562 I don't really want to do this walking 930 00:42:43,562 --> 00:42:46,132 up the red carpet thing. 931 00:42:46,132 --> 00:42:48,434 NARRATOR: Their colleagues were applauding a team, which 932 00:42:48,434 --> 00:42:51,103 had demonstrated the highest form of professionalism 933 00:42:51,103 --> 00:42:52,571 at every level. 934 00:42:52,571 --> 00:42:54,473 A cabin crew, which worked as a team 935 00:42:54,473 --> 00:42:58,577 in extraordinary circumstances, and the copilot and outsider 936 00:42:58,577 --> 00:43:01,013 who took control and worked alone to bring 937 00:43:01,013 --> 00:43:03,115 them all safely down to Earth. 938 00:43:03,115 --> 00:43:05,651 Each of the crew dealt with their experience 939 00:43:05,651 --> 00:43:07,453 in different ways. 940 00:43:07,453 --> 00:43:10,456 Tim Lancaster began flying again with British Airways 941 00:43:10,456 --> 00:43:14,160 just five months after the accident. 942 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:15,694 TIMOTHY LANCASTER: It was a special day 943 00:43:15,694 --> 00:43:16,896 when I-- the first day I flew. 944 00:43:16,896 --> 00:43:18,297 I decided that was what I was gonna do. 945 00:43:18,297 --> 00:43:20,266 I was gonna make an effort to go back to work and get better. 946 00:43:20,266 --> 00:43:24,036 So having made the decision, the rest was easy. 947 00:43:24,036 --> 00:43:27,339 NARRATOR: For Nigel Ogden, the man who ran to Lancaster's aid 948 00:43:27,339 --> 00:43:30,843 and held on to him for dear life, the impact of that day 949 00:43:30,843 --> 00:43:32,912 is far more profound. 950 00:43:32,912 --> 00:43:36,749 I think about it every day, and that is the truth. 951 00:43:36,749 --> 00:43:41,854 I think about it every single day in one form or another. 952 00:43:41,854 --> 00:43:42,655 Yeah. 953 00:43:42,655 --> 00:43:43,656 Every single day. 954 00:43:43,656 --> 00:43:46,125 [music playing] 955 00:43:46,125 --> 00:43:49,562 It will affect me till the end of me days. 956 00:43:49,562 --> 00:43:51,730 NARRATOR: For each of the crew, the experience 957 00:43:51,730 --> 00:43:54,466 will stay with them in different ways, but common to 958 00:43:54,466 --> 00:43:57,169 them all is the understanding that together, 959 00:43:57,169 --> 00:43:58,470 they survived the unthinkable. 73342

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