Original subtitles

NARRATOR: US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 struggles on approac

to Kathmandu airport.

It's very dangerous, and the visibility's low in that area.

MAN: The plane was flying close to the ground.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Sink rate.

Sir! Sir!

I thought that no one was alive there.

NARRATOR: 51 people are killed.

Investigators try to determine if there was something wrong with the plane.

Take a look at these inputs. They're so extreme.

Or with the pilots.

I want a bloody written explanation when I come back to Dhaka!

(dramatic music playing)

(radio chatter)

NARRATOR: US-Bangla Flight 211 cruises above the Himalayas.

Captain Abid Sultan is at the controls.

He has more than 5000 flying hours.

Request for descent.

Yes, it's time.

NARRATOR: First Officer Prithula Rashid is a newcomer to US - Bangla Airlines.

At age 25, she has less than 400 hours of flying time.

Kathmandu. BS 2-1- 1, request descent.

OPERATOR: BS 2-1-1, Kathmandu Approach.

Descend to Flight Level one six zero

Kathmandu. BS 2-1-1. Flight Level one six zero.

Good.

NARRATOR: Their destination is Kathmandu Airport in Nepal.

There are 67 passengers and two cabin attendants on board.

Basanta Bohora, a Nepalese travel agent,

is returning from a business trip in Bangladesh.

We went to a travel agency award ceremony for 3 or 4 days.

Ten top agencies were sponsored by US-Bangla,

and we went to receive an award

We attended the event and then returned home.

NARRATOR: It's a 90-minute flight from Dhaka to Kathmandu.

SYLVIA: Kathmandu Airport is in the foothills of the Himalayas.

It's on high ground and although it's in a valley, it's on very uneven ground.

Pilots consider it to be one of the most

challenging airports in the world.

NARRATOR: The crew is flying a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400.

It's a small plane and it has low operational costs

and is very popular with small airlines who are looking

to keep their costs down.

OPERATOR: Kathmandu, BS 2-1-1.

Descend to 13,500 feet and hold over GURAS.

BS 2-1-1, descend 13,500 feet.

Hold at GURAS.

NARRATOR: BS 211 is six minutes ahead of schedule.

The controller gives the crew instructions to go into a holding pattern

when they get to their next navigation point.

Do you remember how to enter a hold?

NAV page.

Maneuver.

Very good.

The captain was extremely experienced and an instructor.

SYLVIA: He had flown in and out of Kathmandu repeatedly.

He knew the route. He knew the plane better than anyone at that airline.

I'm looking forward to getting home.

The flight was absolutely normal. Some were reading newspapers.

Others were talking to each other.

(beeps)

NARRATOR: BS 211 is now 20 miles from Kathmandu.

First Officer Rashid makes contact with Air Traffic Contro at the airport.

Kathmandu Tower, BS 2-1-1, Finals. Runway zero-two.

BS 2-1-1, tower. Wind 8 knots, runway zero-two, continue approach.

NARRATOR: BS 211 is on final approach to runway zero - two.

Tribhuvan International Airport has one 10,000-foot airstrip.

Planes approaching the airport from the south land on runway zero-two

and from the north on runway two-zero.

The two runway references are based on in which direction

you are using the runway. Obviously, you do not want

planes coming and going in both directions.

NARRATOR: The aircraft is now three miles from runway zero - two.

BS 2-1-1, wind 2-20 degrees, runway zero-two, clear to land.

Clear to land, BanglaStar 2-1-1.

NARRATOR: But BS 211 isn't ready to land.

Have you seen the runway?

No, not yet.

No problem. It will be in front.

BS 2-1-1, you were given landing clearance to runway zero-two.

Affirmative, ma'am.

BS 2-1-1, you are going towards runway two-zero

NARRATOR: BS 211 has overflown the entire runway

and is now headed north towards the mountains.

I think we are going to runway zero-two.

NARRATOR: Concerned by what he's seeing,

the Supervising Controller step in to assist Flight 211.

Okay, BanglaStar 2-1-1, runway two-zero, clear to land.

NARRATOR: Kathmandu air traffic control redirects BS 2-1-1 to turn left

and land on runway two-zero.

Can you see the runway?

Everything is all set up, but we're not seeing the runway.

No runway yet.

That means the runway is to our right.

At the time, the plane was flying close to the ground.

We realized something was wrong

NARRATOR: To complicate matters, there's another plane two-miles out

on final approach to the runway

Buddha 2-8-2, descend to target altitude, runway zero-two. Clear to land.

Runway zero-two, clear to land, descend to altitude, Buddha 2-8 2.

What is he doing?

- BS 2-1-1, traffic at final zero - two at two miles.

NARRATOR: The controller warns BS 211 about the inbound plane.

SYLVIA: It's one runway. It's a single piece of real estate.

And obviously what you can't have

is both directions of the runway functioning at once.

It's a head on collision.

BS 2-1-1, do not proceed towards runway two-zero.

Traffic is on short final, runway zero-two.

Clear to hold your present position.

PILOT: Copied. Let us know, sir, once the aircraft lands.

NARRATOR: The inbound plane lands on runway zero-two.

BS 2-1-1, runway is clear to land, either runway zero-two or two-zero.

Sir, we would like to land runway two-zero.

Okay, runway two-zero, clear to land. Wind 2-7-0 degrees, 6 knots.

Copied. Clear to land.

NARRATOR: But the plane isn't lining up with the runway

BanglaStar 2-1-1, turn right. You have the runway to land.

Confirm you have the runway in sight.

Negative. Where is the runway?

Sir, runway. Runway 3 o'clock.

Affirmative, we have runway in sight. Request clear to land, sir.

BS 2-1-1 cleared to land.

He's lining up for the taxiway.

BS 2-1-1, that is not the runway, over. That's not the runway.

BS 2-1-1, that is not the runway, I say again.

NARRATOR: The pilots make a last-minute adjustment

to try to line up their plane with the runway.

SYLVIA: He's passed the threshold. And at that point,

the controllers are certainly clear that there is something wrong.

We have the runway in sight.

Oh my God, sir.

NARRATOR: But the airplane is headed directly

for the control tower instead.

NARRATOR: US Bangla Airlines Flight 211 flies wildly off course

towards the control tower in Kathmandu.

They think that this plane is flying into them.

The air traffic controllers duck.

SYLVIA: The captain swerves straight past them

and directly over the passenger terminal before turning again.

He's flying this Dash 8 twin propeller plane like it's a fighter jet.

- NARRATOR: The pilots of US - Bangla 211 struggle desperatel

to get their plane safely on the ground.

Bank angle. Sink rate.

We felt scared. We were praying to God.

Sir! Sir!

Sink rate. Sink rate.

SYLVIA: He manages to almost line up with the runway,

and he touches one wheel on the runway about a third or half of the way down.

I saw the aircraft skid off the runway.

People were thrown around violently inside the plane.

NARRATOR: US-Bangla 211 bursts into flames 440 meters from the runway.

Firefighter Sagar Rayamajhi witnesses the entire crash.

When I saw the explosion, I thought that no one was alive there.

Our fire trucks were immediately on the crash site.

People who were conscious started crying and screaming.

We headed towards a hole where the light was coming from.

I fell on the ground after walking a few steps away from the plane.

NARRATOR: Not everyone is so fortunate.

49 people are dead, including both pilots.

At a Kathmandu hospital, family and friends

wait for news of their loved ones.

Of the 22 passengers who survived, two die in hospital.

A multi-national commission is formed to investigate the tragedy.

It consists of delegates from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Canada,

representing the Canadian manufacturer of the Dash 8, Bombardier.

Let's see what the wreckage can tell us.

The objective of the investigation was to find out the actual cause of the accident

and to try to prevent similar accidents in the future.

It looks like the plane veered off the runway,

kept going for a while, hit this berm, then flipped upside down.

NARRATOR: What caused the plane to veer off the runway?

Was there a mechanical issue with the aircraft?

Hard to tell what was and wasn't working.

SUNIL: The aircraft was broken into two pieces.

The fuselage was broken,

and most of the parts were engulfed in fire, post - crash fire,

and the cockpit was completely smashed.

NARRATOR: The team gets a lucky break.

Yeah. Good work!

The aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have

survived the fire.

They're sent to Ottawa, for analysis

by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board.

With no solid leads, investigators try to get some clues from the survivors.

Was there anything unusual about the flight?

No, everything seemed fine until we were supposed to land.

Then things started to feel different.

SURVIVOR: When I looked outside the window,

I could see people and houses close by.

This made me feel that the flight was really close to the ground.

Did the pilot provide any updates on what was happening?

None. As we got closer to landing, things got worse.

We hit the ground hard.

(panicked screaming)

Skidded off the runway.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: The survivor's account leaves investigators wondering why BS 211 was

flying so erratically. Were the pilots dealing with engine failure

or some other mechanical issue?

Cue up the recording to just before the plane landed.

NARRATOR: Investigators review video footage

of the final seconds of Flight 211.

Well there were several CCTV security cameras,

which captured different angles of the aircraft during approach.

Wow. He almost flies right into the control tower.

The plane came approximately 45 feet close to the control tower,

and it veered hard left to avoid the tower.

So it was really surprising,

I mean how could an aircraft make an approach that way?

NARRATOR: Another security camera captures the final moments of BS 211.

They're coming in fast. The plane is banking to the right.

They touch down more than halfway down the runway.

The right landing gear first, then the left.

It touched down pretty hard because the tire marks could be very visible

and it was at an angle approximately 30 to 35 degrees

with the fore and aft axis of the runway.

NARRATOR: The CCTV footage confirms the survivor's account

that the plane was flying erratically before it crashed.

Play it from the top again.

NARRATOR: The video is examined more carefully

for evidence of a mechanical failure.

The props were working.

The team quickly rules out engine failure.

It's hard to tell from this if there was a flight control issue.

Investigators are no closer to solving the mystery of BS 211.

I wonder what the controllers can tell us?

NARRATOR: Investigators turn to air traffic controllers at Kathmandu Airport

to determine if US Bangla Flight 211

was struggling with a flight control issue.

Did the crew report any mechanical problems?

Quite the opposite. The captain seemed very calm as we offered assistance.

We have the runway in sight.

The crew never sounded any alarm, never said to the ATC that they were

having any mechanical problem with the aircraft.

Walk me through what happened.

We cleared the plane to land on runway zero-two,

but noticed the plane had passed the runway threshold

and was flying parallel to the runway.

BS 2-1-1, you were given landing clearance to runway zero-two.

PILOT: Affirmative, ma'am.

BS 2-1-1, you are going towards runway two-zero.

They saw that the plane was flying towards runway 2-0.

So that was when the air traffic controller realized that there was

some problem going on.

That's when the confusion started.

But instead of turning left and landing, they flew towards the mountains

and turned right.

What is he doing?

The next thing we knew,

they flew right past the tower.

We thought maybe they were lost.

Talking to the controllers, we could find out that the pilot was totally

confused as to where he was. He was not sure about his position.

Can you see the runway?

Everything is all set-up but we're not seeing the runway.

NARRATOR: Even though the crew didn't report a control problem

investigators still can't rule it out.

Thank you.

Were both pilots disorientated, lost, as they made the final approach?

Let's have a look.

The team examines the charts the pilots used for their approach

into Kathmandu.

The Jeppesen chart looks fine.

What about the Arrival Route Chart?

No issues with this one either.

NARRATOR: Investigators determine that the pilots had the most recent

navigation charts for their approach.

If the charts didn't lead them astray, then what did?

At this point, we're a few weeks into the investigation,

and we're still not sure what really went wrong in that flight.

And we were very anxious to get our hands on CVR and the FDR.

Pull up the data.

NARRATOR: BS 211's flight data recorder is ready for analysis.

Will it reveal if the pilots were in control of their aircraft?

These are the inputs the captain made to the control column,

and these are the actual movements of the flight controls.

NARRATOR: Investigators compare the Captain's inputs

to the actual movements of the plane's flight controls.

They make an important discovery.

They're identical.

The plane was doing everything the captain commanded it to do.

The flight data recorder did not indicate any malfunction in the aircraft,

so we definitely could rule out any flight control problem.

Let's see later in the flight.

Take a look at these inputs. They're so extreme.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Bank angle. Bank angle. Sink rate.

NARRATOR: The data shows Captain Sultan was making some

severe inputs to his control column near the end of the flight.

This coincides with the survivor's account of what happened.

His maneuvering at low level was completely unorthodox.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Sink rate. Bank angle. Bank angle.

NARRATOR: If there wasn't a flight control problem,

why was the captain flying the plane so erratically?

This is the flight path the plane was supposed to take.

To better understand exactly what the plane was doing

as it approached the airport,

investigators compile the heading data and chart the exac course of the plane.

And this is the flight path they actually took.

What the data shows is astonishing.

It looks like they drifted way off course.

And flew loops very close to the mountains.

It was very shocking for all if us because that kind of flight pattern

we would not see in the commercial flight.

And in spite if air traffic controllers trying to guide them,

they actually did not follow the pattern.

It looks like their trouble started right here,

17 miles out when they arrived at GURAS waypoint.

NARRATOR: Pilots navigate by following a series of waypoints or GPS locations,

along their flight path. GURAS is the last waypoint into Kathmandu Airport.

GURAS was the point from where they actually started deviating.

Investigators dig deeper into the FDR data to understand

why BS 211 drifted off course at GURAS.

They programmed the Flight Management

System for a holding pattern over GURAS, here.

NARRATOR: The FDR data reveals that the crew pre-programmed a holding pattern

about 34 miles before reaching GURAS.

And when they reach GURAS, it looks like they start their holding pattern.

Right here.

But the heading data shows the crew didn't complete their holding pattern.

The question is: Why?

We need to know what was going on in that cockpit.

NARRATOR: The team turns to the cockpit voice recorder

and focuses on what happened as the plane approached GURAS.

Let's pick it up where they're descending.

OPERATOR: Kathmandu BS-2-1-1, descend to 13,500 feet and hold over GURAS.

BS-2-1-1, descend to 13,500 feet, hold at GURAS.

Do you remember how to enter a hold?

We need to be on the NAV page. Then press Maneuver.

NAV page... Maneuver.

Good.

And then enter the inbound course for GURAS.

Very good.

They get their instructions to hold once they arrive at GURAS.

They program it into the Flight Management System.

Nothing unusual at this point.

Both the pilots are very calm.

The captain especially was giving some instructional tips to the co-pilot.

It seemed to us there was nothing wrong anywhere at all.

Keep going.

OPERATOR: BS 2-1-1, Kathmandu Approach.

Descend to 11,500 feet

Clear for VOR. Approach on runway zero-two.

BS 2-1-1, Descend to 11,500 feet.

Clear for VOR. Runway zero-two.

As they're still about three miles out from the GURAS Waypoint,

the approach controller contacts them

to say they no longer have to hold at GURAS.

Right here.

This is where they should have cancelled their hold.

SYLVIA: For some reason, the flight crew didn't cancel the hold.

And this is a critical phase of flight.

Keep going.

NARRATOR: What investigators hear next is even more troubling.

PILOT: Where is my cigarette? Help me find the thing.

Do you know where I've dropped it? It could catch fire.

The captain is smoking in the cockpit?

In the middle of one of the most challenging approaches on Earth

and this guy is fumbling around for a cigarette?

NARRATOR: US-Bangla flight 211 is on approach to Kathmandu airport...

Sir, we're heading into cloud.

...when the captain breaks standard operating procedures.

A cockpit is not a place for a cigarette at the best of times.

And so now they're both distracted. And he's saying, bu it might burn.

Well, you know, yes. That's one

good reason not to drop your cigarette in a cockpit.

He's so distracted he forgets to cancel the hold.

Smoking is strictly prohibited in the cockpit,

so it was a gross violation from the captain.

Continue.

NARRATOR: Could this have anything to do with why the flight

drifted off course at waypoint GURAS?

Kathmandu, Bangla 2-1-1 overhead GURAS at 11,500.

OPERATOR: Roger.

BS 2-1-1, are you holding over GURAS?

NARRATOR: The controller notices that BS 211 is holding

when it should be continuing its approach.

Sir, we're holding.

Tell them we are continuing our approach.

We are continuing approach.

Heading mode on.

Stop.

They finally cancel their hold when the approach controller catches the error.

He then puts the plane into heading mode.

NARRATOR: Heading mode steers the aircraft towards

a specific heading selected by the pilot.

It's an instruction to the autopilot

to follow whatever heading that the captain sets.

It is up to him to ensure that they are flying towards the runway.

In heading mode, the plane is more susceptible to the weather conditions.

He's introduced a serious manual element.

SALAHUDDIN: In heading mode, you have to continuously

give the heading correction depending on the strength of the wind.

So weather has got a lot to do if only the aircraft is flown by its heading mode.

Maybe the wind blew him off course?

Now we had to consider the role of the weather in the demise of US-Bangla 211.

It was a bit hazy that day.

NARRATOR: Investigators examine meteorological records for the day

BS 211 crash landed at Kathmandu Airport.

Runway visibility was still 7 kilometers.

It says here the winds were strong from the west, up to 27 knots.

Unfortunately, a very strong wind was coming from the left - hand side.

They're in heading mode. The winds are from the west.

The plane isn't correcting for the winds.

- So they drift off course. - Exactly.

NARRATOR: The pilots are looking ahead, but the runway is now of to their left.

SALAHUDDIN: That made the aircraft deviate to the right.

So the aircraft could not maintain

its lateral direction with regard to the wind effect.

Have you seen the runway?

No runway yet.

They never saw the runway and just kept on flying.

Do the Before Landing Checklist.

NARRATOR: The crew configures the plane for landing.

Landing Gear.

PILOT: Down three green.

(device beeps)

The captain called "down three green," confirming the landing gear was down.

And moments later, a warning sounds indicating the landing gear is up.

The captain says nothing about it.

(device beeps)

The landing gear was not down.

The landing gear unsafe warning was sounding in the cockpit.

I don't know how they could have ignored the warning.

He had lost his situational awareness by then.

He actually did not know where his plane was.

INVESTIGATOR: Then, he circles around the other end of the runway,

narrowly misses the control tower,

tries to make a near impossible landing.

PRADHAN: We were quite surprised how an experienced captain like him

would maneuver the aircraft in such a dangerous way.

That was really surprising for us.

Sir! Sir!

NARRATOR: What could have led the captain to fly this reckles approach?

It seems that he tries to land the plane no matter what.

We needed to look into the captain's background.

The captain was a fighter pilot for 10 years with the Bangladesh Air Force.

NARRATOR: Investigators delve into Captain Abid Sultan's background

and discover that he was a highly experienced pilot.

He flew into Kathmandu regularly.

He joined US-Bangla in 2015, and he was not just a pilot and a captain there,

he was also their check pilot.

That means it was his job to do check rides for all the other pilots to ensure

that they understood the Dash 8.

NARRATOR: With no clear answers as to why Captain Sultan bungle his approach,

investigators return to earlier in the CVR recording for answers.

Play it from earlier in the flight.

OPERATOR: BS 2-8-7, please confirm onboard fuel.

Operations, 2-1-1.

BS 2-1-1, go ahead sir.

Why the hell do you need onboard fuel?

PILOT: Why do you ask me the onboard fuel?

Tell me the reason you want to do with onboard fuel.

I want a bloody written explanation when I come back to Dhaka!

NARRATOR: The captain's vocal pitch and language indicate he was extremely

agitated and stressed.

He blows up and wants to know why they're talking to him

and why they're asking him this question. Well, they weren't.

OPERATOR: BS 2-1-1, the request is for BS 2-8-7. Safe flight, sir.

Don't talk to me about a safe flight. Don't talk to me unless I call you.

He overheard a message and misheard who they were talking to.

But he lost his temper and blew up.

SALAHUDDIN: He was definitely annoyed, angry,

and he was not balanced at that particular moment.

Why is the captain so agitated?

Lamia was the worst trained pilot at US-Bangla.

But now she's with another airline.

NARRATOR: Investigators now hear signs of an emotionally disturbed captain.

She's bad mouthing US-Bangla instructors, including me.

PRADHAN: He talks about a female colleague

who worked with him in the same airline.

She accused him of not being a good instructor

and not being very competent enough to teach.

It's clear the captain's distraught about the accusations.

But this guy's a professional.

NARRATOR: Could a complaint from a former colleague have affecte Sultan

to the point that he crashed the plane?

I've been weeping, crying.

Where did I go wrong?

He's trying to clear his name with the first officer,

who is uncomfortable with the whole conversation.

He is having some kind of mental breakdown and she is not

in a position to say, you aren' safe to fly. We should turn around.

NARRATOR: That's not all investigators discover.

According to this, the captain submitted

his resignation the day before his fatal flight.

The day before?

He said he tendered his resignation and he was going to leave the company

in three months' time all because

of this false accusation from this female colleague.

NARRATOR: It's now clear to the team that Captain Sultan

was emotionally unstable.

We needed to look into the medical background of the pilot.

Digging deeper into the captain's military records,

investigators come across some disturbing information.

In 1993, the Bangladesh Air Force discharges him due to depression.

This depression had been the cause of him being forcibly retired

from the military.

He didn't leave. He was declared unfit to fly.

A decade later, he starts flying commercially.

He was evaluated in 2003.

He was found to be not suffering from any of the effect

of the clinical depression and he was found fit to fly.

NARRATOR: Was the airline aware of the captain's medical history?

There's no mention of depression in his entire time with the airlines.

How is it the airline didn't know?

Get this. The mental health reports were self-reported.

Self-reported?

SYLVIA: US-Bangla had no idea that the captain had this history,

or that he'd ever been banned from flying.

They were relying on him to report his own mental health.

NARRATOR: Did the captain's troubled state of mind ultimately lead

to the fatal crash landing of US Bangla Flight 211?

PILOT: What's my next source of income?

NARRATOR: Investigators continue

listening to Flight 211's cockpit voice recorder.

Do I need to cry like this?

No, no, sir.

Look at me.

It's my fault that I haven't been able to train you.

NARRATOR: The team hears evidence of a man who was desperate

to salvage his reputation.

He was stressed that he was told he was not a good instructor.

He was trying to prove that he was a good instructor,

he was a good captain, he was a good teacher.

Do you know that I didn't sleep the entire night?

I cried a lot.

To top it all off, the captain was sleep deprived.

We have a clear sign that this is a pilot who should not be flying a plane.

SYLVIA: He's clearly fatigued, he has not had the requisite number of hours

of sleep and rest that he shoul have had before the flight.

It is his duty to tell US-Bangla to contact operations and say,

I am not going to be able to fly this plane.

NARRATOR: Investigators finally have a clear picture of what happened

onboard BS 211.

Lamia was the worst trained pilot at US-Bangla.

But now she's with another airline.

NARRATOR: A seasoned pilot with a history of depression

was emotionally distraught afte having his competence questioned.

She's bad mouthing US-Bangla instructors, including me.

PRADHAN: He wanted to leave the company.

All because a female colleague has questioned his reputation

as an instructor. He was very hurt to hear that.

NARRATOR: Suffering from fatigue...

Do you know that I didn't sleep the entire night? I cried a lot.

...he begins his approach into one of

the most challenging airports in the world.

The captain manages to hold the flight together until...

Where is my cigarette?

He breaks standard operating procedure at a critical moment.

It could catch fire.

The distraction causes the captain to mismanage the approach.

Sir, we are heading into cloud.

Consumed by his need to prove t the First Officer that he's a good pilot,

Can you see the runway?

Everything is all set up, but we're not seeing the runway.

The captain ignores the warning signs that he's not ready for a safe landing.

Landing Gear.

Down three green.

(device beeps)

Instead of calling for a Go Around,

the disoriented captain flies the plane in circles

and tries to make an impossible landing.

BS 2-1-1, that is not the runway.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Bank angle. Bank angle.

We have the runway in sight.

Sink rate. Sink rate.

He was maneuvering at low level, flying around the airfield

like some sort of Top Gun pilot

It was absolutely reckless.

SYLVIA: There is no longer piloting going on.

He attempted to land the plane as an act of sheer desperation.

Sir! Sir!

All he wanted to do was land at any cost.

(distant explosion)

We concluded that it was exclusively human error

that contributed to the cause of this particular accident.

He totally mismanaged the flight.

NARRATOR: Investigators recommend that pilots who have been grounded

for medical reasons be given thorough physical and psychological examinations

before their licence can be renewed.

When I remember that day, I always think that I am lucky to have survived.

Many people died so I thank God.

I'm still scared when I think o that day. But, yes, I feel lucky.

Captioned by National Captioning Institute