1 00:00:02,269 --> 00:00:04,655 NARRATOR: High above the cornfields of Iowa, 2 00:00:04,738 --> 00:00:08,175 - United Airlines Flight 232... - (METALLIC RATTLING) 3 00:00:08,308 --> 00:00:09,776 Is in serious trouble. 4 00:00:09,910 --> 00:00:11,678 - I have it. - What was that? 5 00:00:11,812 --> 00:00:15,048 NARRATOR: One of the DC-10's three engines has exploded. 6 00:00:15,148 --> 00:00:17,401 - The plane is out of control. - Close the throttles. 7 00:00:17,484 --> 00:00:20,871 NARRATOR: The crew's best hope at landing happens to be in the cabin. 8 00:00:20,954 --> 00:00:22,523 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 9 00:00:22,656 --> 00:00:27,127 Denny Fitch knows more about flying a DC-10 than almost anyone on Earth. 10 00:00:27,261 --> 00:00:31,832 That's how I transitioned from a passenger to a crew member. 11 00:00:33,333 --> 00:00:34,452 You wanna go forward, Al. 12 00:00:34,535 --> 00:00:36,087 Let it come back. It'll lead it away. 13 00:00:36,170 --> 00:00:38,022 NARRATOR: But nothing in his vast experience 14 00:00:38,105 --> 00:00:40,240 has prepared him for what he finds. 15 00:00:40,374 --> 00:00:42,560 DUDLEY: Lost all three hydraulic systems. 16 00:00:42,643 --> 00:00:44,077 DENNY: I took it all in. 17 00:00:44,211 --> 00:00:46,680 The immediate fast conclusion is, 18 00:00:46,813 --> 00:00:48,015 "Denny... 19 00:00:50,117 --> 00:00:52,176 today is the day you're gonna die." 20 00:00:55,189 --> 00:00:56,723 Mayday, Mayday! 21 00:01:14,208 --> 00:01:18,091 {\an8}NARRATOR: United Airlines Flight 232 is halfway through its journey 22 00:01:18,212 --> 00:01:21,148 {\an8}from Denver, Colorado, to Chicago. 23 00:01:21,281 --> 00:01:25,085 {\an8}The DC-10 is cruising at 37,000 feet. 24 00:01:25,219 --> 00:01:28,005 {\an8}The clear weather makes this a relatively easy flight 25 00:01:28,088 --> 00:01:31,959 for the captain and his first officer, both former fighter pilots. 26 00:01:33,227 --> 00:01:35,613 Oh, looks like we're gonna make Chicago on time. 27 00:01:35,696 --> 00:01:37,764 BILL: The airplane was trimmed up. 28 00:01:39,433 --> 00:01:44,471 {\an8}We'd enjoyed a cup of coffee, and weather was good. 29 00:01:44,605 --> 00:01:46,370 {\an8}There was absolutely no reason 30 00:01:46,473 --> 00:01:49,591 why we shouldn't have a pretty normal flight that day. 31 00:01:52,746 --> 00:01:55,366 NARRATOR: Today is Children's Day at United Airlines. 32 00:01:55,449 --> 00:01:57,951 A child's ticket costs only a penny. 33 00:01:58,085 --> 00:02:02,456 - (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (BABY CRYING) 34 00:02:02,589 --> 00:02:07,628 Of the 285 passengers on the flight, 52 are children. 35 00:02:10,097 --> 00:02:13,734 Thanks for the cookies, Jan. Now how about some more coffee? 36 00:02:13,867 --> 00:02:16,670 NARRATOR: Denny Fitch is a United Airlines pilot 37 00:02:16,803 --> 00:02:19,139 and a flight instructor for the DC-10. 38 00:02:20,774 --> 00:02:23,944 {\an8}The flight was normal in all respects. 39 00:02:24,077 --> 00:02:28,048 {\an8}We had climbed to altitude. The lunch had been served. 40 00:02:28,182 --> 00:02:31,051 The tray was being removed, 41 00:02:31,185 --> 00:02:33,704 and I asked the flight attendant if I may have a cup of coffee. 42 00:02:33,787 --> 00:02:35,539 - Heading home for a few days? - Yeah. 43 00:02:35,622 --> 00:02:37,391 It'll be good to get back. 44 00:02:43,197 --> 00:02:44,865 Excuse me. 45 00:02:44,998 --> 00:02:47,685 I'll take a refill when you have a second. Thank you. 46 00:02:47,768 --> 00:02:52,056 NARRATOR: Jerry Schemmel is a basketball executive on his way through Chicago 47 00:02:52,139 --> 00:02:54,174 for a draft of college players. 48 00:02:56,977 --> 00:02:59,079 {\an8}It was a very smooth flight. 49 00:02:59,213 --> 00:03:01,799 {\an8}In fact, we were told when we got on the plane 50 00:03:01,882 --> 00:03:03,968 {\an8}that there wasn't any expected turbulence at all. 51 00:03:04,051 --> 00:03:07,554 Should be a real smooth ride for two hours to Chicago. 52 00:03:11,491 --> 00:03:14,761 (ALARMS CHIMING, ENGINES WINDING DOWN) 53 00:03:14,895 --> 00:03:16,547 BILL: Now, all of a sudden, with a bang 54 00:03:16,630 --> 00:03:20,601 it's just like being thrown into a great, big tornado of activity. 55 00:03:22,803 --> 00:03:26,557 NARRATOR: First officer Bill Records immediately shuts off the autopilot 56 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:28,709 and takes manual control. 57 00:03:28,842 --> 00:03:31,645 - I have it. - What was that? 58 00:03:32,846 --> 00:03:35,633 There was no alarms at all, no bells, no whistles, 59 00:03:35,716 --> 00:03:39,620 {\an8}no lights flashing, just this big explosion and that was it. 60 00:03:39,753 --> 00:03:42,055 - (PASSENGERS YELPING) - (BABY CRYING) 61 00:03:42,189 --> 00:03:43,908 JERRY: The first thing I thought when I heard it, 62 00:03:43,991 --> 00:03:46,076 and then I could feel it kind of rip through the cabin, 63 00:03:46,159 --> 00:03:48,262 was a bomb has gone off. 64 00:03:48,395 --> 00:03:50,681 And I thought, "That's it for everybody." 65 00:03:50,764 --> 00:03:51,816 And the conscious thought hit me 66 00:03:51,899 --> 00:03:55,369 that people don't survive bombs going off in planes. 67 00:03:55,502 --> 00:03:59,502 NARRATOR: Denny Fitch pays close attention to the DC-10's every move. 68 00:04:01,441 --> 00:04:03,260 DENNY: The coffee cup no longer had coffee in it. 69 00:04:03,343 --> 00:04:04,962 It was all over the table linens. 70 00:04:05,045 --> 00:04:07,598 My fanny was no longer in the middle of the seat. 71 00:04:07,681 --> 00:04:10,184 It was now up against the left arm rest. 72 00:04:10,317 --> 00:04:12,486 That was followed by ten seconds 73 00:04:12,619 --> 00:04:14,738 of quite pronounced, violent airframe shuddering. 74 00:04:14,821 --> 00:04:16,704 I got control. Check the gauges. 75 00:04:17,491 --> 00:04:20,374 NARRATOR: The pilots can barely control the plane. 76 00:04:21,361 --> 00:04:23,864 Captain Al Haynes tries to figure out why. 77 00:04:24,865 --> 00:04:27,518 The airplane was shaking so bad, you couldn't read the instruments 78 00:04:27,601 --> 00:04:29,954 and you had to lean way up near the panel to read it. 79 00:04:30,037 --> 00:04:31,522 We've lost the number two engine. 80 00:04:31,605 --> 00:04:34,508 (METALLIC RATTLING) 81 00:04:34,641 --> 00:04:37,311 NARRATOR: The DC-10 has three engines. 82 00:04:37,444 --> 00:04:40,030 The number two engine is mounted on the tail. 83 00:04:40,113 --> 00:04:43,283 It's the one that suffered a catastrophic failure. 84 00:04:43,417 --> 00:04:46,904 The people in my area were calm, but you could tell they were very nervous. 85 00:04:46,987 --> 00:04:50,490 They were anticipating like I was what might happen, 86 00:04:50,624 --> 00:04:54,211 and we knew that what might happen wasn't going to be very positive. 87 00:04:54,294 --> 00:04:57,297 NARRATOR: Records is not able to level the plane. 88 00:04:57,431 --> 00:04:59,466 We're losing hydraulics. 89 00:05:00,868 --> 00:05:03,036 I'll shut number two down. 90 00:05:05,205 --> 00:05:06,791 The reason you shut down an engine when it fails 91 00:05:06,874 --> 00:05:08,492 is that you don't know what the damage is to the engine. 92 00:05:08,575 --> 00:05:11,281 If it kept turning, it could tear itself apart. 93 00:05:14,147 --> 00:05:16,483 (SIGHS) Okay, that's got it. 94 00:05:24,825 --> 00:05:27,912 NARRATOR: But Denny Fitch suspects there may be more to worry about 95 00:05:27,995 --> 00:05:30,063 than the loss of an engine. 96 00:05:30,197 --> 00:05:32,783 DENNY: I was looking at the window for clues, and one of the clues 97 00:05:32,866 --> 00:05:36,136 that first appeared to me and it was an abnormality 98 00:05:36,270 --> 00:05:40,707 was the fact that the right wing of this aircraft was dropping. 99 00:05:40,841 --> 00:05:45,579 It doesn't make sense. The number two engine can't cause these wing behaviors. 100 00:05:45,712 --> 00:05:51,151 In other words, its loss doesn't have anything to do with what I'm seeing. 101 00:05:51,285 --> 00:05:53,304 AL: Bill said, "Al, I can't control the airplane." 102 00:05:53,387 --> 00:05:55,622 And that's a real attention-getter. 103 00:05:55,756 --> 00:05:59,443 And so I look forward to see what the flight controls were doing. 104 00:05:59,526 --> 00:06:02,291 NARRATOR: The damaged engine has been shut down. 105 00:06:02,896 --> 00:06:06,400 The plane is not responding to the first officer's commands. 106 00:06:06,533 --> 00:06:09,436 It's banking further and further to the right. 107 00:06:11,171 --> 00:06:15,909 BILL: It's a very sickening feeling to have the controls all the way over 108 00:06:16,043 --> 00:06:18,985 and have them all the way back as far as you can go 109 00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:22,432 and the airplane was in fact going the opposite direction. 110 00:06:23,283 --> 00:06:24,718 I've got it, Bill. 111 00:06:24,852 --> 00:06:27,404 NARRATOR: If the pilots can't find a way to level the plane, 112 00:06:27,487 --> 00:06:29,323 it will soon be upside-down. 113 00:06:29,456 --> 00:06:32,276 AL: He had the control wheel as far as it can go to the left 114 00:06:32,359 --> 00:06:33,778 and as far back in your lap as it would go. 115 00:06:33,861 --> 00:06:35,963 You can't do that in flight, 116 00:06:36,096 --> 00:06:38,482 so there's something drastically wrong there. 117 00:06:38,565 --> 00:06:40,618 But the airplane was starting to roll over on its back, 118 00:06:40,701 --> 00:06:42,202 and we had to stop that. 119 00:06:42,336 --> 00:06:44,171 This isn't working. 120 00:06:44,304 --> 00:06:47,246 NARRATOR: The plane has become impossible to steer. 121 00:06:47,374 --> 00:06:51,879 It's a dire situation, and it can't be explained by the loss of one engine. 122 00:06:52,012 --> 00:06:54,331 Dudley, check the gauges. What's going on back there? 123 00:06:54,414 --> 00:06:58,185 We have no hydraulic fluid left. All systems are down to zero. 124 00:06:59,353 --> 00:07:02,422 All three? That's impossible. 125 00:07:03,357 --> 00:07:06,043 NARRATOR: A complex hydraulic system carries the commands 126 00:07:06,126 --> 00:07:09,914 from the pilot's control column to the aircraft's control surfaces 127 00:07:09,997 --> 00:07:13,066 such as the elevators, rudder, and ailerons. 128 00:07:14,268 --> 00:07:15,786 Without fluid in the system, 129 00:07:15,869 --> 00:07:19,239 there is no way to move these crucial flight controls. 130 00:07:21,975 --> 00:07:23,694 JOHN: Hydraulics are the lifeblood of the airplane. 131 00:07:23,777 --> 00:07:27,181 {\an8}They provide the muscle to move the flight controls, 132 00:07:27,314 --> 00:07:30,609 {\an8}to retract and lower the landing gear, to move the flaps. 133 00:07:30,717 --> 00:07:34,672 A lot of the things that move on the airplane are done hydraulically. 134 00:07:34,755 --> 00:07:38,344 If you do not have hydraulics, you have absolutely no control. 135 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:41,512 You might as well just take the control column out 136 00:07:41,595 --> 00:07:42,713 and throw it out the window. 137 00:07:42,796 --> 00:07:44,982 NARRATOR: Even though the control columns have no effect 138 00:07:45,065 --> 00:07:46,383 on the movement of the plane, 139 00:07:46,466 --> 00:07:49,736 both pilots instinctively use them as though they did. 140 00:07:49,870 --> 00:07:51,155 BILL: It's like driving a car. 141 00:07:51,238 --> 00:07:54,425 If you're sliding on ice, nobody lets go of the steering wheel 142 00:07:54,508 --> 00:07:56,761 even though the steering wheel is not effective. 143 00:07:56,844 --> 00:07:58,912 And this is the same way. 144 00:07:59,046 --> 00:08:02,182 You're holding onto the controls hoping, I guess, 145 00:08:02,316 --> 00:08:05,953 that maybe there's some hydraulic fluid in there someplace. 146 00:08:06,086 --> 00:08:07,688 What's it say in the book? 147 00:08:07,821 --> 00:08:11,792 NARRATOR: The DC-10 has three separate hydraulic systems. 148 00:08:11,925 --> 00:08:14,895 If one fails, the other two act as backup. 149 00:08:15,028 --> 00:08:18,031 But all three systems are now empty of fluid. 150 00:08:18,165 --> 00:08:20,871 There's nothing in here for anything like this. 151 00:08:22,703 --> 00:08:25,256 AL: A billion to one were the odds that this would happen. 152 00:08:25,339 --> 00:08:27,291 You're never trained for that, you never drill for it, 153 00:08:27,374 --> 00:08:30,361 you never train for it, because technically, it can never happen. 154 00:08:30,444 --> 00:08:33,313 NARRATOR: No hydraulics means no flight controls. 155 00:08:33,447 --> 00:08:37,417 The plane could spiral to the ground at any moment. 156 00:08:37,551 --> 00:08:41,588 - Let's use the engines. - Yeah, why not? 157 00:08:41,722 --> 00:08:45,292 BILL: Well, we kind of made it up as we went along. 158 00:08:45,425 --> 00:08:49,880 Everybody realized that this was something that we didn't have a procedure for, 159 00:08:49,963 --> 00:08:52,817 so you just kind of grabbed for whatever's working. 160 00:08:52,900 --> 00:08:56,370 NARRATOR: The left and right engines are still running. 161 00:08:56,503 --> 00:08:59,773 The pilots decide to use them to their advantage. 162 00:08:59,907 --> 00:09:02,342 I'm gonna pull back number one about 10%. 163 00:09:02,476 --> 00:09:07,014 You go up on number three 10%, nice and slow. 164 00:09:07,147 --> 00:09:10,568 NARRATOR: By adjusting the power to the two remaining engines, 165 00:09:10,651 --> 00:09:14,454 they may be able to level the aircraft and make it fly straight. 166 00:09:14,588 --> 00:09:16,557 Easy does it. 167 00:09:17,691 --> 00:09:20,221 NARRATOR: The engines are at cruising speed. 168 00:09:21,261 --> 00:09:24,598 The slightest miscalculation could be catastrophic. 169 00:09:27,201 --> 00:09:29,436 The plane begins to level off. 170 00:09:36,143 --> 00:09:39,279 Okay, that's got it. 171 00:09:39,413 --> 00:09:42,867 NARRATOR: The improvised method of control seems to be working, 172 00:09:42,950 --> 00:09:44,518 but with no hydraulics, 173 00:09:44,651 --> 00:09:48,322 the crew and all their passengers are still in grave danger. 174 00:09:48,455 --> 00:09:51,859 - How far to O'Hare? - About 400 miles. 175 00:09:51,992 --> 00:09:55,813 NARRATOR: Flying to Chicago with only two engines may be possible, 176 00:09:55,896 --> 00:09:57,081 but without flight controls, 177 00:09:57,164 --> 00:10:00,694 the pilots have no idea if they'll be able to make a landing. 178 00:10:02,102 --> 00:10:04,071 How are we gonna land this thing? 179 00:10:04,905 --> 00:10:08,788 NARRATOR: None of the parts used to control the plane can be moved. 180 00:10:10,644 --> 00:10:14,882 No pilot has ever safely landed a DC-10 without hydraulics. 181 00:10:18,519 --> 00:10:21,588 296 people will soon die 182 00:10:21,722 --> 00:10:24,758 unless the pilots can find a way to do it now. 183 00:10:27,127 --> 00:10:29,598 - (ENGINES SPINNING UP) - (PASSENGER YELPS) 184 00:10:31,565 --> 00:10:34,835 - The nose is going down. - What's going on here? 185 00:10:37,137 --> 00:10:38,205 (CABIN RATTLING) 186 00:10:38,338 --> 00:10:43,443 NARRATOR: United Airlines Flight 232 has begun to accelerate downwards. 187 00:10:43,577 --> 00:10:45,863 Normally, pulling back on the control column 188 00:10:45,946 --> 00:10:49,066 would raise the elevators and lift the nose of the plane. 189 00:10:49,149 --> 00:10:50,984 We have no elevators. 190 00:10:51,118 --> 00:10:54,421 NARRATOR: But with no hydraulics, that control is gone. 191 00:10:54,555 --> 00:10:57,007 {\an8}AL: Normally, you'd just pull back and add a little power 192 00:10:57,090 --> 00:11:00,208 {\an8}and pull the nose up, but we didn't have the controls. 193 00:11:01,495 --> 00:11:03,907 Okay, let's ease 'em up. See what happens. 194 00:11:05,966 --> 00:11:10,319 NARRATOR: The only things working on the plane are the two forward engines. 195 00:11:10,637 --> 00:11:13,407 Let's try 10%. Watch the gauges. 196 00:11:15,175 --> 00:11:16,310 Easy. 197 00:11:16,443 --> 00:11:18,429 NARRATOR: By increasing power to the engines, 198 00:11:18,512 --> 00:11:23,250 the pilots hope they can create enough lift under the wings to raise the nose. 199 00:11:23,383 --> 00:11:24,802 This is what you have to do 200 00:11:24,885 --> 00:11:28,356 because the power creates the lift and that's what you need. 201 00:11:28,822 --> 00:11:32,492 NARRATOR: The maneuver works. The plane pulls out of the dive. 202 00:11:34,761 --> 00:11:38,665 Okay. That's got it. 203 00:11:40,634 --> 00:11:42,636 Easy, easy. 204 00:11:44,705 --> 00:11:46,373 We just dropped 1,000 feet. 205 00:11:49,243 --> 00:11:50,828 Okay, we gotta land this thing. 206 00:11:50,911 --> 00:11:53,297 Find out where the hell we are and get us to the nearest airport. 207 00:11:53,380 --> 00:11:57,368 NARRATOR: Since the engine failure, the plane has been drifting to the right. 208 00:11:57,451 --> 00:12:02,389 There is no way Flight 232 can make it to Chicago without flight controls. 209 00:12:02,523 --> 00:12:06,293 The pilots need to find a safe place to land as soon as possible. 210 00:12:08,262 --> 00:12:09,663 This is United 232. 211 00:12:09,796 --> 00:12:11,048 We are declaring an emergency 212 00:12:11,131 --> 00:12:13,837 and requesting a vector to the nearest airport. 213 00:12:14,468 --> 00:12:16,053 - What's going on? - We've lost hydraulics. 214 00:12:16,136 --> 00:12:17,822 We have to make an emergency landing. 215 00:12:17,905 --> 00:12:19,023 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER (OVER RADIO): United 232, 216 00:12:19,106 --> 00:12:20,724 you're heading towards Sioux City. 217 00:12:20,807 --> 00:12:22,226 Would you like to go there? 218 00:12:22,309 --> 00:12:24,495 - We'll take Sioux City. - Affirmative. 219 00:12:24,578 --> 00:12:26,343 Start getting the cabin ready. 220 00:12:32,019 --> 00:12:34,488 Okay, now we're climbing. 221 00:12:35,422 --> 00:12:38,008 NARRATOR: The plane suddenly begins to climb. 222 00:12:38,091 --> 00:12:42,529 As it does, airspeed drops. The wings begin to lose lift. 223 00:12:42,663 --> 00:12:45,365 If the climb continues, the plane will stall 224 00:12:45,499 --> 00:12:47,000 and fall from the sky. 225 00:12:48,902 --> 00:12:50,637 The hell's going on here? 226 00:12:52,272 --> 00:12:54,272 - Watch the right side. - I got it. 227 00:12:56,810 --> 00:12:57,895 NARRATOR: To lower the nose, 228 00:12:57,978 --> 00:13:03,016 Captain Haynes must reduce engine power while struggling to maintain level flight. 229 00:13:07,421 --> 00:13:09,790 Okay, that's got it. 230 00:13:14,661 --> 00:13:18,015 JERRY: I felt the plane start to drop and I'm just trying to think, 231 00:13:18,098 --> 00:13:21,051 {\an8}"All right, what the heck is going on with this aircraft?" 232 00:13:21,134 --> 00:13:22,769 We're dropping again. 233 00:13:22,903 --> 00:13:24,371 Ease it up. 234 00:13:24,505 --> 00:13:28,308 Gently, gently. 235 00:13:31,445 --> 00:13:33,146 Okay. 236 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,382 Two-seven-five. 237 00:13:35,516 --> 00:13:37,217 (SIGHS) Jesus. 238 00:13:37,351 --> 00:13:40,821 NARRATOR: The plane has dropped another 1,500 feet. 239 00:13:40,954 --> 00:13:42,484 AL: How far is Sioux City? 240 00:13:43,790 --> 00:13:45,392 About 55 miles. 241 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:49,763 NARRATOR: In 30 minutes, the plane will hit the ground. 242 00:14:00,007 --> 00:14:01,842 Jan, don't worry about this. 243 00:14:01,975 --> 00:14:05,045 This airplane will fly fine on two engines. 244 00:14:05,179 --> 00:14:09,516 {\an8}When I told her that, she replied to me, "Oh, no, Denny. 245 00:14:09,650 --> 00:14:11,402 {\an8}"I just came from the cockpit. 246 00:14:11,485 --> 00:14:14,688 Both the pilots are trying to fly the aircraft." 247 00:14:15,455 --> 00:14:18,573 The captain has told us we've lost all our hydraulics. 248 00:14:20,861 --> 00:14:22,362 Bingo. 249 00:14:22,496 --> 00:14:27,768 That means no landing gear, no slats, no flaps, no flight controls. 250 00:14:28,869 --> 00:14:33,640 Okay, tell the captain we've got a DC-10 training check airman back here. 251 00:14:33,774 --> 00:14:36,527 If there's anything I can do to help, I'm happy to do so. 252 00:14:36,610 --> 00:14:39,479 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) 253 00:14:42,950 --> 00:14:45,352 (BREATHES DEEPLY) 254 00:14:50,657 --> 00:14:54,246 United 232, understand you're requesting an emergency landing? 255 00:14:55,696 --> 00:14:56,747 AL (OVER RADIO): That's affirmative. 256 00:14:56,830 --> 00:15:00,684 We've lost all hydraulic control. Requesting a vector to the airport. 257 00:15:00,767 --> 00:15:06,640 United 232, radar contact. Turn left heading two-five-five. 258 00:15:09,243 --> 00:15:12,420 I don't think turning left is something we want to try. 259 00:15:12,613 --> 00:15:14,202 I wouldn't want to risk it. 260 00:15:15,315 --> 00:15:16,416 Agreed. 261 00:15:18,485 --> 00:15:21,822 NARRATOR: The heading to Sioux City requires a left turn, 262 00:15:21,955 --> 00:15:25,576 but for some reason, the damaged plane only wants to turn right. 263 00:15:25,659 --> 00:15:28,195 Forcing it to turn left could be disastrous. 264 00:15:30,230 --> 00:15:32,516 Okay, we're gonna right turn right now. 265 00:15:32,599 --> 00:15:34,717 That's about the only way we can go. 266 00:15:35,536 --> 00:15:37,955 Tower gave us a heading to fly. We try to fly it. 267 00:15:38,038 --> 00:15:39,457 And if we would drift off to the right 268 00:15:39,540 --> 00:15:42,660 because we would lose it somewhere in the manipulation of the throttles, 269 00:15:42,743 --> 00:15:45,129 rather than try and turn left, we would just do a 360. 270 00:15:45,212 --> 00:15:48,415 United 232, heavy. Roger. 271 00:15:48,549 --> 00:15:50,817 Right turn heading two-five-five. 272 00:15:53,020 --> 00:15:55,639 NARRATOR: The pilots must execute a precise right turn 273 00:15:55,722 --> 00:15:58,525 without the use of the plane's ailerons. 274 00:15:58,659 --> 00:16:01,378 They carefully alternate power between the two engines 275 00:16:01,461 --> 00:16:03,461 to turn the crippled plane around. 276 00:16:04,598 --> 00:16:08,368 As they begin to turn, the nose suddenly falls again. 277 00:16:08,502 --> 00:16:10,737 The plane accelerates downward. 278 00:16:15,709 --> 00:16:17,228 AL: We're trying to keep the airplane straight and level, 279 00:16:17,311 --> 00:16:19,296 but as the airplane wanted to turn to the right, 280 00:16:19,379 --> 00:16:20,931 there were times that we would turn to the right, 281 00:16:21,014 --> 00:16:23,300 the nose would go down and the tendency is to go over on your back. 282 00:16:23,383 --> 00:16:24,535 We had to avoid that. 283 00:16:24,618 --> 00:16:27,354 NARRATOR: They manage to complete the turn, 284 00:16:27,487 --> 00:16:29,874 but they've dropped another thousand feet. 285 00:16:29,957 --> 00:16:33,026 Sioux City is still 64 kilometers away. 286 00:16:34,595 --> 00:16:37,772 AL: I don't think we're gonna make the airport, fellas. 287 00:16:42,236 --> 00:16:43,270 (KNOCK ON DOOR) 288 00:16:50,010 --> 00:16:53,599 There's a DC-10 instructor on board who's offering assistance. 289 00:16:54,448 --> 00:16:58,602 Having a trainer, an instructor, on board the airplane was a relief to us 290 00:16:58,685 --> 00:17:01,705 because we thought he could give us inputs that we didn't have. 291 00:17:01,788 --> 00:17:03,190 Maybe he could help. 292 00:17:03,323 --> 00:17:04,408 And he volunteered to come up, 293 00:17:04,491 --> 00:17:06,477 and we were very happy to have him come up. 294 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,195 Okay, let him come up. 295 00:17:17,104 --> 00:17:18,906 JAN: Could you come with me? 296 00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:23,844 And so that's how I transitioned from a passenger 297 00:17:23,977 --> 00:17:25,412 to a crew member. 298 00:17:34,888 --> 00:17:36,823 (KNOCK ON DOOR, DOOR OPENS) 299 00:17:48,735 --> 00:17:52,239 And I remember their forearms and their tendons being tense. 300 00:17:52,372 --> 00:17:54,024 I remember their knuckles being white. 301 00:17:54,107 --> 00:17:56,060 They both were on the flight control wheels, 302 00:17:56,143 --> 00:18:00,380 their respective wheels, trying to fly the airplane together. 303 00:18:00,514 --> 00:18:03,934 Now, that's an anomaly 'cause the airplane will fly quite nicely 304 00:18:04,017 --> 00:18:06,920 with one person and two fingertips. 305 00:18:07,054 --> 00:18:09,807 That's just the nature of the beast when it's normal. 306 00:18:09,890 --> 00:18:11,692 This is clearly not normal. 307 00:18:11,825 --> 00:18:13,414 You want to go forward, Al. 308 00:18:15,762 --> 00:18:18,645 Now go forward. Let it come back and lead it away. 309 00:18:19,466 --> 00:18:21,685 DUDLEY: Lost all three hydraulic systems. 310 00:18:21,768 --> 00:18:23,670 DENNY: When I took it all in, 311 00:18:23,804 --> 00:18:26,139 the immediate, fast conclusion is... 312 00:18:27,174 --> 00:18:28,175 "Denny, 313 00:18:29,943 --> 00:18:32,279 today is the day you're gonna die." 314 00:18:34,982 --> 00:18:37,394 Tell me what you want, and I'll help you. 315 00:18:39,086 --> 00:18:40,287 Take the throttles. 316 00:18:41,388 --> 00:18:44,094 'Cause he can stand between Bill and myself now 317 00:18:44,224 --> 00:18:48,662 and he can operate the alternating thrust a lot easier than we can. 318 00:18:51,198 --> 00:18:52,199 Okay. 319 00:18:57,804 --> 00:18:59,275 AL: Pull back, pull back. 320 00:19:02,543 --> 00:19:03,810 Start it down. 321 00:19:04,878 --> 00:19:07,064 NARRATOR: Fitch must ease back on the throttles 322 00:19:07,147 --> 00:19:09,030 to stop the plane from climbing. 323 00:19:10,450 --> 00:19:12,586 And it didn't take long 324 00:19:12,719 --> 00:19:17,391 before I started to sense the airplane's behavior. 325 00:19:18,992 --> 00:19:20,640 No, no, no, no, no. Not yet. 326 00:19:22,162 --> 00:19:24,104 Wait a minute till it levels off. 327 00:19:28,001 --> 00:19:30,254 NARRATOR: The flight attendants are discreetly preparing 328 00:19:30,337 --> 00:19:31,839 for an emergency landing. 329 00:19:35,542 --> 00:19:36,727 JERRY: Doesn't look good. 330 00:19:36,810 --> 00:19:39,630 I watched the flight attendants, I think, like a lot of people did, 331 00:19:39,713 --> 00:19:43,634 very closely just to kind of get a feel for what they might be thinking 332 00:19:43,717 --> 00:19:45,903 and what they might know, what they might be feeling. 333 00:19:45,986 --> 00:19:50,490 And for several minutes, they just spent time clearing the cabin. 334 00:19:52,025 --> 00:19:54,945 NARRATOR: Denny Fitch keeps his eyes on the control column 335 00:19:55,028 --> 00:19:57,617 to figure out what the pilots want him to do. 336 00:19:58,265 --> 00:20:00,442 Is this Sioux City down to the right? 337 00:20:02,402 --> 00:20:03,904 That's Sioux City. 338 00:20:04,037 --> 00:20:06,524 NARRATOR: Finally, their destination is in sight. 339 00:20:06,607 --> 00:20:11,195 Normally, the pilots would begin reducing their speed on approach to the airport, 340 00:20:11,278 --> 00:20:14,749 but with no flight controls, that's something they can't do. 341 00:20:15,616 --> 00:20:17,201 {\an8}Because of the loss of hydraulics, 342 00:20:17,284 --> 00:20:20,938 {\an8}they were not able to configure the wings for the normal landing, 343 00:20:21,021 --> 00:20:26,226 so they had to come in much, much faster to maintain the necessary lift. 344 00:20:26,793 --> 00:20:29,180 We had absolutely no way to control the speed. 345 00:20:29,263 --> 00:20:32,049 That was the biggest concern of us all was how fast we were going 346 00:20:32,132 --> 00:20:33,517 and to try and slow down. 347 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,653 And there just was nothing we could do about it. 348 00:20:35,736 --> 00:20:38,789 NARRATOR: If they can line up with the runway at all, 349 00:20:38,872 --> 00:20:41,092 they'll be hitting it at a very high speed. 350 00:20:41,175 --> 00:20:44,411 There's no telling what the impact will do to the plane. 351 00:20:45,812 --> 00:20:48,232 What was going to happen when we touched down was a great concern 352 00:20:48,315 --> 00:20:51,985 because we couldn't bring the nose up for a landing attitude. 353 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,178 And when we hit the ground, what's gonna happen is... 354 00:20:56,290 --> 00:20:57,441 was a question in my mind. 355 00:20:57,524 --> 00:20:59,477 And were we gonna actually make the runway? 356 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:01,061 Little more right. 357 00:21:01,195 --> 00:21:04,281 NARRATOR: Fitch continues to keep the plane level and on course 358 00:21:04,364 --> 00:21:06,717 by alternating power to the two engines. 359 00:21:07,634 --> 00:21:09,687 Intuitively, I started to sense the airplane, 360 00:21:09,770 --> 00:21:14,441 and I felt that it was becoming one with me, if that makes sense. 361 00:21:14,575 --> 00:21:17,344 I felt that the airplane was sending me signals 362 00:21:17,477 --> 00:21:20,066 that it was gonna do something before it did. 363 00:21:21,949 --> 00:21:27,187 - I'm Al Haynes. - Hi, Al. Denny Fitch. 364 00:21:28,989 --> 00:21:30,290 Bill Records here. 365 00:21:31,758 --> 00:21:33,160 I tell you what. 366 00:21:33,293 --> 00:21:35,646 We'll have a beer when this is all done. 367 00:21:36,430 --> 00:21:39,150 Well, I don't drink, but I'll sure as hell have one. 368 00:21:39,233 --> 00:21:41,735 (ALL CHUCKLE) 369 00:21:41,869 --> 00:21:45,239 We were facing death. 370 00:21:45,372 --> 00:21:47,508 All of us were. And our passengers. 371 00:21:47,641 --> 00:21:50,744 NARRATOR: United 232 is less than ten minutes 372 00:21:50,878 --> 00:21:53,046 from a nearly impossible landing. 373 00:21:53,180 --> 00:21:55,215 No one is expected to survive. 374 00:21:56,416 --> 00:21:59,286 (SIRENS WAILING) 375 00:22:01,421 --> 00:22:04,324 Emergency workers prepare for the worst. 376 00:22:06,793 --> 00:22:10,264 As the pilots approach the airport, Captain Haynes decides 377 00:22:10,397 --> 00:22:14,103 it's time to tell the passengers precisely what they are facing. 378 00:22:15,936 --> 00:22:18,923 Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Al Haynes speaking. 379 00:22:19,006 --> 00:22:20,707 As you must be aware by now, 380 00:22:20,841 --> 00:22:23,427 we're having some control difficulties with the plane. 381 00:22:23,510 --> 00:22:26,680 We're attempting an emergency landing in Sioux City. 382 00:22:26,813 --> 00:22:29,578 We'll be landing in approximately eight minutes. 383 00:22:30,517 --> 00:22:33,070 We've got about as much control over the plane as we can get, 384 00:22:33,153 --> 00:22:36,240 but I need you to understand this is going to be a crash landing. 385 00:22:36,323 --> 00:22:40,265 - (PASSENGERS EXCLAIMING) - Please review your emergency procedures. 386 00:22:40,661 --> 00:22:43,714 This is gonna be worse than anything you've ever been through before 387 00:22:43,797 --> 00:22:45,268 and you need to be ready. 388 00:22:48,402 --> 00:22:51,722 We will do everything in our power to get everyone to the ground, 389 00:22:51,805 --> 00:22:53,511 but we need your cooperation. 390 00:22:57,144 --> 00:23:00,164 I think Captain Haynes wanted to be as honest as he could with us. 391 00:23:00,247 --> 00:23:01,699 He didn't want to sugar-coat anything. 392 00:23:01,782 --> 00:23:04,935 He wanted to let us know that we are in a very dire circumstance. 393 00:23:05,018 --> 00:23:07,471 I was convinced I wasn't going to make it. 394 00:23:07,554 --> 00:23:10,490 I thought, "This is my day to go." 395 00:23:11,692 --> 00:23:16,129 There was serious uncertainty as to what the outcome was going to be. 396 00:23:16,263 --> 00:23:17,715 I think there was a realization 397 00:23:17,798 --> 00:23:20,084 that the airplane was going to be very badly damaged 398 00:23:20,167 --> 00:23:23,670 and that there was a high likelihood of injury or worse. 399 00:23:25,239 --> 00:23:28,408 Okay, let's start this sucker down. 400 00:23:33,347 --> 00:23:36,350 NARRATOR: Flight 232 is 9,000 feet from the ground 401 00:23:36,483 --> 00:23:38,269 and less than ten minutes from the airport, 402 00:23:38,352 --> 00:23:41,455 but it's still traveling far too fast to land safely. 403 00:23:41,588 --> 00:23:45,425 {\an8}Instead of being at the normal 120-140 knot range, 404 00:23:45,559 --> 00:23:49,363 {\an8}they were well over 200 knots to be able to control the airplane. 405 00:23:49,496 --> 00:23:52,383 This means that it is going to arrive with a whole lot more force. 406 00:23:52,466 --> 00:23:56,303 It's gonna need a much, much greater distance to land 407 00:23:56,436 --> 00:24:01,508 and equally, their margin for error now becomes extremely small. 408 00:24:03,177 --> 00:24:06,060 Anybody got any ideas about putting the gear down? 409 00:24:07,247 --> 00:24:08,382 I would. 410 00:24:08,515 --> 00:24:12,069 NARRATOR: Lowering the landing gear will help slow the plane down. 411 00:24:12,152 --> 00:24:15,840 Without hydraulics, the pilots have to release the gear manually 412 00:24:15,923 --> 00:24:18,592 and hope that gravity locks it into place. 413 00:24:20,527 --> 00:24:22,029 I hope that does it. 414 00:24:23,463 --> 00:24:24,765 (METALLIC CREAKING) 415 00:24:24,898 --> 00:24:28,202 NARRATOR: If the gear doesn't lock, the plane is doomed. 416 00:24:28,335 --> 00:24:29,571 (LANDING GEAR THUMPS) 417 00:24:34,875 --> 00:24:35,909 All green. 418 00:24:36,043 --> 00:24:40,131 NARRATOR: The gear creates enough drag to slightly reduce the airspeed, 419 00:24:40,214 --> 00:24:44,651 but the plane is still traveling almost 70 knots faster than it should be. 420 00:24:44,785 --> 00:24:47,221 Okay, let's start it down now. 421 00:24:51,391 --> 00:24:53,778 NARRATOR: The passengers try to prepare themselves 422 00:24:53,861 --> 00:24:55,979 for what may be their final moments. 423 00:24:57,264 --> 00:24:59,250 {\an8}JERRY: The last three things I said to my wife were... 424 00:24:59,333 --> 00:25:00,885 {\an8}or last three words were I love you. 425 00:25:00,968 --> 00:25:04,905 {\an8}I thought things were in place for me not to survive this incident. 426 00:25:05,038 --> 00:25:07,925 And then the last couple minutes, I started thinking to myself, 427 00:25:08,008 --> 00:25:10,094 "You know what, just in case you're wrong, 428 00:25:10,177 --> 00:25:12,363 you better get ready and form a game plan here." 429 00:25:12,446 --> 00:25:14,899 So the last four or five minutes, I thought to myself, 430 00:25:14,982 --> 00:25:18,235 "All right, if you hit the ground and you're dead or you're hurt seriously, 431 00:25:18,318 --> 00:25:19,437 "you might not be able to help. 432 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:21,472 "But if you aren't, don't flee the plane. 433 00:25:21,555 --> 00:25:23,040 "Don't panic, stay around, 434 00:25:23,123 --> 00:25:26,177 stay under control and try to help other people as best I could." 435 00:25:26,260 --> 00:25:30,264 NARRATOR: The plane is only 27 kilometers away from the airport. 436 00:25:30,397 --> 00:25:31,692 Do you want this seat? 437 00:25:32,432 --> 00:25:34,768 Yeah. Do you mind? 438 00:25:42,776 --> 00:25:43,810 Okay. 439 00:25:45,245 --> 00:25:47,832 NARRATOR: All the pilots will need to be securely strapped in 440 00:25:47,915 --> 00:25:49,445 for the attempted landing. 441 00:25:54,621 --> 00:25:56,640 Only a few kilometers away from the airport, 442 00:25:56,723 --> 00:26:00,827 the crew must make another circle to the right to adjust their course. 443 00:26:02,729 --> 00:26:05,132 Airport's down there. Got it. 444 00:26:06,767 --> 00:26:08,302 I don't see it yet. 445 00:26:08,435 --> 00:26:10,671 As soon as it starts down, back we go. 446 00:26:10,904 --> 00:26:14,374 {\an8}The concern then was how fast are we gonna hit the ground 447 00:26:14,508 --> 00:26:16,127 {\an8}and what's going to happen when we hit the ground. 448 00:26:16,210 --> 00:26:19,196 When we hit the ground hard, let's hope it's not hard enough 449 00:26:19,279 --> 00:26:20,364 to tear the airplane apart. 450 00:26:20,447 --> 00:26:23,400 - Forward, forward, forward. - (ENGINES SPINNING UP) 451 00:26:23,483 --> 00:26:28,355 NARRATOR: Without flaps, airspeed is the only thing keeping the plane in the air. 452 00:26:28,488 --> 00:26:32,610 The pilots have no choice but to keep the engines at close to full power. 453 00:26:32,693 --> 00:26:35,341 - Won't this be a fun landing? - (ALL CHUCKLE) 454 00:26:37,464 --> 00:26:39,112 Hold the heading if you can. 455 00:26:42,202 --> 00:26:43,504 That's fine. 456 00:26:43,637 --> 00:26:46,056 NARRATOR: From an altitude of 37,000 feet, 457 00:26:46,139 --> 00:26:50,127 the pilots have corkscrewed their way down to within sight of a runway. 458 00:26:50,210 --> 00:26:52,730 {\an8}Now, they have to get the plane on the ground. 459 00:26:52,813 --> 00:26:57,518 The plane is descending to the runway at 1,600 feet per minute, 460 00:26:57,651 --> 00:27:00,687 faster than the space shuttle comes in to land. 461 00:27:00,821 --> 00:27:02,189 That's fine. 462 00:27:02,322 --> 00:27:05,726 I got the runway. It's off to the right over there. 463 00:27:05,859 --> 00:27:06,894 Over there. 464 00:27:07,961 --> 00:27:10,247 NARRATOR: But the pilots can't slow their plane. 465 00:27:10,330 --> 00:27:13,784 In fact, Fitch must increase engine speed to keep the nose up. 466 00:27:13,867 --> 00:27:15,435 BILL: Bring it on down. 467 00:27:16,737 --> 00:27:19,439 Oh, baby, ease her on down. 468 00:27:21,808 --> 00:27:24,328 Tell 'em we're two minutes away from landing. 469 00:27:24,411 --> 00:27:27,447 Two minutes away from landing, two minutes. 470 00:27:27,581 --> 00:27:30,984 {\an8}Your attitude is, "You will get this done, I will do this, 471 00:27:31,118 --> 00:27:33,720 {\an8}"I will do it, I will not accept failure, 472 00:27:33,854 --> 00:27:37,424 "I will not accept anything less than the best 473 00:27:37,558 --> 00:27:40,427 "and so even if I die, that's the way I die. 474 00:27:40,561 --> 00:27:42,326 That's the way I'm gonna die." 475 00:27:52,272 --> 00:27:55,509 232, you are cleared to land on any runway. 476 00:27:56,677 --> 00:27:59,296 Oh, you want to make it particular and make it a runway, huh? 477 00:27:59,379 --> 00:28:00,614 (ALL CHUCKLE) 478 00:28:00,747 --> 00:28:03,300 I know that we're close enough now, coming in fast enough now 479 00:28:03,383 --> 00:28:04,568 that we're gonna make the airport. 480 00:28:04,651 --> 00:28:05,703 That was the main thing. 481 00:28:05,786 --> 00:28:09,423 Whether we actually made the runway or not, uh, I don't know. 482 00:28:09,556 --> 00:28:12,810 NARRATOR: The aircraft is still traveling much faster than normal, 483 00:28:12,893 --> 00:28:15,012 but the crew cannot delay any longer. 484 00:28:15,095 --> 00:28:17,397 This is their only shot at a landing. 485 00:28:17,531 --> 00:28:20,234 - Get on the brakes with me. - Yeah. 486 00:28:22,135 --> 00:28:25,122 NARRATOR: They will have only minimal braking power and reverse thrust 487 00:28:25,205 --> 00:28:27,441 to stop the plane on the ground. 488 00:28:27,574 --> 00:28:29,409 They won't be able to steer. 489 00:28:32,579 --> 00:28:35,199 No pilot at the controls of a commercial jetliner 490 00:28:35,282 --> 00:28:38,185 has ever landed a DC-10 safely at this speed, 491 00:28:38,318 --> 00:28:41,288 with or without flight controls. 492 00:28:41,421 --> 00:28:42,923 AL: Pull the power back. 493 00:28:43,056 --> 00:28:45,233 That's right. Pull the left one back. 494 00:28:46,126 --> 00:28:48,746 You could hear people crying and every once in a while, 495 00:28:48,829 --> 00:28:52,799 you could hear people kind of scream a little bit. 496 00:28:52,933 --> 00:28:54,118 And I remember at the end thinking, 497 00:28:54,201 --> 00:28:57,672 "All right, there's nothing else I can do to get ready here. 498 00:28:57,771 --> 00:29:00,324 Now, I just gotta see what happens, see what unfolds." 499 00:29:00,407 --> 00:29:03,443 NARRATOR: The plane is 30 seconds from landing. 500 00:29:03,577 --> 00:29:05,712 AL: Brace, brace, brace. 501 00:29:06,346 --> 00:29:09,500 BILL: Had no idea what was gonna happen when we touched down. 502 00:29:09,583 --> 00:29:13,554 {\an8}We were going way too fast, we had no flaps, we had no brakes, 503 00:29:13,687 --> 00:29:18,225 {\an8}and we had no way to steer the airplane once we did arrive at the runway. 504 00:29:18,358 --> 00:29:22,329 DENNY: At very bottom, I was hoping to do the pitch-up 505 00:29:22,462 --> 00:29:25,110 by putting more power in, pulling the nose up, 506 00:29:25,232 --> 00:29:29,603 causing the whole belly to become drag into the wind and slow us down 507 00:29:29,736 --> 00:29:31,555 so that we would touch down on the landing gear 508 00:29:31,638 --> 00:29:33,407 and then roll down the runway. 509 00:29:39,079 --> 00:29:42,266 NARRATOR: Controllers can't bear to watch what's about to unfold. 510 00:29:42,349 --> 00:29:44,218 (INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER) 511 00:29:45,319 --> 00:29:48,261 Only 100 feet from the ground, the nose dips again, 512 00:29:48,355 --> 00:29:51,859 increasing its already dangerous speed. 513 00:29:51,992 --> 00:29:54,178 The nose lowered and the airspeed began to build up again 514 00:29:54,261 --> 00:29:55,780 and the right wing started to go down again, 515 00:29:55,863 --> 00:29:59,216 and we couldn't have that. We had to try and get it level. 516 00:29:59,766 --> 00:30:00,943 Close the throttles. 517 00:30:01,068 --> 00:30:03,203 Close 'em off. Pull 'em all off. 518 00:30:03,337 --> 00:30:04,688 I can't pull 'em off or we'll lose it. 519 00:30:04,771 --> 00:30:06,183 That's what turning you. 520 00:30:07,875 --> 00:30:10,143 And we both said, "Okay. 521 00:30:10,277 --> 00:30:12,897 He's in charge of the throttles. Do whatever you have to do." 522 00:30:12,980 --> 00:30:14,498 There had to be complete trust. 523 00:30:14,581 --> 00:30:16,083 Okay, okay. 524 00:30:16,216 --> 00:30:18,919 - (SIRENS WAILING) - (PLANE ENGINES WHIRRING) 525 00:30:23,557 --> 00:30:25,734 Left! Roll it left, left, left, left! 526 00:30:33,433 --> 00:30:35,963 We're turning, we're turning, we're turning. 527 00:30:42,576 --> 00:30:44,444 (SIGHS) 528 00:30:47,748 --> 00:30:49,149 (INHALES DEEPLY) 529 00:30:50,984 --> 00:30:53,320 Didn't get it quite right, and, uh... 530 00:30:57,024 --> 00:30:58,258 We hit very hard. 531 00:30:58,392 --> 00:31:02,162 My head smashed on into the radio rack in front of me. 532 00:31:02,296 --> 00:31:04,849 It's just like somebody had a giant hand on the back of my head 533 00:31:04,932 --> 00:31:08,435 and just forced me face down into this rack. 534 00:31:08,569 --> 00:31:10,637 We had hit just incredibly hard. 535 00:31:10,771 --> 00:31:14,291 I don't think for all the thoughts about what it might be like 536 00:31:14,374 --> 00:31:16,316 that I was ready for that impact. 537 00:31:17,344 --> 00:31:19,680 I could feel the plane go upside down 538 00:31:19,813 --> 00:31:23,200 and we slid upside down and backwards for what seemed like forever. 539 00:31:23,283 --> 00:31:27,505 I remember looking out the window and saw it got blue for a split second. 540 00:31:27,588 --> 00:31:29,588 Darkened again to brown and green. 541 00:31:30,257 --> 00:31:33,460 And then more violence than I can put in words. 542 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,485 I had to take a couple of seconds to figure out 543 00:31:41,568 --> 00:31:43,087 whether I was alive or not. 544 00:31:43,170 --> 00:31:45,876 I figured if I'm feeling pain, I must be alive. 545 00:31:45,973 --> 00:31:48,592 And then I realized what had happened. I realized we had flipped over. 546 00:31:48,675 --> 00:31:50,728 I was hanging upside down in my chair. 547 00:31:50,811 --> 00:31:52,163 I had no choice but to go back 548 00:31:52,246 --> 00:31:55,332 because smoke was chasing us all to the back of the plane. 549 00:31:55,415 --> 00:31:59,533 And I finally found an opening where we had broken off the tail section 550 00:31:59,653 --> 00:32:00,889 and got out that way. 551 00:32:03,490 --> 00:32:06,477 And I stepped out of the plane, realized I was in a corn field. 552 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,780 And I'd been in plenty of ‘em. That gave me some comfort. 553 00:32:09,863 --> 00:32:13,634 I knew that at this point, I was probably in pretty good shape 554 00:32:13,767 --> 00:32:15,853 and that I wasn't going to perish in that crash. 555 00:32:15,936 --> 00:32:18,205 (BABY CRYING) 556 00:32:18,338 --> 00:32:19,723 I took a couple of steps out of the plane 557 00:32:19,806 --> 00:32:21,992 and I heard a baby crying back inside the wreckage. 558 00:32:22,075 --> 00:32:24,678 And I didn't stand there and weigh the risks, 559 00:32:24,811 --> 00:32:27,965 I didn't think it through, I just reacted to the sound. 560 00:32:28,048 --> 00:32:30,801 The next think I remember, I'm back inside the wreckage. 561 00:32:30,884 --> 00:32:33,620 - (BABY CRYING) - It's okay. 562 00:32:33,754 --> 00:32:36,623 (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) 563 00:32:36,757 --> 00:32:39,059 (SHUDDERS) It's okay. 564 00:32:39,193 --> 00:32:41,378 NARRATOR: Jerry Schemmel manages to find the child 565 00:32:41,461 --> 00:32:43,547 and helps reunite her with her parents. 566 00:32:43,630 --> 00:32:45,199 It's okay. 567 00:32:45,332 --> 00:32:47,518 NARRATOR: But others are not so lucky. 568 00:32:47,601 --> 00:32:51,705 The plane lies in pieces on the runway and in a cornfield. 569 00:32:51,839 --> 00:32:54,741 There is no sign of the cockpit or the pilots. 570 00:32:58,145 --> 00:33:01,982 {\an8}On the initial viewing of the aircraft hitting the ground 571 00:33:02,115 --> 00:33:05,569 {\an8}and tumbling down the ground in a huge fireball and so on and so forth, 572 00:33:05,652 --> 00:33:07,711 we didn't expect to find survivors. 573 00:33:08,155 --> 00:33:09,940 NARRATOR: 45 minutes after the crash, 574 00:33:10,023 --> 00:33:14,094 the cockpit is discovered 180 meters from the rest of the wreckage. 575 00:33:14,228 --> 00:33:16,964 All four pilots have survived. 576 00:33:17,097 --> 00:33:19,933 I was unconscious, fortunately. 577 00:33:20,067 --> 00:33:21,969 I was knocked out on impact. 578 00:33:22,102 --> 00:33:24,789 I have absolutely no recollection of the crash at all. 579 00:33:24,872 --> 00:33:27,057 And then the next thing I heard is somebody say, 580 00:33:27,140 --> 00:33:30,961 "Are there really four of you in there?" and I heard more than once voice say yes. 581 00:33:31,044 --> 00:33:35,249 I knew at the time that I saw this fireman coming across the field that 582 00:33:35,382 --> 00:33:38,719 I have been in a crash and I'm alive. 583 00:33:38,852 --> 00:33:42,556 Had no idea what kind of shape I was in, 584 00:33:42,689 --> 00:33:44,958 whether my legs were attached. 585 00:33:45,092 --> 00:33:50,063 I had no... I couldn't move my fingers. I was just literally pinned to the ground. 586 00:33:50,197 --> 00:33:53,100 I was compressed in the wreckage, 587 00:33:54,268 --> 00:33:58,772 a white hot pain in my back and my side. 588 00:33:58,906 --> 00:34:00,841 Broken ribs punctured the lung. 589 00:34:00,974 --> 00:34:05,078 I never lost consciousness. I have complete recall of it all. 590 00:34:05,212 --> 00:34:08,382 My time in the hospital, first night, almost died. 591 00:34:08,515 --> 00:34:12,119 Subsequently, nine surgeries and 18 months of recovery. 592 00:34:12,886 --> 00:34:17,925 NARRATOR: 111 passengers and crew are dead, including 11 children. 593 00:34:21,762 --> 00:34:25,866 But 185 people have survived the fiery crash landing. 594 00:34:27,301 --> 00:34:29,670 JOHN: The first feelings were 595 00:34:29,803 --> 00:34:32,022 there are not likely to be any survivors out of this. 596 00:34:32,105 --> 00:34:35,576 And yet, there were. There were a large number of survivors. 597 00:34:41,048 --> 00:34:44,769 NARRATOR: The damage to the tail section confirms what the pilots reported. 598 00:34:44,852 --> 00:34:47,955 The number two engine exploded in mid-flight. 599 00:34:48,088 --> 00:34:50,257 Investigators need to know why 600 00:34:50,390 --> 00:34:53,961 and how it led to the catastrophic loss of all hydraulics. 601 00:34:55,162 --> 00:34:57,982 We already pretty well knew what we were looking for. 602 00:34:58,065 --> 00:35:01,735 We knew we'd had an engine failure of horrific proportions. 603 00:35:01,869 --> 00:35:04,705 We knew we'd had a hydraulic issue 604 00:35:04,838 --> 00:35:07,458 that had depleted all three hydraulic systems. 605 00:35:07,541 --> 00:35:10,795 NARRATOR: The NTSB's Bob Maclntosh is in charge of the team 606 00:35:10,878 --> 00:35:12,779 dispatched to Sioux City. 607 00:35:12,913 --> 00:35:17,084 The investigation focused fairly quickly on the shrapnel, 608 00:35:17,217 --> 00:35:19,720 the trajectories of the various parts, 609 00:35:19,853 --> 00:35:24,024 and how they could have disabled the airplane in the way that it did. 610 00:35:24,157 --> 00:35:26,477 NARRATOR: It doesn't take investigators long to discover 611 00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:29,263 that a vital piece of the engine is missing. 612 00:35:29,396 --> 00:35:34,067 The fan disk is such an obvious part of the front of the engine 613 00:35:34,201 --> 00:35:36,570 that when it's missing, you know it. 614 00:35:37,337 --> 00:35:40,724 NARRATOR: The fan disk is one of the largest pieces of the engine. 615 00:35:40,807 --> 00:35:44,011 It is responsible for bringing air into the core. 616 00:35:44,144 --> 00:35:48,682 It's around almost 400 pounds. It's about 32 inches in diameter. 617 00:35:48,815 --> 00:35:50,150 That was missing. 618 00:35:50,284 --> 00:35:53,003 And we knew that it was going to be our job to find that 619 00:35:53,086 --> 00:35:57,457 because that was the destructive force that had brought this airplane down. 620 00:35:57,591 --> 00:36:01,445 NARRATOR: Since the accident involved the failure of such a key component, 621 00:36:01,528 --> 00:36:05,465 metallurgists joined the NTSB to help find the cause. 622 00:36:06,934 --> 00:36:09,720 {\an8}The rotating parts in the engines of jet airplanes 623 00:36:09,803 --> 00:36:12,406 {\an8}have to withstand a lot of stress, 624 00:36:12,539 --> 00:36:15,976 {\an8}so you want to use material that optimizes the strength 625 00:36:16,109 --> 00:36:17,595 while minimizing the weight. 626 00:36:17,678 --> 00:36:20,397 So at the front of the engine, the fan disk, for example, 627 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:22,115 they use titanium alloys. 628 00:36:22,249 --> 00:36:25,786 NARRATOR: Jet engines are extremely reliable. 629 00:36:25,919 --> 00:36:28,822 To have a fan disk break off is almost unheard of. 630 00:36:28,956 --> 00:36:32,292 The failure of a major rotating part of any kind, 631 00:36:32,426 --> 00:36:35,212 whether it be at the front end or anywhere in the engine, 632 00:36:35,295 --> 00:36:36,330 is a major event. 633 00:36:36,463 --> 00:36:39,550 NARRATOR: Before they can understand this rare failure, 634 00:36:39,633 --> 00:36:43,403 investigators must find the missing fan blade assembly. 635 00:36:43,537 --> 00:36:45,856 The clue to solving the mystery behind the crash 636 00:36:45,939 --> 00:36:49,376 is likely lying in a farmer's field somewhere in Iowa. 637 00:36:49,510 --> 00:36:51,812 A massive search gets underway. 638 00:36:54,515 --> 00:36:56,884 BOB: It was extremely frustrating to us 639 00:36:57,017 --> 00:36:58,302 because we knew we didn't have it 640 00:36:58,385 --> 00:37:00,805 and we knew it was gonna be a pretty tough job to find it. 641 00:37:00,888 --> 00:37:03,908 We were motivated to find it, but we knew it was going to be tough. 642 00:37:03,991 --> 00:37:05,933 Al, I can't control the airplane. 643 00:37:07,327 --> 00:37:11,148 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, investigators turn their attention to the plane's hydraulics, 644 00:37:11,231 --> 00:37:15,302 wondering how a system with triple redundancy could have failed. 645 00:37:15,435 --> 00:37:16,537 BOB: In theory, 646 00:37:16,670 --> 00:37:19,806 if you lose an engine, you lose one of the systems. 647 00:37:19,940 --> 00:37:22,976 Our challenge recognizing that the number two engine 648 00:37:23,110 --> 00:37:24,816 was the origin of the problem 649 00:37:24,945 --> 00:37:28,599 was to try and figure out why all three hydraulic systems had failed. 650 00:37:28,682 --> 00:37:31,068 NARRATOR: Each of the three hydraulic systems 651 00:37:31,151 --> 00:37:33,620 is powered by one of the three engines. 652 00:37:33,754 --> 00:37:35,789 Since only one engine failed, 653 00:37:35,923 --> 00:37:38,692 two hydraulic systems should have kept working. 654 00:37:41,995 --> 00:37:45,649 Investigators examine the wreckage around the number two engine. 655 00:37:45,732 --> 00:37:48,335 They begin to see what might have happened. 656 00:37:49,436 --> 00:37:51,689 BOB: There was a place where all three hydraulic systems 657 00:37:51,772 --> 00:37:54,558 were getting together and that was in the horizontal stabilizer 658 00:37:54,641 --> 00:37:57,678 to actuate the elevators for up and down control. 659 00:37:58,445 --> 00:38:00,765 NARRATOR: All three of the plane's hydraulic lines 660 00:38:00,848 --> 00:38:04,418 concentrate at the back of the plane below the rear engine. 661 00:38:06,553 --> 00:38:10,318 The number two system was destroyed when the fan disk blew apart. 662 00:38:11,425 --> 00:38:15,028 Exploding shrapnel damaged the two remaining systems. 663 00:38:15,162 --> 00:38:18,449 All the hydraulic lines were either punctured or severed. 664 00:38:18,532 --> 00:38:20,834 The plane essentially bled to death. 665 00:38:21,735 --> 00:38:27,207 So we were able to understand how an engine failure in number two 666 00:38:27,341 --> 00:38:30,010 would result in number one and number three 667 00:38:30,143 --> 00:38:31,732 being rendered inoperative. 668 00:38:31,845 --> 00:38:33,764 Left! Roll it left, left, left, left, left, 669 00:38:33,847 --> 00:38:36,000 left, left, left, left, left, left, left, left! 670 00:38:36,083 --> 00:38:38,536 NARRATOR: Now that investigators know how much damage 671 00:38:38,619 --> 00:38:40,104 the broken fan disk caused, 672 00:38:40,187 --> 00:38:43,557 it's all the more urgent to figure out why it failed. 673 00:38:43,690 --> 00:38:46,493 They must find the broken piece. 674 00:38:46,627 --> 00:38:50,764 A $50,000 reward is offered to anyone who can find it. 675 00:38:57,771 --> 00:39:01,125 NARRATOR: Three months after United Flight 232 crash-landed 676 00:39:01,208 --> 00:39:05,112 in Sioux City, Iowa, a farmer finds the crucial piece of the puzzle 677 00:39:05,245 --> 00:39:09,016 lying in her field about 100 kilometers from the airport. 678 00:39:12,753 --> 00:39:15,005 This is the hole I came upon in the combine. 679 00:39:15,088 --> 00:39:17,174 And the combine... there was resistance. 680 00:39:17,257 --> 00:39:21,295 I backed up and I thought, "Oh! My gosh, this is it!" 681 00:39:21,428 --> 00:39:26,433 The lady who found the fan disk was our hero of the day. 682 00:39:26,567 --> 00:39:29,603 This was an extremely important piece of evidence. 683 00:39:29,736 --> 00:39:33,607 NARRATOR: The massive disk is broken into two pieces. 684 00:39:37,010 --> 00:39:38,129 How could it break like that? 685 00:39:38,212 --> 00:39:41,548 It was extremely unusual and we really wanted to 686 00:39:41,682 --> 00:39:45,069 try and figure out why this thing had, what we call, burst. 687 00:39:45,152 --> 00:39:47,321 NARRATOR: The titanium alloy used 688 00:39:47,454 --> 00:39:50,474 to make this vital part is extremely strong and resilient. 689 00:39:50,557 --> 00:39:53,126 It shouldn't just snap in two. 690 00:39:54,094 --> 00:39:55,429 Take a look at this. 691 00:39:55,562 --> 00:39:57,414 When you first see the disk broken, 692 00:39:57,497 --> 00:40:00,351 it's almost unimaginable to see how something so large 693 00:40:00,434 --> 00:40:02,317 could break into two big pieces. 694 00:40:02,769 --> 00:40:04,805 It didn't happen overnight. 695 00:40:04,938 --> 00:40:07,158 NARRATOR: A close examination of the broken part 696 00:40:07,241 --> 00:40:10,611 reveals surprising evidence of why it fractured. 697 00:40:10,744 --> 00:40:12,479 It's definitely fatigue. 698 00:40:12,613 --> 00:40:15,582 It was pretty easy to visually... to look at this 699 00:40:15,716 --> 00:40:17,701 to see that there was a fatigue crack there. 700 00:40:17,784 --> 00:40:20,070 The investigation then continued to see 701 00:40:20,153 --> 00:40:21,839 where did the fatigue crack initiate? 702 00:40:21,922 --> 00:40:24,725 Can you cut me a small section? From here. 703 00:40:25,926 --> 00:40:29,980 NARRATOR: Investigators need to know what had weakened this powerful alloy. 704 00:40:30,063 --> 00:40:32,583 They trace the fracture back to where it began 705 00:40:32,666 --> 00:40:34,725 and remove the section for testing. 706 00:40:44,144 --> 00:40:45,546 Well, well, well. 707 00:40:45,679 --> 00:40:48,866 NARRATOR: They find elements that should not be in the metal, 708 00:40:48,949 --> 00:40:52,286 nitrogen and oxygen mixed in with the titanium. 709 00:40:52,419 --> 00:40:54,538 Nitrogen and other elements such as oxygen, 710 00:40:54,621 --> 00:40:58,974 if they are present in the titanium alloy, cause an increase in brittleness 711 00:40:59,092 --> 00:41:02,829 so that when you load this area, it'll crack very, very easily. 712 00:41:04,164 --> 00:41:07,734 - A bad batch of titanium? - I'd say so. 713 00:41:07,868 --> 00:41:11,574 NARRATOR: Investigators conclude that a microscopic imperfection 714 00:41:11,705 --> 00:41:14,692 in the titanium used to make the fan blade caused a crack 715 00:41:14,775 --> 00:41:18,512 that developed slowly over 17 years. 716 00:41:18,645 --> 00:41:21,432 BOB: It kept progressively getting bigger and bigger 717 00:41:21,515 --> 00:41:24,318 each time the engine started and stopped. 718 00:41:24,451 --> 00:41:29,489 NARRATOR: It was only a matter of time before the disk finally broke. 719 00:41:32,259 --> 00:41:34,061 - I have it. - What was that? 720 00:41:35,329 --> 00:41:37,331 NARRATOR: And disaster occurred. 721 00:41:37,464 --> 00:41:40,751 This part was supposed to be inspected on a regular basis 722 00:41:40,834 --> 00:41:45,005 and indeed it was, but where the crack was located 723 00:41:45,138 --> 00:41:49,243 simply was extremely difficult to detect. 724 00:41:49,376 --> 00:41:51,788 NARRATOR: The NTSB immediately recommends 725 00:41:51,879 --> 00:41:55,115 more thorough inspections of all engine fan disks. 726 00:41:58,185 --> 00:42:03,557 Titanium is now melted three times in a vacuum to remove impurities. 727 00:42:03,690 --> 00:42:07,361 Any kind of oxygen and nitrogen that might be in the material 728 00:42:07,494 --> 00:42:10,697 is sucked out into the vacuum and drawn out. 729 00:42:10,831 --> 00:42:14,185 NARRATOR: The DC-10's hydraulic system also gets an upgrade. 730 00:42:14,268 --> 00:42:16,170 Designers add a series of valves 731 00:42:16,303 --> 00:42:19,186 so that a line can be sealed in case of a rupture. 732 00:42:19,306 --> 00:42:22,009 Every accident is a learning experience. 733 00:42:22,142 --> 00:42:26,113 And Sioux City, although it was several decades ago, 734 00:42:26,246 --> 00:42:28,299 continues to be a learning experience. 735 00:42:28,382 --> 00:42:32,203 NARRATOR: Despite the loss of life, the pilots' actions during the disaster 736 00:42:32,286 --> 00:42:34,888 are hailed as a magnificent feat of flying. 737 00:42:36,023 --> 00:42:39,577 I think it surprised some, the survivors, that they had made it, 738 00:42:39,660 --> 00:42:42,213 but it was a testament to the skill of the crew 739 00:42:42,296 --> 00:42:44,355 and the ruggedness of the airplane. 740 00:42:44,464 --> 00:42:47,551 We have no hydraulic fluid left. All systems are down to zero. 741 00:42:47,634 --> 00:42:49,536 That's impossible. 742 00:42:49,670 --> 00:42:51,756 Once they lost the third hydraulic system, 743 00:42:51,839 --> 00:42:54,041 they were in an uncharted area 744 00:42:54,174 --> 00:42:56,527 with no checklist and having to improvise it. 745 00:42:56,610 --> 00:42:58,011 Let's use the engines. 746 00:42:58,145 --> 00:43:00,581 It was a catastrophic event 747 00:43:00,714 --> 00:43:03,417 that they made to turn out reasonably well. 748 00:43:03,550 --> 00:43:05,369 Tell me what you want and I'll help you. 749 00:43:05,452 --> 00:43:07,054 Take the throttles. 750 00:43:07,187 --> 00:43:09,974 NARRATOR: Captain Haynes' decision to accept an offer of help 751 00:43:10,057 --> 00:43:12,576 in the moment of crisis is what many believe 752 00:43:12,659 --> 00:43:15,596 saved the lives of 185 people. 753 00:43:15,729 --> 00:43:16,763 Okay. 754 00:43:16,897 --> 00:43:18,883 For Al Haynes to give a perfect stranger 755 00:43:18,966 --> 00:43:21,018 the only thing controlling his airplane, 756 00:43:21,101 --> 00:43:24,989 and I think he knew clearly at this point that was all that was there, 757 00:43:25,072 --> 00:43:27,508 I think is a phenomenal feat. 758 00:43:27,641 --> 00:43:30,127 And I can't give enough kudos to him for that. 759 00:43:30,210 --> 00:43:33,914 NARRATOR: All four pilots received the Polaris Award. 760 00:43:34,047 --> 00:43:36,683 It's the highest civilian aviation decoration 761 00:43:36,817 --> 00:43:39,953 awarded for exceptional airmanship and heroic actions. 762 00:43:40,087 --> 00:43:42,356 We got the airplane to the runway. 763 00:43:42,489 --> 00:43:44,175 That's the most we could hope for, 764 00:43:44,258 --> 00:43:46,477 even more than most people thought we could hope for. 765 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,380 And to say that we were heroes in doing that? No, no. 766 00:43:49,463 --> 00:43:51,916 We were just fortunate that the things we tried worked. 767 00:43:51,999 --> 00:43:54,268 I was willing to give up my life. 768 00:43:54,401 --> 00:43:56,503 No, I mean that's not being heroic. 769 00:43:56,637 --> 00:43:59,506 I mean I was willing to give up my life 770 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:03,194 because to me, that's my responsibility as an airline captain. 771 00:44:03,277 --> 00:44:06,747 You trust me. I don't want to fail that trust. 772 00:44:08,348 --> 00:44:11,068 NARRATOR: Al Haynes and Bill Records were back in the cockpit 773 00:44:11,151 --> 00:44:12,670 within a year of the accident. 774 00:44:12,753 --> 00:44:16,056 For Denny Fitch, it took a bit more time. 775 00:44:17,891 --> 00:44:19,126 Doctors... 776 00:44:20,761 --> 00:44:22,313 God love 'em, they fixed me, 777 00:44:22,396 --> 00:44:24,782 but they didn't believe I'd ever make the captain seat again. 778 00:44:24,865 --> 00:44:27,336 They didn't think I'd ever be able to fly. 779 00:44:31,471 --> 00:44:36,210 I think it was 16 or 18 months later. It was Flight 187 to Honolulu. 780 00:44:36,343 --> 00:44:39,029 And if you'd been in the cabin, you would have heard this announcement, 781 00:44:39,112 --> 00:44:42,407 "Today in command of your flight is Captain Denny Fitch." 782 00:44:44,585 --> 00:44:45,886 Never give up.