1 00:00:06,272 --> 00:00:07,574 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Ladies and gentlemen, 2 00:00:07,574 --> 00:00:08,875 we are starting our approach. 3 00:00:08,875 --> 00:00:09,843 PILOT: We lost both engines. 4 00:00:09,843 --> 00:00:11,144 PILOT: Masks will be lowered. 5 00:00:11,144 --> 00:00:12,112 Emergency declared. 6 00:00:12,112 --> 00:00:13,113 PILOT: Mayday, mayday. 7 00:00:13,113 --> 00:00:15,048 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Brace for impact! 8 00:00:15,048 --> 00:00:16,549 [muffled chatter] 9 00:00:19,018 --> 00:00:20,487 PILOT: It's gonna crash! 10 00:00:29,863 --> 00:00:31,398 [radio chatter] 11 00:00:32,699 --> 00:00:34,734 ATC LIMA: We're observing you crossing the 260 of Lima 12 00:00:34,734 --> 00:00:36,136 at 31 miles west. 13 00:00:36,136 --> 00:00:38,438 Level is 10,700 velocities. 14 00:00:38,438 --> 00:00:42,475 NARRATOR: In October of 1996, a state of the art passenger jet 15 00:00:42,475 --> 00:00:45,645 careens out of control for 30 horrific minutes, 16 00:00:45,645 --> 00:00:49,349 then crashes into the Pacific Ocean. 17 00:00:49,349 --> 00:00:51,418 [warning alarm] 18 00:00:51,418 --> 00:00:52,986 ERIC SCHREIBER: I've got her. I've got it. 19 00:00:52,986 --> 00:00:53,787 ATC LIMA: Climb! 20 00:00:53,787 --> 00:00:54,788 Climb, Aeroperu 603. 21 00:00:54,788 --> 00:00:55,989 ERIC SCHREIBER: We're gonna turn over. 22 00:00:58,691 --> 00:01:00,693 [radio chatter] 23 00:01:05,432 --> 00:01:06,533 NARRATOR: What could have brought 24 00:01:06,533 --> 00:01:08,535 down Aeroperu flight 603? 25 00:01:17,243 --> 00:01:20,113 The answer to the mystery may be found in the airplane's 26 00:01:20,113 --> 00:01:22,682 black box flight recorder, a puzzle 27 00:01:22,682 --> 00:01:25,318 which investigators must solve. 28 00:01:25,318 --> 00:01:28,922 The story they uncover is how simple human error 29 00:01:28,922 --> 00:01:31,925 set off a chain of events that ended in tragedy. 30 00:01:37,797 --> 00:01:42,168 2 cent of American money brought down a $75 million 31 00:01:42,168 --> 00:01:44,737 aircraft and killed 70 people. 32 00:01:44,737 --> 00:01:48,341 This kind of a problem that they faced that night 33 00:01:48,341 --> 00:01:55,682 was probably one of 10 over the last 20 or 30 years. 34 00:01:55,682 --> 00:01:58,318 You never lose hope immediately, you know? 35 00:01:58,318 --> 00:02:01,321 It takes time for you to get to the point 36 00:02:01,321 --> 00:02:06,626 that you will accept the fact that there's no people that 37 00:02:06,626 --> 00:02:07,927 got out of there alive. 38 00:02:10,530 --> 00:02:11,831 DAVID FERNANDEZ: We're gonna turn over. 39 00:02:17,804 --> 00:02:19,873 NARRATOR: Lima, Peru. 40 00:02:19,873 --> 00:02:22,742 Jorge Chavez International Airport. 41 00:02:22,742 --> 00:02:28,414 Aeroperu flight 603 prepared for takeoff for Santiago, Chile. 42 00:02:28,414 --> 00:02:31,584 The plane was a four-year-old Boeing 757, 43 00:02:31,584 --> 00:02:33,386 a state of the art passenger jet known 44 00:02:33,386 --> 00:02:35,121 for its reliability and safety. 45 00:02:44,564 --> 00:02:49,135 Aeroperu's 603 was flown by two of the national airline's best 46 00:02:49,135 --> 00:02:53,139 pilots, Captain Eric Schreiber, 58, and First 47 00:02:53,139 --> 00:02:54,908 Officer David Fernandez, 42. 48 00:03:01,748 --> 00:03:05,184 261 passengers and 9 crew members were aboard. 49 00:03:05,184 --> 00:03:07,820 Most were Chileans on their way home. 50 00:03:07,820 --> 00:03:11,124 Others were Peruvian, British, Italian, Spanish, 51 00:03:11,124 --> 00:03:13,960 and one New Zealander and other Latin Americans. 52 00:03:17,564 --> 00:03:19,165 Among them are the brother-in-law 53 00:03:19,165 --> 00:03:25,171 and a close friend of Mexican businessman Monus Albert 54 00:03:25,171 --> 00:03:27,740 Our companies do business in South America. 55 00:03:27,740 --> 00:03:29,142 We export. 56 00:03:29,142 --> 00:03:35,515 And every so often we will go to our clients, and on this trip 57 00:03:35,515 --> 00:03:40,753 Kenny and Abraham went to see some clients in Peru and Chile. 58 00:03:40,753 --> 00:03:43,456 I had a very good relationship with both them. 59 00:03:43,456 --> 00:03:46,626 With my brother-in-law, of course, we were like brothers. 60 00:03:46,626 --> 00:03:47,994 I loved the guy. 61 00:03:47,994 --> 00:03:52,865 He married my only sister, so we had a great relationship. 62 00:04:00,139 --> 00:04:02,642 NARRATOR: Checklists complete, First Officer 63 00:04:02,642 --> 00:04:03,977 Fernandez hailed the tower. 64 00:04:07,580 --> 00:04:11,284 Lima tower, Aeroperu 603, runway 15. 65 00:04:11,284 --> 00:04:12,385 Ready for takeoff. 66 00:04:12,385 --> 00:04:14,988 ATC LIMA: Aeroperu 603, use noise abatement. 67 00:04:14,988 --> 00:04:18,057 When calm, ready for takeoff on runway 15. 68 00:04:18,057 --> 00:04:19,559 One five, one five. 69 00:04:19,559 --> 00:04:20,994 Transponder? 70 00:04:20,994 --> 00:04:22,295 Flaps, one five. 71 00:04:22,295 --> 00:04:24,497 Takeoff briefing complete. 72 00:04:24,497 --> 00:04:26,165 NARRATOR: The captain joked about the precision. 73 00:04:26,165 --> 00:04:27,200 Takeoff 41. 74 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:28,001 It's that accurate. 75 00:04:28,001 --> 00:04:29,135 We are not even the Swiss. 76 00:04:31,571 --> 00:04:32,372 Rolling. 77 00:04:37,510 --> 00:04:40,880 NARRATOR: The Aeroperu 757 was among a new generation 78 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,150 of computer controlled aircraft in which pilots are 79 00:04:44,150 --> 00:04:45,885 trained to rely on a central data 80 00:04:45,885 --> 00:04:49,389 system designed to reduce errors, 81 00:04:49,389 --> 00:04:51,090 both mechanical and human. 82 00:04:54,227 --> 00:04:55,428 Power's set. 83 00:04:55,428 --> 00:05:00,366 NARRATOR: On takeoff, the 757 performed perfectly. 84 00:05:00,366 --> 00:05:01,834 80 knots. 85 00:05:01,834 --> 00:05:02,635 Check. 86 00:05:06,039 --> 00:05:08,608 ERIC SCHREIBER: V1, rotate. 87 00:05:08,608 --> 00:05:09,409 V2. 88 00:05:19,585 --> 00:05:21,487 Gear up 89 00:05:21,487 --> 00:05:22,655 All right. 90 00:05:22,655 --> 00:05:24,257 NARRATOR: Within moments, the pilots received 91 00:05:24,257 --> 00:05:25,758 a highly unusual reading. 92 00:05:25,758 --> 00:05:28,928 V2 plus 10. 93 00:05:28,928 --> 00:05:30,496 The altimeters are stuck. 94 00:05:30,496 --> 00:05:32,265 NARRATOR: The altimeter indicates the height 95 00:05:32,265 --> 00:05:34,267 of the aircraft off the ground. 96 00:05:34,267 --> 00:05:37,770 It reads zero, though they were obviously flying. 97 00:05:37,770 --> 00:05:39,205 DAVID FERNANDEZ: The altimeters have stuck. 98 00:05:39,205 --> 00:05:40,039 ERIC SCHREIBER: Yeah. 99 00:05:40,039 --> 00:05:41,307 DAVID FERNANDEZ: All of them. 100 00:05:41,307 --> 00:05:42,208 This is really new. 101 00:05:42,208 --> 00:05:44,010 Keep V2 plus 10. 102 00:05:44,010 --> 00:05:46,145 NARRATOR: The 757 is equipped with three 103 00:05:46,145 --> 00:05:49,782 altimeters, one for the pilot, one for the copilot, 104 00:05:49,782 --> 00:05:51,684 and one backup. 105 00:05:51,684 --> 00:05:54,554 All three were dead, then they lost 106 00:05:54,554 --> 00:05:58,858 another crucial instrument, the airspeed indicator. 107 00:05:58,858 --> 00:06:00,727 The speed. 108 00:06:00,727 --> 00:06:01,661 ERIC SCHREIBER: Eh? 109 00:06:01,661 --> 00:06:02,662 DAVID FERNANDEZ: The speed. 110 00:06:02,662 --> 00:06:03,463 What's going on? 111 00:06:03,463 --> 00:06:04,397 We're not climbing. 112 00:06:04,397 --> 00:06:06,165 No, I am climbing, but the speed. 113 00:06:06,165 --> 00:06:06,966 ERIC SCHREIBER: Hold it. 114 00:06:06,966 --> 00:06:07,734 Maintain speed. 115 00:06:10,303 --> 00:06:13,606 NARRATOR: Aeroperu 603 left the lights of Lima 116 00:06:13,606 --> 00:06:18,678 and headed out towards the Pacific Ocean 117 00:06:18,678 --> 00:06:21,280 with no airspeed or altitude instruments, 118 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:23,149 the pilots were now flying blind. 119 00:06:29,856 --> 00:06:31,557 The air traffic controller in Lima 120 00:06:31,557 --> 00:06:33,493 maintained contact with the plane, 121 00:06:33,493 --> 00:06:36,329 noting its altitude and course. 122 00:06:36,329 --> 00:06:39,532 He did not hear when the pilots got a new minor warning 123 00:06:39,532 --> 00:06:42,068 that they must adjust the rudder, which steers 124 00:06:42,068 --> 00:06:43,770 the aircraft left and right. 125 00:06:43,770 --> 00:06:47,573 ERIC SCHREIBER: 603, we are descending. 126 00:06:47,573 --> 00:06:49,041 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Rudder ratio. 127 00:06:49,041 --> 00:06:50,143 ERIC SCHREIBER: That's strange. 128 00:06:50,143 --> 00:06:53,179 Turn to the right. 129 00:06:53,179 --> 00:06:57,150 NARRATOR: Alan MacLeod is a veteran Air Canada pilot. 130 00:06:57,150 --> 00:07:00,686 They got a rudder ratio warning, which consists 131 00:07:00,686 --> 00:07:03,790 of an amber light that would come flashing on there 132 00:07:03,790 --> 00:07:07,126 with a little beeping horn and a message 133 00:07:07,126 --> 00:07:12,165 on this engine crew alerting system saying, rudder ratio. 134 00:07:12,165 --> 00:07:15,768 That's just a system that reduces the amount of rudder 135 00:07:15,768 --> 00:07:17,937 the airplane has that can be used 136 00:07:17,937 --> 00:07:20,706 as the airplane accelerates and goes faster and faster. 137 00:07:20,706 --> 00:07:23,976 Because it was sensing wrong or improper information, 138 00:07:23,976 --> 00:07:28,214 it sends default so it gave a warning to the crew. 139 00:07:28,214 --> 00:07:29,415 NARRATOR: The erratic warnings were 140 00:07:29,415 --> 00:07:32,585 being generated by the plane's central computer. 141 00:07:32,585 --> 00:07:34,687 But the pilots could not understand why. 142 00:07:34,687 --> 00:07:37,023 [warning alarm] 143 00:07:38,024 --> 00:07:40,960 Then the dead altimeters sprung to life. 144 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:42,261 Climb. Climb. 145 00:07:42,261 --> 00:07:43,062 Climb. 146 00:07:43,062 --> 00:07:43,963 Climb! 147 00:07:43,963 --> 00:07:45,531 DAVID FERNANDEZ: I am. 148 00:07:45,531 --> 00:07:46,332 ERIC SCHREIBER: Climb. 149 00:07:46,332 --> 00:07:47,466 You're going down, David. 150 00:07:47,466 --> 00:07:49,268 DAVID FERNANDEZ: I am up, but the speed. 151 00:07:49,268 --> 00:07:50,436 Yeah, but it's stuck. 152 00:07:50,436 --> 00:07:52,905 Mach trim, rudder ratio. 153 00:07:52,905 --> 00:07:53,706 Climb. 154 00:07:53,706 --> 00:07:57,710 Climb, climb, climb, climb! 155 00:07:57,710 --> 00:08:00,146 Set heading 100. 156 00:08:00,146 --> 00:08:04,317 Well, now you're-- it's OK on this heading. 157 00:08:04,317 --> 00:08:06,485 Set the climb thrust. 158 00:08:06,485 --> 00:08:10,223 Center autopilot in command. 159 00:08:10,223 --> 00:08:12,091 NARRATOR: Just as suddenly, the altitude 160 00:08:12,091 --> 00:08:14,126 readings returned to normal. 161 00:08:14,126 --> 00:08:16,062 The moment of calm would be brief. 162 00:08:24,170 --> 00:08:27,273 Just one minute after takeoff, Captain Schreiber 163 00:08:27,273 --> 00:08:29,242 attempted to engage the autopilot 164 00:08:29,242 --> 00:08:30,676 to give them time to think. 165 00:08:30,676 --> 00:08:31,811 There is no command. 166 00:08:31,811 --> 00:08:33,980 NARRATOR: The autopilot requires identical data 167 00:08:33,980 --> 00:08:37,250 from two of the aircraft's three flight control computers. 168 00:08:42,121 --> 00:08:43,689 But Schreiber's instrument ratings 169 00:08:43,689 --> 00:08:45,925 were so different from those of Fernandez, 170 00:08:45,925 --> 00:08:47,627 the autopilot disengaged. 171 00:08:50,563 --> 00:08:53,332 Then, another alert. 172 00:08:53,332 --> 00:08:54,533 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Mach trim. 173 00:08:54,533 --> 00:08:56,335 Mach trim. 174 00:08:56,335 --> 00:08:59,372 NARRATOR: Mach trim indicates that the aircraft is not 175 00:08:59,372 --> 00:09:03,009 flying in a level position, yet the 757 176 00:09:03,009 --> 00:09:06,612 seemed to be flying normally. 177 00:09:06,612 --> 00:09:07,780 Let's go to basic instruments. 178 00:09:07,780 --> 00:09:09,181 Everything's going to hell. 179 00:09:09,181 --> 00:09:12,251 ALAN MACLEOD: Mach speed trim is a system 180 00:09:12,251 --> 00:09:13,853 that trims the airplane. 181 00:09:13,853 --> 00:09:18,424 It changes the angle of the horizontal stabilizer 182 00:09:18,424 --> 00:09:21,527 in the back end of the airplane and that 183 00:09:21,527 --> 00:09:23,229 has to be changed as the airplane 184 00:09:23,229 --> 00:09:25,097 accelerates to a higher speed. 185 00:09:25,097 --> 00:09:28,000 It was getting false indications so they got 186 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,036 a warning that they had an overspeed, 187 00:09:30,036 --> 00:09:31,804 which, of course, they didn't. 188 00:09:31,804 --> 00:09:35,374 That warning would consist of, again, the master caution 189 00:09:35,374 --> 00:09:39,078 and a master warning, which is a red light associated 190 00:09:39,078 --> 00:09:43,416 with a an oral warning as well. 191 00:09:43,416 --> 00:09:46,619 NARRATOR: Despite confusing warnings and no autopilot, 192 00:09:46,619 --> 00:09:49,155 the aircraft was controllable. 193 00:09:49,155 --> 00:09:50,856 If necessary, Schreiber could have 194 00:09:50,856 --> 00:09:56,028 kept the plane aloft for hours, but he decided to land. 195 00:09:56,028 --> 00:09:59,398 He instructed his first officer to declare an emergency. 196 00:09:59,398 --> 00:10:00,900 We are in an emergency. 197 00:10:00,900 --> 00:10:02,601 Aeroperu-- 603, Lima. 198 00:10:02,601 --> 00:10:04,170 DAVID FERNANDEZ: We are declaring an emergency. 199 00:10:04,170 --> 00:10:06,672 We have no basic instruments, no altimeter, 200 00:10:06,672 --> 00:10:08,074 no airspeed indicator. 201 00:10:08,074 --> 00:10:09,041 Declaring emergency. 202 00:10:09,041 --> 00:10:09,842 ATC LIMA: Received. 203 00:10:09,842 --> 00:10:10,676 Altitude? 204 00:10:10,676 --> 00:10:12,611 DAVID FERNANDEZ: We don't have. 205 00:10:12,611 --> 00:10:17,216 We're up to 1,000 feet, approximately 1,700. 206 00:10:17,216 --> 00:10:19,452 ATC LIMA: 603, confirm if possible if you can change 207 00:10:19,452 --> 00:10:21,854 your frequency to 119.7 to make sure 208 00:10:21,854 --> 00:10:23,556 you can receive radar instructions. 209 00:10:23,556 --> 00:10:25,424 NARRATOR: Just 40 miles from Lima, 210 00:10:25,424 --> 00:10:29,829 the pilots of Aeroperu 603 now made their first attempt 211 00:10:29,829 --> 00:10:30,930 at an emergency landing. 212 00:10:30,930 --> 00:10:33,199 [warning alarm] 213 00:10:38,202 --> 00:10:41,606 Puzzled by their problems, the captain and first officer 214 00:10:41,606 --> 00:10:46,244 of flight 603 began to suspect that the Aeroperu ground crew 215 00:10:46,244 --> 00:10:47,545 had tampered with the aircraft. 216 00:10:53,284 --> 00:10:55,219 [warning alarm] 217 00:10:55,219 --> 00:10:59,123 DAVID FERNANDEZ: We changed to 119.7. 218 00:10:59,123 --> 00:11:03,061 ERIC SCHREIBER: Autothrottle disconnected by itself. 219 00:11:03,061 --> 00:11:05,129 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Those [bleep] at maintenance move everything. 220 00:11:05,129 --> 00:11:08,199 What [bleep] have they done? 221 00:11:08,199 --> 00:11:10,201 I'll take the controls now. 222 00:11:10,201 --> 00:11:12,036 DAVID FERNANDEZ: OK, you have control. 223 00:11:12,036 --> 00:11:14,906 NARRATOR: The pilots did not know that their suspicions 224 00:11:14,906 --> 00:11:16,007 were close to the truth. 225 00:11:25,450 --> 00:11:27,585 But there was no time to speculate further. 226 00:11:34,826 --> 00:11:36,861 ERIC SCHREIBER: Lima, 603. 227 00:11:36,861 --> 00:11:38,796 ATC LIMA: Aeroperu 603, Lima. 228 00:11:38,796 --> 00:11:42,233 DAVID FERNANDEZ: We request vectors for ILS, runway 15. 229 00:11:42,233 --> 00:11:43,868 NARRATOR: They sought the runway with the help 230 00:11:43,868 --> 00:11:46,471 of a guidance transmitter called the instrument 231 00:11:46,471 --> 00:11:48,973 landing system, or ILS. 232 00:11:48,973 --> 00:11:51,743 The ILS provides information on their course 233 00:11:51,743 --> 00:11:54,345 while altitude information comes from the aircraft's 234 00:11:54,345 --> 00:11:56,581 transponder. 235 00:11:56,581 --> 00:11:57,382 Affirmative. 236 00:11:57,382 --> 00:11:59,417 Maintain present altitude. 237 00:11:59,417 --> 00:12:01,185 DAVID FERNANDEZ: What level do we have? 238 00:12:01,185 --> 00:12:02,520 We have 4,000 feet. 239 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:03,354 Can you confirm for us? 240 00:12:03,354 --> 00:12:04,155 Correct. 241 00:12:04,155 --> 00:12:05,923 Maintain 4,000. 242 00:12:05,923 --> 00:12:07,291 NARRATOR: Schreiber and Fernandez 243 00:12:07,291 --> 00:12:10,762 have never experienced nor been trained for this emergency. 244 00:12:10,762 --> 00:12:13,498 Autothrottle disconnect. 245 00:12:13,498 --> 00:12:15,266 Really, we don't have any control. 246 00:12:15,266 --> 00:12:18,970 We don't have any control, not even the basics. 247 00:12:18,970 --> 00:12:20,171 Let's see. 248 00:12:20,171 --> 00:12:21,372 Check everything. 249 00:12:21,372 --> 00:12:23,041 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: The airplane was controllable, 250 00:12:23,041 --> 00:12:26,778 but you first have to diagnose what's wrong. 251 00:12:26,778 --> 00:12:29,147 And it's very easy from 20/20 hindsight, 252 00:12:29,147 --> 00:12:33,384 sitting here in a chair on a nice sunny day, to say, 253 00:12:33,384 --> 00:12:35,286 this is what he should have done. 254 00:12:35,286 --> 00:12:41,626 But in the cold, dark night with bells and whistles going off, 255 00:12:41,626 --> 00:12:46,264 it's very difficult to analyze conflicting information 256 00:12:46,264 --> 00:12:47,899 that you're getting. 257 00:12:47,899 --> 00:12:51,502 This kind of a problem that they faced that night 258 00:12:51,502 --> 00:12:58,776 was probably one of 10 over the last 20 or 30 years 259 00:12:58,776 --> 00:13:00,278 that has been similar to this. 260 00:13:07,652 --> 00:13:09,454 NARRATOR: Over the dark Pacific Ocean, 261 00:13:09,454 --> 00:13:13,524 the pilots could not determine altitude nor speed by sight. 262 00:13:13,524 --> 00:13:16,627 They requested that the tower help guide them in. 263 00:13:16,627 --> 00:13:18,062 Responding. 264 00:13:18,062 --> 00:13:20,832 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Airspeed is zero, all speeds. 265 00:13:20,832 --> 00:13:22,166 Crazy. 266 00:13:22,166 --> 00:13:23,768 Can you give us the airspeed, please, 267 00:13:23,768 --> 00:13:25,470 if you have us on the radar? 268 00:13:25,470 --> 00:13:26,738 ATC LIMA: Yes, affirmative. 269 00:13:26,738 --> 00:13:28,573 As of 10 seconds, it seems that you're 270 00:13:28,573 --> 00:13:34,345 climbing at level 6,000 at 22 miles south on heading 195. 271 00:13:34,345 --> 00:13:36,347 NARRATOR: The air traffic controller's computers 272 00:13:36,347 --> 00:13:39,350 calculated a correct airspeed by measuring the plane's 273 00:13:39,350 --> 00:13:42,553 movement over the ground. 274 00:13:42,553 --> 00:13:43,988 OK, we have that. 275 00:13:43,988 --> 00:13:46,390 We are on heading 190 and we have 276 00:13:46,390 --> 00:13:47,792 7,000 feet on the altimeter. 277 00:13:47,792 --> 00:13:48,593 Yes, correct. 278 00:13:48,593 --> 00:13:50,261 You're now reaching 7,000. 279 00:13:50,261 --> 00:13:53,297 NARRATOR: But neither the pilots nor the air traffic controller 280 00:13:53,297 --> 00:13:57,535 knew that the altitude indicated on the scope was incorrect. 281 00:13:57,535 --> 00:14:00,638 It was coming from the plane's erratic computer. 282 00:14:00,638 --> 00:14:03,941 GUIDO FERNANDEZ: The air traffic controller would try to help 283 00:14:03,941 --> 00:14:06,911 the pilot, but he was receiving the wrong information 284 00:14:06,911 --> 00:14:07,912 on altitude. 285 00:14:07,912 --> 00:14:10,181 He was receiving wrong indications 286 00:14:10,181 --> 00:14:12,016 from the captain's altimeter. 287 00:14:12,016 --> 00:14:14,852 NARRATOR: Investigators would later discover that Aeroperu 288 00:14:14,852 --> 00:14:19,023 603 was drifting downward while the altimeter showed them 289 00:14:19,023 --> 00:14:21,692 at a near constant 10,000 feet. 290 00:14:21,692 --> 00:14:24,595 The passengers were as of yet unaware of the drama 291 00:14:24,595 --> 00:14:25,763 unfolding in the cockpit. 292 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,302 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Avoid large or abrupt radar 293 00:14:31,302 --> 00:14:34,806 inputs if normal left hydraulic system pressure available. 294 00:14:34,806 --> 00:14:37,575 Left hydraulic system available. 295 00:14:37,575 --> 00:14:38,776 Yes, crosswind. 296 00:14:38,776 --> 00:14:40,444 Do not attempt an auto land. 297 00:14:40,444 --> 00:14:43,548 Said left hydraulic system available. 298 00:14:43,548 --> 00:14:44,515 Yes, crosswind. 299 00:14:44,515 --> 00:14:46,117 Do not attempt an auto land. 300 00:14:49,086 --> 00:14:50,488 NARRATOR: In Lima, the air traffic 301 00:14:50,488 --> 00:14:53,958 controller continued to guide Aeroperu 603 back 302 00:14:53,958 --> 00:14:54,759 to the ground. 303 00:14:58,396 --> 00:15:00,765 ATC LIMA: Aeroperu 603, we are observing you now 304 00:15:00,765 --> 00:15:02,366 at level 9,200. 305 00:15:02,366 --> 00:15:03,467 What is your heading now? 306 00:15:03,467 --> 00:15:05,469 We're heading level 205. 307 00:15:05,469 --> 00:15:06,604 ATC LIMA: Affirmative. 308 00:15:06,604 --> 00:15:08,673 You are turning slowly to the right, correct? 309 00:15:08,673 --> 00:15:12,610 No, we are maintaining course to stay away from the coast. 310 00:15:12,610 --> 00:15:15,112 NARRATOR: With incorrect altitude information being 311 00:15:15,112 --> 00:15:17,682 transmitted from the aircraft to the tower, 312 00:15:17,682 --> 00:15:20,852 they did not realize that the plane was descending. 313 00:15:24,021 --> 00:15:25,990 Your distance is 30 miles. 314 00:15:25,990 --> 00:15:27,792 Do you want a heading to proceed to the localizer? 315 00:15:27,792 --> 00:15:29,227 Correct? DAVID FERNANDEZ: Correct. 316 00:15:29,227 --> 00:15:32,196 We're going to suggest course north 360. 317 00:15:32,196 --> 00:15:33,965 360. 318 00:15:33,965 --> 00:15:36,467 We have problems here reading the instruments. 319 00:15:36,467 --> 00:15:39,470 You're going to have to help me with altitudes and air speeds, 320 00:15:39,470 --> 00:15:41,172 if it is possible. 321 00:15:41,172 --> 00:15:43,007 OK, received. 322 00:15:43,007 --> 00:15:44,141 ERIC SCHREIBER: Let's go. 323 00:15:44,141 --> 00:15:47,411 DAVID FERNANDEZ: The approach is set. 324 00:15:47,411 --> 00:15:50,715 NARRATOR: The 757 computers sent critical warnings, 325 00:15:50,715 --> 00:15:53,551 information that the pilots were trained to obey 326 00:15:53,551 --> 00:15:54,685 but could not trust. 327 00:15:58,256 --> 00:16:01,058 Let's try to make a descent on this heading. 328 00:16:01,058 --> 00:16:02,660 DAVID FERNANDEZ: It's climbing. 329 00:16:02,660 --> 00:16:05,529 NARRATOR: The airspeed plummeted to below stall speed 330 00:16:05,529 --> 00:16:09,467 and then raced up again. 331 00:16:09,467 --> 00:16:12,536 ERIC SCHREIBER: Let's go down to 10,000 feet. 332 00:16:12,536 --> 00:16:15,106 Why does the speed go away so fast? 333 00:16:15,106 --> 00:16:16,474 Could it be the real speed? 334 00:16:16,474 --> 00:16:18,476 DAVID FERNANDEZ: That's what worries me. 335 00:16:18,476 --> 00:16:20,745 No, I don't think so. 336 00:16:20,745 --> 00:16:22,780 Can you verify our speed, please. 337 00:16:22,780 --> 00:16:24,916 320 is indicated. 338 00:16:24,916 --> 00:16:26,617 We have 350, but the-- 339 00:16:26,617 --> 00:16:28,319 The engines are on idle but we keep 340 00:16:28,319 --> 00:16:30,388 accelerating and accelerating. 341 00:16:30,388 --> 00:16:31,956 ATC LIMA: OK, received. 342 00:16:31,956 --> 00:16:33,691 NARRATOR: Nerves were now stretched tight. 343 00:16:36,327 --> 00:16:38,029 GUIDO FERNANDEZ: Both pilots were really confused. 344 00:16:38,029 --> 00:16:39,430 They didn't know what to do. 345 00:16:39,430 --> 00:16:44,201 They didn't know how to act, and they did inhuman efforts 346 00:16:44,201 --> 00:16:45,836 to save the aircraft. 347 00:16:45,836 --> 00:16:52,243 But I mean, they were really tired 348 00:16:52,243 --> 00:16:56,781 of all the work and all the confusion and all the alarms. 349 00:16:56,781 --> 00:16:58,249 NARRATOR: Fernandez suggested that they 350 00:16:58,249 --> 00:17:02,987 try the speed brakes used to rapidly slow the aircraft. 351 00:17:02,987 --> 00:17:04,121 Extend the speed brakes. 352 00:17:06,857 --> 00:17:09,627 NARRATOR: For a moment, it appeared to be working. 353 00:17:09,627 --> 00:17:11,829 Then another warning. 354 00:17:11,829 --> 00:17:14,298 All three indicators are fine on speed. 355 00:17:14,298 --> 00:17:17,401 Fine on-- overspeed. 356 00:17:17,401 --> 00:17:21,038 NARRATOR: Overspeed means that the plane is flying too fast. 357 00:17:21,038 --> 00:17:22,673 The pilots didn't believe it. 358 00:17:22,673 --> 00:17:27,845 But if it was right, the 757 could be torn apart. 359 00:17:27,845 --> 00:17:29,747 They were forced to make a decision 360 00:17:29,747 --> 00:17:32,083 to speed up or slow down. 361 00:17:32,083 --> 00:17:34,852 If they got it wrong, 70 people would die. 362 00:17:41,625 --> 00:17:44,195 15 minutes had passed since takeoff. 363 00:17:44,195 --> 00:17:48,165 Then the computerized brain of Aeroperu flight 603 364 00:17:48,165 --> 00:17:52,236 sent another burst of contradictory warnings. 365 00:17:52,236 --> 00:17:53,337 Rudder ratio. 366 00:17:53,337 --> 00:17:54,138 Can't be. 367 00:17:54,138 --> 00:17:55,506 Nothing's disconnecting. 368 00:17:55,506 --> 00:17:57,875 All engine instruments are OK. 369 00:17:57,875 --> 00:17:59,377 [bleep] 370 00:17:59,377 --> 00:18:01,379 What can our real speed be? 371 00:18:01,379 --> 00:18:02,913 ATC LIMA: The speed indications are OK. 372 00:18:02,913 --> 00:18:06,550 NARRATOR: Lima tower provided their only chance of survival. 373 00:18:06,550 --> 00:18:09,053 We are observing you crossing the 260 of Lima 374 00:18:09,053 --> 00:18:10,321 at 31 miles west. 375 00:18:10,321 --> 00:18:12,123 Level is 10,700. 376 00:18:12,123 --> 00:18:15,393 Velocity is approximately 280 over the ground. 377 00:18:15,393 --> 00:18:16,727 Perfect. 378 00:18:16,727 --> 00:18:19,497 NARRATOR: The controller's altitude reading was incorrect, 379 00:18:19,497 --> 00:18:23,701 junk information being generated by the 757's computers 380 00:18:23,701 --> 00:18:27,438 and radioed to the tower. 381 00:18:27,438 --> 00:18:28,539 Overspeed. 382 00:18:28,539 --> 00:18:30,808 NARRATOR: The brakes were on, but now 383 00:18:30,808 --> 00:18:33,911 another overspeed warning. 384 00:18:33,911 --> 00:18:36,781 Then the stall warning sounded. 385 00:18:36,781 --> 00:18:37,982 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Let's descend. 386 00:18:37,982 --> 00:18:39,917 Can't be overspeed. 387 00:18:39,917 --> 00:18:42,153 We're still flying. 388 00:18:42,153 --> 00:18:43,954 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: In aviation, you always 389 00:18:43,954 --> 00:18:46,357 figure, what's gonna kill me? 390 00:18:46,357 --> 00:18:48,025 What is the critical thing? 391 00:18:48,025 --> 00:18:52,696 Let's take care of that first, and then we'll 392 00:18:52,696 --> 00:18:57,835 take care of the other, lesser issues later on. 393 00:18:57,835 --> 00:19:01,672 When you get a stall warning or when 394 00:19:01,672 --> 00:19:05,176 you get an overspeed indication, you need to pay 395 00:19:05,176 --> 00:19:06,310 attention to those immediately. 396 00:19:06,310 --> 00:19:08,612 In this case, they were getting both a stall 397 00:19:08,612 --> 00:19:09,747 warning and an overspeed. 398 00:19:09,747 --> 00:19:12,450 Well, which is right? 399 00:19:12,450 --> 00:19:13,984 NARRATOR: First Officer David Fernandez 400 00:19:13,984 --> 00:19:17,488 finally realized that the odds were against a safe landing. 401 00:19:17,488 --> 00:19:20,057 We request, is there any plane that 402 00:19:20,057 --> 00:19:21,859 can take off and rescue us? 403 00:19:21,859 --> 00:19:22,660 Acknowledged. 404 00:19:22,660 --> 00:19:25,296 Rescue has been alerted. 405 00:19:25,296 --> 00:19:27,765 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Any plane in the area to guide us? 406 00:19:27,765 --> 00:19:30,267 An Aeroperu that may be in the area? 407 00:19:30,267 --> 00:19:31,235 Anybody? 408 00:19:31,235 --> 00:19:32,603 Oh, don't say anything like that. 409 00:19:32,603 --> 00:19:35,973 Yes, because right now we are in a stall. 410 00:19:35,973 --> 00:19:38,275 NARRATOR: A stick shaker vibrated violently, 411 00:19:38,275 --> 00:19:41,545 indicating that the 757 was going to slow 412 00:19:41,545 --> 00:19:43,414 and could fall from the sky. 413 00:19:43,414 --> 00:19:47,151 Aeroperu 603, we have a 707 that is leaving for Pudahuel. 414 00:19:47,151 --> 00:19:48,152 We will advise him. 415 00:19:48,152 --> 00:19:49,820 We are not in a stall. 416 00:19:49,820 --> 00:19:51,489 It's a false alarm. 417 00:19:51,489 --> 00:19:55,092 NARRATOR: Schreiber's airspeed indicator read 350 knots, 418 00:19:55,092 --> 00:19:57,695 well above stall speed. 419 00:19:57,695 --> 00:19:59,630 DAVID FERNANDEZ: No, we have stick shaker. 420 00:19:59,630 --> 00:20:00,998 It has to be. 421 00:20:00,998 --> 00:20:02,466 ERIC SCHREIBER: But even with speed brakes and everything 422 00:20:02,466 --> 00:20:04,435 we're maintaining 9,500 feet. 423 00:20:04,435 --> 00:20:06,470 Why aren't we getting the same reading? 424 00:20:06,470 --> 00:20:08,873 ALAN MACLEOD: When the airplane is slowed up 425 00:20:08,873 --> 00:20:12,009 to a point in the air that it can no longer sustain 426 00:20:12,009 --> 00:20:15,079 itself in flight, it stalls. 427 00:20:15,079 --> 00:20:17,014 The wing stalls or stops flying. 428 00:20:17,014 --> 00:20:20,584 There's a warning system built into the airplane that tells 429 00:20:20,584 --> 00:20:22,386 the pilots when that's happening and it's 430 00:20:22,386 --> 00:20:24,722 known as a stick shaker, along with a voice 431 00:20:24,722 --> 00:20:26,891 warning, which we just heard. 432 00:20:26,891 --> 00:20:29,226 When the stick shaker goes off because the airplane has slowed 433 00:20:29,226 --> 00:20:32,363 down too much, you get a warning like this where the control 434 00:20:32,363 --> 00:20:35,933 column is shaking and vibrating along with the voice warning 435 00:20:35,933 --> 00:20:37,701 saying that the airplane is stalling. 436 00:20:37,701 --> 00:20:39,069 And of course, the pilots would go 437 00:20:39,069 --> 00:20:42,273 into the aircraft stall recovery procedure at that point. 438 00:20:42,273 --> 00:20:44,675 NARRATOR: In the battle between man and machine, 439 00:20:44,675 --> 00:20:48,212 the deranged 757 was winning. 440 00:20:48,212 --> 00:20:52,616 The pilots now had no sense of where they were or how high. 441 00:20:52,616 --> 00:20:55,419 They had gradually been descending and were now 442 00:20:55,419 --> 00:20:58,189 just 1,000 feet over the sea. 443 00:20:59,957 --> 00:21:03,360 Lima tower, misguided by Aeroperu 603's 444 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,263 incorrect transponder, reassured the pilots 445 00:21:06,263 --> 00:21:08,098 that they were at 10,000 feet. 446 00:21:08,098 --> 00:21:11,469 ATC LIMA: Aeroperu 603, you are now flying on course 120. 447 00:21:11,469 --> 00:21:13,471 We observe you to be at level 10,000. 448 00:21:13,471 --> 00:21:16,674 Your speed is approximately 220 and a distance from Lima 449 00:21:16,674 --> 00:21:18,742 of 33 miles to the northwest. 450 00:21:18,742 --> 00:21:20,978 The 707 will be ready in 15 minutes 451 00:21:20,978 --> 00:21:22,546 to fly west to help you. 452 00:21:22,546 --> 00:21:24,048 NARRATOR: The pilots had to abandon 453 00:21:24,048 --> 00:21:25,683 their attempt at landing. 454 00:21:25,683 --> 00:21:28,152 The best hope now is that another aircraft 455 00:21:28,152 --> 00:21:31,856 could get airborne and guide the 757 back to the airport. 456 00:21:35,192 --> 00:21:36,927 Terrain. 457 00:21:36,927 --> 00:21:38,229 Too low. Terrain. 458 00:21:38,229 --> 00:21:39,029 What's happening? 459 00:21:39,029 --> 00:21:40,364 Too low, terrain? 460 00:21:40,364 --> 00:21:42,233 NARRATOR: Now the pilots received the most 461 00:21:42,233 --> 00:21:44,268 terrifying warning of all. 462 00:21:44,268 --> 00:21:45,970 It is called the ground proximity 463 00:21:45,970 --> 00:21:49,840 alarm, meaning a collision with the Earth is imminent. 464 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,476 The tower had told them they were at 10,000 feet. 465 00:21:52,476 --> 00:21:53,577 Course of 300. 466 00:21:53,577 --> 00:21:54,845 DAVID FERNANDEZ: We have the terrain alarm 467 00:21:54,845 --> 00:21:57,014 and we're supposed to be at 10,000 feet? 468 00:21:57,014 --> 00:21:59,483 ATC LIMA: According to the monitor, you have 105. 469 00:21:59,483 --> 00:22:02,219 Too low, terrain. 470 00:22:02,219 --> 00:22:03,988 Too low, terrain. 471 00:22:03,988 --> 00:22:06,690 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: There is no checklist for if you have 472 00:22:06,690 --> 00:22:10,895 these seven or eight warnings going off-- which they did, 473 00:22:10,895 --> 00:22:12,930 and they couldn't shut them off. 474 00:22:12,930 --> 00:22:16,100 It's a very rattling experience. 475 00:22:16,100 --> 00:22:18,402 I could play that tape for you and you hear those things. 476 00:22:18,402 --> 00:22:19,203 Whoop, whoop. 477 00:22:19,203 --> 00:22:20,671 Pull up. Terrain. 478 00:22:20,671 --> 00:22:22,006 Terrain. 479 00:22:22,006 --> 00:22:24,074 And all of these things going off, and the stick shaker. 480 00:22:24,074 --> 00:22:26,343 [imitates boing] 481 00:22:27,745 --> 00:22:31,415 It's a very unnerving environment. 482 00:22:31,415 --> 00:22:33,551 All the computers are going crazy here. 483 00:22:33,551 --> 00:22:35,519 Too low, terrain. 484 00:22:35,519 --> 00:22:37,655 Too low, Terrain. 485 00:22:37,655 --> 00:22:40,124 NARRATOR: Schreiber turned the aircraft toward the sea, 486 00:22:40,124 --> 00:22:45,262 away from a possible collision with a mountain or skyscraper. 487 00:22:45,262 --> 00:22:49,233 Despite the erroneous warnings, the terrain alarm was correct. 488 00:22:49,233 --> 00:22:51,201 ALAN MACLEOD: There's a system on board the aircraft crowned 489 00:22:51,201 --> 00:22:53,771 the ground proximity warning system, 490 00:22:53,771 --> 00:22:58,709 and it senses a rate of descent in the airplane. 491 00:22:58,709 --> 00:23:00,611 The irony of the situation was they were 492 00:23:00,611 --> 00:23:02,112 getting warnings from that saying too 493 00:23:02,112 --> 00:23:05,249 low, terrain, terrain, too low. 494 00:23:05,249 --> 00:23:07,151 That probably, in all probability, 495 00:23:07,151 --> 00:23:08,419 was a true warning. 496 00:23:08,419 --> 00:23:11,055 But because they'd been subjected to so many warnings 497 00:23:11,055 --> 00:23:15,726 and ongoing false warnings and horns, bells, and whistles 498 00:23:15,726 --> 00:23:18,062 that they didn't really, I don't think, 499 00:23:18,062 --> 00:23:21,532 react to that too seriously. 500 00:23:21,532 --> 00:23:23,934 NARRATOR: The tower confirmed that the 757 501 00:23:23,934 --> 00:23:27,371 had turned away from the airport out toward the open Pacific. 502 00:23:27,371 --> 00:23:30,074 ATC LIMA: Observing 42 miles flying to the west. 503 00:23:30,074 --> 00:23:31,475 Course 250. 504 00:23:31,475 --> 00:23:33,310 We are over water, aren't we? 505 00:23:33,310 --> 00:23:34,144 ATC LIMA: Affirmative. 506 00:23:34,144 --> 00:23:35,045 Over the water. 507 00:23:35,045 --> 00:23:37,214 You are 42 miles to the west. 508 00:23:37,214 --> 00:23:39,583 NARRATOR: Now in darkness and heavy haze, 509 00:23:39,583 --> 00:23:41,785 the pilots had another problem with their speed. 510 00:23:44,521 --> 00:23:45,923 Are we going down now? 511 00:23:45,923 --> 00:23:48,325 We have 370 knots. 512 00:23:48,325 --> 00:23:49,994 Are we descending now? 513 00:23:49,994 --> 00:23:51,595 We're showing the same speed. 514 00:23:51,595 --> 00:23:54,865 You have 200 knots speed approximately. 515 00:23:54,865 --> 00:23:56,734 Speed 200 knots? 516 00:23:56,734 --> 00:23:59,603 ATC LIMA: 220 ground speed, reducing speed slightly. 517 00:23:59,603 --> 00:24:01,372 NARRATOR: The pilots were stunned. 518 00:24:01,372 --> 00:24:05,142 200 knots was precariously close to stall speed. 519 00:24:05,142 --> 00:24:06,710 Damn, we're gonna stall right now. 520 00:24:09,813 --> 00:24:10,648 Let's go up. 521 00:24:10,648 --> 00:24:11,448 Let's see. 522 00:24:11,448 --> 00:24:12,716 Let's go up here. 523 00:24:12,716 --> 00:24:15,653 NARRATOR: The two men struggled with a deadly situation. 524 00:24:15,653 --> 00:24:18,756 A computer that warns them of flying too fast, too 525 00:24:18,756 --> 00:24:21,358 slow, and too low all at once. 526 00:24:21,358 --> 00:24:22,159 [warning alarm] 527 00:24:22,159 --> 00:24:23,661 Too low, terrain. 528 00:24:30,668 --> 00:24:32,670 Terrain. 529 00:24:32,670 --> 00:24:35,272 NARRATOR: Schreiber now decided to risk a second attempt 530 00:24:35,272 --> 00:24:38,442 at landing, seeking the signal known as the ILS 531 00:24:38,442 --> 00:24:40,344 to guide the aircraft to the runway. too 532 00:24:40,344 --> 00:24:41,679 Low, terrain. 533 00:24:41,679 --> 00:24:43,414 I wanna try to intercept the ILS. 534 00:24:43,414 --> 00:24:46,316 I'm trying to descend. 535 00:24:46,316 --> 00:24:48,619 Lima, Aeroperu 603. 536 00:24:48,619 --> 00:24:51,155 We will try to intercept the ILS. 537 00:24:51,155 --> 00:24:54,191 Let us know if we are in. 538 00:24:54,191 --> 00:24:56,226 ATC LIMA: Received, Aeroperu 603. 539 00:24:56,226 --> 00:24:58,195 You show now level 9,700. 540 00:24:58,195 --> 00:25:00,597 NARRATOR: The instruments seemed to be working. 541 00:25:00,597 --> 00:25:02,900 For a moment, there was a glimmer of hope. 542 00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:04,101 This one's right. 543 00:25:04,101 --> 00:25:05,869 This one's OK too. 544 00:25:05,869 --> 00:25:07,104 NARRATOR: The air traffic controller 545 00:25:07,104 --> 00:25:10,140 attempted to raise the pilot spirits with good news. 546 00:25:10,140 --> 00:25:12,176 Standby to verify speed. 547 00:25:12,176 --> 00:25:13,844 The 707 is about to take off. 548 00:25:13,844 --> 00:25:14,978 It is on taxi. 549 00:25:14,978 --> 00:25:16,313 DAVID FERNANDEZ: Confirm our speed. 550 00:25:16,313 --> 00:25:17,648 It is very important. 551 00:25:17,648 --> 00:25:20,250 We do not have any speed indications on board. 552 00:25:20,250 --> 00:25:21,285 ATC LIMA: Understood. 553 00:25:21,285 --> 00:25:22,419 You're starting to turn and we observe 554 00:25:22,419 --> 00:25:24,888 your ground speed at 270. 555 00:25:24,888 --> 00:25:25,856 Stay there, Eric. 556 00:25:25,856 --> 00:25:29,059 270 is OK. 557 00:25:29,059 --> 00:25:30,794 NARRATOR: They now knew their speed, 558 00:25:30,794 --> 00:25:32,696 but altitude remained fatally wrong. 559 00:25:36,033 --> 00:25:38,035 ATC LIMA: Altitude is 9,700. 560 00:25:38,035 --> 00:25:41,438 Your speed is 240 knots ground speed on the monitor. 561 00:25:41,438 --> 00:25:43,240 How can we be flying at this speed 562 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:46,910 if we're descending with engines on idle? 563 00:25:46,910 --> 00:25:48,679 Give me the altitude, please. 564 00:25:48,679 --> 00:25:50,681 ATC LIMA: Yes, you are maintaining 9700 565 00:25:50,681 --> 00:25:52,216 according to the scope, sir. 566 00:25:52,216 --> 00:25:53,684 9,700? 567 00:25:53,684 --> 00:25:54,852 ATC LIMA: Yes, correct. 568 00:25:54,852 --> 00:25:56,320 What is your indicated altitude? 569 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:57,921 Do you have any visual reference? 570 00:25:57,921 --> 00:25:59,189 DAVID FERNANDEZ: 9,700? 571 00:25:59,189 --> 00:26:01,759 But it is indicating too low terrain. 572 00:26:01,759 --> 00:26:05,195 Are you sure you have us on the radar at 50 miles? 573 00:26:05,195 --> 00:26:05,996 Hey, look. 574 00:26:05,996 --> 00:26:07,331 We're 370. 575 00:26:07,331 --> 00:26:08,132 We have-- 576 00:26:08,132 --> 00:26:09,633 370 of what? 577 00:26:09,633 --> 00:26:10,467 Do we lower gear? 578 00:26:13,570 --> 00:26:15,405 Aeroperu 603, Lima. 579 00:26:15,405 --> 00:26:17,174 What do we do with the gear? 580 00:26:17,174 --> 00:26:22,179 NARRATOR: Suddenly they realize the awful truth. 581 00:26:22,179 --> 00:26:23,580 We're hitting water! 582 00:26:23,580 --> 00:26:24,481 Pull it up! 583 00:26:24,481 --> 00:26:25,282 Climb! 584 00:26:25,282 --> 00:26:26,283 Climb, Aeroperu 603. 585 00:26:26,283 --> 00:26:28,352 If you need to, pull up. 586 00:26:28,352 --> 00:26:31,588 NARRATOR: For 20 seconds the pilots struggled for altitude. 587 00:26:34,491 --> 00:26:36,927 [warning alarm] 588 00:26:37,895 --> 00:26:38,729 I've got her. 589 00:26:38,729 --> 00:26:40,764 I've got it. 590 00:26:40,764 --> 00:26:42,399 We're gonna turn over! 591 00:26:42,399 --> 00:26:44,835 [warning alarm] 592 00:26:49,673 --> 00:26:57,047 ATC LIMA: Aeroperu 603, Lima. 593 00:26:57,047 --> 00:26:59,750 Aeroperu 603, Lima. 594 00:26:59,750 --> 00:27:02,219 [suspenseful music] 595 00:27:13,426 --> 00:27:15,595 NARRATOR: The next morning, Mexican businessman 596 00:27:15,595 --> 00:27:20,099 Monus Albert learned that an Aeroperu flight had crashed. 597 00:27:20,099 --> 00:27:22,201 REPORTER: Five minutes after takeoff, the crew informed 598 00:27:22,201 --> 00:27:24,070 the tower that they were having an emergency 599 00:27:24,070 --> 00:27:26,939 and they requested clearance to return to Lima. 600 00:27:26,939 --> 00:27:31,310 During the process, contact with the aircraft was lost at 01:10, 601 00:27:31,310 --> 00:27:33,412 with the latest position of the aircraft being 50 miles 602 00:27:33,412 --> 00:27:35,081 north of the city of Lima. 603 00:27:35,081 --> 00:27:38,050 About 6 o'clock in the morning I got up and turned on the news 604 00:27:38,050 --> 00:27:41,787 channel, and I heard there was a crash, 605 00:27:41,787 --> 00:27:45,391 an airplane crash of Aeroperu, but the news 606 00:27:45,391 --> 00:27:48,427 mentioned New York to Lima. 607 00:27:48,427 --> 00:27:50,863 REPORTER: Rescue operations are underway by authorities. 608 00:27:50,863 --> 00:27:52,732 The aircraft was carrying 261 passengers 609 00:27:52,732 --> 00:27:54,267 and nine crew members. 610 00:27:54,267 --> 00:27:56,402 NARRATOR: His brother-in-law and his business partner 611 00:27:56,402 --> 00:28:00,072 were on Aeroperu 603. 612 00:28:00,072 --> 00:28:01,774 MONUS ALBERT: So I went to the shower 613 00:28:01,774 --> 00:28:03,943 and didn't pay a lot of attention. 614 00:28:03,943 --> 00:28:07,213 But when I came out they corrected the news 615 00:28:07,213 --> 00:28:10,249 and they said from Lima to Santiago, 616 00:28:10,249 --> 00:28:15,521 and I knew in that lane Kenny and Abraham were flying. 617 00:28:15,521 --> 00:28:16,856 The news was very vague. 618 00:28:16,856 --> 00:28:19,759 So they mentioned there might be some survivors 619 00:28:19,759 --> 00:28:24,764 and they mentioned that the plane crashed on the Pacific 620 00:28:24,764 --> 00:28:28,601 Ocean, and they didn't have a lot of news 621 00:28:28,601 --> 00:28:30,436 and the crash was at night. 622 00:28:30,436 --> 00:28:35,608 So in my mind I thought that the plane sort of landed on water 623 00:28:35,608 --> 00:28:39,412 and most people got out. 624 00:28:39,412 --> 00:28:41,814 NARRATOR: Guido Fernandez had just been appointed 625 00:28:41,814 --> 00:28:44,483 Peru's accident investigator. 626 00:28:44,483 --> 00:28:46,986 Aeroperu was his first case. 627 00:28:46,986 --> 00:28:50,790 The co-pilot David Fernandez was his nephew. 628 00:28:50,790 --> 00:28:52,024 GUIDO FERNANDEZ: I was in bed. 629 00:28:52,024 --> 00:28:58,998 It was about 4:30 in the morning, and they called me. 630 00:28:58,998 --> 00:29:05,004 Your nephew is lost in an airplane. 631 00:29:05,004 --> 00:29:07,306 They asked me, I mean, how do you feel that your nephew was 632 00:29:07,306 --> 00:29:08,107 the co-pilot? 633 00:29:08,107 --> 00:29:09,642 My gosh, I feel very bad. 634 00:29:09,642 --> 00:29:12,111 But I'm a professional and I have to do a job. 635 00:29:12,111 --> 00:29:18,784 I have to comply and complete my duty, so that's what I did. 636 00:29:21,754 --> 00:29:23,255 NARRATOR: Fernandez rushed to the crash 637 00:29:23,255 --> 00:29:25,224 site in a Navy helicopter. 638 00:29:25,224 --> 00:29:28,828 It was clear there were no survivors. 639 00:29:28,828 --> 00:29:32,198 Nine bodies were floating in the debris. 640 00:29:32,198 --> 00:29:45,211 The rest sank to the bottom with the 757. 641 00:29:45,211 --> 00:29:47,513 Fernandez met with the air traffic controller 642 00:29:47,513 --> 00:29:48,948 at Lima tower. 643 00:29:48,948 --> 00:29:50,916 His account was baffling. 644 00:29:50,916 --> 00:29:53,519 GUIDO FERNANDEZ: Well, the controller really didn't know. 645 00:29:53,519 --> 00:29:59,492 He was just trying to help, so he did all he could to help. 646 00:29:59,492 --> 00:30:05,898 But unfortunately for him, it was a new emergency too. 647 00:30:05,898 --> 00:30:10,836 [radio chatter] 648 00:30:10,836 --> 00:30:13,773 NARRATOR: Fernandez put thoughts of his nephew out of his mind. 649 00:30:13,773 --> 00:30:15,875 His job was to retrieve the aircraft's 650 00:30:15,875 --> 00:30:19,912 flight data and voice recorders to determine what happened. 651 00:30:19,912 --> 00:30:22,381 He needed help. 652 00:30:22,381 --> 00:30:23,349 [radio chatter] 653 00:30:30,056 --> 00:30:33,059 Fernandez contacted the National Transportation Safety Board 654 00:30:33,059 --> 00:30:36,462 in Washington DC, the world's leading agency for air 655 00:30:36,462 --> 00:30:39,999 accident investigations. 656 00:30:39,999 --> 00:30:41,600 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: They had found the aircraft. 657 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,937 It was pretty well documented by radar. 658 00:30:44,937 --> 00:30:51,744 The Navy, the Peruvian Navy, had gotten a fix on the flotsam 659 00:30:51,744 --> 00:30:53,646 and the wreckage in the ocean. 660 00:30:53,646 --> 00:30:59,351 And the only thing left to do was find it 661 00:30:59,351 --> 00:31:01,320 on the bottom of the ocean, which they did 662 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:02,555 not have the facilities for. 663 00:31:07,259 --> 00:31:10,262 NARRATOR: Rodriguez flew to Lima to join Guido Fernandez's 664 00:31:10,262 --> 00:31:11,397 effort to find answers. 665 00:31:15,134 --> 00:31:16,869 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: I found out that his nephew 666 00:31:16,869 --> 00:31:18,270 was the first officer. 667 00:31:18,270 --> 00:31:22,608 I suggested that perhaps they should consider removing 668 00:31:22,608 --> 00:31:25,144 Captain Fernandez from the investigation because 669 00:31:25,144 --> 00:31:28,047 of emotional involvement and what have you. 670 00:31:28,047 --> 00:31:29,415 NARRATOR: The American investigators' 671 00:31:29,415 --> 00:31:32,051 concerns soon vanished. 672 00:31:32,051 --> 00:31:34,320 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: He was very objective, I would say. 673 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,288 An excellent investigator considering that it 674 00:31:36,288 --> 00:31:38,424 was not a distant nephew. 675 00:31:38,424 --> 00:31:43,329 I mean, it was his very close relative. 676 00:31:43,329 --> 00:31:45,097 He did an outstanding job. 677 00:31:48,234 --> 00:31:50,636 NARRATOR: The black box in the Boeing 757 678 00:31:50,636 --> 00:31:54,306 can emit a locator beacon for 30 days before batteries run dead. 679 00:31:57,910 --> 00:32:00,613 The US Navy provided underwater remote operated 680 00:32:00,613 --> 00:32:04,750 vehicles to survey the debris field, seeking the black boxes. 681 00:32:09,221 --> 00:32:12,458 The wreckage confirmed that the plane went down in one piece. 682 00:32:18,130 --> 00:32:21,100 The data recorders were retrieved from the 757 683 00:32:21,100 --> 00:32:23,102 and brought to the surface. 684 00:32:23,102 --> 00:32:25,804 The boxes were placed in coolers full of fresh water 685 00:32:25,804 --> 00:32:29,241 to keep them from oxidizing. 686 00:32:29,241 --> 00:32:31,343 They were taken back to Washington for analysis 687 00:32:31,343 --> 00:32:32,144 by the NTSB. 688 00:32:38,384 --> 00:32:40,853 The cockpit recorder could offer the evidence 689 00:32:40,853 --> 00:32:42,521 investigators sought. 690 00:32:42,521 --> 00:32:45,591 Every word spoken by pilots Schreiber and Fernandez 691 00:32:45,591 --> 00:32:50,296 and every unnerving alarm was recorded on audiotape. 692 00:32:50,296 --> 00:32:52,665 [warning alarm] 693 00:32:54,567 --> 00:32:59,038 The recorded voices were faint and sometimes hard to make out, 694 00:32:59,038 --> 00:33:01,140 but the chaos in the cockpit rang 695 00:33:01,140 --> 00:33:02,808 through with chilling clarity. 696 00:33:02,808 --> 00:33:05,277 [warning alarm] 697 00:33:07,246 --> 00:33:10,182 [spanish] 698 00:33:14,653 --> 00:33:17,323 The tape was digitized into a computer, 699 00:33:17,323 --> 00:33:19,124 filtered, and enhanced. 700 00:33:19,124 --> 00:33:21,493 [warning alarm] 701 00:33:42,881 --> 00:33:44,116 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: It was clear to us 702 00:33:44,116 --> 00:33:47,720 that they were really experiencing a problem 703 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:54,026 with airspeed and altitude, and the airspeed and altitude 704 00:33:54,026 --> 00:33:58,130 indications in the aircraft are strictly a function of what we 705 00:33:58,130 --> 00:34:01,400 call the pitot-static system. 706 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:02,801 NARRATOR: The pitot-static system 707 00:34:02,801 --> 00:34:06,438 is found on all aircraft, large or small. 708 00:34:06,438 --> 00:34:08,707 External ports measure outside air 709 00:34:08,707 --> 00:34:12,278 pressure to provide data on altitude and speed. 710 00:34:12,278 --> 00:34:14,980 If these ports are blocked, the plane's computers 711 00:34:14,980 --> 00:34:18,017 receive false data and generate false warnings. 712 00:34:20,586 --> 00:34:24,023 But why these ports would be blocked was a mystery. 713 00:34:24,023 --> 00:34:26,058 Robotic vehicles searched for the missing 714 00:34:26,058 --> 00:34:26,859 piece of the puzzle. 715 00:34:29,895 --> 00:34:33,165 What they found stunned investigators. 716 00:34:33,165 --> 00:34:35,334 Captain Schreiber's static port was 717 00:34:35,334 --> 00:34:38,037 completely blocked with tape. 718 00:34:38,037 --> 00:34:42,074 Investigators now learned what happened. 719 00:34:42,074 --> 00:34:46,178 Just before Aeroperu 603 lifted off from Lima, 720 00:34:46,178 --> 00:34:49,348 maintenance workers cleaned the aircraft. 721 00:34:49,348 --> 00:34:51,116 A worker covered the static ports 722 00:34:51,116 --> 00:34:53,152 with take to protect them. 723 00:34:53,152 --> 00:34:58,090 This is standard procedure, but he forgot to remove the tape. 724 00:34:58,090 --> 00:35:01,327 It was a small oversight with catastrophic results. 725 00:35:05,431 --> 00:35:07,700 The inspector who is supposed to quality 726 00:35:07,700 --> 00:35:13,339 check his work did not do it and the supervisor out on the line 727 00:35:13,339 --> 00:35:15,207 that night was not there. 728 00:35:15,207 --> 00:35:19,078 He was sick, and there was a regular mechanic 729 00:35:19,078 --> 00:35:21,113 who was filling that role. 730 00:35:21,113 --> 00:35:23,015 He did not see it. 731 00:35:23,015 --> 00:35:25,851 And the captain or the pilot-- in this case, the captain 732 00:35:25,851 --> 00:35:27,453 did the pre-flight. 733 00:35:27,453 --> 00:35:31,490 They do a walk around looking for just that kind of thing. 734 00:35:31,490 --> 00:35:33,292 The captain did the pre-flight that night 735 00:35:33,292 --> 00:35:35,060 and he did not detect it either. 736 00:35:35,060 --> 00:35:36,962 GUIDO FERNANDEZ: A little piece of paper 737 00:35:36,962 --> 00:35:41,133 with glue caused an accident. 738 00:35:41,133 --> 00:35:45,771 But the paper and the glue are not to blame. 739 00:35:45,771 --> 00:35:48,140 Humans are to blame because humans 740 00:35:48,140 --> 00:35:54,747 use that tape in the wrong place for the wrong purpose. 741 00:35:54,747 --> 00:35:56,348 NARRATOR: Another accident shockingly 742 00:35:56,348 --> 00:35:59,952 similar to Aeroperu 603 had happened just eight 743 00:35:59,952 --> 00:36:05,691 months earlier to another 757. 744 00:36:05,691 --> 00:36:11,230 In February 1996, 189 people died when a Turkish charter 745 00:36:11,230 --> 00:36:15,434 called Bergen Air crashed five miles after takeoff from Puerto 746 00:36:15,434 --> 00:36:19,071 Plata, Dominican Republic. 747 00:36:19,071 --> 00:36:24,443 The NTSB assisted in the investigation. 748 00:36:24,443 --> 00:36:27,646 A survey of the wreckage revealed that one pitot tube, 749 00:36:27,646 --> 00:36:30,182 the other critical part of the pitot-static system, 750 00:36:30,182 --> 00:36:30,983 was blocked. 751 00:36:35,888 --> 00:36:41,126 As with Aeroperu 603, night was the pilot's worst enemy. 752 00:36:41,126 --> 00:36:43,762 The Bergen Air pilot flipped the plane upside down 753 00:36:43,762 --> 00:36:45,864 before crashing into the sea. 754 00:36:45,864 --> 00:36:48,367 [warning alarm] 755 00:36:50,702 --> 00:36:53,071 Three months after the Bergen Air crash, 756 00:36:53,071 --> 00:36:55,841 bulletins were issued to all airline carriers 757 00:36:55,841 --> 00:36:58,610 about pitot-static problems. 758 00:36:58,610 --> 00:37:01,713 But Aeroperu had not yet implemented the changes. 759 00:37:05,484 --> 00:37:07,319 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: The bulletins and the-- let's call 760 00:37:07,319 --> 00:37:11,523 it the fruits of the Dominican Republic investigation 761 00:37:11,523 --> 00:37:16,495 of Bergen Air, had not yet reached Aeroperu at the time 762 00:37:16,495 --> 00:37:18,130 this accident occurred. 763 00:37:18,130 --> 00:37:21,733 The Peruvian government very correctly 764 00:37:21,733 --> 00:37:25,070 made a point of that in their report on the accident, 765 00:37:25,070 --> 00:37:27,806 saying that they should have given more impetus 766 00:37:27,806 --> 00:37:30,275 to those recommendations to get them 767 00:37:30,275 --> 00:37:33,612 out to the industry quicker. 768 00:37:33,612 --> 00:37:34,813 DAVID FERNANDEZ: 9,700? 769 00:37:34,813 --> 00:37:37,149 But it is indicating to low terrain. 770 00:37:37,149 --> 00:37:39,284 NARRATOR: Even if Schreiber and Fernandez had known 771 00:37:39,284 --> 00:37:41,220 about Bergen Air, it may not have 772 00:37:41,220 --> 00:37:43,789 helped them to survive given the high pressure 773 00:37:43,789 --> 00:37:45,357 of their situation. 774 00:37:45,357 --> 00:37:46,692 Do we lower gear? 775 00:37:46,692 --> 00:37:49,361 It's easy to sit here in the 757 cockpit 776 00:37:49,361 --> 00:37:53,365 and play the Monday morning quarterback having heard 777 00:37:53,365 --> 00:37:57,503 the bells and the overspeed warnings, the ground proximity 778 00:37:57,503 --> 00:37:59,838 warning, the stall warning. 779 00:37:59,838 --> 00:38:01,340 It was very easy to do that and sit 780 00:38:01,340 --> 00:38:03,809 here and say what I would have done 781 00:38:03,809 --> 00:38:05,511 being an experienced pilot. 782 00:38:05,511 --> 00:38:08,247 But to put yourself into the position of those two pilots 783 00:38:08,247 --> 00:38:11,049 that night, they were in an extremely difficult 784 00:38:11,049 --> 00:38:14,353 situation to fly that airplane and recover 785 00:38:14,353 --> 00:38:16,522 from that experience. 786 00:38:23,329 --> 00:38:26,933 NARRATOR: In November 1996, a Miami lawyer took on the case 787 00:38:26,933 --> 00:38:28,835 on behalf of 41 of the passengers 788 00:38:28,835 --> 00:38:33,339 and crew of flight 603, arguing that the manufacturer, Boeing, 789 00:38:33,339 --> 00:38:34,507 was liable for the accident. 790 00:38:38,478 --> 00:38:40,079 MIKE EDISON: Boeing has to foresee 791 00:38:40,079 --> 00:38:41,848 the misuse of their product. 792 00:38:41,848 --> 00:38:43,883 In other words, the manufacturer of a product 793 00:38:43,883 --> 00:38:47,019 is legally liable for the foreseeable misuse of their 794 00:38:47,019 --> 00:38:49,922 product if it can be corrected. 795 00:38:49,922 --> 00:38:51,424 In other words, Boeing builds the airplane 796 00:38:51,424 --> 00:38:53,860 with potential hazard in it. 797 00:38:53,860 --> 00:38:56,796 That hazard is that in order to clean the airplane 798 00:38:56,796 --> 00:38:58,731 you have to cover the static port, 799 00:38:58,731 --> 00:39:02,235 and if you don't take it off, the airplane can crash. 800 00:39:02,235 --> 00:39:04,070 MONUS ALBERT: I wanted them back. 801 00:39:04,070 --> 00:39:06,372 And since I couldn't get them back, 802 00:39:06,372 --> 00:39:11,410 at least I wanted the wives of the victims to get compensated. 803 00:39:11,410 --> 00:39:12,645 How much is that worth? 804 00:39:12,645 --> 00:39:13,479 I don't know. 805 00:39:13,479 --> 00:39:14,881 I didn't know. 806 00:39:14,881 --> 00:39:20,286 Abraham had three daughters, and now they don't have a father. 807 00:39:20,286 --> 00:39:23,389 So what is the compensation? 808 00:39:23,389 --> 00:39:28,895 The best compensation is, if can be done, is get him back. 809 00:39:28,895 --> 00:39:32,031 Give them life back again. 810 00:39:32,031 --> 00:39:36,269 But because that is not possible, 811 00:39:36,269 --> 00:39:42,308 then the other possibility is to get a monetary compensation. 812 00:39:42,308 --> 00:39:46,312 And then you fight for the best compensation you can get. 813 00:39:46,312 --> 00:39:48,180 NARRATOR: Boeing argued that Aeroperu 814 00:39:48,180 --> 00:39:51,350 was at fault, not its 757. 815 00:39:51,350 --> 00:39:54,620 An Aeroperu worker had taped the static port, which 816 00:39:54,620 --> 00:39:57,490 is marked with clear warnings. 817 00:39:57,490 --> 00:40:00,293 Boeing also blamed Captain Eric Schreiber. 818 00:40:00,293 --> 00:40:02,495 It was his job to visually inspect 819 00:40:02,495 --> 00:40:05,264 the aircraft before taking off. 820 00:40:05,264 --> 00:40:07,133 But investigator Richard Rodriguez 821 00:40:07,133 --> 00:40:09,135 can understand how Schreiber overlooked 822 00:40:09,135 --> 00:40:12,738 the tape on the static port. 823 00:40:12,738 --> 00:40:15,074 RICHARD RODRIGUEZ: One of the reasons is it's very high. 824 00:40:15,074 --> 00:40:18,311 It's about maybe 15, 17 feet up in the air. 825 00:40:18,311 --> 00:40:20,179 And at night with a flashlight-- 826 00:40:20,179 --> 00:40:21,781 and this happened to be duct tape, which 827 00:40:21,781 --> 00:40:23,449 you're not supposed to use. 828 00:40:23,449 --> 00:40:26,953 They specify the tape, and it was duct tape, which is silver. 829 00:40:26,953 --> 00:40:29,956 So it would not distinguish itself 830 00:40:29,956 --> 00:40:33,559 against the background of the fuselage of the aircraft. 831 00:40:33,559 --> 00:40:36,295 So basically three or four people 832 00:40:36,295 --> 00:40:42,268 failed to detect the tape on the aircraft prior to departure. 833 00:40:42,268 --> 00:40:43,369 NARRATOR: As the search for blame 834 00:40:43,369 --> 00:40:46,172 continued the worker who taped the ports 835 00:40:46,172 --> 00:40:48,874 was jailed for his negligence. 836 00:40:48,874 --> 00:40:51,510 GUIDO FERNANDEZ: Lawyers, they-- 837 00:40:51,510 --> 00:40:55,281 lawyers, you know, sometimes they confuse the matters 838 00:40:55,281 --> 00:41:02,188 and they send a guy and ask people questions. 839 00:41:02,188 --> 00:41:05,791 And these questions are the one that stuck the tape was 840 00:41:05,791 --> 00:41:12,164 the painter, was the lowest cultured and the one that knew 841 00:41:12,164 --> 00:41:19,071 less about what could happen, and the judge resolved that he 842 00:41:19,071 --> 00:41:22,475 was the one responsible. 843 00:41:22,475 --> 00:41:25,277 And he was in jail. 844 00:41:25,277 --> 00:41:26,779 MIKE EDISON: So if you only lose the airplane 845 00:41:26,779 --> 00:41:30,483 because a maintenance man making $2 an hour down in Peru 846 00:41:30,483 --> 00:41:32,585 makes a mistake, it's foreseeable 847 00:41:32,585 --> 00:41:35,655 that that kind of a person is gonna make a mistake. 848 00:41:35,655 --> 00:41:37,657 That's human nature they're gonna make a mistake, 849 00:41:37,657 --> 00:41:40,726 and you build your system so you don't lose your $50 million 850 00:41:40,726 --> 00:41:45,131 airplane because a maintenance guy makes a simple mistake. 851 00:41:45,131 --> 00:41:46,332 NARRATOR: Schreiber and Fernandez 852 00:41:46,332 --> 00:41:48,300 were also scrutinized. 853 00:41:48,300 --> 00:41:49,635 TIM VON BEVEREN: It always becomes 854 00:41:49,635 --> 00:41:54,106 a problem when pilots are reduced to be push buttonists. 855 00:41:54,106 --> 00:41:57,243 The man-machine interface has to work 856 00:41:57,243 --> 00:42:03,015 and has to work as humans are to operate these airplanes. 857 00:42:03,015 --> 00:42:06,118 They have to be designed appropriately 858 00:42:06,118 --> 00:42:09,221 for the use of a human being. 859 00:42:09,221 --> 00:42:13,192 Of course, you can put in all digits and numbers and computer 860 00:42:13,192 --> 00:42:15,261 gimmicks and you can-- 861 00:42:15,261 --> 00:42:18,264 but still, it's man who has to operate and survey it. 862 00:42:18,264 --> 00:42:22,268 And I believe a human being should be in charge. 863 00:42:22,268 --> 00:42:26,172 NARRATOR: In 1999, Boeing and Aeroperu decided to settle 864 00:42:26,172 --> 00:42:28,140 the lawsuits out of court. 865 00:42:28,140 --> 00:42:31,343 Families and loved ones received an exceptional settlement 866 00:42:31,343 --> 00:42:34,280 averaging a million dollars US per victim. 867 00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:37,216 The damages were high because of the terrible way 868 00:42:37,216 --> 00:42:41,253 the passengers and crew on Aeroperu 603 died. 869 00:42:41,253 --> 00:42:43,189 MIKE EDISON: We were able to show that a lot of the people 870 00:42:43,189 --> 00:42:44,390 were alive. 871 00:42:44,390 --> 00:42:46,092 In a crash like this, a lot of the people 872 00:42:46,092 --> 00:42:51,130 would survive the crash and then die of drowning. 873 00:42:51,130 --> 00:42:52,631 There was no question in our minds 874 00:42:52,631 --> 00:42:55,601 that the people suffered terrible, terrible terror 875 00:42:55,601 --> 00:42:58,070 and pain when this happened to them. 876 00:42:58,070 --> 00:42:59,171 They were horrified. 877 00:42:59,171 --> 00:43:00,072 They were awake. 878 00:43:00,072 --> 00:43:02,141 They knew what happened. 879 00:43:02,141 --> 00:43:05,211 NARRATOR: The disaster helped sink Aeroperu. 880 00:43:05,211 --> 00:43:08,314 Combined with increased competition and rising debt, 881 00:43:08,314 --> 00:43:13,986 the national airline went bankrupt in 1999. 882 00:43:13,986 --> 00:43:16,956 Boeing increased training on pitot-static problems 883 00:43:16,956 --> 00:43:21,961 and issued new regulations about unapproved static port covers. 884 00:43:21,961 --> 00:43:23,529 The case was settled. 885 00:43:23,529 --> 00:43:26,899 The industry repented and moved on. 886 00:43:26,899 --> 00:43:29,802 Such is the world of commercial aviation. 887 00:43:29,802 --> 00:43:31,804 But it was little consolation for those 888 00:43:31,804 --> 00:43:35,241 whose lives were scarred forever by an insignificant piece 889 00:43:35,241 --> 00:43:36,509 of tape. 890 00:43:36,509 --> 00:43:38,010 MONUS ALBERT: It's suddenly sad that a guy 891 00:43:38,010 --> 00:43:39,812 doesn't exist anymore. 892 00:43:39,812 --> 00:43:43,249 It's very hard to swallow that. 893 00:43:43,249 --> 00:43:47,253 It's very hard to understand, and it 894 00:43:47,253 --> 00:43:52,525 took me a long time to accept. 895 00:43:52,525 --> 00:43:54,426 So the memory is still there and it 896 00:43:54,426 --> 00:43:56,428 will be there for a long time. 897 00:43:56,428 --> 00:43:57,530 I'm not gonna let go. 898 00:43:57,530 --> 00:43:59,999 I don't wanna let go.