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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS)
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00:00:02,970 --> 00:00:05,055
NARRATOR: Military families in Kentucky
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00:00:05,138 --> 00:00:08,475
prepare to welcome home
loved ones from overseas.
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00:00:09,877 --> 00:00:12,196
JOHN HERRLING: The plan was
to have a reception for them
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00:00:12,279 --> 00:00:16,617
and then those soldiers would be reunited
with their families and friends.
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NARRATOR: At the same time,
at a small Canadian airport.
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(RATTLING)
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(ALARM BEEPING)
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(EXPLOSIONS)
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- (SHATTERS)
- (SIREN WAILING)
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McNAIR:
Weckage all over the place.
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There was massive destruction.
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Nobody could have survived this.
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NARRATOR: 256 people are dead.
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It's one of the worst
aviation accidents of all time.
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WESLEY WARK: Anytime a crash
of this sort would occur,
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immediate suspicions would be raised.
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NARRATOR:
Answers will be hard to come by.
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It does not advance safety
to get the wrong cause of an accident.
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NARRATOR: As two radically
different scenarios for the crash emerge.
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PILOT:
Mayday. Mayday.
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(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
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(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
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{\an8}(AIRPLANE DRONING)
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{\an8}NARRATOR: Arrow Air flight
12-85 is nearing the end
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{\an8}of a ten thousand kilometer journey
from Egypt to the United States.
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The DC-8 is on its way
to Fort Campbell, Kentucky
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via Germany and Newfoundland.
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Onboard are eight crewmembers
and 248 passengers.
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{\an8}Most of them are US soldiers
with the famed 101st Airborne Division,
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the Screaming Eagles.
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HERRLING: That division fought
through World War II,
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through D-Day and the battle of Normandy,
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dropped in behind the German lines.
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It has really marked its place in history.
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{\an8}I think everybody, uh,
who serves in that division
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{\an8}has a special loyalty
and, and a special, uh, feeling
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about the division and being part of it.
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They had been in the Sinai
for five and a half months,
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so I'm sure they were anxious
to get back to friends and family
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and to enjoy the holidays.
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NARRATOR:
To bring the soldiers home,
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the military has hired
the charter carrier Arrow Air.
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It was not unusual to do that
back in the '70s and, and '80s
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where the government would contract
with a civilian airlines
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to transport troops
in and out of the country.
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{\an8}NARRATOR:
At 5:30 in the morning,
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{\an8}the Douglas DC-8 lands
at Gander International Airport
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{\an8}on the eastern edge
of Newfoundland, Canada.
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(AIRPLANE DRONING)
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They had to refuel in Gander
before they could complete the flight
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into Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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Okay, guys, I'd like to be refueled,
checked, and wheels up in ninety minutes.
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Roger that.
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NARRATOR: Captain John Griffin has
been an Arrow Air pilot for four years.
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He's also a flight instructor
for the airline.
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First officer John Connelly
will be at the controls
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when flight 12-85 leaves Gander.
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Mike Fowler, the flight engineer,
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monitors the aircraft's
mechanical systems.
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(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
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Okay, you want to give her the once-over?
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While the pilots run through
a series of pre-flight checklists,
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the flight engineer steps out
to inspect the plane's exterior.
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{\an8}He'll look for any damage
to the fuselage or engines
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{\an8}and check for buildups
of ice on the plane.
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The soldiers wait inside the airport.
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Some shop for souvenirs at the gift shop.
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Anything?
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Okay. Roger that.
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Alright, 15,538 gallons,
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1,100 pounds.
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Passengers and cargo unchanged.
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Weight's confirmed.
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Okay.
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We're good to go.
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That puts us here.
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Rotation is 144 knots.
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Yeah, that looks good.
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NARRATOR: On the airspeed indicator
is a marker or bug.
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It reminds the crew
of the exact speed they must hit
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in order to get the plane off the ground.
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CONNELLY: Bug's set on the right.
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CAPTAIN GRIFFIN: Copy that.
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NARRATOR: With the refueling
and pre-flight checks complete,
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the 248 soldiers get back on board.
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HERRLING: I think it was probably
a very joyous mood
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because, uh, when they landed in Gander,
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I know some of them went in
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and used the telephones
to call Fort Campbell
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and call their families
and say they were in Gander
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and they'd be home in a few hours.
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CAPTAIN GRIFFIN:
Gander tower...
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(OVER RADIO)
Big A 9-5-0.
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We've completed refueling
and pre-flight checks.
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Requesting taxi to runway 3-1.
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Uh, Big A 9-5-0,
wind's at 2-9-0 at four knots.
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Takeoff now runway 2-2.
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NARRATOR:
A last minute change puts Arrow Air
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on a different runway
than originally planned.
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9,900 feet,
takeoff to the south, we're good.
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Copy that, Gander.
Runway 2-2.
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(JET ENGINES RUMBLING)
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MAN (OVER RADIO): Big A 9-5-0,
you are cleared for takeoff.
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Merry Christmas.
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Roger that, Gander tower.
And a Merry Christmas to you too.
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{\an8}(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
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NARRATOR: The DC-8 accelerates
to takeoff speed.
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CAPTAIN GRIFFIN:
80 knots.
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CONNELLY: Check.
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(JET ENGINES WHINING)
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CAPTAIN GRIFFIN:
V1.
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Rotate.
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NARRATOR: Arrow Air 12-85 lifts off
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from Gander Airport
at 6:46 a.m.
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But just seconds later.
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{\an8}(BEEPING)
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Ah, she's flying like a pig.
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(RATTLING)
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CONNELLY:
Positive rate?
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Negative.
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Ugh!
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HERRLING:
I'm sure for the last few seconds
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those soldiers knew that
there was a serious problem in hand.
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(RATTLING)
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(ALARMS BEEPING)
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Watch your altitude! Pull up.
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{\an8}Come on. Airspeed!
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Airspeed!
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CAPTAIN GRIFFIN:
Watch the trees.
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- (CLATTERING)
- (PEOPLE SCREAMING)
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(SCREAMING)
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(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
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Yes, uh, Arrow 1-2-8-5 is down,
just off runway 2-2.
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Estimate 2,000 to 4,000 feet.
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NARRATOR: At the small airport
in Gander, Newfoundland,
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emergency crews race to the crash site.
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It's a field of wreckage, bodies,
and personal effects.
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Thousands of liters of jet fuel
are feeding a massive blaze.
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BADCOCK:
It didn't look like aircraft.
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It was just... Probably a 30-foot
high burning mass of metal.
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And fuel and everything.
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Hey, any survivors?
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NARRATOR: Canadian Air Force Captain Tom
Badcock is one of the first on the scene.
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BADCOCK: As an air force officer,
of course, I had been to numerous crashes
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{\an8}but this was nothing, uh,
like I had ever seen in my life before.
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And to see the devastation
and to see my, basically, comrades
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lying on the ground in pieces was...
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Words couldn't, can't describe it.
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Many of them had bought T-shirts saying
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"I survived Gander, Newfoundland."
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We found that particularly emotional.
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NARRATOR: After hours of frantic searching
through the charred wreckage,
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everyone's worst fears are realized.
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The crash has claimed the lives
of all 256 people onboard.
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The search for the cause
of the disaster is already underway,
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but it will lead to controversy
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and ultimately to the demise
of the Canadian Aviation Safety Board.
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NARRATOR: For the US military,
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the crash of flight 12-85
in Gander, Newfoundland
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is a historic loss.
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{\an8}HERRLING:
If you take a look at the history
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{\an8}of the 101st Airborne Division
air assault,
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even in World War II,
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that division never lost so many people
in such a short period of time
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00:10:27,995 --> 00:10:33,300
as they did on December the 12th
in 1985 in Gander.
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NARRATOR: The Canadian military
sets up a security perimeter
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around the crash site.
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{\an8}BADCOCK: We controlled all access,
uh, to and from the site.
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The RCMP asked me
if I would identify an object
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which they thought to be strange.
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BADCOCK:
Never seen a casing like this before.
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BADCOCK: And he said, does this have any
kind of a chemical or nuclear connotation
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and I said, no, I have no idea what it is.
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NARRATOR: The find raises suspicion
about what was on the flight.
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WARK: It certainly is possible that
Arrow Air could have been carrying things
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{\an8}either that it shouldn't
have been carrying
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{\an8}or that weren't on any kind
of cargo manifest.
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00:11:30,157 --> 00:11:34,922
NARRATOR: David McNair is an investigator
with the Canadian Aviation Safety Board.
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00:11:36,563 --> 00:11:38,315
McNAIR:
There were aircraft parts everywhere,
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{\an8}and you immediately became aware
that it was gonna be hard
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to find things that you needed to find.
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00:11:43,971 --> 00:11:47,040
NARRATOR: McNair is joined
by colleague Peter Boag.
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00:11:49,576 --> 00:11:53,614
They arrive hours after the crash
to a scene of complete devastation.
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McNAIR: The sights and smells,
it's always unpleasant.
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But you just have to. You have to do it.
That's part of your job.
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NARRATOR: The terrible scale of the crash
quickly makes headlines around the world.
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00:12:05,292 --> 00:12:08,078
It will have a tremendous impact
on this division.
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00:12:08,161 --> 00:12:11,331
This is not only a sad day
for the 101st Airborne
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00:12:11,465 --> 00:12:13,534
but a sad day for the nation.
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00:12:14,535 --> 00:12:16,253
RONALD REAGAN: Most of the young men
and women we mourn
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were returning to spend the holidays
with their families.
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You do not grieve alone.
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- We grieve as a nation together.
- (SHATTERS)
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00:12:27,247 --> 00:12:29,300
As together we say goodbye
to those who died
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00:12:29,383 --> 00:12:31,266
in the service of their country.
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00:12:32,719 --> 00:12:36,690
There is just no way that
I can express to you
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00:12:36,823 --> 00:12:41,461
how tragic that was
with the loss of so many people
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00:12:41,595 --> 00:12:43,363
in, in that one plane crash.
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00:12:45,065 --> 00:12:47,251
WARK: The Americans were,
were really suffering
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00:12:47,334 --> 00:12:49,653
in terms of military losses
just two years prior
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00:12:49,736 --> 00:12:52,406
to the, uh, the crash
of the Arrow Air flight.
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00:12:53,707 --> 00:12:56,393
The United States had lost
a large number of soldiers
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00:12:56,476 --> 00:12:59,213
in a suicide truck bombing in, in Beirut.
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00:12:59,613 --> 00:13:01,882
So the losses in a sense were mounting
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00:13:02,015 --> 00:13:05,703
and although the numbers these days
might not strike us as extraordinary,
207
00:13:05,786 --> 00:13:08,669
they certainly were extraordinary
at, at the time.
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00:13:09,990 --> 00:13:13,043
It wasn't just some assortment
of soldiers, a large number of them
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00:13:13,126 --> 00:13:17,464
from one of the leading American
military units in the American army.
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00:13:17,598 --> 00:13:19,984
You know, all of this raised,
if you like, the symbolic stakes
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00:13:20,067 --> 00:13:24,067
quite apart from the casualty toll
of the loss of life that occurred.
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00:13:27,307 --> 00:13:29,093
NARRATOR:
Investigators immediately interview
213
00:13:29,176 --> 00:13:32,679
the Gander ground crew
and get some intriguing information.
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00:13:33,514 --> 00:13:34,581
Morning.
215
00:13:35,582 --> 00:13:38,641
Did you see the flight engineer
inspect the aircraft?
216
00:13:39,419 --> 00:13:41,939
But they did not de-ice the wings
before taking off?
217
00:13:42,022 --> 00:13:44,458
(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)
218
00:13:45,492 --> 00:13:48,316
Yeah, we picked up
a little bit of ice coming in.
219
00:13:50,831 --> 00:13:51,832
We're good to go.
220
00:13:55,369 --> 00:13:56,937
Okay. Thank you.
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00:13:57,070 --> 00:13:58,522
McNAIR:
Well, we were concerned about icing
222
00:13:58,605 --> 00:14:00,424
because the re-fueler witness indicated
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00:14:00,507 --> 00:14:03,331
that they had picked up
some ice on the approach.
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00:14:03,911 --> 00:14:05,696
{\an8}NARRATOR:
They turn to meteorological reports
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00:14:05,779 --> 00:14:08,191
{\an8}for the early hours of December the 12th.
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00:14:09,249 --> 00:14:12,519
BADCOCK: In early morning,
it was very, very icy.
227
00:14:13,220 --> 00:14:16,423
And it had been severe freezing rain.
228
00:14:17,191 --> 00:14:20,511
They flew in during the time that
the forecast was for icing.
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00:14:20,594 --> 00:14:24,264
NARRATOR: McNair and Boag
wonder if the crew of flight 12-85
230
00:14:24,398 --> 00:14:27,401
may have made a serious error
by not de-icing.
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00:14:27,534 --> 00:14:30,955
They check to see what other planes
flying out of Gander did that morning.
232
00:14:31,038 --> 00:14:32,723
There were two other takeoffs
this morning.
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00:14:32,806 --> 00:14:35,075
One de-iced, one didn't.
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00:14:36,176 --> 00:14:39,196
{\an8}McNAIR: And we noted that one,
one Boeing 737 that departed
235
00:14:39,279 --> 00:14:42,032
{\an8}had picked up quite a bit of ice
on its departure
236
00:14:42,115 --> 00:14:44,902
and that was an indicator to us
that the probability of ice accretion
237
00:14:44,985 --> 00:14:47,750
or ice gathering on the aircraft
was quite high.
238
00:14:48,589 --> 00:14:51,742
{\an8}NARRATOR: But the other aircraft,
a British Aerospace VC-10,
239
00:14:51,825 --> 00:14:55,429
had been on the ground for 50 minutes
and did not de-ice.
240
00:14:55,996 --> 00:14:57,965
It got off the ground safely.
241
00:14:59,399 --> 00:15:02,386
McNAIR: And they took off
within two hours of each other.
242
00:15:02,469 --> 00:15:05,999
NARRATOR: Ice cannot have been
the only factor in this crash.
243
00:15:08,008 --> 00:15:11,445
Big A 9-5-0, winds 2-9-0, add four knots.
244
00:15:11,912 --> 00:15:13,347
Takeoff now, runway 2-2.
245
00:15:13,981 --> 00:15:15,332
NARRATOR: In search of other factors,
246
00:15:15,415 --> 00:15:18,051
they consider
the last minute runway change.
247
00:15:19,253 --> 00:15:21,755
Copy that, Gander.
Runway 2-2.
248
00:15:23,724 --> 00:15:26,195
{\an8}McNAIR:
Not the runway they were expecting.
249
00:15:27,060 --> 00:15:29,647
NARRATOR: But they quickly conclude
that the alternate runway
250
00:15:29,730 --> 00:15:32,466
{\an8}could not have had
any bearing on this crash.
251
00:15:32,599 --> 00:15:34,852
{\an8}McNAIR: Runway 2-2
is the longest runway at Gander,
252
00:15:34,935 --> 00:15:38,171
{\an8}so in fact it gave them
the best margin for performance.
253
00:15:38,872 --> 00:15:42,059
NARRATOR: Investigators examine
and document the crash site,
254
00:15:42,142 --> 00:15:45,529
trying to determine the trajectory
of the plane as it went down.
255
00:15:45,612 --> 00:15:47,631
BADCOCK:
This was a very heavily wooded area
256
00:15:47,714 --> 00:15:50,350
and as it got closer to the ground,
257
00:15:50,484 --> 00:15:53,053
it started clipping the trees.
258
00:15:53,187 --> 00:15:55,155
(AIRPLANE DRONING)
259
00:15:56,490 --> 00:15:59,826
(ALARMS BEEPING)
260
00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:01,528
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
261
00:16:01,662 --> 00:16:04,381
And we're gonna need pictures
of the treetops as well
262
00:16:04,464 --> 00:16:06,464
and we're gonna need aerial shots.
263
00:16:08,502 --> 00:16:12,339
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
264
00:16:13,807 --> 00:16:15,392
NARRATOR:
But what they need most of all
265
00:16:15,475 --> 00:16:18,679
is the information
from the plane's two black boxes.
266
00:16:19,479 --> 00:16:23,350
They could hold the key to understanding
what doomed flight 12-85.
267
00:16:25,018 --> 00:16:28,842
{\an8}But as soon as they're recovered,
McNair sees a potential problem.
268
00:16:29,656 --> 00:16:31,342
We were disappointed to see
it was such an old recorder,
269
00:16:31,425 --> 00:16:32,510
an old foil recorder,
270
00:16:32,593 --> 00:16:35,813
as they really just don't give
enough information to the investigators.
271
00:16:35,896 --> 00:16:39,367
Well, send them off to Ottawa,
and we'll see what we've got.
272
00:16:41,034 --> 00:16:43,070
NARRATOR:
The older design of FDR
273
00:16:43,203 --> 00:16:46,874
engraves data on a slow moving roll
of stainless steel foil.
274
00:16:47,007 --> 00:16:51,812
Though the foil is fire resistant,
it can record only four flight parameters,
275
00:16:51,945 --> 00:16:54,014
such as airspeed and altitude.
276
00:16:54,147 --> 00:16:58,147
The newer digital flight recorders
can record hundreds of parameters.
277
00:16:59,786 --> 00:17:01,906
All they can do is send the black boxes
278
00:17:01,989 --> 00:17:05,142
to the National Research Council's
Flight Recorder Playback Center
279
00:17:05,225 --> 00:17:06,660
and hope for the best.
280
00:17:09,062 --> 00:17:11,710
Then, with the investigation
only hours old...
281
00:17:11,832 --> 00:17:14,701
- (RINIGING)
- ...it takes a drastic turn.
282
00:17:15,435 --> 00:17:17,871
An overseas US consulate receives word
283
00:17:18,005 --> 00:17:20,947
from someone claiming
responsibility for the crash.
284
00:17:23,277 --> 00:17:25,863
The caller says it was
the work of Islamic Jihad,
285
00:17:25,946 --> 00:17:27,481
a branch of Hezbollah.
286
00:17:28,148 --> 00:17:30,701
If you had to think about
any one terrorist group
287
00:17:30,784 --> 00:17:35,455
operating in the Middle East at this time
which had an in, an intent
288
00:17:35,589 --> 00:17:40,527
as well as a capacity
to target American military personnel,
289
00:17:40,661 --> 00:17:42,129
that was Hezbollah.
290
00:17:44,665 --> 00:17:45,999
(EXPLODES)
291
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,385
NARRATOR:
The call opens the possibility
292
00:17:48,468 --> 00:17:51,505
that a terrorist bomb
brought down Flight 12-85.
293
00:17:51,672 --> 00:17:57,911
Tensions were really high in the world
at that time and when an aircraft
294
00:17:58,045 --> 00:18:01,045
fully loaded with,
with American soldiers crashes...
295
00:18:01,782 --> 00:18:03,317
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
296
00:18:03,450 --> 00:18:05,402
...there's always questions that come up.
297
00:18:05,485 --> 00:18:07,287
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
298
00:18:10,157 --> 00:18:12,176
NARRATOR:
McNair sends portions of the wreckage
299
00:18:12,259 --> 00:18:14,578
to a Royal Canadian
Mounted Police forensics lab
300
00:18:14,661 --> 00:18:16,630
to be tested for bomb residue.
301
00:18:17,798 --> 00:18:21,085
The team searches for evidence
that flight 12-85 exploded
302
00:18:21,168 --> 00:18:22,970
before it hit the ground.
303
00:18:23,837 --> 00:18:28,190
They look for any fallen debris between
the runway and the point of impact.
304
00:18:29,209 --> 00:18:31,429
If the aircraft had exploded
before it hit the trees,
305
00:18:31,512 --> 00:18:33,964
one would expect something
would come off the aircraft
306
00:18:34,047 --> 00:18:35,332
and we would have found it.
307
00:18:35,415 --> 00:18:38,085
We didn't find anything, nothing at all.
308
00:18:38,218 --> 00:18:41,305
So we knew with confidence that
the aircraft hit the trees,
309
00:18:41,388 --> 00:18:43,490
the first impact, intact.
310
00:18:47,828 --> 00:18:50,047
NARRATOR: It's a similar story
when the test results
311
00:18:50,130 --> 00:18:52,266
from the RCMP come back.
312
00:18:53,634 --> 00:18:56,436
They find no trace of bomb residue.
313
00:18:59,373 --> 00:19:04,311
And both US and Canadian officials suggest
Islamic Jihad's claim of responsibility
314
00:19:04,444 --> 00:19:05,779
could be false.
315
00:19:05,913 --> 00:19:09,366
One of the things that obviously
benefits terrorist organizations
316
00:19:09,449 --> 00:19:13,220
is to spread the claim,
uh, for operational responsibility
317
00:19:13,353 --> 00:19:14,555
very, very broadly
318
00:19:14,688 --> 00:19:18,158
to kind of boost the reputation
of their organization,
319
00:19:18,292 --> 00:19:20,727
again to instill greater fear,
320
00:19:20,861 --> 00:19:23,626
so it's difficult
to separate fact from fiction.
321
00:19:25,866 --> 00:19:28,052
NARRATOR:
With terrorism looking less likely,
322
00:19:28,135 --> 00:19:32,239
investigators continue to focus
on the performance of the aircraft.
323
00:19:32,372 --> 00:19:37,177
35 feet, six inches.
Four and a half degree declination.
324
00:19:38,946 --> 00:19:40,464
McNAIR: The airplane had struck some trees
325
00:19:40,547 --> 00:19:42,633
about half a mile
from the end of the runway
326
00:19:42,716 --> 00:19:45,102
and we could see
a distinct pattern in the trees.
327
00:19:45,185 --> 00:19:46,337
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
328
00:19:46,420 --> 00:19:49,206
NARRATOR: Using photographs
from the crash site...
329
00:19:49,289 --> 00:19:56,196
investigators plot the height of 378 trees
to determine the DC-8's exact position
330
00:19:56,330 --> 00:19:57,631
as it went down.
331
00:19:58,398 --> 00:20:00,117
The airplane was right wing low
332
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,965
with a nose high attitude
relative to the trees.
333
00:20:03,537 --> 00:20:05,456
Through photogrammetry, we determined
334
00:20:05,539 --> 00:20:09,560
that in fact the aircraft was way above
the stall angle of the aircraft.
335
00:20:09,643 --> 00:20:13,232
So the aircraft was clearly stalled
in a high rate of descent.
336
00:20:13,347 --> 00:20:16,183
NARRATOR:
The plane's radical nose-up position
337
00:20:16,316 --> 00:20:20,004
prevented it from getting the lift
needed to keep it in the air.
338
00:20:20,087 --> 00:20:21,440
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
339
00:20:21,555 --> 00:20:24,375
Investigators can't explain
why the plane was flying
340
00:20:24,458 --> 00:20:26,059
at such an extreme angle.
341
00:20:27,094 --> 00:20:31,682
One clue about what the pilots were doing
comes from a piece of cockpit wreckage,
342
00:20:31,765 --> 00:20:33,050
the airspeed indicator.
343
00:20:33,133 --> 00:20:34,935
- Look here.
- MAN: Mm-hmm.
344
00:20:35,068 --> 00:20:36,153
McNAIR: There is the bug at...
345
00:20:36,236 --> 00:20:40,178
NARRATOR: It shows that the crew set
a takeoff speed of 144 knots...
346
00:20:40,274 --> 00:20:41,492
McNAIR:
I'm seeing 165.
347
00:20:41,575 --> 00:20:45,496
NARRATOR: ...and that the plane reached
an airspeed of at least 165 knots.
348
00:20:45,579 --> 00:20:49,416
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
349
00:20:50,484 --> 00:20:52,367
CONNELLY:
Bug's set on the right.
350
00:20:54,021 --> 00:20:56,316
CAPTAIN GRIFFIN (OFF SCREEN):
Copy that.
351
00:20:57,024 --> 00:20:59,844
NARRATOR: Investigators hope
that a much more detailed picture
352
00:20:59,927 --> 00:21:04,104
of the pilots' last moments will emerge
from the cockpit voice recorder.
353
00:21:05,232 --> 00:21:07,318
But they're in for a disappointment.
354
00:21:07,401 --> 00:21:10,370
(FLUTTERING)
355
00:21:12,973 --> 00:21:15,626
It doesn't sound like
it recorded anything from the cockpit.
356
00:21:15,709 --> 00:21:19,121
NARRATOR: The cockpit recorder
wasn't functioning properly.
357
00:21:19,246 --> 00:21:22,070
It didn't record any
of the crew's conversations.
358
00:21:22,816 --> 00:21:24,468
With the absence
of cockpit voice recorder,
359
00:21:24,551 --> 00:21:28,239
we don't know exactly what the crew
was doing or what they were facing.
360
00:21:28,322 --> 00:21:31,852
NARRATOR: Their hopes now rest
with the flight data recorder.
361
00:21:32,259 --> 00:21:34,078
McNAIR: Even this rudimentary recorder
would have caught
362
00:21:34,161 --> 00:21:36,347
some indication to show
what speeds they rotated at,
363
00:21:36,430 --> 00:21:39,233
what warning lights
if any were they seeing,
364
00:21:39,366 --> 00:21:40,551
what was their reaction.
365
00:21:40,634 --> 00:21:43,070
All these things are extremely valuable.
366
00:21:44,938 --> 00:21:47,858
NARRATOR: But it turns out
to be only marginally more useful
367
00:21:47,941 --> 00:21:49,824
than the cockpit voice recorder.
368
00:21:50,477 --> 00:21:53,330
McNAIR: The recorder for the
Arrow Air accident was extremely limited.
369
00:21:53,413 --> 00:21:55,833
We were able to determine
first of all speed,
370
00:21:55,916 --> 00:21:59,034
a little bit of altitude,
and heading of the aircraft.
371
00:21:59,853 --> 00:22:02,206
There was no indication
on there of engine power,
372
00:22:02,289 --> 00:22:04,825
bank angle, uh, pitch angle.
373
00:22:05,626 --> 00:22:07,978
NARRATOR: The flight data recorder
tells investigators
374
00:22:08,061 --> 00:22:11,231
that Arrow Air 12-85
began its takeoff roll
375
00:22:11,365 --> 00:22:14,701
and increased to a speed of 167 knots.
376
00:22:15,602 --> 00:22:18,656
Liftoff occurred 51 seconds
from the start of the roll.
377
00:22:18,739 --> 00:22:21,445
Two seconds later,
the speed began to decrease.
378
00:22:21,575 --> 00:22:23,243
(ALARMS BEEPING)
379
00:22:23,710 --> 00:22:24,912
Come on. Airspeed!
380
00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:28,182
{\an8}Airspeed!
381
00:22:29,116 --> 00:22:32,085
{\an8}(ALARMS BEEPING)
382
00:22:35,055 --> 00:22:36,941
McNAIR: Speed dropped off very quickly
383
00:22:37,024 --> 00:22:40,672
and so we knew that the aircraft
was below normal flying speed.
384
00:22:40,761 --> 00:22:42,820
We got that much from the recorder.
385
00:22:43,030 --> 00:22:44,898
It tells us almost nothing.
386
00:22:46,066 --> 00:22:48,385
NARRATOR: But a closer look
at the flight data does reveal
387
00:22:48,468 --> 00:22:50,537
a potentially valuable clue.
388
00:22:52,673 --> 00:22:54,859
The distance needed
to get to takeoff speed
389
00:22:54,942 --> 00:22:57,413
was longer than the pilots
had planned for.
390
00:22:58,579 --> 00:23:01,165
McNAIR:
We looked at the acceleration distances
391
00:23:01,248 --> 00:23:04,543
and it took a little bit longer than we...
than expected.
392
00:23:05,986 --> 00:23:07,521
4,300 feet...
393
00:23:08,488 --> 00:23:09,723
...100 knots.
394
00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,462
6,300 feet...
395
00:23:16,563 --> 00:23:18,432
...144 knots.
396
00:23:19,233 --> 00:23:21,168
They should be lifting off now.
397
00:23:22,369 --> 00:23:24,655
NARRATOR: Investigators discover
that liftoff occurred
398
00:23:24,738 --> 00:23:26,507
some four seconds later,
399
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,935
or more than a thousand feet further
than it should have.
400
00:23:30,577 --> 00:23:31,812
8,000 feet...
401
00:23:33,146 --> 00:23:34,982
167 knots.
402
00:23:36,617 --> 00:23:39,088
An extra 1,000 feet to get off the ground.
403
00:23:42,222 --> 00:23:43,957
Why'd it take them so long?
404
00:23:45,692 --> 00:23:46,760
V1.
405
00:23:49,396 --> 00:23:50,697
Rotate.
406
00:23:53,233 --> 00:23:54,485
They used the full power,
407
00:23:54,568 --> 00:23:56,987
and we would expect them
to rotate a little earlier,
408
00:23:57,070 --> 00:23:58,541
takeoff a little earlier.
409
00:24:00,073 --> 00:24:03,127
NARRATOR: The longer than normal
take-off supports the original theory
410
00:24:03,210 --> 00:24:06,146
that ice on the wings
played a role in the crash.
411
00:24:07,147 --> 00:24:10,206
But investigators know
that can't be the whole story.
412
00:24:11,251 --> 00:24:15,622
McNAIR: Icing itself is not necessarily
the only thing that happened.
413
00:24:16,423 --> 00:24:19,092
Accidents don't just
usually have one item.
414
00:24:19,226 --> 00:24:20,827
They have several items.
415
00:24:23,564 --> 00:24:25,850
NARRATOR: Determined to find out
what else besides ice
416
00:24:25,933 --> 00:24:28,085
on the wings contributed to the crash,
417
00:24:28,168 --> 00:24:31,205
the CASB turns its attention
to the plane's flaps.
418
00:24:31,872 --> 00:24:36,476
For the DC-8, the optimal flap setting
for takeoff is 18 degrees.
419
00:24:42,749 --> 00:24:44,808
Looks like the flaps were extended.
420
00:24:45,285 --> 00:24:46,403
McNAIR: With detailed work,
421
00:24:46,486 --> 00:24:48,672
{\an8}we could say
with some reasonable certainty
422
00:24:48,755 --> 00:24:49,940
{\an8}where the flaps were,
423
00:24:50,023 --> 00:24:53,082
{\an8}which we believe were
in the normal takeoff position.
424
00:24:53,861 --> 00:24:57,448
NARRATOR: They wonder if ice,
combined with malfunctioning engines,
425
00:24:57,531 --> 00:24:59,233
caused the plane to stall.
426
00:25:01,001 --> 00:25:04,905
The engines are sent to the CASB in Ottawa
for a full inspection.
427
00:25:06,473 --> 00:25:10,094
Each engine was recovered on site
and immediately you could tell that,
428
00:25:10,177 --> 00:25:13,113
there was rotational damage
on all the engines.
429
00:25:13,247 --> 00:25:14,648
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
430
00:25:14,781 --> 00:25:18,536
NARRATOR: Wood debris is found
deep inside all four of the turbines.
431
00:25:18,619 --> 00:25:21,221
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
432
00:25:21,355 --> 00:25:25,532
A lot of tree debris means the engine
was running when it hit the trees.
433
00:25:27,127 --> 00:25:29,930
(ALARMS BEEPING)
434
00:25:32,432 --> 00:25:34,968
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
435
00:25:35,102 --> 00:25:38,689
NARRATOR: Evidence shows the DC-8
was properly configured for takeoff
436
00:25:38,772 --> 00:25:41,655
and that there was nothing wrong
with the engines.
437
00:25:42,176 --> 00:25:45,746
So why was flight 12-85 slow
to get off the ground?
438
00:25:46,380 --> 00:25:49,439
Investigators focus in
on the weight of the aircraft.
439
00:25:52,853 --> 00:25:54,922
It's 101,000 pounds for fuel,
440
00:25:55,055 --> 00:25:57,624
passengers and cargo unchanged.
441
00:25:58,392 --> 00:26:00,845
They had predicted that,
uh, each passenger
442
00:26:00,928 --> 00:26:03,697
and baggage would weigh a 175 pounds.
443
00:26:04,531 --> 00:26:07,601
NARRATOR: That average weight,
170 pounds,
444
00:26:07,734 --> 00:26:10,187
matches the estimated weight
for male passengers
445
00:26:10,270 --> 00:26:12,472
set out in the Arrow Air guidelines.
446
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,610
As a pilot, having flown
many military people around,
447
00:26:16,743 --> 00:26:17,862
this didn't seem to ring true,
448
00:26:17,945 --> 00:26:21,232
so we immediately looked
at that aspect of the investigation.
449
00:26:21,315 --> 00:26:24,852
{\an8}Good morning. I have a rec form
for some personnel files.
450
00:26:26,086 --> 00:26:30,086
NARRATOR: Following his hunch,
McNair soon makes a crucial discovery.
451
00:26:30,624 --> 00:26:32,843
Regular commercial flight
has an extra folks.
452
00:26:32,926 --> 00:26:34,962
It has men, women, children,
453
00:26:35,095 --> 00:26:37,684
so then the average
doesn't work out as much.
454
00:26:38,432 --> 00:26:40,885
NARRATOR: But this was
no ordinary commercial flight.
455
00:26:40,968 --> 00:26:44,204
All 256 passengers were adults,
456
00:26:44,338 --> 00:26:46,640
almost all of them large men.
457
00:26:48,308 --> 00:26:52,613
McNAIR: We actually looked at the,
the medical records of the passengers
458
00:26:52,746 --> 00:26:56,570
in terms of getting their actual weight
during their last medical.
459
00:26:56,850 --> 00:27:00,621
{\an8}In my own case, I normally weigh 175.
460
00:27:00,754 --> 00:27:05,292
{\an8}But when I've got all my gear on
or I'm bringing it onboard an aircraft...
461
00:27:05,926 --> 00:27:08,996
I'm... I'm bringing onboard
200 pounds or more.
462
00:27:10,697 --> 00:27:13,284
McNAIR: We estimated
that the more realistic weight
463
00:27:13,367 --> 00:27:15,686
would have been 220 pounds per passenger.
464
00:27:15,769 --> 00:27:18,923
That includes the passenger,
everything they were carrying,
465
00:27:19,006 --> 00:27:21,742
and, uh, and the equipment they had.
466
00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:25,129
NARRATOR: With the new estimates,
he calculates the weight of the passengers
467
00:27:25,212 --> 00:27:27,814
at more than 54,000 pounds.
468
00:27:28,649 --> 00:27:30,651
That's 12,000 pounds heavier
469
00:27:30,784 --> 00:27:33,255
than the weight recorded
on the load sheet.
470
00:27:36,857 --> 00:27:38,492
It's not even close.
471
00:27:38,625 --> 00:27:42,012
NARRATOR: But this plane had been flying
with that weight all night,
472
00:27:42,095 --> 00:27:45,699
{\an8}taking off from Cairo,
then from Cologne without any problems.
473
00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:49,487
The ice picked up in Gander
may have made the difference.
474
00:27:49,570 --> 00:27:52,089
McNAIR: You can take off at a heavier
than normal weight
475
00:27:52,172 --> 00:27:55,459
and if there are no other factors at play
you can get away with it.
476
00:27:55,542 --> 00:27:59,248
If you have something else like ice,
you have a serious problem.
477
00:27:59,546 --> 00:28:01,799
NARRATOR:
Investigators now strongly suspect
478
00:28:01,882 --> 00:28:04,602
that it was a combination
of ice and extra weight
479
00:28:04,685 --> 00:28:07,688
that prevented the DC-8
from staying in the air.
480
00:28:08,856 --> 00:28:11,525
Okay. This has to be it.
481
00:28:11,925 --> 00:28:14,361
Ice and weight.
482
00:28:14,761 --> 00:28:16,680
McNAIR:
We had a lot of scientific basis
483
00:28:16,763 --> 00:28:20,300
to say that the aircraft
should have flown but did not.
484
00:28:20,434 --> 00:28:22,987
Why didn't it fly,
and we had two powerful reasons.
485
00:28:23,070 --> 00:28:25,723
One was weight.
The other was even probably more powerful,
486
00:28:25,806 --> 00:28:28,826
is a small amount
of ice contamination on the aircraft.
487
00:28:28,909 --> 00:28:31,028
NARRATOR: But they can only theorize.
488
00:28:31,111 --> 00:28:33,881
No one in Gander saw ice on the wings.
489
00:28:36,650 --> 00:28:39,121
It's impossible to know
how much there was.
490
00:28:41,388 --> 00:28:42,789
That's one problem.
491
00:28:42,923 --> 00:28:45,959
McNair and Boag now must confront another.
492
00:28:46,493 --> 00:28:51,198
Some of their own colleagues on the CASB
are raising doubts about the findings.
493
00:28:53,033 --> 00:28:55,319
NARRATOR: One of those
with questions is board member
494
00:28:55,402 --> 00:28:58,405
and aviation expert Les Filotas.
495
00:29:00,340 --> 00:29:02,927
FILOTAS: Well, as soon as
I started looking at the draft report,
496
00:29:03,010 --> 00:29:05,262
{\an8}I skimmed some of it and went to the part
497
00:29:05,345 --> 00:29:08,666
{\an8}that was my technical specialty,
the flight data recorder part
498
00:29:08,749 --> 00:29:10,167
and as soon as I looked at it,
499
00:29:10,250 --> 00:29:12,721
I said there's something
really wrong here.
500
00:29:13,253 --> 00:29:16,607
NARRATOR: Filotas immediately wonders
how the aircraft could lose thrust
501
00:29:16,690 --> 00:29:19,259
and crash so quickly after takeoff.
502
00:29:20,127 --> 00:29:21,412
FILOTAS: I did rough calculations,
503
00:29:21,495 --> 00:29:23,848
and it just showed that to get
that kind of deceleration
504
00:29:23,931 --> 00:29:26,917
you'd have to lose not one, two,
or three engines but all four,
505
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,737
and that was just a...
a startling thing to see right away.
506
00:29:31,538 --> 00:29:33,324
CAPTAIN GRIFFIN:
Watch your altitude. Pull up.
507
00:29:33,407 --> 00:29:35,509
{\an8}CONNELLY:
Come on. Airspeed!
508
00:29:36,810 --> 00:29:38,212
{\an8}Airspeed!
509
00:29:38,345 --> 00:29:40,581
{\an8}(ALARM BEEPING)
510
00:29:43,016 --> 00:29:44,969
FILOTAS: They said the aircraft was,
511
00:29:45,052 --> 00:29:49,356
I believe the exact phrase was,
destroyed by a fuel-fed fire.
512
00:29:49,489 --> 00:29:52,159
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
513
00:29:52,292 --> 00:29:54,678
The early reports,
everybody who was around there
514
00:29:54,761 --> 00:29:58,565
mentioned the massive explosion
and the mushroom cloud.
515
00:29:59,299 --> 00:30:02,286
CECIL MACKIE: Seen this thing coming,
come across the front of the truck,
516
00:30:02,369 --> 00:30:04,755
and it was like a flame on the bottom, eh.
517
00:30:04,838 --> 00:30:07,074
Two truckers on the highway
518
00:30:07,207 --> 00:30:11,128
were almost under the flight path
when the Arrow Air aircraft passed over,
519
00:30:11,211 --> 00:30:14,447
and they both said they saw fire
on the right hand side.
520
00:30:15,482 --> 00:30:18,602
NARRATOR: US Army officials deny,
there was any un-reported
521
00:30:18,685 --> 00:30:22,523
or classified cargo
onboard Arrow Air 12-85.
522
00:30:23,223 --> 00:30:25,694
But Filotas has reason
to doubt that claim.
523
00:30:27,828 --> 00:30:30,714
FILOTAS: When the troops' equipment
was loaded onboard,
524
00:30:30,797 --> 00:30:32,750
there were some of these big boxes.
525
00:30:32,833 --> 00:30:34,985
What could have been on there
and we couldn't get any answer.
526
00:30:35,068 --> 00:30:36,454
There was no cargo manifest
527
00:30:36,537 --> 00:30:40,140
and, uh,
it was another contentious question
528
00:30:40,274 --> 00:30:41,627
that was never settled.
529
00:30:43,177 --> 00:30:46,030
{\an8}WARK: Not much attention
clearly was paid to security procedures
530
00:30:46,113 --> 00:30:49,283
{\an8}and, you know,
this was a different time admittedly
531
00:30:49,416 --> 00:30:52,386
{\an8}but still I think
the lack of security at Cairo
532
00:30:52,519 --> 00:30:55,522
at the airport
as the soldiers came onboard
533
00:30:55,656 --> 00:30:57,741
the Arrow Air flight
for their return journey,
534
00:30:57,824 --> 00:31:00,444
Uh, I think anybody
would have to regard it as shocking,
535
00:31:00,527 --> 00:31:02,279
even for their time,
and it's the kind of thing
536
00:31:02,362 --> 00:31:04,892
that would never be allowed
to happen today.
537
00:31:06,066 --> 00:31:10,237
NARRATOR: Filotas joins those speculating
that Arrow Air flight 12-85
538
00:31:10,370 --> 00:31:12,429
was the victim of a terrorist plot.
539
00:31:13,540 --> 00:31:14,625
WARK: Was it Hezbollah?
540
00:31:14,708 --> 00:31:17,344
Did it have any kind
of European connections?
541
00:31:17,911 --> 00:31:21,676
And the big question, always in the back
of American governmental
542
00:31:21,782 --> 00:31:23,567
and security authorities' minds is...
543
00:31:23,650 --> 00:31:26,403
is there a,
is there a Cold War dimension to this?
544
00:31:26,486 --> 00:31:27,571
Are the Soviets involved?
545
00:31:27,654 --> 00:31:29,707
JUDGE (OFF SCREEN):
The testimony you're about to give
546
00:31:29,790 --> 00:31:34,528
will be the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth so help you God?
547
00:31:34,661 --> 00:31:35,662
I do.
548
00:31:36,263 --> 00:31:40,067
NARRATOR: Some now wonder
if Arrow Air 12-85 was at the center
549
00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,769
of the biggest global scandal of the time,
550
00:31:43,170 --> 00:31:46,039
the US plot to illicitly
provide Iran with arms
551
00:31:46,173 --> 00:31:48,642
in exchange for American hostages.
552
00:31:48,775 --> 00:31:50,261
WARK: Arrow Air was indeed one of,
553
00:31:50,344 --> 00:31:53,564
one of the airlines that,
that assisted a covert operation
554
00:31:53,647 --> 00:31:56,567
that was being mounted at the time
out of the Reagan White House
555
00:31:56,650 --> 00:31:59,603
by a famous individual
by the name of Colonel Ollie North.
556
00:31:59,686 --> 00:32:02,389
And the Iran Contra business
was very tangled
557
00:32:02,523 --> 00:32:04,700
and a very peculiar covert operation.
558
00:32:06,894 --> 00:32:10,097
It was not a thin tiny layer of ice
on the wings.
559
00:32:12,199 --> 00:32:15,686
NARRATOR: Filotas points to
photographic evidence to prove his case.
560
00:32:15,769 --> 00:32:17,671
(CAMER SHUTTER CLICKS)
561
00:32:18,605 --> 00:32:21,125
FILOTAS: My colleague made
a trip out to Gander
562
00:32:21,208 --> 00:32:23,911
and went to the RCMP photo lab there
563
00:32:24,044 --> 00:32:27,986
where they had literally thousands
that they took on the crash site.
564
00:32:31,618 --> 00:32:33,404
Many photos that seemed to indicate
565
00:32:33,487 --> 00:32:36,605
that, um, there was some kind
of an explosion onboard.
566
00:32:37,624 --> 00:32:40,566
It's just like if you took
a piece of aluminum foil
567
00:32:40,661 --> 00:32:41,946
and poked your finger in it.
568
00:32:42,029 --> 00:32:45,265
It would curl out from the inside
to the outside
569
00:32:45,399 --> 00:32:49,019
and would be obvious from which side
you put your finger through.
570
00:32:49,102 --> 00:32:50,955
NARRATOR:
Filotas becomes even more suspicious
571
00:32:51,038 --> 00:32:55,242
when he learns that an independent
investigator hired by Arrow Air
572
00:32:55,375 --> 00:32:58,812
had explored the possibility
of an onboard explosion.
573
00:33:01,114 --> 00:33:05,236
FILOTAS: He carefully looked at everything
and found that on the number three engine,
574
00:33:05,319 --> 00:33:07,605
that's the inboard engine
on the right hand side,
575
00:33:07,688 --> 00:33:10,841
some of the inlet guide veins,
three of them, consecutive ones,
576
00:33:10,924 --> 00:33:13,177
had sort of a dent in the leading edge.
577
00:33:13,260 --> 00:33:15,762
And one of them had some red paint on it.
578
00:33:16,763 --> 00:33:19,283
NARRATOR: That investigator concluded
that there could have been
579
00:33:19,366 --> 00:33:20,801
a mid-air explosion...
580
00:33:20,934 --> 00:33:22,469
(EXPLODED)
581
00:33:24,972 --> 00:33:26,824
...and that the damage
and the paint markings
582
00:33:26,907 --> 00:33:28,993
inside the engine could have been caused
583
00:33:29,076 --> 00:33:32,279
by debris exploding outward
from the main fuselage.
584
00:33:34,248 --> 00:33:36,400
Another key piece
of information for Filotas
585
00:33:36,483 --> 00:33:41,221
comes from the post-mortem examination
of some of the 256 victims.
586
00:33:42,623 --> 00:33:45,543
Autopsies indicate that
there were extremely high levels
587
00:33:45,626 --> 00:33:47,626
of carbon monoxide in their blood.
588
00:33:49,496 --> 00:33:52,216
FILOTAS: So if they have
combustion products in their lungs,
589
00:33:52,299 --> 00:33:55,836
natural inference is that
they must have breathed in
590
00:33:55,969 --> 00:33:58,472
some combustion products before the crash.
591
00:33:59,406 --> 00:34:02,226
NARRATOR: From all this evidence,
Filotas and his colleagues
592
00:34:02,309 --> 00:34:04,486
paint their own picture of the crash.
593
00:34:08,248 --> 00:34:09,483
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
594
00:34:09,616 --> 00:34:10,617
(RATTLING)
595
00:34:10,751 --> 00:34:11,869
What the hell was that?
596
00:34:11,952 --> 00:34:14,054
(ALARM BEEPING)
597
00:34:14,188 --> 00:34:17,090
Smoke. Smoke in the cockpit.
Smoke!
598
00:34:22,062 --> 00:34:23,564
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
599
00:34:24,631 --> 00:34:27,218
NARRATOR: But the lead investigators,
McNair and Boag,
600
00:34:27,301 --> 00:34:30,154
maintain that the sabotage theories
are nothing more
601
00:34:30,237 --> 00:34:32,840
than a sensationalist distraction.
602
00:34:32,973 --> 00:34:36,243
McNAIR: We had no indication
that terrorism was a player
603
00:34:36,376 --> 00:34:38,162
but we did have a lot of indication
604
00:34:38,245 --> 00:34:39,964
that there was
an aircraft performance problem
605
00:34:40,047 --> 00:34:41,812
and there were icing problems.
606
00:34:43,984 --> 00:34:47,638
NARRATOR: McNair and Boag decide
the only way to end all the speculation
607
00:34:47,721 --> 00:34:52,092
is to scientifically prove their theory
that ice combined with extra weight
608
00:34:52,226 --> 00:34:54,528
is what brought down flight 12-85.
609
00:34:54,661 --> 00:34:57,197
Okay, you want to give her the once-over?
610
00:34:57,331 --> 00:34:59,333
NARRATOR:
Before the mid-1980s,
611
00:34:59,466 --> 00:35:01,986
little was known about
the aerodynamic impact
612
00:35:02,069 --> 00:35:04,471
of very thin ice accumulation.
613
00:35:05,172 --> 00:35:07,491
The flight engineer
who inspected the aircraft
614
00:35:07,574 --> 00:35:10,194
was likely only looking
for large buildups of ice
615
00:35:10,277 --> 00:35:12,563
that would make the plane
significantly heavier,
616
00:35:12,646 --> 00:35:15,849
not thin coatings on top of the wings.
617
00:35:17,484 --> 00:35:18,569
As part of the investigation,
618
00:35:18,652 --> 00:35:21,672
we did a lot of research
on the effects of ice on aircraft.
619
00:35:21,755 --> 00:35:24,575
NARRATOR: Aerodynamic tests
carried out in a wind tunnel
620
00:35:24,658 --> 00:35:27,478
reveal that even a small amount
of ice contamination
621
00:35:27,561 --> 00:35:30,097
can significantly reduce wing lift.
622
00:35:30,497 --> 00:35:34,034
Just a small amount,
say the size of some sandpaper,
623
00:35:34,168 --> 00:35:38,522
if that's the type of surface you have,
it can seriously degrade a large aircraft.
624
00:35:38,605 --> 00:35:40,135
That was a surprise to me.
625
00:35:42,376 --> 00:35:46,259
NARRATOR: The team carries out
further tests in a flight simulator.
626
00:35:49,183 --> 00:35:52,319
We basically had
to reprogram the simulator
627
00:35:52,452 --> 00:35:55,789
to degrade the performance
to simulate ice.
628
00:35:56,490 --> 00:35:57,958
V1.
629
00:35:59,226 --> 00:36:00,394
Rotate.
630
00:36:03,063 --> 00:36:05,382
NARRATOR:
Every attempt to fly the simulator
631
00:36:05,465 --> 00:36:08,113
with the exact same parameters
as flight 12-85
632
00:36:08,235 --> 00:36:09,703
ends the same way...
633
00:36:10,504 --> 00:36:12,272
...with a stall and a crash.
634
00:36:14,775 --> 00:36:19,913
Okay. Let's run it again
with 10,000 less pounds.
635
00:36:21,715 --> 00:36:25,068
From the simulator trials,
we realized with icing onboard,
636
00:36:25,152 --> 00:36:28,072
which degraded the lift characteristics
of the aircraft,
637
00:36:28,155 --> 00:36:30,474
it was difficult to fly a normal profile
638
00:36:30,557 --> 00:36:33,852
and... and you could easily lose
control of the aircraft.
639
00:36:35,896 --> 00:36:38,765
Ah, she's flying like a pig.
640
00:36:39,233 --> 00:36:40,667
Positive rate?
641
00:36:41,468 --> 00:36:42,736
Negative.
642
00:36:45,539 --> 00:36:46,640
Full power.
643
00:36:47,107 --> 00:36:49,026
NARRATOR:
The pilots would have been able to see
644
00:36:49,109 --> 00:36:51,698
that their plane
wasn't climbing fast enough.
645
00:36:53,146 --> 00:36:54,732
CAPTAIN GRIFFIN:
Watch your altitude. Pull up.
646
00:36:54,815 --> 00:36:56,884
Come on. Airspeed!
647
00:36:57,284 --> 00:36:58,886
{\an8}Airspeed!
648
00:37:00,487 --> 00:37:01,989
Watch the trees!
649
00:37:02,122 --> 00:37:04,124
(ALARMS BEEPING)
650
00:37:04,258 --> 00:37:06,710
NARRATOR: First Officer Connelly
pulled the nose back,
651
00:37:06,793 --> 00:37:08,852
trying to get the plane in the air.
652
00:37:10,430 --> 00:37:13,725
What he didn't realize
is that he was sealing their fate.
653
00:37:14,701 --> 00:37:17,771
The DC-8 was already
on the verge of a stall.
654
00:37:18,839 --> 00:37:21,608
Pulling the nose up
only made things worse.
655
00:37:23,477 --> 00:37:26,125
The aircraft's weight
had been underestimated,
656
00:37:26,246 --> 00:37:29,316
its lift compromised by ice on the wings.
657
00:37:32,085 --> 00:37:33,854
A fatal combination.
658
00:37:35,422 --> 00:37:36,957
(EXPLODED)
659
00:37:38,458 --> 00:37:40,861
(EXPLOSION BOOMS)
660
00:37:42,062 --> 00:37:43,247
If you take one of the factors out,
661
00:37:43,330 --> 00:37:45,749
if you take the ice out
and have the same weight,
662
00:37:45,832 --> 00:37:48,219
maybe you don't have the accident,
if you take out the heavy weight
663
00:37:48,302 --> 00:37:50,554
and still have the icing,
maybe you won't have the accident.
664
00:37:50,637 --> 00:37:54,226
But if you have them combined together,
you have the accident.
665
00:37:54,575 --> 00:37:58,028
NARRATOR: As for the suspicious
paint markings found inside the engine,
666
00:37:58,111 --> 00:38:01,114
McNair determines
they came from a front-end loader
667
00:38:01,248 --> 00:38:03,543
used to clear debris at the crash site.
668
00:38:05,352 --> 00:38:07,823
As well, the extreme intensity of the fire
669
00:38:07,921 --> 00:38:09,573
could have caused
the abnormally high level
670
00:38:09,656 --> 00:38:12,192
of carbon monoxide in the victims' blood.
671
00:38:14,361 --> 00:38:18,565
Even the truckers' accounts
of pre-impact flames can be explained.
672
00:38:18,699 --> 00:38:21,652
If you have an airplane flying
at high angle of attack
673
00:38:21,735 --> 00:38:26,073
where it's in a stalled regime,
typically, or often, you will have
674
00:38:26,206 --> 00:38:29,427
flame coming from the engine
because of compressor stall.
675
00:38:29,510 --> 00:38:31,429
NARRATOR:
As for the terrorists' capability
676
00:38:31,512 --> 00:38:36,450
to pull off such a complex, brazen attack,
there is significant doubt.
677
00:38:36,583 --> 00:38:39,987
WARK: Could they have done it
in terms of intent? Yes.
678
00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:45,025
In terms of actually pulling that
operation off in the circumstances?
679
00:38:45,726 --> 00:38:48,529
You know, that seems to be low probability
680
00:38:48,662 --> 00:38:52,032
but just at the edges
of the margins of the possible.
681
00:38:53,433 --> 00:38:54,885
McNAIR:
There was a lot of controversy
682
00:38:54,968 --> 00:38:57,905
uh, which we just basically
had to deal with
683
00:38:58,038 --> 00:39:00,097
in terms of keeping on with our job
684
00:39:00,207 --> 00:39:03,544
because, uh, investigation
is not an emotional issue,
685
00:39:03,677 --> 00:39:05,089
it's a scientific issue.
686
00:39:05,412 --> 00:39:08,649
So we basically had to stick with science.
687
00:39:09,917 --> 00:39:12,069
We didn't see any evidence
of any other kind of explosion.
688
00:39:12,152 --> 00:39:14,472
We only saw the evidence of an explosion
689
00:39:14,555 --> 00:39:17,624
caused by impact
and the aircraft breaking up.
690
00:39:18,892 --> 00:39:21,979
NARRATOR: McNair believes his conclusion
carries an urgent warning
691
00:39:22,062 --> 00:39:24,231
for the entire airline industry.
692
00:39:24,364 --> 00:39:25,749
A lot of people have a hard time believing
693
00:39:25,832 --> 00:39:27,818
that a little tiny bit of ice on,
on a large wing
694
00:39:27,901 --> 00:39:30,019
will have a big effect, but it does.
695
00:39:33,473 --> 00:39:37,628
NARRATOR: After nearly three years
of painstaking research and investigation,
696
00:39:37,711 --> 00:39:41,465
the Canadian Aviation Safety Board
is ready to release its report.
697
00:39:41,548 --> 00:39:44,218
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
698
00:39:44,351 --> 00:39:48,239
But what is supposed to provide answers
and prevent similar accidents
699
00:39:48,322 --> 00:39:51,058
instead ignites a storm of controversy.
700
00:39:52,092 --> 00:39:54,034
The ice theory is flat out wrong.
701
00:39:56,129 --> 00:39:59,717
NARRATOR: CASB investigators believe
they have a convincing report
702
00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:03,937
that explains the complex cause
of the crash of Flight 12-85.
703
00:40:04,071 --> 00:40:07,508
I was hoping that,
as all investigators do,
704
00:40:07,641 --> 00:40:09,093
when the final report came out
705
00:40:09,176 --> 00:40:12,696
that in fact the safety message
would be out there and would be accepted.
706
00:40:12,779 --> 00:40:14,832
NARRATOR:
But four of the nine members of the board
707
00:40:14,915 --> 00:40:16,500
disagree with the report's conclusion.
708
00:40:16,583 --> 00:40:19,336
This investigation appears
to involve a cover-up.
709
00:40:19,419 --> 00:40:22,322
It's impossible that
ice would have been a factor.
710
00:40:22,723 --> 00:40:26,243
Crash investigators are,
you know, they're always under pressure
711
00:40:26,326 --> 00:40:29,463
to come up with an answer sooner
than they would like
712
00:40:29,596 --> 00:40:32,450
and sometimes depending
on the intensity of that pressure
713
00:40:32,533 --> 00:40:37,471
can perhaps create crash investigations
which are less than, than satisfactory.
714
00:40:38,272 --> 00:40:40,291
NARRATOR:
The dissenters take the unprecedented step
715
00:40:40,374 --> 00:40:42,709
of releasing their own minority report,
716
00:40:42,843 --> 00:40:45,646
citing an onboard explosion as the cause.
717
00:40:46,046 --> 00:40:49,834
We had extremely difficult time
in putting out our dissenting report.
718
00:40:49,917 --> 00:40:51,669
We were given a very restricted time,
719
00:40:51,752 --> 00:40:54,621
and then there was
an attempt to suppress it.
720
00:40:55,022 --> 00:40:57,575
I was asked the question outright,
well, what do you want to do?
721
00:40:57,658 --> 00:41:02,462
You want to try to save your job or you
want to get the truth about this accident?
722
00:41:02,596 --> 00:41:06,733
My answer was, well, I want to save
my job by getting at the truth.
723
00:41:09,603 --> 00:41:13,207
McNAIR: It was quite unusual
to have a dissenting report
724
00:41:13,340 --> 00:41:14,658
written with photographs.
725
00:41:14,741 --> 00:41:15,960
I don't see merit in it.
726
00:41:16,043 --> 00:41:18,195
I totally don't understand
why it was issued in the first place.
727
00:41:18,278 --> 00:41:19,830
Why would you come up with this?
728
00:41:19,913 --> 00:41:23,149
What's the scientific basis for it?
There is no science.
729
00:41:24,184 --> 00:41:28,121
McNAIR: Okay, look.
Paint transfer means nothing.
730
00:41:28,255 --> 00:41:30,241
The crew blood samples means nothing.
731
00:41:30,324 --> 00:41:31,972
The pedaling is meaningless.
732
00:41:32,059 --> 00:41:35,824
Therefore you have no evidence
of terrorism. This proves nothing.
733
00:41:36,129 --> 00:41:39,784
WARK: In this particular case of course
what we had was an extraordinary outcome,
734
00:41:39,867 --> 00:41:42,420
uh, where you have a majority
and a minority report
735
00:41:42,503 --> 00:41:43,854
which are deeply divergent,
736
00:41:43,937 --> 00:41:47,207
uh, and which raise
very different kinds of pictures
737
00:41:47,341 --> 00:41:50,277
about what the outcome
of this crash would be.
738
00:41:51,778 --> 00:41:54,064
HERRLING:
I think it's very tough for families
739
00:41:54,147 --> 00:41:57,751
and friends not to have
final closure on something.
740
00:41:57,885 --> 00:42:00,821
There was really no definitive answer...
741
00:42:01,455 --> 00:42:03,790
to what caused that crash.
742
00:42:05,692 --> 00:42:08,516
If I was a family member,
I'd have questions too.
743
00:42:09,963 --> 00:42:14,611
NARRATOR: But on March the 10th, 1989,
while the controversy continues to swirl,
744
00:42:14,735 --> 00:42:17,655
there's tragic evidence
that McNair and Boag's message
745
00:42:17,738 --> 00:42:19,339
has not been heard.
746
00:42:20,140 --> 00:42:23,277
In Dryden, Ontario,
in wintry conditions...
747
00:42:24,711 --> 00:42:28,248
the crew of a Fokker F-28 elects
not to de-ice.
748
00:42:32,085 --> 00:42:33,854
Just seconds after takeoff...
749
00:42:34,354 --> 00:42:37,791
the plane cannot achieve sufficient lift
to stay airborne.
750
00:42:37,925 --> 00:42:42,129
The accident was almost identical
to Arrow Air 12-85.
751
00:42:42,262 --> 00:42:43,397
(SCREAMING)
752
00:42:43,530 --> 00:42:47,034
McNAIR:
The airplane hit the tree canopy intact
753
00:42:47,167 --> 00:42:51,271
and after that it exploded
because of the fact it hit the ground
754
00:42:51,405 --> 00:42:53,053
with a lot of fuel on board.
755
00:42:56,176 --> 00:42:59,580
NARRATOR: The crash kills 24
of the 69 people onboard.
756
00:43:00,414 --> 00:43:01,866
It was pretty clear from Dryden
757
00:43:01,949 --> 00:43:05,302
that icing or snow may have been
a factor in this as well.
758
00:43:06,286 --> 00:43:09,140
NARRATOR: If only the investigators'
warning had been heard,
759
00:43:09,223 --> 00:43:12,159
the tragedy in Dryden
may never have happened.
760
00:43:14,261 --> 00:43:17,381
The fact that there was a lot of
controversy around this investigation
761
00:43:17,464 --> 00:43:19,333
was very unfortunate
762
00:43:19,466 --> 00:43:22,643
because basically it took away
from the safety message.
763
00:43:23,136 --> 00:43:27,975
Aircraft like the DC-8 are very vulnerable
to icing contamination.
764
00:43:30,244 --> 00:43:34,715
That message was lost because of the,
of the controversy and the bomb theory.
765
00:43:35,315 --> 00:43:37,635
NARRATOR: But those who held firm
to the bomb theory
766
00:43:37,718 --> 00:43:39,486
stand by their actions.
767
00:43:39,620 --> 00:43:43,385
It does not advance safety
to get the wrong cause of an accident.
768
00:43:44,024 --> 00:43:47,211
The real safety message
is that you have to get at the truth
769
00:43:47,294 --> 00:43:50,000
and the truth,
truth and facts of this accident
770
00:43:50,130 --> 00:43:51,999
were never finely established.
771
00:43:56,503 --> 00:43:59,290
NARRATOR: The controversy
over this investigation spelled the end
772
00:43:59,373 --> 00:44:01,808
of the Canadian Aviation Safety Board.
773
00:44:02,442 --> 00:44:06,780
It was scrapped and later replaced
with a new, better-regulated agency.
774
00:44:08,849 --> 00:44:12,555
McNAIR: We learned a lesson.
It cost a lot of people their lives
775
00:44:12,719 --> 00:44:14,705
and that lesson didn't get
passed on to other people,
776
00:44:14,788 --> 00:44:17,174
and other people lost their lives.
That's the sad part for me.
777
00:44:17,257 --> 00:44:20,861
{\an8}(SLOW MUSIC PLAYS)
778
00:44:20,994 --> 00:44:25,199
HERRLING: I know in my own case
if I really didn't know all the answers
779
00:44:25,332 --> 00:44:28,936
and I had lost someone in that,
that terrible crash,
780
00:44:29,069 --> 00:44:31,872
uh, I wouldn't be satisfied.
781
00:44:37,277 --> 00:44:41,048
It's tough when you don't know
and you've lost someone
782
00:44:41,181 --> 00:44:43,083
that's near and dear to you.
783
00:44:44,051 --> 00:44:46,119
I think we all want to know.
784
00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,723
(SLOW MUSIC PLAYING)