1
00:00:03,737 --> 00:00:06,406
NARRATOR:
It's a rough ride aboard a 737
2
00:00:06,540 --> 00:00:08,108
on descent to New Orleans.
3
00:00:08,575 --> 00:00:10,694
We were getting
tumbled around pretty good.
4
00:00:10,777 --> 00:00:12,263
NARRATOR:
A violent thunderstorm
5
00:00:12,346 --> 00:00:14,098
has caught the pilots off guard.
6
00:00:14,181 --> 00:00:16,834
Mayday. Mayday. TACA 110.
We're in the middle of a storm.
7
00:00:16,917 --> 00:00:19,870
We're talking about the equivalent
of an atomic bomb going off.
8
00:00:19,953 --> 00:00:21,121
(CRACKLING)
9
00:00:21,255 --> 00:00:23,207
CAPTAIN CARLOS DARDANO:
Everything went black.
10
00:00:23,290 --> 00:00:26,026
All the alarms start sounding
in the cockpit.
11
00:00:26,159 --> 00:00:27,745
- (ALARMS BLARE)
- LOPEZ: We lost an engine.
12
00:00:27,828 --> 00:00:29,062
Both engines.
13
00:00:29,796 --> 00:00:32,679
NARRATOR:
With no thrust, the plane won't get far.
14
00:00:32,799 --> 00:00:34,351
I don't think that we'll make it.
15
00:00:34,434 --> 00:00:36,187
I don't have any power in the engines.
16
00:00:36,270 --> 00:00:39,973
NARRATOR: 38 passengers
suddenly face a terrifying prospect.
17
00:00:40,841 --> 00:00:42,743
They will crash in minutes.
18
00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:45,296
LOPEZ: Look!
That's where we're going to go in?
19
00:00:45,379 --> 00:00:46,980
You got it, my friend.
20
00:00:47,147 --> 00:00:49,677
NARRATOR:
Unless the crew of TACA Flight 110
21
00:00:49,783 --> 00:00:51,535
can perform one of the greatest feats
22
00:00:51,618 --> 00:00:54,188
in the history of commercial aviation.
23
00:00:56,223 --> 00:00:57,491
All right.
24
00:01:00,961 --> 00:01:02,663
PILOT: Mayday. Mayday.
25
00:01:22,049 --> 00:01:24,251
{\an8}NARRATOR:
A brand new Boeing 737
26
00:01:24,384 --> 00:01:27,438
is making its way through
heavy thunderstorms and hail
27
00:01:27,521 --> 00:01:30,290
30,000 feet above the Gulf of Mexico.
28
00:01:35,662 --> 00:01:37,231
{\an8}(IN SPANISH)
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00:01:41,635 --> 00:01:43,754
NARRATOR: (IN ENGLISH)
TACA Airlines is a small,
30
00:01:43,837 --> 00:01:46,773
family owned operation
based in El Salvador.
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00:01:49,610 --> 00:01:51,178
{\an8}TACA Flight 110
32
00:01:51,311 --> 00:01:54,114
{\an8}left Belize City less than two hours ago,
33
00:01:54,248 --> 00:01:55,782
{\an8}bound for New Orleans.
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00:01:58,919 --> 00:02:00,871
NARRATOR:
Among the 38 passengers...
35
00:02:00,954 --> 00:02:02,089
Gracias.
36
00:02:02,222 --> 00:02:04,875
NARRATOR: ...no one is more eager
to arrive in the U.S.
37
00:02:04,958 --> 00:02:06,727
than Lee Burmeister.
38
00:02:07,694 --> 00:02:10,047
BURMEISTER: I'd been down
to Costa Rica for about a month,
39
00:02:10,130 --> 00:02:13,267
{\an8}and, um, my appendix ruptured
40
00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,519
{\an8}and I had surgery
in a small little village.
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00:02:15,602 --> 00:02:17,204
It was a scary time.
42
00:02:18,805 --> 00:02:20,707
I was really ready to get home.
43
00:02:21,642 --> 00:02:23,160
NARRATOR:
The heavy weather
44
00:02:23,243 --> 00:02:24,728
the crew is now coping with
45
00:02:24,811 --> 00:02:27,282
is a big change
from earlier in the flight.
46
00:02:28,081 --> 00:02:29,433
(LUIS CASTILLO SPEAKS SPANISH)
47
00:02:29,516 --> 00:02:31,836
{\an8}INTERPRETER: I remember
that it was a very sunny day
48
00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,625
{\an8}when we left Belize.
Everything was going well.
49
00:02:36,623 --> 00:02:38,175
It was just like that. It...
50
00:02:38,258 --> 00:02:40,260
It was pretty,
51
00:02:40,394 --> 00:02:42,746
and then all of a sudden
it was the blackest sky
52
00:02:42,829 --> 00:02:45,165
I've ever seen in the afternoon.
53
00:02:45,299 --> 00:02:48,902
NARRATOR: They're flying
over the Gulf of Mexico in May.
54
00:02:49,036 --> 00:02:52,239
At this time of year,
the weather is unpredictable.
55
00:02:52,372 --> 00:02:55,609
Violent storms can form
in a matter of minutes.
56
00:02:55,742 --> 00:02:58,028
{\an8}Thunderstorms have all types
of hazards in them,
57
00:02:58,111 --> 00:02:59,980
{\an8}from the heavy rain,
58
00:03:00,113 --> 00:03:05,819
{\an8}hail, uh, lightning, microburst,
wind shear, severe icing.
59
00:03:05,953 --> 00:03:07,338
We're talking about the equivalent
60
00:03:07,421 --> 00:03:09,523
of an atomic bomb going off.
61
00:03:11,792 --> 00:03:13,794
A tremendous amount of energy.
62
00:03:15,796 --> 00:03:17,615
NARRATOR To avoid dangerous storms,
63
00:03:17,698 --> 00:03:20,434
the crew tracks the weather
with onboard radar.
64
00:03:21,668 --> 00:03:23,727
But the technology has limitations.
65
00:03:24,605 --> 00:03:28,909
Airborne weather radar
typically operates in an X-band,
66
00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:35,082
which is at a certain wavelength,
and has limited power.
67
00:03:36,450 --> 00:03:39,804
As a matter of fact, hail is not
picked up on airborne radar.
68
00:03:39,887 --> 00:03:42,039
JOHN NANCE:
So we will sometimes get hail
69
00:03:42,122 --> 00:03:43,274
blowing off a storm.
70
00:03:43,357 --> 00:03:45,576
{\an8}And yet it will only show up
as green or yellow
71
00:03:45,659 --> 00:03:47,111
{\an8}in front of us on the weather radar.
72
00:03:47,194 --> 00:03:49,530
Not as the heart of a red thunderstorm.
73
00:03:49,663 --> 00:03:52,283
And, and unfortunately this is
one of the reasons we have
74
00:03:52,366 --> 00:03:55,602
to try to stay as far away
from thunderstorms as we can.
75
00:03:55,736 --> 00:03:59,273
NARRATOR: Captain Carlos Dardano
was born to fly.
76
00:03:59,773 --> 00:04:03,911
At just 29, he is the third generation
in a family of pilots.
77
00:04:04,044 --> 00:04:05,612
LOPEZ: Anti-ice on.
78
00:04:06,513 --> 00:04:08,165
DARDANO:
Since I was a little child,
79
00:04:08,248 --> 00:04:11,952
{\an8}I remember that I was dreaming
on being a pilot
80
00:04:12,085 --> 00:04:14,438
{\an8}and being around airplanes all the time.
81
00:04:14,922 --> 00:04:16,307
NARRATOR: Captain Dardano
82
00:04:16,390 --> 00:04:18,576
has had to overcome tremendous obstacles
83
00:04:18,659 --> 00:04:20,194
to earn his wings.
84
00:04:20,327 --> 00:04:23,163
Six years earlier, in 1982,
85
00:04:23,297 --> 00:04:26,239
he was flying for a small
general aviation company.
86
00:04:27,100 --> 00:04:30,512
I was doing a little aero-taxi business
around the country.
87
00:04:31,104 --> 00:04:34,041
NARRATOR:
El Salvador was consumed by a civil war.
88
00:04:34,174 --> 00:04:36,761
And Dardano found himself
caught in the crossfire.
89
00:04:36,844 --> 00:04:40,113
DARDANO:
At a little grass runway airport,
90
00:04:40,247 --> 00:04:43,317
I was shot by guerrillas in the face.
91
00:04:43,851 --> 00:04:45,603
- NARRATOR: Badly wounded,
- (GUNFIRE)
92
00:04:45,686 --> 00:04:48,157
he managed to fly
his passengers to safety.
93
00:04:48,789 --> 00:04:49,923
We just take off,
94
00:04:50,057 --> 00:04:52,109
and I stayed really low between trees
95
00:04:52,192 --> 00:04:55,229
and I flew 20 minutes
back to the main airport.
96
00:04:55,362 --> 00:04:56,714
NARRATOR:
The brush with death
97
00:04:56,797 --> 00:04:58,298
cost him his left eye.
98
00:04:58,432 --> 00:05:00,367
I was shot over here.
99
00:05:00,501 --> 00:05:01,786
The bullet went through.
100
00:05:01,869 --> 00:05:04,811
NARRATOR: But Dardano
did not give up on his dream.
101
00:05:04,905 --> 00:05:06,874
Despite his impaired vision,
102
00:05:07,007 --> 00:05:09,890
he went on to become
a certified commercial pilot.
103
00:05:11,478 --> 00:05:13,514
ATC:
TACA 110 runway two-eight.
104
00:05:13,647 --> 00:05:15,566
Final approach course continue inbound.
105
00:05:15,649 --> 00:05:18,767
Descend at pilot's discretion.
Maintain four thousand.
106
00:05:19,052 --> 00:05:20,237
LOPEZ: Thank you, sir.
107
00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,923
TACA 110. Four thousand.
108
00:05:24,091 --> 00:05:26,143
NARRATOR:
First officer Dionisio Lopez
109
00:05:26,226 --> 00:05:28,996
has more than 12,000 flight hours.
110
00:05:29,129 --> 00:05:31,777
He and Dardano have
flown together many times.
111
00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:35,286
NARRATOR:
Captain Arturo Soley
112
00:05:35,369 --> 00:05:38,105
is a flight instructor with TACA airlines.
113
00:05:38,238 --> 00:05:39,439
He's onboard today
114
00:05:39,573 --> 00:05:42,162
to observe the performance
of this new plane.
115
00:05:42,776 --> 00:05:45,746
A 737-300 series,
116
00:05:45,879 --> 00:05:47,898
the jet was delivered to TACA airlines
117
00:05:47,981 --> 00:05:50,511
- just two weeks ago.
- (LIGHTNING CRACKLES)
118
00:05:51,051 --> 00:05:53,404
This hail is going to scratch the paint.
119
00:05:54,721 --> 00:05:56,089
We were really worried
120
00:05:56,223 --> 00:05:58,275
about the paint coming off the airplane,
121
00:05:58,358 --> 00:06:01,358
because this is a brand new
airplane in the company.
122
00:06:01,628 --> 00:06:03,497
NARRATOR:
The 300 is the latest
123
00:06:03,630 --> 00:06:05,549
in the world's most successful line
124
00:06:05,632 --> 00:06:07,568
of twin engine passenger jets.
125
00:06:09,503 --> 00:06:12,139
It's more aerodynamic
than its predecessor.
126
00:06:14,441 --> 00:06:17,711
It also features a new,
state of the art engine design.
127
00:06:21,315 --> 00:06:24,635
When you pick up a new jetliner
worth millions and millions,
128
00:06:24,718 --> 00:06:26,704
and fly it home with a brand new paint job
129
00:06:26,787 --> 00:06:28,205
and everything is nice and new,
130
00:06:28,288 --> 00:06:30,875
it's not just a thrill for the crew.
It's a thrill for the airline, too,
131
00:06:30,958 --> 00:06:32,510
Especially a smaller one like TACA.
132
00:06:32,593 --> 00:06:34,161
This was a big, big deal.
133
00:06:34,294 --> 00:06:37,314
NARRATOR: Fifty kilometers
from the New Orleans airport,
134
00:06:37,397 --> 00:06:39,456
the plane begins its final descent.
135
00:06:40,734 --> 00:06:43,570
DARDANO:
It felt like you hit a wall.
136
00:06:43,704 --> 00:06:46,740
There was severe turbulence
in the cockpit,
137
00:06:46,874 --> 00:06:51,979
with a lot of noise.
With ice hitting the airplane.
138
00:06:52,112 --> 00:06:53,780
(RUMBLING)
139
00:06:54,448 --> 00:06:56,016
{\an8}(IN SPANISH)
140
00:06:59,553 --> 00:07:00,971
BURMEISTER: (IN ENGLISH)
It was awful.
141
00:07:01,054 --> 00:07:02,473
Lots and lots of lightning.
142
00:07:02,556 --> 00:07:04,942
And the plane was having
a pretty rough trip.
143
00:07:05,025 --> 00:07:08,025
We were, we were getting
tumbled around pretty good.
144
00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,648
Ask the flight attendants
to take their seats.
145
00:07:16,570 --> 00:07:20,335
LOPEZ: (OVER INTERCOM)
Flight attendants, please take your seats.
146
00:07:24,178 --> 00:07:25,412
NARRATOR: Suddenly,
147
00:07:25,546 --> 00:07:28,282
less than 17,000 feet from the ground,
148
00:07:28,415 --> 00:07:31,118
the flight becomes
all the more terrifying.
149
00:07:31,418 --> 00:07:33,086
(CASTILLO SPEAKING SPANISH)
150
00:07:33,220 --> 00:07:34,538
INTERPRETER:
It was very strange,
151
00:07:34,621 --> 00:07:36,540
because it had never
happened to me before.
152
00:07:36,623 --> 00:07:39,388
The lights had never gone off
during turbulence.
153
00:07:41,695 --> 00:07:43,114
DARDANO:
Everything went black.
154
00:07:43,197 --> 00:07:46,533
All the alarms start sounding
in the cockpit.
155
00:07:47,267 --> 00:07:50,209
- (ALARMS SOUNDING)
- All the instruments went out.
156
00:07:50,404 --> 00:07:53,106
So I hit the throttles a couple of times,
157
00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,676
trying to just go to basics...
158
00:07:55,809 --> 00:07:57,411
control the airplane.
159
00:07:57,544 --> 00:07:59,413
We lost power on the engines.
160
00:07:59,546 --> 00:08:02,133
Then I find out
that we didn't have any power.
161
00:08:02,216 --> 00:08:03,684
I've got nothing.
162
00:08:04,318 --> 00:08:06,637
NARRATOR:
The plane has enough speed to glide,
163
00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:07,855
but not for long.
164
00:08:07,988 --> 00:08:10,958
It will rapidly lose altitude as it does.
165
00:08:11,091 --> 00:08:13,260
No power also means no electricity
166
00:08:13,393 --> 00:08:15,462
for all of the onboard systems.
167
00:08:16,496 --> 00:08:18,182
In the New Orleans control tower,
168
00:08:18,265 --> 00:08:21,134
Flight 110 disappears from radar.
169
00:08:21,268 --> 00:08:24,371
TACA TACA 110. Approach. Say altitude.
170
00:08:25,672 --> 00:08:27,992
TACA 110, this is New Orleans
approach control.
171
00:08:28,075 --> 00:08:29,243
How do you hear?
172
00:08:29,376 --> 00:08:30,728
NARRATOR: Without power,
173
00:08:30,811 --> 00:08:33,517
communication with the plane
is now impossible.
174
00:08:36,116 --> 00:08:37,684
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
175
00:08:42,322 --> 00:08:44,028
BURMEISTER:
It's really quiet.
176
00:08:45,259 --> 00:08:47,461
There aren't any engine sounds.
177
00:08:50,998 --> 00:08:52,666
There aren't any lights.
178
00:08:53,834 --> 00:08:57,070
It feels like you're in
a dark room without any power.
179
00:09:02,509 --> 00:09:03,961
NARRATOR:
In less than a minute,
180
00:09:04,044 --> 00:09:07,548
the 737 drops almost a thousand feet.
181
00:09:07,681 --> 00:09:09,383
It continues to fall.
182
00:09:10,784 --> 00:09:13,820
LOPEZ: We are dropping
at 1,500 feet per minute.
183
00:09:13,954 --> 00:09:15,372
NARRATOR: And without power,
184
00:09:15,455 --> 00:09:18,225
there is no way to restart the engines.
185
00:09:18,358 --> 00:09:21,064
DARDANO: Well,
we knew we didn't have much time
186
00:09:21,161 --> 00:09:23,397
to try to find out where to land, or,
187
00:09:23,530 --> 00:09:26,083
or what kind of emergency landing
we're going to have,
188
00:09:26,166 --> 00:09:29,403
or that we're going to have
the engines started again.
189
00:09:32,139 --> 00:09:34,525
{\an8}NARRATOR:
The altimeter and attitude indicator
190
00:09:34,608 --> 00:09:36,543
have backup battery power.
191
00:09:36,677 --> 00:09:38,512
Nothing else is working.
192
00:09:38,645 --> 00:09:40,351
DARDANO: Get the APU started.
193
00:09:47,654 --> 00:09:50,891
NARRATOR:
The APU, or auxiliary power unit,
194
00:09:51,024 --> 00:09:53,966
is a backup generator
that provides emergency power
195
00:09:54,061 --> 00:09:55,462
to vital systems.
196
00:09:56,797 --> 00:09:58,899
But starting it takes time.
197
00:10:01,235 --> 00:10:03,003
And with each passing second,
198
00:10:03,136 --> 00:10:07,975
TACA Flight 110 falls closer
and closer to the water below.
199
00:10:12,980 --> 00:10:15,582
BURMEISTER:
It was very quiet.
200
00:10:15,716 --> 00:10:18,102
You could hear the hail hitting the plane.
201
00:10:18,185 --> 00:10:19,786
(HAIL THUDDING)
202
00:10:21,054 --> 00:10:23,174
{\an8}I was thinking that this was...
this was it.
203
00:10:23,257 --> 00:10:25,325
{\an8}That it's going down, and...
204
00:10:25,459 --> 00:10:28,195
{\an8}and this is, this is my last day.
205
00:10:32,065 --> 00:10:33,867
Lopez, watch the gauges.
206
00:10:35,402 --> 00:10:37,221
NARRATOR:
Without power to the engines,
207
00:10:37,304 --> 00:10:41,842
the state of the art jet liner
has become a 43-ton glider.
208
00:10:41,975 --> 00:10:43,610
DARDANO: We were wondering
209
00:10:43,744 --> 00:10:46,747
if we can get the APU going really fast.
210
00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,533
{\an8}You know, you're gliding down
in the middle of a thunderstorm
211
00:10:49,616 --> 00:10:51,985
{\an8}trying to, to get the power going.
212
00:10:57,124 --> 00:10:58,625
(APU BEEPING)
213
00:11:00,460 --> 00:11:01,990
The APU is up and running.
214
00:11:02,796 --> 00:11:04,264
(SIGHS)
215
00:11:05,899 --> 00:11:07,418
(CASTILLO SPEAKING SPANISH)
216
00:11:07,501 --> 00:11:09,053
INTERPRETER:
When the lights came back on,
217
00:11:09,136 --> 00:11:10,204
I was relieved.
218
00:11:10,337 --> 00:11:13,220
{\an8}I thought it was something temporary.
No big deal.
219
00:11:16,009 --> 00:11:18,629
NARRATOR: The APU is now providing
emergency power
220
00:11:18,712 --> 00:11:20,447
to the plane's systems.
221
00:11:21,215 --> 00:11:24,051
But the engines are still not running.
222
00:11:24,184 --> 00:11:26,604
To fire up the powerful turbo-fan engines,
223
00:11:26,687 --> 00:11:28,172
the crew must follow the procedure
224
00:11:28,255 --> 00:11:30,257
for a complete engine restart.
225
00:11:30,390 --> 00:11:32,593
Thrust to idle. Fuel levers off.
226
00:11:38,532 --> 00:11:42,052
NARRATOR: The APU can generate
the power to restart the engines.
227
00:11:42,135 --> 00:11:43,704
But it takes time.
228
00:11:45,405 --> 00:11:47,941
It takes like 30 seconds or so,
229
00:11:48,075 --> 00:11:50,577
but it feels like all your life.
230
00:11:55,249 --> 00:11:56,934
Call a mayday to New Orleans.
231
00:11:57,017 --> 00:11:59,488
Get us out of this storm
and onto a runway.
232
00:11:59,620 --> 00:12:01,121
Mayday. Mayday. TACA 110.
233
00:12:01,255 --> 00:12:03,841
We are, we are in the middle
of the storm, sir.
234
00:12:03,924 --> 00:12:05,743
We need vectors to the runway now, sir.
235
00:12:05,826 --> 00:12:07,928
- We lost an engine.
- Both engines.
236
00:12:08,095 --> 00:12:10,664
LOPEZ:
Both engines, sir. Both engines.
237
00:12:10,797 --> 00:12:13,800
Understand. Both engines,
TACA 110. Roger.
238
00:12:13,934 --> 00:12:16,287
NARRATOR: The controller knows
he needs to get the plane
239
00:12:16,370 --> 00:12:18,355
on the ground as soon as possible,
240
00:12:18,438 --> 00:12:21,542
even if it means sending it
to another airport.
241
00:12:23,277 --> 00:12:24,678
TACA 110. Roger.
242
00:12:24,811 --> 00:12:27,314
Turn left heading two-eight-zero.
243
00:12:27,447 --> 00:12:30,384
Vectors to Navy Callender runway two-two.
244
00:12:30,517 --> 00:12:32,036
NARRATOR:
Flight 110 is still
245
00:12:32,119 --> 00:12:34,371
thirty-two kilometers from New Orleans.
246
00:12:34,454 --> 00:12:36,841
The stricken plane
has a better chance of landing
247
00:12:36,924 --> 00:12:40,194
at a U.S. naval base
27 kilometers away.
248
00:12:40,327 --> 00:12:42,813
But the plane will not
make it to any airport
249
00:12:42,896 --> 00:12:45,049
unless the crew gets the engines started.
250
00:12:45,132 --> 00:12:47,568
28, 29, 30. Hit it.
251
00:12:50,404 --> 00:12:52,206
(WHIRRING)
252
00:12:55,142 --> 00:12:57,644
{\an8}NARRATOR:
Only 5,000 feet from the ground,
253
00:12:57,778 --> 00:12:59,580
{\an8}the left engine ignites.
254
00:12:59,713 --> 00:13:01,048
{\an8}Speed.
255
00:13:07,354 --> 00:13:08,455
(SIGHS)
256
00:13:09,289 --> 00:13:10,991
Okay. Good job.
257
00:13:13,227 --> 00:13:15,051
Start working on the other one.
258
00:13:15,696 --> 00:13:18,482
NARRATOR:
The plane can fly with only one engine.
259
00:13:18,565 --> 00:13:21,852
But both engines would be safer.
Especially in bad weather.
260
00:13:21,935 --> 00:13:24,422
DARDANO:
Request a vector back to New Orleans.
261
00:13:24,505 --> 00:13:26,223
Okay, we have one engine back on.
262
00:13:26,306 --> 00:13:28,130
Request vectors to New Orleans.
263
00:13:29,276 --> 00:13:32,546
Uh, TACA 110 wilco.
Fly heading two-niner-zero.
264
00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:34,832
Vector around the thunderstorms
to your right.
265
00:13:34,915 --> 00:13:37,234
NARRATOR: Meanwhile,
Captain Soley is taking the steps
266
00:13:37,317 --> 00:13:39,152
{\an8}to fire up the second engine.
267
00:13:40,187 --> 00:13:42,289
{\an8}SOLEY: Here comes the other one.
268
00:13:42,422 --> 00:13:44,791
{\an8}And here comes the other one. (SIGHS)
269
00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:47,895
Speed.
270
00:13:48,028 --> 00:13:49,563
All right.
271
00:13:50,230 --> 00:13:51,549
Now you've got both of them.
272
00:13:51,632 --> 00:13:53,217
NARRATOR:
With both engines back,
273
00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:55,602
it appears the crisis is over.
274
00:13:57,004 --> 00:13:59,506
Okay, sir, we have both engines back now.
275
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,826
We really appreciate
what you've done for us.
276
00:14:01,909 --> 00:14:05,612
We are going to go down to three-one-zero.
277
00:14:05,746 --> 00:14:07,331
For the engines to come back on,
278
00:14:07,414 --> 00:14:10,784
it really didn't make anybody
feel that much better.
279
00:14:12,052 --> 00:14:13,405
We are still in a mess.
280
00:14:17,724 --> 00:14:20,394
Look. I don't feel any power.
281
00:14:22,229 --> 00:14:24,398
Why don't I feel any power?
282
00:14:24,531 --> 00:14:26,117
NARRATOR:
Something's wrong.
283
00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,052
The engines appear to be running,
284
00:14:28,135 --> 00:14:30,312
but they're not providing any thrust.
285
00:14:34,141 --> 00:14:35,943
The sucker is not starting.
286
00:14:37,277 --> 00:14:38,929
NARRATOR:
Then, the gauges show that
287
00:14:39,012 --> 00:14:40,631
the engines are overheating.
288
00:14:40,714 --> 00:14:41,715
{\an8}(BEEPING)
289
00:14:41,882 --> 00:14:44,284
{\an8}They're burning up from the inside.
290
00:14:44,418 --> 00:14:46,570
The risk of a catastrophic engine fire
291
00:14:46,653 --> 00:14:48,488
now leaves Dardano no choice.
292
00:14:49,423 --> 00:14:53,193
He must do something no pilot
would ever want to do:
293
00:14:53,327 --> 00:14:56,029
Shut down both engines for good.
294
00:14:59,099 --> 00:15:01,902
Once again, the plane is without power.
295
00:15:02,035 --> 00:15:03,737
And falling fast.
296
00:15:05,372 --> 00:15:08,008
We knew that we don't have any possibility
297
00:15:08,141 --> 00:15:09,643
to restart the engines.
298
00:15:09,776 --> 00:15:13,247
{\an8}And we had to start looking
for someplace to land.
299
00:15:13,380 --> 00:15:16,534
{\an8}NARRATOR: The plane
is quickly closing in on 3,000 feet.
300
00:15:16,617 --> 00:15:19,570
{\an8}At the rate it's dropping,
it won't make it to New Orleans.
301
00:15:19,653 --> 00:15:21,830
Okay, where do I put this thing down?
302
00:15:21,955 --> 00:15:23,841
NARRATOR:
Visibility begins to improve
303
00:15:23,924 --> 00:15:26,444
when the plane breaks
through the storm clouds.
304
00:15:26,527 --> 00:15:27,995
But it's still raining,
305
00:15:28,128 --> 00:15:30,381
and Dardano has less than three minutes
306
00:15:30,464 --> 00:15:32,132
to find a place to land.
307
00:15:32,266 --> 00:15:34,768
I was seeing just swampy land
308
00:15:34,902 --> 00:15:36,136
all over the place.
309
00:15:37,304 --> 00:15:40,324
NARRATOR: New Orleans
is surrounded by canals and lakes.
310
00:15:40,407 --> 00:15:43,076
The city is protected
by a system of levees...
311
00:15:43,210 --> 00:15:46,146
man-made barriers
designed to prevent flooding.
312
00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,550
It's no place to try to land a 737.
313
00:15:50,784 --> 00:15:53,373
We are...
We don't have power on the engines.
314
00:15:54,421 --> 00:15:57,074
TACA 110,
I'm gonna vector you to Lakefront Airport.
315
00:15:57,157 --> 00:15:59,009
You're only 11 miles from Lakefront.
316
00:15:59,092 --> 00:16:01,034
I don't think that we'll make it.
317
00:16:01,161 --> 00:16:03,497
I don't have any power in the engines.
318
00:16:03,630 --> 00:16:05,216
I guess we'll have to go down.
319
00:16:05,299 --> 00:16:07,184
We're going to declare an emergency.
320
00:16:07,267 --> 00:16:09,820
We're gonna have to decide
where to put this thing.
321
00:16:09,903 --> 00:16:11,856
TACA 110, do you have visual reference
322
00:16:11,939 --> 00:16:13,574
of the ground at this time?
323
00:16:13,707 --> 00:16:15,108
Yes, sir.
324
00:16:15,242 --> 00:16:17,528
TACA 110, there is an interstate highway
325
00:16:17,611 --> 00:16:19,530
directly ahead of you at twelve o'clock
326
00:16:19,613 --> 00:16:21,215
and seven miles.
327
00:16:21,348 --> 00:16:22,749
Let's see what it is.
328
00:16:22,883 --> 00:16:24,335
NARRATOR:
Landing on a highway
329
00:16:24,418 --> 00:16:26,286
may be Dardano's only option.
330
00:16:26,420 --> 00:16:28,222
It was probably a possibility,
331
00:16:28,355 --> 00:16:32,125
but you always know that
the freeways are full of cars.
332
00:16:33,660 --> 00:16:35,946
And no way I'm going to try
to land in the highway,
333
00:16:36,029 --> 00:16:38,198
because we'll kill many more people.
334
00:16:38,332 --> 00:16:40,367
So that was not an option, really.
335
00:16:41,768 --> 00:16:43,187
NARRATOR:
Eleven years earlier,
336
00:16:43,270 --> 00:16:46,090
a Southern Airways flight
facing a similar emergency
337
00:16:46,173 --> 00:16:48,644
was forced to land
on a highway in Georgia.
338
00:16:51,278 --> 00:16:54,098
The crash landing killed
nine people on the ground,
339
00:16:54,181 --> 00:16:56,650
and 63 people onboard the plane.
340
00:17:00,587 --> 00:17:03,705
I don't think we're going to be able
to make it there.
341
00:17:04,157 --> 00:17:06,076
You're six miles
away from Lakefront Airport.
342
00:17:06,159 --> 00:17:08,612
- Can you make it there?
- No, sir. We're at 2,000 feet,
343
00:17:08,695 --> 00:17:10,548
- and losing altitude.
- (ALARM SOUNDING)
344
00:17:10,631 --> 00:17:12,783
NARRATOR:
The crew only has one option left.
345
00:17:12,866 --> 00:17:15,453
I guess I'm going to have to make
a ditching here, sir.
346
00:17:15,536 --> 00:17:19,457
NARRATOR: They must take their chances,
and put the plane down on the water.
347
00:17:19,540 --> 00:17:22,709
TACA 110, Roger.
Whatever you need to do, sir.
348
00:17:24,244 --> 00:17:28,348
And that was about the last
communication with the tower.
349
00:17:28,482 --> 00:17:31,285
Then we were like, uh, 1500 feet
350
00:17:31,418 --> 00:17:33,420
when that was going on.
351
00:17:35,923 --> 00:17:37,441
This is New Orleans tower.
352
00:17:37,524 --> 00:17:40,260
We have an inbound 737 probable ditching.
353
00:17:41,094 --> 00:17:42,629
Forty-five souls onboard.
354
00:17:44,698 --> 00:17:47,581
NARRATOR:
The Coast Guard is immediately deployed.
355
00:17:48,435 --> 00:17:50,494
Dardano plans to put the plane down
356
00:17:50,604 --> 00:17:52,663
in the canal directly ahead of him.
357
00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:56,276
Okay. There.
358
00:17:56,877 --> 00:17:58,946
(EXHALES) Put it down softly.
359
00:18:04,685 --> 00:18:06,504
BURMEISTER:
It was kind of the feeling
360
00:18:06,587 --> 00:18:08,589
of everyone on the plane
361
00:18:08,722 --> 00:18:10,958
that we weren't gonna get out of this.
362
00:18:11,491 --> 00:18:14,161
It was a doomsday kind of feeling.
363
00:18:15,162 --> 00:18:17,064
And this... this was it.
364
00:18:18,365 --> 00:18:19,750
Excuse me. What's going on?
365
00:18:19,833 --> 00:18:21,134
{\an8}(IN SPANISH)
366
00:18:24,605 --> 00:18:26,657
BURMEISTER: (IN ENGLISH)
The steward's body language.
367
00:18:26,740 --> 00:18:29,126
I didn't even have to understand
what they were saying.
368
00:18:29,209 --> 00:18:31,327
You could just see them in distress.
369
00:18:32,112 --> 00:18:35,701
NARRATOR: The 737 can only stay
in the air for another minute.
370
00:18:36,583 --> 00:18:39,253
As Dardano looks for
a safe stretch of canal
371
00:18:39,386 --> 00:18:42,589
to drop the plane in,
another option appears.
372
00:18:42,723 --> 00:18:44,708
LOPEZ:
Look! Look at that one over there.
373
00:18:44,791 --> 00:18:47,828
And then Lopez saw the levee
374
00:18:47,961 --> 00:18:51,314
parallel to the canal that we were
making the approach on.
375
00:18:51,431 --> 00:18:53,117
Can we put it down on the grass?
376
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:54,601
Yes, boss.
377
00:18:54,735 --> 00:18:56,320
NARRATOR:
The levee is much shorter
378
00:18:56,403 --> 00:18:58,105
and narrower than a runway,
379
00:18:58,238 --> 00:19:00,307
but it looks safer than the water.
380
00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,776
That's where we're going to go in?
381
00:19:02,910 --> 00:19:04,745
You got it, my friend.
382
00:19:05,245 --> 00:19:07,765
NARRATOR:
They will have to act fast to get there.
383
00:19:07,848 --> 00:19:09,437
DARDANO: Prepare the cabin.
384
00:19:11,418 --> 00:19:12,519
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
385
00:19:12,653 --> 00:19:15,406
INTERPRETER: You don't even have time
to think about being scared.
386
00:19:15,489 --> 00:19:17,391
So I can't say I was scared.
387
00:19:17,524 --> 00:19:19,642
We had to start preparing the cabin.
388
00:19:21,128 --> 00:19:22,529
{\an8}(IN SPANISH)
389
00:19:24,565 --> 00:19:26,984
{\an8}BURMEISTER: (IN ENGLISH)
I had to assume crash position.
390
00:19:27,067 --> 00:19:28,919
And it was really difficult for me,
391
00:19:29,002 --> 00:19:31,071
because I had just had surgery.
392
00:19:31,205 --> 00:19:32,506
You're kidding me.
393
00:19:32,639 --> 00:19:36,210
And I had stitches going up
the middle of my stomach.
394
00:19:36,343 --> 00:19:38,545
I've got stitches. Operation.
395
00:19:39,813 --> 00:19:42,755
NARRATOR: Passengers only
have seconds to prepare.
396
00:19:43,250 --> 00:19:44,839
(CASTILLO SPEAKING SPANISH)
397
00:19:45,419 --> 00:19:47,471
INTERPRETER:
The passengers had to take off
398
00:19:47,554 --> 00:19:49,356
their shoes, their jewelry.
399
00:19:49,489 --> 00:19:52,009
They had to put their shoes
under the seat in front of them.
400
00:19:52,092 --> 00:19:54,916
So we went through
the whole emergency checklist.
401
00:19:59,166 --> 00:20:00,451
NARRATOR: Air traffic control
402
00:20:00,534 --> 00:20:04,137
can no longer pick up
the low flying 737 on radar.
403
00:20:04,271 --> 00:20:07,508
The controller asks other planes
to look for it.
404
00:20:07,641 --> 00:20:10,477
Six to Kilo Alpha.
If you could check your east
405
00:20:10,611 --> 00:20:13,097
just slightly to the south
three to four miles.
406
00:20:13,180 --> 00:20:15,649
We lost an aircraft down there.
A 737.
407
00:20:15,782 --> 00:20:17,802
If you could let me know what you see.
408
00:20:17,885 --> 00:20:20,037
PILOT: (OVER RADIO)
Roger. Kilo Alpha to Six,
409
00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:21,588
I'll see what I can do.
410
00:20:29,162 --> 00:20:32,016
INTERPRETER: I felt scared
when I got back to my seat.
411
00:20:32,099 --> 00:20:34,935
That's the moment
when I really got scared.
412
00:20:37,037 --> 00:20:39,339
Okay. Put the gear down.
413
00:20:39,506 --> 00:20:41,036
(ALARM CONTINUES SOUNDING)
414
00:20:42,276 --> 00:20:43,610
All right.
415
00:20:43,744 --> 00:20:45,830
NARRATOR:
But Captain Dardano is still flying
416
00:20:45,913 --> 00:20:47,080
towards the water.
417
00:20:47,214 --> 00:20:49,467
Well, the levee was parallel to my right.
418
00:20:49,550 --> 00:20:51,969
NARRATOR: To have any hope
of landing on the levee,
419
00:20:52,052 --> 00:20:55,347
he needs to make a sudden
and dramatic course correction.
420
00:20:55,789 --> 00:20:59,760
That requires a risky maneuver
known as a sideslip.
421
00:20:59,893 --> 00:21:02,829
So we just had to do a little bit sideslip
422
00:21:02,963 --> 00:21:05,999
to get into position to,
to make a perfect landing.
423
00:21:06,133 --> 00:21:09,353
NARRATOR: It's a move meant
for small planes and gliders.
424
00:21:09,436 --> 00:21:12,873
Not a 43-ton Boeing 737.
425
00:21:13,006 --> 00:21:15,342
But it's a risk he has to take.
426
00:21:17,611 --> 00:21:19,313
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
427
00:21:23,317 --> 00:21:24,351
I prayed.
428
00:21:24,484 --> 00:21:25,485
Oh, God.
429
00:21:25,619 --> 00:21:28,090
I was in disbelief
that this was happening.
430
00:21:30,224 --> 00:21:32,025
NARRATOR: Only 700 feet
431
00:21:32,159 --> 00:21:34,145
separate the plane from the ground.
432
00:21:34,228 --> 00:21:37,228
Without engines, the pilots
have no thrust reversers
433
00:21:37,331 --> 00:21:39,766
to slow the plane when it touches down.
434
00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:41,986
Dardano has an additional challenge.
435
00:21:42,069 --> 00:21:43,403
With only one eye,
436
00:21:43,537 --> 00:21:44,855
he's unable to gauge depth
437
00:21:44,938 --> 00:21:49,009
as he speeds towards the narrow,
rain-soaked strip of grass.
438
00:21:49,142 --> 00:21:50,878
Oh, God. Oh, God.
439
00:21:51,011 --> 00:21:54,114
I was prepared for the plane
to blow up and explode.
440
00:21:54,248 --> 00:21:58,218
I was prepared for a tragic event,
441
00:21:58,352 --> 00:22:01,455
and, mentally, had said goodbye
to my family.
442
00:22:02,823 --> 00:22:04,458
This is it.
443
00:22:04,591 --> 00:22:06,377
NARRATOR:
There's a high cement wall
444
00:22:06,460 --> 00:22:07,645
in front of the levee,
445
00:22:07,728 --> 00:22:09,787
and a steep embankment on the left.
446
00:22:10,330 --> 00:22:12,507
There may not be enough room to land.
447
00:22:13,166 --> 00:22:14,819
Watch out for the wing on that side.
448
00:22:14,902 --> 00:22:16,203
DARDANO: I see it.
449
00:22:17,938 --> 00:22:19,206
Come on.
450
00:22:22,843 --> 00:22:25,145
(SPEAKING SPANISH)
451
00:22:26,413 --> 00:22:27,981
(THUDDING)
452
00:22:31,451 --> 00:22:35,022
We touched down with one wheel
and the other one...
453
00:22:35,656 --> 00:22:37,074
BURMEISTER:
Was it a hard landing?
454
00:22:37,157 --> 00:22:38,992
Yes. If the seatbelt snapped,
455
00:22:39,126 --> 00:22:41,479
we would have flown
through the plane, for sure.
456
00:22:41,562 --> 00:22:43,210
NARRATOR:
On the soggy grass,
457
00:22:43,297 --> 00:22:45,516
the plane is in danger
of skidding off the levee
458
00:22:45,599 --> 00:22:47,067
into the water.
459
00:22:48,735 --> 00:22:51,055
DARDANO:
I was trying just to control the airplane,
460
00:22:51,138 --> 00:22:52,323
not to hit the brakes,
461
00:22:52,406 --> 00:22:55,426
and not to lose the airplane
at the last minute, you know.
462
00:22:55,509 --> 00:22:57,277
The spoilers were out.
463
00:22:57,411 --> 00:22:59,880
So, we were just thinking,
464
00:23:00,013 --> 00:23:02,484
"Okay, we make it.
We make it. We make it."
465
00:23:07,454 --> 00:23:10,457
(LAUGHING)
466
00:23:11,258 --> 00:23:12,960
Very good.
467
00:23:13,093 --> 00:23:15,295
Very good. Very good, Charlie.
468
00:23:15,429 --> 00:23:16,864
Very good, my friend.
469
00:23:16,997 --> 00:23:18,498
I was surprised.
470
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,135
(CHEERING)
471
00:23:22,269 --> 00:23:25,105
BURMEISTER:
It was a hard landing, but, um...
472
00:23:27,307 --> 00:23:29,977
But it was a nice...
it was a nice landing.
473
00:23:30,110 --> 00:23:31,845
Um, just to be alive.
474
00:23:32,813 --> 00:23:34,248
(LAUGHING)
475
00:23:43,857 --> 00:23:46,360
INTERPRETER:
The landing was spectacular.
476
00:23:46,493 --> 00:23:49,162
The plane landed so smoothly.
477
00:23:49,296 --> 00:23:51,899
There wasn't even a bit of turbulence.
478
00:23:53,901 --> 00:23:55,469
A perfect landing.
479
00:23:56,537 --> 00:23:58,005
That was, uh,
480
00:23:58,138 --> 00:24:00,844
I think the most beautiful
landing I ever made.
481
00:24:04,978 --> 00:24:07,598
INTERPRETER: When I looked out my window,
there was no fire.
482
00:24:07,681 --> 00:24:10,976
So I immediately opened the door,
and deployed the slide.
483
00:24:15,756 --> 00:24:17,024
{\an8}(IN SPANISH)
484
00:24:19,593 --> 00:24:21,679
(IN ENGLISH)
They told us to get off the plane.
485
00:24:21,762 --> 00:24:23,880
That the plane was going to blow up.
486
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:28,352
NARRATOR:
The New Orleans controller
487
00:24:28,435 --> 00:24:31,939
has no idea what has become
of TACA Flight 110.
488
00:24:32,072 --> 00:24:35,442
Another aircraft relays
the news to the tower.
489
00:24:35,576 --> 00:24:37,428
PILOT: (OVER RADIO)
Kilo Alpha to Six.
490
00:24:37,511 --> 00:24:39,346
Everything looks okay.
491
00:24:39,479 --> 00:24:41,597
Looks like he did a pretty good job.
492
00:24:41,715 --> 00:24:42,883
They made it.
493
00:24:43,016 --> 00:24:45,369
You're not gonna believe where they are!
494
00:24:50,858 --> 00:24:52,459
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
495
00:24:52,726 --> 00:24:54,645
NARRATOR:
For the first time in history,
496
00:24:54,728 --> 00:24:56,897
a 737 without any engines
497
00:24:57,030 --> 00:25:00,634
has landed safely outside of an airport.
498
00:25:00,767 --> 00:25:04,471
Now, investigators must find out
why the sophisticated engines
499
00:25:04,605 --> 00:25:08,175
on a brand new jetliner
failed in mid-flight.
500
00:25:12,479 --> 00:25:15,382
NARRATOR:
Pilots call this a dead stick landing.
501
00:25:15,516 --> 00:25:17,851
A landing with no engines.
502
00:25:17,985 --> 00:25:22,256
As it turns out, TACA 110
has landed on NASA property.
503
00:25:22,389 --> 00:25:24,591
This is the Michoud Facility,
504
00:25:24,725 --> 00:25:27,928
where they manufacture parts
for the space shuttle.
505
00:25:30,731 --> 00:25:32,933
The evacuation was quick.
506
00:25:33,066 --> 00:25:36,470
{\an8}We got out of the plane quickly.
507
00:25:36,603 --> 00:25:38,805
{\an8}We slid down the chutes.
508
00:25:40,474 --> 00:25:42,309
I got to the top of the levee,
509
00:25:42,442 --> 00:25:45,296
and there were some nurses
that were on the plane,
510
00:25:45,379 --> 00:25:48,849
and they looked at my stitches
and everything.
511
00:25:48,982 --> 00:25:50,217
No major injuries.
512
00:25:50,350 --> 00:25:52,536
Just one person that had had an operation.
513
00:25:52,619 --> 00:25:53,720
But she's okay.
514
00:25:53,854 --> 00:25:56,173
- JOURNALIST: Where were you headed?
- To New Orleans.
515
00:25:56,256 --> 00:25:59,393
And soon after, an ambulance came,
516
00:25:59,526 --> 00:26:02,629
put me on a stretcher
and took me to the hospital.
517
00:26:04,531 --> 00:26:06,033
You have to thank God.
518
00:26:06,166 --> 00:26:07,518
CROWD: That's right. Yes.
519
00:26:07,601 --> 00:26:11,638
LOPEZ: And also to our captain,
because he kept calm.
520
00:26:11,772 --> 00:26:13,774
(INDISTINCT CHATTER, APPLAUSE)
521
00:26:25,118 --> 00:26:27,505
Now, that's not something
you see every day.
522
00:26:27,588 --> 00:26:29,707
NARRATOR:
Within hours of the emergency,
523
00:26:29,790 --> 00:26:31,191
investigators arrive
524
00:26:31,325 --> 00:26:34,061
and begin examining the damaged plane.
525
00:26:34,194 --> 00:26:35,696
To end up with a jetliner
526
00:26:35,829 --> 00:26:39,083
{\an8}sitting on a levee, having landed there,
being perfectly intact
527
00:26:39,166 --> 00:26:43,337
{\an8}is almost an unbelievable sight.
It's beyond incredible.
528
00:26:45,973 --> 00:26:49,927
Just a couple of questions for you,
but the first thing I'd like to say is...
529
00:26:50,010 --> 00:26:51,011
nice landing.
530
00:26:52,546 --> 00:26:55,166
So tell me, when did
the engine trouble start?
531
00:26:55,249 --> 00:26:58,102
NARRATOR: Investigators
meet with the crew right away.
532
00:26:58,185 --> 00:26:59,937
They want to know
exactly what was happening
533
00:27:00,020 --> 00:27:01,688
when the engines flamed out.
534
00:27:01,822 --> 00:27:03,957
We were descending to 16-5
535
00:27:04,091 --> 00:27:08,095
when both our engines
flamed out at the same time.
536
00:27:08,228 --> 00:27:10,347
That both of them
coming apart at the same time
537
00:27:10,430 --> 00:27:12,366
is an infinitesimal possibility.
538
00:27:12,499 --> 00:27:14,323
NARRATOR:
This plane was powered
539
00:27:14,434 --> 00:27:16,654
by one of the most advanced
and widely used
540
00:27:16,737 --> 00:27:18,572
jet engines on Earth:
541
00:27:18,705 --> 00:27:20,908
the CFM-56.
542
00:27:21,675 --> 00:27:23,877
It powers not only the Boeing 737,
543
00:27:24,011 --> 00:27:26,680
but Airbus and military planes as well.
544
00:27:27,347 --> 00:27:29,349
NANCE:
The CFM-56 is just a marvel
545
00:27:29,483 --> 00:27:31,202
of current engineering aeronautically.
546
00:27:31,285 --> 00:27:33,337
There are thousands and thousands
of them out there,
547
00:27:33,420 --> 00:27:34,939
and they almost never, ever fail.
548
00:27:35,022 --> 00:27:37,958
NARRATOR:
But two CFM-56s had failed
549
00:27:38,091 --> 00:27:39,960
on this one plane alone.
550
00:27:40,460 --> 00:27:43,030
Investigators desperately
need to know why.
551
00:27:43,664 --> 00:27:46,617
I haven't flown through
too many storms that intense.
552
00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:48,152
NARRATOR:
They turn their attention
553
00:27:48,235 --> 00:27:49,937
to the weather conditions.
554
00:27:50,070 --> 00:27:52,840
{\an8}It's considered a very rare occurrence
555
00:27:52,973 --> 00:27:56,276
{\an8}for engines to have flamed out in flight.
556
00:27:57,144 --> 00:28:01,481
And, uh, therefore,
the concentration was on
557
00:28:01,615 --> 00:28:04,451
what possibility would cause this?
558
00:28:04,585 --> 00:28:06,303
Is there an environmental effect
559
00:28:06,386 --> 00:28:08,975
since they were flying
through rain and hail?
560
00:28:10,958 --> 00:28:12,426
Tell me about the storm.
561
00:28:12,993 --> 00:28:14,494
The winds were fierce.
562
00:28:14,628 --> 00:28:17,397
There was so much rain and hail,
563
00:28:17,531 --> 00:28:19,666
we could barely see out the window.
564
00:28:22,336 --> 00:28:23,821
NARRATOR:
Dents in the fuselage
565
00:28:23,904 --> 00:28:25,956
reveal that the plane was struck by hail
566
00:28:26,039 --> 00:28:28,509
almost an inch in diameter.
567
00:28:28,642 --> 00:28:30,728
If the hail was strong enough to damage
568
00:28:30,811 --> 00:28:32,341
the exterior of the plane,
569
00:28:32,679 --> 00:28:36,583
investigators wonder if it crippled
the engines, as well.
570
00:28:37,784 --> 00:28:39,152
A turbofan engine
571
00:28:39,286 --> 00:28:42,623
is made up of a system of fans and blades.
572
00:28:42,756 --> 00:28:45,759
A large fan brings air into the engine.
573
00:28:45,893 --> 00:28:48,862
A series of blades
compresses the incoming air
574
00:28:48,996 --> 00:28:51,198
which mixes with fuel to ignite,
575
00:28:51,331 --> 00:28:54,535
spinning the turbines
deep inside the engine.
576
00:28:54,668 --> 00:28:58,272
WEAVER: The first thing
you look for is to find the parts.
577
00:28:58,405 --> 00:29:01,425
And then look in the front
and the back of the engine
578
00:29:01,508 --> 00:29:04,545
to determine if there's damage
579
00:29:04,678 --> 00:29:07,531
that might explain something
has gone in the engine,
580
00:29:07,614 --> 00:29:10,184
or something has broken inside the engine.
581
00:29:11,618 --> 00:29:13,604
NARRATOR:
To peer inside the engine,
582
00:29:13,687 --> 00:29:16,123
they use a borescope.
583
00:29:16,256 --> 00:29:18,275
NANCE: This is where
you put the little TV camera
584
00:29:18,358 --> 00:29:20,077
on the end of a scope of some sort.
585
00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,413
You can look in the internal
hot section of the engine,
586
00:29:22,496 --> 00:29:24,198
and see what they could see.
587
00:29:25,866 --> 00:29:29,455
INVESTIGATOR: No hail damage
to the compressor that I can see.
588
00:29:31,738 --> 00:29:34,621
Keep going deeper.
Let's see what's at the center.
589
00:29:35,509 --> 00:29:36,894
NARRATOR:
But the turbines
590
00:29:36,977 --> 00:29:39,029
deep inside the engine are charred.
591
00:29:39,112 --> 00:29:40,814
INVESTIGATOR: Look at this.
592
00:29:40,948 --> 00:29:43,184
Turbines are almost completely melted.
593
00:29:46,787 --> 00:29:50,757
When the engine, uh, overheats, uh,
594
00:29:50,891 --> 00:29:55,028
if the overheat is allowed
to occur long enough,
595
00:29:56,463 --> 00:30:00,834
then it will cause melting
of the turbine blades.
596
00:30:02,169 --> 00:30:04,321
So when did you get
the temperature warning?
597
00:30:04,404 --> 00:30:07,525
The engines started to overheat
right after we started them.
598
00:30:07,608 --> 00:30:08,742
(ALARM SOUNDING)
599
00:30:09,476 --> 00:30:11,653
WEAVER:
And the damage to the turbine,
600
00:30:11,778 --> 00:30:13,431
which is the melting of the blades,
601
00:30:13,514 --> 00:30:16,183
means that you can no longer produce
602
00:30:16,316 --> 00:30:18,218
{\an8}thrust out of that engine.
603
00:30:18,352 --> 00:30:19,904
{\an8}NARRATOR:
The charred turbines
604
00:30:19,987 --> 00:30:23,811
do not explain why the engines
stopped working in the first place.
605
00:30:25,726 --> 00:30:28,962
For some reason,
Flight 110's engines had quit,
606
00:30:29,096 --> 00:30:31,965
{\an8}restarted, and only then, burned up.
607
00:30:36,236 --> 00:30:39,273
But before the search
for answers can continue,
608
00:30:39,406 --> 00:30:42,342
investigators are confronted
with another problem.
609
00:30:44,244 --> 00:30:46,380
The plane is starting to sink.
610
00:30:49,816 --> 00:30:51,635
It can't stay here much longer.
611
00:30:51,718 --> 00:30:53,353
Maybe NASA has some ideas.
612
00:30:54,688 --> 00:30:56,774
NARRATOR:
The levee was never meant to support
613
00:30:56,857 --> 00:30:59,259
forty-three thousand kilograms.
614
00:30:59,393 --> 00:31:01,995
NANCE:
A jetliner has an awful lot of weight
615
00:31:02,129 --> 00:31:03,664
on a very small footprint.
616
00:31:03,797 --> 00:31:05,549
You leave a plane there
for two or three days,
617
00:31:05,632 --> 00:31:07,985
you may have it mired up to its hubcaps.
618
00:31:08,735 --> 00:31:12,389
NARRATOR: There was barely enough room
to land the plane on the levee.
619
00:31:12,472 --> 00:31:15,976
Getting the plane off of it
could be even more challenging.
620
00:31:16,543 --> 00:31:19,196
You've got really three ways
to get this airplane out of there.
621
00:31:19,279 --> 00:31:22,103
One is to fly it out.
Secondly to disassemble it.
622
00:31:22,516 --> 00:31:24,351
Or third, put it on a barge.
623
00:31:24,484 --> 00:31:27,221
But it's not as easy as it sounds.
624
00:31:29,857 --> 00:31:31,408
NARRATOR:
Disassembling the plane
625
00:31:31,491 --> 00:31:33,060
could cause more damage.
626
00:31:34,161 --> 00:31:35,985
Do you think we can fly it off?
627
00:31:36,363 --> 00:31:38,115
NARRATOR:
The decision is made.
628
00:31:38,198 --> 00:31:41,768
They'll attempt to take off and
fly the plane to New Orleans.
629
00:31:41,902 --> 00:31:43,754
The very first problem
in getting the airplane
630
00:31:43,837 --> 00:31:46,424
ready to fly was getting the engines
to the point of reliability,
631
00:31:46,507 --> 00:31:48,392
which meant they had
to replace the right engine.
632
00:31:48,475 --> 00:31:50,261
It was just cooked.
It was too far gone.
633
00:31:50,344 --> 00:31:52,630
The left engine was probably
going to need to be overhauled,
634
00:31:52,713 --> 00:31:54,831
but they could fly it out with that.
635
00:31:56,350 --> 00:31:58,702
NARRATOR:
After replacing the right engine,
636
00:31:58,785 --> 00:32:02,122
they bring in test pilots
to get the plane off the ground
637
00:32:02,256 --> 00:32:06,126
and to the airport
24 kilometers away in New Orleans.
638
00:32:08,829 --> 00:32:10,181
NTSB OFFICIAL: It's a good,
639
00:32:10,264 --> 00:32:12,383
safe operation
that we're doing here today.
640
00:32:12,466 --> 00:32:16,670
We can accelerate up to...
virtually to takeoff speed.
641
00:32:16,803 --> 00:32:20,674
And then if we decided to stop,
why, we could stop the airplane.
642
00:32:25,379 --> 00:32:26,864
NARRATOR: With no passengers
643
00:32:26,947 --> 00:32:29,536
and very little fuel
to weigh the plane down,
644
00:32:29,650 --> 00:32:33,954
it reaches takeoff speed
in just 365 meters.
645
00:32:34,087 --> 00:32:36,793
The investigation at
the emergency landing site
646
00:32:36,890 --> 00:32:38,692
comes to a dramatic end.
647
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,847
NANCE: In most scenarios
in which an airplane comes down
648
00:32:42,930 --> 00:32:44,982
in the wrong place but is still intact,
649
00:32:45,065 --> 00:32:46,650
you'd probably never get it out that way.
650
00:32:46,733 --> 00:32:48,969
This just happened to be amazing luck.
651
00:32:49,436 --> 00:32:50,848
INVESTIGATOR: Hey, guys.
652
00:32:51,905 --> 00:32:54,325
NARRATOR:
Investigators must now try to figure out
653
00:32:54,408 --> 00:32:56,777
why the engines failed in mid-flight.
654
00:32:57,311 --> 00:32:59,613
If rain caused them to shut down,
655
00:32:59,746 --> 00:33:02,216
thousands of other planes are at risk.
656
00:33:02,950 --> 00:33:04,602
NANCE:
This was an incredible situation,
657
00:33:04,685 --> 00:33:06,871
because these engines
are just too reliable.
658
00:33:06,954 --> 00:33:08,572
Did they go through a thunderstorm?
659
00:33:08,655 --> 00:33:11,420
That's not supposed to do it.
So, what happened?
660
00:33:11,758 --> 00:33:13,794
NARRATOR:
The CFM-56 engines
661
00:33:13,927 --> 00:33:16,897
are designed to withstand
a heavy rainstorm.
662
00:33:17,030 --> 00:33:21,134
Most water is diverted away
from the core while in flight.
663
00:33:21,268 --> 00:33:23,687
Whatever makes it inside should evaporate,
664
00:33:23,770 --> 00:33:25,706
or drain from the engine.
665
00:33:26,473 --> 00:33:30,944
The engines were sent back
to the G.E. test facility in Ohio,
666
00:33:31,078 --> 00:33:33,030
where they have the test facilities
667
00:33:33,113 --> 00:33:36,083
that can recreate water ingestion testing.
668
00:33:37,451 --> 00:33:39,470
{\an8}NARRATOR:
If some hidden design flaw
669
00:33:39,553 --> 00:33:41,142
{\an8}caused the engines to fail,
670
00:33:41,255 --> 00:33:43,624
investigators need to find it.
671
00:33:43,757 --> 00:33:45,926
They hope water ingestion testing
672
00:33:46,059 --> 00:33:48,195
can provide some answers.
673
00:33:48,328 --> 00:33:51,715
Once they got these engines and started
testing them, the very first thing
674
00:33:51,798 --> 00:33:53,250
was to go to the FAA standard,
675
00:33:53,333 --> 00:33:56,554
the way FAA had tested them in the past,
and what had been approved.
676
00:33:56,637 --> 00:33:58,814
Okay, let's see what they can handle.
677
00:34:01,408 --> 00:34:06,280
You basically, uh,
spray water from nozzles
678
00:34:06,413 --> 00:34:09,149
into the inlet of the engine.
679
00:34:09,283 --> 00:34:12,452
And the amount of water
you adjust in percentage
680
00:34:12,586 --> 00:34:17,424
to the amount of air
to simulate flight conditions.
681
00:34:17,558 --> 00:34:19,910
NARRATOR:
Despite rigorous water testing,
682
00:34:19,993 --> 00:34:22,129
the engine does not flame out.
683
00:34:22,262 --> 00:34:24,464
Like we thought. It wasn't the rain.
684
00:34:25,632 --> 00:34:27,985
Nothing went wrong.
The engine continued to run.
685
00:34:28,068 --> 00:34:30,221
So, obviously,
something else had happened.
686
00:34:30,304 --> 00:34:32,389
WEAVER:
So, they needed to examine this
687
00:34:32,472 --> 00:34:33,674
in much more detail.
688
00:34:33,807 --> 00:34:36,690
Was there something more severe
about the weather?
689
00:34:39,012 --> 00:34:40,197
LOPEZ: We lost an engine.
690
00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:41,381
Both engines.
691
00:34:41,515 --> 00:34:42,986
LOPEZ: Both engines, sir.
692
00:34:45,319 --> 00:34:46,967
NARRATOR:
Investigators study
693
00:34:47,054 --> 00:34:49,323
all available data on the storm
694
00:34:49,456 --> 00:34:52,559
that somehow brought down TACA Flight 110.
695
00:34:53,660 --> 00:34:56,864
That was more than a thunderstorm.
It was a hailstorm.
696
00:34:57,397 --> 00:34:59,533
In the case of TACA,
697
00:34:59,666 --> 00:35:04,771
{\an8}uh, we had basically
a frontal system to the north.
698
00:35:05,272 --> 00:35:07,808
Some very strong winds, and a vertical
699
00:35:07,941 --> 00:35:10,377
producing several hail events.
700
00:35:10,511 --> 00:35:12,379
And in the southern latitudes,
701
00:35:12,513 --> 00:35:15,048
you don't typically see
too many hailstorms.
702
00:35:15,182 --> 00:35:18,051
- So, it was abnormal.
- (THUNDER RUMBLING)
703
00:35:19,953 --> 00:35:22,895
NARRATOR: The engines
are designed to ingest water.
704
00:35:23,123 --> 00:35:24,825
But investigators are unsure
705
00:35:24,958 --> 00:35:28,695
if hail acts differently from water
inside the engine.
706
00:35:29,696 --> 00:35:32,616
They never thought about hail
getting into the core.
707
00:35:32,699 --> 00:35:34,785
Hail is only created in a thunderstorm.
708
00:35:34,868 --> 00:35:38,305
It basically starts as a raindrop.
709
00:35:38,438 --> 00:35:40,707
It goes up above the freezing level,
710
00:35:40,841 --> 00:35:42,843
freezes, becomes a piece of ice.
711
00:35:42,976 --> 00:35:44,545
Then as it gets heavier,
712
00:35:44,678 --> 00:35:47,447
drops back down below the freezing level,
713
00:35:47,581 --> 00:35:49,883
coats another layer of water around it,
714
00:35:50,017 --> 00:35:52,586
and gets back into the updraft again
715
00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,822
brought to higher altitudes,
and refreezes.
716
00:35:55,956 --> 00:36:02,729
So hail is multiple layers of ice
that forms on a particle.
717
00:36:03,263 --> 00:36:04,582
NARRATOR:
Investigators learn
718
00:36:04,665 --> 00:36:06,450
that the engines were
designed to withstand
719
00:36:06,533 --> 00:36:09,636
the impact from hail stones
of a certain size.
720
00:36:09,770 --> 00:36:13,106
The FAA standards called for a mixture
721
00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:17,444
of hail sizes of one-inch
and two-inch diameter balls.
722
00:36:17,911 --> 00:36:19,196
NARRATOR: Some of the hail
723
00:36:19,279 --> 00:36:22,049
TACA 110 encountered
was smaller than that.
724
00:36:23,784 --> 00:36:25,936
Those smaller pieces of hail
could make their way
725
00:36:26,019 --> 00:36:28,139
through the fan and compressor blades,
726
00:36:28,222 --> 00:36:30,657
accumulating deep inside the engine,
727
00:36:30,791 --> 00:36:32,526
where they would melt.
728
00:36:33,227 --> 00:36:36,247
Hail was considered
to not be a factor in the center core,
729
00:36:36,330 --> 00:36:38,860
but if it had been,
what would it look like?
730
00:36:40,567 --> 00:36:43,354
NARRATOR: Investigators calculate
the amount of hail
731
00:36:43,437 --> 00:36:45,656
that could have entered the engine core.
732
00:36:45,739 --> 00:36:47,758
They then estimate the volume of water
733
00:36:47,841 --> 00:36:49,959
the melting ice would have produced.
734
00:36:51,912 --> 00:36:53,881
That's substantially more water.
735
00:36:54,014 --> 00:36:57,001
NARRATOR: Investigators
want to know if this excess water
736
00:36:57,084 --> 00:36:58,519
overwhelmed the engines,
737
00:36:58,652 --> 00:37:00,554
and caused the failure.
738
00:37:00,687 --> 00:37:03,557
Okay, let's try more water
and see what happens.
739
00:37:04,791 --> 00:37:07,861
NARRATOR: They perform
another water ingestion test,
740
00:37:07,995 --> 00:37:10,130
this time adding even more water
741
00:37:10,264 --> 00:37:13,033
to account for the hail
inside the engines.
742
00:37:13,166 --> 00:37:16,170
So if they used
enough water to emulate that,
743
00:37:16,303 --> 00:37:18,022
maybe they could make it fail.
744
00:37:18,105 --> 00:37:21,047
Well, they tried,
using a high speed on the engine.
745
00:37:22,743 --> 00:37:24,391
And still, it wouldn't fail.
746
00:37:31,218 --> 00:37:32,886
Okay, what are we missing?
747
00:37:33,020 --> 00:37:38,292
Or was there something unique
about the engine operation itself that...
748
00:37:38,425 --> 00:37:41,828
that might have contributed
to the engine losing power?
749
00:37:43,230 --> 00:37:44,949
NARRATOR:
Engine performance figures
750
00:37:45,032 --> 00:37:46,550
{\an8}from the flight data recorder
751
00:37:46,633 --> 00:37:49,069
{\an8}give investigators a new lead.
752
00:37:52,973 --> 00:37:54,641
Just before the flameout,
753
00:37:54,775 --> 00:37:56,977
engine power was down to 35%.
754
00:38:00,514 --> 00:38:02,716
ATC:
TACA 110. Runway two-eight.
755
00:38:02,850 --> 00:38:04,702
Final approach course continue inbound.
756
00:38:04,785 --> 00:38:07,487
Descend at pilot's discretion.
Maintain 4,000.
757
00:38:08,155 --> 00:38:09,523
LOPEZ: Thank you, sir.
758
00:38:09,656 --> 00:38:11,959
TACA 110.4,000.
759
00:38:14,161 --> 00:38:16,279
They had just started their descent.
760
00:38:16,864 --> 00:38:18,048
Thank you, sir. TACA 110.
761
00:38:18,131 --> 00:38:19,700
Four thousand.
762
00:38:19,833 --> 00:38:21,919
NARRATOR:
As the plane began its final approach
763
00:38:22,002 --> 00:38:25,472
to New Orleans, the engines
automatically reduced power
764
00:38:25,606 --> 00:38:28,008
to slow down for their descent.
765
00:38:28,141 --> 00:38:29,593
At a lower power setting,
766
00:38:29,676 --> 00:38:33,088
the engines may not have been able
to handle as much water.
767
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:34,982
(PEOPLE SCREAMING)
768
00:38:35,516 --> 00:38:37,084
(ALARMS BLARING)
769
00:38:38,118 --> 00:38:39,703
NANCE:
We'd been testing everything
770
00:38:39,786 --> 00:38:41,839
in accordance with the normal
FAA methodologies
771
00:38:41,922 --> 00:38:43,307
at high speed on the engines.
772
00:38:43,390 --> 00:38:46,126
But these guys were in descent
to New Orleans.
773
00:38:47,694 --> 00:38:49,346
NARRATOR: They repeat the test,
774
00:38:49,429 --> 00:38:51,615
this time with less power to the engines.
775
00:38:51,698 --> 00:38:53,651
INVESTIGATOR:
So we wanna see what happens
776
00:38:53,734 --> 00:38:55,319
when we add the same amount of water,
777
00:38:55,402 --> 00:38:57,755
but with the engines powered down to 35%.
778
00:38:57,838 --> 00:38:58,839
Okay?
779
00:39:02,009 --> 00:39:03,443
(WHIRRING)
780
00:39:15,355 --> 00:39:17,875
NANCE: The big aha moment
was when they realized that
781
00:39:17,958 --> 00:39:19,577
it was the speed of the engine
782
00:39:19,660 --> 00:39:21,345
that was managing to get the engine
783
00:39:21,428 --> 00:39:23,147
through the ingestion of as much water
784
00:39:23,230 --> 00:39:25,783
as they could throw at it,
and presumably as much hail.
785
00:39:25,866 --> 00:39:27,351
But when the engine went down to idle,
786
00:39:27,434 --> 00:39:29,787
that's when they managed to find the key.
787
00:39:29,870 --> 00:39:32,341
That's when the engine couldn't handle it.
788
00:39:34,975 --> 00:39:36,727
Well, now we know what happened.
789
00:39:36,810 --> 00:39:38,245
Bad timing.
790
00:39:38,378 --> 00:39:42,015
And that test
gave a completely different result.
791
00:39:42,382 --> 00:39:44,135
NARRATOR:
Investigators have discovered
792
00:39:44,218 --> 00:39:46,320
why the engines flamed out.
793
00:39:46,820 --> 00:39:49,640
It showed something
that no one understood at the time.
794
00:39:49,723 --> 00:39:51,842
Because in all the testing
and all the logic
795
00:39:51,925 --> 00:39:54,378
that had gone into it,
they hadn't taken into account
796
00:39:54,461 --> 00:39:57,097
the slow speeds of the engine on descent.
797
00:39:58,465 --> 00:40:00,334
WEAVER: At the lower speeds,
798
00:40:00,467 --> 00:40:04,705
uh, the hail having a significant
velocity and momentum
799
00:40:04,838 --> 00:40:08,275
can actually see an opening
between the fan blades.
800
00:40:08,408 --> 00:40:10,879
And it's able to get through
the fan blades
801
00:40:10,978 --> 00:40:12,579
and directly into the core.
802
00:40:12,713 --> 00:40:15,266
NARRATOR: The engines filled
with hail and water,
803
00:40:15,349 --> 00:40:17,084
and flamed out.
804
00:40:17,217 --> 00:40:20,254
For investigators,
only one mystery remains.
805
00:40:20,387 --> 00:40:22,206
DARDANO:
Look. I don't feel any power.
806
00:40:22,289 --> 00:40:24,575
NARRATOR:
What went wrong after the TACA crew
807
00:40:24,658 --> 00:40:26,293
restarted their engines?
808
00:40:26,426 --> 00:40:28,095
The sucker is not starting.
809
00:40:28,228 --> 00:40:29,747
NARRATOR:
Why did they overheat,
810
00:40:29,830 --> 00:40:31,431
and fail?
811
00:40:39,873 --> 00:40:42,626
NARRATOR: When the engines
on the 737 flamed out,
812
00:40:42,709 --> 00:40:44,762
the crew knew they had to act fast.
813
00:40:44,845 --> 00:40:46,664
{\an8}DARDANO:
We lost power on the engines.
814
00:40:46,747 --> 00:40:48,799
NARRATOR: To have any hope
of restoring engine power,
815
00:40:48,882 --> 00:40:51,294
they first needed to get the APU running.
816
00:40:51,385 --> 00:40:52,953
Get the APU started.
817
00:40:53,086 --> 00:40:55,339
NARRATOR: Since the engines
were no longer spinning,
818
00:40:55,422 --> 00:40:57,925
they had stopped ingesting air and water,
819
00:40:58,058 --> 00:41:01,495
but a successful restart
was far from guaranteed.
820
00:41:01,628 --> 00:41:04,448
WEAVER: If you do not have
all the proper conditions,
821
00:41:04,531 --> 00:41:07,167
you can get what's called a hot start,
822
00:41:07,301 --> 00:41:09,803
which means that you have too much fuel
823
00:41:09,937 --> 00:41:11,322
for the amount of air going into it,
824
00:41:11,405 --> 00:41:14,942
and the flame will now
migrate into the turbine,
825
00:41:15,075 --> 00:41:16,664
where it could overheat it.
826
00:41:17,311 --> 00:41:19,196
NARRATOR:
After studying the engine data
827
00:41:19,279 --> 00:41:21,048
from the flight recorder,
828
00:41:21,181 --> 00:41:23,634
investigators conclude
that the overheating
829
00:41:23,717 --> 00:41:25,835
and ultimate failure of the engines,
830
00:41:25,953 --> 00:41:28,155
was, in fact, due to a hot start.
831
00:41:28,355 --> 00:41:29,690
(INAUDIBLE)
832
00:41:30,591 --> 00:41:33,110
Mayday. Mayday.
TACA 110. We lost an engine.
833
00:41:33,193 --> 00:41:34,194
Both engines.
834
00:41:34,461 --> 00:41:36,313
LOPEZ:
Both engines, sir. Both engines.
835
00:41:36,396 --> 00:41:38,482
NARRATOR:
With his engines flooded with fuel,
836
00:41:38,565 --> 00:41:40,767
and no time to properly drain them,
837
00:41:40,901 --> 00:41:43,403
Dardano hit the ignition switch.
838
00:41:45,506 --> 00:41:48,575
If he didn't get all the timing correctly,
839
00:41:48,709 --> 00:41:51,595
then this is what's gonna happen.
You're gonna get a hot start.
840
00:41:51,678 --> 00:41:54,748
I can't be critical of a pilot
in that condition.
841
00:41:54,882 --> 00:41:56,588
That aircraft is coming down.
842
00:41:59,386 --> 00:42:01,939
NARRATOR:
Rain and hail from an intense storm
843
00:42:02,022 --> 00:42:04,424
crippled a modern passenger jet,
844
00:42:04,558 --> 00:42:06,793
and nearly led to disaster.
845
00:42:06,927 --> 00:42:08,862
Investigators must find a way
846
00:42:08,996 --> 00:42:11,114
to make sure it never happens again.
847
00:42:13,667 --> 00:42:15,953
One of the beauties of aviation
and aviation safety
848
00:42:16,036 --> 00:42:18,889
is when we find there's a problem,
everybody works together to solve it.
849
00:42:18,972 --> 00:42:22,059
And in this case, the problem indicated
a need for an engine change.
850
00:42:22,142 --> 00:42:25,429
Not... not a complete design overhaul,
but just a few tweaks.
851
00:42:25,512 --> 00:42:27,098
But that was done almost immediately,
852
00:42:27,181 --> 00:42:29,593
much to the credit of everybody involved.
853
00:42:31,718 --> 00:42:34,071
NARRATOR:
The shape of the engine nose cone
854
00:42:34,154 --> 00:42:36,574
and the spacing
of the fan blades are modified
855
00:42:36,657 --> 00:42:39,599
in order to better deflect hail
away from the core.
856
00:42:39,726 --> 00:42:42,012
Also, additional bleed doors are added,
857
00:42:42,095 --> 00:42:44,631
to drain more water from the engine.
858
00:42:45,432 --> 00:42:47,184
That sort of thing hasn't happened again.
859
00:42:47,267 --> 00:42:49,253
And there are thousands
and thousands of these engines
860
00:42:49,336 --> 00:42:52,022
flying every day for hours
and hours and hours.
861
00:42:52,105 --> 00:42:53,758
NARRATOR:
Within a year of the incident,
862
00:42:53,841 --> 00:42:56,476
737-300s around the world
863
00:42:56,610 --> 00:42:58,812
are retrofitted with the upgrades.
864
00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:02,433
The plane involved in the daring landing
865
00:43:02,516 --> 00:43:04,751
is back in service within a month.
866
00:43:07,454 --> 00:43:09,640
LOPEZ:
Look! Look at that one over there.
867
00:43:09,723 --> 00:43:11,925
That's where we're going to go in?
868
00:43:12,059 --> 00:43:13,594
You got it, my friend.
869
00:43:13,727 --> 00:43:16,139
NARRATOR:
The crew's actions on Flight 110
870
00:43:16,263 --> 00:43:18,599
are legendary in the aviation world.
871
00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:21,585
The decision-making at the very end
872
00:43:21,668 --> 00:43:23,454
when they were going
to put it in the canal
873
00:43:23,537 --> 00:43:25,956
and saw an opportunity
to put it on dry ground,
874
00:43:26,039 --> 00:43:29,326
and did so, that was superlative.
It was the decision-making.
875
00:43:29,409 --> 00:43:31,629
NARRATOR:
Investigators credit the calm nerves
876
00:43:31,712 --> 00:43:33,631
and determination of Captain Dardano...
877
00:43:33,714 --> 00:43:36,100
- Watch out for the wing on that side.
- I see it.
878
00:43:36,183 --> 00:43:39,889
NARRATOR: ...for avoiding
what could have been a fatal disaster.
879
00:43:40,787 --> 00:43:42,222
(THUDDING)
880
00:43:44,224 --> 00:43:47,728
Captain Carlos Dardano
is dubbed a hero in the media.
881
00:43:47,861 --> 00:43:50,414
NEWSCASTER:
Passengers that day were overjoyed.
882
00:43:50,497 --> 00:43:52,199
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
883
00:43:52,633 --> 00:43:55,235
Dardano and his crew kept the calm.
884
00:43:55,369 --> 00:43:56,520
And because of that,
885
00:43:56,603 --> 00:44:00,007
forty-five people who rode that plane
are alive today.
886
00:44:04,745 --> 00:44:08,415
NARRATOR: Today, the Dardano
family tradition continues.
887
00:44:08,549 --> 00:44:13,086
Carlos' son and daughter
have followed in their father's footsteps,
888
00:44:13,220 --> 00:44:15,455
both becoming pilots.
889
00:44:18,225 --> 00:44:21,228
At the beginning, I was mad
when I was shot.
890
00:44:22,429 --> 00:44:24,298
I lost part of my vision.
891
00:44:24,798 --> 00:44:30,003
And then I had this accident,
that everything went well.
892
00:44:30,838 --> 00:44:32,339
(INAUDIBLE)
893
00:44:33,307 --> 00:44:36,710
And 20 years later, I have a career,
894
00:44:36,844 --> 00:44:39,146
and have a good life, and...
895
00:44:39,279 --> 00:44:41,866
Life is for a reason,
and reason is for life.
896
00:44:41,949 --> 00:44:43,717
(LAUGHS)