Original subtitles

Narrator: A ROUTINE LANDING...

Flight attendant: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WE ARE STARTING OUR APPROACH TO DFW.

Pilot: YOU'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

Narrator: ...TURNS INTO A SUDDEN FIGHT TO THE DEATH.

Pilot: YOU'RE GONNA LOSE IT ALL OF A SUDDEN.

THERE IT IS.

Narrator: A PASSENGER JET MYSTERIOUSLY FALLS FROM THE SKY

AND ROCKETS TOWARDS A BUSY HIGHWAY.

Pilot: PUSH IT UP! PUSH IT WAY UP!

Controller: DELTA, GO AROUND!

Pilot: HANG ON TO THE SON OF A...!

Controller: IT'S GONNA CRASH!

Narrator: AN UNKNOWN FORCE BRINGS DOWN A PLANE,

CLAIMING 137 LIVES.

IN THE WRECKAGE LIES THE ONE CLUE

THAT CAN STOP IT FROM KILLING AGAIN.

Flight attendant: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE STARTING OUR APPROACH.

Pilot: WE LOST BOTH ENGINES!

Flight attendant: PUT THE MASK OVER YOUR NOSE.

EMERGENCY DESCENT.

Pilot: MAYDAY, MAYDAY.

Flight attendant: BRACE FOR IMPACT!

Controller: I THINK I LOST ONE.

Man: INVESTIGATION STARTING...

Man: HE'S GONNA CRASH!

Narrator: AUGUST 2, 1985, DALLAS, TEXAS.

IT'S A VERY HOT DAY, EVEN BY TEXAS STANDARDS.

Man: SEE Y'ALL TOMORROW.

Narrator: TEMPERATURES SOAR TO 101 DEGREES.

Man: RAIN COMING. SHOULD COOL THINGS DOWN A BIT.

Narrator: IN THE LATE AFTERNOON,

WILLIAM MAYBERRY IS HEADING HOME FROM WORK.

THE DAY'S HEAT AND HUMIDITY ARE HAVING AN EFFECT ON TRAFFIC

AT DALLAS/FORTH WORTH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, DFW.

ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF MANHATTAN,

DFW IS THE BIGGEST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD.

IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE BUSIEST.

THE HEAT HAS TRIGGERED SOME AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS

AT THE AIRPORT, CREATING A BACKLOG OF PLANES

WAITING TO TAKE OFF.

Controller: AMERICAN 631, YOU ARE CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.

Narrator: AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER GENE SKIPWORTH

IS IN THE TOWER TODAY.

HE'S BEEN WORKING THERE FOR 14 YEARS.

WITH HIM IS CONTROLLER MIKE PORTER.

Mike Porter: SKIPWORTH WAS NOT ASKING FOR HELP.

NOTHING SEEMED UNUSUAL, OTHER THAN THE FACT

THAT WE WERE STARTING TO GET BUSY,

AND AIRCRAFT WERE STARTING TO PILE UP.

Narrator: ONE OF THE MANY PLANES HEADING TOWARDS

SKIPWORTH'S CONTROL IS DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT 191.

Radio: WEATHER 6,000 SCATTERED TO 1,000 SCATTERED.

VISIBILITY 10, TEMPERATURE 101, WIND CALM.

Pilot: 101?

Co-pilot: 101 DEGREES, YES, SIR.

Narrator: CAPTAIN ED CONNORS AND FIRST OFFICER RUDY PRICE

ARE TWO OF DELTA AIRLINES' MOST EXPERIENCED PILOTS.

SECOND OFFICER NICK NASSICK

IS THE OTHER MEMBER OF TODAY'S CREW.

Narrator: THE CREW IS FLYING A SIX-YEAR-OLD L-1011 TRISTAR,

BILLED AS ONE OF THE SAFEST PLANES IN THE SKY.

THERE ARE 152 PASSENGERS AND 11 CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD.

THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO LAND IN DALLAS

JUST BEFORE 6:00 IN THE EVENING.

[DING]

Ed Connors: GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING.

HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING YOUR FLIGHT SO FAR.

TRAFFIC IS BACKING UP AT DALLAS.

ALL TOLD, WE'LL BE ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES LATE

GETTING TO THE GATE.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO

TO MAKE YOUR FLIGHT MORE COMFORTABLE.

Narrator: THE DELAY BOTHERS CHRIS MEIER.

HE'S A FREQUENT BUSINESS TRAVELER WHO'S IN A HURRY

TO GET HOME TO HIS FAMILY FOR THE WEEKEND.

Chris Meier: I'D BEEN DOWN IN FLORIDA, FORT LAUDERDALE,

FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS.

AND IT WAS A FRIDAY AFTERNOON,

AND I WAS DUE TO GO HOME ON FLIGHT 191.

Controller: 963, TURN RIGHT, HEADING 620.

Narrator: EN ROUTE FROM FLORIDA TO TEXAS,

DELTA 191 WILL COMMUNICATE WITH SEVERAL CONTROLLERS.

Controller: WHEN I CAN I'LL TURN YOU INTO BLUE RIDGE,

IT'LL BE ABOUT 010 RADIAL...

Narrator: EVERY AIRCRAFT IS GUIDED ALONG ITS FLIGHT PATH

BY A SERIES OF REGIONAL AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTERS.

THEY DIRECT EACH PLANE'S SPEED AND ALTITUDE.

Controller: ONE-NINER-ONE,

DESCEND AND MAINTAIN ONE-ZERO-THOUSAND.

JOIN THE BLUE RIDGE, 101 RADIAL AND INBOUND.

WE HAVE A GOOD AREA THERE TO GO THROUGH.

Narrator: CAPTAIN CONNORS HAS SOME CONCERNS

ABOUT THE ROUTE HE'S BEEN GIVEN.

HE SEES A STORM CELL ALONG THAT PATH,

AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO FLY THROUGH IT.

Connors: WELL, I'M LOOKING AT A CELL AT ABOUT

A HEADING OF 255.

IT'S A PRETTY GOOD-SIZED CELL,

AND I'D RATHER NOT GO THROUGH IT.

I'D RATHER GO AROUND IT, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

Controller: I'VE HAD ABOUT 60 AIRCRAFT GO THROUGH

THIS AREA OUT HERE, 10 TO 12 MILES WIDE.

THEY'RE GETTING A GOOD RIDE, NO PROBLEM.

Connors: WELL, I CAN SEE A CELL NOW

ABOUT HEADING 240.

Controller: WHEN I CAN, I'LL TURN YOU INTO BLUE RIDGE.

IT'LL BE ABOUT THE 010 RADIAL.

Connors: 010, ROGER.

WE'RE GONNA HOLD YOU TO THAT.

Narrator: CAPTAIN CONNORS GETS HIS WAY.

HE'S GIVEN PERMISSION TO FLY AROUND THE STORM.

ONCE PAST IT, HE'LL LINE UP FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 17-LEFT.

Connors: I'M GLAD WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT MESS.

Narrator: FRIDAY AFTERNOONS ARE A BUSY TIME AT AIRPORTS.

THE AFTERNOON RAIN IS MAKING THIS FRIDAY EVEN BUSIER.

Controller: 23-NINER DOWN TO 61896.

Narrator: THE MAIN PRIORITY FOR THE CONTROLLER ON DUTY

IS TO KEEP THE INCOMING PLANES A SAFE DISTANCE APART.

HE WANTS THEM AT ALMOST THREE MILES FROM EACH OTHER.

THAT DISTANCE ALLOWS ENOUGH TIME FOR THE VIOLENT AIR TURBULENCE

BEHIND ONE PLANE TO DIE DOWN

BEFORE THE NEXT PLANE TOUCHES DOWN.

RIGHT NOW, CONNORS AND PRICE ARE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE PLANE

JUST AHEAD OF THEM-- A CORPORATE LEAR JET.

Controller: DELTA 191 HEAVY, TURN LEFT 10 DEGREES,

REDUCE SPEED TO 180.

Narrator: TO PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO PLANES...

Controller: DROP TO 5,000.

Narrator: ...THE CONTROLLER ASKS THE DELTA CREW

TO SLOW TO 180 KNOTS...

Connors: DELTA 191...

Narrator: 205 MILES AN HOUR.

Connors: WILCO.

Rudy Price: 10 DEGREE FLAPS, PLEASE.

Radio DJ: YOU'RE LISTENING TO DALLAS 105 FM.

IT'S A WET ONE OUT THERE, FOLKS, SO DRIVE CAREFULLY.

Narrator: HEADING HOME ALONG HIGHWAY 114,

WILLIAM MAYBERRY WILL SOON BE PASSING DFW.

FLIGHT 191 IS NOW JUST 30 MILES FROM THE FOOT OF THE RUNWAY.

Flight attendant: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WE ARE STARTING OUR APPROACH TO DFW.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR SEATS ARE IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION

AND YOUR SEATBELTS ARE SECURELY FASTENED.

Narrator: THE CREW BEGINS THEIR FINAL DESCENT

INTO THE DALLAS/FORTH WORTH AREA.

Controller: ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT LISTENING,

THERE'S A LITTLE RAIN SHOWER JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT.

Narrator: CONNORS NOW SWITCHES RADIO FREQUENCIES

AND CONTACTS A LOCAL DFW AIRPORT TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

FOR APPROACH INSTRUCTIONS.

AS THE PASSENGERS AND CREW OF FLIGHT 191

PREPARE FOR THEIR LANDING,

A DEADLY FORCE TAKES SHAPE IN THEIR PATH.

CRITICAL DECISIONS AND MISSED INFORMATION

CONSPIRE AGAINST THEM.

THE CREW WILL SOON BE ENGAGED IN A 47-SECOND STRUGGLE,

WHICH WILL BECOME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS

IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN AVIATION.

Narrator: AS DELTA FLIGHT 191 APPROACHES THE DALLAS/FORTH WORTH AIRPORT,

FIRST OFFICER RUDOLPH PRICE NOTICES RAIN AHEAD.

Price: WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR AIRPLANE WASHED.

Connors: WHAT?

Price: WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR AIRPLANE WASHED.

Narrator: DELTA 191 IS STILL CLOSING IN

ON THE LEAR JET AHEAD OF IT.

PRICE AND CONNORS NEED TO SLOW DOWN EVEN FURTHER

TO PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO PLANES.

Controller: DELTA 191 HEAVY.

REDUCE SPEED TO 150.

Price: SPEED TO 150.

Narrator: FIVE MILES FROM RUNWAY 17-LEFT,

DELTA 191 IS HANDED OVER TO ANOTHER CONTROLLER,

GENE SKIPWORTH, FOR FINAL APPROACH AND LANDING.

Gene Skipworth: 090 AT FIVE. GUSTS TO 15.

Connors: TOWER, DELTA 191 HEAVY OUT HERE IN THE RAIN.

IT FEELS GOOD.

Skipworth: DELTA 191 HEAVY...

Narrator: SKIPWORTH TELLS THE CREW TO EXPECT

A STIFF BUT MANAGEABLE CROSSWIND OF UP TO 15 KNOTS.

Skipworth: WINDS 090 AT 5, GUSTS TO 15.

Connors: THANK YOU, SIR.

Narrator: FIRST OFFICER PRICE WILL BE AT THE CONTROLS

FOR THE UPCOMING LANDING.

PILOTS AND CO-PILOTS ROUTINELY ALTERNATE FLYING DUTIES.

AS FLIGHT 191 IS COMING IN TO LAND,

WILLIAM MAYBERRY IS JUST NORTH AT THE AIRPORT.

HE'S CAUGHT IN THE SAME STORM THAT PRICE AND CONNORS

ARE JUST BEGINNING TO FLY THROUGH.

Price: BEFORE LANDING CHECK.

Nick Nassick: LANDING GEAR.

Connors: DOWN, THREE GREEN.

Nassick: FLAPS, SLATS.

Connors: 33, 33, GREEN LIGHTS.

Narrator: THE CREW SUDDENLY NOTICES THAT THEY'LL BE FLYING

INTO MORE THAN A BIT OF RAIN.

Price: THERE'S LIGHTNING COMING OUT OF THAT ONE.

Connors: WHAT?

Price: THERE'S LIGHTNING COMING OUT OF THAT ONE.

Connors: WHERE?

Price: RIGHT AHEAD OF US.

Connors: 1,000 FEET.

I'LL CALL 'EM OUT TO YOU.

Price: ALRIGHT.

Porter: WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY BAD WARNINGS FROM THE WEATHER

OR FROM OTHER PILOTS, WHICH WE RELY ON AS THEY COME THROUGH IT.

THEY NEED TO REPORT TO US,

AND THEY DO, IF THEY HAVE TURBULENCE,

OR THEY HAVE TROUBLE ON FINAL, OR RAN INTO ANYTHING ABNORMAL.

Narrator: THE LEAR JET AHEAD OF FLIGHT 191 LANDS SAFELY.

CONNORS AND PRICE ARE NOW LESS THAN A MINUTE BEHIND.

WITHOUT WARNING, THE INTENSITY OF THE STORM INCREASES.

THE L-1011 IS BEING POUNDED BY A DRIVING RAIN.

Meier: I KNEW WE WAS GETTING READY TO LAND.

BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU FELT A SURGE,

LIKE THE PILOTS WAS REVVING UP THE ENGINE FOR SOMETHING.

Narrator: THE PLANE'S AIRSPEED IS INCREASING

FOR NO APPARENT REASON.

Connors: WATCH YOUR SPEED.

Narrator: PRICE PULLS BACK ON THE THROTTLES

TO SLOW THE PLANE DOWN AND MAINTAIN IT

AT THE REQUESTED 150 KNOTS.

THE PLANE IS 750 FEET FROM THE GROUND.

Connors: YOU'RE GONNA LOSE IT ALL OF A SUDDEN.

THERE IT IS.

Narrator: THEN, THE PLANE DROPS RAPIDLY.

IT'S AS THOUGH AN INVISIBLE FORCE

IS PUSHING IT TO THE GROUND.

Connors: PUSH IT UP! PUSH IT WAY UP! WAY UP!

Price: WAY UP!

Connors: WAY UP!

Narrator: THE CREW IS PUSHING THE PLANE'S JET ENGINES

TO THEIR FULL POWER, BUT CAN'T GET MORE SPEED

OR GET THE PLANE TO CLIMB.

Meier: SO I PULLED MY SEATBELT TIGHT AS I COULD,

BUT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP--

NOBODY WAS TALKING.

BUT I MEAN, IT GOT DEAD SILENCE.

Narrator: AS SUDDENLY AS IT BEGAN, THE CRISIS SEEMS TO END.

THE PLANE STOPS FALLING AND BEGINS TO PICK UP

SOME OF THE SPEED CONNORS AND PRICE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR.

Connors: THAT'S IT.

Narrator: BUT BEFORE THE CREW CAN TAKE ANOTHER BREATH,

THE PLANE DROPS AGAIN, ROCKING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE.

AND THEN, IT DIPS WILDLY TO THE RIGHT.

Meier: AND I JUST KNEW THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE

THAT CLOSE TO THE GROUND THAT SOON.

Connors: HANG ON TO THE SON OF A...!

Narrator: JUST A LITTLE OVER A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY,

IT PLOWS INTO A FIELD AND ROCKETS TOWARDS HIGHWAY 114.

Meier: WHEN WE HIT THE GROUND,

IT FELT LIKE YOU WAS IN A CAR RUNNING OVER RAILROAD TIES,

IT WAS REAL BUMPY.

Narrator: THE CREW SOMEHOW MANAGES

TO GET THE PLANE BACK IN THE AIR.

AT THAT MOMENT, GENE SKIPWORTH CATCHES SIGHT OF DELTA 191.

Skipworth: HE'S GONNA CRASH!

DELTA, GO AROUND!

Narrator: BUT IT'S TOO LATE.

THE PLANE'S ENGINES SLAM INTO WILLIAM MAYBERRY'S CAR

ON HIGHWAY 114.

HE IS KILLED INSTANTLY.

THE PLANE HITS THE GROUND AGAIN, NORTH OF THE RUNWAY.

IT'S TRAVELING MORE THAN 200 MILES AN HOUR.

Porter: I MUST HAVE CAUGHT SIGHT OF HIM

JUST AT THE LAST MILLISECOND,

AND HE CARTWHEELED INTO THE TANK IN JUST AN INSTANT.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE WAS FIRE.

NOT A BALL OF FIRE, BUT A WALL OF FIRE.

[SIRENS]

Meier: IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS,

FIVE SECONDS AT THE MOST.

I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS.

WE WAS--EVERYTHING WAS STOPPED.

Narrator: THE RESULTING EXPLOSION IS SO POWERFUL

THAT THE REAR SECTION OF THE PLANE

IS BLASTED BACKWARDS OUT FROM THE FIREBALL.

Meier: THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU LOOK UP,

AND IT'S JUST NOTHING THERE.

EVERYTHING'S GONE.

YOU JUST SEE THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE OUTSIDE.

LIKE THE PLANE JUST OPENED UP.

Narrator: REMARKABLY, THE TAIL SECTION

CONTAINING THE LAST TEN ROWS OF SEATS IS RELATIVELY INTACT.

Meier: PEOPLE JUST THROWN AROUND ON THE GROUND.

SOME WITH CLOTHES ON, SOME WITHOUT CLOTHES ON,

SOME WERE BURNED.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE

UNLESS YOU WERE THERE TO SEE IT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL NEVER GET OUT OF YOUR MIND.

HELP! OVER HERE!

HANG IN THERE-- HELP'S ON THE WAY.

[SIRENS]

Narrator: THEN, AS SUDDENLY AS IT HAD STARTED, THE RAIN STOPS.

IT TAKES FIREFIGHTERS LESS THAN A MINUTE TO GET TO THE CRASH.

Joe Delane: WHEN I ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, I TRULY BELIEVED

THAT THERE WASN'T ANYBODY THAT HAD SURVIVED

THIS PLANE CRASH 'CAUSE THERE WAS JUST DEVASTATION EVERYWHERE.

Narrator: THE FRONT OF THE PLANE HAS ALL BUT DISINTEGRATED.

Jerome Chandler: I KNEW I HAD TO GET OUT THERE.

AT THE TIME, I WAS A STRINGER FOR TIME MAGAZINE,

WORKED WITH THEM ON A PART-TIME BASIS.

CALLED THEIR ATLANTA HEADQUARTERS

FOR THIS PORTION OF THE COUNTRY.

THEY SAID ONE WORD: "GO."

[SIRENS]

Narrator: FIREFIGHTERS NEED ONLY A FEW MINUTES

TO GET THE RAGING INFERNO UNDER CONTROL.

THEY THEN TURN THEIR ATTENTION

TO PULLING SURVIVORS FROM THE PLANE.

Delane: IT WASN'T UNTIL THE FIRE STARTED TO SUBSIDE A LITTLE BIT

THAT I SAW THE TAIL SECTION,

WHERE THERE WAS SOME HOPE OF SOME PEOPLE SURVIVING.

Narrator: ONLY 27 PEOPLE SURVIVE THE CRASH.

Chandler: I HAD SEEN DEATH BEFORE AS A MEDIC IN VIETNAM.

BUT IT HAD NEVER BEEN AIMED AT CIVILIANS,

AND CERTAINLY NOT ON A MASS CASUALTY SITUATION,

AND CERTAINLY NOT THIS SUDDENLY.

I COULD TELL HOW BAD IT WAS.

YOU COULD SEE AND SMELL AND FEEL THE DEATH.

Delane: WE FELT LIKE WE DID EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD,

AND WE WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST PLEASED

THAT THERE WERE SURVIVORS.

Narrator: CAPTAIN CONNORS, FIRST OFFICER PRICE,

AND SECOND OFFICER NASSICK ARE KILLED...

SO ARE FIVE OTHER CREW MEMBERS AND 128 PASSENGERS.

Porter: IN THE TOWER, THERE WAS SILENCE

FOR PROBABLY ONE TO TWO MINUTES OF THE--

EXCEPT FOR JUST AN OCCASIONAL TRANSMISSION.

BUT BASICALLY IT'S JUST QUIET AND YOU JUST SIT THERE STUNNED

AND WISHING YOU COULD DO ANYTHING TO TAKE IT BACK.

Narrator: THIS IS A MONUMENTAL CRASH.

INVESTIGATORS FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

ARRIVE AT DFW, DETERMINED TO FIND THE CAUSE.

Bud Laynor: ONE OF OUR FIELD INVESTIGATORS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON SCENE,

TRYING TO LOCATE THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

AND THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW,

A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE INVESTIGATION.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BEGIN LOOKING

FOR EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE.

THEY EXAMINE THE WRECKAGE FOR CLUES THAT THE PLANE

WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE PILOTS' COMMAND.

Laynor: IT'S ESSENTIAL IN ANY APPROACH OR DEPARTURE ACCIDENT

TO ESTABLISH WHAT THE AIRPLANE'S CONFIGURATION WAS,

TO ASSURE THAT IT WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.

EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL ON THIS AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS TURN THEIR ATTENTION

AWAY FROM THE PLANE AND TO THE SKIES.

Chandler: AFTER ANY ACCIDENT IN COMMERCIAL AVIATION,

THERE ARE THEORIES GALORE.

A COUPLE OF THEM PREVALENT THAT EVENING--

FIRST, THAT LIGHTNING HAD STRUCK THE AIRPLANE.

SECONDLY, THAT IT HAD BEEN HIT BY A MINI TORNADO.

Price: THERE'S LIGHTNING COMING OUT OF THAT ONE.

Connors: WHERE?

Price: RIGHT AHEAD OF US.

Narrator: 15 DIFFERENT WITNESSES, INCLUDING FLIGHT CREWS,

REPORT SEEING LIGHTNING AS FLIGHT 191

WAS DESCENDING TOWARDS THE RUNWAY.

THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY

THAT FLIGHT 191 WAS HIT BY LIGHTNING.

Laynor: LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS SOMETHING

THAT YOU HAVE TO INVESTIGATE TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBILITY

THAT LIGHTNING DISABLED SOME PART OF THE AIRPLANE.

Narrator: IN 1963, A BOEING 707 WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

THE LIGHTNING IGNITED THE FUEL IN THE PLANE'S TANK.

THE PLANE CRASHED.

81 PEOPLE DIED.

THERE HAVE BEEN A HANDFUL OF SIMILAR CRASHES SINCE THEN.

KEY PIECES OF WRECKAGE FROM FLIGHT 191

ARE TAKEN TO THE NTSB LAB IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

BUD LAYNOR IS THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE

OF EXAMINING THE WRECKAGE, AS WELL AS THE DATA

FROM THE PLANE'S COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER.

Laynor: SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND,

TO DETERMINE WHERE THE AIRPLANE MIGHT HAVE BEEN STRUCK

BY LIGHTNING AND WHERE THE EXIT POINT WAS.

Price: THERE'S LIGHTNING COMING OUT OF THAT ONE.

Connors: WHERE?

Price: RIGHT AHEAD OF US.

Narrator: IF THE PLANE WAS HIT BY LIGHTNING,

THERE WOULD BE EVIDENCE LEFT BEHIND.

A DEVICE CALLED A STATIC DISCHARGE WICK

IS ATTACHED TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF AN AIRPLANE'S WINGS.

IT REDIRECTS STATIC ELECTRICITY INTO THE OUTSIDE AIR

INSTEAD OF INTO THE PLANE, WHERE THE CHARGE COULD CAUSE A FIRE.

IF THE PLANE WAS HIT BY LIGHTNING, ONE OF THE PIECES

THAT WOULD BE VISIBLY DAMAGED IS THE STATIC DISCHARGE WICK.

Laynor: NOTHING THERE.

Narrator: WITH LIGHTNING RULED OUT,

INVESTIGATORS WENT LOOKING ELSEWHERE.

THEY WOULD SOON DISCOVER THE REAL CULPRIT.

IT HAD ACTUALLY BEEN CAUGHT ON TAPE.

Narrator: NOW THE NTSB'S BUD LAYNOR TURNS HIS ATTENTION

TO THE PLANE JUST AHEAD OF DELTA 191--

THE CORPORATE LEAR JET.

HE LEARNS THAT IT WAS LESS THAN A MINUTE AHEAD,

AND FLEW THROUGH THE VERY SAME STORM.

Rufus Lewis: AFTER WE HAD PASSED ABOUT FIVE MILES

FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WE ENTERED A RAIN SHOWER,

WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A LIGHT RAIN SHOWER,

AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE HEAVIEST RAIN

I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE OR SINCE.

Narrator: IN SPITE OF THE RAIN,

RUFUS LEWIS MANAGED TO LAND HIS PLANE SAFELY ON RUNWAY 17-LEFT.

Lewis: WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, WE WERE HIGH AND HOT.

SO WE HAD TO USE ALL OF THE RUNWAY AT DFW AIRPORT.

WE LANDED, WE'RE ABLE TO TURN OFF AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: SO WHY WAS THE MUCH LARGER L-1011

UNABLE TO LAND JUST MOMENTS LATER?

Controller: DELTA 191 HEAVY, REDUCE SPEED TO 150.

Narrator: TO PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN DELTA 191 AND THE LEAR JET,

THE CONTROLLER HAD ASKED PRICE TO SLOW HIS PLANE SEVERAL TIMES.

WHEN LAYNOR PLOTS THE BIGGER PLANE'S SPEED...

Laynor: THEN DOWN TO 150.

Narrator: ...HE FINDS THAT IT WAS COMING IN TO LAND

AT 150 KNOTS.

Controller: DELTA 191 HEAVY, REDUCE SPEED TO 150.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY

THAT FLIGHT 191 HAD BEEN TRAVELING TOO SLOWLY

FOR A SAFE LANDING.

Bill Melvin: IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA ENERGY,

YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO TRADE IN CASE YOU GET IN TROUBLE.

SO, A LOT OF TIMES, IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS,

THE PILOTS, THEY ADD ANOTHER 10 KNOTS FOR MOM AND THE KIDS.

Narrator: CREWS DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW

A CONTROLLER'S SPEED REQUEST IF THEY THINK IT'S UNSAFE.

PRICE DID REDUCE HIS SPEED.

HE KNEW THIS PLANE EXTREMELY WELL.

HE HAD ACTUALLY HELPED TO REWRITE

THE L-1011'S OPERATING MANUAL.

Melvin: IF A CAPTAIN DECIDED THAT 150 KNOTS WAS TOO SLOW,

THEY WOULD HAVE TOLD THE CONTROLLER IT WAS TOO SLOW,

AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE FLOWN IT.

Narrator: LAYNOR CONSULTS THE AIRPLANE'S MANUFACTURER

AND INTERVIEWS OTHER L-1011 PILOTS.

HE CONCLUDES THAT NEITHER THE CONTROLLER

NOR FIRST OFFICER PRICE MADE ANY ERRORS REGARDING SPEED.

Controller: DELTA 191 HEAVY, REDUCE SPEED TO 150.

Narrator: THIS PLANE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LAND AT 150 KNOTS.

Price: SPEED TO 150.

Narrator: BUD LAYNOR STILL DOESN'T KNOW

WHAT SLAMMED FLIGHT 191 INTO THE GROUND.

BUT SOON HE FINDS THE CLUES HE NEEDS

ON THE PLANE'S FLIGHT DATA RECORDER.

IT LOGS EVERY ADJUSTMENT PILOTS MAKE TO THE PLANE'S CONTROLS.

THE DEVICE ALSO RECORDS EXTERNAL ELEMENTS LIKE TEMPERATURE,

WIND SPEED, ALTITUDE, AND AIR PRESSURE.

WHATEVER CONNORS AND PRICE WERE FIGHTING, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE

IT LEFT ITS FINGERPRINTS ON THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER.

Laynor: THIS FLIGHT DATA RECORDER GAVE US

SEVERAL PARAMETERS WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE--

ENGINE POWER, LONGITUDINAL ACCELERATION,

AND THOSE KINDS OF PARAMETERS REALLY ENABLED US

TO DO A MORE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS.

Narrator: THE PLANE'S DATA RECORDER HAS DOCUMENTED

A COMBINATION OF RAPIDLY SHIFTING WINDS.

Laynor: THEN IT SHIFTS TO A DOWNDRAFT.

Narrator: IN A MATTER OF SECONDS,

THE PLANE WAS HIT WITH STRONG WINDS FROM THE FRONT,

THEN FROM ABOVE, THEN FROM BEHIND.

Laynor: THERE YOU HAVE IT.

Narrator: FOR BUD LAYNOR, THAT SEQUENCE

COULD ONLY MEAN ONE THING-- A MICROBURST.

A MICROBURST IS A VIOLENT SHAFT OF AIR

FALLING FROM A STORM CLOUD.

BACK IN 1985, FEW PEOPLE KNEW MORE ABOUT ENCOUNTERS

BETWEEN MICROBURSTS AND AIRPLANES THAN JOHN McCARTHY.

John McCarthy: IF YOU'RE AT THE KITCHEN SINK,

AND YOU TURN ON THE WATER, AND IT GOES STRAIGHT DOWN,

AND IT SPLASHES OUT IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT A MICROBURST IS,

EXCEPT THAT IT IS EXTREMELY BAD NEWS IF YOU'RE AN AIRPLANE

FLYING THROUGH IT AT LOW ALTITUDE.

Narrator: A PLANE FIRST FACES A STRONG HEADWIND

WHICH LIFTS THE PLANE SKYWARD.

THEN A DOWNDRAFT, WHICH SLAMS IT TOWARD THE GROUND.

FINALLY, THE MICROBURST DELIVERS ITS MOST DANGEROUS PUNCH,

THE TAILWIND.

McCarthy: AND YOU WOULD GET A RAPID DESCENT, A LOSS OF LIFT,

AND A RAPID DESCENT TOWARDS THE GROUND,

AND EASILY CRASH THE AIRPLANE.

Narrator: THE PLANE'S WINGS NEED A STEADY FLOW OF AIR

MOVING OVER THEM.

THAT'S WHAT GIVES THEM THEIR LIFT.

BY INHIBITING THAT FLOW, THE TAILWIND REDUCES LIFT.

THERE WAS NO BETTER RECIPE FOR A MICROBURST

THAN THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT DALLAS/FORT WORTH

ON THE DAY OF THE CRASH.

IT HAD BEEN EXTREMELY HOT ALL DAY, AND HOT AIR RISES.

WHEN THAT HOT AIR MEETS THE COLD, MOIST AIR

IN THE STORM CLOUDS, IT COOLS INSTANTLY

AND RUSHES VIOLENTLY BACK TO EARTH--A MICROBURST.

McCarthy: IT IS A TINY THING, METEOROLOGICALLY SPEAKING,

COMPARED TO A BIG STORM OR A SNOWSTORM OR A HURRICANE.

IT'S JUST LIKE A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK.

AT ITS MAXIMUM STRENGTH, IT'S NO MORE THAN TWO MILES ACROSS,

AND IT LASTS NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT LITTLE SPACE IN TIME WINDOW,

IT'S VERY SMALL.

AND SO THE PROBABILITY OF HITTING ONE IS LOW.

Narrator: THE ODDS MAY BE SLIM,

BUT PLANES DO FLY INTO MICROBURSTS.

IN 1975, AN EASTERN AIRLINES FLIGHT LANDING IN NEW YORK

FLEW INTO A MICROBURST.

IT SLAMMED THE PLANE INTO THE GROUND, KILLING 113 PEOPLE.

IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE 136 PEOPLE ON FLIGHT 191

HAD BECOME THE LATEST VICTIMS OF A MICROBURST.

INVESTIGATORS HAD THEIR CULPRIT.

Laynor: UNBELIEVABLE.

Narrator: AND THANKS TO FLIGHT 191's ADVANCED DATA RECORDER,

THEY COULD PAINT A REMARKABLY ACCURATE PICTURE OF IT.

THE KILLER HAD ESSENTIALLY BEEN CAUGHT ON TAPE.

BUT WHAT THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

DOESN'T EXPLAIN IS HOW SUCH AN EXPERIENCED CREW

FELL VICTIM TO A KILLER...

Connors: YOU'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

Narrator: ...THEY WERE ALL TRAINED TO OVERCOME.

WHEN LAYNOR COMPARES THE PILOTS' ACTIONS

TO THE ACTIONS OF THE MICROBURST...

Connors: WATCH YOUR SPEED.

Narrator: ...HE UNCOVERS DETAILS OF A FIGHT TO THE DEATH--

A FIGHT THAT THE DELTA PILOTS ALMOST WON.

Connors: YOU'RE GONNA LOSE IT ALL OF A SUDDEN.

THERE IT IS.

Laynor: HE SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO HIT.

Connors: WATCH YOUR SPEED.

Narrator: THE INCREASE IN AIRSPEED

PROMPTED FIRST OFFICER PRICE TO REDUCE POWER TO HIS ENGINES,

POWER THAT HE WOULD DESPERATELY NEED IN JUST A FEW SECONDS.

Connors: YOU'RE GONNA LOSE IT ALL OF A SUDDEN.

THERE IT IS.

Narrator: WHEN PRICE AND CONNORS ENTERED THE DOWNDRAFT...

Connors: PUSH IT UP! WAY UP!

Narrator: ...THEY WERE JUST 820 FEET FROM THE GROUND.

Laynor: THE CAPTAIN KNEW THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A MICROBURST.

HE'D OBVIOUSLY BEEN GIVEN AN INTRODUCTION TO WIND SHEAR

AND MICROBURST CHARACTERISTICS IN HIS FLIGHT TRAINING.

Narrator: WHEN CONNORS AND PRICE ENCOUNTERED

THE MICROBURST'S TAILWIND, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE THEY COULD DO.

THEY HAD INSUFFICIENT SPEED AND ALTITUDE WITH WHICH TO MANEUVER.

IF A PILOT ENCOUNTERS A STRONG TAILWIND AT 10,000 FEET,

HE CAN POINT HIS NOSE DOWN AND DIVE TO PICK UP SPEED

AND GENERATE LIFT.

IT'S CALLED TRADING ALTITUDE FOR AIRSPEED.

BUT THAT TRADE WASN'T AVAILABLE TO PRICE AND CONNORS.

THEY WERE JUST 820 FEET OFF THE GROUND WHEN THE TAILWIND STRUCK.

THE ONLY WAY FOR THEM TO GAIN AIRSPEED WAS FROM THEIR ENGINES.

Connors: PUSH IT UP! WAY UP!

Melvin: CO-PILOT RESPONDS, AIRPLANE STABILIZES,

I CAN SEE THAT MOST PILOTS WOULD SAY,

WELL, WE'RE THROUGH WITH THAT, AND IT'S GONNA,

RAIN'S GONNA STOP, WE'RE GONNA LAND.

Narrator: MOMENTARILY, THEIR EFFORTS SEEM TO PAY OFF.

THEIR AIR SPEED INCREASES, THEIR PLUNGE HALTED.

BUT WITH FLIGHT 191 SO CLOSE TO THE GROUND,

THIS PARTICULAR MICROBURST DELIVERED THE ULTIMATE BLOW...

A FIERCE CROSSWIND THAT FORCES THEIR PLANE

TO BANK DANGEROUSLY TO THE RIGHT.

Connors: HANG ON TO THE SON OF A...!

Narrator: COMBINED WITH THE MICROBURST'S OTHER WINDS,

THE CREW WAS DEFENSELESS.

Connors: TOGA!

Connors: TOGA!

Laynor: TOGA IS TAKE-OFF GO-AROUND MODE.

AND WHAT IT MEANS TO A PILOT IN THAT REGIME OF FLIGHT

IS LET'S ABANDON THE APPROACH.

WE'RE NO LONGER GOING TO TRY TO LAND THIS AIRPLANE.

WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN NOW TO SURVIVE

THE WIND CONDITION THAT WE'VE ENTERED.

Narrator: THE SKILL AND EXPERIENCE OF THE PILOTS

WERE NO MATCH FOR THIS MICROBURST.

IT WAS TOO BIG, ITS WINDS TOO POWERFUL AND UNPREDICTABLE.

THE ENTIRE FIGHT LASTED ONLY 47 SECONDS.

Chandler: THE PILOTS OF DELTA FLIGHT 191 DID THEIR VERY BEST

TO RECOVER FROM THE SITUATION, AND IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS WERE LEFT WITH ONE PERPLEXING QUESTION--

WHY HAD CONNORS FLOWN INTO THE STORM IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Dave Hinton: PRIOR TO 1985, THE RADARS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT

WERE BUILT TO DETECT THUNDERSTORMS...

Connors: DELTA 191...

Hinton: ...ESSENTIALLY HEAVY AREAS OF PRECIPITATION.

THEY WERE NOT EFFECTIVE,

THEY WERE NOT EVEN DESIGNED TO DETECT THE MICROBURST.

SO THOSE RADARS WERE ESSENTIALLY USELESS AT LOW ALTITUDES

FOR LOOKING AT THE MICROBURST PHENOMENA.

Narrator: MICROBURSTS ARE INVISIBLE,

BUT THEY GENERALLY EMERGE FROM STORM CLOUDS.

THAT'S WHY PILOTS ARE TRAINED NOT TO FLY INTO STORMS

IF THEY SEE LIGHTNING.

Connors: IT'S A PRETTY GOOD SIZED CELL.

AND I'D RATHER NOT GO THROUGH IT,

I'D RATHER GO AROUND IT, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

Controller: WHEN I CAN, I'LL TURN YOU INTO BLUE RIDGE.

IT'LL BE ABOUT 010 RADIAL.

Connors: 010, ROGER.

Narrator: CAPTAIN CONNORS WAS NOT A RISK-TAKER,

HE WAS KNOWN AS A CAUTIOUS PILOT.

Connors: I'M GLAD WE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT MESS.

McCarthy: IT'S HARD TO BLAME THE AIR CREW.

THEIR JOB IS TO AVOID THUNDERSTORMS,

AND THERE'S PROBABLY A FORECAST FOR THUNDERSTORMS EVERY DAY

AT DALLAS IN THE SUMMERTIME.

WHICH ONES DO YOU AVOID?

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

Narrator: EARLIER IN THE FLIGHT,

CONNORS HAD FLOWN AROUND BAD WEATHER.

INVESTIGATORS CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT HE UNDERESTIMATED THE STORM

IN HIS PATH AT THE FOOT OF RUNWAY 17-LEFT.

Laynor: WHEN YOU'RE IN A LANDING SEQUENCE AT AN AIRPORT

LIKE DALLAS OR ATLANTA OR CHICAGO, AND YOU SEE

OTHER AIRPLANES AHEAD THAT ARE LANDING UNEVENTFULLY,

YOU MIGHT GET THE IMPRESSION THAT,

"THERE'S A THUNDERSTORM THERE, BUT I'M GONNA PASS THROUGH IT

VERY QUICKLY, AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE A FACTOR FOR ME."

Narrator: AIRPORTS LIKE DFW HAVE SOPHISTICATED SYSTEMS IN PLACE

TO PROVIDE WEATHER INFORMATION TO PILOTS.

A THUNDERSTORM AT THE END OF A RUNWAY

IS THE KIND OF THREAT THEY WERE DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY.

BUT THIS DEADLY STORM MANAGED TO FOIL THOSE SYSTEMS.

Narrator: AS FLIGHT 191 WAS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT,

THE WEATHER AT DFW WAS CHANGING VERY QUICKLY.

Controller: ATTENTION ALL AIRCRAFT LISTENING.

THERE'S A LITTLE RAIN SHOWER JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT.

Narrator: CAPTAIN CONNORS HEARD THAT PART OF THE MESSAGE.

BUT THEN HE SWITCHED HIS RADIO FREQUENCY

FOR HIS FINAL LANDING INSTRUCTIONS.

THE DELTA CREW NEVER HEARD THE LAST PART OF THIS MESSAGE

ABOUT WEATHER AHEAD.

Controller: THERE'S A LITTLE BITTY THUNDERSTORM

SITTING RIGHT ON THE FINAL.

Melvin: THERE WAS AN OBSERVATION TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT

THAT THERE WAS A WALL OF WATER AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY.

IT'S BEEN MY CONTENTION THAT THAT INFORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN

VERY IMPORTANT TO THE FLIGHT CREW.

Narrator: RADAR READOUTS FROM THE DAY OF THE CRASH

INDICATE THAT THE STORM CELL CONNORS AND PRICE FLEW INTO

GREW OUT OF NOTHING IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.

Melvin: THIS IS TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

Narrator: THE READOUT SHOWS THE BEGINNINGS OF A WEATHER CELL

AT THE FOOT OF RUNWAY 17-LEFT.

Melvin: THIS IS THREE MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

AND WE HAVE A NEW CELL RIGHT AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY

THAT WASN'T EVIDENT IN THE PREVIOUS PICTURE.

Narrator: THIS EXPLAINS WHY RUFUS LEWIS

WAS ABLE TO LAND HIS LEAR JET.

THE MICROBURST WAS JUST BEGINNING TO FORM

WHEN HE WAS APPROACHING THE RUNWAY.

Melvin: MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THERE WAS

A HUGE VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT THAT THE PILOTS RECOGNIZED,

AND THEY JUST DECIDED TO GO FLY THROUGH IT ANYWAY.

AND I MAINTAIN, AND I THINK THE EVIDENCE PROVES IT,

THAT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.

THEY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THIS, THIS NEW DEVELOPING CELL.

THEY DID GET INTO THE STORM BENEATH THE CELL,

BUT IT WAS HEAVY RAIN-- THEY WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT THAT.

THEN THE HAMMER FELL.

IT WAS TOO LATE.

McCarthy: IT'S SMALL, IT'S THE LENGTH OF A RUNWAY, ROUGHLY,

AND IT DOESN'T LAST VERY LONG.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN SO QUICKLY,

THAT MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED

BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW IT WAS THERE.

Narrator: THE STORM ARRIVED AT THE FOOT OF RUNWAY 17-LEFT

VIRTUALLY UNANNOUNCED.

BUT ONCE THERE, IT ATTRACTED A LOT OF ATTENTION.

PILOTS ON THE GROUND, AS WELL AS TRAINED WEATHER OBSERVERS,

SAW THE WORSENING STORM...

BUT THEY ALL SAW IT TOO LATE TO WARN THE CREW OF DELTA 191.

THE STORM DID SHOW UP ON A RADAR SCREEN

AT THE FORT WORTH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER.

BUT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, THE METEOROLOGIST ON DUTY

WAS IN THE CAFETERIA ON A MEAL BREAK.

Melvin: IF THE FLIGHT CREW HAD HAD ANY IDEA

THAT THERE WOULD BE A SEVERE EVENT IN FRONT OF THEM,

THEY WOULD HAVE MISSED THE APPROACH.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDE THAT THE DELTA CRASH

WAS CAUSED BY THE PILOTS' DECISION TO CONTINUE

THEIR APPROACH INTO THE STORM--

A DECISION THAT WAS MADE

BECAUSE THE CREW WASN'T WARNED ABOUT THE HAZARD.

IN 1985, THERE WERE BASIC SYSTEMS AT AIRPORTS

THAT COULD DETECT DANGEROUS WINDS,

BUT THEY COULD NOT RELIABLY DETECT MICROBURSTS.

YET, A MICROBURST DETECTION SYSTEM

WAS BEING TESTED IN DENVER, AND WORKING VERY WELL.

McCarthy: WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT DOPPLER RADAR,

WHICH IS ON THE GROUND,

IS INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE IN DETECTING MICROBURSTS.

AND IN FACT, IT CAN DETECT ABOUT 98% OF A MICROBURST.

Narrator: CONVENTIONAL RADAR USES RADIO WAVES

TO MEASURE PRECIPITATION INSIDE A STORM.

DOPPLER ALSO SENDS OUT RADIO WAVES.

BUT BY MEASURING THE FREQUENCY OF RETURNING WAVES,

DOPPLER CAN ALSO CALCULATE THE MOVEMENT OF THE WINDS

INSIDE A STORM.

McCarthy: IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOPPLER RADAR,

YOU SEE A PART OF IT THAT'S GOING AWAY FROM THE RADAR,

AND A PART THAT'S COMING TOWARDS THE RADAR.

AND IF IT'S SMALL, IT'S ABSOLUTELY A MICROBURST.

IT CAN BE NOTHING ELSE.

SO IT HAS WHAT WE CALL AN UNAMBIGUOUS SIGNATURE

OF A MICROBURST, WHICH MEANS WE GOT IT.

Narrator: SINCE DOPPLER RADAR COULD SEE A MICROBURST,

CONTROLLERS COULD USE IT TO WARN CREWS OF THEIR PRESENCE.

THE DENVER RESEARCH RESULTED IN AN IMPORTANT NEW SYSTEM

AT AIRPORTS--

TERMINAL DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR.

WHEN THE SYSTEM DETECTS DANGEROUS CONDITIONS,

IT RELAYS A WARNING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS,

WHO CAN THEN ALERT PILOTS.

Controller: FLIGHT 236, MICROBURST ALERT.

50 KNOT LOSS, ONE MILE FINAL.

SAY INTENTIONS.

Narrator: AFTER THE CRASH OF DELTA 191,

THE FEDERAL AVIATION AUTHORITY, THE FAA, HURRIED TO INSTALL

TERMINAL DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR AT HIGH-RISK AIRPORTS.

DALLAS/FORT WORTH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST.

BUT RADAR ON THE GROUND CAN'T GET THE WARNING

TO THE PILOTS FAST ENOUGH.

PLANES ALSO NEEDED ONBOARD MICROBURST DETECTION.

A TEAM FROM NASA BEGAN DEVELOPING SUCH A SYSTEM

BY FLYING INTO THE MOST DANGEROUS MICROBURSTS

THEY COULD FIND.

Co-pilot: HERE WE GO. TAKE IT STRAIGHT AHEAD.

Narrator: BY RISKING THEIR OWN LIVES,

THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY SAVE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS.

Narrator: THE CRASH OF DELTA 191 SHOWED THAT SECONDS COUNT

WHEN PLANES ENCOUNTER A MICROBURST.

Connors: YOU'RE GONNA LOSE IT ALL OF A SUDDEN.

THERE IT IS.

Narrator: INCREASING ALERT TIMES...

Connors: PUSH IT UP! WAY UP!

Narrator: ...COULD SAVE MORE LIVES,

ESPECIALLY IF A MICROBURST DETECTOR WAS MOUNTED

RIGHT ON THE PLANE.

BUT DEVELOPING THAT ONBOARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

WAS A HIGH-RISK PROJECT.

IT MEANT FLYING STRAIGHT INTO THE HEART OF A MICROBURST.

Hinton: WE DID A VERY CAREFUL RISK ANALYSIS

OF ALL THE POSSIBLE DANGERS THAT COULD OCCUR.

AND, INITIALLY, THE FIRST REACTION WAS,

"YOU WANT TO DO WHAT WITH AN AIRPLANE?

YOU WANT TO FLY IT THROUGH A MICROBURST?"

Narrator: IN THE SUMMER OF 1991, NASA MODIFIED A BOEING 737

AND WENT HUNTING FOR MICROBURSTS.

THE IDEA WAS TO IDENTIFY ONBOARD TECHNOLOGY

THAT COULD WARN PILOTS OF A MICROBURST IN THEIR PATH.

Hinton: THE AIRBORNE SOLUTION BRINGS DETECTION

RIGHT INTO THE COCKPIT, SO THE PILOT SEES

EXACTLY WHAT'S IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT,

AND WHEN AN ALERT IS GIVEN, THERE'S NO TIME DELAY.

Controller: GROUND SPEED, 234.

Narrator: THE NASA RESEARCHERS WERE TESTING

THREE SEPARATE SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING MICROBURSTS--

A MODIFIED DOPPLER RADAR HOUSED IN THE 737's NOSE,

A LASER RADAR UNDER ITS FORWARD CARGO BAY,

AND A SIDE-MOUNTED INFRARED DEVICE

TO MEASURE CHANGES IN AIR TEMPERATURE.

EACH OF THOSE SYSTEMS WAS WIRED TO BANKS OF COMPUTERS

IN THE PLANE'S CABIN.

A SPOTTER ON THE GROUND COULD FIND A MICROBURST

AND QUICKLY DIRECT THE PLANE TOWARDS IT.

Pilot: ROGER CONTROL, 515.

WE'RE ROLLING.

Controller: ROGER, UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLL.

CDWR NASA CONTROL.

Pilot: RANGE.

Co-pilot: RANGE, 45 MILES.

GROUND SPEED 240, HERE WE GO.

TAKE IT STRAIGHT AHEAD.

Controller: YOU NEED TO COME LEFT

ABOUT 10 DEGREES, 15 DEGREES.

Hinton: WELL, WHEN YOU SPOTTED A MICROBURST, IT WAS ALL BUSINESS.

IT WAS, HOW DO WE GET THERE?

HOW DO WE GET TO THE RIGHT ALTITUDE, THE RIGHT AIR SPEED,

THE RIGHT POSITION?

WHEN TO BEGIN DATA COLLECTION?

SO PEOPLE WERE QUITE BUSY DURING THESE FLIGHTS.

AND IT WAS EXCITING. WE WANTED TO FIND THEM.

WE WANTED TO PENETRATE THEM.

Narrator: WITH EVERY MICROBURST,

THE THREE ONBOARD DETECTION SYSTEMS WERE PUT TO THE TEST.

RESEARCHERS ON THE PLANE COULD INSTANTLY SEE

WHICH INSTRUMENT WAS DOING THE BEST JOB

OF PICKING UP THE MICROBURST AHEAD.

Hinton: BEHIND THE FLIGHT DECK, WE HAD PALLETS OF EQUIPMENT

WHERE THE RADAR ENGINEERS, THE LASER ENGINEERS,

AND THE DATA RECORDING ENGINEERS COULD SIT

AND ENSURE THAT EACH SYSTEM WAS PERFORMING AS EXPECTED.

Co-pilot: GROUND SPEED 234.

DEAD AHEAD MAYBE ONE DEGREE TO THE LEFT.

Pilot: LET'S GO STRAIGHT THROUGH THIS ONE.

Co-pilot: HERE WE GO. TAKE IT STRAIGHT AHEAD.

Hinton: WE STARTED WITH VERY, VERY WEAK MICROBURSTS.

AGAIN, WE HAD THE GROUND-BASED RADAR

TELLING US WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO GO INTO.

SO WE STARTED WITH VERY WEAK MICROBURSTS, GAINED EXPERIENCE,

THEN GRADUALLY WORKED UP TO STRONGER AND STRONGER ONES.

YOU WOULD SEE THE RAIN BEGIN TO FALL,

AND YOU WOULD FEEL A SINKING FEELING.

IT WOULD BE A LITTLE SETTLING,

YOU KNOW, LIKE AN ELEVATOR STARTING DOWN...

Controller: A FEW MINUTES HERE BEFORE WE TOUCH DOWN...

Hinton: ...SO ANY APPREHENSION

THAT THE CREW MAY HAVE HAD INITIALLY BY GOING THROUGH THEM

WAS ACTUALLY REPLACED LATER WITH JOY AT FINDING THEM.

Co-pilot: HERE COMES THE CENTER OF THE TARGET RIGHT...

NOW!

242 ON THE GROUND SPEED.

WIND'S GONE AWAY, LOOK FOR A TAILWIND.

Pilot: I'M WATCHING.

Co-pilot: WE LOST SOME ALTITUDE THERE, TOO.

THERE, THE WIND'S GONE AROUND THE TAIL AT 10 KNOTS.

GOOD STRONG DOWNDRAFT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

IT JUST SUCKED 100 FEET IN ALMOST NO TIME AT ALL.

Pilot: SAW A GOOD PERFORMANCE DECREASE, TOO.

Co-pilot: WE WERE ABOUT 850, AND WE DROPPED TO 750.

BEAUTIFUL.

Narrator: THE LANGLEY RESEARCHERS FLEW

INTO DOZENS OF MICROBURSTS OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR RESEARCH.

THE PROJECT PROVED THAT THE FORWARD-LOOKING DOPPLER RADAR

WAS THE ONLY SYSTEM THAT COULD CONSISTENTLY GIVE PILOTS

ADVANCED WARNINGS OF A MICROBURST AHEAD.

Hinton: WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THE DOPPLER RADARS

COULD DETECT AN EXTREMELY WIDE VARIETY OF MICROBURSTS.

Price: THERE'S LIGHTNING COMING OUT OF THAT ONE.

Narrator: IF THE CREW OF DELTA 191 HAD HAD A SYSTEM

TO WARN THEM OF MICROBURSTS,

THEY COULD HAVE BOOSTED POWER TO THEIR ENGINES

AND STARTED CLIMBING BEFORE THEY ENCOUNTERED IT.

THAT MIGHT HAVE GIVEN THEM THE SPEED AND ALTITUDE

WHICH THEY SORELY LACKED

WHEN THEY BEGAN THEIR BATTLE WITH THE STORM.

THE LANGLEY FLIGHT TESTS HAD, IN EFFECT,

TAMED THE MICROBURST MENACE.

AFTER THE NASA TESTS, THE FAA CERTIFIED

A DOPPLER-BASED WARNING SYSTEM FOR PLANES.

TODAY, FORWARD-LOOKING DOPPLER RADAR IS STANDARD EQUIPMENT

ON COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD.

McCarthy: THE GOOD NEWS OUT OF ALL OF THIS TRAGEDY

IS SO MANY THINGS HAVE NOW HAPPENED FROM RADAR,

TO GROUND-BASED SYSTEMS, TO AIRBORNE SYSTEMS,

AND ESPECIALLY TO TRAINING FOR PILOTS.

WE THINK THAT MICROBURST ACCIDENTS

ARE A THING OF THE PAST.

Chandler: IF THERE IS ONE CRASH THAT WE CAN LOOK BACK ON NOW

AND SAY, "THIS MADE THINGS SAFER BECAUSE WE LEARNED FROM IT,"

IT WAS DELTA 191.

Narrator: THE CHANGES MADE AFTER THE CRASH OF DELTA 191

HAVE SAVED COUNTLESS LIVES.

CAPTAIN CONNORS AND FIRST OFFICER PRICE

LOST THEIR FIGHT AGAINST A MICROBURST,

BUT THEIR STRUGGLE MANAGED TO EXPOSE AND DISARM

AN INVISIBLE KILLER.