Original subtitles

Narrator: A BRAND NEW 767...

Co-pilot: FUEL PRESSURE.

WHY WOULD THAT BE?

[ALARM BEEPING]

Pilot: HOW COME I HAVE NO INSTRUMENTS?

Narrator: A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AT 26,000 FEET.

Co-pilot: WINNIPEG, AIR CANADA 143.

Controller: AIR CANADA 143, GO AHEAD.

Co-pilot: JUST LOST BOTH ENGINES.

Controller: HOLY COW!

I'M TALKING TO A DEAD MAN.

Co-pilot: UH, HOW FAR ARE WE FROM GIMLI?

Controller: YOU'RE APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES FROM GIMLI RIGHT NOW.

Pilot: I GUESS I'LL JUST SLIP IT.

Narrator: THE CREW IS OUT OF OPTIONS AND RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

THEY'RE AT THE CONTROLS OF A MASSIVE JET...

THAT'S QUICKLY FALLING FROM THE SKY.

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!

IN PLACID SKIES OVER CENTRAL CANADA,

AIR CANADA FLIGHT 143 IS JUST PAST THE HALFWAY MARK

OF ITS JOURNEY FROM MONTREAL TO EDMONTON, ALBERTA.

Co-pilot: GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST OFFICER.

Narrator: THE PLANE IS CARRYING 61 PASSENGERS

AND 8 CREW MEMBERS.

Co-pilot: BEAUTIFUL DAY.

CLEAR, TEMPERATURE OF 24 DEGREES CELSIUS.

Narrator: IT'S JULY 23, 1983.

Man: THERE, THAT'S COMING ALONG, HUH?

Narrator: RICK DION IS AN AIR CANADA MAINTENANCE ENGINEER.

Rick Dion: I WAS GOING TO EDMONTON WITH MY WIFE PEARL

AND MY YOUNG SON CHRIS, WHO WAS FOUR YEARS OLD,

AND THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A TWO-WEEK VACATION FOR US,

AND WE WERE ALL PRETTY EXCITED

ABOUT GOING ON THIS NEW AIRPLANE.

Flight attendant: COMPLIMENT OF THE CAPTAIN.

Dion: OH, HEY, ROB, THANKS.

Flight attendant: WHENEVER YOU WANT TO COME UP TO THE FLIGHT DECK.

Dion: THIS WAS MY FIRST FLIGHT ON A MODERN 767,

AS THE COMPANY HAD JUST ACQUIRED THEM.

I'LL BE BACK IN A MINUTE, OKAY?

I WAS INTERESTED IN GOING TO THE COCKPIT

TO SEE ALL THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY

FIT IN WITH THE WORK THAT I DID ON AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN ON THIS FLIGHT IS BOB PEARSON.

HE'S 48 YEARS OLD,

AND HE'S SPENT MORE THAN 15,000 HOURS IN THE AIR.

HIS FIRST OFFICER IS MAURICE QUINTAL,

WHO HAS MORE THAN 7,000 HOURS OF FLYING TIME.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Bob Pearson: COME ON IN.

Dion: PARDON ME, GENTLEMEN.

Pearson: RICK.

Dion: I KNEW BOB PEARSON FROM THE SMALL FLYING CLUB

THAT I ATTENDED IN SAINT LEZARD, AND HE WAS ACTUALLY

ONE OF THE LOCAL PILOTS THERE THAT USED TO DO SOME GLIDING,

AND HE ALSO FLEW THE ULTRA-LIGHT LEZAIRS.

Pearson: WE HAD DEPARTED HEADING NORTHWEST,

A NICE CLEAR, SUNNY DAY IN JULY.

WE'RE A FLIGHT PLAN OF 39,000 FEET.

THERE WERE A FEW AIRPLANES THAT FLEW THAT HIGH IN 1983,

AND WE REQUESTED 41,000 FEET WHICH GOT US FURTHER ABOVE

THE JET STREAM OUT OF THE WEST.

Narrator: THE CREW MAY HAVE ACCUMULATED A LOT OF HOURS

IN THE AIR, BUT VERY FEW IN THIS PLANE.

IT'S BOEING'S LATEST AND MOST ADVANCED WIDE BODY JET, THE 767.

AN ARMY OF MICROPROCESSORS IN THE BELLY OF THE PLANE

AUTOMATES SO MANY FUNCTIONS

THAT THE FLIGHT ENGINEERS' JOB HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.

THIS IS ONE OF FOUR 767s

THAT AIR CANADA HAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED.

THE PLANE ITSELF HAS ONLY 150 HOURS ON IT.

Dion: QUITE A DIFFERENCE HERE, HUH?

Pearson: OH, YEAH.

Dion: RESET ON AND START HERE.

THE COCKPIT IS DIFFERENT IN THAT ALL THE OLD INSTRUMENTATION

THAT WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO, MOSTLY THAT WAS ALL GONE.

IT WAS ALL CRT DISPLAY, LIKE SMALL TV SCREENS.

IT WAS A NEW HIGH-TECH AIRPLANE WHICH INVOLVED QUITE A CHANGE

FOR THE CREW AND THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL PEOPLE HANDLING IT.

Narrator: PILOTS AND MAINTENANCE CREWS ARE BOTH

STILL GETTING TO KNOW THIS AIRLINER.

Pearson: WELL, THEN WE GOT THAT SAME CONDITION.

Narrator: CAPTAIN PEARSON EXPLAINS TO DION

HOW HE HANDLED A SMALL PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINES

ON AN EARLIER FLIGHT.

Pearson: ...AT A LOW STAGE, AND THEN WE JUST CARRY ON.

Dion: YOU KNOW, THAT BRINGS UP AN INTERESTING...

[ALARM BEEPS]

Maurice Quintal: FUEL PRESSURE?

WHY WOULD THAT BE?

Pearson: WHOA.

Narrator: A WARNING ALERTS THE CREW TO CRITICALLY LOW PRESSURE

AT ONE OF THE PLANE'S FUEL PUMPS.

Quintal: SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE FUEL PUMP.

Narrator: THE 767 HAS THREE MAIN FUEL TANKS,

TWO IN THE WINGS, WHICH ARE ALWAYS USED,

AND ONE IN THE CENTER, ONLY USED ON LONG DISTANCE FLIGHTS.

ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS DRAW FUEL FROM EACH TANK

AND FEED IT TO THE PLANE'S TWO ENGINES.

THE LOW PRESSURE WARNING COULD MEAN THAT ONE OF THE PUMPS

NEEDS MAINTENANCE, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE A MORE SERIOUS ISSUE,

A LACK OF FUEL TO BE PUMPED.

Pearson: NO FORWARD FUEL PUMP.

I HOPE IT'S JUST A BLOODY PUMP FAILING, I CAN TELL YOU THAT.

[ALARM BEEPS]

Narrator: ANOTHER LOW FUEL PRESSURE WARNING SOUNDS,

THIS ONE FROM ANOTHER FUEL PUMP ON THE PLANE'S LEFT SIDE.

PEARSON'S FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER TELLS HIM

HE SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP.

THE 767 ALSO HAS SEPARATE DIGITAL FUEL GAUGES,

BUT ON THIS FLIGHT, THOSE GAUGES ARE OUT OF SERVICE.

THE WARNINGS DON'T MAKE SENSE.

Dion: IT GOT A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING

WHEN THE SECOND FUEL BOOST PUMP LIGHT CAME ON

FOR THAT TANK, WHICH WAS THE LEFT TANK.

Pearson: THIS SEEMED QUITE ABNORMAL

THAT TWO PUMPS WOULD FAIL IN A BRAND NEW AIRPLANE.

WE HAD SOME KIND OF A PROBLEM THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THAT BE?

Dion: MY OWN PERSONAL THOUGHTS?

YOU MIGHT BE LOW ON THE LEFT TANK.

Narrator: CAPTAIN PEARSON KNOWS

THAT IF THE LEFT TANK IS RUNNING LOW,

THE RIGHT TANK MAY BE LOW AS WELL.

Pearson: LET'S HEAD FOR WINNIPEG...NOW!

Narrator: PEARSON WANTS TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,

IN CASE HE'S RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.

THE CREW IS STILL MORE THAN 700 MILES AWAY

FROM THEIR ORIGINAL DESTINATION, EDMONTON, ALBERTA.

THE NEAREST MAJOR AIRPORT IS WINNIPEG, MANITOBA,

A MERE 120 MILES AWAY.

Pearson: WE WERE SHOWING LOTS OF FUEL

ON BOARD OUR FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER,

AND THREE NORMAL FUEL CHECKS, CROSS-CHECKED WITH OUR FUEL

ON OUR FLIGHT PLAN, SO WE ELECTED TO DIVERT THE FLIGHT

TO WINNIPEG, WHERE AIR CANADA HAS A MAIN MAINTENANCE BASE.

Quintal: WINNIPEG CENTER, AIR CANADA 143.

Controller: AIR CANADA 143, GO AHEAD.

Narrator: RON HEWETT HAS 20 YEARS' EXPERIENCE

AS A RADAR CONTROLLER.

Quintal: YES, SIR, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

WE'RE GOING TO, REQUESTING DIRECT WINNIPEG.

Ron Hewett: AIR CANADA 143, CLEARED.

TAKE POSITION DIRECT WINNIPEG.

YOU ARE CLEARED TO MAINTAIN 6,000 DESCENT,

YOUR DISCRETION.

SEND TO 6,000 HIS DISCRETION, AND THAT WAS IT.

HE DIDN'T TELL US WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS,

AND IT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS.

GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS, GET EVERYBODY OUT OF HIS WAY.

THAT'S ABOUT WHAT WE DO.

Pearson: OKAY, WE'RE OUT OF 410.

Narrator: PEARSON NOW BEGINS TO DESCEND FROM 41,000 FEET.

[ALARM BEEPS]

Quintal: AWW, MAN.

THEY'RE ALL GOING OUT, EH?

Narrator: THE LOW PRESSURE WARNINGS ARE SPREADING

TO MORE AND MORE OF THE FUEL PUMPS.

[DING DONG]

QUINTAL INSTRUCTS THE CABIN CREW

TO PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

Attendant: HELLO?

Quintal: CABIN, WE THINK WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH OUR FUEL SYSTEM.

WE ARE DIVERTING TO WINNIPEG.

Attendant: ALL FLIGHT ATTENDANTS TO FRONT GALLEY, PLEASE.

Pearson: I HOPE THIS IS JUST FALSE WARNINGS.

RICK, CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING WE HAVEN'T DONE?

Dion: NO, I CAN'T, BOB.

[SECOND ALARM BEEPS]

[THIRD ALARM BUZZES]

[ENGINE WHIRRING]

Pearson: OKAY, WE'VE LOST THE LEFT ENGINE.

Narrator: LOSING AN ENGINE ERASES ANY DOUBT.

FLIGHT 143 IS IN FACT RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.

Pearson: OKAY, CHECKLIST, SINGLE ENGINE LANDING.

Narrator: PEARSON IS TRAINED TO LAND A 767 WITH ONE ENGINE.

NO ONE HAS EVER TRIED LANDING WITH NONE.

HE SCRAMBLES TO GET HIS PLANE DOWN

SO THAT HE DOESN'T BECOME THE FIRST.

Narrator: WITH ONLY ONE ENGINE POWERING AIR CANADA FLIGHT 143,

AND WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE OTHER ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN,

THE CREW PREPARES THE PASSENGERS FOR THE WORST.

[DING]

Attendant: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THIS IS YOUR IN-CHARGE FLIGHT ATTENDANT SPEAKING.

DUE TO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS,

WE'LL BE PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR SEATS AND FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS.

YOUR CREW IS FULLY TRAINED TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION,

AND AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED,

SOME CREW MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO PREPARE THE AIRCRAFT.

Susan Jewett: I HAD NO IDEA, LIKE THE REST OF MY CREW MEMBERS,

THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH FUEL.

I HAD NO IDEA WHY WE WERE GOING TO WINNIPEG.

Quintal: APPROACH AND LANDING, FLAPS WILL BE 20.

GROUND FLAP OVERRIDE.

Dion: AS THEY'RE DOING THAT DRILL,

THE RIGHT HAND FUEL PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT

WAS FLASHING AS WELL, MUCH LIKE IT DID ON THE LEFT.

THEY WERE QUITE BUSY CARRYING OUT THE FIRST ENGINE OUT,

NOT WATCHING THE PUMP LIGHTS, WHICH WAS RIGHT AT MY EYEBROW,

SO I KIND OF KNEW THAT THAT ONE THERE WAS GONNA SHUT DOWN, TOO.

[LOUD EXTENDED BEEP]

Pearson: WHAT WAS THAT?

[ENGINE WHIRRING]

Attendant: VERY SHORTLY WE WILL BEGIN GIVING YOU INSTRUCTIONS.

Pearson: HOW COME I HAVE NO INSTRUMENTS?

OUR BEAUTIFUL COLORED ENGINE AND FLIGHT INSTRUMENT DISPLAYS

SIMPLY WENT BLACK.

Attendant: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE REMAIN CALM.

Narrator: IT'S EXACTLY WHAT PEARSON HAD FEARED.

HE'S LOST BOTH ENGINES.

AT 26,500 FEET, STILL 75 MILES FROM THE NEAREST MAJOR AIRPORT,

HE IS OUT OF FUEL.

Quintal: WINNIPEG, AIR CANADA 143.

Hewett: AIR CANADA 143, GO AHEAD.

Quintal: WE JUST LOST BOTH ENGINES.

Hewett: WHEN BOTH ENGINES SHUT OFF,

I THINK I SAID, "HOLY, I'M TALKING TO A DEAD MAN."

Pearson: WE WERE TRAINED ON THE SIMULATOR

TO HANDLE A SINGLE ENGINE FAILURE.

WE HAD NEVER PRACTICED, AND I DON'T BELIEVE MOST PILOTS

EVER GET THE CHANCE TO PRACTICE TOTAL ENGINE FAILURES.

Controller: 143 JUST LOST THEIR ENGINES.

Hewett: IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT ANYBODY'S GOING TO SURVIVE THIS.

'CAUSE I COULD SEE THEM TRYING TO MAKE A TURN AND SPINNING IN.

Narrator: AN AIRPLANE'S ENGINES NOT ONLY PROVIDE THRUST,

THEY ALSO GENERATE THE POWER NEEDED TO MANIPULATE THE PLANE.

IT WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNCONTROLLABLE,

BUT MODERN AIRLINERS ARE LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE,

WITH ONE LAST BLADE HIDDEN AWAY.

IN THE EVENT OF A LOSS OF POWER,

THEY AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOY THE RAT, OR RAM AIR TURBINE.

Dion: IT'S SPRING LOADED,

AND THE PROPELLER THAT DRIVES THIS SMALL HYDRAULIC PUMP

IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PROPELLER YOU WOULD SEE

LIKE ON A LITTLE CESSNA 150,

AND THIS ARM CATAPULTS DOWN INTO THE SLIPSTREAM.

THIS PROPELLER STARTS TO TURN, DRIVES THIS HYDRAULIC PUMP,

AND IT GIVES YOU BASIC SYSTEMS.

Quintal: IT WAS PRETTY QUIET FLYING IN WITHOUT MOTORS.

Narrator: PEARSON KNOWS THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

HE NEEDS DIRECTIONS TO THE CLOSEST LANDING STRIP.

Pearson: 143, THIS IS A MAYDAY,

AND WE REQUIRE VECTOR ONTO THE CLOSEST AVAILABLE RUNWAY.

Hewett: 143, WE COPY THAT ALL, OKAY?

Narrator: BUT THE LOSS OF THE PLANE'S ENGINES

HAS HAD AN UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCE

AT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.

Hewett: THEY'RE GONE.

THEY WERE RIGHT HERE.

WE'VE LOST THEM, HE'S DROPPED OFF THE SCREEN.

I NEED PRIMARY RADAR.

143, WE'VE LOST YOUR TRANSPONDER RETURN

AND ARE ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP YOUR TARGET NOW.

WE WORK ON TRANSPONDER, IT'S CALLED SECONDARY RADAR.

WE TAKE THE PILOT'S SIGNAL TO PAINT THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: COMMERCIAL JETLINERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH A TRANSPONDER,

A DEVICE THAT TRANSMITS CODED INFORMATION

WHICH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS USE

TO DETERMINE THE PLANE'S LOCATION.

BUT WHEN FLIGHT 143 LOST ITS SECOND ENGINE,

ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF ITEMS GOT BACKUP POWER.

THE TRANSPONDER WAS NOT ONE OF THEM,

SO THE PLANE DISAPPEARED FROM HEWETT'S SCREEN.

FLIGHT 143 IS SOMEWHERE EAST OF WINNIPEG,

BUT NO ONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE,

OR HOW FAR IT IS FROM THE AIRPORT.

IN SPITE OF ITS ENORMOUS WEIGHT,

A 767 DOESN'T PLUNGE FROM THE SKY WHEN IT LOSES ITS ENGINES.

ITS AERODYNAMIC PROPERTIES KEEP IT IN THE AIR,

BUT SLOWLY COASTING TO EARTH.

Quintal: AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE

HOW MANY MILES WE WERE MOVING AHEAD

VERSUS HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF FEET WE WERE DROPPING.

Narrator: BUT QUINTAL DOESN'T HAVE THE INSTRUMENTS

WHICH PROVIDE THE INFORMATION HE NEEDS TO MAKE THAT CALCULATION.

SINCE HE LOST THE PLANE'S SIGNAL,

HEWETT CAN'T GIVE QUINTAL THAT INFORMATION EITHER.

CONTROLLERS HURRIEDLY WORK TO RIG UP A WAY TO FIND THE PLANE.

Attendant: JUST BEFORE LANDING,

YOU WILL HEAR THE COMMAND, "BRACE FOR LANDING."

BRACE IMMEDIATELY...

Narrator: BRYCE BELL IS A BUSINESSMAN ON HIS WAY HOME TO EDMONTON.

Bryce Bell: AS SOON AS THEY ANNOUNCED

THAT WE WERE MAKING AN UNSCHEDULED STOP IN WINNIPEG,

I IMMEDIATELY WISHED I HADN'T HAD THE TWO DRINKS THAT I'D HAD,

'CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SPLIT SECOND HERE,

AND THIS PLANE'S GONNA EXPLODE IN FLAME,

AND THE DECISION YOU MAKE IN THAT SPLIT SECOND

WILL DEPEND ON HOW ALERT YOU ARE.

Jewett: THE RESPONSE OF THE PASSENGERS

WHEN WE WERE DOING THE EMERGENCY BRIEFING

WAS BASICALLY ALERT.

THEY WERE LOOKING AT US.

THEY WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO EVERY WORD WE WERE SAYING.

I COULDN'T HAVE HAD BETTER PASSENGERS.

Hewett: I THINK THAT'S HIM.

LET'S SAY THAT'S HIM.

Narrator: BECAUSE THEIR MODERN EQUIPMENT CAN'T SEE AIR CANADA 143,

THE CONTROLLERS SWITCH TO OLD-FASHIONED RADAR,

WHICH DOESN'T NEED A TRANSPONDER TO LOCATE PLANES.

Hewett: I GOT TO TURN UP MY TRUE RADAR,

THE REFLECTIVE RADAR, WHICH IS NOT NEARLY AS GOOD,

AND WE DON'T USE IT AT ALL IF WE CAN HELP IT.

OKAY, I GOT IT.

65 FROM WINNIPEG, 45 FROM GIMLI.

143, WE HAVE YOU AT 65 MILES FROM WINNIPEG

AND APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES FROM GIMLI.

Narrator: FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE LOSING POWER,

THE PILOTS KNOW THEIR DISTANCE TO WINNIPEG.

Pearson: WE MIGHT MAKE WINNIPEG.

Narrator: QUINTAL, HOWEVER, THINKS THAT GIMLI IS A SAFER BET.

GIMLI, MANITOBA, HAS A DECOMMISSIONED AIR FORCE BASE.

IT'S ABOUT 20 MILES CLOSER THAN WINNIPEG.

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, MAURICE QUINTAL TRAINED AT GIMLI

WHILE IN THE ARMED FORCES.

HE KNOWS IT WELL.

Quintal: 45 MILES TO GIMLI.

THAT IS A LONG RUNWAY.

Pearson: IS THERE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT AT GIMLI?

Hewett: NEGATIVE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT AT ALL,

JUST ONE RUNWAY AVAILABLE, I BELIEVE, AND NO CONTROL TOWER,

AND NO INFORMATION ON IT.

Narrator: PEARSON MUST CONSIDER

THE POSSIBILITY OF A CRASH LANDING.

IF HE HAS ANY CHANCE OF MAKING IT TO WINNIPEG,

WHICH HAS FULL EMERGENCY SUPPORT,

HE KNOWS HE MUST TRY FOR IT.

Pearson: OKAY, THEN, WE WOULD PREFER WINNIPEG.

Hewett: FINE, 143, CONTINUE YOUR PRESENT HEADING.

Jewett: WE ALL REACTED VERY BUSINESSLIKE,

AND SAY SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY TO THE SITUATION,

BUT NEVER WOULD WE EVER LOOK AT EACH OTHER.

I THINK WE WERE ALL AFRAID THAT WE MIGHT BREAK DOWN.

Bell: PARENTS WERE HUGGING THEIR LITTLE KIDS,

AND PEOPLE WERE BUSY SCRIBBLING AWAY,

WHICH I FOUND OUT AFTERWARDS WERE,

THEY WERE WRITING THEIR NOTES TO LOVED ONES,

AND THEIR WILLS, AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT WAS PRETTY NERVE-WRACKING.

Hewett: 143, A QUESTION IF YOU HAVE THE TIME.

Quintal: OKAY, GO AHEAD.

Hewett: TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD, PLEASE.

Narrator: THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON BOARD IS 69,

BUT QUINTAL IS OVERTAXED.

HE GIVES A LOWER NUMBER IN ERROR.

Quintal: I HAVE 33 PEOPLE ON BOARD, INCLUDING THE CREW.

Hewett: OKAY.

I HAVE TO ASK OF SOULS ON BOARD.

I KNOW HE'S BUSY, I DON'T WANT TO ASK HIM QUESTIONS,

BUT I HAVE TO.

THIS THING COULD GO DOWN IN THE LAKE OR THE FIELD,

AND I REMEMBER THINKING, GREAT--

I KNOW THIS AIRPLANE CARRIES ABOUT 300 PEOPLE--

AT LEAST IT'S NOT 300.

Jewett: AND I REMEMBER TELLING A MOTHER WITH A BABY,

AND I HAD...

MY DAUGHTER, VICTORIA,

AND TELLING THIS WOMAN THAT IT WAS GONNA BE OKAY,

AND I DID IT, I DID, I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF

THAT I COULD BE SO STRAIGHT WITH HER,

AND TELL HER THAT IT WAS GONNA BE ALL RIGHT,

AND REALLY LOOK AT HER IN THE EYES.

Pearson: OKAY, HOW FAR FROM THE FIELD ARE WE NOW?

Hewett: YOU ARE 35, CORRECTION,

MAKE THAT 39 MILES FROM WINNIPEG.

Pearson: ROGER.

Narrator: NOW THAT CONTROLLERS CAN SEE FLIGHT 143 ON RADAR,

THEY CAN PROVIDE QUINTAL WITH THE INFORMATION HE NEEDS

TO FIGURE OUT IF HE CAN GLIDE AS FAR AS WINNIPEG.

Hewett: ROGER, WHAT IS YOUR ALTITUDE NOW?

Quintal: 8.5.

Pearson: 8.5.

Narrator: ABOUT 8,500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,

CAPTAIN PEARSON CAN SEE HIS DESTINATION.

WINNIPEG'S AIRPORT IS LESS THAN 35 MILES AWAY.

Pearson: WE'RE VISUAL.

Narrator: BUT THE NEWS FROM QUINTAL IS NOT GOOD.

Quintal: BOB?

WE CAN LAST MAYBE ANOTHER 20 MILES.

WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE WINNIPEG.

Narrator: QUINTAL HAS CALCULATED THAT AT THE RATE

THEY'RE FALLING, THEY WOULD HIT THE GROUND

A FULL 15 MILES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.

Pearson: HOW FAR ARE WE FROM GIMLI?

Hewett: YOU'RE APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES FROM GIMLI RIGHT NOW.

Pearson: WHERE IS IT?

Hewett: WHICH WAY IS HE MOVING?

ON YOUR RIGHT.

TURN RIGHT TO A HEADING OF 345.

I WOULD SAY YOU HAVE 10 MILES TO FLY.

Pearson: OKAY, FINE.

WE'RE GONNA GO THERE.

Dion: I'M GONNA GO CHECK ON MY FAMILY.

YOU GUYS DON'T NEED ME UP HERE RIGHT NOW, HUH?

Pearson: NO, NO, WE'RE OKAY.

Dion: DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. EVERYTHING'S OKAY.

THEY GOT IT UNDER CONTROL.

MAKE SURE YOUR SEAT BELTS ARE TIGHT, ALL RIGHT?

Jewett: WHEN I WENT FINALLY TO SIT DOWN IN MY SEAT,

THIS IS WHERE I THOUGHT, WOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS IT.

Pearson: LANDING GEAR DOWN.

Quintal: ROGER.

Narrator: FIRST OFFICER QUINTAL LOWERS THE LANDING GEAR.

BECAUSE THERE'S NO HYDRAULIC POWER,

QUINTAL DOES WHAT'S KNOWN AS A GRAVITY DROP,

LETTING THE GEAR'S OWN WEIGHT DROP AND LOCK INTO PLACE.

THE TWO MAIN GEAR ARE HEAVY.

THEY FALL IMMEDIATELY,

AND TWO GREEN LIGHTS CONFIRM THEY HAVE LOCKED.

BUT THE NOSE GEAR IS LIGHTER.

IT DOESN'T LOCK.

Pearson: WE COULD HEAR THE MAIN GEAR CLEARLY FALLING AND LOCKING.

I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED.

Quintal: IT WAS SORT OF LAST MINUTE,

AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL,

YOU DON'T TALK OF IT, YOU DON'T MENTION IT.

YOU KNOW, THE MAIN THING WAS

BRING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY.

Hewett: FIVE MILES TO TOUCHDOWN.

Pearson: ROGER.

WE HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT.

Narrator: 5 MILES FROM GIMLI,

PEARSON AND QUINTAL FINALLY SEE A RUNWAY THEY CAN LAND ON.

BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM.

Quintal: WE'RE TOO CLOSE, HUH?

IT'S GONNA BE TOO STEEP, TOO FAST.

Pearson: YEAH, I KNOW.

Narrator: PEARSON IS ALMOST AT THE RUNWAY,

BUT HE'S MUCH TOO HIGH ABOVE IT.

IF HE COMES DOWN AT A NORMAL DESCENT RATE,

HE'LL MISS THE LANDING STRIP.

BUT IF HE COMES DOWN STEEPLY,

HIS PLANE WILL GATHER A DANGEROUS AMOUNT OF SPEED.

HE WON'T BE ABLE TO STOP BEFORE THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Pearson: IN THE NORMAL APPROACH WE HAVE LEADING EDGE

AND TRAILING EDGE FLAPS WHICH ALLOW US

TO SLOW THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND FLY AT A SLOWER SPEED SAFELY.

WE DID NOT HAVE THOSE FLAPS,

AS THEY RUN OFF THE MAIN HYDRAULIC SYSTEM.

Quintal: SO NOW WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?

SO WE DISCUSS, WE HAVE TWO POSSIBILITIES.

ONE OF THEM WAS TO DO A 360-DEGREE TURN

AND LOSE THE EXCESS OF ALTITUDE.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I THOUGHT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT THREE MINUTES,

AND WE WERE ALREADY DESCENDING

AT A RATE OF 2,500 FEET A MINUTE.

Narrator: ONLY ABOUT 3,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,

THE PLANE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO MAKE A FULL CIRCLE.

IT WOULD HIT THE GROUND

BEFORE MAKING IT BACK TO THE LANDING STRIP.

PEARSON CHOOSES A SECOND OPTION.

Pearson: WELL, I GUESS I'LL JUST SLIP IT.

Narrator: PEARSON DECIDES TO TRY A MANEUVER CALLED A SIDE-SLIP,

PRACTICALLY UNHEARD OF ON COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS,

BUT SOMETIMES USED BY GLIDER PILOTS.

AND BOB PEARSON HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE FLYING GLIDERS.

Pearson: I'M JUST GONNA SLIP IT DOWN

TILL WE'RE ALMOST DOWN AT THE RUNWAY,

THEN I'LL STRAIGHTEN OUT.

Quintal: OKAY.

Narrator: SIDE-SLIPPING INVOLVES WHAT'S KNOWN AS

CROSSING THE CONTROLS.

Pearson: HERE WE GO...

Narrator: PEARSON PLANS TO FORCE THE AIRCRAFT

INTO A SIDEWAYS FREEFALL, ALLOWING IT TO DROP QUICKLY

WITHOUT INCREASING ITS FORWARD AIRSPEED.

PERFORMING A SIDE-SLIP MANEUVER IN A GLIDER IS ONE THING--

BUT ATTEMPTING ONE IN A 767 IS HIGHLY RISKY.

Pearson: THE ONLY WAY THAT I COULD CONTROL OUR SPEED

AND OUR DESCENT PROFILE WITH THE RUNWAY

WAS TO INDUCE DRAG IN THE FUSELAGE

BY CROSS-CONTROLLING THE RUDDER AND THE ELEVATORS ON THE TAIL,

AND THE AILERONS ON THE WING TIPS

AND CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT INTO A CRAB CONFIGURATION.

THEN I CAN VARY THAT TO INCREASE OR DECREASE OUR SPEED,

OR INCREASE OR DECREASE OUR DESCENT RATE.

Narrator: PEARSON CONTROLS THE PLANE'S DESCENT

BY USING HIS RUDDERS AND AILERONS

TO CHANGE THE ANGLE OF THE PLANE.

CROSSING THE CONTROLS INVOLVES

TIPPING THE WINGS IN ONE DIRECTION,

BUT TURNING THE AIRCRAFT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION,

PUSHING IT SIDEWAYS INTO THE ONCOMING AIR.

AS FLIGHT 143 BEGINS TO DROP TOWARDS THE EARTH,

QUINTAL IS ABOUT TO DISCOVER SOMETHING HE DID NOT EXPECT.

THE RUNWAY HE TRAINED AT 15 YEARS AGO...

...IS NO LONGER A RUNWAY.

Narrator: CAPTAIN BOB PEARSON IS OUT OF FUEL, OUT OF ENGINES,

OUT OF OPTIONS.

IF HE CAN'T LINE UP WITH THE RUNWAY AT GIMLI,

HE DOESN'T GET A SECOND CHANCE.

PEARSON TURNS THE YOKE LEFT AND PUSHES THE RUDDERS TO THE RIGHT.

THE PLANE SLIPS

TO ITS LEFT.

THE 767 LOSES ALTITUDE QUICKLY,

PLOWING SIDEWAYS THROUGH THE AIR.

Quintal: WHEN I LOOKED TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT,

I WAS LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE GROUND,

BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE IS, IS ANGLED QUITE,

I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT MAYBE 60 DEGREES OF BANKS.

Dion: I SAW A SAND TRAP FROM THIS GOLF COURSE,

AND I THOUGHT, WE'RE GONNA CRASH.

Narrator: PEARSON MUST MAINTAIN A CRUCIAL BALANCE.

HE'S GOT TO SLOW THE PLANE ENOUGH

TO BE ABLE TO LAND SAFELY, BUT IF HE SLOWS DOWN TOO MUCH,

THE AIRLINER COULD LOSE ITS LIFT AND PLUMMET TO THE GROUND.

AS THEY APPROACH,

PEARSON IS COMPLETELY FOCUSED ON THE RUNWAY.

Pearson: I GOT TUNNEL VISION LIKE I'VE NEVER HAD IT BEFORE.

IT WAS JUST OUR SPEED AND OUR RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: BUT NOW, ONLY HUNDREDS OF FEET FROM THE GROUND,

QUINTAL SEES THAT THEIR TROUBLES ARE FAR FROM OVER.

THE GIMLI LANDING STRIP HAS BEEN CONVERTED

INTO A DRAG RACING STRIP.

TODAY IS SATURDAY, FAMILY DAY.

RACING IS DONE FOR THE DAY,

BUT THE AIRFIELD IS FILLED

WITH MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL SPORTS CAR CLUB

CAMPING OUT WITH THEIR FAMILIES FOR THE WEEKEND.

TWO CHILDREN HAVE DECIDED TO PEDAL THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY.

THEY DON'T HEAR THE PLANE COMING FOR THEM.

WITHOUT ENGINES, IT'S SILENT.

AND ONE THING THE 767 DOESN'T HAVE IS A HORN.

Attendant: BRACE. BRACE FOR LANDING.

Pearson: THE NOSE HIT WITH QUITE A BANG ON THE RUNWAY.

IT SOUNDED LIKE A SHOTGUN GOING OFF AT OUR FEET.

Narrator: THE FRONT LANDING GEAR GIVES OUT IMMEDIATELY.

PEARSON BRAKES HARD.

TWO TIRES BLOW OUT.

THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT ENGINE SCRAPES THE RUNWAY.

Pearson: I WAS A ROBOT.

THERE WAS JUST NO EMOTION AT ALL.

Narrator: FINALLY, PEARSON SEES WHAT'S IN THEIR PATH.

Pearson: AND I LOOKED UP,

AND I COULD SEE TWO BOYS ON BICYCLES,

AND THEY MUST HAVE BEEN PROBABLY ABOUT 1,000 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY

FROM OUR POSITION WHEN I SAW THEM.

AND I CAN STILL REMEMBER THE LOOK OF TERROR ON THEIR FACES,

SO THEY WERE CLOSE ENOUGH FOR ME TO SEE THAT.

Narrator: WITH NO NOSE GEAR TO STEER WITH,

PEARSON'S ONLY HOPE OF DRIVING THE PLANE LEFT OR RIGHT

IS BY VARYING THE BRAKE PRESSURE ON THE TWO MAIN LANDING GEARS.

Pearson: THAT'S WHEN MY HEART STARTED TO PITTER PATTER A LITTLE BIT.

Narrator: THE KIDS PANIC AND TRY TO OUTRUN A PLANE

THAT'S TRAVELING ABOUT 200 MILES PER HOUR.

Pearson: I KNEW I COULDN'T TAKE THE AIRPLANE INTO THESE BOYS,

AND I WAS GONNA TAKE IT OFF INTO THE GRASS ON THE RACE SIDE.

THERE WERE CAMPERS ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY

THAT I DIDN'T NOTICE UNTIL AFTER WE'D TOUCHED DOWN,

AND THE NOSE WAS ON THE GROUND, AND I CAN STILL REMEMBER

AT THE LEFT SIDE, PEOPLE STANDING BY THEIR BARBECUES.

Narrator: DINO CALVERT IS AT THE TRACK WITH HIS FRIENDS

FOR A WEEKEND OF RACING.

Dino Calvert: ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN IN THE PITS

SUDDENLY JUMPED IN HIS CAR, AND HE TOOK OFF, AND I THOUGHT,

WELL, YOU DON'T DRIVE LIKE THAT IN THE PITS USUALLY,

AND I LOOKED UP, AND ALL I COULD SEE WAS SMOKE RISING.

Narrator: PEARSON DOES ALL HE CAN TO STOP THE PLANE IN TIME.

Calvert: HOLY CROW!

Narrator: THE PLANE PLOWS INTO A GUARDRAIL

INSTALLED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY.

17 MINUTES AFTER RUNNING OUT OF FUEL,

AIR CANADA FLIGHT 143 COMES TO A FINAL STOP ON THE GROUND.

Dion: YEAH? YOU OKAY?

Attendant: EVACUATE! EVACUATE!

Jewett: EVACUATE!

Dion: ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO. WE GOT TO GET OFF THE PLANE.

Narrator: THICK SMOKE IS QUICKLY WORKING ITS WAY

BACK THROUGH THE CABIN.

THE CREW DOESN'T TAKE ANY CHANCES.

THEY WANT EVERYONE OFF THE PLANE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Bell: THERE WAS A SENSE OF JOY AND THEN, THEN A PANIC, KINDA.

IT SEEMED TO GO IN WAVES, AND THEN A PANIC,

SAYING WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE, WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE.

Narrator: LESS THAN TWO MONTHS EARLIER, AN AIR CANADA DC-9

MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LANDING IN CINCINNATI

ONLY TO BURST INTO FLAMES ON THE TARMAC

BEFORE ALL THE PASSENGERS COULD GET OFF.

23 PEOPLE DIED.

THE CREW AND PASSENGERS OF THIS FLIGHT

WANT TO AVOID A SIMILAR FATE.

Quintal: IT TOOK MAYBE JUST A FEW SECONDS

TO COME UP TO A FULL HALT ON THE RUNWAY,

BUT THE COCKPIT WAS FULL OF SMOKE.

Quintal: PASSENGER CHECKLIST.

FUEL SHUT OFF.

Pearson: OFF.

Quintal: CABIN DEPRESSURIZED.

Pearson: ELECTRICS OFF.

Quintal: ELECTRICS OFF.

CHECKLIST COMPLETE.

Pearson: TIME TO GET OUT OF HERE.

Calvert: COME ON, GUYS, GET THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!

WE GRABBED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ON OUR WAY,

AND YOU NEVER GO TO A FIRE AT A RACETRACK WITHOUT HAVING

A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WITH YOU, AND WE RAN UP TOWARDS IT.

THE DOORS OPEN UP, AND YOU SEE THE CHUTES COME OUT,

SORT OF LIKE A SPIDER GROWING LEGS.

Bell: THE PLANE ENDED UP EVENTUALLY STANDING

ALMOST WHAT APPEARED TO ME TO BE ALMOST ON ITS NOSE.

Jewett: WHEN I OPENED MY DOOR AND I SAW THAT THE CHUTE WAS SO STEEP,

I THOUGHT, OH, MY GOODNESS.

HOW DO I GET THESE PASSENGERS TO GO DOWN?

Narrator: DUE TO THE NOSE-DOWN ANGLE OF THE PLANE,

THE TWO REAR SLIDES DON'T REACH THE GROUND.

TEN PEOPLE ARE SLIGHTLY INJURED DURING THE EVACUATION,

MOST OF THEM COMING DOWN THE STEEP REAR SLIDES.

Hewett: I HEARD ON THE WEST RADAR FREQUENCY,

HE SAID ONE OF THE 767s SAYS HE'S DOWN OKAY.

HE'S IN ONE PIECE, AND THAT'S WHEN OUR CHEER WENT UP.

I SAID, OKAY!

BECAUSE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE

WERE GONNA SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED THAT NIGHT.

Narrator: THERE'S STILL A LOT OF SMOKE

COMING FROM THE PLANE'S NOSE.

Pearson: IT TURNED OUT IT WAS ABOUT SIX INCHES OF INSULATION

BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER SKIN

FROM FRICTION THAT WAS STARTING TO BURN.

Narrator: THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HAVE GOOD NEWS.

ALL 61 PASSENGERS HAVE MADE IT OFF THE PLANE.

THERE'S NOT SO MUCH AS A SINGLE SERIOUS INJURY.

Man: WE'LL GIVE YOU A HAND!

Pearson. YEAH. EXTINGUISHER.

Narrator: BOB PEARSON HAS DONE WHAT NO ONE HAS DONE BEFORE--

HE HAS SAFELY LANDED A 767 WITH NO ENGINES,

GLIDING TO SAFETY FROM MORE THAN 26,000 FEET.

Newscaster: AIR CANADA FLIGHT 143 GLIDED SILENTLY...

Narrator: THE EVENT MAKES INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES IMMEDIATELY.

PEOPLE ARE ALREADY ASKING

HOW ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED PASSENGER PLANES

IN THE WORLD COULD HAVE RUN OUT OF FUEL.

Newscaster: ...BY SLIDING DOWN EMERGENCY SHOOTS.

Narrator: BY THE NEXT DAY, THE INVESTIGATION HAS ALREADY BEGUN.

BILL TAYLOR AND DIANE ROCHELEAU

OF CANADA'S AVIATION SAFETY BUREAU

ARE AMONG THE FIRST INVESTIGATORS AT THE SCENE.

Bill Taylor: ONCE WE GOT INTO THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYSTEM,

I ACTUALLY LEFT DIANE TO DEAL WITH THE SPECIFICS

OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM.

Narrator: FIRST, BILL TAYLOR NEEDS TO CONFIRM

WHAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN TELLING HIM--

THAT THE PLANE IS OUT OF FUEL.

INVESTIGATORS DRAIN THE TANKS,

COLLECTING LESS THAN 17 GALLONS OF FUEL.

THE 767 CAN HOLD ALMOST 24,000 GALLONS.

IT'S LIKE HAVING FIVE TABLESPOONS OF FUEL

IN A MID-SIZED CAR.

TAYLOR NEXT NEEDS TO EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY

THAT THE FUEL LEAKED OUT DURING THE FLIGHT.

Taylor: THE OTHER CHECKS INVOLVED LOOKING

FOR ANY EVIDENCE OF FUEL HAVING BEEN LOST.

I EVEN WENT SO FAR

AS TO GO INTO WHAT THEY CALL THE DRY BAY OF THE AIRCRAFT.

I'M A BIT CLAUSTROPHOBIC, SO I REALLY WASN'T TOO ENTHUSED

ABOUT GOING UP IN THERE, BUT I CRAWLED UP

AND HAD A LOOK AROUND WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND CONFIRMED

THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL HAVING BEEN LOST IN THERE.

Narrator: THAT LEAVES TAYLOR WITH ONLY ONE CONCLUSION--

FLIGHT 143 TOOK OFF WITHOUT ENOUGH FUEL.

NOW INVESTIGATORS NEED TO FIND OUT WHY.

Taylor: I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S IN ONE PIECE.

Narrator: DIANE ROCHELEAU BEGINS LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER

TO THAT QUESTION IN THE PLANE'S SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONICS BAY

LOCATED BENEATH THE CABIN.

Diane Rocheleau: THE 767 WAS A NEWER TYPE AIRCRAFT,

AND IT DID HAVE A LOT OF COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM,

AND I GUESS BACK IN 1982,

THESE WERE COMING ONTO THE MARKET AT A FAST RATE,

AND THEY WERE NEWER TYPES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.

Narrator: ROCHELEAU CONFIRMS THAT A COMPUTERIZED UNIT,

THE DIGITAL FUEL GAUGE PROCESSOR,

HAD BEEN MALFUNCTIONING ON THIS PLANE.

THERE WAS NO SPARE IN MONTREAL, SO IT COULD NOT BE REPLACED.

ROCHELEAU TAKES THE COMPONENT FOR TESTING.

Rocheleau: DURING THE TESTING, WE WENT MORE AND MORE IN DEPTH,

AND WE FOUND OUT THAT ONE OF THE CIRCUIT,

IT'S CALLED AN INDUCTOR COIL, IT WAS A VERY, VERY SMALL PART,

AND IT WAS ENCAPSULATED AT MANUFACTURER,

AND ENCAPSULATED MEANS IT'S COVERED WITH PLASTIC.

YOU CANNOT VISUALLY SEE IT, BECAUSE IT'S NOW COVERED

WITH PLASTIC, AND YOU CAN'T SEE THE INDUCTOR COIL ITSELF.

BUT ONCE WE TOOK OVER THE PLASTIC CASE, WE COULD SEE

THAT THE SOLDER JOINT HAD NOT BEEN MADE PROPERLY,

WHICH CAUSED A MALFUNCTION IN THE SYSTEM.

Narrator: THE FAULTY PROCESSOR EXPLAINS

WHY PEARSON DIDN'T HAVE FUEL GAUGES FOR THE FLIGHT,

BUT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY HE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL.

THE INOPERATIVE GAUGES WERE CLEARLY FLAGGED.

GROUND CREWS WOULDN'T HAVE RELIED ON THEM

WHEN THEY WERE FUELING THE PLANE.

INVESTIGATORS CONFIRM THAT THE GROUND CREW DID PERFORM

A MANUAL CHECK OF THE FUEL BEFORE TAKEOFF.

Taylor: WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU DID NEXT.

Man: YEAH?

WE DID A MANUAL CHECK OF BOTH TANKS,

AND THEN WE PUMP ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP TO EDMONTON.

Narrator: FLIGHT 143 SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF

WITH ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE TRIP.

Taylor: OKAY, THANKS.

THAT HELPS.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS NOW HAVE TO FIGURE OUT

HOW ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED JETLINERS

TOOK OFF WITH HALF THE FUEL NECESSARY FOR ITS FLIGHT.

Narrator: THE INVESTIGATORS KNOW THAT WITH ITS FUEL GAUGES OUT OF SERVICE,

FLIGHT 143'S FUEL TANKS WERE CHECKED MANUALLY.

THEN THE FUEL FOR THE TRIP TO EDMONTON WAS ADDED TO THE TANKS.

BUT BEFORE THE PLANE COULD BE GIVEN MORE FUEL,

A CRUCIAL CALCULATION HAD TO BE CARRIED OUT.

PILOTS NEED TO KNOW THE WEIGHT OF THE FUEL ON THEIR PLANE,

BUT FUEL TRUCKS PUMP JET FUEL BY VOLUME.

IN ORDER FOR PILOTS AND FUELERS TO COMMUNICATE,

A SIMPLE ROUTINE TRANSLATION BETWEEN VOLUME AND WEIGHT

HAS TO BE MADE.

Taylor: THANK YOU.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CHECK AND DOUBLE-CHECK THAT MATH.

THE FUELING RECORDS FROM THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT

PROVIDE THE ANSWERS THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

Taylor: THIS IS A TYPICAL FUELING RECORD.

Narrator: BUT WHEN INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE THE CALCULATIONS

FOR FLIGHT 143...

Taylor: AND THIS IS FROM FLIGHT 143.

Narrator: ...THEY LOOK ANYTHING BUT STRAIGHTFORWARD.

THE DOCUMENT CLEARLY SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF FUEL

IN THE RIGHT AND LEFT TANKS.

BUT INVESTIGATORS ARE TROUBLED BY TWO PARTICULAR NUMBERS.

ONE CONVERTS VOLUME TO KILOGRAMS,

THE OTHER CONVERTS IT TO POUNDS.

Taylor: HE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN USING BOTH.

SO DID YOU CONVERT TO POUNDS OR TO KILOGRAMS?

Man: TO POUND.

NO, TO, TO KILO.

CAN I SEE THAT AGAIN?

Narrator: FURTHER INTERVIEWS WITH THE TECHNICIANS AND CREW

REVEAL THAT THE EVENTS ON FLIGHT 143...

Man: I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID...

Narrator: ...WERE CAUSED BY HUMAN ERROR

INVOLVING POOR CALCULATIONS AND ULTIMATELY INADEQUATE TRAINING.

Aircraft Tech: OKAY, FELLAS, WE'VE FINISHED THE FUEL DRIP...

Narrator: THE TECHNICIANS REFUELING FLIGHT 143

GOT MUDDLED IN THEIR CALCULATIONS

WHILE CONVERTING THE VOLUME COMING OUT OF THE FUEL TRUCK

TO THE WEIGHT OF THE FUEL IN THE PLANE'S TANKS.

NO ONE WHO SAW THE CALCULATIONS THAT DAY

NOTICED THE BASIC ERROR.

IN 1983, CANADIAN GROUND CREWS WERE USED TO CONVERTING

THE AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAVING THEIR TRUCKS INTO POUNDS.

THE 767 WAS THE FIRST PLANE IN AIR CANADA'S FLEET

TO HAVE METRIC FUEL GAUGES.

ITS FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEASURED

NOT IN POUNDS BUT IN KILOGRAMS,

WHICH REQUIRES A DIFFERENT CALCULATION.

FLIGHT 143 NEEDED 22,300 KILOGRAMS OF FUEL FOR THE TRIP,

BUT PILOTS AND TECHNICIANS LET IT LEAVE

WITH 22,300 POUNDS INSTEAD.

BECAUSE A POUND IS ABOUT HALF A KILOGRAM,

THE PLANE ONLY GOT HALF THE FUEL IT REQUIRED,

WHICH EXPLAINS WHY PEARSON'S FLIGHT COMPUTER

TOLD HIM HE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL.

HE ENTERED THE WRONG AMOUNT OF FUEL TO START WITH.

IN THE PAST, THE FLIGHT ENGINEER CALCULATED THE FUEL LOADS.

THIS ACCIDENT RAISED AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

WHOSE JOB WAS IT WITH THE TWO-MAN CREW?

Dion: BETTER TRAINING IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE

IN AN INCIDENT SUCH AS THAT.

IF EVERYONE IS TRAINED AND THE LINES ARE DRAWN

AS TO WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT,

THEN THERE'S NO AMBIGUITY ON IT.

PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

IN THIS CASE, IT WAS SORT OF OPEN ENDED.

IT REALLY, WE WEREN'T AWARE WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE

FOR THE FINAL SAY ON THIS FUEL STUFF.

Narrator: A SUBSEQUENT INQUIRY FOUND

THAT NONE OF THOSE INVOLVED THAT DAY

WAS TRAINED IN METRIC CALCULATIONS--

NOT THE GROUND TECHNICIANS, NOT THE PILOTS.

Pearson: I HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY,

NEITHER OF US HAD RECEIVED ANY TRAINING AT ALL

ON DOING THESE CALCULATIONS.

Narrator: THE COMPUTER THAT HAD REPLACED

THE 767'S FLIGHT ENGINEER WAS BROKEN,

AND NO ONE KNEW WHO SHOULD BE DOING ITS JOB.

AIR CANADA 143 WAS ESSENTIALLY DOWN A MAN.

Pearson: ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: IT TOOK A STRING OF MECHANICAL AND HUMAN FAILURES

FOR FLIGHT 143 TO RUN OUT OF FUEL.

BUT ANOTHER FAILURE THAT DAY MAY HAVE SAVED SOME LIVES.

IF THE PLANE'S NOSE GEAR HAD NOT COLLAPSED,

IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN PEARSON MUCH LONGER TO STOP.

THE PLANE COULD HAVE SLID INTO THE PEOPLE

WHO WERE AT THE STRIP THAT DAY,

WHICH WOULD HAVE HAD CATASTROPHIC RESULTS.

THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE INJURIES OR EVEN LOSS OF LIFE.

PEARSON AND QUINTAL WERE PARTLY BLAMED

FOR THEIR ROLES IN THE INCIDENT.

A GOVERNMENT INQUIRY RECOMMENDED THAT AIR CANADA

RE-EVALUATE THE TRAINING OF FLIGHT CREWS

AND GROUND TECHNICIANS IN METRIC FUEL CONVERSIONS.

IT ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE AIRLINE KEEP MORE SPARE PARTS,

SUCH AS FUEL GAUGE PROCESSORS.

RICK DION RETIRED IN 2003 AFTER A LONG CAREER

AS AIR CANADA'S COORDINATOR OF MAINTENANCE CONTROL.

FIRST OFFICER MAURICE QUINTAL WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN IN 1989.

CAPTAIN BOB PEARSON WENT ON TO FLY 10 MORE YEARS

FOR AIR CANADA, HIS EXPERIENCE AT GIMLI

SHAPING THE REST OF HIS CAREER AS A COMMERCIAL PILOT.

Pearson: THIS EXPERIENCE AFFECTED ME MOSTLY BY GIVING ME,

MAKING ME MORE RELAXED AS A PILOT,

GIVING ME THE FEELING THAT AS MUCH AS I'VE TRAINED

FOR ALL THOSE YEARS, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS THAT QUESTION

ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA PERFORM WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN,

AND I NOW HAVE THE FEELING THAT NO MATTER WHAT,

AS LONG AS AN AIRCRAFT STAYED TOGETHER,

I WOULD GET IT SAFELY BACK ON THE GROUND.

Quintal: IT'S THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU KNOW

UNDER STRESS YOU CAN PERFORM.

BEFORE THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW.

YOU JUST HOPE YOU WILL, AND YOU TRAIN, YOU TRAIN FOR IT,

BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.

Hewett: WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH,

IT WAS MAGNIFICENT.

I THINK IT GOT PROVEN IN THE SIMULATOR IN VANCOUVER,

THEY TRIED OUT THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES

WITH SEVERAL CREWS, AND THEY ALL CRASHED.

Dion: PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

THAT CAME OUT OF IT WAS THE REALIZATION

THAT WHEN SOMETHING NEW IS INTRODUCED,

SPECIAL ATTENTION AND TRAINING NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED

FOR PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH.

Narrator: AFTER THE LANDING AT GIMLI, AIR CANADA'S 767

CONTINUED TO FLY UNTIL IT WAS RETIRED IN 2008.

FOR A QUARTER CENTURY IT TRAVELED THE SKIES

CARRYING THE NICKNAME THAT BOB PEARSON EARNED IT--

THE GIMLI GLIDER.