Original subtitles

Narrator: AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE WORST CRASH

IN AVIATION HISTORY.

Man: IT WAS JUST A SCENE OF ABSOLUTE, UTTER DEVASTATION.

Narrator: IN 1974, MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE DIED

WHEN THEIR PLANE FELL FROM THE SKY.

Reporter: THERE'S BARELY ANYTHING LEFT HERE

THAT'S RECOGNIZABLE AS BEING A PART OF AN AIRCRAFT.

Man: WE COULDN'T WALK ANYWHERE WITHOUT THE DANGER

THAT YOU WERE GOING TO STAND ON A PART OF A HUMAN BEING.

Narrator: THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE DISASTER

IS FOUND THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.

AN UNUSUAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT TELLS THE TROUBLING STORY

OF A CRASH THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

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: JUNE 12, 1972.

ONE OF THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF AMERICAN AIRLINES' FLEET

IS IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Co-pilot: JOHN. Pilot: PAIGE.

Narrator: FLIGHT 96, A BRAND NEW DC-10,

IS GETTING READY FOR TAKE-OFF.

CAPTAIN BRYCE McCORMICK AND CO-PILOT PAIGE WHITNEY

HAVE BEEN IN THE PLANE FOR HOURS.

Bryce McCormick: SO WHEN WE'RE IN FLIGHT,

WHEN YOU CAN GET A CHANCE, JUST TO LOOK AT THAT.

Narrator: DETROIT IS JUST A STOP-OVER ON A FLIGHT

FROM L.A. TO BUFFALO, AND THEN TO NEW YORK.

McCormick: YOU READY TO TRY ONE, PAIGE?

Paige Whitney: ALL RIGHT, SIR.

Narrator: McCORMICK HAS FLOWN THE PLANE OUT FROM CALIFORNIA,

BUT WHITNEY IS GOING TO FLY THE NEXT LEG.

BOTH MEN WANT AS MUCH TIME AT THE CONTROLS AS POSSIBLE.

NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAS MORE THAN 75 HOURS FLYING THE DC-10.

FEW PILOTS HAVE MORE--

THERE SIMPLY AREN'T ENOUGH OF THE PLANES IN THE AIR.

IN 1972, THE DC-10 HAD JUST BEEN INTRODUCED.

THE PLANE IS THE LATEST ADVANCE IN PASSENGER JETS.

ITS STYLE AND ITS SIZE SET IT APART FROM OTHER AIRLINERS.

THE McDONNELL-DOUGLAS CORPORATION HAS SPENT

MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS DEVELOPING IT.

John Nance: IN THE LATE '60s THERE WAS A RACE GOING

AMONG THE THREE MAJOR MANUFACTURERS OF JETLINERS.

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS, BOEING, AND LOCKHEED,

TO SEE WHO COULD GET THE FIRST JUMBO OUT.

SO THEY GOT REALLY BUSY ON GETTING THIS DC-10

INTO PRODUCTION AS FAST AS THEY COULD.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY COULD NOT SUFFER

WERE MANY DELAYS BASED ON SOME PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN.

Narrator: AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 96

IS JUST THE FIFTH DC-10 EVER BUILT.

CYDYA SMITH HAS JUST BEEN TRAINED

TO BE THE CHIEF FLIGHT ATTENDANT ON THE DC-10.

Cydya Smith: I WAS EXCITED,

BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST JUMBOS THAT WE HAD,

AND I WAS GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY NUMBER ONE,

WHICH IS WHAT I'D ALWAYS WANTED TO DO ON A BIG JET.

McCormick: OKAY, YOU GOT IT?

Whitney: OKAY.

McCormick: HAND ON THE WHEEL.

Whitney: I GOTCHA.

McCormick: V-ONE.

ROTATE.

Narrator: JUST AFTER 7:00 IN THE EVENING,

FLIGHT 96 LIFTS OFF FROM THE DETROIT AIRPORT.

JUST MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLANE IS RISING

EASILY THROUGH 11,000 FEET OVER WINDSOR, CANADA.

[DING]

Smith: I WAS SITTING IN MY SEAT,

AND THE CAPTAIN HAD TURNED OFF THE "FASTEN SEAT BELT" SIGN,

AND I WAS MAKING MY WAY TO THE GALLEY.

AND I HAD TO GO SORT OF DOWNHILL,

BECAUSE WE WERE CLIMBING,

TO GO TO THE GALLEY TO TURN ON THE COFFEE.

WHEN I PUNCHED THE COFFEE AND I MOVED OVER TO ONE SIDE,

THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED.

I REMEMBER FALLING OVER,

BECAUSE THE PLANE WAS GOING, WAS LIKE THIS,

BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT JUST WENT LIKE THIS.

I SAW CEILING COMPARTMENTS FALL,

AND I SAW THINGS COMING OUT OF POCKETS AND EVERYTHING,

AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, OH, BOY.

IT FELT LIKE THE LAST DAY OF MY LIFE.

Whitney: WE'VE HIT SOMETHING!

WE'VE LOST AN ENGINE HERE!

Narrator: IN THE COCKPIT THE CREW IS FIGHTING

FOR CONTROL OF THEIR JET.

THE THROTTLES WHICH CONTROL THE THREE ENGINES

THE PLANE LOSES ALMOST ALL OF ITS THRUST.

THE HUGE JET BEGINS SLOWING DOWN.

Loretta Kaminsky: THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY TOOK A HUGE DROP.

AND THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENED WAS I WAS HIT IN THE FACE

WITH A PIECE OF THE PLANE.

[ALARM BEEPING]

McCormick: LET ME HAVE IT.

Narrator: McCORMICK TAKES OVER CONTROL OF THE PLANE.

HE AND WHITNEY WRESTLE THE JET LEVEL...

BUT FLIGHT 96 HAS BEEN BADLY DAMAGED.

Whitney: HAVE WE GOT HYDRAULICS?

McCormick: NO, I'VE GOT FULL RUDDER HERE.

Narrator: THE RUDDER ON THE TAIL,

WHICH CONTROLS THE DIRECTION OF THE JET, IS JAMMED TO THE RIGHT.

THAT'S FORCING THE PLANE TO SWING DRAMATICALLY

IN THAT DIRECTION.

WHILE McCORMICK FIGHTS TO TURN HIS DAMAGED PLANE

BACK TO DETROIT, CYDYA SMITH IS SHOCKED TO SEE A GAPING HOLE

IN THE FLOOR OF THE MAIN PASSENGER CABIN.

Smith: PEOPLE WERE ASKING ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO DO,

AND I KNEW THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL THEM.

Narrator: THE CREW BRINGS UP POWER TO THE ENGINES ON THE WINGS.

BUT THE THIRD ENGINE ON THE TAIL STUBBORNLY REFUSES TO RESPOND.

McCormick: CENTER, THIS IS AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 96.

WE GOT AN EMERGENCY.

Controller: AMERICAN 96, ROGER, TYPE OF EMERGENCY?

McCormick: WE'VE GOT A JAMMED RUDDER.

WE NEED TO GET DOWN AND MAKE AN APPROACH.

Narrator: ALONG WITH HIS ENGINE AND HIS RUDDER,

McCORMICK IS ALSO HAVING TROUBLE CONTROLLING THE ELEVATORS

ON THE TAIL OF THE PLANE.

THEY HELP HIM MOVE THE MASSIVE PLANE UP AND DOWN.

THEY'RE SLOW TO RESPOND, BUT HE CAN MOVE THEM.

THE SITUATION ISN'T COMPLETELY HOPELESS.

Whitney: I THINK IT'S GOING TO FLY!

Controller: AMERICAN 96, TURN FURTHER RIGHT,

HEADING WILL BE 200...

Narrator: WITHOUT COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE ELEVATORS,

AND WITH A RUDDER THAT'S FROZEN TO THE RIGHT,

McCORMICK HAS TO USE HIS ENGINES TO TURN THE PLANE.

BY INCREASING THE THRUST ON ONE SIDE OF THE PLANE,

HE CAN CHANGE DIRECTION.

BUT IT WON'T BE FAST.

McCormick: I HAVE NO RUDDER CONTROL WHATSOEVER,

SO OUR TURNS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY SLOW AND CAUTIOUS.

Narrator: ALL OF THE PASSENGERS MOVE AS FAR AWAY

FROM THE HOLE IN THE BACK AS POSSIBLE.

Smith: CAPTAIN, THERE'S A HOLE IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE!

McCormick: A HOLE?

Smith: YES, SIR. WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?

McCormick: GET EVERYONE READY FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

Narrator: BRYCE McCORMICK'S DC-10 IS BADLY DAMAGED.

THE LIVES OF EVERYONE ON BOARD NOW DEPEND ENTIRELY

ON HIS ABILITY TO LAND A PLANE THAT CAN BARELY FLY.

Narrator: IN AN INSTANT, A SHORT FLIGHT FROM DETROIT TO BUFFALO

TURNS INTO THE MOST CHALLENGING FLIGHT

OF CAPTAIN BRYCE McCORMICK'S CAREER.

HE'S DOWN AN ENGINE, AND HE CAN'T MOVE HIS RUDDER.

AS HE HEADS BACK TO DETROIT,

McCORMICK BEGINS TO SLOW HIS PLANE DOWN

SO IT CAN LAND SAFELY.

BUT WHEN HE DOES,

HIS PLANE BEGINS FALLING DANGEROUSLY FAST--

1,600 FEET A MINUTE.

AT THIS RATE, McCORMICK WILL CRASH WELL SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.

HE INCREASES POWER TO HIS ENGINES TO SLOW HIS FALL.

Whitney: SINK RATE 700.

Narrator: McCORMICK HAS SLOWED THE PLANE'S DESCENT

TO 700 FEET PER MINUTE.

BUT TO DO THAT HE'S HAD TO INCREASE HIS FORWARD AIRSPEED,

WHICH MEANS HE'LL BE LANDING FAR FASTER THAN USUAL.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CRISIS,

McCORMICK TALKS TO THE PASSENGERS.

McCormick: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING.

WE'VE HAD A SMALL PROBLEM, BUT THE PLANE IS UNDER CONTROL NOW,

AND WE'RE HEADING BACK TO DETROIT

FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

Kaminsky: BRYCE McCORMICK WAS AS CALM

AS IF HE WERE WELCOMING YOU ON THE PLANE.

Narrator: AS THE PLANE NEARS THE AIRPORT,

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ASK PASSENGERS TO REMOVE THEIR SHOES

AND ANY SHARP PIECES OF JEWELRY.

LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR AFTER LEAVING, THE BADLY DAMAGED DC-10

STRUGGLES BACK TO THE DETROIT AIRPORT.

Kaminsky: THE FEW MINUTES THAT IT TOOK TO GET BACK TO DETROIT

WERE THE LONGEST MINUTES THAT I WILL EVER REMEMBER

SPENDING ON AN AIRPLANE.

BECAUSE WE WERE SURE THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO SURVIVE.

Narrator: CAPTAIN BRYCE McCORMICK NOW NEEDS

TO GIVE THE JET EVEN MORE POWER TO PUSH THE NOSE UP FOR LANDING.

HIS PLANE IS STILL DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT AND TRAVELING FAST.

McCormick: I HAVE NO RUDDER TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT WHEN IT HITS!

Narrator: THE DC-10 WITH 67 PEOPLE ABOARD

ROARS TOWARD THE RUNWAY AT OVER 185 MILES AN HOUR.

Smith: BRACE!

Kaminsky: THE LANDING WAS THE MOST FRIGHTENING PART

OF THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.

Narrator: WHEN THE PLANE HITS THE GROUND,

IT BEGINS VEERING HARD TO THE RIGHT.

Smith: ONCE THE PLANE LANDED,

IT SEEMED LIKE WE JUST WENT ON FOREVER.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST FOREVER.

Narrator: ONE SET OF LANDING GEAR WHEELS RUNS OFF THE RUNWAY

AND THROUGH THE GRASS.

AFTER A HARROWING TOUCHDOWN,

THE PLANE EVENTUALLY COMES TO A STOP

LESS THAN 1,000 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Whitney: OKAY.

ENGINES OFF AT YOUR DISCRETION.

McCormick: SHUT 'EM DOWN.

Kaminsky: EVERY WOMAN WANTED TO HUG HIM.

AND HE WAS JUST AMAZING, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST AT THAT MOMENT

THAT WE ALL REALIZED THAT WE WERE ALIVE BECAUSE OF HIM.

THAT HE, LITERALLY, HAD SAVED OUR LIVES.

Nance: IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS,

AND YOU SAY "WELL, THERE'S GOOD FLYING AND THERE'S BAD FLYING,"

THIS IS BEYOND GOOD. THIS IS SUPERLATIVE.

THIS IS USING EVERY INSTINCT YOU HAVE AS AN AIRMAN

AND ALL OF THE, ALL THE CAPABILITIES YOU HAVE

TO STAY CALM ENOUGH TO GET THE SITUATION ASSESSED.

Narrator: WITH THE PLANE ON THE GROUND,

THE CREW HAS ITS FIRST OPPORTUNITY

TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE.

Smith: THE CAPTAIN AND I WALKED BACK, WHEN EVERYBODY WAS OFF,

WE WALKED BACK TO THE BACK.

AND WE JUST LOOKED UP AND SAW THIS HOLE.

IT WAS JUST SO WEIRD.

Narrator: THERE'S NO INDICATION THAT THE JET HIT SOMETHING

AS THE PILOTS FIRST THOUGHT.

WHAT HAS CAUSED SUCH DAMAGE TO THE AIRLINER?

Kaminsky: THE HOLE WAS SO ENORMOUS,

THAT IF ANYONE HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE SEATS THAT WERE THERE,

THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCKED OUT IMMEDIATELY.

AT THAT POINT THEY STILL FELT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BOMB.

Narrator: BUT WHILE THE INCIDENT HAD HAPPENED

WITH EXPLOSIVE SUDDENNESS, NO INDICATION OF A BOMB IS FOUND.

AS INVESTIGATORS BEGIN THEIR WORK,

THEY DISCOVER THAT NOT ALL OF A DC-10

IS AT THE DETROIT AIRPORT.

A COFFIN THAT THE PLANE WAS CARRYING IN ITS CARGO HOLD

IS DISCOVERED 18 MILES AWAY FROM THE DETROIT AIRPORT,

NEAR WINDSOR, CANADA.

INVESTIGATORS ALSO FIND THE PLANE'S REAR CARGO DOOR.

Gerrit Walhout: DOORS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO FALL OFF AIRPLANES.

ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS A RATHER NEW AIRPLANE,

YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN.

Narrator: WHEN THEY EXAMINE THE CARGO AREA OF THE PLANE,

THEY DISCOVER THAT THE VERY DESIGN OF THE DOOR

MAKES IT A POTENTIAL WEAK SPOT.

MOST DOORS ON A JET OPEN INWARD.

IN FACT, THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY LARGER

THAN THE FRAME IT FITS INTO.

AS THE PRESSURE BUILDS INSIDE A JET, THIS TYPE OF PLUG DOOR

IS ACTUALLY FORCED INTO THE FRAME OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THE DESIGN MAKES THE DOOR EXTREMELY SAFE.

BUT McDONNELL-DOUGLAS DESIGNED THE CARGO DOOR ON THE DC-10

TO OPEN OUTWARD.

THAT DECISION WAS MADE

TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF STORAGE SPACE ON THE PLANE.

WHEN IT'S CLOSED, HOOKS ON THE DC-10's DOOR GRAB HOLD OF A BAR

ON THE PLANE'S DOORFRAME.

TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLOSED, BAGGAGE HANDLERS PUSH DOWN

ON A LEVER WHICH DRIVES LOCKING PINS THROUGH THE HOOKS,

WHICH HOLD THEM IN PLACE.

[CAMERA CLICKS]

WHEN INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE THE CARGO AREA OF THE PLANE,

THEY DON'T FIND ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AROUND THE DOOR.

WHEN THEY STUDY THE LOCKS ON THE CARGO DOOR ITSELF,

THEY FIND THAT THE LATCHES ARE NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED.

AND THE PINS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE THE DOOR IS LOCKED,

ARE NOT IN THEIR LOCKED POSITION.

Walhout: WHEN WE INTERROGATED THE CARGO HANDLER

THAT CLOSED THE DOOR, IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT

THAT HE USED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CLOSE THE DOOR.

AND IN FACT, HE SAID HE HAD TO USE HIS KNEE

TO GET THE DOOR HANDLE TO GO FLUSH.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS MAKE A FRIGHTENING DISCOVERY.

IT'S POSSIBLE TO CLOSE THE LEVER ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR

EVEN IF THE HOOKS AND LOCKING PINS

ARE NOT IN THE CLOSED POSITION.

PAUL EDDY IS A JOURNALIST

WHO INVESTIGATED THE HISTORY OF THE DC-10.

Paul Eddy: WHAT WINDSOR SHOWED IS THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY

PULL THE HANDLE IN ORDER TO BUCKLE THE TOP FIXTURE,

SO THAT THE HANDLE WENT HOME PROPERLY,

BUT THE LOCKING PINS HAD NOT GONE THROUGH THE SPOOLS.

Narrator: THIS MEANS THAT BAGGAGE HANDLERS

CAN BELIEVE THE DOOR IS LOCKED WHEN IT'S NOT.

NOT ONLY CAN THE OUTSIDE LEVER BE CLOSED

WITHOUT THE LOCKS BEING FULLY ENGAGED--

THERE'S NO WAY FOR THE CREW OF THE PLANE TO KNOW.

THE FAULTY LOCKING PINS

WILL STILL TURN OFF THE WARNING LIGHT,

EVEN THOUGH THEY AREN'T IN THE CORRECT POSITION.

THE DOOR WAS A TICKING TIME BOMB.

AS PASSENGER JETS CLIMB,

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE PLANE

AND THE PRESSURE OUTSIDE THE PLANE GROWS.

IF A DOOR ISN'T PROPERLY SHUT,

IT WILL BLOW OUT WITH EXPLOSIVE FORCE.

THE PROBLEM ON THE AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT

BEGAN AS THE PLANE PASSED 11,000 FEET.

WHEN THE DOOR BLEW,

THE COFFIN IN THE CARGO HOLD WAS SUCKED OUT.

WHEN THE AIR PRESSURE INSIDE THE PLANE WAS RELEASED,

ANYTHING THAT WASN'T FIRMLY ATTACHED

WAS PULLED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Nance: IT'S A REALLY STARTLING THING IF YOU'RE NOT EXPECTING IT.

WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS A LOT OF AIR

STUFFED INSIDE THIS PRESSURE VESSEL

THAT NOW WANTS TO GET OUT.

AND THE BIGGER THE AIRPLANE IS,

THE MORE POWERFUL THE HURRICANE OF AIR LEAVING THE AIRPLANE IS

DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.

Narrator: BY ITSELF, EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION

DOES NOT MAKE A PLANE UNFLYABLE.

SO WHY HAD CAPTAIN McCORMICK EXPERIENCED SUCH DIFFICULTIES

CONTROLLING HIS JET?

INVESTIGATORS TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

AT THE BACK OF THE PLANE'S CABIN--

AND LEARN THAT THE VERY DESIGN OF THE DC-10

MAKES IT VULNERABLE.

WHEN THE CARGO DOOR BLEW OFF,

THERE WAS SO MUCH PRESSURE ON THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN

THAT IT COLLAPSED INTO THE CARGO COMPARTMENT BELOW.

WHEN IT DID, THE FLOOR RIPPED INTO

SOME OF THE PLANE'S CRITICAL CONTROL SYSTEMS.

Nance: WHEN IT COLLAPSED THE FLOOR,

IT TOOK THE CABLES THAT CONTROL NUMBER TWO ENGINE,

AND IT TOOK MOST OF THE CABLES, OR IMPEDED MOST OF THE CABLES

THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROLS IN THE BACK.

Whitney: I THINK IT'S GOING TO FLY.

Narrator: IT LEFT McCORMICK JUST ENOUGH CONTROL

TO KEEP HIS PLANE LEVEL.

THE REMARKABLE FLYING OF BRYCE McCORMICK

HAD SAVED THE LIVES OF EVERYONE ON BOARD FLIGHT 96.

BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THE NEWEST

AND MOST EXPENSIVE PLANES FLYING OVER NORTH AMERICA.

Nance: IN THE WINDSOR INCIDENT THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS FLAW.

AND THAT'S WHERE THE NTSB SAID LOOK, HERE IS,

REALLY, THE SMOKING GUN, THE ABILITY TO CLOSE THAT THING

WITHOUT HAVING ALL THOSE LOCKS ENGAGED.

LET'S MAKE SURE WE CHANGE THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.

EVERY DC-10 OPERATOR NEEDS TO KNOW THIS.

Man: I WANT EVERYTHING CHECKED. I WANT ALL THE BOLTS CHECKED.

Narrator: CHUCK MILLER IS HEAD OF THE NTSB'S AVIATION SAFETY BUREAU.

Chuck Miller: YOU HAVE TO CHECK ALL THE LATCHES, OKAY?

EVERY SINGLE LATCH.

Narrator: IT'S HIS RESPONSIBILITY

TO POINT OUT PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW DC-10 AND PROPOSE SOLUTIONS.

HE HELPS WRITE THE FIXES HE THINKS McDONNELL-DOUGLAS NEEDS

TO MAKE TO KEEP THE PLANE SAFE.

Eddy: HE WAS A VERY, VERY PROFESSIONAL MAN,

AND HE HAD, HIS INVESTIGATORS HAD ENORMOUS RESPECT FOR HIM.

CHUCK DIDN'T SIT BACK IN THE OFFICE.

CHUCK WAS ALWAYS ON THE SCENE.

Narrator: FOR CHUCK MILLER, FIXING THE DC-10

IS A MATTER OF PROFESSIONAL PRIDE.

FOR McDONNELL-DOUGLAS, THE NEAR-ACCIDENT OVER WINDSOR

HAS ENORMOUS IMPLICATIONS.

THEIR BILLION-DOLLAR GAMBLE CAME CLOSE TO TUMBLING FROM THE SKY.

IF ANYTHING ELSE GOES WRONG,

THE COMPANY ITSELF COULD BE AT STAKE.

Narrator: MARCH 3, 1974.

A PERFECT, SPRING-LIKE DAY IN PARIS.

IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO YEARS SINCE A DC-10 CAME CLOSE

TO CRASHING NEAR WINDSOR, CANADA.

NOW, MORE THAN 50 OF THE NEW PLANES

ARE FLYING AROUND THE WORLD.

ONE OF THEM, PLANE 29, IS OWNED BY TURKISH AIRLINES.

NORMALLY, THE LAST LEG OF THIS TRIP FROM TURKEY TO ENGLAND

WOULDN'T BE VERY CROWDED.

BUT A STRIKE AT A BRITISH AIRLINE

HAS PASSENGERS SCRAMBLING FOR ANY FLIGHT BACK TO LONDON.

TODAY THE DC-10 IS FILLING UP FAST.

WENDY WHEAL IS ONE OF MANY LAST-MINUTE ADDITIONS

TO THE FLIGHT.

A MODEL, SHE'S RETURNING HOME AFTER A PHOTO SHOOT IN SPAIN.

Robert Wheal: WE'D BEEN MARRIED FOR 18 MONTHS,

AND WE WERE ABOUT TO START A FAMILY.

I BELIEVE THE SECRET OF HER SUCCESS FOR MODELING

WAS NOT JUST THAT SHE WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE GIRL,

AND GOOD MODEL MATERIAL,

BUT SHE WAS GENUINELY LIKED BY ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHERS,

BECAUSE SHE HAD SUCH A PLEASING, LOVELY, LIGHT PERSONALITY.

Narrator: WITH ALL THE NEW PASSENGERS BOARDING,

THE FLIGHT IS A LITTLE BEHIND SCHEDULE.

AND IT'S NOT ONLY THE CREW WHO ARE WAITING.

Narrator: AT THE BACK OF THE PLANE

IS BAGGAGE HANDLER MOHAMMED MAHMOUDI.

WITH ALL THE NEW PASSENGERS,

HE'S NOT SURE IF THERE ARE ANY MORE BAGS TO LOAD.

MAHMOUDI LOCKS THE REAR CARGO DOOR.

THE DC-10 IS SET TO GO.

JUST AFTER 12:30 IN THE AFTERNOON,

T.H.Y. FLIGHT 981 LIFTS OFF INTO THE SKIES ABOVE PARIS.

LONDON IS LESS THAN AN HOUR AWAY.

Co-pilot: PARIS CONTROL THIS IS TANGO-HOTEL-YANKEE 981.

Controller: TANGO-HOTEL-YANKEE 981,

YOU ARE CLEARED TO FLIGHT LEVEL 230.

Co-pilot: 981, ROGER.

Narrator: AS IT FLIES AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT,

THE DC-10 CONTINUES TO GAIN ALTITUDE.

[DING]

8,800 FEET...

9,800 FEET...

NEARLY 11,000 FEET.

[SCREAMING]

THE HUGE JET SHUDDERS AND BANKS TO THE LEFT.

Co-pilot: THE CABIN BLEW OUT!

Pilot: ARE YOU SURE?

Narrator: JUST 16 SECONDS AFTER THE START OF THE CRISIS

THE CREW STRUGGLES TO SAVE THEIR CRIPPLED JET.

THE NOSE IS PITCHING DOWN, THE PLANE PICKING UP SPEED.

Pilot: BRING IT UP!

PULL HER NOSE UP!

Co-pilot: I CAN'T BRING IT UP! SHE DOESN'T RESPOND!

Narrator: PASSENGERS AT THE BACK OF THE PLANE

WITNESS A HORRIFYING SCENE.

TWO ROWS OF SEATS HAVE SIMPLY DISAPPEARED.

THROUGH A HUGE HOLE IN THE FLOOR,

PASSENGERS CAN SEE THE SKY OVER FRANCE.

Co-pilot: 7,000 FEET!

Pilot: HYDRAULICS?

Co-pilot: WE'VE LOST IT!

Narrator: THE CREW DISCOVERS THAT THEY HAVE NO HYDRAULIC POWER

WITH WHICH TO CONTROL THE PLANE.

WITHOUT IT, THEY CAN'T MOVE THEIR RUDDER OR ELEVATORS.

EVEN WITHOUT ITS MOST BASIC CONTROLS,

THE PLANE BEGINS TO LEVEL OUT.

BUT IT'S FALLEN TOO FAR.

Pilot: IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO HIT THE GROUND!

SPEED!

Narrator: THE DC-10 IS TRAVELING ALMOST 500 MILES AN HOUR.

THE FLIGHT FROM PARIS TO LONDON

NEVER EVEN MAKES IT TO THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

JUST NINE MINUTES AFTER TAKING OFF,

TURKISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT 981 BECOMES THE WORST PLANE CRASH

OF ALL TIME.

IN LONDON, NEWS OF THE CRASH COMES OUT SLOWLY.

Wheal: I WENT TO THE TICKET OFFICE, KIOSK,

AND I ASKED WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE FLIGHT.

AND INSTANTLY THE LOOK ON THE GENTLEMAN'S FACE

BEHIND THE COUNTER TOLD ME SOMETHING WAS WRONG...

INSTANTLY.

Reporter: THERE'S BARELY ANYTHING LEFT HERE

THAT'S RECOGNIZABLE AS BEING A PART OF AN AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: FLIGHT 981, CARRYING 346 PASSENGERS,

VIRTUALLY DISINTEGRATES ON IMPACT.

THERE ARE NO SURVIVORS.

Eddy: IT WAS JUST A SCENE OF ABSOLUTE, UTTER DEVASTATION.

AND THE LITTER OF PERSONAL POSSESSIONS, ELECTRIC WIRES,

BITS OF METAL, BITS OF BODIES JUST STREWN EVERYWHERE.

I MEAN, YOU COULDN'T WALK, YOU COULDN'T WALK ANYWHERE

WITHOUT THE DANGER YOU WERE GOING TO STAND

ON A PART OF A HUMAN BEING.

I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES ABOUT THIS,

EVEN THOUGH IT'S 33 YEARS AGO.

Narrator: OFFICIALS FROM THE FRENCH ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BUREAU

ARE QUICKLY ON THE SCENE.

Michel Vigier: MY FIRST JOB WAS TO EVALUATE

THE SCOPE OF THE WRECKAGE

AND TO BEGIN THE FIRST INVESTIGATION ON THE SPOT.

AT FIRST I WAS UNABLE TO KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

I WAS JUST SEEING THAT A TERRIBLE CRASH

HAS OCCURRED, AND THAT IT WILL BE A VERY HARD WORK

FOR THE INVESTIGATORS.

Narrator: DESPITE THE ENORMOUS FORCE OF THE CRASH,

THE BLACK BOXES, MADE OF THREE LAYERS

OF HARDENED STEEL AND INSULATION, SURVIVE.

THEIR CONTENTS COULD PROVIDE VALUABLE CLUES ABOUT THE CRASH.

Eddy: MOST OF THE SPECULATION

WAS THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN A BOMB, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

YOU GOT AN ALMOST BRAND NEW, VERY POWERFUL AIRPLANE

FLYING IN CLEAR BLUE SKY,

AND IT GETS TO 12,000 FEET AND FALLS OUT OF IT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE CALLED TO A FIELD

NINE MILES FROM THE CRASH SITE.

THEY FIND A PIECE OF FUSELAGE

AND TWO ROWS OF SEATS FROM THE DC-10.

SOMEHOW THEY FELL FREE OF THE AIRLINER

BEFORE THE REST OF THE PLANE SMASHED INTO THE FOREST.

WHEN INVESTIGATORS ARRIVE, THE BODIES OF THE PASSENGERS

WHO WERE IN THE SEATS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REMOVED.

WHEN RELATIVES OF THOSE WHO DIED IN THE CRASH ARRIVE IN FRANCE,

THEY'RE DIRECTED TO A SMALL CHURCH IN THE TOWN OF SENLISE.

Eddy: ONE OF THE SADDEST SIGHTS I'VE EVER SEEN

IS IN THIS CHURCH.

THEY LAID OUT ON TABLES EVERYTHING THEY'D FOUND,

YOU KNOW, CLOTHING, POSSESSIONS, TEDDY BEARS, RINGS, WATCHES.

AND THEN RELATIVES WHO WANTED TO WERE ALLOWED TO COME

AND WALK AROUND THESE TRESTLE TABLES

WITH ALL THE STUFF LAID OUT.

Wheal: THEY PRODUCED A LITTLE PACKET

WITH MY WIFE'S WEDDING RING, AND RINGS, ENGAGEMENT RING.

IT WAS ALL PRETTY BATTERED UP,

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE THOUGHTS THAT WENT THROUGH MY MIND.

Narrator: SINCE THE ACCIDENT INVOLVES AN AMERICAN PLANE,

THE NTSB'S CHUCK MILLER JOINS IN THE INVESTIGATION.

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS

HE'S DEALING WITH A PROBLEM WITH THE DC-10.

Eddy: I DON'T BELIEVE THAT MILLER SUSPECTED FOR ONE MOMENT

THAT THE DOOR HADN'T BEEN FIXED AFTER WINDSOR.

Narrator: BUT IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THE PIECE OF FUSELAGE

FOUND IN FRANCE IS IN FACT THE PLANE'S REAR CARGO DOOR.

IT SEEMS LIKE A REPEAT OF THE WINDSOR ACCIDENT.

MILLER IS LEFT WITH A HAUNTING QUESTION--

WHY HADN'T THE PROBLEM BEEN FIXED?

Eddy: WHEN HE SAW THE DOOR, OF COURSE,

SAW THAT IT HADN'T BEEN DONE, THE FIX HADN'T BEEN MADE.

THAT'S WHEN I THINK HIS ANGER BECAME VERY, VERY STRONG INDEED.

Narrator: MILLER TAKES AN UNUSUAL STEP.

ALTHOUGH THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION IS JUST BEGINNING,

HE GIVES JOURNALIST PAUL EDDY AN IMPORTANT TIP.

Eddy: I SAID, "HAVE YOU GOT ANY IDEAS

WHAT MADE THE DOOR COME OFF?"

AND HE SAID, "YEAH.

IF I WERE YOU I'D GO LOOK AT A PLACE CALLED WINDSOR, ONTARIO."

Miller: HELLO.

I'M CHUCK MILLER.

Narrator: MILLER SHARES HIS SUSPICIONS

WITH FRENCH INVESTIGATORS.

Vigier: WE HAVE ASKED FOR THE REPORT ON THE WINDSOR ACCIDENT,

AND OUR AMERICAN COLLEAGUES WERE ALSO VOLUNTEERS

TO GIVE US A LOT OF DETAILS.

Miller: NOW WE HAD AN AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT

FROM DETROIT TO BUFFALO HAVE ITS CARGO DOOR BLOW OFF.

Narrator: AFTER ALL THE WORK DONE

DURING THE AMERICAN AIRLINES INVESTIGATION,

HAD SOMETHING BEEN OVERLOOKED?

WITH THE INFORMATION FROM CHUCK MILLER,

FRENCH INVESTIGATORS TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

AT THE PLANE'S CARGO DOOR.

THEY MAKE A SHOCKING DISCOVERY.

THERE IS NO NEW PROBLEM--

IT'S JUST LIKE THE AMERICAN AIRLINES CASE

ALL OVER AGAIN.

THE LATCHES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE CARGO DOOR CLOSED

AREN'T LOCKED.

AND SINCE TWO ROWS OF SEATS WERE SUCKED OUT OF THE DC-10

OVER PARIS, IT'S CLEAR THAT THE FLOOR OF THE PLANE COLLAPSED,

JUST AS IT HAD OVER WINDSOR.

Pilot: IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HIT THE GROUND!

[TAPE REWINDING]

Co-pilot: I CAN'T BRING IT UP!

SHE DOESN'T RESPOND!

Narrator: IN FACT, WHEN INVESTIGATORS LISTEN

TO THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER...

Pilot: 7,000 FEET!

Narrator: ...THEY FIND THAT THE TURKISH FLIGHT CREW

HAD EVEN LESS CONTROL OF THEIR PLANE

THAN THE CREW OF AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 96.

McCormick: WE NEED TO GET DOWN AND MAKE AN APPROACH.

Whitney: I THINK IT'S GOING TO FLY.

Narrator: OVER WINDSOR, BRYCE McCORMICK

WAS ABLE TO RECOVER HIS PLANE AND LAND IT.

BUT IN PARIS, ALL THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS WERE DESTROYED.

Pilot: HYDRAULICS?

Co-pilot: WE'VE LOST IT!

Narrator: THE HYDRAULIC FLUID HELPS CREWS MOVE THE RUDDER

AND ELEVATORS ON THE TAIL.

NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THEM

MEANT THE CREW COULDN'T KEEP THEIR PLANE IN THE SKY.

Nance: THE BASIC PROBLEM WAS THE PARIS FLIGHT WAS MUCH HEAVIER

IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON BOARD.

THE FLOOR, WHEN IT COLLAPSED,

COLLAPSED WITH SUCH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE

THAT IT LITERALLY SEVERED ALL THE CABLES AND CONTROLS

TO THE BACK.

THEY HAD NO HOPE AFTER THAT POINT.

Man: DO YOU AND EACH OF YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR...

Narrator: SHORTLY AFTER THE CRASH OF TURKISH AIRLINES FLIGHT 981,

CHUCK MILLER IS BACK IN THE UNITED STATES.

Senator: OUR FIRST WITNESS THIS MORNING IS MR. C.O. MILLER,

DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF AVIATION SAFETY OF THE NTSB.

Narrator: THIS TIME, HE'S FACING QUESTIONS

FROM AMERICAN SENATORS.

Senator: WHEN DID YOU FIRST LEARN

OF POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC DESIGN DEFECTS...

Narrator: A SPECIAL HEARING BEGINS TO FIND OUT

HOW A PROBLEM THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN 1972

COULD BRING ANOTHER PLANE DOWN TWO YEARS LATER.

Miller: OF COURSE OUR UNDERSTANDING UP TO THIS TIME,

THEY ALL HAD BEEN.

Eddy: WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO NOW DISCOVER

IS WHY WASN'T THAT DOOR FIXED?

WHY WOULD A MAJOR, VENERABLE, MIGHTY AMERICAN CORPORATION

DELIBERATELY DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

Narrator: LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THE NEAR-CRASH OVER WINDSOR,

THE NTSB HAD MADE TWO VERY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.

MILLER AND HIS INVESTIGATORS RECOMMENDED

THAT A CHANGE BE MADE TO THE LOCKING MECHANISM.

Miller: ENGAGE THE LEVER.

Narrator: THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE

FOR BAGGAGE HANDLERS TO CLOSE THE LEVER

WITHOUT THE LOCKING PINS BEING IN PLACE.

THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT VENTS BE PUT INTO THE FLOORS

OF ALL DC-10s.

THIS WOULD RAPIDLY ALLOW THE PRESSURIZED CABIN AIR

TO EQUALIZE WITHOUT COLLAPSING THE FLOOR.

BUT IN THE TWO YEARS SINCE THE ACCIDENT,

NEITHER ONE OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS IMPLEMENTED.

Eddy: IT'S THE JOB OF THE NTSB TO DISCOVER WHAT'S HAPPENED

AND TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS

AS TO HOW TO PREVENT IT HAPPENING AGAIN,

BUT IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT THEM.

Nance: THE NTSB DOES NOT HAVE REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

THEY HAVE TO TURN TO THE FAA,

AS THEY DID, AND SAY, "WE WANT THESE THINGS DONE."

AND THAT'S WHERE THE SYSTEM WENT WRONG.

Narrator: IF THE FAA, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION,

ISSUES AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE,

PLANES ARE PULLED OUT OF SERVICE UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS FIXED.

BUT AS SERIOUS AS THE PROBLEMS ON THE DC-10 WERE,

NO AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS EVER ISSUED.

A SO-CALLED GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE HEAD OF THE FAA AND THE HEAD OF McDONNELL-DOUGLAS

STOPPED IT FROM HAPPENING.

Eddy: THE GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF PARIS.

THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT IF AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

HAD BEEN ISSUED AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AFTER WINDSOR,

PARIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

IT WAS AN ENTIRELY AVOIDABLE ACCIDENT.

Narrator: McDONNELL-DOUGLAS ASSURED THE FAA

THAT IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM VOLUNTARILY.

AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WOULD CAST A SHADOW

ON THE STILL FLEDGLING DC-10.

Nance: THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD YOU WANT

IS FOR THE PUBLIC OR ANY OF THE AIRLINES

THAT ARE GOING TO BE OPERATING THESE AIRPLANES TO THINK,

"UH-OH, MAYBE THERE ARE SOME FLAWS IN THIS BIRD."

SO AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT REQUIRES YOU

TO GO BACK AND RE-ENGINEER SOMETHING

IS A REALLY HORRIFIC THOUGHT FOR A MANUFACTURER.

Narrator: McDONNELL-DOUGLAS DID MAKE CHANGES

TO THE WAY THE CARGO DOOR WAS BUILT.

A PEEP HOLE WAS CUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR

SO BAGGAGE HANDLERS COULD SEE IF THE LOCKING PINS HAD ENGAGED.

SEVERAL WARNING SIGNS WERE ALSO ATTACHED TO THE PLANE'S DOOR.

THE COMPANY ALSO MADE OTHER CHANGES TO THE DC-10.

THESE INCLUDED INCREASING THE LENGTH OF THE LOCKING PINS

AND ATTACHING A PLATE TO THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR.

THIS PLATE WOULD MAKE IT PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE

TO PUSH DOWN THE LEVER IF THE DOOR WASN'T PROPERLY LOCKED.

BUT EACH OF THESE PROPOSED FIXES HAD ITS OWN PROBLEM.

MANY BAGGAGE HANDLERS DIDN'T KNOW

WHAT THE SMALL WINDOW IN THE DOOR WAS FOR.

AND THE BAGGAGE HANDLER IN PARIS READ AND SPOKE THREE LANGUAGES,

BUT NOT ENGLISH, THE ONLY LANGUAGE

IN WHICH THE WARNING SIGNS WERE WRITTEN.

THE SUPPORT PLATE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INSTALLED

IN THE DOOR WAS NEVER ATTACHED TO THE JET

THAT CRASHED IN PARIS.

PAPERS CONFIRMING THE COMPLETION OF THE WORK ARE ALSO UNCOVERED.

BUT NO MATTER WHAT THE PAPER TRAIL SAYS,

THE FIX WAS NEVER MADE.

Eddy: AGAIN, THE PROBLEM IS YOU DON'T HAVE

AN INDEPENDENT FAA INSPECTOR COMING ALONG TO SET,

TO LOOK AND SEE, AND THEN PUT HIS STAMP ON IT.

BECAUSE IT WASN'T AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

Narrator: BUT THE TRAGIC STORY OF THE DC-10 HASN'T ENDED,

THERE'S STILL ONE MORE SURPRISE IN STORE.

Narrator: IT'S 1974,

AND AN UNPRECEDENTED SERIES OF LAWSUITS

ARE FILED AGAINST McDONNELL-DOUGLAS.

THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED NEAR PARIS

WANT SOMEONE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

Wheal: AS TIME WENT BY, I LEARNED MORE AND MORE

ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED,

AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT,

AS WE WOULD CALL AN ACCIDENT.

IT WAS TOTALLY AVOIDABLE.

MY GOAL WAS TO EXPOSE THESE PEOPLE.

Narrator: IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE TRIAL,

LAWYERS ALONG WITH JOURNALIST PAUL EDDY

HAVE ACCESS TO THE HISTORY OF THE DC-10's DEVELOPMENT.

Eddy: SOMEBODY GAVE US A KEY TO THE DEPOSITORY

WHERE THE DOCUMENTS WERE, AND SO AT NIGHT WE WOULD GO IN,

AND THEN HAD A HUGE ACCUMULATED PILE OF DOCUMENTS TO GO THROUGH,

IN ORDER TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'VE BEEN UP TO.

Narrator: EDDY MAKES AN INCREDIBLE DISCOVERY.

A MEMO WRITTEN BY DON APPLEGATE,

THE DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT ENGINEERING FOR CONVAIR--

THE COMPANY WHO HAD BUILT THE CARGO DOOR

FOR McDONNELL-DOUGLAS.

Eddy: I THINK THE POINT WHEN WE KNEW WE GOT THEM

WAS THE APPLEGATE MEMORANDUM THAT SPECIFICALLY PRE-WARNED

THIS WOULD HAPPEN.

Narrator: THE MEMO IS A DAMNING INDICTMENT OF THE CARGO DOORS

THAT WERE BEING MADE FOR THE DC-10,

AND THE LACK OF VENTING IN THE CABIN FLOORS.

IT WARNS THAT IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE THERE'S A MAJOR DISASTER INVOLVING THE DOORS.

THE MEMO, WRITTEN JUST WEEKS

AFTER THE NEAR-DISASTER IN WINDSOR,

RECOMMENDS THAT IMMEDIATE CHANGES

BE MADE TO THE DC-10 CARGO DOOR.

Eddy: YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT THEM.

YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT THEM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THEY KNEW.

Narrator: DURING THE COURT CASE, ANOTHER CHILLING FIND IS MADE.

NOT ONLY DID McDONNELL-DOUGLAS KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM

AFTER WINDSOR, THEY KNEW DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DC-10.

FOUR YEARS BEFORE THE PARIS CRASH, TWO YEARS BEFORE WINDSOR,

THE CARGO DOOR FAILED DURING A PRESSURE TEST.

THE COMPANY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM.

BUT THE FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN OF THE DOOR STAYED THE SAME.

Wheal: I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT A LARGE CORPORATION,

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS AT THE TIME, COULD DO SUCH A THING.

COULD RISK OUR LIVES, ORDINARY PEOPLE'S LIVES,

FOR THE SAKE OF MONEY.

Nance: WELL, IN AVIATION IT'S CALLED TOMBSTONE TECHNOLOGY.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE ALWAYS HAVE THE BALANCE OF MONEY.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, OVER THE YEARS IT HAS BEEN TRUE

MORE TIMES THAN NOT THAT WE HAVE HAD TO WAIT

UNTIL WE HAD ENOUGH PEOPLE DIE IN AN ACCIDENT TO SAY,

YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ARE GOING

TO HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY OVER HERE.

Narrator: THE APPLEGATE MEMO AND OTHER INFORMATION

COMES OUT DURING THE COURT CASE.

A COURT CASE WHICH LEADS TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST SETTLEMENTS

IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION.

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS PAID OVER $80 MILLION IN DAMAGES.

AFTER THE PARIS CRASH,

FOOLPROOF CHANGES WERE FINALLY MADE TO THE DC-10 CARGO DOOR.

AND THIS TIME NOTHING WAS LEFT TO CHANCE.

THE FAA ISSUED AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE THAT ENSURED

THE DOORS WOULD NEVER AGAIN OPEN IN MID-AIR.

AND IT WORKED.

AFTER PARIS, THERE WASN'T ANOTHER SERIOUS INCIDENT

INVOLVING THE CARGO DOORS ON A DC-10.

BUT THE PLANE'S HISTORY--

AND AN INTENSELY COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY--DID HAVE AN IMPACT.

McDONNELL-DOUGLAS SOLD FAR FEWER COMMERCIAL DC-10s

THAN IT HAD ONCE HOPED FOR.

EVENTUALLY, McDONNELL-DOUGLAS ITSELF DISAPPEARS.

THE COMPANY WAS BOUGHT BY BOEING IN 1996.

IN THE FOREST OUTSIDE PARIS, A MONUMENT NOW STANDS

HONORING THOSE WHO WERE KILLED ON FLIGHT 981...

A PERMANENT REMINDER OF ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING CRASHES

IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION.

Wheal: YOU NEVER FORGET.

I'VE GONE ON TO LEAD MY LIFE FOR 30-ODD YEARS.

BUT I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN.

PEOPLE TO THIS DAY THINK IT WAS AN ACCIDENT,

AND IT WASN'T.