Original subtitles

Narrator: A CROWDED 747 HAS DISAPPEARED OVER THE ATLANTIC.

Controller: AIR INDIA'S NOT SHOWING UP.

Narrator: PIECES ARE FOUND SCATTERED ON THE OCEAN SURFACE.

BUT THE VITAL CLUES ARE DEEPER THAN ANY AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION

HAS EVER GONE.

Man 1: IN THIS ACCIDENT, WE HAD NOTHING.

Man 2: IT WAS JUST MIND-BOGGLING.

Narrator: AN INTERNATIONAL RECOVERY EFFORT

GOES TO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE SEA

TO REBUILD THE SHATTERED PLANE.

WHAT THEY DISCOVER WILL SEND SHOCK WAVES AROUND THE WORLD.

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: EARLY MORNING, JUNE 23, 1985.

A 747 FLIES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN,

NEARLY SIX MILES ABOVE THE WATER.

THE JUMBO JET IS NICKNAMED KANISHKA,

AFTER AN INDIAN EMPEROR.

AND AIR INDIA PROMISES PASSENGERS

IT WILL BE A PALACE IN THE SKY.

Woman: INDIAN HOSPITALITY IS SOMETHING

THAT THE CULTURE PRIDES ITSELF ON,

AND YOU DO EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN YOU FLY AIR INDIA.

Narrator: ON ITS WAY TO CANADA,

THE PLANE IS HEADING TO LONDON, ENGLAND,

BEFORE CONTINUING ON TO NEW DELHI.

IT'S BEEN IN THE AIR FOR FOUR AND A HALF HOURS.

CAPTAIN HANSE NARENDRA IS A VETERAN AIR INDIA PILOT.

SATWINDER BHINDER IS A CAPTAIN, TOO,

WHO'S SERVING AS FIRST OFFICER ON THE FLIGHT.

AS THE PLANE NEARS LAND, BHINDER TALKS WITH THE FLIGHT'S PURSER.

[BELL RINGING]

Purser: YES, SIR?

Satwinder Bhinder: DINSHAW, DO ME A SMALL FAVOR.

AT THE BACK OF THE PLANE, SEAT 54, A BOY IS SITTING THERE,

HE JUST WANTED TO HAVE A LOOK IN THE COCKPIT.

Purser: CAN I SEND HIM NOW?

Bhinder: AFTER ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES.

Narrator: THERE ARE 329 PEOPLE ON BOARD, INCLUDING PASSENGERS AND CREW.

MANY OF THEM ARE FLYING TO INDIA TO VISIT FAMILY OR FRIENDS.

VISHNU PADA IS TRAVELING TO INDIA WITH HIS TWO DAUGHTERS.

THEIR MOTHER, LATA, IS ALREADY WAITING FOR THEM THERE.

Lata Pada: WE HAD DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE THE IDEAL YEAR

TO TAKE AN EXTENDED VACATION IN INDIA AS A FAMILY.

Narrator: SIX MINUTES AFTER 8:00 IN THE MORNING,

CO-PILOT BHINDER MAKES RADIO CONTACT

WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN IRELAND.

Bhinder: SHANWICK, AIR INDIA 182, GOOD MORNING.

Controller: STATION CALLING SHANNON, GO AHEAD AGAIN, PLEASE.

Narrator: THOMAS LANE AND MICHAEL QUINN

ARE WORKING AT THE SHANNON CONTROL CENTER.

Bhinder: AIR INDIA 182 IS 51 NORTH, 15 WEST, AT LEVEL 310.

ESTIMATE F.I.R. AT 0735.

Thomas Lane: AIR INDIA 182, SHANNON, ROGER,

CLEARED FOR LONDON, FLIGHT LEVEL 310.

Bhinder: AIR INDIA 182 IS CLEAR TO LONDON, MAINTAIN 310.

Purser: DO YOU WANT TO COME UP FRONT NOW?

Boy: YEAH!

Purser: OKAY.

LET'S GO.

Narrator: IT'S A LIGHT MORNING AT SHANNON CONTROL--

THEY'RE DEALING WITH JUST THREE PLANES.

BUT SOMETHING PECULIAR HAS HAPPENED.

Michael Quinn: THE SIGNALS ARE ALL JUMBLED UP.

THE SIGNALS ON RADAR MERGED SO THAT IT WAS TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE

TO READ THE CALL SIGNS AND FLIGHT LEVELS

OF ANY OF THE THREE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: THE AIR INDIA 747 IS FLYING AT 31,000 FEET.

A TWA JET IS SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET ABOVE IT,

AND A CP FLIGHT IS 2,000 FEET HIGHER.

ALL ARE TRAVELING EAST.

BECAUSE THE PLANES ARE STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER,

THE SIGNALS HAVE MERGED

ON THE CONTROLLER'S TWO-DIMENSIONAL SCREEN.

Quinn: TOM MOVED A TRACKER BALL ON RADAR

AND SEPARATED THE SIGNALS.

Narrator: TWO OF THE PLANES REAPPEAR ON THE RADAR,

BUT THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT HAS VANISHED.

Quinn: AIR INDIA IS NOT SHOWING UP.

Lane: HOLD ON A MINUTE.

AIR INDIA 182, DO YOU READ?

Quinn: AIR INDIA 182, THIS IS SHANNON, DO YOU READ? OVER.

Narrator: IT'S 8:14 IN THE MORNING.

Quinn: I HAD A GUT FEELING.

TO THIS DAY I DON'T KNOW WHY I PICKED UP THE PHONE.

YES, IT'S MICHAEL QUINN AT SHANNON.

WE HAVE A PLANE OFF RADAR.

Narrator: NORMALLY, A DISTRESS CALL TO SEARCH AND RESCUE

ISN'T MADE UNTIL A PLANE HAS BEEN OUT OF CONTACT

FOR MORE THAN 20 MINUTES.

THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT HAS BEEN MISSING LESS THAN 60 SECONDS.

SEVERAL SHIPS IN THE AREA BEGIN SEARCHING

FOR SIGNS OF THE PLANE.

ITS LAST KNOWN POSITION IS SOME 180 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CORK.

JUST TWO HOURS AFTER THE PLANE DISAPPEARS,

A CANADIAN-OWNED CARGO SHIP IN THE AREA CONFIRMS THE WORST.

THE FIRST PIECES OF WRECKAGE ARE DISCOVERED.

UNINFLATED LIFE RAFTS ARE SPOTTED

BOBBING IN THE COLD ATLANTIC.

THEN, BODIES ARE SEEN.

IT QUICKLY BECOMES CLEAR THAT NO ONE HAS SURVIVED.

IN INDIA, LATA PADA IS WAITING

FOR HER HUSBAND AND TWO CHILDREN TO ARRIVE

WHEN SHE HEARS THE NEWS FROM HER BROTHER.

Pada: HE SAT ME DOWN AND TOLD ME THAT,

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAD HAPPENED.

I WAS JUST IN TOTAL SHOCK, AND, YOU KNOW,

PART OF ME WAS TRYING TO DIGEST THE INFORMATION

AND PART OF ME WAS TRYING TO IMAGINE

IF, INDEED, THE WORST HAD HAPPENED,

HOW I WAS GOING TO CONTINUE MY LIFE WITHOUT THEM.

[SIRENS]

Narrator: JUST HOURS AFTER THE CRASH OF AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182,

BODIES AND WRECKAGE ARE BROUGHT TO THE CITY OF CORK,

A SEAPORT ON THE SOUTHERN COAST OF IRELAND.

DR. CUIMIN DOYLE IS A PATHOLOGIST

AT THE CORK REGIONAL HOSPITAL.

Cuimin Doyle: THE FIRST BODIES ARRIVED AT 4:45 PM

ON THAT SUNDAY AFTERNOON,

AND AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT WE HAD 130 BODIES.

Narrator: DOYLE AND HIS TEAM WILL EXAMINE THE BODIES

TO SEE IF THEY CAN FIND ANY SIGNS OF WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH.

Doyle: IT'S AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED,

THE HOSPITAL PERSONNEL, THE POLICE, THE NAVY, THE ARMY,

AND PATHOLOGISTS LIKE OURSELVES--

BUT WE JUST HAD TO GET ON AND DO THE JOB.

[CAMERA CLICKING]

Narrator: IN JUST FOUR DAYS AUTOPSIES ARE PERFORMED

ON 132 VICTIMS.

[CAMERA CLICKING]

Doyle: ALL PARTS OF THE BODY WERE EXAMINED EXTERNALLY

IN DETAIL,

AND EVERY, EVERY DETAIL WAS NOTED DOWN.

WE WERE LOOKING, OF COURSE, FOR THE CAUSES OF THE FATALITIES.

Narrator: DOYLE MAKES A TELLING DISCOVERY--

ALMOST ALL THE VICTIMS DIED IN THE AIR.

Doyle: ONLY TWO OF THE BODIES SHOWED SIGNS OF DROWNING,

WHICH INDICATED THAT THE OTHERS WERE NOT BREATHING

WHEN THEY HIT THE WATER.

Narrator: THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S COMMON

TO MANY OF THE VICTIMS--

A LARGE NUMBER HAVE HAD THEIR CLOTHES TORN OFF.

Doyle: NOW THAT WAS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF THEY HAD NO CLOTHES

OR LITTLE CLOTHES, IT INDICATED THAT THEY HAD FALLEN

FROM 31,000 FEET OR SO WHERE THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED.

Narrator: SOME OF THE BODIES ALSO HAVE SIGNS

OF SO-CALLED FLAIL INJURIES.

THESE ARE BREAKS SPECIFIC TO BONES IN THE HIPS,

SHOULDERS AND OTHER JOINTS.

H.S. KHOLA IS THE LEAD INVESTIGATOR

INTO THE AIR INDIA DISASTER.

THE FLAIL INJURIES TELL HIM THE PASSENGERS WEREN'T IN THE PLANE

WHEN IT HIT THE OCEAN.

H.S. Khola: THEY ARE CAUSED BY TUMBLING VIOLENT MOTION

OF THE BODY IN AIR.

THAT IS THE PATTERN OF THE INJURIES WHEN A PASSENGER

IS THROWN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AT HIGH ALTITUDE.

Narrator: THE AUTOPSIES SHOW THAT SOMEHOW,

THE PLANE HAD BEEN RIPPED APART HIGH ABOVE THE WATER.

PASSENGERS WERE THROWN INTO THE SKY

LONG BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED.

Doyle: BASED ON THE INJURIES, WE COULD ONLY SAY

THAT THE PLANE HAD BROKEN UP AT 31,000 FEET.

WE COULDN'T SAY WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE BREAKUP WAS.

Narrator: THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF THE INVESTIGATORS

IS TO TRY TO FIND THE PLANE'S BLACK BOXES.

THE TWO DEVICES RECORD COCKPIT CONVERSATION

AND OTHER TECHNICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FLIGHT OF THE PLANE.

THE RECORDERS HAVE RADIO BEACONS,

WHICH SEND OUT A SIGNAL AT A DESIGNATED FREQUENCY.

BUT IT'S STILL A HUGE TASK.

THE BOXES ARE MORE THAN 6,500 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE.

AND THE RADIO SIGNALS LAST JUST 30 DAYS.

SALIM JIWA IS A JOURNALIST

WHO HAS INVESTIGATED THE AIR INDIA DISASTER.

Salim Jiwa: THE SEARCH FOR THE BLACK BOXES WAS URGENT,

AND THREE COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN IT--

ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND INDIA.

Narrator: BUT EVEN WITH SUCH A MASSIVE RESPONSE,

EARLY EFFORTS ARE FRUSTRATED.

Khola: 42 KILOHERTZ-- IT'S TOO HIGH.

IT CAN'T BE THEM.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE PICKING UP RADIO SIGNALS,

BUT THEY'RE AT THE WRONG FREQUENCY.

AS THE SEARCH CONTINUES, H.S. KHOLA AND HIS TEAM

STUDY THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY OF THE PLANE.

THEY WANT TO KNOW IF AN UNDETECTED FLAW

HAD CAUSED THE JET TO COME APART IN FLIGHT.

THEY UNCOVER A POTENTIALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION--

THE AIR INDIA JET WAS FLYING WITH FIVE ENGINES.

A 747 NORMALLY HAS FOUR ENGINES, BUT IT CAN CARRY MORE.

THE PLANE WAS DESIGNED SO THAT IT COULD TRANSPORT

A MALFUNCTIONING ENGINE BENEATH ITS WINGS.

GROUND CREWS CAN MOUNT THE ENGINE

TO A BRACKET ON THE PLANE.

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO THE AIR INDIA JET.

Jiwa: THERE WAS AN EXTRA ENGINE THAT A PREVIOUS FLIGHT

HAD LEFT BEHIND THAT WAS MOUNTED ON THE WING OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: THE EXTRA ENGINE CREATES DRAG ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLANE.

IF THE PILOTS DON'T COMPENSATE,

THE PLANE WILL TURN IN THAT DIRECTION.

THEN A PROBLEM WITH THE FIFTH ENGINE'S MOUNTING

COMES TO LIGHT, LEADING INVESTIGATORS TO QUESTION

IF THE EXTRA ENGINE COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER THAT BEFORE THE AIR INDIA 747

TOOK OFF FOR LONDON, THE FLIGHT ENGINEER NOTICED PROBLEMS

WITH THE WAY THE ENGINE WAS ATTACHED.

Engineer: THERE'S A SMALL PROBLEM IN THE FIFTH ENGINE.

I'VE ASKED THEM TO FIX IT UP.

Pilot: ALRIGHT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ALSO LEARN THAT SOME INTERNAL PARTS

OF THE EXTRA ENGINE WERE TAKEN OUT

AND STORED IN FLIGHT 182's CARGO BAY.

THEY WERE SO ENORMOUS THAT PIECES OF THE CARGO DOOR

WERE REMOVED TO MAKE THE JOB EASIER.

Jiwa: SOME OF THE OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE

WENT INTO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT.

AIRCRAFT SUCH AS A 747 CAN HANDLE THIS QUITE EASILY,

IT'S ROUTINELY DONE.

Narrator: BUT IF THE CARGO DOOR WASN'T REASSEMBLED PROPERLY,

IT COULD HAVE LED TO AN EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION.

IN 1974, A CARGO DOOR BLEW OFF A TURKISH AIRLINES FLIGHT

SHORTLY AFTER IT TOOK OFF FROM PARIS.

THE SUDDEN DECOMPRESSION CRIPPLED THE PLANE.

IT CRASHED MOMENTS LATER, KILLING EVERYONE ON BOARD.

KHOLA MUST CONSIDER TWO THEORIES--

EITHER PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR, OR WITH THE EXTRA ENGINE ITSELF,

BROUGHT DOWN THE PLANE.

IF EITHER ONE HAD TAKEN PLACE,

THERE SHOULD BE EVIDENCE ON THE PLANE'S BLACK BOXES.

FINDING THE RECORDERS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.

ALMOST TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SEARCH BEGINS,

INVESTIGATORS GET NEWS THAT HELPS THEM PINPOINT

THE LOCATION OF THE BLACK BOXES.

Khola: THE SIGNALS WILL BE HIGHER.

SO THIS 42 KILOHERTZ COULD BE IT!

TELL THE BOATS TO LOOK AGAIN.

Narrator: THE PIECE OF THE BLACK BOX

WHICH BROADCASTS THE LOCATOR SIGNAL IS MADE OF CERAMIC.

IF IT'S DAMAGED, THE FREQUENCY OF THE SIGNAL CAN CHANGE.

IT MEANS THE STRANGE FREQUENCY SHIPS DETECTED EARLIER

COULD BE THE RIGHT ONE.

BOTH THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AND THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

ARE FINALLY LOCATED.

BUT THEY'RE SO DEEP, IT'S DIFFICULT TO BRING THEM UP.

Jiwa: THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 6,000 FEET BELOW THE SEA,

AND IT WAS THE DEPTH THAT WAS SORT OF DEFEATING.

Narrator: A DEEP SEA SUBMERSIBLE IS BROUGHT IN.

BUT EVEN WITH THIS SPECIALIZED VEHICLE,

AND WITH THE LOCATION OF THE BLACK BOXES KNOWN,

IT TAKES FOUR ATTEMPTS TO BRING THE RECORDERS TO THE SURFACE.

BUT WHEN INVESTIGATORS LISTEN TO THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER,

THEY HEAR NOTHING UNUSUAL.

AFTER THE LAST CONTACT WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN SHANNON,

THE VOICE RECORDER PICKS UP THE CREW

TALKING ABOUT CUSTOMS SEALS.

IT'S PAPERWORK THAT HAS TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE LANDING.

Co-pilot: THEY WANT ABOUT 30 CUSTOM SEALS.

Bhinder: CUSTOMS?

Co-pilot: YEAH, CUSTOM SEALS TO SEAL THE BAR BEFORE ITS ARRIVAL.

THE BAR--[BEEP]

Narrator: THE CONVERSATION ENDS IN MID-SENTENCE.

Jiwa: THAT WAS IT, AND THEN EVERYTHING WAS, OF COURSE, SILENT.

Khola: THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER INDICATED

THAT THERE WAS NO ABNORMALITY IN THE COCKPIT, NO EMERGENCY,

EVERY CONVERSATION WAS NORMAL.

Narrator: THE PLANE'S FLIGHT DATA RECORDER TELLS A SIMILAR STORY.

KHOLA PORES THROUGH DETAILS ABOUT AIR INDIA'S SPEED,

ALTITUDE, AND DOZENS OF OTHER PIECES OF INFORMATION.

THE EXTRA ENGINE DID CAUSE THE PLANE TO BANK SLIGHTLY,

AND THE JET'S RUDDER WAS TURNED 11 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT.

BUT THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE CREW NEEDED TO DO

TO OFFSET THE DRAG CREATED BY THE FIFTH ENGINE.

AFTER ANALYZING BOTH BLACK BOXES,

KHOLA CAN'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE THAT THE PLANE WAS IN TROUBLE

BEFORE IT SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR.

BUT THE VERY LACK OF EVIDENCE DOES SUGGEST SOMETHING.

BOTH RECORDERS GET THEIR POWER FROM THE PLANE'S ENGINES.

BOTH STOPPED AT EXACTLY 14 MINUTES AND ONE SECOND

AFTER 8:00 IN THE MORNING.

SINCE THE RECORDERS STOPPED WORKING AT THE SAME TIME,

THE PROBLEM ON THE PLANE HAD TO BE CATASTROPHIC ENOUGH

TO SEVER THE JET'S ELECTRONIC SYSTEM

BEFORE THE CREW COULD REACT.

Co-pilot: YEAH, CUSTOMS SEALS TO SEAL THE BAR BEFORE ITS ARRIVAL,

THE BAR--[BEEP]

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE BECOMING CONVINCED

THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE CRASH--

A DEVASTATING DECOMPRESSION OR A BOMB.

THEY STUDY THE WRECKAGE THAT'S BEEN FOUND

FLOATING ON THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN.

BUT IT'S JUST A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE ENTIRE PLANE.

IT OFFERS NO CLUES TO EXPLAIN WHY THE PLANE CRASHED.

Khola: WE HAD TO GO TO THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.

WE HAD TO GO TO THE WRECKAGE,

WHICH WAS LYING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

Narrator: BUT WHAT PARTS OF THE PLANE SHOULD INVESTIGATORS FOCUS ON?

THE BLACK BOXES WERE EQUIPPED WITH RADIO TRANSMITTERS

WHICH MADE THEM EASIER TO FIND.

BUT THE DEBRIS FIELD IS DEEP UNDER WATER AND ENORMOUS,

NEARLY TEN MILES LONG AND FOUR MILES ACROSS.

HOW DO INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFY THE ONE CLUE

THAT WILL HELP THEM UNLOCK THE MYSTERY?

ROY TRUMAN IS AN UNDERWATER SALVAGE EXPERT.

HIS SALVAGE TEAM IS BROUGHT IN TO DO SOMETHING

THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE--

RETRIEVE THE RUINED PIECES OF A JUMBO JET

FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.

Roy Truman: UP UNTIL THAT TIME,

WE HAD ONLY BEEN USED WITH RECOVERING SMALL AIRCRAFT.

HERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 747, WHICH WAS HUGE,

AND WE HAD NO IDEA OF THE SIZE OF THE PIECES

AND WHAT WE WERE GONNA FIND.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS KNOW THEY CAN'T

BRING THE ENTIRE WRECK TO THE SURFACE.

SO THEY USE UNDERWATER VIDEO AND PHOTOS

TO DECIDE WHICH PIECES TO SALVAGE.

THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE DISASTER

STILL LIES SOMEWHERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.

INVESTIGATORS FROM INDIA ARE SCOURING THE OCEAN FLOOR

TO FIND OUT WHY AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182 FELL FROM THE SKY.

AS THE WORK CONTINUES IN IRELAND,

THERE'S GROWING SUSPICION IN CANADA

THAT THE AIR INDIA CRASH WAS NO ACCIDENT.

AS POLICE AND INVESTIGATORS SIFT

THROUGH THE LIST OF PASSENGERS ON THE PLANE,

THEY FIND SOMETHING PECULIAR.

MANY OF THE PASSENGERS WHO WERE ON AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182

BEGAN THEIR DAY IN VANCOUVER.

THEY WERE USING ANOTHER PLANE TO CONNECT TO FLIGHT 182.

ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WHO BOUGHT A TICKET FOR THAT PLANE

NEVER GOT ON.

Jiwa: WELL, THE PASSENGER, WE HAVE NEVER IDENTIFIED HIM, PER SE,

BUT THE TICKET IDENTIFIED HIM AS M. SINGH.

IT SIMPLY HAD AN INITIAL, BUT NO FULL NAME.

WE BELIEVE THAT NAME TO BE--WAS FICTITIOUS,

AND THAT THE PERSON NEVER INTENDED TO TRAVEL.

Narrator: WHILE HE NEVER BOARDED THE PLANE,

M. SINGH DID CHECK IN.

AND HE CHECKED A BAG.

Woman: ON YOUR WAY TO TORONTO?

M. Singh: YEAH, AND I WANT MY BAG CHECKED THROUGH TO DELHI.

Woman: SIR, I CAN'T DO THAT.

YOUR RESERVATION IS ONLY CONFIRMED TO TORONTO.

Singh: OH, I AM CONFIRMED.

THIS IS MY TICKET.

Narrator: JEANNIE ADAMS IS A TICKET AGENT

WORKING FOR CANADIAN PACIFIC.

Jeannie Adams: YOU ARE ON STANDBY TO DELHI, I CAN'T.

MR. SINGH, YOU ARE ON STANDBY TO DELHI, I CAN'T.

Singh: BUT THEN I HAVE TO PICK UP MY BAG.

Adams: I CAN'T CHECK YOUR BAGS THROUGH TO INDIA

IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIRMED.

Singh: BUT I AM INDEED CONFIRMED!

WAIT, I'LL GET MY BROTHER, HE'LL TELL YOU.

Narrator: THERE ARE NEARLY 30 PEOPLE WAITING TO CHECK IN.

ADAMS DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR THE MAN'S BROTHER.

Adams: OH, UH, OKAY, OKAY, I--I'LL CHECK IT THROUGH,

BUT YOU HAVE TO CHECK WITH AIR INDIA

WHEN YOU GET TO TORONTO.

YOUR SEAT IS 10-B.

Narrator: EVEN THOUGH SINGH DOESN'T HAVE A TICKET

TAKING HIM TO INDIA, HIS BAG IS CHECKED STRAIGHT THROUGH.

HIS LUGGAGE IS LOADED, BUT NO ONE NOTICES

THAT SINGH NEVER BOARDS THE PLANE THAT LEAVES VANCOUVER.

Peter St. John: SHE BROKE THE RULES AS THEY WERE,

SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THAT TO GO THROUGH

FOR NEW DELHI INTERLINE.

BUT SHE WAS SO BULLIED AND SO BROWBEATEN BY MR. SINGH

IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY ELSE,

THAT I THINK TO HER ETERNAL SADNESS AND HEARTBREAK,

SHE GAVE IN.

Narrator: SINGH'S MAROON BAG DIDN'T RAISE ANY CONCERNS

WHEN IT WAS LOADED IN VANCOUVER.

SINCE THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT WAS INTERNATIONAL,

WHEN THE BAG ARRIVED IN TORONTO,

IT FACED A STRICTER SERIES OF INSPECTIONS.

Man: THIS IS WHAT IT WILL SOUND LIKE.

[BEEPING]

Narrator: JOHN D'SOUZA IS A SECURITY OFFICER FOR AIR INDIA.

THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT,

HE DEMONSTRATED A PORTABLE EXPLOSIVES DETECTOR

FOR BAGGAGE HANDLERS IN TORONTO.

CHEMICALS IN A MATCH TRIGGERED THE DEVICE,

AS WOULD CHEMICALS USED IN SOME EXPLOSIVES.

John D'Souza: OKAY?

Narrator: THE PORTABLE DEVICE WAS PUT TO USE

BECAUSE THE X-RAY MACHINE,

WHICH NORMALLY SCANS EVERY PIECE OF LUGGAGE, HAD BROKEN DOWN.

St. John: THE TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY THE X-RAY TECHNOLOGY,

WERE VERY, UH, VERY WEAK, VERY IN THEIR INFANCY AT THAT TIME,

AND IT DIDN'T WORK RELIABLY.

AND IN THE CASE OF THE AIR INDIA EPISODE,

THE TECHNOLOGY WENT QUITE BADLY WRONG,

WHICH WAS ONE OF THE TRAGEDIES OF THE SITUATION.

Narrator: AS SECURITY WORKERS USE THE PORTABLE EXPLOSIVES WAND

ON THE BAGS, EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL,

UNTIL THEY GOT TO THE MAROON BAG.

[BEEPING]

THE BAG DID TRIGGER THE DEVICE, BUT THE SOUND IT MADE

WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE WORKERS HEARD

DURING THE DEMONSTRATION.

THE BAG WAS PASSED AND ALLOWED ON BOARD THE PLANE,

EVENTUALLY FLYING TOWARD ENGLAND.

Narrator: AS AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182 FLIES OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

CARRYING M. SINGH'S BAG,

AN EXPLOSION RIPS THROUGH TOKYO'S NARITA AIRPORT.

TWO BAGGAGE HANDLERS ARE KILLED.

FOUR PEOPLE ARE INJURED.

A BOMB HAS BEEN HIDDEN INSIDE ANOTHER PIECE OF LUGGAGE

THAT CAME FROM VANCOUVER.

LUGGAGE THAT WAS BOUND FOR ANOTHER AIR INDIA JET.

Jiwa: IT WAS HEADED FOR THE CARGO HOLD

WHEN IT EXPLODED ON THE GROUND.

ONCE IT WAS PUT ON,

THE BAG WAS PROBABLY JUST THUMPED A LITTLE BIT,

AND IT EXPLODED AS THE TWO JAPANESE BAGGAGE HANDLERS

WERE PUTTING IT ON A CONVEYOR BELT.

Narrator: JUST AS ON FLIGHT 182,

ONE OF THE BAGS BEING MOVED IN TOKYO

WAS CHECKED IN BY A PASSENGER WHO NEVER BOARDED THE FLIGHT.

Jiwa: THERE WAS NO X-RAY MACHINES IN USE

AT VANCOUVER AIRPORT.

THERE WAS NOTHING TO STOP THAT BAG FROM FLYING TO TOKYO.

Narrator: THERE'S A DISTURBING CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE TOKYO BOMBING AND THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT.

THE TICKETS FOR THE MEN WHO CHECKED BOTH BAGS

WERE BOUGHT ON THE SAME DAY BY THE SAME CUSTOMER.

THE SINGLE CRASH OF AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182

HAS SUDDENLY BECOME A PART OF A MUCH LARGER STORY.

WITH THE APPARENT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO INCIDENTS,

INVESTIGATORS IN IRELAND ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTED

IN WHAT POLICE FIND IN TOKYO.

[CAMERA CLICKING]

SOON AFTER THE BOMBING,

FORENSIC EXPERTS DESCEND ON JAPAN'S NARITA AIRPORT.

THERE ARE TRACES OF EVIDENCE EVERYWHERE.

Jiwa: THE NARITA BOMBING WAS WITHIN A CONFINED SPACE.

SO UNLIKE THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182 SITUATION

WHERE WE HAD DEBRIS SCATTERED OVER 9 MILES UNDER THE OCEAN,

AND PRETTY HARD TO RETRIEVE, WE HAD, IN A SENSE,

THE GOOD FORTUNE OF A CONTAINED AREA

WHERE AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE WENT OFF.

Narrator: PIECES OF METAL AND CIRCUIT BOARDS

ARE EMBEDDED IN THE WALLS.

EXPLOSIVE RESIDUE CLINGS TO PARTS OF THE CONTAINER

THAT HOUSED THE BOMB.

Jiwa: AMAZINGLY, JAPANESE FORENSIC EXPERTS

WERE ABLE TO PICK OUT TINY PARTS AND FRAGMENTS,

AND ALL THE ANALYSIS FINALLY LED JAPANESE POLICE

TO IDENTIFY THE VEHICLE THAT WAS USED TO CARRY THE BOMB.

Narrator: EXPERTS EVEN FIND SERIAL NUMBERS

ON PIECES OF THE WRECKAGE--

CLUES THAT SHOW THE BOMB WAS HIDDEN

INSIDE A SPECIFIC STEREO TUNER MADE BY SANYO.

ALL 2,000 TUNERS THAT WERE EVER MADE

WERE SHIPPED TO A WAREHOUSE NEAR VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA.

FROM THERE, THEY WERE SENT TO STORES ACROSS THE REGION.

ONE OF THOSE TUNERS CARRIED THE BOMB THAT EXPLODED AT NARITA.

POLICE HAVE A DIFFICULT TASK,

TRYING TO TRACE THE SALE OF 2,000 TUNERS.

THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SOLD TO ANYONE.

MOST OF THE STORES THAT HAD RECEIVED THE TUNER

HAD BEEN SOLD OUT FOR YEARS.

BUT POLICE GET A BREAK WHEN THEY ASK ABOUT THE TUNER

AT A STORE IN DUNCAN, A TINY TOWN ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.

THE LAST UNIT HAD BEEN SOLD JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.

Jiwa: THEY WERE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHO BOUGHT THE STEREO TUNER

WHICH CONTAINED THE BOMB.

Narrator: POLICE OBTAIN THE SAME SORT OF TUNER

THAT WAS USED TO HOUSE THE BOMB ON AIR INDIA.

THEY CONDUCT TESTS TO SEE HOW BIG THE BOMB WOULD HAVE TO BE

TO CREATE THE SORT OF DAMAGE THAT WAS FOUND IN TOKYO.

Jiwa: THERE WAS A PROGRESSIVE EXPERIMENTATION USING DYNAMITE

TO FIND OUT THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE

PARTICULAR STRENGTHS OF DYNAMITE WOULD CAUSE.

Narrator: THEY MATCH THE SIZE OF THE TUNER FRAGMENTS

MADE AFTER EACH EXPLOSION WITH THE FRAGMENTS

THAT WERE FOUND AT NARITA.

THEY DISCOVER THAT JUST A FEW STICKS OF DYNAMITE

WERE LIKELY USED IN THE TOKYO BOMB.

BUT COULD JUST FOUR STICKS OF DYNAMITE

REALLY BRING DOWN A JET?

ONCE THEY DISCOVER JUST HOW POWERFUL THE NARITA BOMB WAS,

POLICE PLACE IT INTO A FULLY LOADED LUGGAGE CONTAINER.

THE DEVASTATION IS ENORMOUS.

Jiwa: ANY DECOMPRESSION CAUSED BY AN EVENT,

AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE IN THE LUGGAGE HOLD WOULD BE SUFFICIENT

TO CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS FOR THAT AIRCRAFT.

YOU DON'T NEED MUCH--FOUR STICKS OF DYNAMITE CAN DO THE JOB.

Narrator: THE CRAMPED QUARTERS OF A CARGO HOLD

AMPLIFY THE POWER OF A BOMB.

TESTS CONDUCTED AT PENN STATE UNIVERSITY

SHOWED THAT THE SHOCK WAVES CREATED FROM A BOMB BLAST

DON'T TRAVEL IN JUST ONE DIRECTION,

BUT REVERBERATE INSIDE A LUGGAGE CONTAINER,

BUILDING ON EACH OTHER,

VASTLY INCREASING THE INITIAL FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.

IF A BOMB HAD INDEED EXPLODED IN THE CARGO HOLD OF AIR INDIA 182,

IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED ENORMOUS DESTRUCTION.

IT'S THE SORT OF DAMAGE THAT SHOULD HAVE LEFT ITS MARK

ON THE REMAINS OF FLIGHT 182.

INVESTIGATORS HAVE A GROWING SUSPICION

THAT THIS PLANE WAS BROUGHT DOWN BY A BOMB.

BUT THEY STILL HAVE NO PROOF.

Truman: SO THE INVESTIGATORS WERE NOT ONLY

LOOKING FOR, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS BROKEN

THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE, BUT THEY WERE LOOKING

FOR SIGNS OF WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSIONS,

SUCH AS BURNING, OR SOLVENT STAINS,

OR POSSIBLY SHRAPNEL IN SEATS.

IT MEANT A LOT TIGHTER SCRUTINY OF EVERY PIECE OF WRECKAGE.

Khola: WE KEPT ON ANALYZING EACH PHOTOGRAPH.

IS IT GIVING ANY INDICATION OF AN EXPLOSION?

IS IT GIVING ANY IMPACT DAMAGE?

Narrator: KNOWING HIS TIME IS RUNNING OUT,

KHOLA SELECTS A FEW KEY PIECES OF THE PLANE

TO BRING TO THE SURFACE.

BAD WEATHER FORCES HIM TO LEAVE THE REST BEHIND.

KHOLA HOPES THE BITS HE DOES HAVE

CAN PROVE THERE WAS A BOMB ON BOARD.

EACH PIECE THAT'S BROUGHT UP IS CAREFULLY MAPPED

TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION ON THE JET.

ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING SECTIONS

BROUGHT UP FROM THE BOTTOM

IS THE FLOOR OF THE FRONT CARGO BAY.

Khola: WHEN WE RECOVERED THAT ITEM, WE FOUND THAT IT HAD HOLES

WHICH ARE OF A VERY SPECIAL NATURE,

PENETRATION FROM INSIDE TO OUTSIDE AT A VERY HIGH SPEED,

CURLING OFF THE EDGES OF THAT ONE.

AND THAT WAS INDICATIVE OF THAT PERHAPS THIS IS THE PLACE

WHERE THE EXPLOSION HAD OCCURRED.

Narrator: AS MANY AS 20 HOLES ARE FOUND.

IN EACH, THE METAL IS BENT OUTWARD,

LIKE THE PETALS OF A FLOWER.

THESE ARE CLASSIC SIGNS OF SOMETHING BEING BLOWN OUT

FROM THE CARGO BAY.

ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE CARGO BAY,

INVESTIGATORS FIND MORE CLUES.

ADDITIONAL HOLES ARE DISCOVERED, LIKE THE ONES ON THE FLOOR.

THESE ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN OUT FROM THE CARGO HOLD.

A CLOSER STUDY OF THE CEILING OF THE CARGO BAY

ALSO INDICATES THAT THE RIBS CONNECTING IT TO THE FUSELAGE

WERE BROKEN BY BEING FORCED UP.

INVESTIGATORS ARE CONVINCED THAT THE WRECKAGE SHOWS

THAT A BOMB HAD EXPLODED IN THE FORWARD CARGO HOLD.

IF THE BOMB HAD GONE OFF IN THE FRONT OF THE PLANE,

IT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

AND COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CUT OFF SO QUICKLY.

LIKE OTHER 747s, THE ELECTRONICS BAY ON THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT

IS LOCATED BELOW THE COCKPIT.

MANY OF THE IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ON THE PLANE

RUN THROUGH HERE.

THE FORWARD LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT IS RIGHT BESIDE IT.

St. John: AND SO WHEN THE BOMB WENT OFF,

THE EXPLOSION WOULD HAVE TAKEN OUT THE COMPUTERS COMPLETELY,

AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY DEAD SILENCE,

AND THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT HAPPENED.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE CONVINCED

THAT AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182 WAS DESTROYED BY A BOMB.

THE CRASH OF THE PASSENGER JET WAS A CRIME.

Jiwa: NOBODY, NOBODY THOUGHT THAT SUCH AN EVIL PLOT

OF BLOWING TWO AIRCRAFTS SIMULTANEOUSLY

WOULD OCCUR FROM VANCOUVER.

Narrator: EXHAUSTIVE DETECTIVE WORK CREATES A CLEAR PICTURE

OF WHAT LIKELY HAPPENED ON BOARD THE AIR INDIA JET.

IN TORONTO, M. SINGH'S BAG IS TAKEN OFF THE VANCOUVER FLIGHT

AND MOVED ONTO THE AIR INDIA JET.

IT'S PUT INTO A LUGGAGE CONTAINER

THAT'S EVENTUALLY PLACED AT THE FRONT OF THE JET,

RIGHT BEHIND THE PLANE'S ELECTRONICS BAY.

AS THE PLANE SAILED OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN,

THE CREW HAD NO WARNING

THAT A BOMB WAS TICKING DOWN TO DISASTER.

Co-pilot: THEY WANT ABOUT 30 CUSTOM SEALS.

Bhinder: CUSTOMS?

Co-pilot: YEAH, CUSTOM SEALS TO SEAL THE BAR BEFORE ITS ARRIVAL,

THE BAR--[LOUD EXPLOSION]

Narrator: WHEN THE FORCE OF THE BLAST HIT THE FLOOR OF THE JET,

IT PUSHED IT VIOLENTLY UPWARDS.

THE THIN FUSELAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN BLOWN APART.

THE AIR PRESSURE INSIDE THE PLANE WOULD HAVE RUSHED OUT,

TEARING PASSENGERS FROM THE CABIN

AND FATALLY CRIPPLING THE JET.

Jiwa: THE DEBRIS SCATTERED OVER NINE MILES IS AN INDICATION

OF HOW RAPIDLY AND HOW FEARSOME THIS WHOLE DECOMPRESSION WAS.

BUT IN THIS INSTANCE,

THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETELY DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE OF FLIGHT.

THERE WAS NO WAY OF CONTINUING FLIGHT IN THIS CASE.

Narrator: AS THE JET FELL TOWARD THE SEA,

THE FORCES PUT ON THE FUSELAGE TORE IT APART.

AFTER MONTHS OF PAINSTAKING WORK, INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE

THEY HAVE UNRAVELED THE CAUSE OF THE AIR INDIA CRASH.

THEY'VE PROVEN A BOMB BROUGHT THE PLANE DOWN.

IT'S NOW UP TO POLICE TO FIND THE BOMBERS.

BUT WITH SO MANY DEATHS AND SO MANY MORE POSSIBLE

IF THE NARITA BOMB HAD EXPLODED IN MIDAIR,

THERE IS IMMEDIATE INTEREST IN MAKING PASSENGER JETS SAFER.

Khola: THIS WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DISASTER

IN THE INDIAN AVIATION HISTORY.

AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE PROCEDURES WERE IN PLACE.

Narrator: AS THE HUNT FOR THE KILLERS CONTINUES,

EXTRAORDINARY STEPS ARE TAKEN TO TIGHTEN SECURITY

AND TO SEE IF JETS CAN BE MADE

TO WITHSTAND THE FORCE OF A BOMB.

Narrator: IT'S MAY 1997, MORE THAN 10 YEARS AFTER A TERRORIST BOMB

DESTROYED AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182.

AN OUT-OF-SERVICE 747 IS ABOUT TO TAKE PART

IN A REMARKABLE TEST.

TWO BOMBS ARE PLACED IN THE FRONT CARGO BAY--

TWO MORE ARE PUT IN THE BACK.

Joseph Gatto: WELL, THE BRUNTINGTHORPE TEST

WAS ACTUALLY INTENDED TO PROVE FIVE YEARS' WORTH OF RESEARCH

THAT WE CAN PROTECT AN AIRPLANE

USING HARDENED LUGGAGE CONTAINERS OR HARDENED LINERS

IN A CARGO HOLD.

Narrator: THE PLANE IS ALSO PRESSURIZED

TO SIMULATE THE CONDITIONS A JET WOULD ENCOUNTER

AT CRUISING ALTITUDE.

Gatto: PRESSURIZATION IS THE KEY TO THAT KIND OF EXPERIMENT.

THE ADDED ENERGY THAT YOU HAVE FROM THE PRESSURIZATION

INSIDE THE AIRPLANE ADDS TO THE DAMAGE.

YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS A BALLOON, IF YOU TAKE A PIN,

AND YOU PUT IT IN A BALLOON THAT'S UNINFLATED,

YOU GET JUST A SIMPLE HOLE THE SIZE OF THE PIN.

HOWEVER, IF YOU BLOW THAT BALLOON UP,

AND YOU HIT IT WITH A PIN, IT POPS CATASTROPHICALLY.

Narrator: WHEN THE BOMBS ARE DETONATED...

THE RESULT IS DEVASTATING.

Gatto: THE FORCE OF THE BLAST PLUS THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE JET

JUST TORE THE PLANE APART, AND THAT'S THE CLOSEST WE CAN COME

TO SEEING WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A JET IN FLIGHT.

Narrator: THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF BOMBS ON JETS IS WELL-KNOWN.

BUT WHAT THE TESTS AT BRUNTINGTHORPE SHOWED

WAS THAT RELATIVELY SIMPLE MEASURES

CAN SUBSTANTIALLY MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY AN EXPLOSION.

ONE OF THE BOMBS IN THE REAR CARGO HOLD

WAS PLACED IN A NORMAL LUGGAGE CONTAINER.

BUT THE BOMBS IN THE FRONT CARGO HOLD WERE DIFFERENT.

ONE WAS PLACED IN A SPECIALIZED CONTAINER

STRENGTHENED WITH A MATERIAL

SIMILAR TO THAT FOUND IN BULLET-PROOF VESTS.

THE OTHER WAS PUT IN A NORMAL CONTAINER,

BUT PLACED BESIDE WALLS THAT HAD BEEN REINFORCED

WITH A BLAST-ABSORBING LINER.

WHEN THE BOMBS EXPLODE,

THE FRONT OF THE PLANE IS VIRTUALLY UNTOUCHED.

Gatto: WE HAD NO BREACH OF THE AIRPLANE SKIN WITH THE LINER

OR WITH THE HARDENED LUGGAGE CONTAINERS,

BUT TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE AIRPLANE OR THE TAIL,

WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THE HARDENED MATERIALS,

THERE WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FOR THE AIRPLANE.

Narrator: THE STANDARD LUGGAGE CONTAINER DID NOTHING

TO MINIMIZE THE BLAST.

BOTH THE PROTECTIVE LINING IN THE FRONT CARGO BAY

AND THE HARDENED LUGGAGE CONTAINER

WERE ABLE TO ABSORB THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.

Gatto: IT'S ONLY SPECULATION.

WOULD STEPS LIKE THESE HAVE SAVED AIR INDIA?

VERY LIKELY.

WOULD THEY MAKE THE INDUSTRY SAFER TODAY?

ABSOLUTELY.

Narrator: DESPITE THE DRAMATIC RESULTS OF THE TESTS IN BRITAIN,

HARDENED LUGGAGE CONTAINERS ARE NOT USED

BY THE WORLD'S AIRLINES.

WHILE EFFECTIVE AT STOPPING BOMBS,

THEY'RE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.

Gatto: THE HARDENED CONTAINERS ARE NOT IN USE NOW,

BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE.

THE CONTAINERS COST TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

JUST TO PURCHASE, AND THEY'RE VERY FRAGILE,

THEY'RE COMPOSITE MATERIAL,

SO IF YOU RUN INTO THE SIDE OF THEM WITH A FORKLIFT,

THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH USELESS FROM THAT POINT FORWARD.

Naator: THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS

MADE TO THE WAY THAT PASSENGER LUGGAGE IS SCREENED

AT MOST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS.

MORE SOPHISTICATED COLOR X-RAY SYSTEMS

USING MULTIPLE SCANNING BEAMS ARE NOW USED.

Singh: BUT I AM INDEED CONFIRMED!

WAIT, I'LL GET MY BROTHER, HE'LL TELL YOU.

Adams: OH, UH, OKAY, OKAY, I--I'LL CHECK IT THROUGH,

BUT YOU HAVE TO CHECK WITH AIR INDIA WHEN YOU GET TO TORONTO.

Narrator: AND THERE ARE STRICTER REGULATIONS

ABOUT LUGGAGE GETTING SENT FORWARD ON CONNECTING FLIGHTS.

St. John: IN THE CASE OF AIR INDIA,

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL

WAS PASSENGER BAGGAGE RECONCILIATION.

THIS IS THE KEY TO DETECTING AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE OR A TERRORIST.

NO PLANE LEAVES WITH BAGGAGE

UNATTACHED TO A SPECIFIC PASSENGER INSIDE THAT PLANE.

Adams: YOUR SEAT IS 10-B.

Pada: I THINK ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PIECE OF NEWS

FOR THE FAMILIES TO ACCEPT

WAS THE MANY WAYS

IN WHICH THIS TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

I MEAN, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVABLE

THAT A BAG COULD BE INTERLINED TO ANOTHER DESTINATION

WITHOUT A PASSENGER ACCOMPANYING IT.

Narrator: THE QUALITY OF TRAINING

THAT SECURITY GUARDS AT AIRPORTS GET ALSO CAME UNDER SCRUTINY

DURING THE YEARS AFTER THE AIR INDIA CRASH.

IT'S STILL AN AREA OF CONCERN FOR SOME SECURITY EXPERTS.

St. John: THERE'S A REAL FAILURE TO TRAIN SECURITY PERSONNEL.

AND THAT FAILURE IS BECAUSE YOU CANNOT PAY RENT-A-COPS

SUBSISTENT WAGES TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SECURITY

WHEN YOU GET ON BOARD AN AIRCRAFT.

[CHANTING]

Narrator: IN THE AIR INDIA CASE,

POLICE EVENTUALLY TRACE THE BOMBING TO SIKH EXTREMISTS

LIVING IN CANADA.

THEY'RE FIGHTING TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT SIKH HOMELAND

CREATED IN INDIA.

THE MAN WHO CONFESSED TO ASSEMBLING THE BOMB

IS SENT TO PRISON.

THE MAN SUSPECTED OF MASTERMINDING THE PLOT

IS KILLED SEVERAL YEARS LATER WHILE UNDER ARREST IN INDIA.

BOTH MEN HAD DEEP TIES

TO CANADA'S WEST COAST SIKH COMMUNITY.

IT'S A CONNECTION THAT STILL BOTHERS LATA PADA.

Pada: IT WAS A DELIBERATE ACT OF TERRORISM, AND HURTS EVEN MORE

THAT THEY WERE EXECUTED BY CANADIANS

ON CANADIAN SOIL AGAINST CANADIANS.

Narrator: MORE THAN 20 YEARS AFTER THE DESTRUCTION

OF THE AIR INDIA FLIGHT,

THE SHOCK OF THE DAY IS STILL FRESH,

AND MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED.

Jiwa: WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHO THE TWO PEOPLE WERE

WHO CHECKED IN THE BAGS.

APART FROM THE BASICS OF WHO MADE THE BOMB,

WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT WHO ELSE ASSISTED THEM.

WE DON'T KNOW WHO PICKED UP THOSE TICKETS.

[CHANTING]

THERE'S A VOW OF SILENCE THAT HAS HINDERED THE INVESTIGATION.

Man: THIS INQUIRY WILL BE LAUNCHED IMMEDIATELY,

AND WILL BE LED BY AN OUTSTANDING...

Narrator: IN 2006, THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED AN INQUIRY

INTO THE AIR INDIA BOMBING--

ANOTHER INVESTIGATION OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY.

THE SHOCKING DEATHS OF SO MANY

IS A CONTINUING SOURCE OF ANGER AND DISBELIEF.

NO MATTER WHAT THE INQUIRY FINDS,

THE SOBERING FACTS ARE THE SAME--

329 PEOPLE KILLED IN AN INSTANT.

THERE ARE MEMORIALS NOW IN IRELAND AND CANADA,

MOURNING THE VICTIMS OF THE AIR INDIA CRASH--

MARKING THE DAY A TERRORIST BOMB

RIPPED THROUGH THE LIVES OF SO MANY.