Original subtitles

Narrator: A TERRIFYING VIBRATION...

Man: WHAT'S THAT?

Narrator: SHAKES BRITISH MIDLAND FLIGHT 92.

Man: THERE'S SORT OF GRINDING NOISES

AND SMELLS IN THE CABIN.

Pilot: WHAT IS IT? THE ENGINES?

Man: IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE CREW WERE PRETTY RATTLED BY THIS.

Man: I'M THINKING WE'VE GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE.

Narrator: ONE OF THE WORST CRASHES IN BRITISH HISTORY

HAS A STUNNING CAUSE...

Man: IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT

THAT SUCH A BASIC MISTAKE COULD BE MADE.

Narrator: AND CHANGES COMMERCIAL AVIATION FOREVER.

Man: THE LEARNING POINTS FROM THIS INCIDENT

HAVE BEEN GAME-CHANGING.

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: IT'S A BUSY SUNDAY NIGHT

AT LONDON'S HEATHROW AIRPORT.

THE CREW OF BRITISH MIDLAND FLIGHT 92

IS COMPLETING FINAL TAKEOFF PREPARATIONS

FOR A SHORT FLIGHT TO BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND.

Kevin Hunt: WHY DON'T YOU LET THEM KNOW WE'RE READY TO GO?

David McClelland: WILL DO.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME ABOARD.

WE'LL JUST FINISH UP OUR FINAL CHECKS,

BUT WE'LL HAVE YOU ON YOUR WAY IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

Narrator: THERE ARE 118 PASSENGERS

ON THE EVENING FLIGHT,

INCLUDING BRITISH SOLDIER NIGEL BALDWIN

RETURNING TO DUTY IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

Nigel Baldwin: I WAS EXCITED, YOU KNOW,

JUST HAD AN EXCITING WEEKEND

MAKING THE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR WEDDING,

AND I JUST SETTLED BACK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW,

TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A COMFORTABLE FLIGHT.

Controller: MIDLAND 92, YOU'RE CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.

Hunt: YOU WANT TO TAKE IT THIS TIME?

McClelland: ABSOLUTELY.

Narrator: CAPTAIN KEVIN HUNT FLEW THE PLANE IN FROM BELFAST.

FIRST OFFICER DAVID McCLELLAND

TAKES THE CONTROLS FOR THE RETURN TRIP.

McClelland: THRUST SET.

HERE WE GO.

Narrator: THEIR BRAND NEW 737-400

HAS CLOCKED ONLY 521 HOURS IN THE AIR.

IT'S THE VERY LATEST VERSION

OF THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR PASSENGER PLANE.

Hunt: V-1. ROTATE.

Narrator: THE FLIGHT IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE JUST 75 MINUTES.

Controller: MIDLAND 92, CLEARED TO FLIGHT LEVEL 3-5-0.

Narrator: AS FLIGHT 92 CLEARS

THE BUSY AIRSPACE AROUND HEATHROW,

THE CONTROLLER PERMITS THE CREW

TO CLIMB TO THEIR CRUISING ALTITUDE, 35,000 FEET.

Hunt: FLIGHT LEVEL 3-5-0, MIDLAND 92.

Baldwin: CAN I HAVE A COFFEE, TOO, PLEASE?

Narrator: 13 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT...

Baldwin: WHAT'S THAT?

I JUST KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING NOT QUITE RIGHT.

THERE'S SORT OF GRINDING NOISES AND SMELLS IN THE CABIN

THAT I WASN'T USED TO.

McClelland: WHOA.

Hunt: YOU SMELL THAT?

McClelland: IS THAT SMOKE?

Narrator: THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH ONE OF THE 737'S TWO ENGINES.

CAPTAIN HUNT TAKES CONTROL, LEAVING HIS FIRST OFFICER

TO WORK OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE PLANE.

Guy Hirst: ALL PILOTS, THE FIRST THING IS FLY THE AIRPLANE.

MAKE SURE THE AIRPLANE IS SAFE, SO THAT'S MAKING SURE

YOUR FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS ARE ALL IN THE RIGHT PLACE,

AND, IF THEY'RE NOT, GETTING IT BACK INTO THE RIGHT PLACE.

Hunt: WHAT IS IT? THE ENGINES?

Baldwin: IT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING,

SO, ONE, WE CAN HEAR IT.

TWO, YOU CAN PHYSICALLY FEEL IT

THROUGH THIS IS LIKE A, SORT OF A HUMMING VIBRATION.

McClelland: IT'S A FIRE, KEVIN.

Hunt: WHICH ONE IS IT?

McClelland: IT'S THE LEFT.

IT'S THE RIGHT ONE.

Hirst: I THINK WITH THE NOISES AND EVERYTHING

THAT THEY REALIZED VERY RAPIDLY

IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH ONE OF THE ENGINES

WAS THE ROOT CAUSE

OF A) THE SMOKE AND, B) THE VIBRATION AND THE NOISE.

Narrator: THE CREW TRIES TO STABILIZE THE PROBLEM ENGINE

BY REDUCING POWER ON THAT SIDE.

Hunt: OK, THROTTLE IT BACK.

McClelland: THROTTLING BACK.

Baldwin: IT'LL BE ALL RIGHT, MA'AM.

AND I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW,

THEY'VE GOT THESE CONTROLS IN THE COCKPIT.

THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

Hunt: IT SEEMS TO BE RUNNING ALL RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: THE CREW SEEMS TO HAVE SOLVED THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS...

McClelland: YEAH, BUT WE'VE STILL GOT THE SMOKE.

Narrator: BUT WANT TO GET BACK ON THE GROUND

AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

McClelland: AH, THIS IS MIDLAND 92.

WE'VE GOT AN ENGINE FIRE.

WE NEED TO DIVERT TO EAST MIDLANDS.

Controller: UNDERSTOOD.

CLEARED FOR DESCENT TO 10,000 FEET.

Hirst: IT'S AN UNUSUAL SITUATION.

WE'VE ALL PRACTICED IT MANY, MANY TIMES IN THE SIMULATOR.

WE DO IT EVERY SIX MONTHS.

BUT I THINK TO ACTUALLY DO IT FOR REAL ON A DARK NIGHT

WITH THE VIBRATION AND ALL THAT'S GOING ON,

IT'S VERY DEMANDING.

Baldwin: I FELT A SENSE OF RELIEF

WHEN THE NOISE AND EVERYTHING STOPPED,

THINKING, OH, IT'S OK, THEY'VE SORTED IT.

Narrator: FLIGHT 92 IS JUST 15 MINUTES

FROM EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT.

IT'S CLOSER THAN RETURNING TO HEATHROW.

McClelland: SHUTTING DOWN NOW.

Narrator: THE CREW SPRINGS INTO ACTION.

THEY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE SO THAT THE FIRE DOESN'T SPREAD.

IN THE CABIN, NIGEL BALDWIN IS STRUGGLING TO STAY CALM.

Baldwin: THERE WAS THAT HEIGHTENED SENSE

OF THAT LITTLE BIT OF FEAR THERE, YOU KNOW,

IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND.

WHAT IF?

I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS THAT "WHAT IF" WHEN YOU'RE FLYING.

Hunt: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH OUR RIGHT ENGINE.

WE'VE SHUT IT DOWN,

AND WE'LL BE DIVERTING TO EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT.

Baldwin: THE STEWARDS AND STEWARDESSES CAME ROUND

TAKING THE TRAYS OFF US, SEATBELTS, PLEASE,

SO WE KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE TAKING PRECAUTIONS.

AND I'M THINKING WE'VE GOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE.

Hunt: LANDING LIGHTS.

McClelland: ON.

Narrator: THE PILOTS WILL HAVE TO MAKE THE LANDING

WITH JUST ONE ENGINE.

Hunt: FLAPS ONE, PLEASE.

Narrator: TO LAND SAFELY AT LOW SPEED...

McClelland: FLAPS ONE.

Narrator: THE PILOTS NEED TO SET THEIR FLAPS TO INCREASE LIFT...

Hunt: POWER, PLEASE.

Narrator: AND CALL FOR MORE POWER

FROM THEIR ONE REMAINING ENGINE.

Baldwin: AT SOME POINT, THE NOISES STARTED AGAIN,

THEN AT THIS TIME IT GOT WORSE.

Narrator: THE PILOTS FACE A TERRIFYING NEW DANGER.

Hunt: WE'RE LOSING ANOTHER ENGINE!

Narrator: INCREDIBLY, THE LEFT ENGINE IS NOW FAILING.

THEIR PLANE COULD SOON HAVE NO ENGINE POWER AT ALL.

McClelland: FIRE BELL IN NUMBER ONE.

Narrator: AN ALARM WARNS THE PILOTS

THAT FIRE IS CONSUMING THE ENGINE.

FLIGHT 92 IS LESS THAN 1,000 FEET FROM THE GROUND.

THE PILOTS NEED TO THINK FAST.

Hunt: TRY RELIGHTING THE OTHER ONE.

Narrator: THEY TRY TO RESTART THE ENGINE THEY SHUT DOWN.

McClelland: IT'S NOT... I, I CAN'T SEEM TO...

Narrator: IT WON'T START.

ONE ENGINE IS DEAD. THE OTHER IS IN FLAMES.

Baldwin: I REMEMBER THE FLAMES

COMING OVER THE TOP OF THE ENGINE,

AND THEY WERE SORT OF LICKING AROUND THE SIDES.

Hunt: I HAVE TO STRETCH THE GLIDE.

Narrator: CAPTAIN HUNT PULLS UP THE NOSE OF THE PLANE,

HOPING TO STAY IN THE AIR LONG ENOUGH TO REACH THE AIRPORT.

BUT MORE AND MORE ALARMS ARE FILLING THE COCKPIT.

Hunt: DAMN IT!

Narrator: THE STALL WARNING SHAKES THE CAPTAIN'S CONTROLS,

A DEADLY SIGN THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO LOSE THEIR LIFT.

Baldwin: THERE WERE PEOPLE SCREAMING.

THERE WERE PEOPLE CRYING, YOU KNOW,

HAVING FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES.

Computer: SINK RATE. PULL UP.

Hunt: BRACE! BRACE!

Hunt: PREPARE FOR CRASH LANDING.

Baldwin: IT WAS LIKE BRACE, BRACE.

WHAT DO WE DO?

BOOM. POW.

Computer: PULL UP.

Hirst: THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE WIND NOISE GOING OVER,

EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY SILENT,

SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY STRANGE SENSATION.

Baldwin: I RECOLLECT MY ARMS BEING JUST THROWN AROUND

UNTIL THE PLANE CAME TO A REST.

HAVING NO CONTROL, UM...

THAT'S QUITE EERIE, ACTUALLY.

Narrator: BRITISH MIDLAND FLIGHT 92

HAS SLAMMED INTO AN EMBANKMENT BESIDE THE M1 HIGHWAY,

JUST HALF A MILE FROM THE AIRPORT.

Hirst: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST 15, 20 SECONDS MORE OF POWER

BEFORE THAT ENGINE HAD FAILED.

THEY'D HAVE GOT THERE. SO HEARTBREAKINGLY CLOSE.

Narrator: EMERGENCY CREWS REACH THE SCENE MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH,

BUT GETTING TO THE SURVIVORS PROVES TO BE A HUGE CHALLENGE.

THE PLANE HAS BEEN RIPPED APART.

Baldwin: AH!

Narrator: WHILE EMERGENCY WORKERS STRUGGLE TO CLEAR DEBRIS,

NIGEL BALDWIN DOES WHAT HE CAN TO HELP A FELLOW PASSENGER.

Baldwin: COME ON. GOT TO GET YOU OUT.

I HAD TO BRING HER ONTO MY CHEST AND PULL MYSELF BACKWARDS

ALONG THE CABLES AND GIRDERS THAT WERE LEFT

BECAUSE THE, THE PLANE WAS...

THE ONLY WAY I'VE DESCRIBED IT AS A CHICKEN CARCASS

AFTER A SUNDAY ROAST, WEAK AND FEEBLE.

Narrator: THE SHATTERED FUSELAGE HAS COME TO REST

ON A STEEP EMBANKMENT,

WHERE IT'S IN DANGER OF SLIDING DOWN

AND KILLING MORE PEOPLE.

EXPERTS FROM THE AIR ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION BRANCH

ADVISE RESCUERS ON THE BEST WAY TO SECURE IT.

Christopher Pollard: WE TOOK A PRAGMATIC VIEW

AND ROPED THE TAIL TO TREES

SO THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO FALL OVER.

Narrator: A DENSE TANGLE OF BROKEN SEATS

IS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO REACH THE SURVIVORS.

RESCUERS ARE ASTONISHED

THAT NO ONE DRIVING ON THE BUSY M1 HIGHWAY

HAS BEEN HURT.

Stephen Moss: IN FACT, THERE WERE NO VICTIMS ON THE GROUND,

WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.

Narrator: 87 OF THE 126 PEOPLE ON BOARD ARE ALIVE,

BUT MANY ARE INJURED,

INCLUDING CAPTAIN HUNT, WHO HAS A BROKEN SPINE.

Moss: BECAUSE OF THE STEEPNESS OF THE EMBANKMENT

THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON,

THE EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE FORMING

EFFECTIVELY A HUMAN CHAIN,

SO AS VICTIMS WERE PULLED OUT FROM THE WRECKAGE,

THOSE STRETCHERS WERE HANDED FROM ONE PERSON TO THE NEXT

UNTIL THEY COULD BE PUT INTO AMBULANCES.

Narrator: WITH THE RESCUE COMPLETE,

BRITAIN'S AIR ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION BRANCH

CAN FINALLY GET TO WORK.

ROB CARTER IS ONE OF THE FIRST INVESTIGATORS AT THE SCENE.

Rob Carter: WE ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SCENE

VERY LATE INTO THE EVENING.

ALL THE EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE THERE:

AMBULANCE, FIRE, POLICE.

SOME PRESS PEOPLE WERE JUST BEGINNING TO ARRIVE.

A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY,

AND IT TOOK A MINUTE TO REALLY ASSESS JUST WHAT WAS GOING ON.

IT WAS DRAMATIC.

WALKED INTO THE NOSE SECTION AND I'M LOOKING UP AT THE CEILING,

UP AT THE ROOF OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THERE WERE NO OVERHEAD BINS-- THAT'S REALLY ODD--

AND I REALIZED WHERE IS THE AIRCRAFT FLOOR?

Narrator: THE CRASH HAS FORCED THE CLOSURE OF THE M1 HIGHWAY,

A MAJOR TRAFFIC ARTERY.

INVESTIGATORS NEED TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN.

THEIR FIRST PRIORITY IS GETTING THEIR HANDS

ON THE PLANE'S BLACK BOXES, OR FLIGHT RECORDERS.

Moss: RECOVERING THE FLIGHT RECORDERS, OF COURSE,

IS A VERY MAJOR PRIORITY

AT THE BEGINNING OF AN INVESTIGATION

BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE SENT AWAY,

THEY HAVE TO BE DOWNLOADED AND INTERPRETED.

Narrator: MEANWHILE, ROB CARTER LEARNS WHAT HE CAN

FROM THE LAYOUT OF THE CRASH SITE.

Carter: I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND

WHERE ALL THE BITS OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE,

AND THAT LED ME UP ONTO THE EMBANKMENT

WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD HAD ITS FIRST IMPACT.

Carter: LOOKS LIKE THE LANDING GEAR HIT HERE.

Narrator: THE PLANE HAS LEFT DEEP GOUGES IN THE GROUND ALONG ITS PATH.

THEY GIVE CARTER HIS FIRST HINTS ABOUT HOW THE CRASH UNFOLDED.

Carter: THE MARKS SHOWED ALMOST IN A TEXTBOOK FORM

THE ATTITUDE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN WHEN IT HIT THE GROUND,

THE DIRECTION IT WAS GOING, THE POSITION IT WAS IN.

IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL FOR DEVELOPING WHAT HAPPENED.

THEY GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DEVASTATING FOR THE CREW

AND FOR EVERYBODY ON BOARD.

Narrator: IT'S BECOMING CLEAR

THE PLANE DIDN'T HAVE THE SPEED IT NEEDED TO REACH THE RUNWAY.

THE QUESTION IS WHY?

Moss: I THINK ALL OF THE TEAM, THEIR FIRST IMPRESSION

WAS THAT THIS AIRPLANE SEEMS TO HAVE HAD SOME PROBLEM

WITH ENGINE POWER.

Pollard: THE AIRCRAFT JUST, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAVE THE POWER

TO MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY.

Hunt: DAMN IT!

Narrator: THE PILOTS ARE TOO BADLY HURT TO BE INTERVIEWED.

FOR NOW, INVESTIGATORS LEARN WHAT THEY CAN

FROM THE CONTROLLER ON DUTY THE NIGHT OF THE CRASH.

Controller: THEY SAID THEY HAD AN ENGINE FIRE.

Narrator: THE CONTROLLER EXPLAINS THAT THE CREW

REPORTED A PROBLEM ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE CRASH.

McClelland: AH, THIS IS MIDLAND 92.

WE'VE GOT AN ENGINE FIRE.

WE NEED TO DIVERT TO EAST MIDLANDS.

Controller: UNDERSTOOD.

CLEARED FOR DESCENT TO 10,000 FEET.

Narrator: THE CONTROLLER'S STORY RAISES A QUESTION.

THE 737 AIRCRAFT HAS TWO POWERFUL ENGINES.

HOW COULD A FIRE IN ONE OF THEM CAUSE A PLANE TO CRASH?

THE FATAL CRASH OF A BRITISH AIRLINER NEAR A BUSY HIGHWAY

HAS FRIGHTENED AIR TRAVELERS ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM.

AAIB ENGINEER CHRIS POLLARD

HEADS UP THE INVESTIGATION'S ENGINE TEAM.

Pollard: IF HE HAD HAD ONE GOOD ENGINE

THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO ISSUE ABOUT LANDING,

SO THAT WAS THE INITIAL MYSTERY TO SOLVE.

Narrator: DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FAN BLADES

SOON CONFIRMS THE INVESTIGATORS' HUNCH.

THE PLANE DIDN'T HAVE ONE GOOD ENGINE.

NEITHER OF THEM WAS WORKING AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT.

Pollard: BOTH ENGINES SHOWED PRETTY LOW SPEED ROTATION

AT THE IMPACT,

SO IT WAS A QUESTION OF SORTING OUT WHY THEY WERE BOTH DEAD.

Narrator: DUAL ENGINE FAILURE IS INCREDIBLY RARE.

WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, INVESTIGATORS KNOW

THERE'S ONE THING THEY NEED TO CHECK IMMEDIATELY.

Moss: OK, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN RULE OUT THE OBVIOUS.

WAS THERE WATER IN THE FUEL?

BECAUSE OF COURSE THE FUEL IS THE ONE THING

THAT IS COMMON TO BOTH ENGINES.

Narrator: IF THERE WAS WATER CONTAMINATING THE FUEL,

IT SHOULD BE EASY TO DETECT.

WATER IS HEAVIER THAN JET FUEL

AND WILL SINK TO FORM A VISIBLE LAYER.

Moss: SO NO WATER AT ALL.

OK, SO WE CAN STRIKE OUT THE FUEL.

Narrator: ON FLIGHT 92, HOWEVER, FUEL WAS NOT THE PROBLEM.

THERE'S NO SIGN OF FUEL CONTAMINATION,

AND THE TANKS WEREN'T EMPTY.

Hunt: FLIGHT LEVEL 3-5-0, MIDLAND 92.

Narrator: THERE'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.

BIRDS ARE A HUGE HAZARD FOR AVIATION.

WHEN THEY ARE INGESTED BY JET ENGINES,

THEY CAN DO ENORMOUS DAMAGE.

IF BIRDS DISABLED THE ENGINES OF FLIGHT 92,

TRACES OF THEIR BLOOD AND TISSUE

WILL GLOW UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT.

Pollard: AT THIS POINT, WE HAD NO PROOF AT ALL.

LIGHTS OUT.

THERE WAS NOTHING THAT REALLY WOULD DEMONSTRATE

THAT A BIRD STRIKE WAS THE CAUSE

OF THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OF DISTORTED BLADES.

Narrator: FLIGHT 92 CRASHED LESS THAN A MILE

FROM THE TOWN OF KEGWORTH.

MANY WITNESSES SAW THE PLANE COMING DOWN

WITH AN ENGINE ON FIRE.

BUT SOME ADD A SECOND INTRIGUING DETAIL ABOUT THE CRASH.

Man: WELL, IT WENT PAST LIKE A CEMENT MIXER.

IT WAS AWFUL.

IT WAS A NOISE THAT ONE DOESN'T ASSOCIATE WITH AN AIRPLANE

UNLESS IT'S IN REAL TROUBLE.

Moss: THE WITNESSES HEARD A LOT OF ODD NOISES

COMING FROM THIS AIRCRAFT.

SOME OF THEM DESCRIBED IT

AS BEING LIKE A GRINDING, METALLIC NOISE.

Narrator: SOME WITNESSES SAW AIRCRAFT DEBRIS

FALL ONTO FARMLAND MORE THAN TWO MILES FROM THE CRASH SITE.

Pollard: POLICE PROVIDED A SEARCH TEAM

TO DO A FINGERTIP SEARCH ACROSS FIELDS AROUND THERE,

AND THEY CAME BACK WITH A LOT OF FRAGMENTS.

Narrator: THESE ARE LIKELY THE FIRST PIECES

TO HAVE FALLEN FROM THE PLANE,

MAKING THEM CRITICAL CLUES TO THE ORIGINS OF THE DISASTER.

POLLARD NEEDS TO FIGURE OUT WHY THESE PIECES BROKE OFF.

Pollard: BETTER GET TO IT.

Narrator: THE ANSWER WILL TELL HIM

WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TROUBLE

THAT TRIGGERED THE DIVERSION TO EAST MIDLANDS.

WHILE POLLARD WORKS ON THE ENGINES,

THE REST OF THE TEAM TURNS TO THE BEST LEAD THEY HAVE,

THE PLANE'S VOICE AND FLIGHT DATA RECORDERS.

Moss: BRILLIANT. THANK YOU.

LET'S HOPE THIS GIVES US WHAT WE NEED.

I THINK IT TOOK SEVERAL DAYS TO ACTUALLY DOWNLOAD

AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE GOT WAS THE CORRECT DATA

AND WE WERE INTERPRETING IT CORRECTLY.

Narrator: THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

CAPTURES MORE THAN 60 PARAMETERS,

INCLUDING ENGINE PERFORMANCE.

Moss: SO THE RIGHT ENGINE STOPS HERE,

AND THE LEFT GIVES OUT MORE THAN 15 MINUTES LATER HERE.

WHATEVER THE TWO PROBLEMS WERE,

THEY DIDN'T HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME.

LET'S HEAR IT.

THAT'S AN ENGINE VIBRATION.

CAN'T BE ANYTHING ELSE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS HOPE THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER

WILL PROVIDE MORE INSIGHT INTO WHAT WENT WRONG.

Moss: LET'S SEE WHAT YOU DO ABOUT THAT.

THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER

IS LISTENING TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT

AND WHAT THE CREW ARE SAYING TO EACH OTHER

AND THE SOUNDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLIGHT,

AND OF COURSE, IN THIS CASE, WHAT THE TWO CREW

SAID TO EACH OTHER WAS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL.

McClelland: WHOA.

Moss: THAT'S A BIT OF A SURPRISE.

Hunt: WHAT IS IT? THE ENGINES?

Moss: WE COULD HEAR THE BANGING OF THIS AND THE SHAKING,

AND IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE CREW WERE,

WERE PRETTY RATTLED BY THIS AS WELL.

Hunt: WHICH ONE IS IT?

McClelland: IT'S THE LEFT.

IT'S THE RIGHT ONE.

Moss: DID HE SAY THE RIGHT ONE?

Pollard: IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A MYSTERY

THAT THE VOICE RECORDER SHOWED THEM

APPARENTLY OPTING FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE

AS BEING WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS.

Moss: I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG

WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE AT THIS POINT.

WE WERE SUSPECTING THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE

HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN,

BUT IT WAS THE LEFT ENGINE THAT HAD THE PROBLEM.

IT WAS VITAL THAT WE GOT THE CREW'S VERSION OF EVENTS.

McClelland: WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHATEVER I CAN.

IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT TO ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED

AS IT IS FOR YOU.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN IS STILL RECOVERING FROM HIS INJURIES,

SO INVESTIGATORS RELY ON THE FIRST OFFICER

TO TELL THEM EVERYTHING HE REMEMBERS ABOUT THE CRISIS.

Moss: THIS IS A NEARLY NEW AIRCRAFT.

WHAT'S GONE WRONG?

WE DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

TELL US WHAT HAPPENED.

McClelland: IT STARTED WITH THE VIBRATIONS IN THE RIGHT ENGINE.

THE VIBRATIONS WERE REALLY FIERCE.

CAPTAIN HUNT SUGGESTED THAT WE THROTTLE BACK.

THROTTLING BACK.

DO YOU MIND IF I JUST GET A GLASS OF WATER?

OBVIOUSLY I, I DID AS CAPTAIN HUNT SUGGESTED.

WE THROTTLED BACK THE RIGHT ENGINE,

AND THE VIBRATION STOPPED.

Hunt: SEEMS TO BE RUNNING ALL RIGHT NOW.

Hirst: THE VIBRATION AND THE NOISE WENT AWAY,

SO IT WOULD HAVE INDICATED TO THEM WE'VE DONE THE RIGHT THING.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE FORCED TO CONSIDER AN UNUSUAL THEORY.

Moss: THIS COULD BE TWO UNRELATED ENGINE FAILURES.

FIRE ON THE LEFT SIDE

AND AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ONE ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

Narrator: CHRIS POLLARD SCRUTINIZES ENGINE DEBRIS

RECOVERED FROM FARMLAND NEAR KEGWORTH.

EVERY FRAGMENT IS A POTENTIAL CLUE

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO BRITISH MIDLAND FLIGHT 92.

Pollard: SOME BITS WERE EXTREMELY SMALL.

IT IS ACTUALLY A TRIBUTE TO THE QUALITY OF THE SEARCH

THAT WE GOT AS MUCH AS WE DID.

Narrator: ONE FRAGMENT STANDS OUT.

Pollard: GOTCHA.

Narrator: IT SHOWS CLEAR SIGNS OF METAL FATIGUE.

BECAUSE OF WHERE IT WAS FOUND, POLLARD BELIEVES

IT WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY THE FIRST THING TO BREAK ON THE 737.

Pollard: IF YOU ASSUME THAT THE FATIGUE FAILURE

WAS THE FIRST FAILURE,

THAT WOULD HAVE LOST ABOUT FOUR INCHES

OFF THE END OF ONE OF THE BLADES.

Narrator: THE FINDING COULD EXPLAIN HOW THE ENGINE FAILURE BEGAN.

EVEN ONE BROKEN FAN BLADE

CAN DISTURB THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH AN ENGINE,

CAUSING IT TO SURGE--

A PROCESS SIMILAR TO A CAR BACKFIRING.

Hunt: WHAT IS IT? THE ENGINES?

Pollard: THE ENGINE TRIES TO FIND A NEW BALANCE,

AND TO DO THAT IT RATTLES AROUND.

Baldwin: IT'LL BE ALL RIGHT, MA'AM.

Hirst: THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PHYSICAL VIBRATION.

THE PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT IT WAS LIKE THE SOUND OF, UM,

IN A TUMBLE DRYER OF ROCKS AND STUFF BEING THROWN AROUND.

IT WOULD HAVE REALLY BEEN QUITE VIOLENT.

Narrator: NO TWO FAN BLADES ARE EVER EXACTLY THE SAME.

POLLARD HOPES A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION

WILL TELL HIM WHICH ENGINE THE WEAKENED BLADE CAME FROM.

Pollard: ALTHOUGH THE BLADES WERE ALL NOMINALLY

OF EXACTLY THE SAME ALLOY,

THERE WERE, IF YOU STARTED TO LOOK

IN THE SORT OF PARTS PER MILLION ANALYSIS OF THESE THINGS,

THERE WERE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EACH BLADE.

Narrator: POLLARD SOON HAS AN ANSWER.

Pollard: BLADE 17, LEFT ENGINE.

Narrator: THE BLADE THAT BROKE FIRST AND CAUSED THE VIBRATION

CAME FROM THE LEFT ENGINE.

INVESTIGATORS NOW FACE A TROUBLING QUESTION.

WHY DID THE PILOTS SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE

IF THE VIBRATIONS WERE IN THE LEFT?

Moss: A CREW THIS EXPERIENCED?

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD SHUT DOWN THE WRONG ENGINE.

Narrator: PILOTS HAVE AN ARRAY OF INSTRUMENTS THAT TELL THEM

ABOUT THE OPERATION OF THEIR ENGINES,

INCLUDING ONE THAT MEASURES VIBRATION.

Moss: I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF SKEPTICISM

FROM THE OPERATIONS INSPECTORS, THE PILOTS ON THE TEAM,

BECAUSE HERE WE HAVE A VERY EXPERIENCED,

WELL-QUALIFIED CREW, THE CAPTAIN IN PARTICULAR.

Hunt: WHICH ONE IS IT?

McClelland: IT'S THE LEFT.

IT'S THE RIGHT ONE.

Moss: AND IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT

THAT SUCH A BASIC MISTAKE COULD BE MADE.

Moss: OK, SO LET'S SEE IF THE LEFT AND RIGHT

GOT SWAPPED SOMEHOW.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS WONDER IF A FAULTY ENGINE GAUGE

GAVE THE PILOTS THE WRONG INFORMATION

ABOUT WHICH ENGINE WAS BREAKING DOWN.

Moss: IT HAD HAPPENED IN THE PAST ONCE

THAT THE ENGINE INSTRUMENTS HAD BEEN CROSS-CONNECTED,

SO THE LEFT INSTRUMENT WAS TELLING YOU

WHAT THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS DOING, AND VICE VERSA.

OK.

SO IT LOOKS IDIOT-PROOF TO ME.

THERE'S NO WAY THE LEFT AND RIGHT GOT SWITCHED.

THE CONNECTORS THAT CONNECT ONTO THE BACK OF THE INSTRUMENTS

WERE EFFECTIVELY WHAT'S KNOWN AS CLOCKED,

WHICH MEANS THAT YOU CAN'T FIT LEFT TO RIGHT, RIGHT TO LEFT.

Narrator: THE TESTS ARE CONCLUSIVE.

THE ENGINE GAUGES WORK PERFECTLY,

AND IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO CONNECT THEM TO THE WRONG ENGINE.

THERE'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.

THE VIBRATION MAY HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE

THAT IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE SHUDDERING GAUGES.

Pollard: THIS COULD BE SOMETHING.

AN AMERICAN 737 CAPTAIN HAD HAD ONE OF THESE ONSET

OF SERIOUS VIBRATION,

AND HE SAID THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT PANEL JUST VANISHED INTO A BLUR.

HE COULDN'T SEE A THING.

Hirst: IT WAS A HUGE CONCERN

BECAUSE ENGINES ARE SHUT DOWN AROUND THE WORLD

I'M SURE MANY TIMES A DAY.

VERY, VERY SELDOM IS IT THE INCORRECT ENGINE,

SO IT WAS A STANDOUT MOMENT, REALLY.

Narrator: CAPTAIN HUNT IS FINALLY WELL ENOUGH

TO TALK TO INVESTIGATORS.

Hunt: THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND.

THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE.

Narrator: HE INSISTS THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THE RIGHT ENGINE,

AND HE HAS PROOF.

THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM ON JETLINERS

IS FED BY AIR FROM THE ENGINES,

AND AFTER MORE THAN 13,000 HOURS FLYING JETLINERS,

CAPTAIN HUNT HAS LEARNED THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN HIS ENGINES AND THE SYSTEMS THEY FEED.

Hunt: SHUT IT DOWN.

Narrator: ON THE PREVIOUS PLANE HE FLEW,

THE RIGHT ENGINE PROVIDED NEARLY ALL THE AIR IN THE COCKPIT.

Hunt: WHEN I SMELLED THE SMOKE,

I KNEW THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE.

Moss: AS THEY WERE SMELLING IT IN THE COCKPIT,

THEY THOUGHT THAT THIS MUST BE AN INDICATION

THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT ENGINE

THAT WAS HAVING A FAIRLY MAJOR MECHANICAL PROBLEM.

ON THE 400, THE AIR CON DRAWS FROM BOTH ENGINES.

Narrator: IT'S A TRAGIC ASSUMPTION.

INVESTIGATORS LEARN THAT ON THIS NEWER VERSION OF THE 737,

BOTH ENGINES SUPPLY AIR TO THE COCKPIT.

Hirst: WE'RE NOT CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF HOW WE MADE THE DECISIONS,

SO IF WE GET SLIGHTLY WRONG MENTAL PICTURE

OR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, AS WE CALL IT,

WE WILL MAKE A DECISION

BASED ON THAT SLIGHTLY INCORRECT AWARENESS,

WHICH MIGHT GIVE US THE WRONG OUTCOME.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN HAS ANOTHER REASON

TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT ENGINE.

THE FIRST OFFICER TELLS HIM SO.

McClelland: IT'S THE LEFT.

IT'S THE RIGHT ONE.

Hunt: THROTTLE IT BACK.

McClelland: I JUST STUMBLED OVER MY WORDS, THAT'S ALL.

Hirst: I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER KNOW

WHY HE CHANGED HIS MIND MID-DIAGNOSIS.

Pollard: WE'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE

WHO'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH THE MOST TRAUMATIC THING,

YOU KNOW, AND ASKING THEM TO EXPLAIN THEIR THOUGHT PROCESSES.

Moss: RIGHT. HERE ARE OUR GAUGES.

Narrator: THE LAYOUT OF THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS

MAY PROVIDE A PARTIAL EXPLANATION.

Moss: RIGHT ENGINE.

RIGHT.

SEE, I CAN SEE HOW YOU'D MESS THIS UP.

Narrator: THE GAUGES THAT MEASURE VIBRATION

SIT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PANEL.

UNDER STRESS, THE FIRST OFFICER

MAY HAVE THOUGHT THEY CORRESPOND TO THE RIGHT ENGINE.

McClelland: THE PROBLEM WAS DEFINITELY IN THE RIGHT ENGINE.

Narrator: BUT THE THEORY DOESN'T HOLD UP.

IF THE CREW SHUT DOWN THE GOOD RIGHT ENGINE,

WHY DID THE VIBRATION SUDDENLY STOP IN THE FAULTY LEFT ENGINE?

Moss: THEY REDUCED THE POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE,

BUT SOMEHOW THE LEFT ENGINE SETTLES DOWN.

Narrator: AN IMPORTANT PIECE IS MISSING FROM THIS PUZZLE.

INVESTIGATORS ANALYZE EVERYTHING THE PILOTS DID DURING FLIGHT 92.

WHEN THE CRISIS HITS,

THEY REDUCE POWER TO THE RIGHT ENGINE.

Hunt: SEEMS TO BE RUNNING ALL RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: THE ENGINE PROBLEMS SEEM TO STOP.

Moss: I AM IN NO DOUBT THAT THAT

WAS BY FAR THE MOST DOMINANT CUE FOR THEM

THAT THEY HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING

AND THE PROBLEM LAY IN THE RIGHT ENGINE.

Narrator: THE DATA SHOWS THE FIRST OFFICER

MADE A CRUCIAL ADJUSTMENT

JUST SECONDS BEFORE THE VIBRATION STOPPED.

Moss: THAT'S IT. OF COURSE.

HE HAD TO DISCONNECT THE AUTO THROTTLE.

Hunt: THROTTLE IT BACK.

Narrator: TO REDUCE POWER ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE,

THE PILOT MUST FIRST SWITCH OFF THE AUTO THROTTLE...

McClelland: AUTO THROTTLE OFF.

Narrator: THE PART OF THE AUTOPILOT THAT REGULATES ENGINE POWER.

SWITCHING TO MANUAL HAS AN UNFORESEEN SIDE EFFECT.

IT REDUCES POWER TO THE LEFT ENGINE,

LEADING TO A TEMPORARY BUT DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT

IN PERFORMANCE.

Moss: IT WAS DAMAGED, BUT IT WAS REASONABLY HAPPY OPERATING

AT A LOW POWER SETTING,

WHICH IS ALL IT NEEDED

BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSTANTLY DESCENDING TOWARDS THE AIRFIELD.

Hirst: IT WAS PROBABLY THE KILLER BLOW,

BECAUSE WHAT THAT MEANT

WAS THAT THEY FELT THAT WHAT THEY HAD DONE,

WHICH WAS TO CLOSE THE RIGHT-HAND ENGINE DOWN,

WAS THE CORRECT THING TO HAVE DONE.

Moss: ALL RIGHT.

EVERYTHING FROM AFTER THE SMOKE AND VIBRATIONS START, PLEASE.

Narrator: THE SOUNDS ON FLIGHT 92'S VOICE RECORDER

REVEAL THE PILOTS HAD ANOTHER CHALLENGE.

Hunt: LET'S SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE.

VIBRATIONS, SMOKE...

Narrator: AS THEY START TO ASSESS THE ESCALATING CRISIS,

THEY'RE INTERRUPTED BY A RADIO CALL.

Controller: MIDLAND 92, YOU'RE CLEARED FOR DESCENT

TO FLIGHT LEVEL 4-0.

McClelland: DESCENDING TO FLIGHT LEVEL 4-0, MIDLAND 92.

Moss: YOU'RE ALMOST WILLING THEM TO SAY NO,

FORGET TALKING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.

KEEP ANALYZING THE PROBLEM. YOU'LL GET THERE.

Hirst: THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF MY NECK STILL STAND THEN

BECAUSE I JUST WISH THE NEXT TIME I LISTEN TO IT

IT'LL BE DIFFERENT.

Narrator: FLIGHT 92 CAME TRAGICALLY CLOSE TO LANDING.

WITH ITS RIGHT ENGINE SHUT DOWN,

THE PLANE FLEW FOR NEARLY 17 MINUTES

ON JUST THE DAMAGED LEFT ENGINE.

Hunt: POWER, PLEASE.

Narrator: WHAT TRIGGERED THE FINAL DEADLY FAILURE

AND MADE THE ENGINE EXPLODE INTO FLAMES?

INSIDE THE LEFT ENGINE, POLLARD HAS FOUND DEEP SCRATCHES

CUT INTO THE SOFT ACOUSTIC LINING

THAT MUFFLES ENGINE NOISE.

THE MARKS SUGGEST A THEORY ABOUT THE FAILURE.

Pollard: QUITE CLEARLY, THERE WAS RELATIVELY LITTLE DAMAGE

DONE AT THE FIRST FAILURE.

WE THOUGHT ONE OF THE BLADES, IF IT FLEW FORWARD,

IT COULD IMBED ITSELF IN THE SOFT MATERIAL,

WHICH IS THE ACOUSTIC LINING OF THE INTAKE.

Narrator: POLLARD SUSPECTS THAT WHEN THE FIRST BLADE SNAPPED,

THE BROKEN TIP BECAME EMBEDDED IN THE ACOUSTIC LINING.

Hunt: POWER, PLEASE.

Narrator: WHEN THE CREW INCREASED POWER,

THE EXTRA VIBRATION SHOOK THE FRAGMENT LOOSE

INTO THE ENGINE,

SETTING OFF A CASCADE OF DESTRUCTION.

McClelland: WE'RE LOSING ANOTHER ENGINE!

Pollard: THEY HAD KNOCKED A BIT OFF ANOTHER BLADE,

AND NOW WE HAD TWO BITS GOING ROUND THE ENGINE,

AND IT BUILT UP TO A SORT OF CALAMITOUS FAILURE

OF LOTS AND LOTS OF BLADES.

Narrator: THERE WAS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CREW

TO IDENTIFY THEIR MISTAKE--

PASSENGERS WHO SENSED THE ERROR.

Baldwin: I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG

WHEN I HEARD THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.

Hunt: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH OUR RIGHT ENGINE.

WE'VE SHUT IT DOWN,

AND WE'LL BE DIVERTING TO EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT.

Baldwin: I PARTLY WANTED TO SAY, EXCUSE ME,

THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.

CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT?

AND YOU'RE SAYING IT'S THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE.

BUT A LITTLE BIT OF ME WAS GOING,

"DON'T INTERFERE. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING."

Narrator: THE CREW TRIES TO RESTART THE ENGINE

THEY MISTAKENLY SHUT DOWN,

BUT THEY'RE TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND.

Pollard: AT THE TIME THAT THE ENGINE FAILED FOR GOOD,

THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO GET THE OTHER ENGINE STARTED

BECAUSE STARTUP OF A FAN ENGINE TAKES AN APPRECIABLE TIME.

Narrator: WITH NO ENGINE POWER, THE CRASH IS INEVITABLE.

IN THEIR FINAL REPORT,

INVESTIGATORS CALL FOR IMPROVED VIBRATION GAUGES

THAT ARE EASIER FOR PILOTS TO READ.

THEY ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN THE COCKPIT AND THE CABIN.

Hirst: I THINK FOR THE TRAVELING PUBLIC,

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING ODD ON THE WINGS OR WHATEVER

WHEN YOU'RE SITTING AS A PASSENGER,

MENTION IT TO SOMEBODY,

AND THAT MESSAGE WILL NOW GET THROUGH TO THE PILOTS.

Narrator: THE CAUSE OF ONE OF BRITAIN'S WORST AIR DISASTERS

IS NOW CLEAR.

BUT INVESTIGATORS THINK THIS CRASH

STILL HAS MORE TO TEACH THEM ABOUT SAVING LIVES.

Carter: THIS WAS RIGHT ON THE EDGE

OF WHAT WAS A SURVIVABLE ACCIDENT,

AND THAT WAS WHAT MADE IT SO IMPORTANT

THAT WE DIG INTO THE ISSUES IN THIS

TO SEE HOW THAT FIGURE COULD BE IMPROVED.

Narrator: 79 PEOPLE SURVIVED THE CRASH OF BRITISH MIDLAND FLIGHT 92,

BUT MANY OF THE SURVIVORS WERE BADLY HURT.

ROB CARTER INTENDS TO FIND OUT WHY.

Carter: IN THE OLD DAYS OF AVIATION,

THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION

THAT IF SOMEBODY SURVIVED AN ACCIDENT,

IT WAS JUST PLAIN LUCK.

STARTING IN THE '60s AND '70s, THE IDEA GROWS IN THAT ACTUALLY

A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE'S LIVES CAN BE SAVED,

AND THAT'S AFFECTED A LOT OF DESIGN WITHIN AN AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: WHEN PILOTS LOSE CONTROL AT HIGH ALTITUDE,

IT'S NEARLY ALWAYS FATAL.

BUT FLIGHT 92 WAS IN A CONTROLLED DESCENT

UNTIL THE FINAL SECONDS.

IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO DEADLY.

Carter: THE THOUGHT WAS, IF THERE'S ANY PART OF THE AIRCRAFT

THAT SURVIVES, ACTUALLY,

MOST OF THE OCCUPANTS SHOULD HAVE A DECENT CHANCE AS WELL.

Narrator: MEDICAL RECORDS PROVIDE DETAILS

ON THE INJURIES OF EVERY PASSENGER.

Carter: IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL TIME.

THIS IS A VERY HUMAN BUSINESS.

WE WOULDN'T BE IN IT OTHERWISE.

Narrator: CARTER MATCHES THE FATE OF EVERY PASSENGER

TO THE LOCATION OF HIS OR HER SEAT ON THE PLANE.

Carter: IN THE FRONT SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT

IT WAS THE WORST,

AND THEN FOLLOWED BY THE AREA JUST BEHIND THE WING.

THE BETTER AREAS WERE IN THE TAIL SECTION.

Narrator: CARTER WONDERS WHY SOME LOCATIONS

WERE SO MUCH MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHERS.

THE BROKEN SEATS FROM THE CABIN PROVIDE AN INTRIGUING LEAD.

Carter: THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ENGINEERING FEATURES

IN THESE SEATS,

WHICH WE HADN'T REALLY SEEN BEFORE

AND WHICH WERE PRETTY IMPORTANT.

Narrator: SOME OF THE WORST INJURIES

CAME FROM PASSENGERS BEING STRUCK BY LOOSE SEATS.

THE FINDING RAISES A QUESTION.

AIRCRAFT SEATS ARE DESIGNED

TO ABSORB THE POWERFUL G-FORCES OF A PLANE CRASH

TO HELP PROTECT PASSENGERS.

SO WHY DIDN'T THEY?

TEST DATA FROM THE U.S. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

CONFIRMS THAT THE SEATS CAN HANDLE UP TO 16 Gs,

MORE THAN ENOUGH TO STAND UP TO THE CRASH NEAR KEGWORTH.

Carter: IF ANYTHING, THE SEATS ARE BETTER THAN THEY SHOULD BE.

Narrator: SOMETHING CLEARLY WENT WRONG.

ROB CARTER SCRUTINIZES THE CRUMPLED SEATS FROM FLIGHT 92,

SEARCHING FOR CLUES ABOUT WHY THEY BROKE FREE.

IT'S A CRUCIAL STEP FOR KEEPING PASSENGERS SAFER

IN FUTURE CRASHES.

A COMPUTER SIMULATION HELPS HIM UNDERSTAND

EXACTLY HOW IMPACT FORCES AFFECTED THE CABIN.

Carter: NO WONDER THE SEATS CAME LOOSE.

Narrator: THE SIMULATION SHOWS WHY SOME AREAS

WERE SO BADLY TORN APART.

IT WASN'T THE SEATS THAT FAILED, IT WAS THE FLOOR.

Carter: THE FACT THAT THE FLOOR HAD COLLAPSED

MADE FOR A VERY BIG PROBLEM.

IT MEANT THAT THE SEATS

WERE ALMOST SANDWICHED UP AGAINST EACH OTHER,

AND THAT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE RESCUERS.

Narrator: DURING A CRASH, THE SEATS ARE DESIGNED

TO STAY SECURELY BOLTED THROUGH THE FLOOR

TO THE STRONG METAL FRAME OF THE AIRPLANE.

Carter: THERE IS NO PARTICULAR POINT IN HAVING SEATS

WHICH ARE MUCH STRONGER THAN THE FLOORS THEY'RE SITTING ON.

Narrator: EVEN IN AREAS WHERE THE FLOOR STAYED INTACT,

MANY PASSENGERS WERE BADLY HURT

WHEN THEY STRUCK THEIR HEAD ON THE SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM.

Hunt: BRACE! BRACE!

Narrator: THE PASSENGERS ON FLIGHT 92

WERE WARNED BY THE CAPTAIN TO BRACE.

IT SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED SOME PROTECTION

FROM INJURIES LIKE THESE.

Carter: BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT, IT SEEMED TO ME

THAT A LOT OF AIRLINES WOULD HAVE

A LOT OF DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS

FOR BRACE POSITIONS,

AND I DON'T THINK THEY WERE

PARTICULARLY SCIENTIFICALLY FOUNDED.

Narrator: CARTER ANALYZES THE BRACE POSITION

RECOMMENDED BY AIRLINES IN THE UK.

Carter: WE WERE ABLE TO WORK OUT

JUST WHAT HAPPENED TO PEOPLE'S BODIES IN THE IMPACT,

AND WE WERE ABLE TO TIE THAT UP

WITH WHAT THE MEDICAL PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO TELL US

ABOUT THE INJURIES THEY'D SUFFERED,

BOTH THE PEOPLE WHO'D SURVIVED AND THE PEOPLE WHO'D DIED.

Narrator: THE RESULTS WERE DRAMATIC,

REVEALING SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE RECOMMENDED BRACE POSITION.

Carter: VERY OFTEN WITH HEAD INJURIES AND NECK INJURIES PARTICULARLY,

IT WOULD BE EITHER FROM PEOPLE'S HEADS LOLLING AROUND,

BEING UNCONTROLLED IN AN IMPACT

BECAUSE OUR NECK MUSCLES ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO STOP THAT,

AND ALSO FROM CANNONING INTO THE SEATBACK IN FRONT.

Narrator: THE FINDINGS CONTRIBUTE TO IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS.

EXPERTS NOW RECOMMEND THAT PASSENGERS BEND FORWARD

AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITH THEIR HEAD DOWN

AND THEIR ARMS EITHER WRAPPED AROUND THEIR LEGS

OR BRACED ON THE SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM.

Carter: IT ALL HAPPENS SO QUICKLY.

NONE OF US CAN CONTROL IT CONSCIOUSLY.

IT'S A MATTER OF TRYING TO PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION

WHERE THE EFFECTS OF THE IMPACT

ARE GOING TO BE AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE.

Narrator: SINCE THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 92,

AIRCRAFT DESIGN HAS ALSO EVOLVED.

FLOORS ARE NOW MUCH STRONGER.

OVERHEAD BINS HAVE STURDIER MOUNTS

AND ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO COLLAPSE.

Carter: WHAT WAS VERY HEARTENING

WAS THAT THE ATTITUDE FROM THE REGULATORS

AND PARTICULARLY FROM THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

WAS THAT IT REALLY MATTERED THAT THE OVERHEAD BINS HAD COME DOWN,

THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SIMPLY NOT TOLERABLE,

AND THE MANUFACTURER TOOK HUGE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE

THAT THAT SORT OF THING WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

Narrator: AFTER THE INVESTIGATION,

THE AIRLINE DISMISSES BOTH PILOTS.

Baldwin: I HOLD NO MALICE TOWARDS THEM WHATSOEVER.

THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE VICTIMS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES,

AND I THINK THE BEST THING WE CAN DO

IS LEARN FROM THOSE MISTAKES.

Carter: IT'S VERY SATISFYING THAT THIS ACCIDENT

HAS LED TO REAL CHANGES AND REAL IMPROVEMENTS

IN CRASH WORTHINESS.

IT IS DESPERATELY SAD THAT IT CAME AT THE COST

OF MANY PEOPLE DYING, OF MANY PEOPLE BEING INJURED,

OF MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES BEING FOREVER ALTERED.

THAT'S TRAGIC.

I'M JUST GLAD THAT SOMETHING DID COME OUT OF IT.

Hirst: THE LEARNING POINTS FROM THIS INCIDENT

HAVE BEEN GAME-CHANGING FOR THE AVIATION INDUSTRY,

AND NOW FLYING, FORTUNATELY, IS EXTREMELY SAFE.

THE DANGEROUS PART IS GETTING TO THE AIRPORT.