Original subtitles

Pilot: REQUEST DESCENT FOR FINAL APPROACH.

Narrator: A 737 HEADS FOR A BRAZILIAN AIRPORT

ON THE EDGE OF THE AMAZON.

Man: AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE LANDING IN BELEM?

Pilot: I THINK WE'RE CLOSE.

Narrator: BUT VARIG FLIGHT 254 NEVER REACHES ITS DESTINATION.

Man: SOMETHING IS VERY, VERY, VERY WRONG HERE.

Co-pilot: NO VISIBLE LIGHTS, CAPTAIN.

Narrator: 54 PEOPLE AND THE JETLINER

HAVE VANISHED WITHOUT A TRACE.

Man: WHEN THE FLIGHT DIDN'T LAND,

IT WAS DECLARED AN EMERGENCY.

Man: AS THEY TOOK THE REPORTED POSITION OF THE AIRPLANE,

IT WASN'T THERE.

Narrator: THE DESPERATE HUNT FOR A MISSING PLANE...

Man: THIS IS OUR SEARCH AREA RIGHT HERE.

Narrator: WILL LEAD TO AN ASTONISHING FIND.

Man: IT'S SOMETHING I'M STILL MYSTIFIED BY.

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: BRAZIL IN THE LATE 1980s IS A COUNTRY IN TRANSITION.

SOUTH AMERICA'S LARGEST NATION

IS PREPARING FOR ITS FIRST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

IN ALMOST 30 YEARS.

BUT TODAY, ALL EYES ARE INTENTLY FOCUSED ON ANOTHER CONTEST.

[ANNOUNCER SPEAKING PORTUGUESE}

MILLIONS OF SOCCER-MAD BRAZILIANS TUNE IN

AS THEIR BELOVED TEAM TAKES ON ARCHRIVAL CHILE

IN A CRUCIAL WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH.

Ivan Sant' Anna: THAT FOOTBALL MATCH WAS VERY IMPORTANT

BECAUSE IF BRAZIL LOST THEY WOULD BE ELIMINATED

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WORLD CUP HISTORY.

Narrator: THE CRITICAL MATCH IN RIO

IS ALL ANYONE IS TALKING ABOUT.

EVEN A THOUSAND MILES AWAY AT MARABA AIRPORT,

WHERE THE CREW OF VARIG FLIGHT 254

IS GETTING READY FOR TAKEOFF.

Nilson Zille: EXTERIOR CHECK COMPLETE.

Cezar Garcez: SO, NILSON, YOU THINK CHILE HAS A CHANCE TONIGHT?

Zille: WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORLD CUP, CAPTAIN,

NOBODY HAS A CHANCE AGAINST BRAZIL, HUH.

Narrator: VARIG FLIGHT 254

IS SCHEDULED TO FLY NORTH

FROM THE MINING TOWN OF MARABA

TO BELEM, NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE AMAZON RIVER.

THE CREW CHECKS THE FORECAST AND DIALS IN A COMPASS HEADING

TO GUIDE THEM TO THEIR DESTINATION.

John Cox: IN THE 737-200s, WHICH IS AN OLDER GENERATION AIRPLANE,

THEY DON'T HAVE THE MODERN FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTERS.

THEY'RE USING AN OLDER TECHNOLOGY

OF GROUND-BASED RADIO NAVIGATION AIDS.

Narrator: THERE ARE 48 PASSENGERS ON BOARD,

INCLUDING CARLOS SIQUEIRA.

Carlos Siqueira, translated: I WAS TAKING TIME OFF.

I WORKED FOR A MINING COMPANY IN MARABA,

AND I WAS RETURNING HOME TO MY CITY OF BELEM.

Garcez: HERE WE GO.

Narrator: CAPTAIN CEZAR GARCEZ IS FLYING THE PLANE TONIGHT,

WHILE FIRST OFFICER NILSON ZILLE MONITORS THE INSTRUMENTS.

Zille: V-1. ROTATE.

Narrator: AT 5:35 PM, THE BOEING 737 GETS AIRBORNE.

Sant' Anna: IT WAS A VERY ROUTINE FLIGHT.

IT WAS A CLEAR DAY.

THERE WERE NO WEATHER ISSUES.

THERE WASN'T ANY REASON FOR THEM TO BE WORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING.

Narrator: THE FLIGHT NORMALLY TAKES LESS THAN AN HOUR.

Siqueira: SINCE I WORKED IN MARABA,

I USUALLY TOOK THAT FLIGHT EVERY 20 DAYS.

Narrator: AFTER 23 MINUTES, THE FLIGHT COMPUTER

TELLS THE CAPTAIN THAT THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE TO BELEM.

Cox: THIS AIRPLANE HAD THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

WHERE THEY COULD ENTER THE DISTANCE TO THE DESTINATION,

AND IT WOULD HELP IMPROVE THE FUEL EFFICIENCY.

Garcez: LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NEARLY THERE.

Narrator: THE PILOTS TRY TO CONTACT CONTROLLERS ON THE GROUND.

Zille: BELEM TOWER, VARIG 254, REQUESTING DESCENT.

Narrator: STRANGELY, THEY GET NO RESPONSE FROM THE TOWER.

Zille: BELEM TOWER, VARIG 254.

BELEM TOWER, DO YOU READ?

Garcez: LET ME TRY.

BELEM TOWER, VARIG 254.

Cox: THE PILOTS, I THINK, WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED.

FIRST, DID THEY HAVE A COMMUNICATION RADIO PROBLEM?

WHY CAN'T THEY TALK TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL?

Zille: THAT'S FUNNY.

Garcez: WHAT?

Zille: WE'RE NOT PICKING UP THE BEACON, EITHER.

Narrator: AIRPORTS ARE EQUIPPED

WITH VERY HIGH FREQUENCY OMNI-DIRECTIONAL RANGE BEACONS,

OR VOR BEACONS.

THEY SEND OUT SIGNALS THAT PLANES FOLLOW TO THE RUNWAY.

Zille: YEAH. I'VE GOT NOTHING.

Narrator: VARIG 254 ISN'T PICKING UP THE SIGNAL

FROM BELEM AIRPORT.

Garcez: I'LL CALL THE TOWER ON HF.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN SWITCHES HIS RADIO TO HIGH FREQUENCY

AND TRIES MAKING CONTACT AGAIN.

Garcez: BELEM TOWER, VARIG 254.

Cox: THERE WERE NOT ABLE TO RAISE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

ON THEIR VHF COMMUNICATION RADIOS.

IT HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY, AND IT REQUIRES THEN THE USE

OF A MUCH LONGER-RANGE RADIO SYSTEM.

Garcez: BELEM TOWER, VARIG 254.

Narrator: THE STRATEGY WORKS.

Controller: VARIG 254, BELEM TOWER. GO AHEAD.

Cox: AS YOU APPROACH THE DESTINATION,

YOU HAVE RADIO NAVIGATION TUNED UP

TO THAT SPECIFIC BEACON ON THE GROUND.

Garcez: BELEM, WE'RE ON APPROACH, BUT WE AREN'T SEEING THE VOR.

IS THE BEACON DOWN?

Controller: NEGATIVE, 254.

LOOKS LIKE IT'S ON YOUR END.

Cox: IN THIS CASE, THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING THAT.

Garcez: UNDERSTOOD.

Cox: AND THEY WERE DOING WHAT IS DEDUCED RECKONING,

OR DEAD RECKONING.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN CHECKS HIS PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

AND CALCULATES WHEN THEY'LL ARRIVE AT THEIR DESTINATION.

Garcez: BELEM, WE'RE 25 MINUTES OUT.

REQUEST DESCENT FOR FINAL APPROACH.

Controller: ROGER. VARIG 254, CLEARED TO FLIGHT LEVEL 2-0-0.

Narrator: THE CONTROLLER CLEARS THE CREW DOWN TO 20,000 FEET.

Garcez: FLIGHT LEVEL 2-0-0, VARIG 254.

Cox: AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS IN NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENTS

SEPARATE THE AIRPLANES BY TIME,

SO THESE POSITION REPORTS ARE VERY CRITICAL,

AND IT'S REQUIRED THAT IF YOUR ESTIMATE TO A FIX

CHANGES BY MORE THAN THREE MINUTES,

YOU'RE REQUIRED TO ADVISE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

OF THAT REVISED ESTIMATE.

Narrator: THE PLANE SHOULD SOON BE AT THE AIRPORT.

Siqueira: WHEN THE PLANE WAS DESCENDING,

IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A NORMAL LANDING.

Narrator: AS THE PLANE DROPS BELOW THE CLOUDS,

THE CAPTAIN LOOKS FOR THE LIGHTS OF BELEM.

Cox: THEY BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS

EXPECTING TO SEE TERRAIN THAT THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH.

Garcez: WHERE ARE THE LIGHTS?

Cox: AND EXPECTING TO SEE THE AIRPORT.

Garcez: WHERE'S THE AIRPORT?

Cox: AND TO VISUALLY ALIGN THE AIRPLANE

WITH THE LANDING RUNWAY.

THEY DON'T SEE THAT.

Narrator: INSTEAD, THERE'S ONLY DARKNESS

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

Siqueira: THAT'S WHEN EVERYBODY THOUGHT,

WHERE IS HE GONNA LAND IF THERE'S NO RUNWAY?

BELEM IS NOT THERE.

AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE LANDING IN BELEM?

PANIC STARTED BUILDING IN THE AIRPLANE.

PEOPLE WERE ASKING, WHY AREN'T WE LANDING IN BELEM?

WHAT'S...WHAT'S GOING ON?

Garcez: WAIT A MINUTE.

I THINK WE JUST OVERSHOT THE AIRPORT.

Narrator: THE CREW MAY HAVE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM.

THE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SHOWS

THAT THEY'VE FLOWN 30 MILES PAST THEIR DESTINATION.

Zille: YOU WANT TO DO A 180?

Garcez: YEAH.

TURN RIGHT, HEADING ZERO-NINER-ZERO.

Zille: TURNING RIGHT, HEADING ZERO-NINER-ZERO.

Cox: THE CREW REALLY BEGAN TO REALIZE, OK,

WE'VE MADE A SMALL NAVIGATION MISTAKE.

WE NEED TO FIND THE AIRPORT AND GO AHEAD AND LAND.

Siqueira: THE PILOT DIDN'T OFFER ANY EXPLANATION.

HE SIMPLY PROCEEDED TO MANEUVER AND TURN AROUND.

AND IT WAS ALREADY NIGHTTIME.

Garcez: BELEM, WE ARE VERY CLOSE.

REQUESTING FURTHER DESCENT TO FLIGHT LEVEL 4-0.

Controller: 254, YOU ARE CLEARED FOR DESCENT, FLIGHT LEVEL 4-0.

Narrator: THE CONTROLLER CLEARS THE PLANE TO DESCEND FURTHER,

TO 4,000 FEET.

Sant' Anna: THE CAPTAIN EXPECTED HE WOULD BE LANDING IN BELEM

IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.

Narrator: ON THE SOCCER FIELD, BRAZIL HAS TAKEN THE LEAD.

THEIR GOAL OF REACHING THE WORLD CUP IS IN SIGHT.

BUT IN THE AIR...

Zille: NO VISIBLE LIGHTS, CAPTAIN.

Narrator: THE PILOTS OF VARIG 254

ARE NO CLOSER TO FINDING THE RUNWAY.

Cox: THEIR ACTIONS INDICATE A SLOW REALIZATION

THAT THEY ARE NOT WHERE THEY THINK THEY ARE.

Garcez: WHAT'S OUR FUEL?

Cox: NOW THE QUESTION ARISES IS WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO ABOUT IT?

Narrator: AT BELEM AIRPORT,

THE CONTROLLER IS GROWING CONCERNED.

FLIGHT 254 SHOULD HAVE LANDED 10 MINUTES AGO.

Zille: NO VISIBLE LIGHTS, CAPTAIN.

Sant' Anna: THEY KNEW NOW THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.

WHEN THE FLIGHT DIDN'T LAND, IT WAS DECLARED AN EMERGENCY.

Narrator: ON FLIGHT 254,

THE SITUATION IS BECOMING CRITICAL.

Zille: WE NEED TO LAND SOON

OR ELSE WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT OF FUEL!

Garcez: I THINK WE'RE CLOSE.

Sant' Anna: WHEN HE FLEW OVER WHERE HE THOUGHT BELEM SHOULD BE,

HE DIDN'T FIND IT.

IT'S VERY EASY TO FIND BELEM.

HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

Garcez: WHY DON'T WE SEE IF WE CAN PICK UP

A LOCAL RADIO STATION FROM BELEM?

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN TRIES TO HOME IN ON A LOCAL RADIO SIGNAL,

HOPING IT WILL HELP GUIDE THEM TOWARD THE CITY.

Cox: THE AUTOMATIC DIRECTION FINDERS, OR ADFs,

ARE CAPABLE OF TUNING UP A.M. RADIO STATIONS,

COMMERCIAL A.M. RADIO STATIONS,

AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CRITICAL

BECAUSE THIS IS A LOW POPULATION AREA.

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GEOGRAPHIC VISUAL CLUES.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AMAZON.

Narrator: THE DO-OR-DIE SOCCER GAME

IS BEING BROADCAST BY RADIO STATIONS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BRAZIL LEADS 1-0 WITH 20 MINUTES TO GO

WHEN SUDDENLY CONTROVERSY ERUPTS ON THE FIELD.

Sant' Anna: ONE OF THE FANS THREW A FLARE

THAT FELL RIGHT NEXT TO THE CHILEAN GOALIE.

THE GOALIE PRETENDED THAT THE FLARE HIT HIM

AND CUT HIMSELF WITH A RAZOR BLADE.

HIS FACE WAS COVERED WITH BLOOD,

AND THE CHILEAN TEAM ABANDONED THE FIELD.

IF CHILE LEFT THE MATCH FOR SECURITY REASONS,

THEY COULD BE DECLARED THE WINNERS OF THE MATCH.

Narrator: ABOARD FLIGHT 254, THE PILOTS HAVE MANAGED

TO PICK UP A LOCAL STATION BROADCASTING THE MATCH.

Garcez: NOW WE CAN FOLLOW THE SIGNAL TOWARDS BELEM.

Zille: TURNING RIGHT, HEADING 1-6-5.

Narrator: PASSENGERS CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE PLANE IS TURNING YET AGAIN.

Siqueira: WE WERE GETTING EXTREMELY WORRIED.

THE PLANE IS GOING BACK AND FORTH.

THE STARS AND THE MOON WERE ON ONE SIDE,

AND NOW THEY'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG HERE.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN IS CONFIDENT HE'S NOW ON COURSE.

HE'S SPOTTED A LANDMARK ON HIS RADAR.

Garcez: THERE WE GO.

WE'RE OVER THE AMAZON NOW.

Narrator: BELEM IS NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE AMAZON.

FOLLOWING THE RIVER SHOULD LEAD THE PILOTS TO THE CITY.

BUT MOMENTS LATER, THERE'S SERIOUS TROUBLE.

Zille: WE'VE GOT A FUEL WARNING!

Narrator: FLIGHT 254 IS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL.

THE PILOTS SUDDENLY REALIZE THEY CAN'T MAKE IT TO BELEM.

Zille: DO YOU WANT TO PUT ON SOME FLAPS

IN CASE WE LOSE POWER?

Garcez: YEAH.

Narrator: THEY'LL HAVE TO CRASH LAND IN THE DENSE AMAZON RAINFOREST.

Garcez: FLAPS TO TWO.

WE NEED TO DO A CONTROLLED DESCENT.

I BETTER PREPARE THE PASSENGERS.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WE HAVE HAD A MALFUNCTION WITH OUR NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS

AND WE WILL BE MAKING A FORCED LANDING.

Siqueira: HE SAID THERE WAS GOING TO BE A FORCED LANDING

AND THAT WE SHOULD ALL TAKE OUR EMERGENCY POSITIONS,

BEND YOUR HEAD DOWN AND HOLD YOUR LEGS TOGETHER.

AND MAY GOD HELP US. THOSE WERE HIS WORDS.

Garcez: AND MAY GOD HELP US.

Narrator: PANIC BEGINS TO TAKE HOLD IN THE CABIN.

Sant' Anna: SOME PEOPLE WERE PRAYING.

OTHERS RAIDED THE BAR AND DRANK EVERYTHING.

OTHERS WERE LOOKING FOR THE BEST SPOT IN CASE OF A CRASH.

ANOTHER PASSENGER SAT IN THE LAST ROW

AND HE GRABBED ALL THE PILLOWS

AND COMPLETELY COVERED HIMSELF WITH THEM.

Narrator: AT 8:45 PM, FLIGHT 254 RUNS OUT OF FUEL.

THE LEFT ENGINE IS THE FIRST TO DIE.

Zille: WE JUST LOST AN ENGINE!

Garcez: HANG ON.

I'M GOING TO PUT HER DOWN.

Zille: THERE GOES THE OTHER ONE!

Narrator: WITH THE SECOND ENGINE GONE,

THE 37-TON JET FALLS CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE GROUND BELOW.

Siqueira: YOU HAVE YOUR EYES CLOSED, YOUR LIFE FLASHING BEFORE YOU.

YOU ASK GOD FORGIVENESS

FOR ALL THE WRONG THINGS YOU DID IN YOUR LIFE.

Narrator: THE INEVITABLE IMPACT IS JUST SECONDS AWAY.

Computer: TERRAIN. TERRAIN. PULL UP.

Garcez: I JUST NEED TO BRING US DOWN...

NICE AND SLOW.

Siqueira: THEN WHAT HAPPENED

WAS IT STARTED TO TOUCH THE TOP OF THE TREES.

YOU'RE EXPECTING THE WORST.

Sant' Anna: HE MADE THE MOST DIFFICULT FORCED LANDING

IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION.

Siqueira: WHEN THE PLANE STOPPED,

I FELT MYSELF ALL OVER

TO SEE IF I HAD ANY CUTS OR BROKEN BONES.

AND THEN I THOUGHT, AM I IN HEAVEN?

HAVE I DIED AND I'M ALREADY IN HEAVEN?

Narrator: OF THE 54 PASSENGERS AND CREW, 48 HAVE SURVIVED.

MANY ARE BADLY HURT, INCLUDING FIRST OFFICER ZILLE.

Sant' Anna: THE FIRST OFFICER, NILSON ZILLE,

WAS PIERCED ON ONE SIDE BY A TREE BRANCH

AND HE WAS BADLY INJURED.

HE FRACTURED HIS LEG AND HIS SHOULDER.

Garcez: NILSON.

Narrator: CAPTAIN GARCEZ QUICKLY TAKES CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.

Garcez: I'LL COME BACK AND HELP YOU.

I HAVE TO CHECK THE PASSENGERS, OK?

I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

Sant' Anna: CAPTAIN GARCEZ DIDN'T GET HURT.

HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A SCRATCH.

AT THAT POINT,

GARCEZ DID EVERYTHING THAT A CAPTAIN MUST DO.

HE HELPED THOSE THAT HE COULD HELP.

HE FREED WHOEVER HE COULD,

THOSE WHO WERE TRAPPED IN THE METAL DEBRIS.

Garcez: WE HAVE TO GET YOU OUT OF HERE, OK?

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Narrator: SURVIVING THE CRASH LANDING

FEELS LIKE A MIRACLE TO MANY OF THE PASSENGERS.

BUT THEY NOW FACE A NEW THREAT TO THEIR SURVIVAL.

THEY'RE STRANDED IN THE VAST AMAZON RAINFOREST

WITH NO FOOD, NO WATER,

AND NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY'LL EVER BE FOUND.

THE SHATTERED FUSELAGE OF THE 737

IS NOW THE ONLY SHELTER FOR SURVIVORS OF VARIG FLIGHT 254.

THE PLANE'S SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE OVER THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

HAS LEFT BRAZILIAN AVIATION AUTHORITIES

GRASPING FOR ANSWERS.

THEY TURN TO COLONEL RONALDO JENKINS,

AN AIR CRASH INVESTIGATOR WITH THE BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE.

Ronaldo Jenkins, translated: THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THERE'S A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT

THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE IN BELEM AND IT DIDN'T ARRIVE,

BUT NO ONE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLANE.

THEY LEFT MARABA ON TIME, BUT NEVER GOT TO BELEM.

THIS IS OUR SEARCH AREA RIGHT HERE, GENTLEMEN.

Douglas Machado, translated: THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT

AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO REACH IT,

BECAUSE INITIALLY WE WEREN'T SURE WHERE IT WAS.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS INTERVIEW THE LAST PERSON

TO BE IN CONTACT WITH FLIGHT 254,

THE BELEM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER.

Jenkins: ACCORDING TO THE CONTROLLERS,

THE COMMUNICATIONS WERE QUITE NORMAL

OTHER THAN THE STRANGE FACT THAT THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING A SIGNAL

FROM THE GROUND-BASED EQUIPMENT, THE VOR BEACON, AT BELEM.

Controller: HE SAID HE WAS CLOSE AND HE ASKED ME FOR DESCENT.

Narrator: BELEM AIRPORT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH RADAR.

THE CONTROLLER CAN ONLY TELL INVESTIGATORS

THE PILOT'S LAST REPORTED POSITION.

Cox: BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RADAR, THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

RELIES ON THE PROPER NAVIGATION SKILLS OF THE PILOTS

AND THEIR TIMELY REPORTS.

Narrator: WITH LITTLE ELSE TO GO ON,

RESCUERS CONCENTRATE THE SEARCH IN A SMALL RADIUS AROUND BELEM.

THEY FIND NO SIGN OF FLIGHT 254.

Jenkins: YOU NEVER START WITH A PRECONCEIVED IDEA

THAT SUCH AND SUCH HAPPENED--

EXPLODED MIDFLIGHT, LOST AN ENGINE, NONE OF THIS.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GO IN SEARCH OF THE AIRCRAFT

THAT LEFT ONE LOCATION

AND WAS SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE IN ANOTHER.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ALSO COMB THROUGH SATELLITE DATA,

HOPING TO FIND A SIGNAL

FROM THE PLANE'S EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER.

THE DISTRESS BEACON IS DESIGNED TO ACTIVATE AFTER AN ACCIDENT

TO HELP GUIDE RESCUERS TO THE PLANE.

Jenkins: THE IMPACT SHOULD HAVE SET OFF THEIR LOCATOR.

ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IS FLIGHT 254.

Narrator: BUT THE SIGNAL FROM THOSE BEACONS

IS ON THE SAME FREQUENCY AS OTHER EMERGENCY TRANSMISSIONS,

MAKING IT HARD TO PINPOINT THE PLANE.

Jenkins: EVERY TIME YOU USE THIS FREQUENCY

OR SPEAK ON THIS FREQUENCY,

THE SATELLITE RECEIVES THOSE MESSAGES,

AND SO IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO IDENTIFY WHICH ONE

IS THE REAL POSITION OF THE AIRPLANE.

Narrator: MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE IN THE AMAZON RAINFOREST,

THE SURVIVORS OF FLIGHT 254 ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY ALIVE.

Siqueira: I WAS PART OF A GROUP

THAT WENT OUT TO SEARCH FOR WATER.

THERE WAS A STREAM NEARBY.

WE DRANK SOME WATER, AND WE TOOK SOME BACK

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE PLANE.

HERE'S SOME WATER.

HEY, HAVE SOME WATER, MAN.

Narrator: BUT CARLOS SIQUEIRA'S EFFORTS CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE.

Sant' Anna: THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE

WHO WERE SEVERELY INJURED AND IN HORRIFIC PAIN,

AND SOME OF THE PASSENGERS STARTED DYING.

Narrator: IF HELP DOESN'T ARRIVE SOON, MORE WILL DIE.

THE CAPTAIN HAD HOPED RESCUERS FROM BELEM

WOULD FIND THE CRASH SITE WITHIN HOURS.

NOW, A DAY LATER, HE FEARS THE PLANE'S EMERGENCY BEACON

ISN'T SENDING OUT A SIGNAL.

Garcez: I THINK I CAN GET THIS WORKING

IF WE CAN JUST GET IT SUBMERGED.

Narrator: SOME BEACONS ARE DESIGNED TO ACTIVATE

ONLY WHEN A PLANE IS LOST AT SEA.

Cox: IN THE CASE OF THE VARIG AIRPLANE, IT WAS...

THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER

ONLY TRANSMITTED WHEN IT WAS IMMERSED IN WATER.

Narrator: WITH PRECIOUS WATER IN SHORT SUPPLY,

GARCEZ COMES UP WITH A CREATIVE SOLUTION.

Sant' Anna: THEY URINATED ON IT TO SUBMERGE IT

SO THAT IT WOULD BE ACTIVATED.

Jenkins: I WANT TO SEND A HELICOPTER

TO GO AND CONFIRM THE IDENTITY OF THIS SIGNAL HERE.

Machado: YOU GET ANXIOUS TO FIND THE PLANE QUICKLY

BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVAL

DURING THE FIRST 48 HOURS.

AFTER THAT, SURVIVORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE.

Narrator: AFTER TWO NIGHTS IN THE JUNGLE,

THE SURVIVORS REALIZE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT TO BE RESCUED.

Siqueira: PEOPLE WERE WEAK

BECAUSE WE HAD WATER BUT NO FOOD.

GOOD LUCK.

Narrator: A SMALL GROUP SETS OFF INTO THE JUNGLE TO FIND HELP.

HOURS LATER, THEY STUMBLE ON A FARMHOUSE.

THEIR TERRIFYING ORDEAL WILL SOON BE OVER.

Jenkins: THEY FOUND SURVIVORS!

Machado: IT'S SORT OF A RELIEF

TO REALIZE THE SCENARIO IS NOT AS TRAGIC,

AND THERE'S AN URGENT DESIRE TO GET TO THE LOCATION

AND START TO WORK.

Narrator: THEN INVESTIGATORS GET A SHOCK.

Jenkins: WHERE DID YOU SAY THEY ARE?

Narrator: THE CRASH SITE IS NOWHERE NEAR BELEM.

Jenkins: IT CAME DOWN RIGHT HERE.

Narrator: THE WRECKAGE OF FLIGHT 254

IS LYING IN THE JUNGLE NEARLY 700 MILES AWAY.

Jenkins: HOW ON EARTH DID THEY GET WAY OVER THERE?

Jenkins: WE WERE REALLY VERY SURPRISED TO LEARN

THAT THE PLANE WAS IN THAT LOCATION,

VERY FAR SOUTH AND VERY FAR WEST

OF THE POSITION WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

NO WONDER WE COULDN'T SPOT THE BEACON.

IT'S NOWHERE NEAR THE DESTINATION.

Narrator: AS SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS SCRAMBLE TO THE REMOTE LOCATION,

INVESTIGATORS ARE LEFT WITH AN URGENT QUESTION.

Jenkins: THEY WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THAT LOCATION,

SO THEY GOT LOST DURING THE FLIGHT.

NOW, WHAT CAUSED THEM TO GET LOST CONTINUES TO BE A MYSTERY.

Narrator: THE BRAZILIAN MILITARY REACHES THE REMOTE CRASH SITE

OF VARIG 254.

THE SURVIVORS ARE AIRLIFTED OUT.

FIVE HAVE DIED WAITING FOR RESCUE.

ANOTHER DIES SOON AFTER.

Siqueira: THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DIED,

NOT DURING THE CRASH,

BUT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET ANY MEDICAL AID.

Narrator: MANY BELIEVE MORE WOULD HAVE DIED

IF NOT FOR THE SKILL OF CAPTAIN GARCEZ.

Garcez: I PROMISE YOU. OK?

Sant' Anna: GARCEZ WAS CONSIDERED A GREAT HERO

BY THE BRAZILIAN PEOPLE

BECAUSE HE WAS THE PILOT WHO WAS ABLE TO LAND A PLANE IN THE DARK

AND SAVE 42 OUT OF 54 PASSENGERS.

Machado: I KNOW THIS GUY.

HE'S A GOOD PILOT.

Garcez: I'M GOING TO PUT HER DOWN!

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE PUZZLED

AS TO HOW A PILOT AS ACCOMPLISHED AS GARCEZ

COULD HAVE FLOWN SO FAR OFF COURSE.

Machado: WHILE I WORKED AS AN INSPECTOR FOR VARIG,

TWICE I OVERSAW GARCEZ.

TWICE.

AND I COULD SEE THAT HE WAS A VERY DISCIPLINED PILOT

AND EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL.

HE KNEW THE AIRCRAFT, KNEW THE PROCEDURES.

HE DEFINITELY DID THINGS CORRECTLY.

Garcez: OUR NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS WEREN'T WORKING.

IT'S VERY STRANGE.

I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN CLAIMS THE PLANE'S INSTRUMENTS MALFUNCTIONED.

HE WAS FORCED TO NAVIGATE BY TUNING IN TO A RADIO STATION.

Garcez: WE HAD TO IMPROVISE.

WHY DON'T WE SEE IF WE CAN PICK UP

A LOCAL RADIO STATION FROM BELEM?

Narrator: NEWS THAT THE CREW TUNED IN TO A COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION

SPARKS MEDIA SPECULATION THAT THE PILOTS BECAME LOST

BECAUSE THEY WERE DISTRACTED BY THE SOCCER GAME.

Cox: YOU HEAR A LOT OF THINGS

DURING AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION,

A LOT OF UNGROUNDED SPECULATION.

I WOULD CALL THAT AN INCOMPLETE AND UNSUBSTANTIATED ACCUSATION.

Narrator: AT THE AMAZON CRASH SITE,

THERE'S BEEN A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH--

THE DISCOVERY OF THE PLANE'S TWO FLIGHT RECORDERS.

THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER CAPTURES DETAILED INFORMATION

ABOUT THE PLANE'S HEADING.

INVESTIGATORS HOPE IT WILL REVEAL

WHY FLIGHT 254 WAS SO BADLY OFF COURSE.

Machado: WE WERE RELYING ON THE TWO FLIGHT DATA RECORDERS.

BOTH PILOTS WERE ALIVE,

SO WE THOUGHT WE WERE CERTAIN TO COME TO A CONCLUSION.

Narrator: THEY ALSO RECOVER AS MANY DOCUMENTS FROM THE COCKPIT

AS THEY CAN.

Machado: THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS AT THAT MOMENT

WERE NAVIGATION CHARTS, ALL OF THEM, MANUALS, RECORDS,

ANYTHING THAT WOULD PROVIDE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

FOR THE PILOTS TO FLY THE PLANE.

Narrator: EACH FRAGILE PAGE IS CAREFULLY PHOTOGRAPHED

TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.

MEANWHILE, INVESTIGATORS USE THE HEADING DATA

TO RECONSTRUCT THE PATH OF THE PLANE.

Jenkins: THEY TOOK OFF DUE WEST, HEADING 2-7-0.

THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER WAS FUNDAMENTAL

BECAUSE IT PROVIDED US WITH THE TRACK OF THE AIRPLANE,

THE POSITIONS, THE TIMES, WHERE THE AIRPLANE FLEW.

Narrator: BUT THE FLIGHT DATA

PAINTS A CONFUSING PICTURE.

INSTEAD OF FLYING NORTH TO BELEM,

THE PLANE TOOK OFF WEST

AND FLEW IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT.

Jenkins: THEY'RE FLYING THE WRONG WAY FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.

THIS BECAME A CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION,

TO KNOW WHY THE AIRCRAFT WAS SO FAR OFF COURSE.

Machado: WHY?

Narrator: A BROKEN NAVIGATION SYSTEM COULD EXPLAIN THE MISTAKE.

BUT WHEN INVESTIGATORS TRY TO GET MORE INFORMATION

FROM THE CREW,

THEY HIT AN UNEXPECTED ROADBLOCK.

THE PILOTS' UNION FLIES GARCEZ AND ZILLE TO RIO DE JANEIRO,

DENYING INVESTIGATORS ACCESS TO THEM FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

Machado: THE UNION BELIEVED THE INVESTIGATORS

WOULD HOLD THE PILOTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRASH.

Narrator: FOR NOW, THE ONLY WORDS FROM THE PILOTS

THAT INVESTIGATORS CAN HEAR

ARE THOSE CAPTURED ON THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER.

Machado: LET'S HEAR IT.

Zille: WE JUST LOST AN ENGINE!

Garcez: I JUST NEED TO BRING US DOWN...

NICE AND SLOW.

Narrator: IT'S THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE JOB

FOR ANY AIR CRASH INVESTIGATOR--

HEARING FEAR IN A PILOT'S VOICE...

Zille: WE JUST LOST THE OTHER ONE!

Narrator: AND LISTENING AS A FATAL TRAGEDY UNFOLDS.

Garcez: I'M GOING TO PUT HER DOWN.

Machado: REWIND IT, PLEASE, ALL THE WAY TO THE BEGINNING.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS HOPE THE 30-MINUTE RECORDING

CAN TELL THEM WHY THE PILOTS FLEW IN THE WRONG DIRECTION,

BUT THEY'RE OUT OF LUCK.

Garcez: THERE WE GO.

WE'RE OVER THE AMAZON NOW.

Narrator: BY THE TIME THE RECORDING STARTS,

THE PILOTS ARE ALREADY DESPERATELY LOST.

WHATEVER LED THEM OFF COURSE HAD HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE FLIGHT.

Cox: COCKPIT VOICE RECORDERS TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN

THE LAST 30 MINUTES OF FLIGHT.

ONLY IN RECENT YEARS HAS THAT RECORDING LENGTH

BEEN EXTENDED TO TWO HOURS.

Jenkins: THE PROBLEM STARTED DURING THE FIRST MOMENTS OF THE FLIGHT.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A RECORDING

BECAUSE OF THE TIME LIMITATIONS ON THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE DESPERATE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

THEY STUDY THE NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

RECOVERED FROM THE COCKPIT.

Jenkins: WE SET OUT TO MAKE A COMPLETE ANALYSIS

OF THE ENTIRE NAVIGATION SYSTEM OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: THEY KNOW THE CAPTAIN REPORTED A MALFUNCTION

IN THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM

THAT PUT HIS PLANE HUNDREDS OF MILES OFF COURSE.

Zille: THAT'S FUNNY.

Garcez: WHAT?

Zille: WE'RE NOT PICKING UP THE BEACON, EITHER.

Narrator: THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED SUCH A MALFUNCTION.

IF THEY DON'T, THE LIVES OF PASSENGERS AROUND THE GLOBE

COULD BE IN DANGER.

Machado: WE WERE VERY CONCERNED

BECAUSE THERE WERE AT LEAST 30 OTHER AIRCRAFT OF THE SAME MODEL

FLYING IN BRAZIL.

IF IT HAPPENED TO ONE, IT COULD HAPPEN TO OTHERS.

Narrator: THE PRESSURE ON INVESTIGATORS IS HUGE.

INVESTIGATORS LOOK INTO THE POSSIBILITY

THAT THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM ON VARIG FLIGHT 254

MALFUNCTIONED AND LED THE CREW OFF COURSE.

Cox: IN A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S THIS MUCH CONFUSION

ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE,

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP

IS WHAT SYSTEMS HAVE, MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED.

Narrator: THEY SUSPECT THE PLANE'S CARGO MAY HOLD THE KEY.

THE 737 HAS A MAGNETIC SENSOR IN THE TAIL

THAT ACTS AS THE PLANE'S COMPASS.

IT TRACKS WHICH DIRECTION THE PLANE IS FLYING

AND FEEDS THAT INFORMATION TO THE COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS.

IF SOMETHING IN FLIGHT 254'S CARGO

WAS GIVING OFF A STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD,

IT MIGHT HAVE CONFUSED THE SENSOR.

Jenkins: WE STUDIED EVERY ASPECT OF THE CARGO,

EVEN THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE SHIPPING PALLETS

THAT MIGHT HAVE INFLUENCED SOMETHING IN THIS REGARD.

Narrator: THEY ALSO TEST EVERY COMPONENT OF THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM

AND CHECK FOR ANY SIGN OF FAILURE.

BUT THEY FIND NOTHING IN THE CARGO

THAT COULD AFFECT THE COMPASS,

AND THE INSTRUMENTS ARE WORKING PERFECTLY.

Jenkins: WE VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING

THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE,

NOTHING THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED THE HEADING

OR INFLUENCED A CHANGE OF COURSE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CATCH A BREAK.

FLIGHT 254'S FLIGHT PLAN HAS BEEN RECOVERED FROM THE COCKPIT.

AIRLINES PROVIDE FLIGHT PLANS TO EVERY CREW.

IT CONTAINS CRITICAL DETAILS ABOUT THE ROUTE THEY SHOULD FLY,

INCLUDING THE HEADING THEY'RE MEANT TO TAKE.

Jenkins: THANKS.

LET'S SEE WHAT THIS WILL TELL US.

Cox: THE AIRLINE PROVIDES THE FILED FLIGHT PLAN

IN A COMPUTER PRINTOUT TO THE FLIGHT CREWS,

AND THIS PROVIDES A SERIES OF WAY POINTS

THAT THEY'RE TO LOOK FOR TO FLY THE GROUND TRACK.

Narrator: BUT WHAT IF THE AIRLINES

GAVE THE PILOTS A FAULTY FLIGHT PLAN,

ONE THAT SENT THEM IN THE WRONG DIRECTION?

THIS COULD BE THE LEAD THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.

Jenkins: I THINK I KNOW WHAT THEY DID WRONG.

Narrator: A CLOSE LOOK AT VARIG 254'S FLIGHT PLAN

PROVIDES A REVELATION.

Cox: IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE WITH THE VARIG FLIGHT,

VERY UNUSUALLY THEIR COMPUTER FLIGHT PLAN SYSTEM

HAS FOUR DIGITS.

THIS IS VERY, VERY UNUSUAL,

AS THEY ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE ONLY THREE.

THE NUMBER 0-2-7-0 WAS INTENDED TO MEAN 27.0 DEGREES.

Jenkins: WHEN WE NOTICED THAT, IT GAVE US THE IDEA

THAT INSTEAD OF ENTERING 0-2-7, WHICH WAS THE HEADING TO BELEM,

HE HAD ENTERED 2-7-0.

HE WAS SUPPOSED TO FLY NORTH, HEADING 0-2-7.

Cox: THE CAPTAIN READ IT AS 2-7-0 DEGREES, OR DUE WEST,

SO INSTEAD OF FLYING NORTHEAST...

Jenkins: THEY WENT WEST INSTEAD, GOING 2-7-0.

HE ENTERED THE WRONG HEADING.

Cox: HE SET THE AIRPLANE UP TO DEPART WEST.

Narrator: 270 DEGREES, OR DUE WEST ON THE COMPASS,

IS MORE THAN 240 DEGREES

PAST THE NORTHERLY HEADING OF 27 DEGREES THEY WERE GIVEN.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH ARRIVES

WHEN THEY CALL CAPTAIN GARCEZ BACK IN

TO GIVE HIS SIDE OF THE STORY.

Garcez: I'LL TRY TO HELP YOU,

BUT I THINK I'VE TOLD YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW ALREADY.

Machado: WE TOLD GARCEZ, LOOK, WE HAVE THE ONBOARD CHARTS,

WE HAVE THE TAPES AND ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS VERIFIED BY US.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

Narrator: AT FIRST, THE CAPTAIN IS RELUCTANT TO ADMIT

HE MADE A MISTAKE.

Machado: WE SAID, GARCEZ, TELL US THE TRUTH.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM

WITH THE NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS, DID YOU?

Narrator: UNDER INTENSE QUESTIONING,

GARCEZ FINALLY ADMITS HE MISREAD THE FLIGHT PLAN.

Garcez: LOOK, IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE.

Jenkins: FROM THAT MOMENT ON,

THE CAUSE OR THE BASIC FRAMEWORK OF THE ACCIDENT WAS DETERMINED.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS LEARN THE AIRLINE

BEGAN PRINTING THEIR FLIGHT PLANS THIS NEW WAY

WHILE THE CAPTAIN WAS ON VACATION.

Machado: IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW YOU'D GET CONFUSED.

Sant' Anna: VARIG HAD BOUGHT SOME MORE SOPHISTICATED PLANES,

WHICH HAD INSTRUMENTS THAT ACCEPTED DECIMAL PLACES,

BUT THAT WOULDN'T MEAN ANYTHING ON THIS FLIGHT

SINCE THE BOEING 737-200 DIDN'T HAVE DECIMAL PLACES.

Narrator: BUT THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION.

THE FIRST OFFICER MUST ALSO ENTER THE HEADING

FROM THE FLIGHT PLAN.

Garcez: SO, NILSON, YOU THINK CHILE HAS A CHANCE TONIGHT?

Narrator: WHY DID HE MAKE EXACTLY THE SAME MISTAKE

AS THE CAPTAIN?

AVIATION PSYCHOLOGIST KATHY MOSIER HAS AN ANSWER.

Kathleen Mosier: THE CO-PILOT, PROBABLY AFTER MANY EXPERIENCES

WITH CAPTAINS WHO HAD ALWAYS DONE IT RIGHT

AND NEVER HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK,

JUST ENTERED WHAT THE CAPTAIN HAD PUT IN

AND ASSUMED THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING.

SO IN THIS CASE YOUR SAFEGUARD IS GONE

BECAUSE THE CO-PILOT IS NOT CROSS-CHECKING.

Machado: HE COULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS MISTAKE

BEFORE THEY TOOK OFF.

Mosier: ONCE YOU TAKE OFF,

THE AUTOMATION DOES WHAT YOU TOLD IT TO DO.

Narrator: VARIG 254 TAKES OFF DUE WEST, INSTEAD OF NORTH,

STRAIGHT INTO THE SETTING SUN.

Garcez: GEAR UP.

Narrator: IT'S AN INCOMPREHENSIBLE ERROR.

Mosier: DID THEY NOT REALIZE THEY WERE FLYING INTO THE SUN?

THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG CUE.

THEY MUST HAVE BEEN VERY CONFIDENT

THAT THEY HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING.

Narrator: THE TWO PILOTS DISAGREE ABOUT HOW THINGS WENT WRONG.

Zille: WE NEED TO LAND SOON OR WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT OF FUEL.

Garcez: I THINK WE'RE CLOSE.

Machado: THE FIRST OFFICER WAS PROTECTING HIMSELF,

SUGGESTING THAT HE HAD DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT

AND GARCEZ WAS AT FAULT.

Cox: THE ORIGINAL NAVIGATION MISTAKE WAS THAT OF THE CAPTAIN.

THE FAILURE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY

WAS A MISTAKE ON THE PART OF THE FIRST OFFICER.

WHAT IS DISHEARTENING HERE

IS THAT BOTH PILOTS WENT ALONG WITH IT.

Narrator: IT IS NOW ALL TOO CLEAR

THAT FLIGHT 254 WAS FLYING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

FROM THE MOMENT IT TOOK OFF,

A MISTAKE EVEN SOME PASSENGERS NOTICED.

Siqueira: WELL, WE, WE THOUGHT THE PERSON IN CHARGE HERE

IS, IS THE CAPTAIN.

Sant' Anna: AT LEAST THREE OF THE PASSENGERS

WARNED THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

THAT THE PLANE WAS FLYING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION,

BUT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS THOUGHT, WELL,

THE CAPTAIN KNOWS MORE ABOUT THIS,

AND THEY DIDN'T REACH GARCEZ TO WARN HIM

THAT HE WAS FLYING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

Siqueira: WE THOUGHT THAT UP IN THE SKY THE CAPTAIN'S IN CHARGE, SO...

Narrator: BUT IT'S WHAT THE CAPTAIN DOES NEXT

THAT TURNS HIS ERROR INTO A CATASTROPHE.

THE CREW OF VARIG 254

MAKES YET ANOTHER CRITICAL ERROR IN JUDGMENT.

Garcez: WE DECIDED TO TUNE IN TO A RADIO STATION,

USE IT TO FIND OUR WAY.

Narrator: INSTEAD OF RADIOING FOR HELP,

THEY TRY TO GET BACK ON COURSE WITHOUT ADMITTING THEIR MISTAKE.

Machado: HIS PRIDE PREVENTED HIM FROM SAYING TO HIS COLLEAGUE,

HELP ME, I'M IN TROUBLE.

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER APPROACH.

Narrator: AN ATTEMPT TO USE A COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION

TO FIND THE AIRPORT EXACERBATES THE SITUATION.

THEY ASSUME THE SIGNAL THEY HAVE TUNED IN TO

IS COMING FROM BELEM,

AND THEY FOLLOW IT AWAY FROM THEIR DESTINATION.

Jenkins: WHEN YOU TUNE IN TO A RADIO BROADCAST,

COMMERCIAL RADIO, IT'S POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE CONTENT

ORIGINATING FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.

Zille: CHRIST, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?

THEY, THEY STILL HAVEN'T RESTARTED THE MATCH!

Cox: YOU NEED TO VERIFY THAT IT IS IN FACT THAT STATION,

THAT IT IDENTIFIES ITS CALL LETTERS

AND THAT YOU HAVE THAT VALIDATION.

Garcez: CAN YOU BELIEVE THOSE GUYS?

Narrator: THOUGH THERE IS NO HARD EVIDENCE,

SOME CONTINUE TO BELIEVE

THE SOCCER GAME DISTRACTED THE PILOTS.

Siqueira: PEOPLE SAY HE WAS LISTENING TO THE BRAZIL-CHILE MATCH,

AND THAT'S WHY HE DIDN'T NOTICE HIS MISTAKE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THERE MAY BE A PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATION,

A QUIRK OF HUMAN NATURE

THAT CAN TRAP EVEN THE BEST-TRAINED PILOTS.

Garcez: THERE WE GO.

WE'RE OVER THE AMAZON NOW.

Sant' Anna: THE CAPTAIN SPOTTED A RIVER,

A RIVER THAT HE THOUGHT WAS PART OF THE AMAZON NORTH OF BELEM.

Mosier: YOU DECIDE ON AN INITIAL JUDGMENT,

AND YOU THINK THAT IT'S RIGHT,

AND SO YOU LOOK AROUND FOR THINGS

THAT SUPPORT YOUR POSITION.

Narrator: THE CREW WAS LOOKING FOR SIGNS THAT THEY WERE CLOSE TO BELEM.

Sant' Anna: HE DECIDED TO FOLLOW THAT RIVER SOUTH

TO GET TO BELEM.

Narrator: BUT THE RIVER THEY SAW WAS NOT THE AMAZON.

IT WAS THE XINGU,

A RIVER MORE THAN 600 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BELEM.

Jenkins: THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE WRONG RIVER.

HOW COULD THEY BE SO CONFUSED FOR SO LONG?

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDE THE CREW WAS IN THE GRIP

OF WHAT'S KNOWN AS CONFIRMATION BIAS,

THE TENDENCY TO FAVOR INFORMATION

THAT CONFIRMS SOMETHING WE ALREADY BELIEVE.

Garcez: I THINK WE'RE CLOSE.

Mosier: CONFIRMATION BIAS IS ONE OF THE COMMON

DECISION-MAKING BIASES THAT PEOPLE ARE SUBJECT TO,

AND THE THING THAT'S INSIDIOUS ABOUT IT

IS THAT YOU DON'T OFTEN RECOGNIZE

THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

Garcez: WHEN I SAW THE RIVER, I WAS SURE.

I WAS SURE WE WERE CLOSE TO BELEM.

Mosier: IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU

ANYBODY CAN FALL INTO DECISION TRAPS,

AND EVEN EXPERTS HAVE TO ALWAYS BE ON GUARD.

Cox: IN THREE PLUS DECADES OF DOING ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION,

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL ACCIDENTS

I HAVE EVER READ OR AM AWARE OF.

Narrator: IN THE END THE ACCIDENT REPORT

FAULTS BOTH PILOTS FOR THE DISASTER.

Sant' Anna: AS THE DETAILS OF THE FLIGHT WERE DISCOVERED,

THE TERRIBLE MISTAKE THAT HE MADE,

THE CAPTAIN WENT FROM HERO TO VILLAIN.

Narrator: THEY WERE BOTH CONVICTED FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE

AND SENTENCED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE.

THE REPORT ALSO CRITICIZES THE BELEM CONTROLLER

FOR NOT RAISING AN ALARM SOONER.

Sant' Anna: THE CONTROLLER AT BELEM TOWER

WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE FOOTBALL MATCH

BETWEEN BRAZIL AND CHILE.

HE HAD ONE EAR ON THE BROADCAST OF THE MATCH

AND THE OTHER PAYING ATTENTION TO THE FLIGHT.

Controller: 254, YOU ARE CLEARED FOR DESCENT.

Narrator: HE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THERE WAS A PROBLEM

WHEN THE PLANE COULD ONLY CONTACT THE TOWER

ON HIGH FREQUENCY RADIO,

A MAJOR CLUE THAT THE PLANE WAS PROBABLY VERY FAR AWAY.

Mosier: EVERYBODY MAKES MISTAKES.

ERRORS ARE NOT UNAVOIDABLE,

SO THE WAY THAT YOU DEAL WITH THIS

IS YOU BE AWARE OF THE THREAT,

YOU TRY AND TRAP ERRORS IF THEY OCCUR, AND FIX THEM.

Cox: I THINK IT WAS THE FAILURE OF THESE TWO PILOTS

TO MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

OF PROFESSIONAL AIRMANSHIP.

I THINK IN THAT POINT THEY DID NOT MEET THE NECESSARY MARK.

Narrator: AFTER THE CRASH OF VARIG 254,

THE AIRLINE CHANGES THEIR FLIGHT PLANS,

SO THE DECIMAL PLACE IS CLEARLY MARKED.

THEY ALSO IMPROVE PILOT TRAINING.

BRAZIL'S NATIONAL RADAR SYSTEM IS MODERNIZED AND EXPANDED

TO COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTRY,

MAKING IT LESS LIKELY THAT A PLANE WILL GO MISSING.

BRAZIL NEVER EVEN MADE IT

TO THE QUARTERFINALS OF THE 1990 WORLD CUP,

WHICH WAS WON BY WEST GERMANY.

THE SCANDAL OF THE BRAZIL-CHILE GAME FADED OVER TIME,

BUT THE LEGACY OF FLIGHT 254 ENDURES.

Cox: THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES

WHERE LOOKING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS CREW DID

CAN SERVE AS AN ABSOLUTE BRIGHT EXAMPLE

TO HELP CREWS IN THE FUTURE NOT MAKE THESE SAME MISTAKES.