Original subtitles

Narrator: AIRCRAFT DEBRIS LITTERS THE FROZEN GROUND

NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

Man: YOU KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE BAD.

Controller: A 737'S JUST GONE DOWN AT RESOLUTE BAY.

Man: WE KIND OF LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IN DISBELIEF.

Narrator: A CRASH AT THIS LATITUDE

IS ALMOST ALWAYS A DEATH SENTENCE.

Girl: THIS IS MY FIRST PLANE CRASH.

Narrator: AN INCREDIBLE COINCIDENCE

GIVES A HANDFUL OF SURVIVORS A FIGHTING CHANCE.

Man: THERE ARE SURVIVORS.

I REPEAT, THERE ARE SURVIVORS.

Man: TO ARRIVE ON SCENE AN HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT

WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

Narrator: THE BIG QUESTION NOW:

WHAT CAUSED ONE OF NORTHERN CANADA'S

DEADLIEST AIR DISASTERS?

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: THE CANADIAN ARCTIC

IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ENVIRONMENTS ON THE PLANET.

WINTERS HERE ARE BRUTAL-- EIGHT MONTHS LONG

WITH TEMPERATURES PLUNGING TO MINUS 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

EVEN NOW, DURING THE LONG DAYS OF THE ARCTIC SUMMER,

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS BARELY ABOVE FREEZING.

John Murphy: THE LAND IS WELL ABOVE THE TREE LINE.

IT'S VERY BARREN.

THERE'S NOTHING ON IT.

THERE'S NO TUNDRA, NO PLANTS.

IT'S JUST SAND AND ROCK.

Narrator: THERE ARE NO ROADS TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

VIRTUALLY THE ONLY WAY TO GET HERE IS BY AIR.

AND WHEN A PLANE CRASHES IN THE ARCTIC,

ANYONE WHO SURVIVES THE IMPACT

HAS NEXT TO NO HOPE OF A QUICK RESCUE.

THEY MAY FACE HOURS OR DAYS BATTLING THE ELEMENTS,

AND THEY MAY NOT MAKE IT.

Macdonald: IT COULD BE QUITE CHALLENGING

TO ACTUALLY GET TO THE SITE

AND IT COULD BE A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, 24 HOURS OR LONGER

BEFORE YOU COULD GET A RESPONSE IN THERE.

Narrator: FORTUNATELY, TODAY NO ONE HAS TO WAIT THAT LONG.

Man: ALL RIGHT, GUYS. EXERCISE OVER.

EVERYBODY COME ON IN. TAKE A BREAK.

Narrator: THIS CRASH SITE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY STAGED.

IT'S PART OF A MASSIVE MILITARY EXERCISE HELD EACH YEAR

IN CANADA'S HIGH ARCTIC, OPERATION NANOOK.

THIS YEAR, IT'S A SIMULATED MID-AIR COLLISION.

THE SCENARIO...

Woman: THERE'S SOME LACERATIONS AND SOME BLEEDING.

Narrator: ...COMPLETE WITH MOCK SURVIVORS,

IS DESIGNED TO HELP RESCUERS AND AIR CRASH INVESTIGATORS

PREPARE FOR A REAL AVIATION CATASTROPHE.

Greg Smit: OPERATION NANOOK IN 2011 WAS INTENDED TO SIMULATE

A MAJOR AIRCRAFT INCIDENT IN OUR NORTH.

THE CANADIAN FORCES HAD THE LEAD

IN COOPERATION WITH OUR NORTHERN PARTNERS,

THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD, LOCAL FIRE RESCUE PERSONNEL....

Man: BONE'S BEEN SPLINTED IN PLACE.

Smit: THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD...

Woman: URGENT PRI-2.

Smit: AND ALSO THE U.S. NAVY WAS GONNA BE INVOLVED

IN THIS EXERCISE.

ALL RIGHT, HOP TO IT, GUYS, NOW. COME ON, TIME'S TICKING.

Narrator: MASTER WARRANT OFFICER GREG SMIT

IS A SEARCH AND RESCUE TECHNICIAN

WITH THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES.

Smit: THE SCENARIOS THAT WE SET UP,

WE TEND TO MAKE THEM AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE.

WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING AND IT LOOKS REAL,

YOU TEND THEN TO ACT LIKE YOU WOULD IN A REAL SCENARIO.

Narrator: TODAY'S EXERCISE IS TAKING PLACE NEAR RESOLUTE BAY.

THOUGH THE TOWN IS HOME TO ONLY 230 PEOPLE,

IT'S A MAJOR TRANSPORTATION HUB FOR THE HIGH ARCTIC.

RESOLUTE BAY AIRPORT IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE REGION

EQUIPPED WITH NAVIGATIONAL AIDS

FOR AUTOMATED LANDING APPROACHES.

Murphy: IT HAS A INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM,

WHICH IS THE MAINSTAY OF LANDING SYSTEMS

IN ALL THE SOUTHERN AIRPORTS.

IT'S WHAT ALL THE MAJOR AIRLINERS USE

TO LAND THEIR AIRCRAFT.

IT'S VERY ACCURATE, VERY PRECISE.

Narrator: BECAUSE NANOOK IS SUCH A MASSIVE OPERATION,

THE ARMED FORCES WILL BE HANDLING

ALL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DUTIES FOR THE AIRPORT.

Controller: CAN FORCE 2, CYRB MILITARY.

CONTINUE YOUR APPROACH.

VISIBILITY IS TEN MILES.

Narrator: ONE OF THE PLANES HEADING TO RESOLUTE BAY

IS AN AIR FORCE C-17.

MILITARY AND MEDICAL STAFF TAKING PART IN OPERATION NANOOK

ARE ON BOARD,

AS WELL AS INVESTIGATORS

FROM CANADA'S TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD.

Macdonald: LET'S SEE THAT AIR EQUIPMENT LIST AGAIN.

THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS

THAT HAVE TO GO INTO A DEPLOYMENT

INTO A REMOTE PART OF CANADA'S NORTH.

THERE'S THE LOGISTICS OF ACTUALLY GETTING THERE,

AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE IN LOCATION,

SURVIVING IS PART OF THE ISSUE.

YOU NEED SHELTER, YOU NEED HEAT, YOU NEED FOOD AND WATER.

Narrator: IT'S A VITAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM.

Smit: IF THE DAY COMES WHERE WE HAVE TO USE IT FOR REAL,

THOSE EXERCISES, THOSE LESSONS, THE IDENTIFIED LESSONS LEARNED

WILL PAY OUT IN DIVIDENDS.

David Hare: CYRB MILITARY,

THIS IS FIRST AIR 6560.

Narrator: THERE'S ALSO A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT

APPROACHING RESOLUTE BAY.

Controller: FIRST AIR 6560, GO AHEAD.

Hare: CYRB MILITARY, ETA AT RESOLUTE 16:43.

Narrator: FIRST AIR FLIGHT 6560 IS A CHARTER

FLYING PASSENGERS AND CARGO TO THE SMALL COMMUNITY.

Murphy: EVERYTHING FROM FUEL TO HOUSEHOLD GOODS TO APPLIANCES

TO FOOD TO MAIL IS FLOWN IN.

WITHOUT THESE FLIGHTS,

THE COMMUNITY WOULD RUN LOW ON SUPPLIES VERY QUICKLY.

Narrator: TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THAT EXTRA CARGO,

THE CABIN OF THE 737-200 HAS BEEN MODIFIED

INTO WHAT IS KNOWN AS A COMBI CONFIGURATION.

Murphy: WHICH MEANS THEY CARRY A COMBINATION

OF CARGO AND PASSENGERS

ON THE SAME DECK OF THE AIRPLANE.

Narrator: AMONG THE PASSENGERS IS GEOLOGIST NICOLE WILLIAMSON.

SHE'S TRAVELING WITH HER COLLEAGUE, ROBIN WYLLIE,

TO DO SOME SURVEYING IN THE NORTH.

THERE ARE ALSO TWO LITTLE GIRLS ON BOARD,

GABRIELLE AND CHEYENNE.

THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY HOME AFTER VISITING THEIR FATHER.

Nicole Williamson: HI. I LIKE YOUR GLASSES.

Narrator: TERRY AUDLA IS THEIR UNCLE.

Terry Audla: THEY WERE VERY CLOSE, AS CLOSE AS SISTERS CAN BE.

THEY LAUGHED TOGETHER.

THEY PLAYED TOGETHER.

THEY GOT INTO TROUBLE TOGETHER.

THE 737-200 LEFT YELLOWKNIFE AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO.

IT'S DUE TO LAND AT RESOLUTE BAY IN APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES.

Controller: WIND 180 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS.

Narrator: FIRST OFFICER DAVID HARE

STUDIED BUSINESS BEFORE SETTING HIS SIGHTS ON AVIATION.

HE JOINED FIRST AIR FOUR YEARS AGO.

Hare: FIRST AIR 6560, COPY. THANK YOU.

Blair Rutherford: THERE WE GO.

Narrator: CAPTAIN BLAIR RUTHERFORD

HAS BEEN WITH THE AIRLINE FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS.

Rutherford: MIGHT AS WELL DO YOURS, TOO.

HEADING 0-2-9 DEGREES.

Hare: GOT IT.

Narrator: THIS CLOSE TO THE MAGNETIC NORTH POLE,

PILOTS NEED TO CALIBRATE THEIR COMPASSES FREQUENTLY

USING THEIR GPS.

Rutherford: OKAY. LET'S GO OVER THE APPROACH.

Hare: OKAY.

Williamson: DO YOU WANT SOME HELP WITH YOUR SEATBELT?

Gabrielle: OKAY.

Williamson: ALL RIGHT.

I'LL BE UP HERE WITH YOU.

THAT'S FINE.

Hare: ALTITUDE ALERT SET TO 2200.

Narrator: BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY FOG,

THE CREW WILL BE RELYING ON THEIR AUTOPILOT

DURING THE APPROACH.

Hare: CHECKLIST COMPLETE.

Rutherford: AUTOPILOT SET.

Narrator: THIS WAY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY

ABOUT LINING UP WITH THE RUNWAY VISUALLY.

THE COMPUTER WILL DO ALL THE WORK

UNTIL THEY'RE READY TO TOUCH DOWN.

Controller: 6560, YOU'RE LANDING ON RUNWAY 35-TRUE.

IT'S A LITTLE WET.

Hare: FIRST AIR 6560, COPY 35-TRUE.

WE'RE TEN MILES FROM RUNWAY.

Audla: AFTER SPENDING A FEW WEEKS WITH DAD,

THE GIRLS WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK HOME

TO MOM AND GRANDMA AND GRANDPA.

Gabrielle: ALMOST HOME!

Narrator: AT 11:40 AM,

FLIGHT 6560 BEGINS ITS FINAL APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY.

Hare: DESCENDING THROUGH 1,000 FEET.

FIRST AIR 6560, WE'RE THREE MILES OUT ON FINAL.

UH, WE'RE OVER THE SHORELINE NOW.

Rutherford: ALL RIGHT.

Computer: PULL UP.

Narrator: THE SOUND OF AN URGENT ALARM FILLS THE COCKPIT.

Computer: PULL UP.

Hare: GO AROUND. GO FOR IT.

Narrator: IT'S THE LOW ALTITUDE WARNING.

TO THE PILOTS, IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.

THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT YET.

Hare: GO AROUND!

Rutherford: GO AROUND THRUST.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN DECIDES TO ABORT THE LANDING,

BUT IT MAY BE TOO LATE.

FLIGHT 6560 SLAMS INTO THE GROUND AT 180 MILES AN HOUR.

THE PLANE SKIDS ACROSS THE CREST OF A HILL...

AND BURSTS INTO FLAMES.

Smit: WHEN THE GROUND SUPPORT PERSONNEL

LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THIS AIRCRAFT,

THEY KNEW IT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH.

THEY WERE NOT SPEAKING TO THE CREW ANYMORE.

Controller: FIRST AIR 6560 SHOULD BE HERE BY NOW.

Smit: YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING.

TRY THEM AGAIN.

DID PEOPLE BELIEVE AN AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED?

YOU DON'T WANT TO, BECAUSE HUMAN BEINGS ARE INVOLVED,

BUT IT VERY QUICKLY BECAME A REALITY

THAT THIS AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED.

Controller: A 737 HAS JUST GONE DOWN AT RESOLUTE BAY.

NO DUFF.

Narrator: THE PRIORITY NOW-- GET HELP TO ANY SURVIVORS.

Smit: YOU THINK TO YOURSELF,

WOW, I REALLY HOPE SOMEONE SURVIVED THIS,

BUT YOU KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE BAD.

Narrator: AT THE CRASH SITE,

GABRIELLE PELKY SITS ALONE IN A NIGHTMARE.

Audla: SHE FOUND HERSELF WITH A BROKEN LEG,

CUTS AND BRUISES, AND CONCERN FOR HER LITTLE SISTER, CHEYENNE.

Narrator: GEOLOGIST NICOLE WILLIAMSON HAS ALSO SURVIVED.

Williamson: AGH!

GABRIELLE! GABRIELLE.

OH, THANK GOD.

Audla: WHEN NICOLE GOT TO GABRIELLE...

Williamson: YOU'RE OKAY. YOU'RE OKAY.

Audla: SHE MADE SURE THAT GABRIELLE WAS KEPT WARM

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY HELPED HER

WITH HER OWN SURVIVAL.

Gabrielle: THIS IS MY FIRST PLANE CRASH.

Williamson: YEAH.

ME, TOO, SWEETIE. ME, TOO.

Audla: FOR NICOLE TO HEAR THAT FROM, FROM A CHILD,

IT SORT OF BROUGHT HOME, YOU KNOW,

THE INNOCENCE OF IT ALL.

Williamson: OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

Audla: TRYING TO SURVIVE AT THAT MOMENT,

IT WAS A WAY OF FOCUSING ON EACH OTHER.

Narrator: AS THEY STUMBLE THROUGH THE WRECKAGE,

THEY FIND ONLY ONE OTHER SURVIVOR, ROBIN WYLLIE.

Audla: THEY MANAGED TO GET TO A LOCATION

WHERE THEY FELT OKAY, THIS IS PROBABLY A SAFE LOCATION,

AND WAIT AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.

Narrator: THE THREE SURVIVORS ARE SUFFERING FROM SHOCK

AND SHIVERING IN NEAR FREEZING TEMPERATURES.

IF HELP DOESN'T ARRIVE SOON, THEY MAY DIE FROM EXPOSURE.

NEWS OF THE DISASTER REACHES

AIR CRASH INVESTIGATORS STILL IN FLIGHT,

INCLUDING THE TSB'S BRIAN MACDONALD.

Macdonald: WE KIND OF LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IN DISBELIEF

AS IF, YOU KNOW, IS SOMEBODY

CHANGING THE START OF THE EXERCISE

TO CREATE MORE REALISM?

OR IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?

WE NEED TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.

NOW, YOU'RE QUICKLY CHANGING GEARS

INTO THINKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO NOW

TO GET READY AND START REACTING TO THIS ACTUAL ACCIDENT.

Narrator: AS THE INVESTIGATORS TOUCH DOWN,

THEY GRAPPLE WITH THE REALIZATION

THAT THE MOCK EXERCISE THEY WERE EXPECTING

IS NOW A VERY REAL CATASTROPHE.

BUT THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS.

BECAUSE OF OPERATION NANOOK,

RESCUERS ARE ABLE TO REACH THE SURVIVORS

JUST 20 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

Smit: THERE ARE SURVIVORS.

I REPEAT, THERE ARE SURVIVORS.

HAVING BEEN TO SEVERAL AIRCRAFT CRASHES

THROUGHOUT MY, MY 20, 20-YEAR CAREER,

UH, SHOCK WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT

THAT THESE PEOPLE HAD SURVIVED.

THEY DIDN'T APPEAR TO HAVE ANY LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES,

SO WE ELECTED TO FAIRLY RAPIDLY STABILIZE

SOME IMMEDIATE FRACTURES,

GET THEM ON SOME STRETCHERS

AND GET THEM DOWN TO A FACILITY THAT COULD PROPERLY EVALUATE

AND TREAT THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS MORE STABLE.

Narrator: RESCUERS COMB THROUGH THE WRECKAGE,

BUT THEY QUICKLY REALIZE NO ONE ELSE HAS SURVIVED THE CRASH.

12 PEOPLE ARE DEAD...

Gabrielle: DID YOU FIND CHEYENNE?

Narrator: ...INCLUDING GABRIELLE'S SISTER, CHEYENNE.

Audla: FOR A CHILD TO BE GIVEN THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION,

I MEAN, IT'S ALWAYS A DIFFICULT MOMENT.

Narrator: THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST AIR DISASTERS EVER

IN CANADA'S FAR NORTH.

Smit: ARE YOU GUYS WITH THE TSB?

Macdonald: THAT'S WHAT THE HAT SAYS.

SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT.

Narrator: IT'S UP TO INVESTIGATOR BRIAN MACDONALD AND HIS TEAM

TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.

Smit: WE'RE HERE.

THEY CAME DOWN HERE, TWO CLICKS EAST.

Macdonald: WOW.

I'D LIKE TO GET A TEAM UP THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,

AND WE'RE GONNA NEED A SPACE TO WORK.

David Ross: TO ARRIVE WITH A FULLY ASSEMBLED AND EQUIPPED TEAM

ON SCENE WITHIN AN HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT

WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

Macdonald: THEY GOT PRETTY CLOSE TO THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: THE PLANE HAS CRASHED INTO THE SHOULDER OF A HILL

A LITTLE MORE THAN A MILE EAST OF THE RUNWAY.

Macdonald: MAYBE IT WAS THE FOG?

Ross: WE KNEW THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD BEEN POOR

EARLIER DURING THE FLIGHT,

SO WE KNEW THAT THE WEATHER WAS A FACTOR

THAT WOULD NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO.

Rutherford: WHAT A SURPRISE.

FOG.

Narrator: RESOLUTE BAY IS OFTEN FOG-BOUND,

FORCING CREWS TO RELY ON THEIR AUTOPILOT

AND THE AIRPORT'S SOPHISTICATED GUIDANCE EQUIPMENT.

THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM, OR ILS,

IS TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE INSTALLED ON RUNWAYS

TO HELP PLANES LAND IN LOW VISIBILITY.

THE ILS EMITS A SIGNAL KNOWN AS A LOCALIZER BEAM.

IT CAN BE PICKED UP BY THE PLANE'S AUTOPILOT,

WHICH USES IT TO NAVIGATE THE PLANE

SAFELY DOWN THE RUNWAY.

Murphy: WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE THE RUNWAY WHEN YOU'RE ON APPROACH,

YOU RELY ON THIS ILS SYSTEM

TO GET YOU TO A POINT

WHERE HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THE RUNWAY.

Rutherford: OKAY, LET'S GO OVER THE APPROACH.

Hare: OKAY.

Rutherford: IT'S NOT GREAT,

BUT IT'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE.

AT LEAST WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO AN ILS APPROACH THERE.

Narrator: IF THE ILS SYSTEM AT THE AIRPORT FAILED

OR IF THE PLANE'S AUTOPILOT

WASN'T ABLE TO DETECT THE SIGNAL,

IT COULD EXPLAIN THE CRASH.

Ross: WHAT WE DO DURING ANY INVESTIGATION

IS RUN A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION

WHERE WE LOOK AT ALL THE POSSIBLE ASPECTS

OF THE OPERATION

AND VERIFY THAT THINGS WERE WORKING NORMALLY.

Narrator: IT DOESN'T TAKE INVESTIGATORS LONG

TO FIGURE OUT THAT THE AIRPORT'S ILS WAS WORKING.

ANOTHER PLANE USED THE SIGNAL TO LAND

JUST 25 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 6560.

Ross: WE DETERMINED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS OPERATING

WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETERS.

Narrator: BUT INVESTIGATORS WON'T KNOW IF THE 737'S AUTOPILOT

WAS DETECTING THE ILS PROPERLY

UNTIL THEY DOWNLOAD THE PLANE'S FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

AND THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER.

Macdonald: THE FIRST RESPONDERS HAD FOUND THEM

IN THE FIRST 12 HOURS.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM ON AN AIRCRAFT

AND DOWN TO OUR LABORATORY IN OTTAWA ON THE FOLLOWING DAY.

Narrator: MEANWHILE, OPERATION NANOOK

PROVIDES INVESTIGATORS WITH SOME UNEXPECTED DATA.

Macdonald: SO THIS WILL SHOW US EXACTLY WHAT THE RADAR RECORDED?

Narrator: RESOLUTE BAY AIRPORT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH RADAR,

BUT THE MILITARY HAD SET UP A TEMPORARY RADAR SYSTEM

TO HANDLE THE INCREASED AIR TRAFFIC

FOR OPERATION NANOOK.

Ross: THE RADAR DATA WAS CRUCIAL TO THE INVESTIGATION

BECAUSE IT PROVIDED US WITH THE FLIGHT PATH FOR THE AIRCRAFT,

WHICH WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD OTHERWISE.

Narrator: IT'S A LUCKY BREAK FOR INVESTIGATORS.

WHEN THEY WATCH THE PLAYBACK,

THEY IMMEDIATELY NOTICE SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL.

Macdonald: WHERE THE HELL ARE THEY GOING?

Narrator: THE RADAR SHOWS FLIGHT 6560 WAS FLYING PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY,

NOT LINED UP WITH IT AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Ross: THE QUESTION THAT CAME TO OUR MINDS IMMEDIATELY THERE

WAS WHY?

WHY DID THE AIRCRAFT TRACK IN THAT DIRECTION?

Narrator: HOW COULD A MODERN AIRLINER

EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOPILOT

CRASH INTO A HILL MORE THAN A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY?

A PAINSTAKING INVESTIGATION WILL UNCOVER A TROUBLING EXPLANATION.

WITH THE TOXIC FIRE FULLY EXTINGUISHED,

IT'S NOW SAFE FOR INVESTIGATORS TO HEAD TO THE CRASH SITE

AND GET A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT THE WRECKAGE.

THEY'RE SEARCHING FOR ANY CLUE

THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY THE PLANE DRIFTED OFF COURSE

ON APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY.

Macdonald: WE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW,

WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE NAVIGATION.

YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND

HOW DID THE AIRCRAFT GET RIGHT OF TRACK

AND WHY DID IT STAY RIGHT OF TRACK.

Narrator: THEY BEGIN BY CHARTING THE LOCATION

OF EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF WRECKAGE.

Macdonald: YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE WHEELS HAD TOUCHED DOWN

AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD GONE AIRBORNE FOR SOME DISTANCE.

BITS OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD STARTED TO SHED,

AND THEN IT TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN ON THE BELLY

AND CAME APART INTO THREE MAIN SECTIONS.

Narrator: TO INVESTIGATORS, THE PATTERN OF DEBRIS

SUGGESTS A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THE CRASH.

THE WRECKAGE SEEMS TO LINE UP DIRECTLY

WITH A NAVIGATION TOWER CALLED A VOR.

Macdonald: WHEN YOU DRAW A LINE

BETWEEN WHERE THE AIRCRAFT TURNS FINAL

AND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT OCCURS,

IT'S PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AT THAT ANTENNA.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS WONDER IF THE PILOTS

LOCKED ON TO THE WRONG BEACON

TO GUIDE THEIR PLANE TO THE GROUND.

THE AIRPORT'S VOR BEACON TRANSMITS A RADIO SIGNAL,

WHICH HELPS PILOTS FIND THE AIRPORT.

HOWEVER, IT'S NOT MEANT TO GUIDE THEM ONTO A SPECIFIC RUNWAY.

FOR THAT, THE CREW MUST SWITCH THEIR NAVIGATION CONTROL

SO THE AUTOPILOT CAN FOLLOW THE AIRPORT'S ILS FREQUENCY.

Murphy: YOU HAVE AN ILS WHICH HAS A BEAM THAT GOES OUT,

AND IF YOU STAY RIGHT ON THAT BEAM,

NOT LEFT, NOT RIGHT, BUT RIGHT ON IT,

IT'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT TO THE CENTER

OF THE BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY.

Rutherford: IT'S NOT GREAT,

BUT IT'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE.

AT LEAST WE CAN DO AN ILS APPROACH THERE.

Narrator: IF THE CREW PROGRAMMED THEIR NAVIGATION SYSTEM

TO FOLLOW THE VOR SIGNAL FROM THE HILLSIDE ANTENNA

INSTEAD OF THE ILS SIGNAL ON THE RUNWAY,

IT WOULD EXPLAIN THIS TRAGEDY.

IT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME A PILOT MADE THAT VERY MISTAKE.

Ross: THERE WAS A PREVIOUS OCCURRENCE

BACK IN THE LATE 1980s INVOLVING A BOEING 737,

AND IN THAT INSTANCE THEY WERE TRACKING TO A NAVIGATIONAL AID

VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE LOCATED IN RESOLUTE BAY

RATHER THAN TO THE APPROACH AID AT THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: IF THE PILOTS OF FLIGHT 6560 MADE THE SAME ERROR,

THE HEAVY FOG WOULD LIKELY HAVE MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE

TO SEE THE HILL UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.

Rutherford: WHOA!

Narrator: BUT IS THERE ANY WAY TO KNOW FOR SURE

IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED?

INVESTIGATORS HOPE THE PLANE'S COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER

CAN PROVIDE THE ANSWER.

Jon Stuart: ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE WHAT THESE GUYS WERE THINKING.

Narrator: THE TSB'S JON STUART IS AN EXPERT

AT ANALYZING CREW CONVERSATIONS CAPTURED ON VOICE RECORDERS.

Stuart: THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER

WAS GOING TO TELL US WHAT WAS GOING ON INSIDE THE COCKPIT.

WHAT COULD THEY BE SEEING?

WHAT WERE THEY LISTENING TO?

WHAT WERE THEY TALKING ABOUT?

AND SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR VIEW OF THE WORLD

AND HOW THEY WERE MAKING DECISIONS.

Hare: FLAPS FIVE.

Rutherford: FLAPS FIVE SELECTED.

Narrator: INITIALLY, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE ANYTHING IS WRONG.

Hare: CHECKLIST COMPLETE.

Rutherford: AUTOPILOT SET.

Hare: LOCALIZER ALIVE.

GLIDE SLOPE ALIVE.

Narrator: THE FIRST OFFICER ACKNOWLEDGES THE AUTOPILOT

IS LOCKING ON TO THE AIRPORT'S INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM.

Stuart: SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE FOLLOWING THE ILS SIGNAL ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: THE WORDS "GLIDE SLOPE ALIVE"

CONFIRM THAT THE AUTOPILOT IS HOMING IN

ON THE CORRECT SIGNAL, THE RUNWAY'S ILS,

NOT THE VOR BEACON FROM THE HILLSIDE TOWER.

Macdonald: FROM THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER

WE KNEW THE CREW WAS FLYING THE ILS APPROACH,

SO WE WERE CONCLUSIVELY ABLE TO DETERMINE

THAT WHERE THEY ENDED UP WAS NOT RELATED TO THAT BEACON.

Narrator: BUT THEY STILL HAVE NO IDEA

WHY THE PLANE DRIFTED DANGEROUSLY OFF COURSE.

THEY LISTEN FOR MORE CLUES.

WHAT THEY HEAR IS STUNNING.

Hare: GPS HAS US GOING OFF TO THE RIGHT.

Stuart: THE FIRST OFFICER KNEW THEY WERE OFF COURSE.

Macdonald: WE COULD TELL FROM THE CONVERSATION

THAT THE CREW WERE CONCERNED

ABOUT THE POSITIONING OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Hare: SO, UH, ARE WE TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT?

Rutherford: WE'LL GET THERE.

Narrator: AS THEY CONTINUE TO LISTEN, THE MYSTERY DEEPENS.

Hare: IF WE'RE GOING RIGHT,

RESOLUTE HILL IS RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY.

Narrator: NOT ONLY DID THE FIRST OFFICER REALIZE

THEY WERE OFF COURSE,

HE KNEW THEY WERE HEADED TOWARDS THE HILL NEXT TO THE RUNWAY.

Hare: WE'RE NOT ON THE LOCALIZER.

Rutherford: OH, WE'RE FINE.

THE AUTOPILOT'S TRACKING THE LOCALIZER.

Hare: I THINK WE SHOULD ABANDON THE APPROACH,

GO AROUND AND SORT THIS OUT.

Rutherford: NO. WE'RE GOOD. WE'LL CONTINUE THE APPROACH.

Hare: OKAY.

CONTINUING APPROACH.

Macdonald: AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSES,

YOU CAN SEE IN THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM

THAT THE TWO PILOTS HAVE DIFFERING VIEWS

AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

Narrator: EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE SPEEDING TOWARDS THE HILL,

THEY CONTINUED ON.

Computer: TERRAIN, TERRAIN! PULL UP!

Hare: GO AROUND! GO FOR IT.

GO AROUND!

Rutherford: GO AROUND THRUST.

Computer: TERRAIN, TERRAIN! PULL UP!

Narrator: IT'S A MISTAKE THAT COST 12 PEOPLE THEIR LIVES.

WHY IT HAPPENED REMAINS A MYSTERY.

Stuart: WHY ON EARTH DID THEY KEEP FLYING TOWARD THAT HILL?

Narrator: THE CRASH OF FIRST AIR 6560

HAS TOUCHED THE LIVES OF NEARLY EVERYONE

IN THE TINY COMMUNITY OF RESOLUTE BAY.

Audla: FOR A MOTHER TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT,

I'D NEVER WISH THAT ON ANYONE.

Narrator: THE FAMILIES WANT ANSWERS.

Murphy: THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON EVERYBODY INVOLVED

TO FIND OUT ANY INFORMATION.

WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

Macdonald: THE WRECKAGE TELLS US THEY WERE OFF COURSE

AND FLYING PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY,

AND THE CVR TELLS US THEY KNEW IT.

Narrator: SO FAR THE INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH

IS ONLY RAISING MORE QUESTIONS.

Macdonald: WHY WAS IT THAT, UH, CORRECTIVE ACTION CAME TOO LATE?

Rutherford: AUTOPILOT SET.

Hare: LOCALIZER ALIVE.

GLIDE SLOPE ALIVE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS KNOW

THAT THE ILS BEACON THE PILOTS WERE TRACKING

SHOULD HAVE GUIDED THEIR PLANE

ALL THE WAY TO THE FOOT OF THE RUNWAY.

THEY NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

Macdonald: THIS IS WHAT WE'VE GOT TO GO ON,

SO LET'S SEE WHAT THE DATA CAN TELL US.

WE HAD THE DOWNLOADED INFORMATION

FROM THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDERS.

Narrator: THEY HOPE THE PLANE'S FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME ANSWERS.

Macdonald: OKAY, PITCH UP TWO DEGREES.

Narrator: USING THE FDR DATA...

Macdonald: SPEED TO 168 KNOTS.

Narrator: ...INVESTIGATORS CREATE A DETAILED FLIGHT PATH

OF THE PLANE'S APPROACH.

Macdonald: TURN LEFT TWO DEGREES.

THE KEY ASPECTS OF ANY FLIGHT WERE ON THERE, YOU KNOW,

ALTITUDE, SPEED, HEADING, POWER SETTING,

FLIGHT CONTROL POSITIONS.

CAN WE ADD THE LOCALIZER BEAM, PLEASE?

Narrator: THEY FOCUS ON THE PLANE'S FINAL TURN

TOWARD THE RUNWAY.

Macdonald: THAT'S WHERE IT STARTED TO GO WRONG.

THEY TURNED TOO WIDE AND NEVER GOT BACK ON THE BEAM.

Narrator: THE DETAILED FLIGHT PATH REVEALS

THE PRECISE MOMENT FLIGHT 6560 BEGAN TO VEER OFF COURSE,

BUT INVESTIGATORS STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.

THEY KNOW THE AUTOPILOT SYSTEM WAS WORKING PROPERLY.

Ross: THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER INDICATED THAT THE AUTOPILOT

WAS OPERATING THROUGHOUT THE RECORDED PORTION OF THE FLIGHT.

Rutherford: AUTOPILOT SET.

Narrator: TO CARRY OUT AN ILS LANDING,

THE CREW SHOULD HAVE SET THEIR AUTOPILOT

TO A MODE CALLED VOR LOC.

Hare: LOCALIZER ALIVE.

Narrator: WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY SEEM TO HAVE DONE.

Macdonald: WE WERE STRUGGLING WITH TRYING TO UNDERSTAND,

YOU KNOW, HOW DID THE AIRCRAFT GET OFF COURSE

IF IT WAS PROPERLY TUNED IN, SWITCHES PROPERLY SET UP,

CREW IS FOLLOWING THEIR PROCESSES

DOWN TO DO AN ILS APPROACH.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ARE AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN

HOW A PROPERLY CONFIGURED, FUNCTIONING AUTOPILOT

STEERED THE PLANE OFF COURSE...

UNTIL THEY TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE FLIGHT DATA.

Macdonald: LET ME JUST SEE THE CONTROL WHEEL INPUTS.

SO THE TURN STARTED OUT OKAY, NICE AND SMOOTH THROUGH HERE.

DEFINITELY THE AUTOPILOT IN CONTROL.

WE COULD DETERMINE THAT THE TURN WAS INITIATED BY THE AUTOPILOT,

AND THEN THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE TECHNICAL INFORMATION

THAT WOULD INDICATE SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THE TURN.

SOMETHING CHANGES RIGHT HERE.

THESE JAGGED CORRECTIONS HAVE GOT TO BE HUMAN.

THEY MUST HAVE BEEN FLYING ON MANUAL.

Narrator: FOR SOME REASON, IT SEEMS THE AUTOPILOT

SWITCHED TO MANUAL MODE PARTWAY THROUGH THE FINAL TURN.

IN THIS NEW SETTING, THE AUTOPILOT

WAS NO LONGER GUIDING THE PLANE TO THE RUNWAY.

Macdonald: AUTOPILOT SYSTEMS HAVE BUILT-IN CAPABILITY

FOR PILOTS TO OVERRIDE IT.

IF THE AIRCRAFT IS NOT REACTING QUICK ENOUGH

OR IT'S DOING SOMETHING, UH, TOO QUICKLY,

THEN THE PILOT CAN, USING THE CONTROL WHEEL,

APPLY SOME PRESSURE, OVERRIDE IT MOMENTARILY.

Narrator: BUT THERE'S NOTHING ON THE CVR TO INDICATE

THAT THE CAPTAIN INTENDED TO OVERRIDE HIS AUTOPILOT.

INVESTIGATORS NOW CONSIDER A FRIGHTENING POSSIBILITY.

HE MAY HAVE DONE IT BY ACCIDENT AND NEVER REALIZED HIS MISTAKE.

Macdonald: IF THE AUTOPILOT MODE CHANGED FROM THIS MODE OF VOR LOC

TO THE MANUAL MODE AT THAT TIMING,

YOU COULD END UP WITH THE AIRCRAFT STAYING WINGS LEVEL

AND JUST MAINTAINING THAT HEADING

INSTEAD OF TRACKING THE BEAM.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS CAN SEE THAT AT THE EXACT MOMENT

THE AUTOPILOT STOPPED GUIDING THE PLANE TO THE RUNWAY,

THERE WAS A SLIGHT BIT OF PRESSURE

ON THE CAPTAIN'S CONTROL COLUMN.

JUST ENOUGH TO SWITCH THE AUTOPILOT

FROM THE FULLY AUTOMATIC FLIGHT MODE INTO MANUAL.

Macdonald: WE BELIEVE IT WAS LIKELY

AN INADVERTENT, UH, PRESSURE ON THE WHEEL.

PERHAPS SOMEONE WAS LEANING OVER TO CHECK SOMETHING

OR REACH FOR A PUBLICATION.

IT'S NOT A LOT OF PRESSURE THAT'S REQUIRED.

Narrator: WITH NEITHER THE AUTOPILOT NOR THE CREW

STEERING THE PLANE TOWARD THE RUNWAY,

THE WIND PUSHED IT FURTHER AND FURTHER OFF COURSE.

Macdonald: THE AUTOPILOT WASN'T LOCKED IN ANY LONGER

TO THE LOCALIZER BEAM

BUT WAS MAINTAINING WINGS LEVEL AND THAT HEADING.

AND SO THE WIND DID THE REST.

Narrator: THE FINDING IS ANOTHER SMALL STEP

TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THIS ACCIDENT.

THE BIG QUESTION NOW:

IF THE PILOTS KNEW THEY WERE FLYING OFF COURSE...

Hare: SO, UH, AREN'T WE TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT?

Narrator: WHY DIDN'T THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

Rutherford: WE'LL GET THERE.

Ross: THE CREW WAS AWARE THAT THEY WERE OFF COURSE.

THE CHALLENGE FOR US WAS TO DETERMINE

WHY THE CAPTAIN CONTINUED THE APPROACH.

Hare: DESCENDING THROUGH 1,000 FEET.

Macdonald: LET'S SEE WHAT THIS FLIGHT LOOKED LIKE

FROM INSIDE THE COCKPIT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS NEED TO UNDERSTAND

WHY THE PILOTS DIDN'T TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION

WHEN THEY SAW THE PLANE WAS GOING OFF COURSE.

TO DO THAT, THEY NEED TO GET INSIDE THE PILOTS' HEADS.

Stuart: THE KEY THING THAT WE TRY TO DO

IS TO UNDERSTAND WHY EVENTS MADE SENSE

FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW.

I WANTED TO SEE WHAT COULD EACH PILOT SEE IN THEIR POSITIONS.

WHAT COULD THEY HEAR?

WHAT COULD THEY SEE OF DIALS MOVING?

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS IN THAT COCKPIT

THAT MIGHT HAVE LED THEM TO MAKE THE DECISIONS THEY DID

OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE'D ALREADY HEARD FROM THE CVR.

Narrator: USING THE COMBINED INFORMATION FROM THE FDR AND THE CVR,

INVESTIGATORS RECREATE THE FLIGHT

HOPING TO FIND THEIR ANSWER.

Rutherford: AUTOPILOT SET.

Hare: LOCALIZER ALIVE.

GLIDE SLOPE ALIVE.

Rutherford: TRACK.

AUTOPILOT SET TO VOR LOC.

Narrator: THE PILOTS' CONVERSATION PROVIDES AN INTRIGUING CLUE.

Hare: FIRST AIR 6560, WE'RE 10 MILES FROM RUNWAY 35-TRUE.

Rutherford: GEAR DOWN.

Narrator: IT'S CLEAR THEY WERE BOTH EXTREMELY BUSY

PREPARING TO LAND.

Controller: FLIGHT 6560, REPORT THREE MILES FINAL.

Rutherford: FLAPS 15.

Hare: PLEASE REPEAT LAST TRANSMISSION.

GEAR DOWN. THREE GREEN.

Controller: REPORT THREE MILES FINAL.

Macdonald: THERE.

Narrator: SO BUSY, IT SEEMS, THEY FAILED TO NOTICE

WHEN THE AUTOPILOT SWITCHED TO THE MANUAL MODE.

Macdonald: THAT'S WHERE THE AUTOPILOT MODE SWITCHED.

THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THE COCKPIT ALSO

IN THE TURN AT THIS TIME.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOWERING LANDING GEAR.

THERE'S SOME RADIO CALLS.

THERE'S FLAPS COMING DOWN,

SO THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING TO SEE

IF THERE'S ONE LIGHT IN A SEA OF LIGHTS

THAT'S NO LONGER LIT.

AND THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ON THE CVR

THAT THEY SAW ANYTHING RELATED TO THE AUTOPILOT MODE.

Narrator: BUT THERE WERE OTHER CLEAR SIGNS

THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT LINING UP WITH THE RUNWAY.

Hare: WE'RE NOT ON TRACK HERE.

WE'RE OFF TO THE RIGHT A BIT.

GPS HAS US GOING OFF TO THE RIGHT.

Macdonald: HERE AND HERE,

IT'S AS CLEAR AS DAY THEY'RE WELL OFF COURSE.

Narrator: BOTH THE GPS AND THE HORIZONTAL INDICATOR

WERE CLEARLY SHOWING THE PLANE WAS DRIFTING

FURTHER AND FURTHER FROM THE RUNWAY,

YET THE CAPTAIN DID NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

Macdonald: OKAY.

WHAT'S HE THINKING?

Narrator: THE ANSWER TO THAT CRITICAL QUESTION

IS FINALLY REVEALED BY THE FDR DATA.

Macdonald: HIS COMPASS IS DRIFTING.

HE'S OFF BY ABOUT 17 DEGREES.

Narrator: AN INACCURATE COMPASS READING

GAVE CAPTAIN RUTHERFORD THE IMPRESSION

THAT HIS PLANE WAS FLYING BACK TOWARDS THE RUNWAY.

Macdonald: THE CAPTAIN HAD A PERCEPTION

THAT THEY WERE ON A CORRECTION COURSE

BACK TOWARDS THE LOCALIZER BEAM

INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS PARALLELING.

Narrator: THIS FAR NORTH,

A PILOT SHOULD RECALIBRATE HIS COMPASS FREQUENTLY.

THAT'S BECAUSE A COMPASS WILL ALWAYS POINT

TO THE MAGNETIC NORTH POLE,

NOT TO THE GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE--

TWO DIFFERENT POINTS ON THE GLOBE.

Murphy: THE FURTHER NORTH YOU TRAVEL WITH A COMPASS,

THE MORE INACCURATE THE COMPASS IS.

Narrator: PILOTS HAVE TO USE THEIR GPS

TO GET THE TRUE HEADING AND ADJUST THEIR INSTRUMENTS.

Rutherford: THERE WE GO.

MIGHT AS WELL DO YOURS, TOO.

HEADING 0-2-9 DEGREES.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ONLY HEAR THE PILOTS

RECALIBRATE THEIR COMPASSES ONCE DURING THE FLIGHT,

BUT NOT ON FINAL APPROACH.

THE TWO COMPASSES THEN DRIFTED AT DIFFERENT RATES

AS THEY DESCENDED TOWARDS RESOLUTE BAY.

Macdonald: RUTHERFORD'S COMPASS WAS TELLING HIM

THAT HE WAS FLYING 331 DEGREES,

STRAIGHT BACK TOWARDS THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY,

BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY FLYING 348 DEGREES

STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE HILL.

Narrator: THE INACCURATE COMPASS READING

LIKELY CONVINCED CAPTAIN RUTHERFORD

THAT HIS AUTOPILOT WAS BRINGING THE PLANE BACK ON TRACK.

EACH PILOT HAD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING

OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.

Hare: WE'RE NOT ON THE LOCALIZER.

Rutherford: OH, WE'RE FINE.

THE AUTOPILOT'S TRACKING THE LOCALIZER.

Ross: HAVING TWO PILOTS

THAT HAVE DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE SITUATION IS PROBLEMATIC,

AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS BRING THOSE PERCEPTIONS BACK TOGETHER,

AND IN THIS INSTANCE THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

Narrator: THE FIRST OFFICER KEPT TRYING TO WARN THE CAPTAIN

THAT THEY WERE IN TROUBLE.

Hare: I THINK WE SHOULD ABANDON THE APPROACH,

GO AROUND AND SORT THIS OUT.

Rutherford: NO, WE'RE GOOD. WE'LL CONTINUE THE APPROACH.

Hare: OKAY. CONTINUING APPROACH.

Narrator: AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED,

THE GAP BETWEEN EACH PILOT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION

WIDENED.

Hare: GREEN LIGHT. GEAR DOWN. THREE GREEN.

Rutherford: FLAPS 40.

GREEN LIGHT.

Stuart: YOU CAN SEE THAT THINGS

ARE STARTING TO HAPPEN FAIRLY QUICKLY.

THE WORKLOAD'S STARTING TO PILE UP.

YOU CAN HEAR IT HAPPENING IN THEIR VOICES.

Hare: SO YOU THINK IT'S FINE.

Rutherford: NOW, LOOK, THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

THE SAME THING JUST HAPPENED TO ANOTHER PILOT.

WE'LL GET BACK ON THE RUNWAY.

Hare: OKAY, BUT WE'RE WAY OFF COURSE.

Narrator: WHEN THE PLANE DIDN'T HEAD BACK TO THE RUNWAY

LIKE HE THOUGHT IT WOULD,

THE CAPTAIN COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY.

Computer: PULL UP.

Hare: GO AROUND. GO FOR IT.

Narrator: BY THE TIME THE CREW DECIDES TO ABANDON THE LANDING...

Hare: GO AROUND!

Rutherford: GO AROUND THRUST.

Narrator: IT'S TOO LATE TO GET THE POWER THEY NEED

TO CLIMB OUT OF TROUBLE.

TWO SECONDS LATER,

THEY SLAM INTO THE HILL BESIDE THE RUNWAY.

Murphy: THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS

THAT HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED FOR THIS OUTCOME

THAT IF ANY ONE OF THOSE DIDN'T HAPPEN,

UH, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE ACCIDENT.

Narrator: THE MYSTERY OF THE FIRST AIR DISASTER

IS FINALLY BECOMING CLEAR,

BUT THERE IS ONE LAST QUESTION INVESTIGATORS MUST ANSWER.

WHY DIDN'T THE CAPTAIN LISTEN TO THE ONE PERSON

WHO WAS TRYING SO HARD TO WARN HIM OF THE IMPENDING DANGER?

Hare: WE'RE NOT ON THE LOCALIZER.

Rutherford: OH, WE'RE FINE.

THE AUTOPILOT'S TRACKING THE LOCALIZER.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THAT THE CAPTAIN OF FLIGHT 6560

DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT HIS AIRCRAFT WAS IN DANGER,

DESPITE HIS FIRST OFFICER'S REPEATED WARNINGS.

Hare: GPS HAS US GOING OFF TO THE RIGHT.

Ross: I COUNTED 18 STATEMENTS THAT THE FIRST OFFICER MADE

FROM THE FIRST TIME HE INDICATED THAT THEY WERE OFF COURSE

UNTIL THEY COLLIDED WITH THE HILL.

Hare: SO YOU THINK IT'S FINE.

Rutherford: NOW, LOOK. THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

THE SAME THING JUST HAPPENED TO ANOTHER PILOT.

WE'LL GET BACK ON THE RUNWAY.

Hare: OKAY, BUT WE'RE WAY OFF COURSE.

Narrator: THE FIRST OFFICER COULD SEE SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

Hare: WE'RE OVER THE SHORELINE NOW.

Rutherford: ALL RIGHT.

Narrator: BUT DID NOT CLEARLY STATE THAT HE FELT THEY WERE IN DANGER.

Stuart: WE COULD SEE THAT THE FIRST OFFICER

WAS TRYING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TACKS,

TALKING ABOUT THE GPS, TALKING ABOUT THE RELATIVE POSITION,

TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS OF APPROACHING THE PROBLEM

AND COMMUNICATING IT TO THE CAPTAIN.

Hare: BLAIR, I DON'T LIKE THIS.

Narrator: THE PILOTS' RECORDS PAINT A PICTURE OF TWO MEN

WITH VASTLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.

FIRST OFFICER HARE WAS NEW TO THE 737

AND HAD FEWER THAN 5,000 HOURS IN THE AIR.

CAPTAIN RUTHERFORD HAD

MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY HOURS IN THE COCKPIT

AND MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE FLYING IN THE NORTH.

YET, FOR SOME REASON, HE DIDN'T PICK UP

ON WHAT FIRST OFFICER HARE WAS TRYING TO TELL HIM.

Stuart: THEY WEREN'T RESOLVING THE PROBLEM.

AND SO THE QUESTIONS KEEP PILING UP.

WHY DOES THE FIRST OFFICER KEEP FOCUSING ON THIS?

WE SHOULD BE CONFIGURED, WE'RE NOT.

SO HIS PROBLEMS ARE MOUNTING UP AND MOUNTING UP.

IT GETS HARDER TO PULL YOURSELF OUT OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS

THAT YOU NEED TO PUT RIGHT.

Hare: MAYBE WE SHOULD GO AROUND.

Rutherford: CONTINUE CONFIGURING FOR LANDING.

Narrator: AS THE LESS-EXPERIENCED PILOT,

FIRST OFFICER HARE MAY HAVE FELT RELUCTANT

TO VOICE HIS CONCERNS MORE FORCEFULLY.

AS A RESULT OF THEIR CONCLUSIONS,

THE TSB MAKES SOME IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS.

Macdonald: OUR JOB IS TO ILLUMINATE WHERE THE DEFICIENCIES ARE,

AND THE INDUSTRY AND THE REGULATOR

WILL TAKE ACTION TO MITIGATE THOSE RISKS.

THAT'S WHY THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD EXISTS.

Narrator: THE SAFETY BOARD URGES FIRST AIR

TO REVIEW HOW PILOTS CALIBRATE THEIR COMPASSES.

Macdonald: GOOD NIGHT.

Narrator: AND TO INSTITUTE CLEAR POLICIES

ON HOW FIRST OFFICERS SHOULD TAKE CONTROL

IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.

Ross: FIRST AIR MADE CHANGES

TO THEIR CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TRAINING,

WHEN AND WHO CAN CALL A GO-AROUND,

HOW THEY DEAL WITH UNSTABLE APPROACHES.

THEY'VE MADE CHANGES TO MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES,

SO THERE'S A FAIR BIT OF SAFETY ACTION

THAT FIRST AIR HAS TAKEN.

Narrator: THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 6560

BROUGHT TERRIBLE GRIEF TO CANADA'S NORTH,

BUT THERE IS ONE RAY OF LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO SHINE.

GABRIELLE PELKY RETURNED TO SCHOOL IN THE AUTUMN OF 2011.

Audla: SHE'S HAPPY-GO-LUCKY.

SHE'S STILL, I'D SAY, A STAR IN HER CLASSROOM.

Narrator: GEOLOGIST NICOLE WILLIAMSON

HAS REMAINED CLOSE WITH GABRIELLE,

BUILDING A FRIENDSHIP

THAT IS HELPING THE YOUNG STUDENT REBUILD HER LIFE.

Audla: SHE'S COPING QUITE WELL.

SHE'S, SHE'S AMA-- AN AMAZING LITTLE GIRL.

A MIRACLE.