Original subtitles

FLIGHT ATTENDANT (ON INTERCOM): Ladies and gentlemen,

we are starting our approach.

MAN: We lost both engines.

MAN: Mayday.

Mayday.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Brace for impact!

MAN: He's gonna crash!

NARRATOR: On the night of the 24th of August 2001,

a fully loaded Airbus A330 with 306 people on board

ran out of fuel midway over the Atlantic.

How could a state of the art computerized airliner

suffer such a catastrophic failure?

Mayday. Mayday.

Mayday.

We have lost both engines due to fuel starvation.

We are gliding now.

Wow.

We're now at 30,000 feet, at the rate of descent

of 2,000 feet per minute.

We have to ditch in the water.

I need you to put on your life jackets right now.

It doesn't work!

NARRATOR: This program investigates what happened

to Air Transat Flight 236.

This is it.

This is-- it's over.

We're just gonna die in the next 5 to 10 minutes.

And the speed's increasing.

203 knots now.

It's way too fast.

Everybody, I need you to brace.

Oh, my god!

NARRATOR: August 23, 2001, Toronto

International Airport is busy.

Air Transat is a charter company that

has grown rapidly to become one of the largest

airlines in Canada.

Midsummer brings fewer business travelers

and a holiday atmosphere.

Air Transat Flight 236 is bound for Lisbon.

Most of the passengers are Canadians

visiting Europe or Portuguese immigrants heading home.

ROBERT PICHE: Ready for the checklist?

NARRATOR: The plane, a twin engine Airbus A330,

is being flown by a young co-pilot,

Dirk DeJager, and an experienced captain, Robert Piché.

YVAN-MIVILLE DES CHENES: Captain Robert Piché is

somewhat out of the ordinary.

Captain Piché, from the moment he gets his wing,

he gets to learn how to fly in the north of the province

of Quebec, where the conditions occasionally are very severe.

NARRATOR: The flight deck of the A330 is ultra modern.

Banks of computers connected to over 100

onboard sensors constantly monitor

the operation of the plane.

This program reveals how serious problems

can arise when the pilots begin to distrust the computers.

Before departure, the computers give no indication of

any problems with the Airbus.

MAN (ON RADIO): 236 Heavy, follow A320 Air Canada.

Turn left on Romeo and hold short on 24 Right.

Roger.

Follow A320 Air Canada, left on Romeo,

and hold short of 24 Right.

NARRATOR: With the crew of seven,

flight 236 has 306 people on board.

JOHN BALJKAS: Well, we were married for four days,

wasn't it? MARGARET MCKINNON: Four days.

JOHN BALJKAS: Four days? - Four days.

So we had planned to go to Portugal for our honeymoon.

And we had booked this flight on Air Transat,

and rather quickly.

Because we hadn't really planned what

we were going to do very carefully.

So this was the last flight left.

Well, I boarded on this flight to go on a 2

and a half week vacation with--

with a friend of mine.

Obviously, I was very excited spending 2 and a half

weeks on the coast of Portugal.

Very excited feeling.

MAN (ON RADIO): Transat 236 Heavy, cleared for takeoff.

240 at 8, cleared for takeoff.

24 Right, Transat 236 Heavy.

NARRATOR: At 20 minutes past 8:00,

the Airbus A330, loaded with over 47 tons of fuel,

leaves Toronto for Lisbon.

V1.

Rotate.

NARRATOR: The weather forecast for the Atlantic crossing

is good.

Everything runs smoothly on the flight deck

apart from a small adjustment to the route.

To avoid congestion, air traffic control

directs the flight 60 miles south of its original route.

It's a minor alteration, but will later play a crucial role.

The passengers settle down for the long crossing.

The reason for our trip to Portugal was a family trip.

We were going to a wedding.

Otherwise, we would not have gone this year.

So instead of just going for four days for a wedding,

we decided to stay for two weeks and throw

the wedding in as a kind of family perk, and see everybody.

MARGARET MCKINNON: Everything appeared quite normal.

And, in fact, I had traveled on Air Transat

previously and found it not to be very good,

and was surprised by the quality of the flight,

that it was on time, the plane was newer.

And we thought generally it was much better than we

had expected it would be.

We're getting to our next checkpoint.

NARRATOR: Every 30 minutes across the Atlantic, the crew

checks their position and their fuel consumption

against their flight plan.

11.2 tons on the right.

11.2 tons on the left.

NARRATOR: Despite the computerized systems,

some procedures like checking the fuel on board still

need to be done by hand.

5.2 tons.

NARRATOR: By comparing the amount of fuel in the tanks

with the amount the flight started with,

the pilots can keep an eye on the fuel consumption.

Fuel check, complete.

Levels normal for the distance flown.

All right.

NARRATOR: For the first five hours, everything is routine.

The flight crew, Air Transat, and the accident investigators

have all declined to be interviewed

about what happened next.

This program uses known facts about the flight,

standard emergency procedures, and expert opinion

to reconstruct what took place on Flight 236.

ROBERT PICHE: Look, we're getting a warning signal.

Oil temp low and oil pressure high on number two.

NARRATOR: This warning is the first step in the crisis.

DIRK DEJAGER: Oil pressure is when

the normal limits on number one, and number two

is slightly high.

NARRATOR: The computer display reveals that the oil

temperature is low in engine number two,

but the oil pressure is high.

It was a very unusual reading.

The pilots are puzzled.

I can't see anything here.

Hmm.

I'll look in the F-Com.

OK.

DAVID LYNCH: A low oil temperature

indication is normally indicative of bad readings

and bad sensor.

Oil temperatures don't decrease normally.

They increase.

A low oil temperature would be of no concern.

The high oil pressure is--

is a very strange indication.

It's very rare.

In fact, I've never actually heard of one.

It's only indicative of the contamination

normally of the oil with fuel.

That's not something that's explained in the manuals.

Call the company.

NARRATOR: The crew contacts Air Transat's

maintenance group in Montreal.

Transat 236 to Mirabel Operations.

MAN (ON RADIO): Maribel, Transat 236.

Hi.

DIRK DEJAGER: Hi.

We have a little problem.

We're getting the warning oil temp

low and oil pressure high on the E-cam for engine number two.

There's nothing in the QRH nor the F-Com.

Can you help us out?

MAN (ON RADIO): I'm looking in the manual.

NARRATOR: The ground crew has no immediate solution.

The pilots must work it out for themselves.

DAVID LYNCH: They may have been given

some advice on troubleshooting, to see if that would help.

But ultimately, you know, the pilots

are up there on their own.

You know, they can get advice from somebody 2,500 miles away,

but they can't really fix the problems.

MAN (ON RADIO): I suggest you keep monitoring your oil levels

and see what happens.

NARRATOR: Because the oil readings are so unusual,

the pilots believe they may indicate a computer error.

The crew keeps monitoring the oil levels.

Air Transat 236 continues on track.

Then, 20 minutes later, a new warning.

Fuel imbalance warning.

I haven't seen that before.

Follow all E-cam action.

I'll have air traffic control.

NARRATOR: In the Airbus 330, most of the fuel

is in large tanks in the wings.

The computer has now detected that the fuel

level on the right is significantly

lower than the left.

The crew consults the Airbus flight manual,

which recommends they transfer fuel

through a special cross feed valve.

Fuel will then flow from one tank to the other.

But before opening the cross feed,

the pilots must be sure that the imbalance

is not caused by a more serious problem, such as a fuel leak.

Last fuel check was only 15 minutes ago and it was OK.

No indication of a fuel leak.

Keep going.

Wing cross feed on.

On.

Once you begin a cross feeding procedure to correct

a fuel imbalance, restorative action

should commence quite quickly.

In other words, the situation would

not continue to get worse.

It would either stabilize immediately and then begin to--

to correct itself.

NARRATOR: But the situation is not correcting itself.

Unknown to the pilots, there is a major fuel

leak in the number two engine on the right hand

side of the plane.

Flight 236 is in the mid-Atlantic, almost 190

miles from the nearest land.

NARRATOR: 39,000 feet over the Atlantic, almost 190

miles from the nearest land, Air Transat Flight 236

is in trouble.

Unknown to the pilots, the right engine is leaking fuel.

The plane's computer system has put up a series of warnings.

But the pilots believe these are computer errors.

You ever seen something like this before?

Nope.

Never.

Doesn't make any sense.

Yeah.

Even if there is a leak, it doesn't explain

the alarms on the oil system.

And everything was OK at the last fuel check at 30 West.

Yeah.

I bet you it's a computer problem.

NARRATOR: The task of finding out

if there is a fuel leak is made harder by the design

of the Airbus systems.

The systems monitor hundreds and hundreds of sensors.

And, you know, they can be affected by, you know,

such mundane things as a little bit of frost or ice on a sensor

can--

can-- can cause it to present bad data.

So it's-- you know, it's not something that would

occur on every single flight.

But it's something that we're--

we're quite used to dealing with.

NARRATOR: There is no Warning to show

that the fuel level is falling faster than the engines are

consuming it.

So the pilots receive no immediate indication that there

could be a fuel leak.

The fuel quantity isn't rising in the tanks of the right wing.

Check fuel quantity.

It looks very low.

Hold on.

NARRATOR: When co-pilot DeJager carries out the calculations,

he discovers there is something seriously wrong.

There's much less fuel than we should have.

It looks like a fuel leak.

Check again.

NARRATOR: DeJager finds a disturbing difference.

According to all the gauges, all the tanks in the right wing

are way below the level they should be

according to the flight plan.

And it's hardly anything in the other ones.

What about the trim tank?

There's nothing there either.

- Yes? - Hello.

First Officer here.

Can you come to the cockpit, please?

Sure.

NARRATOR: Although Captain Piché believes he is dealing with

a computer problem, he nevertheless decides to ask

for a visual check just in case to see

if it could be a fuel leak.

Captain?

Hi.

Can you and Karen take some flashlights

and go to the windows?

If you can see anything trailing back from the wings,

it'll look like a mist or a stream.

And report back immediately.

OK.

Dirk, I want you to do an auto complete fuel check, please.

I'm so sorry.

NARRATOR: In daylight, the fuel pouring

out the back of the wing would have been clearly visible.

But in the dead of night, even with a flashlight,

the fuel leaking from the engine is impossible to see.

The crew realize that the situation is not

improving, and discuss what their next course of action

should be.

If the computer is correct, then, with the amount of fuel

remaining the Airbus will no longer

be able to make it to Lisbon.

Captain Piché is forced to make a crucial decision.

Get onto Oceanic Control.

Where's the nearest airfield?

Transat 236 Heavy, Santa Maria Control.

Can you advise nearest airfield?

We have a possible fuel problem.

NARRATOR: The nearest runway is over 190 miles away.

But with the fuel remaining, Lajes military air base

on the tiny island of Terceira in the Azores

should be within reach.

Flight 236 continues flying south for the next 25 minutes.

Everything in the cabin seems normal.

But in the cockpit, the fuel readings are getting worse.

Must be the computer.

I've checked.

There's nothing in the trim or center tank.

And the gauges show only 7 and a half--

NARRATOR: According to the fuel gauges,

the plane is using fuel much faster than normal.

Whether they believe the gauges or not,

the captain has no choice.

He must warn air traffic control.

We have to declare a fuel emergency.

Transat 236 Heavy, Santa Maria Control.

MAN (ON RADIO): Santa Maria control, Transat 236 Heavy.

Go ahead.

Transat 236 Heavy declaring fuel emergency.

I really hope it's a computer bug.

Because if we land in the Azores with half a plane full of fuel,

they'll crucify us.

Please put up your tray.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: At 6:13 AM, less than an hour

from the first fuel alarm, the right hand engine

runs out of fuel and cuts out.

We're losing engine number two.

I don't believe this.

OK.

Maximum thrust on number one.

- What's going on? - Uh-oh.

Uh-oh. - Miss?

Miss, what's happening?

Lights started flickering on and off, which I thought

was kind of odd, strange.

NARRATOR: On one engine, the Airbus

cannot fly at 39,000 feet.

They must descend quickly.

Try to transfer fuel from center tank into trim tank.

Transferring.

Fuel quantities reaching zero.

ROBERT PICHE: This can't be.

We're not gonna go completely dry on this airplane.

All right.

We can't stay at 39,000 feet with just one engine.

We'll descend to 33,000 to control our speed.

DIRK DEJAGER: 236 to Lajes tower.

We have lost one engine, engine flameout

MAN (ON RADIO): Roger, Transat 236.

We can see you on primary radar.

You are at 135 nautical miles from Lajes Field.

We are 135 nautical miles from Lajes Field.

DAVID LYNCH: Well, there's a whole lot of critical things

go on.

In addition to that, you turn on all the exterior lights

so people can see you're in trouble.

You have to broadcast your intentions on an emergency

frequency so that other people know

that you're unable to maintain your altitude.

You may be-- you may be descending

through their altitude.

So everybody else is now on the lookout for an airplane

that's-- that's in distress.

NARRATOR: For the next 10 minutes,

the stricken Airbus continues on its remaining engine.

The pilots still believe that the computer may

be partly faulty, and that they can make

it to Lajes with fuel to spare.

In the end it might be all right.

Fuel gauge is falling fast, though.

It's nearly hitting zero.

NARRATOR: But 13 minutes after the right hand engine cuts out,

and with a little over 80 miles still to go,

the left engine begins to fail.

We're losing number one.

DIRK DEJAGER: Mayday. Mayday.

Mayday.

We have lost both engines due to fuel starvation.

We are gliding now.

NARRATOR: One of the most sophisticated airliners

of the modern era, carrying 306 passengers and crew,

is now nothing more than a giant glider

drifting steadily down towards the ocean.

Honey, it doesn't work.

Excuse me.

Can somebody come?

You can literally hear a pin drop.

The exterior-- there was no sound in that plane--

in that cabin at all.

A lot of people were praying and screaming for God.

My wife was a little hysterical.

My best friend was in another world.

The plane was dead silent except for the people

who were--

Screaming.

--who were very upset.

No anti-skid.

No reversers.

Rudder trim.

Radio HF 1 and 2.

DAVID LYNCH: With the loss of both engines

we have no electrical system, which

means if the engines aren't running,

the generators aren't running.

So there's no power on the airplane.

There is a small device, it's called a ram air turbine.

It will deploy from underneath the fuselage

near the wing fairing.

And it's-- it's a small propeller that

deploys out the bottom of the fuselage

and it spins in the wind.

And that small propeller will provide

very limited electrical and hydraulic

systems to run the aircraft.

In other words, although it's a glider,

at least it's a controllable glider.

Calculate how far we can go with our glide angle, will you?

Well, we're now at 30,000 feet at the rate of descent

of 2,000 feet per minute.

We can hang out-- hang on for 14 or 15 minutes.

What?

I don't want to die on our honeymoon.

I was just trying to calm her down,

like, try and reassure her that everything would be OK.

It's a very big struggle to stay calm when you're

considering your own death.

NARRATOR: Without power, the plane

loses almost 1,000 feet in height for every 3 miles

it travels forward.

They can reach the Azores.

But if the pilots get their calculations wrong,

they may face a forced landing on the water.

I'm not sure we can make it to Lajes.

NARRATOR: Air Transat Flight 236 is now drifting

without fuel over the Atlantic.

Although their initial calculations show that

the plane should make it to Lajes,

Captain Piché must now follow standard emergency procedure

for a passenger jet over water.

Prepare the cabin.

OK.

The cabin's slowly depressurizing.

We need to put our oxygen masks on.

NARRATOR: The loss of engine power

means the cabin soon depressurizes.

Ow.

Everybody, please, I need your attention.

We're preparing to ditch the plane.

I need you to put on your life jackets right now.

MAN: What?

MARCO SCOCCO: Within probably, I'd say, two minutes,

I saw flight attendants with life jackets

in their hand running down the aisles.

Obviously, that was a--

a sign of fear.

What-- you know, what was happening

was the first question that popped in my mind.

What?

Honey.

Sweetheart.

You'll just need to tighten this up like that.

Sure.

You know, you don't really know what to think.

But people did start to panic at that point

when they were told to put on life jackets.

- This isn't working! - No.

It's all right. - But it doesn't work!

Please keep her calm.

Please don't die.

Please don't die.

JOHN BALJKAS: I kept thinking that if the plane did hit

water, that we would survive.

I was probably delusional.

MARCO SCOCCO: Fear just suddenly just kicked in from--

from my toes straight up to my head.

At that point, they started instructing

us and giving us instructions of what to do in this procedure.

Take off your shoes was one of them.

Don't inflate your jacket until we hit the water.

Get into this position when we hit the water.

It was a lot of-- it wasn't, like, ifs or maybes.

It was this was gonna happen.

This is the real deal.

NARRATOR: Ditching the large passenger jet in the water

presents severe hazards.

If the Airbus 330 has to make a forced landing,

the chances of survival are bleak.

In 1996, a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel

off the coast of East Africa.

Its last moments were caught on amateur video,

and reveal what can happen when an airliner attempts

a controlled landing on water.

Of the 175 people on the Ethiopian Airways jet, only 50

survived.

The chances of surviving a ditching and floating for very

long are not very good.

NARRATOR: If Air Transat Flight 236 has to carry out

a similar maneuver, it faces an equally grave possible outcome.

With over 80 miles before they reach the Azores,

the pilots face a long and difficult maneuver.

They need to keep the plane gliding

for more than 15 minutes.

DAVID LYNCH: There's very little time for any emotions at all.

You just-- you're just so focused on the mission.

DIRK DEJAGER (ON RADIO): Transat 236 Heavy to Lajes tower.

MAN (ON RADIO): Lajes tower receiving, Transat 236 Heavy.

DIRK DEJAGER: Do you have us on radar, Transat 236?

MAN (ON RADIO): We have on primary radar,

confirm you're at 80 miles out.

Your heading is good.

DIRK DEJAGER: Transat 236 Heavy, Lajes tower, we

are trying to make the runway.

Please describe runway heading and length.

MAN (ON RADIO): Lajes tower, Transat 326 Heavy.

Runway is 33 and 10,865 feet long.

Airport dead ahead on your present heading.

Please advise when you have it in sight.

Transat 236 Heavy.

We cannot see the airport.

We will tell you when we can.

NARRATOR: As the minutes tick by,

the long wait for those on board is agonizing.

MARCO SCOCCO: That's it.

That's-- this is it.

This is-- it's over.

We're just gonna die in the next 5 to 10 minutes.

MARGARET MCKINNON: I had contemplated the idea

that we would die, certainly.

And kind of you can--

I think in that moment you can accept it more than you

think you would accept it.

DANIEL RODRIGUES: I never thought I was gonna die.

I was in a little bit of a state of distress.

I did my best not to show it, to try to keep

cool, calm, and collected.

But there was certain times where I wasn't

sure if we would make it.

The torture of the whole fact that you're gonna die--

which I totally thought I was going to--

is worse to me than dying.

If I'm gonna die, just kill me now.

Just get a gun and shoot me or just let this plane go down

and nosedive into the ocean and then just die instantly.

NARRATOR: On the ground, emergency

services prepare for the crash landing

of a fully loaded airliner.

NARRATOR: With eight miles to go,

the crew of Transat Flight 236 prepares for the most dangerous

part of the operation-- getting their plane

on the runway in one piece.

DIRK DEJAGER: --the threshold now and weather, please.

MAN (ON RADIO): Roger, Transat 236 Heavy.

You are eight miles out according to primary radar.

Airspeed, 280 knots according to our readings.

Visibility, unlimited.

You should have the airport in sight.

DIRK DEJAGER (ON RADIO): Negative, Lajes tower.

Until now we cannot see the runway.

NARRATOR: There is no room for error.

Without power, the pilots have only one chance at landing.

If they miss or overshoot the runway,

the results could be catastrophic.

I got it, just to the right.

Minimum RAT speed is 140 knots.

Maximum speed for gravity gear extension, 200 knots.

I'm not lowering the gear until the last minute.

OK?

OK.

NARRATOR: The crew struggles to lose

height and speed for landing.

DIRK DEJAGER: Roger, Lajes.

6 nautical miles.

Let's open the slats.

It'll slow us down a bit.

Slats out and locked.

NARRATOR: As they approach the runway,

their speed increases dangerously.

Too fast and they could roll off the end of the runway.

Lower the gear?

Hold on.

Speed is about 200.

All right.

I stabilized the speed.

Can you give me a landing speed, please?

No engine, no flaps.

Ideal approach speed is 170 knots.

We're too fast.

Yes.

But the runway is very long.

NARRATOR: Captain Piché performs a difficult

series of swerving maneuvers to slow

the plane down for landing.

MARCO SCOCCO: The plane was almost

on a-- like, a 45 degree angle.

I thought it was just gonna--

it was just gonna flip over and just nosedive straight down.

The plane was circling around the island to slow down.

So then we saw land and then we saw water.

And when I saw water again, it really

struck me that, you know, our chance for survival had maybe--

was gone.

DANIEL RODRIGUES: The runway is long.

Yeah, sure.

But at the end there's a 400 foot cliff.

If we don't stop in enough time, we're toast.

We're dead.

NARRATOR: The crew lines up the giant Airbus

for the final approach.

Landing gear down and locked.

Three green.

No flaps, only the emergency brakes.

No spoilers, no reverse thrust.

4,000 feet, 195 knots.

3,000 feet, 197 knots.

2,000 feet, 200 knots.

Alert the cabin.

Cabin crew, one minute to landing.

Hang on.

DIRK DEJAGER: Vertical speed at 3,000 feet per minute.

We're going way too fast and the speed's increasing.

203 knots now.

It's way too fast.

1,000 feet, 201 knots.

We'll try to get the nose up.

We'll arrive fast.

NARRATOR: But even if the crew can

get the Airbus on the runway, they face a further problem.

Without engines, the normal procedures for braking

are severely restricted.

For Flight 236, the danger is far from over.

The pilots must land the plane without power,

and somehow get it to stop.

Everybody, I need you to brace.

WOMAN: Hang on!

NARRATOR: The Airbus lands hard at high speed.

The tires have blown!

NARRATOR: Captain Piché tries to hold the nose down.

WOMAN: Oh, my god!

NARRATOR: After bursting eight tires,

the plane finally stops in the middle of the runway.

Yeah!

What do you say?

We made it!

Come on, everybody, get out of the plane right now.

Let's go.

Let's go. - Come on.

Come on.

DANIEL RODRIGUES: I didn't slide down the slide.

I ran down it.

And they're just-- get out, get out, got out.

So you're just running out of this aircraft.

MARCO SCOCCO: What in God's name just happened?

I-- I fell down to the ground, literally, and I just started--

I started crying.

MARGARET MCKINNON: I mean, once you're off the plane

and you're evacuated, you want to know what happened.

Piché and DeJager had flown their Airbus

without power further than any passenger jet in history.

As news of their remarkable achievement

spreads around the world, they find

themselves reluctant heroes.

You don't have time, really, to think about

anything else than taking care the-- of the safety

of your passenger.

You know?

That's your main goal.

And since we didn't have any engine,

the other main goal was to make the landing safely.

So at that time, I guess, the experience came in,

you know, with the help of my colleague.

That's why we-- that's why we made a successful landing.

DIRK DEJAGR: You're train for the worst,

but you never know how you'll deal with situations like this.

And reflecting afterwards, I feel

we dealt in the most professional and complete

matter we could.

A feeling of being grateful to see all the passengers were OK.

ROBERT PICHE: You know, something like this happen,

you never know what is gonna happen, really.

I mean, you don't-- you start not to believe it.

I mean, it makes no sense that a big jet with two engine

has no more power with 300 people on board.

You know?

NARRATOR: But although the public story is of success,

disturbing questions remain.

Why did a highly sophisticated airliner run out of fuel?

What exactly happened to Flight 236?

Away from the cameras, an accident investigation

begins immediately by the Portuguese, Canadian, and

French Transport Authorities.

Initial checks quickly confirm that all the fuel tanks of

the Airbus were indeed empty.

But to lose more than 17 tons of fuel

in such a short space of time means they had a major leak.

The question is, where.

Engineers examine the fuel system,

searching for faults in the tanks and the fuel lines.

It isn't long before they find what they're looking

for just by the right engine.

LU ZUCKERMAN: In this particular case,

you had a hydraulic tube that's relatively small by comparison

to the larger fuel tube.

And the hydraulic tube--

due possibly to pulsations in the hydraulic system--

were abrading against the larger tube.

And, eventually, the larger tube had a leak in it.

And the leak-- or not the leak itself, but the--

the hole eventually possibly led in to a fracture of the tube

allowing this massive fuel flow outside of the engine.

NARRATOR: The investigators begin checking Air

Transat maintenance records.

They discover that on the 17th of August, five days

before the flight, Air Transat removed the right hand engine

for maintenance and installed a replacement

unit sent by Rolls-Royce.

But as they analyze the repair logs for the engine,

they uncover a shocking mistake.

This was not a case of faulty design

but of faulty maintenance.

Rolls-Royce had supplied the engine without a hydraulic pump

assembly.

To overcome this, Transat mechanics and use

the parts from an older engine.

But they didn't fit properly.

And the pipes had been rubbing together for five days,

until midway over the Atlantic one finally broke.

LU ZUCKERMAN: The engine was delivered minus these two

tubes and a bracket.

The purpose of that bracket was to maintain adequate clearance.

So if they took the bracket off the old engine

and put it on the new engine, is that the pipes

would be locked together so that they could possibly abrade.

So the mechanics-- now, I can't fault them,

but they are not given specific instructions to verify

the 3 millimeter clearance.

NARRATOR: As investigators questioned Air Transat

mechanics, they find more disturbing

evidence of malpractice.

The chief mechanic testified that he

had been concerned about the substitution

of another hydraulic assembly.

Five days before the accident, he raised

his concerns with his superior.

Put it on.

Leave it on so the plane can get up in the air.

NARRATOR: He was told that it would cost too much to have

the aircraft waiting for the missing parts,

and to go ahead with the substitution.

Not exact.

NARRATOR: The replacement parts only

differed from the correct ones by a few millimeters.

But it was the difference that almost cost 306 lives.

A few days after the accident, Air Transat

publicly accepted responsibility for the faulty maintenance.

We have to realize that there was a small mistake made

in terms of changing the pump.

We installed it, but then some--

some pipes, so to speak, were needed

to be connected to the pump.

And there was a mismatch.

The immediate consequences for Air Transat in that event

was that they got to pay a fine of a quarter of a million

dollar, which was the highest ever in Canada,

for an error that could have been prevented.

MARCO SCOCCO: How someone that is supposed to be qualified

in their job can put the wrong part onto an engine and risk

300 people's lives is--

is beyond me.

MARGARET MCKINNON: This incident is

a very strong reminder that regulation is important

and safety is important.

And lives will be lost in the absence of that.

And they're real lives.

It's not just, you know, this imaginary figure

in your head of 300 people.

It's real people who suffer, and continue to suffer

through all-- if it hadn't been suffering,

it would have been our families.

NARRATOR: This is by no means the end of the story.

Investigators now turn their attention

to the cockpit itself.

Wing cross feed, on.

ROBERT PICHE: On.

NARRATOR: When the crew opened the cross feed valve

to transfer fuel from the left wing tank to the right,

they lost 17 tons of fuel in less than 30 minutes.

Yet, they failed to close the cross feed valve

and prevent further loss. - Mayday.

Mayday. Mayday.

We have lost both engines due to fuel starvation.

We are gliding now.

NARRATOR: In the days after the incident,

Captain Robert Piché and Dirk DeJager were

called before the inquiry and asked

in detail about their actions.

In 2004, the investigators issued a report

that cited pilot error as contributing

to the near catastrophe.

Captain Piché believed for a long time that

he was facing a computer error.

It was only when the engines finally

stopped that he had to accept that the fuel leak was genuine.

The technological complexity of modern aircraft

can help to make them safer and more reliable.

But it can also lead to the problems

that nearly brought catastrophe to Air Transat Flight 236.

Discrepancies in replacement parts led to a fuel leak.

Distrust in computers led the crew to misread the situation.

These errors combined to have huge implications.

Only because air traffic control initially sent the plane

60 miles south to avoid congestion

was Flight 236 close enough to the Azores

when the crisis struck.

Otherwise, it would have had to ditch in the ocean.

After the accident, Airbus modified its checklist

in the event of fuel imbalance.

From now on, the computer checks all the fuel levels on board

against the flight plan.

It now gives a clear warning if more fuel is being lost

than the engines can consume.

Rolls-Royce re-issued a service bulletin

alerting all its clients of the incompatibility

of the two very similar parts.

For the passengers trapped on Flight 236,

the trauma has them with mixed feelings.

All right.

I stabilized the speed.

DAVID LYNCH: This accident wasn't--

wasn't caused by simply one omission by any one individual,

as is typical of most aircraft accidents.

There's a whole chain of events-- a whole series of--

of events that lead to--

to the incident or to the accident.

And this accident was no different.

MARCO SCOCCO: Whatever the circumstances are,

the pressure that he was under is tremendous.

He got that plane down safely, only blew out 8 of the 12

tires, and saved 300 people.

He saved 300 people's lives.

Captain Piché saved our lives.

And whether or not he made an error

or if there was a failure of a computer,

it doesn't really matter because we're alive.

Do I think he's a hero?

No.

Do I think he's a hell of a pilot?

Yes.

MARCO SCOCCO: Thank god the islands of the Azores

we're there and basically saved our lives.

But if that fuel pump broke 2, 5 minutes beforehand, we'd-- we

would have ended up into--

into the water.

And I probably wouldn't be here to tell the story.