1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:03,400 A catastrophic scenario occurred at an altitude of 1,200 meters. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,080 Flames were coming out of the cockpit's deck. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:10,400 We were starting to get burned. 4 00:00:10,910 --> 00:00:14,760 A fire broke out aboard Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458. 5 00:00:15,255 --> 00:00:16,740 This airplane was a trap. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:19,100 It was a matter of life or death. 7 00:00:19,860 --> 00:00:22,720 The pilots only had a few seconds to land the plane. 8 00:00:23,110 --> 00:00:24,716 All I could see was trees on the horizon. 9 00:00:24,740 --> 00:00:28,100 It wasn't going to be a smooth landing. 10 00:00:30,340 --> 00:00:32,500 11 of the 12 people on board survived. 11 00:00:34,065 --> 00:00:35,780 But the fire destroyed all the evidence. 12 00:00:37,590 --> 00:00:39,120 The plane was completely burned. 13 00:00:39,380 --> 00:00:42,900 A surviving pilot delivered a clue to the NTSB investigators. 14 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,760 When I turned on the switch, I saw smoke at the base of the control column. 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,860 That was a very, very valuable statement to one of the investigators. 16 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,680 There were 10 passengers on board Flight 458. 17 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,680 Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458. 18 00:01:30,855 --> 00:01:32,840 Hello, everyone. We're about to take off. 19 00:01:33,035 --> 00:01:34,795 Make sure your seat belts are well attached. 20 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:37,360 I'll serve. 21 00:01:38,180 --> 00:01:39,180 Well done. 22 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,500 Just after 3 p.m., the Twin Otter took off on the runway. 23 00:01:45,750 --> 00:01:46,760 111 kilometers per hour. 24 00:01:47,220 --> 00:01:48,220 111 kilometers per hour. 25 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,080 Flight 458 took off from Groton in Connecticut. 26 00:01:55,630 --> 00:01:57,280 To the destination of Boston. 27 00:01:58,035 --> 00:01:59,640 140 kilometers north. 28 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:03,880 Positive rhythm. 29 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:05,640 Flaps up. 30 00:02:05,980 --> 00:02:06,980 Flaps up. 31 00:02:08,540 --> 00:02:12,200 Today, it's Thomas Prinster, 36, who is in charge of the plane. 32 00:02:13,435 --> 00:02:15,620 He's been working for this company for three years. 33 00:02:16,590 --> 00:02:17,780 Thomas, everyone loved Tom. 34 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,120 He would show us how to pilot that airplane. 35 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:22,560 What you could do, what you do want to do. 36 00:02:23,110 --> 00:02:24,640 It was a real pleasure to fly with. 37 00:02:28,060 --> 00:02:29,506 Temperature and pressure in the green. 38 00:02:29,530 --> 00:02:30,530 Everything is good. 39 00:02:31,900 --> 00:02:33,920 Pilgrim 458, crossing 300 meters. 40 00:02:34,335 --> 00:02:36,820 Pilgrim 458, well received. Passing at 300 meters. 41 00:02:38,220 --> 00:02:42,700 The co-pilot, Lyle Hogg, 27, has been part of the company for just a few months. 42 00:02:44,060 --> 00:02:48,420 Before I went to Pilgrim Airlines, I had about 1,500 hours of flight. 43 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:55,560 And from my arrival to this flight, 458, I had flown about 400 hours. 44 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:02,000 The pilots are in charge of a 2-Havilland Dash 6 Twin Otter, 45 00:03:02,515 --> 00:03:06,460 a turbo-pulsed aircraft frequently used on regional lines. 46 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,840 It was a twin turbo-pulsed twin engine that was mainly used for short flights. 47 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,340 A very popular airplane in its day. 48 00:03:15,580 --> 00:03:18,340 It helped lead the air revolution. 49 00:03:19,260 --> 00:03:23,000 And at the time, it was used all over the world. 50 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,730 Pilgrim 458, climbing 1,200 meters. 51 00:03:30,030 --> 00:03:31,030 Positioning VOR. 52 00:03:33,270 --> 00:03:35,510 The flight to Boston lasts only 40 minutes. 53 00:03:36,110 --> 00:03:37,790 There is no flight attendant on board. 54 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:41,246 One of the passengers of this flight is Harry 55 00:03:41,258 --> 00:03:43,770 Policron, an engineer at the US Airlines. 56 00:03:44,570 --> 00:03:48,210 He goes to Boston to take his next service. 57 00:03:49,550 --> 00:03:50,230 The flight to Boston is the first of its kind. 58 00:03:50,231 --> 00:03:51,636 The flight to Boston is the first of its kind. 59 00:03:51,660 --> 00:03:54,730 My flight out of Boston, the next day, was early in the morning. 60 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,750 So my plan was to arrive on Sunday night, 61 00:04:00,195 --> 00:04:04,470 and take a hotel room, so I would be all set and ready to go. 62 00:04:06,550 --> 00:04:10,450 Paul Ainsworth, business advisor, has to take another flight to Boston. 63 00:04:11,980 --> 00:04:15,690 Once we had started to take altitude, I started going up into the air. 64 00:04:15,750 --> 00:04:18,322 I had really just flipped my head over, closed 65 00:04:18,334 --> 00:04:20,750 my eyes, and started going up into the air. 66 00:04:20,751 --> 00:04:21,751 I was so tired. 67 00:04:22,965 --> 00:04:26,350 The plane reached 1,200 meters, its cruising altitude. 68 00:04:27,180 --> 00:04:30,510 The weather was typical for a month of February in New England. 69 00:04:30,750 --> 00:04:35,970 There was clouds at 900 meters and some freezing rain. 70 00:04:37,985 --> 00:04:39,590 Pilgrim 458, how's it going? Smooth flight. 71 00:04:40,950 --> 00:04:41,950 ... 72 00:04:45,730 --> 00:04:48,730 With an outside temperature of minus 3 degrees Celsius, 73 00:04:49,055 --> 00:04:52,530 the wavy rain forms a layer of ice on the windshield. 74 00:04:55,220 --> 00:04:56,421 I'm going to pick up some ice. 75 00:04:58,700 --> 00:05:01,110 It's the same as the wavy on a car's windshield. 76 00:05:02,470 --> 00:05:05,950 It's a rough and difficult to see through. 77 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:07,841 How's it going on the wings? No ice. 78 00:05:10,410 --> 00:05:11,410 ... 79 00:05:12,190 --> 00:05:14,306 All right, let's interview the pilots to clean this windshield. 80 00:05:14,330 --> 00:05:15,330 You go. 81 00:05:15,780 --> 00:05:18,710 The pilots want to be sure that they can unwind the windshield. 82 00:05:21,190 --> 00:05:21,710 They want to make sure that the windshield is working. 83 00:05:21,711 --> 00:05:25,170 We would test the windshield to make sure it was working. 84 00:05:25,745 --> 00:05:28,705 We wouldn't change the pump all the way because 85 00:05:28,717 --> 00:05:31,310 it would consume too much of the alcohol. 86 00:05:31,490 --> 00:05:32,750 You wouldn't use up too much of the alcohol. 87 00:05:32,751 --> 00:05:37,270 You'd save it when we needed it, when we'd be out at the next airport. 88 00:05:41,350 --> 00:05:42,751 Okay, you can go to the other side. 89 00:05:43,660 --> 00:05:48,490 I noticed very little fluid on the outside of the windshield. 90 00:05:48,491 --> 00:05:50,750 I first activated the switch. 91 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:52,920 Anything on your side? 92 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:55,070 Some, but not a lot. 93 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:05,390 The second time, I held the switch in the on position for a little bit longer 94 00:06:05,391 --> 00:06:09,610 so we could get a good indication of the gas being in the windshield. 95 00:06:11,530 --> 00:06:12,530 Still nothing. 96 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:17,920 Something's right. 97 00:06:18,755 --> 00:06:19,755 I'm going to stop trying. 98 00:06:20,290 --> 00:06:23,140 Quite soon after that, there wasn't a foot in the cockpit. 99 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:25,640 It was like a smell of alcohol. 100 00:06:26,450 --> 00:06:29,280 There wasn't an emergency at that time yet, 101 00:06:29,570 --> 00:06:33,320 but we were beginning our thought process as far as, 102 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,681 okay, what are we going to do to deal with this issue? 103 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:38,420 I smell the smoke. 104 00:06:40,020 --> 00:06:41,020 Okay. 105 00:06:41,870 --> 00:06:43,140 Around the same time, 106 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:45,860 we saw there was an acrid-type smell. 107 00:06:46,450 --> 00:06:51,520 The first thought that came to mind was Tom had 108 00:06:51,521 --> 00:06:52,521 been a smoker in the ashtray in the cockpit, 109 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:53,760 in the lower circuit. 110 00:06:55,510 --> 00:06:57,940 We looked towards the smoke from the ashtray was, 111 00:06:58,100 --> 00:07:01,220 and it was not smoke coming from the ashtray. 112 00:07:02,740 --> 00:07:03,780 In the cockpit, 113 00:07:04,310 --> 00:07:06,220 Harry Polycron asks himself questions. 114 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:08,880 I had my head in the paper, 115 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,500 and then I got that whiff of alcohol. 116 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:13,760 As a navigator, 117 00:07:14,300 --> 00:07:17,700 Polycron knows that this smell can be the sign of a serious problem. 118 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:19,200 In principle, 119 00:07:19,500 --> 00:07:22,100 there's no reason to smell an alcoholic smell in an airplane. 120 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:25,320 It's coming from down there. 121 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,860 The pilots then see bubbles of smoke entering the cockpit. 122 00:07:31,740 --> 00:07:35,520 We did see initially some very light white smoke. 123 00:07:38,780 --> 00:07:42,260 Before we could even talk about that or react to that, 124 00:07:42,755 --> 00:07:45,520 the smoke started to come up very quickly. 125 00:07:46,940 --> 00:07:48,181 Something is burning somewhere, 126 00:07:49,670 --> 00:07:51,260 and the situation gets worse. 127 00:07:52,830 --> 00:07:54,440 The fire on board is something terrible. 128 00:07:55,665 --> 00:07:57,780 You can't just pull off on the side of the road with the fire. 129 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,300 You have to do something immediately. 130 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:02,300 Concept, Pilgrim 458, 131 00:08:02,630 --> 00:08:04,761 direct on Providence, there's an emergency. 132 00:08:07,655 --> 00:08:10,500 The commander wants to land on the nearest airport, 133 00:08:11,540 --> 00:08:13,840 Providence, 19 kilometers to the right. 134 00:08:14,370 --> 00:08:17,520 The choice of Providence was out of the brainer, 135 00:08:17,940 --> 00:08:20,860 because we knew exactly where we were and knew about the airport. 136 00:08:22,900 --> 00:08:24,320 Pilgrim 458, what do you need? 137 00:08:25,580 --> 00:08:26,820 Directly to Providence, please. 138 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:27,740 This is an emergency. 139 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:28,760 There's a fire on board. 140 00:08:29,820 --> 00:08:31,100 Pilgrim 458, understood. 141 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:35,060 Turn right. 142 00:08:35,460 --> 00:08:38,300 Cap on 150 for Providence approach vector. 143 00:08:39,660 --> 00:08:41,140 Okay, so we're going to try and land. 144 00:08:42,460 --> 00:08:43,460 Right turn. 145 00:08:43,660 --> 00:08:44,660 150. 146 00:08:45,875 --> 00:08:46,875 I'll go get the runway. 147 00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:50,341 The fire, the plane, 148 00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:52,740 the pilots have purely limited time. 149 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:55,440 I'm pushing. 150 00:08:55,620 --> 00:08:55,940 I'm pushing. 151 00:08:56,340 --> 00:08:56,740 I'm pushing. 152 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:57,960 I'm pushing. 153 00:09:00,420 --> 00:09:08,320 We gotta get out of these fucking clouds. 154 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:09,280 Mmm… 155 00:09:09,505 --> 00:09:13,940 we needed to get up as fast as we could and so the 156 00:09:13,941 --> 00:09:16,440 turn was quite rough and the descent was quite steep. 157 00:09:18,140 --> 00:09:20,440 Pilgrim 458, how many people on board? 158 00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:24,860 The controllers are preparing for an emergency landing on Providence. 159 00:09:26,245 --> 00:09:27,365 We have ten people on board. 160 00:09:29,020 --> 00:09:31,040 Lyle responded that there were ten. 161 00:09:32,275 --> 00:09:36,100 He was thinking of the passengers. He didn't include Tom and himself. 162 00:09:37,300 --> 00:09:38,300 It's getting worse. 163 00:09:41,380 --> 00:09:43,340 What the hell is this? Where is this coming from? 164 00:09:44,090 --> 00:09:48,460 It was blinding. It was choking. They couldn't see each other. 165 00:09:48,540 --> 00:09:53,700 They couldn't see their instruments. They were in the clouds. 166 00:09:56,310 --> 00:09:58,920 The smoke spread little by little in the cabin. 167 00:10:05,465 --> 00:10:07,772 As soon as the black smoke infiltrated the cabin, 168 00:10:07,784 --> 00:10:10,150 we had more and more trouble seeing and breathing. 169 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,470 I immediately grabbed the bottom of my sweater. 170 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,910 I pulled it up, sat into it, and put it under my nose. 171 00:10:21,030 --> 00:10:25,970 And started to use it, you know, as a filter. 172 00:10:27,310 --> 00:10:28,950 The pilots are suffocating. 173 00:10:29,030 --> 00:10:32,110 The Twin Otters are not pressurized. 174 00:10:32,705 --> 00:10:36,330 They can open their hatches to have a little fresh air. 175 00:10:36,790 --> 00:10:40,010 Because at that moment, I couldn't even distinguish Tom. 176 00:10:41,370 --> 00:10:44,510 I opened the window on my side to ventilate. 177 00:10:47,100 --> 00:10:49,370 But in the cabin, the hatches don't open. 178 00:10:50,190 --> 00:10:51,870 The passengers suffocate. 179 00:10:53,660 --> 00:10:54,666 How am I going to get in there? 180 00:10:54,690 --> 00:10:56,310 It was a matter of life or death. 181 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,364 The passengers and the crew of the Pilgrim Airlines 182 00:11:03,376 --> 00:11:05,720 458 flight are struggling for their survival. 183 00:11:06,660 --> 00:11:07,960 I did have that tennis racket. 184 00:11:10,190 --> 00:11:11,190 I blew up a hatch. 185 00:11:22,300 --> 00:11:24,540 It drew the smoke out. 186 00:11:25,020 --> 00:11:26,980 And then I proceeded for a couple of times. 187 00:11:26,981 --> 00:11:30,100 Well, I guess we were on the right side of the airplane, you know. 188 00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:32,100 Uh! 189 00:11:35,870 --> 00:11:39,870 I was actually looking down because of what he was doing. 190 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:44,680 Move it, Mark! 191 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,080 The smoke's starting to get out! 192 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:59,548 I thought, oh my god, this is an amazing piece of good 193 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:03,560 news, not only for me, but for everybody on the plane. 194 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:08,458 In addition to the thick smoke, the pilots are now 195 00:12:08,470 --> 00:12:12,040 confronted with the flames coming out of the deck. 196 00:12:16,470 --> 00:12:19,605 I thought I was going to try and get to the fire extinguisher, 197 00:12:19,617 --> 00:12:22,460 which was behind my seat, and it was close to the floor. 198 00:12:24,545 --> 00:12:28,880 But because of the intense heat released by the fire, Og didn't make it. 199 00:12:34,230 --> 00:12:36,270 That's when we were starting to burn. 200 00:12:37,780 --> 00:12:39,790 The initial reaction was not to feel the pain. 201 00:12:39,910 --> 00:12:43,390 The initial reaction is, you need to talk to this person first. 202 00:12:43,410 --> 00:12:44,690 You need to talk to him quickly. 203 00:12:45,220 --> 00:12:49,129 As they are still 18 kilometers from Providence, the pilots deliver 204 00:12:49,141 --> 00:12:52,770 a race against the watch to manage to put their plane on fire. 205 00:12:53,770 --> 00:12:56,066 We were doing an emergency descent towards 206 00:12:56,078 --> 00:12:58,770 Providence without knowing if we could get there. 207 00:13:02,030 --> 00:13:05,608 The navigator, Harry Polycron, heads towards the 208 00:13:05,620 --> 00:13:09,510 cockpit to make sure the pilots were in the cockpit. 209 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:13,320 It was horrible. 210 00:13:13,410 --> 00:13:14,676 I was having a hard time standing up. 211 00:13:14,700 --> 00:13:16,106 The plane was hanging in all directions. 212 00:13:16,130 --> 00:13:18,590 It was a wild ride. 213 00:13:18,860 --> 00:13:20,300 We were swinging from right to left. 214 00:13:20,530 --> 00:13:23,590 When I passed the head in the cockpit, he was invaded by a cloud of smoke. 215 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,300 They couldn't see their instruments, and they couldn't see outside. 216 00:13:34,405 --> 00:13:37,780 How they managed to keep the plane on the right side up amazes me. 217 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,912 I just wanted them to know that the passengers were doing well, 218 00:13:41,924 --> 00:13:44,900 and to tell them to keep it up, that they were doing a great job. 219 00:13:45,190 --> 00:13:46,190 I said to them... 220 00:13:46,380 --> 00:13:47,556 You guys keep doing what you're doing. 221 00:13:47,580 --> 00:13:48,780 At the back, we're managing. 222 00:13:50,230 --> 00:13:53,090 My intention was just to show them that we were 223 00:13:53,102 --> 00:13:56,280 supporting them in this almost superhuman challenge. 224 00:13:56,420 --> 00:13:57,420 It was just heroic. 225 00:13:58,660 --> 00:14:00,860 The flames are now winning the cockpit. 226 00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:02,420 Time is running out. 227 00:14:02,660 --> 00:14:04,740 It is more urgent than urgent to land. 228 00:14:09,785 --> 00:14:13,436 It was an extremely scary, painful, frightening, deadly 229 00:14:13,448 --> 00:14:17,310 set of circumstances that were getting worse every second. 230 00:14:19,860 --> 00:14:22,063 The pilots can't see each other anymore, and with 231 00:14:22,075 --> 00:14:24,110 the windows open, they can't hear each other. 232 00:14:25,220 --> 00:14:29,170 I needed to make sure that Tom was in fact still in the plane's aircraft. 233 00:14:29,550 --> 00:14:33,470 And that's when I rested my hand on his neck to follow along with his movements. 234 00:14:35,670 --> 00:14:39,873 The commander, Prinster, pursues a quick descent, 235 00:14:39,885 --> 00:14:43,670 but he has no idea where he's going to land. 236 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:46,520 I initially did not see him. 237 00:14:46,980 --> 00:14:50,550 I was still in the clouds, and I didn't see an adequate landing site. 238 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,220 The passengers prepare for the worst. 239 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,695 I sat up very straight on my chair, and took the seatbelt, and 240 00:15:07,707 --> 00:15:11,780 ensured that it was down across my hip, and not across my stomach. 241 00:15:12,430 --> 00:15:15,560 And tightened it as tightly as I possibly could. 242 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:23,504 At 450 meters from the ground, the heat released by the fire in the cockpit 243 00:15:23,516 --> 00:15:27,320 has become so intense that the pilot's helmets are starting to melt. 244 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,140 I had to take this rubber helmet off. 245 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,460 These circumstances were absolutely desperate. 246 00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:43,540 At that point, it was very clear to the pilot... 247 00:15:44,390 --> 00:15:48,220 ...that the plane had been transformed into a death trap. 248 00:15:49,820 --> 00:15:52,420 The plane approaches Providence Airport. 249 00:15:54,410 --> 00:15:57,540 Pilgrim 458, you can go straight to Providence VOR. 250 00:16:01,690 --> 00:16:05,850 Without a helmet, the pilots are no longer able to communicate with the control tower. 251 00:16:07,750 --> 00:16:11,210 One of the pilots was gripping the elbow so hard... 252 00:16:11,211 --> 00:16:14,430 ...that his thumb was on top of the button that acted... 253 00:16:15,210 --> 00:16:16,210 ...the microphone. 254 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,330 And the result of that was... 255 00:16:20,530 --> 00:16:23,170 ...the air traffic control has heard this roar. 256 00:16:24,430 --> 00:16:25,430 Pilgrim 458. 257 00:16:28,420 --> 00:16:30,690 Pilgrim 458, do you copy? I do not receive you. 258 00:16:33,790 --> 00:16:37,890 At 300 meters above the ground, the Twin Otter pierces the clouds. 259 00:16:40,470 --> 00:16:42,970 At a high altitude, I could only see trees. 260 00:16:45,010 --> 00:16:46,070 Tom was taking a turn. 261 00:16:46,540 --> 00:16:50,171 I could not see him, but I felt that he was... ...turning to the left. 262 00:16:53,550 --> 00:16:54,150 Pilgrim 458. Pilgrim 458. Pilgrim 458. Pilgrim 458. 263 00:16:54,151 --> 00:16:59,590 The pilots must land before the fire reaches the fuel tank... 264 00:16:59,940 --> 00:17:02,670 ...highly inflatable, located in the belly of the plane. 265 00:17:03,845 --> 00:17:04,510 Pilgrim 458. Pilgrim 458. Pilgrim 458. Pilgrim 458. 266 00:17:04,511 --> 00:17:06,071 The plane is just under the passengers. 267 00:17:09,980 --> 00:17:15,413 I was wondering, at this point... if we were going to be able to land on the ground 268 00:17:15,425 --> 00:17:18,790 or if the plane was going to explode on the ground. 269 00:17:19,870 --> 00:17:21,230 Are you ready? 270 00:17:25,010 --> 00:17:26,430 Oh my God! 271 00:17:30,780 --> 00:17:37,870 Looking out the window, I saw trees, I saw the shore of this frozen reservoir, 272 00:17:39,410 --> 00:17:42,930 and my immediate thought was, hey, we're going to make it. 273 00:17:44,110 --> 00:17:47,604 The pilots spotted the Situate artificial lake near 274 00:17:47,616 --> 00:17:51,190 Providence, which extends over 13 square kilometers. 275 00:17:52,390 --> 00:17:55,490 It was a wide open flat area, there were no trees, there 276 00:17:55,502 --> 00:17:58,670 was no obstacle, there was just ice that was in the open. 277 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:04,110 The pilots direct their aircraft in fire towards the lake. 278 00:18:07,125 --> 00:18:11,050 The next thing was just to get down as fast as we could and get out of the aircraft. 279 00:18:12,070 --> 00:18:13,810 They had never crossed the ice before. 280 00:18:13,850 --> 00:18:15,970 They could have supported the weight of the aircraft. 281 00:18:17,990 --> 00:18:21,757 In the cabin of the Pilgrim Airlines 458 flight, the 282 00:18:21,769 --> 00:18:25,330 passengers were waiting for an emergency landing. 283 00:18:27,450 --> 00:18:31,250 I looked out the window and I saw that the impact was imminent. 284 00:18:33,010 --> 00:18:35,840 I wanted to get back in, but the seat was on 285 00:18:35,852 --> 00:18:38,630 fire, so I put myself against the bulkhead. 286 00:18:40,210 --> 00:18:42,550 Flight 458 is about to crash. 287 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,614 It was a matter of putting this plane on the 288 00:18:50,626 --> 00:18:53,110 ground as absolutely as fast as we could. 289 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,150 It was not going to be a smooth landing. 290 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:58,000 Get ready for the impact. 291 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,530 All of a sudden, there was an enormous bang. 292 00:19:02,010 --> 00:19:03,390 Enormous bang. 293 00:19:03,391 --> 00:19:04,391 Oh yeah! 294 00:19:13,340 --> 00:19:16,060 Flight 459 got a big hit. 295 00:19:16,061 --> 00:19:17,261 Flight 459 was about to crash. 296 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,460 Flight 458 was about to crash. 297 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:22,740 It was about to crash. 298 00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:25,460 All of a sudden, the aircraft lost consciousness. 299 00:19:27,350 --> 00:19:32,080 When I got back to consciousness, the plane was stopped and everything was silent. 300 00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:38,500 All of a sudden, the plane was cut off and everything was silent. 301 00:19:38,501 --> 00:19:42,780 The pilots have managed to land their plane on fire on the frozen lake. 302 00:19:43,630 --> 00:19:46,583 They must still make sure that everyone can get 303 00:19:46,595 --> 00:19:49,560 out of it before the fire consumes it entirely. 304 00:19:50,830 --> 00:19:53,003 We find ourselves in the middle of this white 305 00:19:53,015 --> 00:19:55,200 and icy expanse. What are we going to do now? 306 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,478 I just released my belt and jumped up and hit the main 307 00:20:05,490 --> 00:20:09,470 door and attempted to open it, but I was unable to do so. 308 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:12,230 Because the fuselage was compressed. 309 00:20:16,020 --> 00:20:23,230 I glanced and I saw a slit in the fuselage right behind the doorway. 310 00:20:28,580 --> 00:20:32,128 I've made the decision that I was going to expand that area of 311 00:20:32,140 --> 00:20:35,930 the fuselage and make a hole in it so that we could get out of it. 312 00:20:36,540 --> 00:20:39,650 There's a hole! There's a hole in the back! 313 00:20:39,970 --> 00:20:41,690 There's a hole! There's a hole in the back! 314 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,990 Hainsworth knows that you have to act very quickly. 315 00:20:47,340 --> 00:20:53,510 I still had the concern that the plane would imminently explode. 316 00:20:54,505 --> 00:20:59,910 I jumped out first and I then started to assist other people. 317 00:21:01,190 --> 00:21:06,410 Harry Polichrone, gravely injured, is still at the front of the plane. 318 00:21:14,060 --> 00:21:17,520 That was filled with adrenaline and shock. I had dislocated 319 00:21:17,532 --> 00:21:20,710 my shoulder, I had injured my knee, I had a burnt leg. 320 00:21:21,890 --> 00:21:26,210 My very first instinct was to get out of that airplane right now. 321 00:21:28,670 --> 00:21:30,610 And I got a little proceed to the back of the airplane. 322 00:21:30,630 --> 00:21:31,990 I heard a young woman say, someone please help me. 323 00:21:31,991 --> 00:21:35,770 I heard a young woman say, someone please help me. 324 00:21:38,770 --> 00:21:39,770 Come! 325 00:21:39,995 --> 00:21:41,090 This way to the back! 326 00:21:41,270 --> 00:21:42,270 Come on! 327 00:21:42,670 --> 00:21:43,670 Come on! 328 00:21:43,850 --> 00:21:44,210 Come on! 329 00:21:44,211 --> 00:21:44,450 You're okay? 330 00:21:45,190 --> 00:21:46,190 Come on! 331 00:21:48,220 --> 00:21:50,826 I grabbed the young woman by the arm and I pulled her towards the opening. 332 00:21:50,850 --> 00:21:52,950 I think I was the last one to go out. 333 00:22:01,390 --> 00:22:02,390 Are you okay? Yeah. 334 00:22:03,830 --> 00:22:04,830 .. 335 00:22:05,190 --> 00:22:05,550 Yeah... 336 00:22:05,850 --> 00:22:07,230 I think I'm gonna make it. 337 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:15,070 At the point where we were, it was no longer a question of procedures to follow. 338 00:22:17,460 --> 00:22:18,540 We have to get out of here. 339 00:22:20,470 --> 00:22:24,043 The two pilots, as well as nine of the ten passengers, 340 00:22:24,055 --> 00:22:26,910 left the plane and headed for the mainland. 341 00:22:28,020 --> 00:22:31,730 A few minutes later, the Twin Otter was completely destroyed by the fire. 342 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:36,730 I think it's a real miracle that I'm still alive. 343 00:22:36,731 --> 00:22:44,110 And I'm very grateful to the pilot, the co-pilot, and the other pilot, 344 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:49,363 who was patting on the plane for the actions 345 00:22:49,375 --> 00:22:53,250 that were quite reckless, beyond remarkable. 346 00:22:55,505 --> 00:22:58,050 A passenger is dead, suffocated by the smoke. 347 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,030 All the others, injured to varying degrees, are transported to the hospital. 348 00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:06,710 The two pilots are severely burned. 349 00:23:07,710 --> 00:23:10,510 Lyle was burned for 25% of his body, 350 00:23:11,140 --> 00:23:17,550 and the captain was burned for 75% of his body, much of it at third degree. 351 00:23:19,370 --> 00:23:23,370 Volunteers are in charge of removing the essential parts of the wreck from the lake 352 00:23:23,595 --> 00:23:25,650 so that they can be examined by the investigators. 353 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:29,640 And I'm going to have to do an operation. 354 00:23:29,730 --> 00:23:32,690 We have a portable electric generator around here with lights. 355 00:23:33,130 --> 00:23:38,090 We're going to mop up the fuel oil, and wait for the FAA representatives to come. 356 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:44,110 If it's obvious that the plane was destroyed by the fire, we don't know why. 357 00:23:45,740 --> 00:23:47,930 Knowing that there was a fire on board is not enough. 358 00:23:48,210 --> 00:23:52,690 You need to understand exactly what happened, how it happened, when, 359 00:23:52,850 --> 00:23:56,250 and how the crew was able to pilot the plane with the fire on board. 360 00:23:56,650 --> 00:23:59,670 The two pilots being too seriously injured to make a statement, 361 00:24:00,165 --> 00:24:02,510 the investigators turn to the air controller. 362 00:24:02,710 --> 00:24:03,710 What did they tell you? 363 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,600 Just that there was a fire on board and that it was going to land in an emergency. 364 00:24:11,030 --> 00:24:12,110 And when did they tell you? 365 00:24:13,020 --> 00:24:16,950 The call came in at 3.29, so less than 20 minutes after takeoff. 366 00:24:18,950 --> 00:24:20,790 What would cause a fire on board? 367 00:24:21,140 --> 00:24:24,330 You're looking for a flammable source, you're looking for an ignition source. 368 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,730 Well, we're going to have a hard time finding something useful in there. 369 00:24:29,780 --> 00:24:33,650 The investigators examine the cockpit manometers of flight 458, 370 00:24:34,050 --> 00:24:36,610 hoping to find clues to the origin of the fire. 371 00:24:38,550 --> 00:24:42,350 But after a fire, after impact, the instruments are often so damaged 372 00:24:42,351 --> 00:24:45,770 that they take a considerable amount of work to get more out of it. 373 00:24:46,020 --> 00:24:48,770 Sometimes we get nothing we need, because we 374 00:24:48,771 --> 00:24:49,891 just can't make it to understand what they say. 375 00:24:51,250 --> 00:24:52,250 One moment. 376 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,350 The plane's clock is still readable. 377 00:24:56,115 --> 00:24:57,250 Stopped at the crash. 378 00:24:58,390 --> 00:24:59,390 3.34. 379 00:25:01,430 --> 00:25:03,230 We don't know what happened, but it happened. 380 00:25:04,770 --> 00:25:07,310 Less than five minutes after signaling the emergency, 381 00:25:07,930 --> 00:25:09,970 the pilots hit the frozen lake. 382 00:25:14,660 --> 00:25:18,650 The investigators conclude that the situation has deteriorated rapidly. 383 00:25:25,580 --> 00:25:26,580 Engine fire? 384 00:25:28,265 --> 00:25:32,010 The flight 458 not being equipped with a flight recorder, 385 00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:36,370 the investigators will have to work on the most probable sources of a fire on board. 386 00:25:36,990 --> 00:25:37,990 ... 387 00:25:39,780 --> 00:25:41,690 It makes the investigation a little more time-consuming. 388 00:25:41,691 --> 00:25:44,090 It takes a little more time to get out. 389 00:25:44,091 --> 00:25:46,750 It doesn't keep us from doing an investigation, 390 00:25:46,751 --> 00:25:48,757 but it increases the amount of work that 391 00:25:48,769 --> 00:25:51,090 needs to be done to complete an investigation. 392 00:25:52,845 --> 00:25:57,790 They examine what's left of the engines to see if they played a role in the accident. 393 00:26:03,140 --> 00:26:05,060 Both engines were running at the time of impact. 394 00:26:08,230 --> 00:26:11,350 The best way to know if the engines were running at 395 00:26:11,351 --> 00:26:13,490 the time of impact is to look at if they were damaged, 396 00:26:14,010 --> 00:26:16,030 look at if the propellers were twisted or bent, 397 00:26:16,250 --> 00:26:19,530 and in that case, look at in what direction and in what proportion. 398 00:26:19,940 --> 00:26:24,270 It clearly appeared that both engines were deploying power at the time of impact. 399 00:26:28,180 --> 00:26:30,700 The fact that the engines were running at the time of impact 400 00:26:30,701 --> 00:26:33,080 proves that they were not at the origin of the fire. 401 00:26:38,940 --> 00:26:40,496 All of them are talking about the same thing. 402 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:41,520 The smoke. 403 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,220 While the pilots are recovering, 404 00:26:46,980 --> 00:26:50,820 the passengers' testimonies provide an important clue. 405 00:26:51,550 --> 00:26:55,240 A thick smoke from the cockpit has invaded the cabin. 406 00:26:59,390 --> 00:27:03,360 If passengers say they saw smoke during the flight, 407 00:27:03,540 --> 00:27:05,200 the focus of the investigation 408 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,460 would be to focus on the source of the smoke 409 00:27:08,461 --> 00:27:12,160 and be interested in the source of the smoke and the time when the smoke appeared. 410 00:27:12,970 --> 00:27:15,400 They examine the calcined wreck of the plane 411 00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:18,340 to try to find out where the fire started. 412 00:27:20,010 --> 00:27:21,490 The fire must have started somewhere. 413 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,540 We look for concentration points 414 00:27:25,541 --> 00:27:27,941 which would give us an indication of where the fire started. 415 00:27:29,770 --> 00:27:31,010 The plane is completely burned. 416 00:27:32,380 --> 00:27:34,780 Yeah, but the cockpit floor here is the most damaged. 417 00:27:37,730 --> 00:27:39,940 I guess the fire started somewhere under the cockpit. 418 00:27:41,610 --> 00:27:44,100 The plane burned after it landed on the ice. 419 00:27:45,180 --> 00:27:49,140 It is therefore impossible to determine the precise origin of the fire on board. 420 00:27:49,730 --> 00:27:52,320 We could tell in the area where the fire started, 421 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,100 but we needed to do more to look at potential flammable sources. 422 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,240 The pilots are now able to testify. 423 00:28:04,550 --> 00:28:07,960 The pilots are the most experienced people on the airplane, 424 00:28:08,205 --> 00:28:11,640 and they can tell us about the events that occurred 425 00:28:11,641 --> 00:28:14,140 around them at the time that this was going on. 426 00:28:15,550 --> 00:28:19,160 All their sight, sounds, and feelings can be used in the investigation. 427 00:28:23,310 --> 00:28:24,470 Thank you for your interview. 428 00:28:25,420 --> 00:28:28,440 Maybe you just want to tell me what you can remember. 429 00:28:29,620 --> 00:28:30,736 Towards the end of the week, 430 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,820 they asked me if I wanted to talk to the NTSB, and I said yes. 431 00:28:32,821 --> 00:28:33,880 ... 432 00:28:38,530 --> 00:28:40,360 We tried to unwind the windshield, 433 00:28:42,340 --> 00:28:44,440 but there was no liquid, and almost immediately, 434 00:28:46,230 --> 00:28:47,480 I smelled an alcohol smell, and then smoke. 435 00:28:47,990 --> 00:28:49,240 ... 436 00:28:51,130 --> 00:28:52,340 And then I saw the smoke, 437 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,120 at first, light and white. 438 00:28:58,900 --> 00:29:00,960 It was coming out of the control column. 439 00:29:03,550 --> 00:29:06,260 It took a long time for this smoke to get thick and black. 440 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,760 Just after, we couldn't breathe anymore, 441 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:14,160 and we started burning. 442 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,960 How long did it take for the first signs of smoke? 443 00:29:27,810 --> 00:29:28,940 It happened real fast. 444 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:31,360 I don't know. 445 00:29:32,220 --> 00:29:33,460 Maybe a minute, or less. 446 00:29:34,820 --> 00:29:35,820 ... 447 00:29:36,570 --> 00:29:38,370 And that's where you called for an emergency? 448 00:29:38,620 --> 00:29:39,620 Yes. 449 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:41,940 And we started going down right after. 450 00:29:43,530 --> 00:29:44,740 He hit the switch 451 00:29:44,890 --> 00:29:46,440 to get the liquid out, 452 00:29:46,900 --> 00:29:48,780 and clean the windshield. 453 00:29:49,210 --> 00:29:50,820 And very shortly thereafter, 454 00:29:51,980 --> 00:29:56,760 he had what he described as a white smoke with an alcohol smell. 455 00:29:58,110 --> 00:30:00,740 That was a very important statement for an 456 00:30:00,741 --> 00:30:03,780 investigator, for an investigator looking for a fire. 457 00:30:05,620 --> 00:30:06,620 So, 458 00:30:08,310 --> 00:30:09,780 it all starts right here, 459 00:30:10,580 --> 00:30:11,580 with the deflation. 460 00:30:13,510 --> 00:30:16,620 The co-pilot's interrogation led the investigators 461 00:30:16,621 --> 00:30:18,940 to focus on the plane's deflation system. 462 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:26,380 We'd start looking in the rest of the plane for clues to this deflation system, 463 00:30:26,381 --> 00:30:32,340 and then begin a parallel investigation with Mitch to see 464 00:30:32,341 --> 00:30:34,640 if there was any history or other problems with that system. 465 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,740 The reservoir contains five and a half liters of anti deflation liquid. 466 00:30:40,030 --> 00:30:43,940 The 28-volt pump is activated by an interrupter located on the upper console. 467 00:30:44,550 --> 00:30:47,660 A flexible plastic pipe connects the pump to the spray nozzles. 468 00:30:50,570 --> 00:30:51,780 It's a pretty basic system. 469 00:30:52,625 --> 00:30:56,760 The use of chemical deflation in airplanes had been used since the 1920s. 470 00:30:57,300 --> 00:31:00,660 So it was not an unknown, or not a system that they were using. 471 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:07,180 The investigators hope to find some of the components of the deflation system. 472 00:31:08,540 --> 00:31:11,160 If they found the pump and the attachments, 473 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,700 it clearly would have shown them where the problem was. 474 00:31:17,980 --> 00:31:18,980 That's all that's left. 475 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:21,840 No trace of the pump. 476 00:31:22,340 --> 00:31:23,340 The wires are all out. 477 00:31:23,850 --> 00:31:27,880 The only part of the system that escaped the fire 478 00:31:28,430 --> 00:31:31,420 is a half-consumed piece of the plastic tank. 479 00:31:32,340 --> 00:31:33,500 It can't be of any use to us. 480 00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:43,210 The pilots have reported a smell of alcohol. 481 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,750 The investigators are studying a sample of the deflation liquid used 482 00:31:47,751 --> 00:31:51,830 by Pilgrim Airlines to find out how flammable it is. 483 00:31:58,970 --> 00:32:00,900 87% isopropyl. 484 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:03,960 It's a rather flammable product. 485 00:32:06,220 --> 00:32:11,220 They are now more or less certain that, the 486 00:32:11,221 --> 00:32:12,221 deflation liquid from the flight 458 has inflamed, 487 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:13,580 triggering a fire. 488 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:16,060 But they still don't know how. 489 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,440 We really have not had any experience with this type 490 00:32:21,490 --> 00:32:23,940 of system of putting the fire on board an airplane. 491 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,480 He reports to the co-pilot's statement 492 00:32:28,780 --> 00:32:30,440 concerning the start of the fire. 493 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:34,140 He did say that the system didn't work very well. 494 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:37,800 The first time I switched on the switch, 495 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,740 I got a tiny bit of liquid on my side. 496 00:32:42,550 --> 00:32:44,900 So I tried a second time, and nothing. 497 00:32:44,901 --> 00:32:45,901 ... 498 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:47,760 So what did you do? 499 00:32:49,220 --> 00:32:51,020 That's when I felt a strong smell of alcohol. 500 00:32:51,635 --> 00:32:52,635 So I stopped trying. 501 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:54,400 A few seconds later, 502 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:55,520 we felt the smoke. 503 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,620 The investigators must now determine which part of the 504 00:33:02,621 --> 00:33:05,080 deflation system could have been the source of the fire 505 00:33:05,205 --> 00:33:06,325 that destroyed the aircraft. 506 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:16,200 The investigators read the maintenance reports to see 507 00:33:16,201 --> 00:33:17,620 if the deflation system had already caused problems. 508 00:33:19,790 --> 00:33:20,830 He's talking about a leak. 509 00:33:22,310 --> 00:33:23,310 According to the reports, 510 00:33:23,495 --> 00:33:27,820 the plastic pipe had already split and separated from the pump. 511 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,120 Pilgrim's mechanics solved the problem by cutting 512 00:33:32,121 --> 00:33:34,860 the pipe and fixing it with tightening collars. 513 00:33:36,530 --> 00:33:40,020 As the alcohol comes into contact with this tubing 514 00:33:40,021 --> 00:33:42,000 from the inside, it changes the properties of the pipe. 515 00:33:42,860 --> 00:33:44,740 It tends to harden and swell, 516 00:33:46,010 --> 00:33:47,370 so at the place of the connection, 517 00:33:47,540 --> 00:33:49,060 the contact is less good. 518 00:33:51,030 --> 00:33:52,980 They take up the history of the plane 519 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:58,000 by looking for what could explain how the deflation system could have led to a fire. 520 00:33:59,410 --> 00:34:00,410 A few months ago, 521 00:34:01,125 --> 00:34:02,660 they detected a leak on this plane. 522 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,480 The maintenance discovered that the pipe was too short to reach the pump. 523 00:34:10,110 --> 00:34:13,281 They had trimmed and reconnected the pipe so often that it was no longer adjusted. 524 00:34:14,700 --> 00:34:17,020 By shortening the cracked pipe, 525 00:34:18,090 --> 00:34:19,920 it ended up no longer being in contact with the pump. 526 00:34:19,921 --> 00:34:20,921 ... 527 00:34:22,070 --> 00:34:25,640 Over time, you wouldn't have enough length of the pipe 528 00:34:25,641 --> 00:34:27,640 to fix it correctly and you would have to change it. 529 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:30,320 Apparently, 530 00:34:32,835 --> 00:34:35,941 the same thing happened on this plane just three days before the accident. 531 00:34:37,340 --> 00:34:39,180 The same thing happened on this plane and they made a leak, it seems. 532 00:34:40,455 --> 00:34:42,260 The pilots noticed a leak 533 00:34:42,410 --> 00:34:43,800 when they stopped at New Haven. 534 00:34:44,915 --> 00:34:47,660 They tried to reattach the pipe to the pump, 535 00:34:47,661 --> 00:34:48,661 but they couldn't because it was too short. 536 00:34:50,850 --> 00:34:51,850 They reattached it 537 00:34:52,570 --> 00:34:53,920 and a mechanic worked on it. 538 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:57,800 The mechanic repaired the pipe, 539 00:34:58,310 --> 00:34:59,400 put it back in place, 540 00:34:59,540 --> 00:35:00,540 tightened it, 541 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,540 then he filled the tank again. 542 00:35:05,260 --> 00:35:07,961 The mechanic says that after he had reattached the pipe to the pump, 543 00:35:08,020 --> 00:35:10,800 he then signed off on the anomaly and then repaired it. 544 00:35:12,950 --> 00:35:17,220 Three days later, the plane was on fire when the pilots tried to de-ice. 545 00:35:18,340 --> 00:35:21,840 The investigators think that the pipes in which the liquid circulated 546 00:35:21,841 --> 00:35:26,821 were not properly secured and were detached from the pump after the repair. 547 00:35:29,380 --> 00:35:33,060 There's a good chance that the pipe wasn't as long as it should have been. 548 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:36,091 That it was probably pulling on the pump and because the house was detached, 549 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:37,536 because it was badly tightened. 550 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:38,560 It's still nothing. 551 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:45,120 If the de-ice system on flight 458 didn't work because of a bad repair, 552 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,780 that doesn't explain the fire as much. 553 00:35:50,570 --> 00:35:51,780 In order to know the effect 554 00:35:51,980 --> 00:35:54,060 that this system could have had on a fire, 555 00:35:54,535 --> 00:35:57,280 either by starting it or by contributing to it, 556 00:35:59,020 --> 00:36:03,920 the NTSB investigators took a tank and a pump 557 00:36:03,970 --> 00:36:05,200 from the laboratory and they connected the system 558 00:36:05,450 --> 00:36:07,180 to an electrical power supply system 559 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:09,640 to see what it would do. 560 00:36:10,810 --> 00:36:11,640 They want to know 561 00:36:11,790 --> 00:36:14,200 what amount of the highly inflatable liquid 562 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:16,460 would be concentrated under the cockpit 563 00:36:17,035 --> 00:36:18,035 if, as they think, 564 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:19,740 the pipe was well detached. 565 00:36:23,270 --> 00:36:24,420 Well, let's see. 566 00:36:31,410 --> 00:36:32,811 Even without connecting the system, 567 00:36:34,100 --> 00:36:35,661 it leaks when the pipe is not attached. 568 00:36:37,390 --> 00:36:40,540 They measure the amount of liquid lost at the level of the pump. 569 00:36:42,050 --> 00:36:49,740 The test has revealed that the pump would leak to a level of 90 milliliters a minute. 570 00:36:51,260 --> 00:36:52,580 And so, over time, 571 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:54,140 that could actually empty the 5. 572 00:36:54,141 --> 00:36:55,840 5-litre tank 573 00:36:55,990 --> 00:36:56,990 of gas completely. 574 00:36:58,150 --> 00:37:01,660 The test shows that if the pipe was detached from the pump, 575 00:37:02,190 --> 00:37:05,920 a large flask of inflatable liquid would have formed under the cockpit 576 00:37:06,350 --> 00:37:09,080 even before the pilots tried to defuse the windshield. 577 00:37:09,940 --> 00:37:10,570 Let's see what happens 578 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:12,100 when we plug in the system. 579 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:23,240 Seven feet. 580 00:37:25,220 --> 00:37:26,220 Oh, it's not too far. 581 00:37:28,190 --> 00:37:31,520 When Hogg tried to plug in the deflating system, 582 00:37:32,290 --> 00:37:35,660 the pump would have pulverized the liquid at 583 00:37:35,661 --> 00:37:37,360 two metres in the compartment under the cockpit. 584 00:37:39,780 --> 00:37:40,780 The consequences of that, 585 00:37:40,980 --> 00:37:43,740 given what is down in that area, 586 00:37:43,860 --> 00:37:46,140 are quite severe. 587 00:37:48,930 --> 00:37:51,540 The deflating pump gets pretty hot when it's operating. 588 00:37:52,510 --> 00:37:55,920 The air from the air duct is at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. 589 00:37:57,240 --> 00:38:00,300 The discharge from the silencer gets heated into the cockpit. 590 00:38:02,570 --> 00:38:04,720 And the electric motor that drives the flaps 591 00:38:04,845 --> 00:38:06,140 could also inflate the liquid. 592 00:38:07,340 --> 00:38:10,800 The investigators say that several components 593 00:38:10,801 --> 00:38:12,380 could have inflated the deflating liquid jet. 594 00:38:14,620 --> 00:38:18,040 The investigators have never been able to identify with precision 595 00:38:18,041 --> 00:38:23,420 the components that had inflated the liquid because there was so much down there. 596 00:38:23,700 --> 00:38:25,076 It could have been the heat from the hydraulic pump. 597 00:38:25,100 --> 00:38:27,280 It could have been the heat from the hydraulic pump 598 00:38:27,330 --> 00:38:28,680 that was released by the hydraulic pump or its engine. 599 00:38:28,681 --> 00:38:29,460 ... 600 00:38:29,660 --> 00:38:33,581 It could have been any component of the aircraft at the back of the dashboard. 601 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:37,640 Directly to Providence, please. 602 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:38,180 There's an emergency. 603 00:38:38,420 --> 00:38:39,540 We've got the fire on board. 604 00:38:39,745 --> 00:38:41,100 Once the liquid has inflated, 605 00:38:41,590 --> 00:38:44,220 it doesn't take long for the fire to spread. 606 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,840 Older aircraft are less resistant to the newer aircraft. 607 00:38:51,010 --> 00:38:53,340 And if you have alcohol from the deflating system 608 00:38:54,170 --> 00:38:55,411 spreading through the airplane, 609 00:38:55,940 --> 00:39:01,400 it could easily take fire than probably the newer materials. 610 00:39:03,380 --> 00:39:06,981 Flying around in a time bomb for years, no one was worried about that. 611 00:39:09,230 --> 00:39:11,450 I think it's surprising to discover something new 612 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:13,260 in aircraft that's been in service 613 00:39:13,460 --> 00:39:17,520 for so long in such a good history, to find 614 00:39:17,521 --> 00:39:18,521 something new in the future in the investigation. 615 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:23,020 The investigators are now asking one last question. 616 00:39:23,430 --> 00:39:25,600 How the hell did they make it to make it to the ground? 617 00:39:36,630 --> 00:39:39,750 The investigators are studying the way the pilots have responded 618 00:39:39,751 --> 00:39:43,050 to the emergency situation aboard flight 458. 619 00:39:46,510 --> 00:39:47,900 At the first sign of black smoke, 620 00:39:48,310 --> 00:39:49,671 they've alerted the control tower. 621 00:39:52,700 --> 00:39:53,720 Soon after, 622 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:55,900 they've changed course for an emergency landing at Providence. 623 00:39:55,901 --> 00:39:56,901 ... 624 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,440 He pushed the deck forward to make the airplane descend very quickly. 625 00:40:00,441 --> 00:40:01,760 ... 626 00:40:03,860 --> 00:40:06,960 They were still in the clouds and the airplane was coming down rapidly. 627 00:40:06,961 --> 00:40:07,961 ... 628 00:40:08,460 --> 00:40:12,100 Turn right and point 150 for Providence approach vector. 629 00:40:13,540 --> 00:40:14,540 Let's get on board. 630 00:40:15,410 --> 00:40:18,920 The pilots start a 1,200-meter rapid descent 631 00:40:19,245 --> 00:40:21,261 all the way to the right towards Providence. 632 00:40:23,410 --> 00:40:25,880 All their obsessions will get the plane down. 633 00:40:28,540 --> 00:40:29,580 At this point, 634 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,161 the cockpit is on fire and packed with black smoke. 635 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:34,080 So what do these guys do? 636 00:40:34,150 --> 00:40:36,080 They stick their heads up and try to get out of the clouds. 637 00:40:36,081 --> 00:40:37,081 ... 638 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:40,720 While they're no longer able 639 00:40:41,895 --> 00:40:44,360 to see or breathe and are seriously burned, 640 00:40:45,090 --> 00:40:46,090 the pilots fight 641 00:40:46,430 --> 00:40:48,601 to bring the plane under the clouds. 642 00:40:50,820 --> 00:40:54,180 They were burning some of their burns on 643 00:40:54,181 --> 00:40:54,540 their bodies and they never left their seats. 644 00:40:54,541 --> 00:40:56,260 ... 645 00:40:56,410 --> 00:40:59,340 They never left their seats in the fact that they were 646 00:40:59,341 --> 00:41:00,740 bringing in the damage to the control of the airplane 647 00:41:00,940 --> 00:41:03,800 and getting it to land on that frozen lake. 648 00:41:03,801 --> 00:41:04,801 It was amazing. 649 00:41:07,260 --> 00:41:09,421 Despite the pain and the terror, 650 00:41:11,300 --> 00:41:14,500 these pilots stayed in their controls they kept flying the airplane. 651 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:15,760 ... 652 00:41:16,470 --> 00:41:19,901 They were determined to get down successfully 653 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,641 despite the agony they were feeling. 654 00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:25,180 The plane landed 655 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:30,640 They reported their exit from the clouds at 300 meters. 656 00:41:30,641 --> 00:41:31,641 ... 657 00:41:32,170 --> 00:41:33,170 Quick left turn, 658 00:41:33,670 --> 00:41:34,900 landing in a few seconds. 659 00:41:36,250 --> 00:41:37,250 When there's a fire, 660 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:37,640 you know, 661 00:41:37,820 --> 00:41:40,980 the main rule is to bring the plane to the ground as fast as possible 662 00:41:41,130 --> 00:41:42,130 and that's what we did. 663 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:43,660 It wasn't easy, but we did it. 664 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:45,240 We landed 665 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:46,580 and almost everyone survived. 666 00:41:46,581 --> 00:41:47,581 ... 667 00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:59,040 Six minutes to get out of the clouds, 668 00:41:59,240 --> 00:42:01,580 find a place to land and get out of the clouds. 669 00:42:03,435 --> 00:42:04,180 And I'm bringing in the plane on fire. 670 00:42:04,181 --> 00:42:05,181 ... 671 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,840 The investigators congratulate the two pilots 672 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:11,480 for their heroic action 673 00:42:11,630 --> 00:42:13,500 facing this emergency situation. 674 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:20,440 Here's an example of a crew you know, that has the skills and professionalism 675 00:42:20,441 --> 00:42:22,720 to save the lives of all the people on board. 676 00:42:23,660 --> 00:42:24,660 Yeah. 677 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:27,680 Let's get out of here. 678 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:29,400 Lesser men would have let it go. 679 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:30,480 They didn't give up. 680 00:42:31,070 --> 00:42:31,860 They didn't give up. 681 00:42:32,060 --> 00:42:35,660 They fought like the devil until the end and that's why I'm still here today. 682 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:40,881 The passengers also highlight the courage of the navigator 683 00:42:41,380 --> 00:42:42,380 Harry Polycron 684 00:42:43,590 --> 00:42:45,600 who has contributed to saving lives. 685 00:42:46,290 --> 00:42:47,320 Without the action 686 00:42:48,165 --> 00:42:51,840 of the passengers sitting in front of me with the tendency 687 00:42:52,490 --> 00:42:55,060 to break the window with a tennis racket, 688 00:42:56,420 --> 00:42:57,660 I absolutely believe 689 00:42:57,810 --> 00:42:59,580 other people would have lost their lives in this crash. 690 00:42:59,581 --> 00:43:00,581 ... 691 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:06,680 The NTSB concludes that the fire aboard flight 458 692 00:43:06,830 --> 00:43:11,001 has been due to a bad conception of the windscreen deflating system. 693 00:43:12,300 --> 00:43:16,240 I didn't know how flammable isopropyl alcohol was. 694 00:43:16,720 --> 00:43:20,620 They took the industry by surprise that it was so flammable 695 00:43:20,720 --> 00:43:24,501 and that it could trigger a devastating fire just as quickly. 696 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:29,840 The investigators have recommended replacing this crash 697 00:43:29,841 --> 00:43:34,340 on all the Twin Hotters with an electrically heated 698 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:40,540 The alcohol system has been ruined as a result of this accident and I think 699 00:43:40,541 --> 00:43:43,860 the realization that the hazards were just too high. 700 00:43:45,970 --> 00:43:49,780 But what will remain in the history of flight 458 701 00:43:49,781 --> 00:43:52,620 is the heroism and the professionalism 702 00:43:52,770 --> 00:43:53,770 of the two pilots 703 00:43:54,330 --> 00:43:58,500 who managed to land their plane and save the passengers. 704 00:44:02,310 --> 00:44:03,420 I don't consider myself a hero. 705 00:44:03,421 --> 00:44:03,900 ... 706 00:44:04,290 --> 00:44:07,620 I consider that we have done what we did and what we had to do that day. 707 00:44:07,621 --> 00:44:08,060 ... 708 00:44:08,300 --> 00:44:09,760 We have done what we had to do to survive. 709 00:44:09,761 --> 00:44:10,080 ... 710 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:11,300 The pilots 711 00:44:11,500 --> 00:44:12,780 Prinster and Hogg 712 00:44:12,930 --> 00:44:15,981 have received numerous marks of honor for their bravery. 713 00:44:16,450 --> 00:44:17,700 Today at Situate 714 00:44:18,100 --> 00:44:23,060 in Rhode Island a park close to the place where they landed bears their name 715 00:44:23,061 --> 00:44:25,240 and houses a commemorative monument. 716 00:44:26,050 --> 00:44:29,660 41 years later the heroes of flight 458 717 00:44:29,661 --> 00:44:32,221 have returned and reflect on the hard lesson learned that day. 718 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:34,160 I mean, you guys 719 00:44:34,285 --> 00:44:38,040 were a strong power of your own 720 00:44:38,240 --> 00:44:40,220 to just stay with the band. 721 00:44:40,221 --> 00:44:41,221 ... 722 00:44:41,820 --> 00:44:42,360 Fortitude is the word. 723 00:44:42,361 --> 00:44:43,361 ... 724 00:44:44,300 --> 00:44:47,060 I think your body takes over and you just hang in there. 725 00:44:47,061 --> 00:44:47,540 ... 726 00:44:48,060 --> 00:44:52,140 It's actually when things get real you can really kind 727 00:44:52,141 --> 00:44:53,220 of share everything and hold it and just go for it. 728 00:44:53,221 --> 00:44:56,420 I think we all go out a little bit of that. 729 00:44:56,421 --> 00:44:58,220 It's a great day. 730 00:44:58,221 --> 00:44:58,600 It was a great day. 731 00:44:58,601 --> 00:44:58,640 It was a great day. 732 00:44:58,641 --> 00:44:58,980 What a day. 733 00:44:59,280 --> 00:44:59,440 Yeah. 734 00:44:59,520 --> 00:44:59,800 Oh yeah. 735 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:00,260 Yeah. 736 00:45:00,261 --> 00:45:00,320 Yeah. 737 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:01,220 Yeah. 738 00:45:01,221 --> 00:45:02,221 Yeah.