All language subtitles for Mayday.S01E04.Flying.on.Empty.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

3000.

We're not getting any oxygen.

We have the terrain alarm.

We are in an emergency.

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.

We're now at 30 000 feet

at the rate of descent
of 2000 feet per minute.

We have to ditch in the water.

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

This film investigates
what happened

to Air Transat Flight 236.

"This is it, it's over...

We are just going to 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!

August 23rd, 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 travellers

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.

The plane, a twin-engined
Airbus A330,

is being flown by a young
co-pilot, Dirk de Jager,

and an experienced captain,
Robert Piché.

Captain Robert Piché

is somewhat out of the ordinary.

Captain Piché, from the moment
he gets his wings,

he get to learn how to fly

in the north
of the province of Québec,

where the conditions
occasionally are very severe.

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 film 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.

236 heavy.
Follow A320 Air Canada.

Turn left on Romeo
and hold short on 2-4 right.

Roger.
Follow A320 Air Canada.

Left on Romeo
and hold short on 24 right.

With the crew of seven,

Flight 236 has 306
people on board.

Well, we were married
for four days.

- 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... Boarded on this flight

to go on a two and a half week
vacation with a friend of mine.

Obviously, I was very excited
to be spending

two and a half weeks
on the coast of Portugal.

Very excited feeling.

Transat 236 heavy.
cleared for takeoff.

2-4-0 at 8.

Cleared for takeoff.
2-4 right.

Transat 236 heavy.

At 20 minutes past 8:00,

the Airbus A330 loaded
with over 47 tons of fuel

leaves Toronto for Lisbon.

V1. Rotate.

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,

it was a family trip,
we were going to a wedding.

Otherwise, we would not
have gone this year.

Uh, so...

Instead of just going
for four days for a wedding,

we decided to go for two weeks

and throw the wedding in
as kind of a family perk

and see everybody.

Everything appeared
quite normal, and in fact,

I had traveled on Air Transat
previously and found it

not to be very good.

And I was surprised by
the quality of the flight.

You know, it was on time,
the plane was newer

and we thought generally
it was much better

than we had expected
it would be.

We are getting
to our next checkpoint.

Every 30 minutes
across the Atlantic,

the crew check their position
and fuel consumption

against their flight plan.

11.2 tons on the right.

11.2 tons on the left.

Despite the computerized
systems, some procedures

like checking the fuel on board
still need to be done by hand.

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.

The level is normal
for the distance flown.

Alright.

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 film uses known facts
about the flight,

standard emergency procedures
and expert opinion

to reconstruct what took place
on Flight 236.

Look.

We're getting a warning signal.

"Oil temp low and oil pressure
high on number two."

This warning is the first
step in the crisis.

Oil pressure is within normal
limits on number one.

On number two,
it's slightly high.

The computer display reveals
that the oil temperature

is low in engine number two.

But the oil pressure is high.

It is a very unusual reading.

The pilots are puzzled.

I can't see anything here.

I'll look in the FCOM.

A low oil temperature
indication is normally

indicative of bad readings,
bad sensors.

Oil temperatures don't decrease
normally, they increase.

A low oil temperature
would be of no concern.

The high oil pressure
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 is
explained in the manuals.

Call the company.

The crew contact Air Transat's
maintenance group in Montreal.

Transat 236
to Mirabel Operations.

Mirabel Transat 236. Hi.

Hi. We have
a little problem.

We are getting the warning
"oil temp low"

and "oil pressure high" on
the ECAM for engine number two.

There's nothing
in the QRH nor the FCOM.

Can you help us out?

The ground crew have
no immediate solution.

The pilots must work it out
for themselves.

They may have been given
some advice on troubleshooting

to see if that would help,

but ultimately, the pilots
are up there on their own.

They can get advice from
somebody 25 000 miles away,

but they can't really
fix the problems.

Suggest you
keep monitoring your oil levels

and see what happens.

But because
the oil readings are so unusual,

the pilots believe they may
indicate a computer error.

The crew keep 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 ECAM action.

I have air traffic control.

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 consult
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 okay.

No indication of a fuel leak.

Keep going.

Wing cross speed, on.

On.

Once you begin
the cross-feeding procedure

to correct
the fuel imbalance, uh...

...restorative action should
commence quite quickly.

In other words, the situation
would not continue to get worse.

It would either
stabilise immediately,

and then, begin
to correct itself.

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 mid-Atlantic,

nearly 300 kilometers
from the nearest land.

39 000 feet over
the Atlantic,

nearly 300 kilometers from land,

Air Transat Flight 236
is in trouble.

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

The plane's computer system has
thrown out a series of warnings.

But the pilots believe
these are computer errors.

Have you ever seen something
like this before?

No, never.

It 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 okay at the
last fuel check at 30 West.

I'll bet you
it's a computer problem.

The task of finding out
if there is a fuel leak,

is made harder by the design
of the air bus systems.

The systems monitor hundreds
and hundreds of sensors.

And you know, they can be
affected by such mundane things

as a little bit of frost
or ice on a sensor,

it can cause it to present
bad data.

So it is not something
that would occur

on every single flight,
but it's something that we're

quite used to dealing with.

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's very low, hold on.

When co-pilot de Jager carries
out the fuel calculations,

he discovers something
seriously wrong.

It's much less fuel
than we should have.

It looks like a fuel leak.

Check again.

De Jager finds
a disturbing difference.

According to all the gauges,

all the tanks on the right wing
are way below the level

they should be, according
to the flight plan.

There'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.

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 there 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.

Okay.

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

I'm so sorry.

In daylight, the fuel pouring
out of the back of the wing

would have been clearly visible.

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

the fuel leaking from
the engine is impossible to see.

The crew evidently realised
that the situation

was not improving,
and at that point,

they realised that their...

...that their circumstances
were becoming more serious.

And I think that there were
probably some discussions

that took place between
the two pilots

as to 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.

We've got to divert.

Get on to Oceanic control
where is the nearest airfield.

Transat 236 heavy.
Santa Maria control.

Can you advise nearest airfield?

We have possible fuel problem.

The nearest runway
is over 300 kilometres away.

But with the fuel remaining,
Lajes military airbase

on the tiny island
of Terceira in the Azores

should be within reach.

Santa Maria
control, Transat 236 heavy.

Proceed 230 flight level
390 direct.

350 miles to threshold.

Are you declaring an emergency?

Stand by, Santa Maria control.

Not yet, it must be
the computer.

Transat 236,
Santa Maria control.

No assistance required yet.

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.

- It must be the computer
- I've checked.

There's nothing in the trim
or centre tank!

And the gauges show...

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.

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 Azures

with half a plane full of fuel,

they'll crucify us.

But 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 2!

I don't believe this!

Okay. Maximum thrust
on number 1.

What's going on?

Yes. What's happening?

The lights started
flickering on and off,

which I thought was
kind of odd, strange.

On one engine, the airbus
will not fly at 39 000 feet.

They must descend quickly.

Try to transfer fuel
from center tank

and the trim tank.
- Transferring.

Fuel quantity is reaching zero.

This can't be.

We're not going to go completely
dry on this (bleep!) airplane!

Alright.

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

We'll descend to 33 000

to control our speed.
- 236 to Lajes Tower.

We have lost one engine.
Engine flame out.

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.

Well, there's a whole lot of
critical things that 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 are unable
to maintain your altitude.

You may be descending
through their altitude.

So everybody else is now
on the lookout for an airplane

that is in distress.

For the next ten minutes,
the stricken airbus

continues on its
one 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.

At the end,
we might be alright.

The fuel gauge
is falling fast though.

It's nearly hitting zero.

But 13 minutes after
the right-hand engine cut out

and with 130 kilometres
still to go,

the left engine begins to fail.

We're losing number 1.

Mayday, mayday, mayday!

We have lost both engines

due to fuel starvation.
We are gliding now.

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.

Excuse me,
can somebody come?

Hello?

You could 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 um, screaming for God.

My wife was
a little hysterical.

My best friend was...
in another world.

Everything was dead silent,

except for the people
who were... who were very upset.

List of functions
we have lost.

We have no more stabiliser,

nor blue and yellow hydraulic.
No ADR 2 and 3.

No anti skid, no reversers,

tudder trim, radio HF,
one and two.

With the loss of both engines,
we have no electrical systems.

If the engines are not running,
the generators are not running,

so there is no power
on the airplane.

There is a small device,
it's called the Ram Air Turbine.

It will deploy from
underneath the fuselage,
near the wing fairing,

and it's a small propeller
that deploys at 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 is a glider,

at least it is
a controllable glider!

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

Well, we are now at...
30 000 feet.

At the rate of descent
of 2 000 feet per minute,

we can hang on for
14 or 15 minutes...

I don't want to die
on our honeymoon.

I was just trying
to calm her down,

reassuring her that
everything would be okay.

It's a very big struggle
to stay calm

when you're considering
your own death.

Without power, the plane
loses 1000 feet in height

for every five kilometres
it travels forward.

They can reach the Azures,
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.

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.

The cabin is slowly
depressurising.

We need to put
our oxygen masks on.

The loss
of engine power

means the cabin soon
depressurizes.

Everybody, please,
I need your attention.

We are preparing
to ditch the plane.

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

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 sign
of fear, you know.

"What was happening"
was the first question
that popped in my mind.

You just need to tie this up
like that.

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.

Please keep her calm.

My best friend was talking
to his father,

his father died three years ago.

But he was talking to him
because he thought for sure

he was going to be joining him.

And I just kept
the same reiteration.

"No. This is okay."
One hand on one leg,

one hand on the other, both
their arms clenched to mine.

Kind of looking at my in-laws,
blinking, you know:

"It's okay,
it's nothing."

I kept thinking that if
the plane did hit water,

that we would survive.

I was so convinced
that we would survive

no matter what happened
to the plane, that...

I was probably delusional.

Fear just suddenly
just kicked in

from my toes straight up
to my head.

Uh...

At that point, they started
giving us instructions,

of what to do in this procedure.

"Take off your shoes,"
was one of them.

"Don't inflate your life 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 was the real deal."

Ditching a large passenger jet
on the water

presents severe hazards.

If the Airbus 330 has to make
a forced landing,

the chances of survival
are bleak.

In my personal opinion,
I don't think these airplanes

would make very good boats.

Typically, an airplane with
a low-mounted tail like this,

as it enters the water,

one of the first things
that is going to hit the water

is the tail and it is probably
gonna be ripped right off

and the fuselage is probably
gonna open about right there.

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 happens
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.

If Air Transat Flight 236
has to carry out

a similar manoeuvre, it faces
an equally grave outcome.

With over 100 km before
they reach the Azores,

the pilots face a long
and difficult manoeuvre.

They need to keep the plane
gliding for more than 15 minutes

to reach the Azores.

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

You're just so focussed

on the mission at hand.

It's a life or death
situation, of course.

But, your intention
is to get it there.

You're not thinking
about the alternatives.

You're fully focussed on...

getting the airplane
to its destination.

Transat 236 heavy,
to Lajes Tower.

Lajes Tower receiving,
Transat 236 heavy.

Do you have us on radar?
Transat 236.

s(tower): We have you
on primary radar.

Confirm you are at 80 miles out.

Your heading is good.

Transat 236 heavy,
Lajes Tower.

We are trying
to make the runway.

Please describe runway
heading and length.

Lajes Tower,
Transat 236 heavy.

Runway is 3-3
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.

As the minutes tick by,

the long wait for those
on board is agonising.

That's it.
This is it. It's over.

I am going to die
in the next 5 to 10 minutes.

I hadn't contemplated the idea
that we would die, certainly.

I think in that moment,
you can accept it more

than you think
you would accept it.

I never thought
I was going to die.

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

I did my best not to show it.

I just tried to keep cool,
calm and collected,

but there were certain times

where I wasn't sure
if we'd make it.

The torture of the whole fact
that you're going to 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 nose-dive into the ocean

and just die instantly.

On the ground,
emergency services

prepare for the crash landing
of a fully loaded airliner.

With 20 kilometres to go,

the crew now prepare
for the most dangerous part
of the operation:

getting their plane
on the runway in one piece.

Transat 236 heavy
to Lajes tower.

Do you have our distance
from threshold now

and weather please?

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.

Negative, Lajes Tower.

Until now, we cannot
see the runway.

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 RAD speed is 140 knots.

Maximum speed for gravity gear
extension, 200 knots.

I'm not lowering the gear
until the last minute, okay?

Okay.

The crew struggle to lose
height and speed for landing.

Roger Lajes.
Six nautical miles.

Let's open the slats.

It will slow us down a bit.

Slats out and locked.

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 stabilise
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.

Captain Piché now performs
a difficult series

of swerving manoeuvres to slow
the plane down for landing.

The plane was almost
at a 45-degree angle.

I thought we were just going
to flip over

and nose-dive straight down.

The plane was circling around
the island to slow down.

So we saw land, and then,
we saw water,

and when I saw water again,
it really struck me

that our chance for survival
had maybe... was gone.

The runway is long,
yes, sure!

But at the end,
there is a 400-foot cliff.

If we don't stop at enough time,

we're toast! We're dead!

The crew line up the giant
airbus for final approach.

Landing gear down
and locked.

Three green.

No flaps.

Only the emergency brakes,
no spoilers, no reverse thrust.

4000 feet, 195 knots.

3000 feet, 197 knots.

2000 feet, 200 knots.

Alert the cabin.

Cabin crew, one minute
to landing.

Hang on!

Vertical speed
at 3000 feet per minute.

We're going way too fast.

And the speed is increasing.
203 knots now!

It's way too fast.

1000 feet, 201 knots.

I'll try to get the nose up.

We'll arrive fast!

But even if the crew can get
the airbus on the runway,

they face a further problem.

Without engines, the normal
procedures for breaking

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.

Hang on!

The Airbus hits hard
at high speed.

The tires have blown!

Captain Piché tries
to hold the nose down.

Oh my God!

After bursting eight tires,

the plane finally stops
in the middle of the runway.

We're safe!
We made it, we made it!

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

Come on, come on!

I told you we'd make it.

I just wanted to get out of
this airplane quickly.

I jumped and hit
the ground hard.

I don't think my rear end

actually even touched
the chute at all.

I didn't slide down
the slide, I ran down it.

And they're just,
"Get out! Get out!"

So, you're just running out
of this aircraft!

What in God's name
just happened?

And I fell down
to the ground, literally,

and I just started crying.

And once you're off the plane
and you're evacuated,

you want to know what happened.

Piché and de Jager
had flown their Airbus

without power further than
any passenger jets in history.

As news of their
remarkable achievement spread

around the world, they found
themselves reluctant heroes.

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

than the taking care of the
safety of your passengers.

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 made
a successful landing.

You 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 manner we could.

...a feeling of being grateful

to see all the passengers
were okay.

Something like this happens,

you never know what is going
to happen really.

I mean, you start
not to believe it,

I mean, makes no sense
that a big jet

with two engines has
no more power with 300 people
on board, you know.

But although the public story
was a success,

disturbing questions remained.

Why had a highly sophisticated
airliner run out of fuel?

What exactly had happened
to Flight 236?

Away from the cameras,
an accident investigation

began immediately
by the Portuguese, Canadian

and French transport
authorities.

Initial checks
quickly confirmed

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
meant they had a major leak.

The question was, where?

Engineers examined
the fuel systems

searching for faults
in the tanks and the fuel lines.

It wasn't long before
they found what they were
looking for.

Just by the right engine.

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 hole, eventually,
possibly led in to a fracture

of the tube, allowing
this massive fuel flow

outside the engine.

The investigators
began checking Air Transat

maintenance records.

They discovered that
on the 17th of August,

five days before the flight,

Air Transat had removed
the right-hand engine

for maintenance and installed
a replacement unit

sent by Rolls Royce.

But as they analysed
the repair logs for the engine,

they uncovered
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 had used

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.

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,

the pipes would be
locked together

so that they could
possibly abrade.

So the mechanics,
I can't fault them,

but they were not given
specific instructions

to verify the 3 mm clearance.

As Investigators questioned
Air Transat mechanics,

they found 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.

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.

The replacement parts only
differed from the correct ones

by a few millimetres,

but it was a 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 pipes,

so to speak, were needed
to be connected with 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 dollars

which was the highest ever
in Canada,

for an error that
could've been prevented.

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... beyond me.

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,

as we all... If it hadn't have
been us suffering,

it would have been our families.

This was by no means
the end of the story.

Investigators now turned their
attention to the cockpit itself.

What role had the crew played in
the events of August the 24th?

Could they have done more
to avert the crisis?

Key questions remained
unanswered.

Questions about what
happened on the flight deck?

The investigation
into Air Transat Flight 236

discovered that basic
maintenance errors had
led to the fuel leak.

Air Transat accepted
responsibility

and were heavily fined.

But the focus now turned
on the flight deck

and the performance of the crew.

What part did they play
in the fuel loss?

Wing cross-feed. On.

On.

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.

In the days after
the incident,

Captain Robert Piché
and Dirk de Jager were called

before the enquiry and asked
in detail about their actions.

More than two years later,

these findings have still
not been published.

What follows are
possible explanations

for the course of events
that night,

based on known facts
and expert opinion.

"Oil temp low" and
"Oil pressure high" on number 2.

The warnings
of "high oil pressure"
and "low oil temperature"

from the engine
on the right wing

would not have led
the pilots to suspect

that there was already
a major fuel leak.

The indications that were
being presented with respect

to the oils systems
would probably not give
the crew any indications.

They may have questioned
what was causing the erroneous

or strange indications,

but there is nothing
certainly in my mind,

or their training I think,
that would have triggered them

to suspect that the fuel system
might be involved.

Bet you it's
a computer problem.

But although
the pilots thought

they had a computer error,
the oil warnings

were actually correct, and
were the first indication

of a much more serious problem.

Fuel imbalance warning.

Haven't seen that before.

When the fuel imbalance
warning came up

20 minutes later,
showing less fuel

in the right wing than the left,

it seemed unconnected
with the oil alarms.

This could have reinforced
Captain Piché's idea

that he was facing a series
of computer errors.

"Do not apply this procedure
if a fuel leak is suspected..."

Despite his doubts,
Captain Piché was obliged

to follow Airbus procedure
to correct the imbalance.

He opened the cross-feed valve.

Wing cross-feed, on.

But was following
the checklist enough?

You just can't idly flip
switches in response to commands

from the computers and
anticipate that all will be well

at the end of it, you know,

once the checklist is complete,

we can sit there fat,
dumb and happy.

That's not the case at all.

You've got to keep
second-guessing it,

"Is that right, did we do
the right checklist?

Have we got the results
that we need?"

Once the pilots calculated
the high rate of fuel loss,

they should have suspected
a major leak.

Transat 236 heavy,
declaring fuel emergency.

By the time they had
confirmed the leak,

their options were
severely limited.

They were flying blind,
as it were.

There was no checklist
information provided to them.

They had assumed that once
they had engaged

in this procedure,
that the situation

would resolve itself,
and it wasn't.

Now, they had a choice:

"Do I close the cross-feed

and see what happens?

Or do I leave
the cross-feed open

as the fuel imbalance checklist

has dictated and maybe the
situation will correct itself?"

The crew wasn't really sure.
It wasn't an eventuality...

It wasn't a situation they had
been trained for, I am sure.

They were in new ground with
really no guidance to help them.

If they'd left
the cross-feed open

or whether they closed
the cross-feed,

I would only be speculating
as to what changes

it might have resulted
in the outcome of this event.

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
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 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.

The investigation
remains unpublished.

Airbus blamed the pilots
for mishandling the fuel leak.

Robert Piché and Dirk de Jager

continue to fly
with Air Transat.

In August 2002, they received
the highest honours

of the Air Line Pilots
Association

for the longest glide
ever accomplished

in a passenger airline.

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 has re-issued
a service bulletin

alerting all its clients
of the incompatibility

of two almost similar parts.

For the passengers trapped
on Flight 236,

the trauma has left them
with mixed feelings.

Alright, let's stabilize
the speed.

This accident
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 events
that lead to the incident

or to the accident and this
accident was no different.

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 the 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.

Thank God the islands
of the Azures were there

and basically saved our lives.

But if that fuel pump broke
two, five minutes beforehand,

we would have ended up
into the water

and I wouldn't be here
to tell the story.

difuze