1 00:00:03,236 --> 00:00:04,571 NARRATOR: A Russian passenger jet 2 00:00:04,637 --> 00:00:08,341 crashes into the Volga River. 3 00:00:08,408 --> 00:00:10,276 Rescuers are stunned to discover 4 00:00:10,343 --> 00:00:12,379 that the plane was carrying some of the country's 5 00:00:12,445 --> 00:00:14,647 most famous athletes. 6 00:00:14,714 --> 00:00:15,648 I'm Galimov. 7 00:00:15,715 --> 00:00:17,083 NARRATOR: The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 8 00:00:17,150 --> 00:00:19,052 hockey team is decimated. 9 00:00:19,119 --> 00:00:21,554 Nearly the entire team is dead. 10 00:00:21,621 --> 00:00:23,890 How can that happen to a team of 11 00:00:23,957 --> 00:00:26,459 such young, talented, healthy guys 12 00:00:26,526 --> 00:00:28,361 that had so much to offer? 13 00:00:28,428 --> 00:00:30,764 NARRATOR: The president of Russia demands answers. 14 00:00:30,830 --> 00:00:32,665 The Russian government was putting 15 00:00:32,732 --> 00:00:37,137 pressure on the investigators trying to get results. 16 00:00:37,203 --> 00:00:38,972 Why didn't they lift off? 17 00:00:39,038 --> 00:00:40,440 NARRATOR: Investigators need to know-- 18 00:00:40,507 --> 00:00:41,441 Rotate. 19 00:00:41,508 --> 00:00:42,709 NARRATOR: --why the jet struggled 20 00:00:42,776 --> 00:00:44,077 to get off the ground. 21 00:00:44,144 --> 00:00:46,479 That can be the moment, the split second when you might 22 00:00:46,546 --> 00:00:48,848 have chosen life versus death. 23 00:00:48,915 --> 00:00:50,617 Look what happened here. 24 00:00:50,683 --> 00:00:54,220 NARRATOR: The reason is almost too simple to believe. 25 00:00:54,287 --> 00:00:56,256 What are you doing? 26 00:00:56,322 --> 00:00:58,291 Ladies and gentlemen, we are starting our approach. 27 00:00:58,358 --> 00:00:59,292 We lost both engines. 28 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:00,894 Put the mask over your nose. 29 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,362 Emergency descent. 30 00:01:02,429 --> 00:01:09,436 Brace for impact! 31 00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:23,183 NARRATOR: September 7th, 2011. 32 00:01:23,249 --> 00:01:26,419 A Yak-42 jet descends towards a Russian airport 33 00:01:26,486 --> 00:01:30,056 on its way to pick up some very important passengers. 34 00:01:30,123 --> 00:01:31,691 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: They were reliable, Soviet-built 35 00:01:31,758 --> 00:01:34,227 airplanes that could land on shorter runways 36 00:01:34,294 --> 00:01:39,499 and extend that airline service to smaller airports. 37 00:01:39,566 --> 00:01:41,034 NARRATOR: This charter flight is operated 38 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,102 by Yak Service Airlines. 39 00:01:43,169 --> 00:01:45,438 Only the crew is on board. 40 00:01:45,505 --> 00:01:46,840 Flaps, 30. 41 00:01:46,906 --> 00:01:49,809 NARRATOR: First Officer Igor Zhivelov 42 00:01:49,876 --> 00:01:53,213 is the airline's vice president of flight operations. 43 00:01:53,279 --> 00:01:55,415 In his nearly 30 years of flying, 44 00:01:55,482 --> 00:01:59,419 he's racked up more than 13,000 hours in the air. 45 00:01:59,486 --> 00:02:00,687 Flaps are 30. 46 00:02:00,753 --> 00:02:04,624 NARRATOR: Beside him is Captain Andrei Solomentsev, 47 00:02:04,691 --> 00:02:07,594 one of his closest friends. 48 00:02:09,295 --> 00:02:12,899 NARRATOR: Flight engineer Vladimir Matyushin rounds out 49 00:02:12,966 --> 00:02:15,902 the three-man cockpit crew. 50 00:02:15,969 --> 00:02:18,705 Get down 3 green. 51 00:02:18,771 --> 00:02:20,740 NARRATOR: Mechanic Alexander Sizov 52 00:02:20,807 --> 00:02:23,243 flies with the plane to make sure it's in good working 53 00:02:23,309 --> 00:02:25,545 order at all times. 54 00:02:25,612 --> 00:02:27,080 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: It's important to get people 55 00:02:27,146 --> 00:02:32,218 from A to B with, obviously, safe operation 56 00:02:32,285 --> 00:02:33,520 and in good service. 57 00:02:33,586 --> 00:02:36,756 In the charter world, maybe more so, because this is 58 00:02:36,823 --> 00:02:38,391 the reputation of the company. 59 00:02:38,458 --> 00:02:40,994 Will they call us again? 60 00:02:41,060 --> 00:02:42,328 NARRATOR: The plane is just moments 61 00:02:42,395 --> 00:02:44,764 from landing in Yaroslavl, a city 62 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:51,838 155 miles northeast of Moscow. 63 00:02:52,972 --> 00:02:54,841 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: Touch down into Yaroslavl. 64 00:02:54,908 --> 00:02:56,376 And it was a little bit rough touch down, 65 00:02:56,442 --> 00:03:01,281 a bounced landing followed. 66 00:03:01,347 --> 00:03:02,649 Whoa. 67 00:03:02,715 --> 00:03:04,183 Little hairy there. 68 00:03:04,250 --> 00:03:05,985 I must be nervous. 69 00:03:06,052 --> 00:03:07,320 The president may be watching. 70 00:03:10,356 --> 00:03:14,060 NARRATOR: Yaroslavl's airport is under tight security. 71 00:03:14,127 --> 00:03:15,828 Some of Russia's top politicians 72 00:03:15,895 --> 00:03:20,099 are attending an Economic Forum in town. 73 00:03:20,166 --> 00:03:22,135 But it's not politicians who are preparing 74 00:03:22,201 --> 00:03:25,638 to board the plane, it's another prestigious group 75 00:03:25,705 --> 00:03:29,809 of passengers, the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team, 76 00:03:29,876 --> 00:03:34,380 one of the most beloved sports teams in all of Russia. 77 00:03:34,447 --> 00:03:36,082 MIKE FOUNTAIN: Their fans were fantastic. 78 00:03:36,149 --> 00:03:37,984 They were loud in support of their team, 79 00:03:38,051 --> 00:03:41,487 and they let you know when you were the opposing team. 80 00:03:41,554 --> 00:03:43,356 NARRATOR: Mike Fountain is a former National 81 00:03:43,423 --> 00:03:44,991 Hockey League goalie who was played 82 00:03:45,058 --> 00:03:47,260 against Lokomotiv in Russia. 83 00:03:47,327 --> 00:03:48,661 It created quite the atmosphere. 84 00:03:48,728 --> 00:03:51,297 Whenever you went to that city, it was-- it's a hockey town. 85 00:03:51,364 --> 00:03:52,498 They loved it. 86 00:03:52,565 --> 00:03:54,801 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: Hockey is a religion in Russia. 87 00:03:54,867 --> 00:03:55,835 People love hockey. 88 00:03:55,902 --> 00:03:57,103 People love hockey players. 89 00:03:57,170 --> 00:03:58,104 They are celebrities. 90 00:03:58,171 --> 00:04:00,607 They are stars. 91 00:04:00,673 --> 00:04:01,975 NARRATOR: Alexander Galimov off is 92 00:04:02,041 --> 00:04:03,910 a right winger who has played for Lokomotiv 93 00:04:03,977 --> 00:04:05,445 his entire career. 94 00:04:05,511 --> 00:04:09,248 Born in Yaroslavl, he's a local hero. 95 00:04:09,315 --> 00:04:10,350 Hey, coach. 96 00:04:10,416 --> 00:04:12,485 This guy's like me on the forecheck. 97 00:04:12,552 --> 00:04:13,786 NARRATOR: Canadian Brad McCrimmon 98 00:04:13,853 --> 00:04:17,490 was an all-star NHL defenseman and assistant coach. 99 00:04:17,557 --> 00:04:20,126 Now at age 52, he's looking forward 100 00:04:20,193 --> 00:04:21,861 to his first regular season game 101 00:04:21,928 --> 00:04:23,730 as a head coach in Russia. 102 00:04:23,796 --> 00:04:25,865 For a coach like Brad McCrimmon with his record 103 00:04:25,932 --> 00:04:28,067 of being an assistant coach with the Red Wings 104 00:04:28,134 --> 00:04:30,236 and his playing career, for him to go over 105 00:04:30,303 --> 00:04:33,740 to a team like Yaroslav with the passion those fans have, 106 00:04:33,806 --> 00:04:36,676 I guarantee you, he was so excited to have 107 00:04:36,743 --> 00:04:43,750 that opportunity to go and win that first game. 108 00:04:46,519 --> 00:04:47,987 NARRATOR: Some of Russia's best players 109 00:04:48,054 --> 00:04:54,727 are on this team, including team captain Ivan Tkachenko. 110 00:04:55,862 --> 00:04:56,929 I had the opportunity to play against Ivan 111 00:04:56,996 --> 00:04:58,531 Tkachenko for many years. 112 00:04:58,598 --> 00:05:00,099 He was a fantastic hockey player. 113 00:05:00,166 --> 00:05:01,968 And he is one of those guys that was always 114 00:05:02,035 --> 00:05:03,870 in front of you in the game, always getting 115 00:05:03,936 --> 00:05:05,571 an opportunity to score. 116 00:05:05,638 --> 00:05:07,340 NARRATOR: In the pre-season, Lokomotiv 117 00:05:07,407 --> 00:05:08,708 has been on a hot streak-- 118 00:05:08,775 --> 00:05:11,611 winning seven of nine pre-season games. 119 00:05:11,678 --> 00:05:14,013 Fans believe this year, they have a very good shot 120 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,416 at winning the Gagarin Cup. 121 00:05:16,482 --> 00:05:18,751 MIKE FOUNTAIN: They want you to win the championship that cup, 122 00:05:18,818 --> 00:05:23,122 it's a big deal. 123 00:05:23,189 --> 00:05:26,592 Hungry? 124 00:05:26,659 --> 00:05:28,428 This year, we win it all. 125 00:05:28,494 --> 00:05:29,429 Really? 126 00:05:29,495 --> 00:05:31,898 Yeah. 127 00:05:31,964 --> 00:05:33,599 NARRATOR: As a VP with the airline, 128 00:05:33,666 --> 00:05:35,601 first officer Zhivelov has managed 129 00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:42,075 to pull rank in order to fly with some of his heroes. 130 00:05:42,141 --> 00:05:44,310 For this flight, captain Solomentsev 131 00:05:44,377 --> 00:05:46,579 will take the controls while Zhivelov 132 00:05:46,646 --> 00:05:49,148 handles the radio calls. 133 00:05:49,215 --> 00:05:50,850 Is the call sign Tunoshna? 134 00:05:50,917 --> 00:05:52,452 Yaroslavl. 135 00:05:52,518 --> 00:05:56,355 Yaroslavl 42434 request engine start. 136 00:05:56,422 --> 00:05:59,792 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: 42434 cleared to start. 137 00:05:59,859 --> 00:06:02,562 NARRATOR: The crew starts the axe 3 engines. 138 00:06:02,628 --> 00:06:07,800 Start number 3. 139 00:06:07,867 --> 00:06:11,003 NARRATOR: And adjust the plane stabilizer for takeoff. 140 00:06:11,070 --> 00:06:13,339 How much for you, 9? 141 00:06:13,406 --> 00:06:14,807 Maybe 8, I think. 142 00:06:14,874 --> 00:06:18,244 8 and 1/2. 143 00:06:18,311 --> 00:06:20,947 Lops and slots in position. 144 00:06:21,013 --> 00:06:22,482 NARRATOR: The flight is bound for Minsk, 145 00:06:22,548 --> 00:06:24,717 two hours away in Belarus. 146 00:06:24,784 --> 00:06:27,019 For the players, it's the first of many flights 147 00:06:27,086 --> 00:06:29,255 they will have to make this season. 148 00:06:29,322 --> 00:06:30,389 MIKE FOUNTAIN: The hockey players 149 00:06:30,456 --> 00:06:32,859 are the same over in Russia as North America. 150 00:06:32,925 --> 00:06:34,827 We've got the jokesters on the team. 151 00:06:34,894 --> 00:06:37,330 You've got the guys that will maybe sit in the corner, 152 00:06:37,396 --> 00:06:38,631 be a little more quiet. 153 00:06:38,698 --> 00:06:40,032 You've got the guys that maybe went 154 00:06:40,099 --> 00:06:41,701 out a little too much the night before 155 00:06:41,768 --> 00:06:43,102 and has a story for you. 156 00:06:43,169 --> 00:06:48,508 And it's kind of funny how that is an international thing. 157 00:06:48,574 --> 00:06:51,611 Checking the flight's controls. 158 00:06:51,677 --> 00:06:57,517 Start complete. 159 00:06:57,583 --> 00:06:59,185 Thrust set. 160 00:06:59,252 --> 00:07:01,487 NARRATOR: On September 7th, 2011, 161 00:07:01,554 --> 00:07:03,689 just before 4:00 in the afternoon, 162 00:07:03,756 --> 00:07:07,059 the plane starts down the runway. 163 00:07:07,126 --> 00:07:08,294 Crew, we're taking off. 164 00:07:08,361 --> 00:07:15,234 V1 is 190. 165 00:07:15,301 --> 00:07:18,304 NARRATOR: The flight engineer watches the gauges. 166 00:07:18,371 --> 00:07:20,640 It's his job to advise the captain when the plane 167 00:07:20,706 --> 00:07:22,809 reaches takeoff speed. 168 00:07:22,875 --> 00:07:24,110 The engine power should determine 169 00:07:24,177 --> 00:07:25,511 just how fast you get. 170 00:07:25,578 --> 00:07:28,047 And if it's done properly, and the flaps and slats are set 171 00:07:28,114 --> 00:07:31,651 right, you will have the right lift generated by the speed 172 00:07:31,717 --> 00:07:33,085 to get you off the ground safely, 173 00:07:33,152 --> 00:07:35,688 as almost always happens. 174 00:07:35,755 --> 00:07:38,057 Rotate. 175 00:07:38,124 --> 00:07:40,459 The flight engineer called rotate, 176 00:07:40,526 --> 00:07:44,564 and the captain displace the yoke to rotate the elevators 177 00:07:44,630 --> 00:07:46,165 up to about 10 degrees. 178 00:07:46,232 --> 00:07:49,101 This would have been sufficient for creating 179 00:07:49,168 --> 00:07:55,641 that takeoff attitude and the airplane lifting off. 180 00:07:55,708 --> 00:07:58,744 NARRATOR: But the plane stays on the ground. 181 00:07:58,811 --> 00:08:00,079 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: Nothing happened. 182 00:08:00,146 --> 00:08:02,748 The airplane did not react in any way 183 00:08:02,815 --> 00:08:04,884 to the displacement of the yoke. 184 00:08:04,951 --> 00:08:07,820 210. 185 00:08:07,887 --> 00:08:10,356 Full power. 186 00:08:10,423 --> 00:08:12,792 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: The captain calls for full power. 187 00:08:12,859 --> 00:08:15,928 And again, nothing happens to the aircraft. 188 00:08:15,995 --> 00:08:18,598 NARRATOR: Some of the passengers sense trouble. 189 00:08:18,664 --> 00:08:19,899 MIKE FOUNTAIN: Planes in Russia are not 190 00:08:19,966 --> 00:08:22,768 up to European and North American standards, 191 00:08:22,835 --> 00:08:25,438 and it's a little bit scary for North 192 00:08:25,504 --> 00:08:27,940 American and European players going over there. 193 00:08:28,007 --> 00:08:31,077 NARRATOR: The runway is 3,280 yards long. 194 00:08:31,143 --> 00:08:34,547 The crew must lift off before the 2,800 yard mark 195 00:08:34,614 --> 00:08:36,616 or they won't be able to stop safely. 196 00:08:36,682 --> 00:08:39,619 You probably set stabilizer too low. 197 00:08:39,685 --> 00:08:46,692 Add some. 198 00:08:48,494 --> 00:08:55,468 NARRATOR: Adjusting the stabilizer doesn't help. 199 00:09:04,377 --> 00:09:05,745 What's happening? 200 00:09:05,811 --> 00:09:07,847 You'll be fine. 201 00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:11,217 NARRATOR: The plane has enough speed and should get airborne. 202 00:09:11,284 --> 00:09:13,319 220. 203 00:09:13,386 --> 00:09:15,187 NARRATOR: But instead of lifting off, 204 00:09:15,254 --> 00:09:20,660 the Yak-42 keeps going past the end of the runway. 205 00:09:20,726 --> 00:09:22,895 JAMES OBERG: Going off the runway at the end of a takeoff 206 00:09:22,962 --> 00:09:25,698 roll is always dangerous-- full tank of gas, 207 00:09:25,765 --> 00:09:28,000 people are still confused, you don't know how 208 00:09:28,067 --> 00:09:30,836 far the clear spacing goes. 209 00:09:30,903 --> 00:09:33,005 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: This is a nightmare for every pilot 210 00:09:33,072 --> 00:09:35,908 because now they are plane is not flying, 211 00:09:35,975 --> 00:09:38,477 and yet you're moving across the ground 212 00:09:38,544 --> 00:09:45,351 at 142 miles an hour. 213 00:09:46,352 --> 00:09:47,920 What are you doing? 214 00:09:47,987 --> 00:09:49,655 NARRATOR: The crew struggles desperately to get 215 00:09:49,722 --> 00:09:55,661 the plane of the ground. 216 00:09:55,728 --> 00:10:02,735 Finally, they succeed. 217 00:10:04,003 --> 00:10:10,309 The plane is airborne but not out of trouble. 218 00:10:10,376 --> 00:10:17,216 Yak service flight 9633 isn't able to climb. 219 00:10:18,217 --> 00:10:25,057 And the pilots lose control. 220 00:10:34,934 --> 00:10:41,907 It crashes 500 yards from the end of the runway. 221 00:10:45,678 --> 00:10:47,446 Local police patrolling the Volga 222 00:10:47,513 --> 00:10:54,520 River are the first to reach the wreckage of the Yak-42. 223 00:10:57,123 --> 00:11:01,660 Star player Alexander Galimov has survived the crash. 224 00:11:01,727 --> 00:11:03,029 No, it's OK. 225 00:11:03,095 --> 00:11:05,464 Help the others. 226 00:11:05,531 --> 00:11:08,601 NARRATOR: Mechanic Alexander Sizov is also alive. 227 00:11:08,667 --> 00:11:09,602 Over here. 228 00:11:09,668 --> 00:11:10,603 Help! 229 00:11:10,669 --> 00:11:13,372 Please! 230 00:11:13,439 --> 00:11:15,041 NARRATOR: Rescuers are shocked to learn 231 00:11:15,107 --> 00:11:18,477 the plane was carrying some of Russia's most famous athletes. 232 00:11:18,544 --> 00:11:19,712 Thank you. 233 00:11:19,779 --> 00:11:21,247 I'm Galimov. 234 00:11:21,313 --> 00:11:26,252 NARRATOR: Twisted wreckage burns near the river's edge. 235 00:11:28,788 --> 00:11:30,823 NARRATOR: Witness is record the horrific scene 236 00:11:30,890 --> 00:11:33,159 minutes after impact. 237 00:11:33,225 --> 00:11:35,494 Onlookers see no sign of more survivors 238 00:11:35,561 --> 00:11:41,700 through the thick black smoke. 239 00:11:41,767 --> 00:11:45,404 Dmitry Pushkov is a hospital pathologist 240 00:11:45,471 --> 00:11:47,306 who rushes to the scene. 241 00:11:48,808 --> 00:11:50,342 INTERPRETER: When we arrived at the crash site, 242 00:11:50,409 --> 00:11:55,548 the ground was burned black. 243 00:11:55,614 --> 00:11:58,551 Small pieces of wreckage and clothing fragments 244 00:11:58,617 --> 00:12:01,220 were everywhere. 245 00:12:01,287 --> 00:12:04,523 And in the middle of the field, the bodies of the dead hockey 246 00:12:04,590 --> 00:12:08,294 players were stacked. 247 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,097 The smell of kerosene was very strong. 248 00:12:11,163 --> 00:12:12,998 It tastes sweet. 249 00:12:13,065 --> 00:12:17,636 I'll remember it forever. 250 00:12:17,703 --> 00:12:19,705 NARRATOR: Within hours, Russian investigators 251 00:12:19,772 --> 00:12:21,707 are also at the scene. 252 00:12:21,774 --> 00:12:24,677 They must figure out what caused this accident. 253 00:12:24,743 --> 00:12:26,479 Excuse me. 254 00:12:26,545 --> 00:12:31,450 We'll be taking charge here now. 255 00:12:31,517 --> 00:12:33,752 NARRATOR: James Oberg is an aviation consultant 256 00:12:33,819 --> 00:12:36,755 and former NASA engineer. 257 00:12:36,822 --> 00:12:39,992 The investigation team had a lot of experience, 258 00:12:40,059 --> 00:12:41,961 sadly because there have been many accidents. 259 00:12:42,027 --> 00:12:43,762 But that experience, as it turned out, 260 00:12:43,829 --> 00:12:46,198 turned out to be critical to actually finding the cause 261 00:12:46,265 --> 00:12:48,234 of this particular accident. 262 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:50,569 NARRATOR: Their first challenge is to secure the site. 263 00:12:50,636 --> 00:12:52,538 Get these people out of here. 264 00:12:55,274 --> 00:12:56,342 INTERPRETER: News of the tragedy 265 00:12:56,408 --> 00:12:59,345 spread through the city, and fans, as well as 266 00:12:59,411 --> 00:13:02,081 regular people, wanted to see. 267 00:13:02,148 --> 00:13:03,349 Few could believe it. 268 00:13:03,415 --> 00:13:05,618 So they wanted to see what happened and say 269 00:13:05,684 --> 00:13:12,691 goodbye to the hockey players. 270 00:13:14,026 --> 00:13:16,762 NARRATOR: Of the 45 people who boarded the flight, 271 00:13:16,829 --> 00:13:20,499 43 are dead, including the pilots. 272 00:13:20,566 --> 00:13:24,837 The Lokomotiv hockey team has been all but wiped out. 273 00:13:27,239 --> 00:13:30,609 INTERPRETER: This was a tragedy for everyone in Yaroslavl. 274 00:13:30,676 --> 00:13:34,013 Lots of people knew these guys, not just as hockey players 275 00:13:34,079 --> 00:13:35,014 but personally. 276 00:13:36,949 --> 00:13:43,956 That's why everybody took this loss very hard. 277 00:13:46,091 --> 00:13:47,459 Hungry? 278 00:13:47,526 --> 00:13:50,796 NARRATOR: Alexander Galimov and the mechanic Alexander Sizov 279 00:13:50,863 --> 00:13:53,299 are the only two survivors. 280 00:13:53,365 --> 00:13:57,303 They are both put into medically induced comas. 281 00:13:57,369 --> 00:14:00,639 I knew that once I checked the players list, 282 00:14:00,706 --> 00:14:03,676 I knew I would know players on that team, and it was-- it 283 00:14:03,742 --> 00:14:05,678 was a, it was a tough feeling. 284 00:14:05,744 --> 00:14:08,614 NARRATOR: The tragedy is felt around the world 285 00:14:08,681 --> 00:14:12,351 and is among the worst in sports history. 286 00:14:12,418 --> 00:14:14,920 I think the reaction across the world 287 00:14:14,987 --> 00:14:18,557 was first of shock, disbelief. 288 00:14:18,624 --> 00:14:20,859 You know, how can that happen to a team 289 00:14:20,926 --> 00:14:25,064 of such young, talented, healthy, good family guys 290 00:14:25,130 --> 00:14:27,032 that had so much to offer. 291 00:14:27,099 --> 00:14:28,867 NARRATOR: In Moscow, fans are stunned 292 00:14:28,934 --> 00:14:30,369 when a grim announcement interrupts 293 00:14:30,436 --> 00:14:37,443 the Kontinental Hockey League season opening game. 294 00:14:46,552 --> 00:14:47,786 MIKE FOUNTAIN: The president of the KHL 295 00:14:47,853 --> 00:14:50,122 actually stopped a game that was in progress 296 00:14:50,189 --> 00:14:52,091 after he heard about the accident, which 297 00:14:52,157 --> 00:14:54,860 was a very touching move. 298 00:14:54,927 --> 00:14:56,929 NARRATOR: More than 20 people saw the plane's 299 00:14:56,996 --> 00:14:59,064 failed takeoff attempt. 300 00:14:59,131 --> 00:15:00,266 So, what happened? 301 00:15:00,332 --> 00:15:02,401 NARRATOR: Because the team is so well loved, 302 00:15:02,468 --> 00:15:04,403 everyone wants answers. 303 00:15:04,470 --> 00:15:07,172 Investigators focus in on a key question, 304 00:15:07,239 --> 00:15:11,944 why couldn't the Yak-42 lift off the runway? 305 00:15:12,011 --> 00:15:15,381 Three factors are essential for takeoff, first 306 00:15:15,447 --> 00:15:17,383 is engine power. 307 00:15:17,449 --> 00:15:20,886 You need enough thrust to reach takeoff speed. 308 00:15:20,953 --> 00:15:22,521 Second is lift. 309 00:15:22,588 --> 00:15:24,623 The wing flaps must be properly extended 310 00:15:24,690 --> 00:15:27,192 to increase aerodynamic lift. 311 00:15:27,259 --> 00:15:30,462 And finally, to achieve the proper angle, the plane's 312 00:15:30,529 --> 00:15:32,464 horizontal stabilizer must be angled, 313 00:15:32,531 --> 00:15:39,305 putting downward force on the tail and lifting the nose. 314 00:15:39,371 --> 00:15:41,206 Investigators examined the wreckage, 315 00:15:41,273 --> 00:15:43,609 trying to determine if the plane was properly 316 00:15:43,676 --> 00:15:47,446 configured for takeoff. 317 00:15:47,513 --> 00:15:50,549 Well, it looks like flaps were set at 20. 318 00:15:50,616 --> 00:15:51,917 JAMES OBERG: On your way down the runway, 319 00:15:51,984 --> 00:15:54,053 if your flaps and slats aren't set properly, 320 00:15:54,119 --> 00:15:55,587 you may get too much drag. 321 00:15:55,654 --> 00:15:57,890 It's a sweet spot of the settings, 322 00:15:57,956 --> 00:16:00,292 and they have to be in that region. 323 00:16:00,359 --> 00:16:02,361 If they are beyond that region, they 324 00:16:02,428 --> 00:16:03,829 will not do what you want. 325 00:16:03,896 --> 00:16:06,031 In fact, they'll do things you don't want. 326 00:16:06,098 --> 00:16:08,167 NARRATOR: The flaps on the wing seem to be correctly 327 00:16:08,233 --> 00:16:11,804 extended for takeoff. 328 00:16:11,870 --> 00:16:14,573 On the tail, the horizontal stabilizer also appears 329 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,608 to be properly deflected. 330 00:16:16,675 --> 00:16:18,610 It looks fine. 331 00:16:18,677 --> 00:16:22,948 Everything appeared to be normal in terms of the lift. 332 00:16:23,015 --> 00:16:24,483 NARRATOR: Investigators find nothing 333 00:16:24,550 --> 00:16:27,319 to suggest the engines were providing enough thrust to get 334 00:16:27,386 --> 00:16:30,222 the plane of the ground. 335 00:16:30,289 --> 00:16:32,224 JAMES OBERG: You would look at the settings of the engines, 336 00:16:32,291 --> 00:16:33,692 the quality of the jet fuel. 337 00:16:33,759 --> 00:16:36,095 And those are the things you would look at first, 338 00:16:36,161 --> 00:16:41,266 and they did look at them first. 339 00:16:41,333 --> 00:16:42,868 NARRATOR: But the team can't confirm 340 00:16:42,935 --> 00:16:45,070 proper engine performance until they have 341 00:16:45,137 --> 00:16:47,172 the flight data recorder-- 342 00:16:47,239 --> 00:16:53,445 one of two black boxes that records flight details. 343 00:16:53,512 --> 00:16:57,149 But they've been submerged in the Volga River, 344 00:16:57,216 --> 00:16:58,951 and before they can be analyzed, 345 00:16:59,017 --> 00:17:04,089 they must be slowly and carefully dried out. 346 00:17:04,156 --> 00:17:11,130 OK, take them to Moscow immediately. 347 00:17:16,101 --> 00:17:17,903 NARRATOR: As investigators try to determine 348 00:17:17,970 --> 00:17:21,306 what caused the crash, they have another big question-- 349 00:17:21,373 --> 00:17:25,511 why didn't pilots stop at the first sign of trouble? 350 00:17:25,577 --> 00:17:28,714 The question then is, what decisions 351 00:17:28,781 --> 00:17:30,215 should the crew have made? 352 00:17:30,282 --> 00:17:33,185 When would they have known enough to choose 353 00:17:33,252 --> 00:17:35,921 to abort the takeoff? 354 00:17:35,988 --> 00:17:37,656 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, a day after one 355 00:17:37,723 --> 00:17:39,591 of his nation's worst tragedies, 356 00:17:39,658 --> 00:17:41,894 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev 357 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,030 visits the crash site. 358 00:17:45,097 --> 00:17:46,532 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: It was high profile because, 359 00:17:46,598 --> 00:17:48,200 obviously, very famous club. 360 00:17:48,267 --> 00:17:54,139 And any loss of life is tragic, in aviation especially. 361 00:17:54,206 --> 00:17:57,976 And as I mentioned before, hockey is a main sport 362 00:17:58,043 --> 00:17:59,511 in Russia, if you will. 363 00:17:59,578 --> 00:18:02,347 And if you talk to Russian people, they would tell you, 364 00:18:02,414 --> 00:18:05,684 we lost we lost part of a family. 365 00:18:05,751 --> 00:18:08,253 NARRATOR: 2011 had already been a dismal year 366 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,022 for Russian aviation-- 367 00:18:10,088 --> 00:18:15,194 the Yaroslavl accident was the country's eighth fatal crash. 368 00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:18,964 Less than three months earlier, 47 people died near an airport 369 00:18:19,031 --> 00:18:22,534 403 miles north of Moscow. 370 00:18:22,601 --> 00:18:25,904 RusAir flight 9605 slammed into a highway 371 00:18:25,971 --> 00:18:32,911 while coming in for a landing late at night. 372 00:18:32,978 --> 00:18:35,647 The Yaroslavl disaster has drawn critical attention 373 00:18:35,714 --> 00:18:37,883 from around the world. 374 00:18:40,252 --> 00:18:42,120 NARRATOR: President Medvedev announces 375 00:18:42,187 --> 00:18:47,726 that radical changes are needed in Russian aviation. 376 00:18:47,793 --> 00:18:49,862 The pressure on the team to investigate this and find 377 00:18:49,928 --> 00:18:52,064 the correct answer to it is always high, 378 00:18:52,130 --> 00:18:53,599 but when the president of the country 379 00:18:53,665 --> 00:18:55,868 comes out and says you're going to do it right 380 00:18:55,934 --> 00:18:58,437 because the country needs an answer, 381 00:18:58,504 --> 00:19:00,606 I'm sure they felt the whole weight of their whole country 382 00:19:00,672 --> 00:19:05,277 and of the families of all the victims looming over them. 383 00:19:05,344 --> 00:19:12,017 We need to work faster. 384 00:19:12,084 --> 00:19:13,485 NARRATOR: Investigators desperately 385 00:19:13,552 --> 00:19:15,754 need to know what happened during the final moments 386 00:19:15,821 --> 00:19:18,690 of flight 9633. 387 00:19:18,757 --> 00:19:21,326 They catch a break when they learn that an airport security 388 00:19:21,393 --> 00:19:23,262 camera off the end of the runway 389 00:19:23,328 --> 00:19:28,033 recorded the Yak-42 as it finally lifted off. 390 00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:31,803 The grainy image could provide a crucial lead. 391 00:19:31,870 --> 00:19:32,804 Whoa. 392 00:19:32,871 --> 00:19:34,306 Whoa. 393 00:19:34,373 --> 00:19:37,042 Can you play that again? 394 00:19:37,109 --> 00:19:39,511 NARRATOR: The video shows that the plane was properly 395 00:19:39,578 --> 00:19:41,113 configured for takeoff. 396 00:19:41,179 --> 00:19:44,283 But beyond that, it holds no new information, 397 00:19:44,349 --> 00:19:47,252 no clue as to what went wrong. 398 00:19:47,319 --> 00:19:50,289 OK, they started here. 399 00:19:50,355 --> 00:19:52,324 They lift it off here. 400 00:19:52,391 --> 00:19:54,326 NARRATOR: The airport runway wasn't the issue. 401 00:19:54,393 --> 00:19:57,162 They had plenty of room to take off. 402 00:19:57,229 --> 00:20:03,268 They had about 2,800 plus meters of runway available. 403 00:20:03,335 --> 00:20:08,473 That's more than twice the distance they should need. 404 00:20:08,540 --> 00:20:11,476 NARRATOR: Something kept the plane on the ground. 405 00:20:11,543 --> 00:20:16,848 The question is, what. 406 00:20:16,915 --> 00:20:21,520 They suspect the plane might simply have been too heavy. 407 00:20:21,587 --> 00:20:23,722 JAMES OBERG: Aside from being harder to get in the air 408 00:20:23,789 --> 00:20:26,124 if you weigh more, anything that weighs more 409 00:20:26,191 --> 00:20:29,194 is going to be harder to accelerate. 410 00:20:29,261 --> 00:20:30,262 NARRATOR: It's a lesson that was 411 00:20:30,329 --> 00:20:32,064 learned nearly nine years earlier 412 00:20:32,130 --> 00:20:35,867 in Charlotte, North Carolina. 413 00:20:35,934 --> 00:20:38,136 All 21 people aboard a commuter plane 414 00:20:38,203 --> 00:20:42,074 died when it crashed and burst into flames less 415 00:20:42,140 --> 00:20:44,676 than a minute after takeoff. 416 00:20:44,743 --> 00:20:51,717 The plane was 579 pounds above the allowed maximum. 417 00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:56,254 Weight was also considered a key factor in the US Army's 418 00:20:56,321 --> 00:20:58,724 deadliest peacetime crash. 419 00:20:58,790 --> 00:21:01,727 On Arrow Air Flight 1285, the weight 420 00:21:01,793 --> 00:21:06,898 of 248 soldiers equipped with heavy gear was underestimated. 421 00:21:06,965 --> 00:21:09,935 Their DC-8 fell from the sky 2,900 422 00:21:10,002 --> 00:21:11,637 feet beyond the end of the runway 423 00:21:11,703 --> 00:21:14,406 in Gander, Newfoundland. 424 00:21:14,473 --> 00:21:19,478 Everyone on board was killed. 425 00:21:19,544 --> 00:21:22,514 If the weight is underestimated or not 426 00:21:22,581 --> 00:21:24,850 calculated at all, you don't-- you just don't have 427 00:21:24,916 --> 00:21:27,252 that clear picture of what exactly 428 00:21:27,319 --> 00:21:32,157 to expect from the airplane. 429 00:21:32,224 --> 00:21:36,528 They didn't know their weight. 430 00:21:36,595 --> 00:21:38,830 NARRATOR: Concerns mount when investigators learned 431 00:21:38,897 --> 00:21:40,632 that Yak's service didn't have baggage 432 00:21:40,699 --> 00:21:43,735 scales at Yaroslavl's airport. 433 00:21:43,802 --> 00:21:45,037 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: There was no way 434 00:21:45,103 --> 00:21:48,440 to weigh the gear, the luggage, and the cargo that would 435 00:21:48,507 --> 00:21:49,508 be loaded in the airplane. 436 00:21:49,574 --> 00:21:51,143 So it was estimated. 437 00:21:51,209 --> 00:21:52,611 NARRATOR: Investigators estimate 438 00:21:52,678 --> 00:21:55,580 the weight of the team and their hockey gear. 439 00:21:55,647 --> 00:21:58,850 Ultimately, they find the plane was not overloaded. 440 00:21:58,917 --> 00:22:02,554 The weight is under the limit. 441 00:22:02,621 --> 00:22:04,523 NARRATOR: It may not be the answer, 442 00:22:04,589 --> 00:22:08,226 but it provides an important clue. 443 00:22:08,293 --> 00:22:10,228 It does not appear that was a contributing 444 00:22:10,295 --> 00:22:13,699 issue in this case, but it shows that the crew was not 445 00:22:13,765 --> 00:22:16,868 properly preparing the information they would 446 00:22:16,935 --> 00:22:20,138 need during the takeoff roll. 447 00:22:20,205 --> 00:22:22,274 NARRATOR: Next, investigators focus on the plane's 448 00:22:22,340 --> 00:22:24,876 speed in the engines. 449 00:22:24,943 --> 00:22:27,179 They determine the speed needed for takeoff 450 00:22:27,245 --> 00:22:34,219 was 133 miles per hour or 215 kilometers per hour. 451 00:22:35,954 --> 00:22:39,791 Didn't they ever get to 215? 452 00:22:39,858 --> 00:22:42,160 NARRATOR: If the engines weren't working properly, 453 00:22:42,227 --> 00:22:44,730 it could explain the disaster. 454 00:22:44,796 --> 00:22:47,132 It's very fortunate that the flight data recorders were 455 00:22:47,199 --> 00:22:49,668 both recovered and functional, and that 456 00:22:49,735 --> 00:22:52,938 isn't a universal factor in modern Russian aviation. 457 00:22:53,004 --> 00:22:55,540 NARRATOR: The speed question is resolved when investigators 458 00:22:55,607 --> 00:22:57,075 check the FDR data. 459 00:22:57,142 --> 00:22:59,377 They find that the engines had powered the plane 460 00:22:59,444 --> 00:23:01,546 well beyond takeoff speed. 461 00:23:01,613 --> 00:23:04,015 Engines are working. 462 00:23:04,082 --> 00:23:05,917 NARRATOR: Investigators are baffled. 463 00:23:05,984 --> 00:23:09,421 They can find no reason for the failed takeoff. 464 00:23:09,488 --> 00:23:12,057 And why didn't they lift off? 465 00:23:12,124 --> 00:23:13,525 The airplane should fly. 466 00:23:13,592 --> 00:23:15,093 The plane wants to fly. 467 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,663 In fact, at 210 kilometers per hour 468 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:21,366 with the stabilizers set at 7 degrees, 469 00:23:21,433 --> 00:23:28,006 the Yak-42 will rotate on its own. 470 00:23:29,007 --> 00:23:31,376 NARRATOR: On September 10th, 2011, 471 00:23:31,443 --> 00:23:33,512 Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin 472 00:23:33,578 --> 00:23:36,915 attends a memorial for the Lokomotiv players, 473 00:23:36,982 --> 00:23:43,889 along with 40,000 grieving fans. 474 00:23:44,890 --> 00:23:47,726 Two days later, Alexander Galimov, 475 00:23:47,793 --> 00:23:50,695 the only team member to survive the crash, 476 00:23:50,762 --> 00:23:54,266 dies from his injuries. 477 00:23:54,332 --> 00:24:00,839 The Yaroslavl tragedy has now claimed 44 lives. 478 00:24:01,973 --> 00:24:03,942 As the nation mourns their young athletes, 479 00:24:04,009 --> 00:24:10,482 all eyes are on the air crash investigation team. 480 00:24:10,549 --> 00:24:13,518 The Russian government was putting pressure 481 00:24:13,585 --> 00:24:16,321 on the investigators trying to get results, 482 00:24:16,388 --> 00:24:20,826 to get to the truth, what exactly was happening. 483 00:24:20,892 --> 00:24:22,661 NARRATOR: Investigators scour the flight data 484 00:24:22,727 --> 00:24:26,998 recording, again, for clues. 485 00:24:27,065 --> 00:24:29,634 Finally, they spot something unusual. 486 00:24:29,701 --> 00:24:31,870 Look at the acceleration. 487 00:24:31,937 --> 00:24:34,172 NARRATOR: Despite full power from the engines, 488 00:24:34,239 --> 00:24:38,310 the Yak-42 did not accelerate as quickly as it should. 489 00:24:38,376 --> 00:24:40,745 During the takeoff roll when the aircraft should 490 00:24:40,812 --> 00:24:44,916 be continuously accelerating, it was actually slowing down 491 00:24:44,983 --> 00:24:46,218 toward the end of the roll. 492 00:24:46,284 --> 00:24:50,856 And slowing down is a bizarre, unusual, and potentially 493 00:24:50,922 --> 00:24:52,991 fatal development. 494 00:24:53,058 --> 00:24:55,360 NARRATOR: A strange deceleration. 495 00:24:55,427 --> 00:24:57,796 It could finally be the lead investigators 496 00:24:57,863 --> 00:25:06,872 need to explain the crash to their grieving country. 497 00:25:08,874 --> 00:25:11,042 The team pores over the possible cause 498 00:25:11,109 --> 00:25:14,679 of the Russian plane's deceleration. 499 00:25:14,746 --> 00:25:16,915 Suddenly, an idea. 500 00:25:16,982 --> 00:25:18,617 Could the brakes be on? 501 00:25:18,683 --> 00:25:20,652 Crew, we're taking off. 502 00:25:20,719 --> 00:25:22,087 NARRATOR: It's a bizarre possibility 503 00:25:22,153 --> 00:25:25,490 but could explain the plane's unusual behavior. 504 00:25:25,557 --> 00:25:27,425 Something was breaking the aircraft 505 00:25:27,492 --> 00:25:31,196 at a time when everything else was trying to speed it up. 506 00:25:31,263 --> 00:25:33,265 NARRATOR: To test their theory, investigators 507 00:25:33,331 --> 00:25:35,000 head to the Gromov flight Research 508 00:25:35,066 --> 00:25:38,270 Institute near Moscow. 509 00:25:38,336 --> 00:25:40,105 The length of the runway at Gromov 510 00:25:40,171 --> 00:25:43,842 is probably around 5,000 meters or so. 511 00:25:43,909 --> 00:25:45,110 It's very long. 512 00:25:45,176 --> 00:25:48,246 It is suited for test flying. 513 00:25:48,313 --> 00:25:51,049 NARRATOR: A test pilot will recreate the flight exactly 514 00:25:51,116 --> 00:25:53,852 using data from the FDR. 515 00:25:53,919 --> 00:25:56,855 First, they tried the flight with no brakes applied. 516 00:25:56,922 --> 00:26:00,158 We have rotation speed. 517 00:26:00,225 --> 00:26:02,928 NARRATOR: The test plane lifts off easily using just 518 00:26:02,994 --> 00:26:09,367 a quarter of the long runway. 519 00:26:09,434 --> 00:26:13,238 Then they try the flight again. 520 00:26:13,305 --> 00:26:15,807 This time put the brake on. 521 00:26:15,874 --> 00:26:19,444 They gradually applied the wheel brakes 522 00:26:19,511 --> 00:26:21,146 to slow the aircraft down as you 523 00:26:21,212 --> 00:26:22,914 are attempting to take off. 524 00:26:22,981 --> 00:26:25,183 NARRATOR: With the brakes on, the plane still 525 00:26:25,250 --> 00:26:27,852 has enough power to take off, but the distance 526 00:26:27,919 --> 00:26:33,224 needed to reach takeoff speed more than doubles. 527 00:26:33,291 --> 00:26:34,659 JAMES OBERG: What the flight test indicated 528 00:26:34,726 --> 00:26:37,062 was that the four sets of brakes in the landing gear 529 00:26:37,128 --> 00:26:39,664 were activated and were actively 530 00:26:39,731 --> 00:26:43,201 slowing down the aircraft as it's rolling down the runway. 531 00:26:43,268 --> 00:26:44,336 NARRATOR: The test flight evidence 532 00:26:44,402 --> 00:26:46,705 is compelling it now seems almost 533 00:26:46,771 --> 00:26:49,274 certain that the Yak-42 powered down 534 00:26:49,341 --> 00:26:52,410 the runway with its brakes on. 535 00:26:52,477 --> 00:26:54,546 Rotate. 536 00:26:54,612 --> 00:26:57,882 NARRATOR: The puzzling question is why. 537 00:26:57,949 --> 00:26:59,384 A bizarre situation. 538 00:26:59,451 --> 00:27:05,056 And explaining it was a real challenge. 539 00:27:05,123 --> 00:27:07,258 NARRATOR: Investigators listened to the cockpit voice 540 00:27:07,325 --> 00:27:10,662 recording from flight 9633. 541 00:27:10,729 --> 00:27:12,097 OK, go ahead. 542 00:27:12,163 --> 00:27:14,632 NARRATOR: They hope the crew's conversation can help explain 543 00:27:14,699 --> 00:27:19,904 how and why the plane's brakes were activated during takeoff. 544 00:27:19,971 --> 00:27:23,241 Brakes. 545 00:27:23,308 --> 00:27:26,011 Check on the left, functional. 546 00:27:26,077 --> 00:27:28,246 Check on the left, functional. 547 00:27:28,313 --> 00:27:29,381 NARRATOR: They hear the crew check 548 00:27:29,447 --> 00:27:31,516 the brakes before takeoff. 549 00:27:31,583 --> 00:27:33,618 The brake test was fine. 550 00:27:33,685 --> 00:27:34,819 NARRATOR: It appears that the crew 551 00:27:34,886 --> 00:27:36,554 had no concerns about their brakes 552 00:27:36,621 --> 00:27:38,723 at the start of the flight. 553 00:27:38,790 --> 00:27:42,527 Investigators now wonder if the braking system malfunctioned 554 00:27:42,594 --> 00:27:45,230 and activated the brakes in error after the plane 555 00:27:45,296 --> 00:27:46,631 began to move. 556 00:27:46,698 --> 00:27:51,036 From the media coverage, we know that there were problems 557 00:27:51,102 --> 00:27:52,337 with the braking system. 558 00:27:52,404 --> 00:27:54,506 It's definitely a possibility. 559 00:27:54,572 --> 00:27:56,941 NARRATOR: Digging into the history of brake malfunction 560 00:27:57,008 --> 00:27:59,544 on the Yak-42, the investigative team 561 00:27:59,611 --> 00:28:01,546 makes a disturbing find. 562 00:28:01,613 --> 00:28:04,149 There have been at least five previous incidents 563 00:28:04,215 --> 00:28:06,451 involving faulty brakes. 564 00:28:06,518 --> 00:28:08,953 But things got really, really south 565 00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:10,722 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, 566 00:28:10,789 --> 00:28:13,258 and a lot of safety measures and normal training 567 00:28:13,324 --> 00:28:17,228 and talented people all went by the wayside. 568 00:28:17,295 --> 00:28:18,897 NARRATOR: To better understand what went wrong 569 00:28:18,963 --> 00:28:21,633 with the brakes, investigators send the wheel 570 00:28:21,699 --> 00:28:25,870 assemblies out for testing. 571 00:28:25,937 --> 00:28:27,872 While they wait for results, they 572 00:28:27,939 --> 00:28:31,142 shift their focus to another unanswered question-- 573 00:28:31,209 --> 00:28:34,712 Why they keep trying to get in the air long after? 574 00:28:34,779 --> 00:28:38,116 In hindsight, it was clear they should not have. 575 00:28:38,183 --> 00:28:39,784 NARRATOR: Perhaps the cockpit recording 576 00:28:39,851 --> 00:28:42,187 will explain the crew's decision to continue 577 00:28:42,253 --> 00:28:47,592 their troubled takeoff. 578 00:28:47,659 --> 00:28:50,662 Full power. 579 00:28:50,728 --> 00:28:52,630 NARRATOR: Investigators listen for the captain 580 00:28:52,697 --> 00:28:57,368 to announce their abort speed, also known as V1. 581 00:28:57,435 --> 00:29:00,371 Once the airplane approaches a V1 speed, 582 00:29:00,438 --> 00:29:03,274 a captain of the aircraft needs to make 583 00:29:03,341 --> 00:29:07,912 a decision to either continue takeoff or abort takeoff. 584 00:29:07,979 --> 00:29:11,082 NARRATOR: But as they approach the critical speed. 585 00:29:11,149 --> 00:29:12,550 Crew, we're taking off. 586 00:29:12,617 --> 00:29:14,752 V1 is 119. 587 00:29:14,819 --> 00:29:18,089 NARRATOR: The recording reveals a disturbing exchange. 588 00:29:18,156 --> 00:29:19,657 We need 200 for V1. 589 00:29:19,724 --> 00:29:20,892 No, Vr is 200. 590 00:29:20,959 --> 00:29:25,130 We hear the captain announcing 190 kilometers 591 00:29:25,196 --> 00:29:28,867 per hour as a V1 speed, and he's corrected 592 00:29:28,933 --> 00:29:31,069 by the flight engineer. 593 00:29:31,136 --> 00:29:33,805 NARRATOR: No air crew should be debating critical speeds 594 00:29:33,872 --> 00:29:36,875 during a takeoff run. 595 00:29:36,941 --> 00:29:39,077 They didn't know the abort speed. 596 00:29:39,144 --> 00:29:40,478 NARRATOR: The abort speed should 597 00:29:40,545 --> 00:29:43,815 have been determined before the plane even started to move. 598 00:29:43,882 --> 00:29:45,850 OK, let me hear the briefing. 599 00:29:45,917 --> 00:29:47,418 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: The departure briefing is very 600 00:29:47,485 --> 00:29:49,120 important part of the flight. 601 00:29:49,187 --> 00:29:52,857 It is done and conducted by the captain. 602 00:29:52,924 --> 00:29:56,494 It has to be recorded on the cockpit voice recorder. 603 00:29:56,561 --> 00:29:59,764 The heading 300. 604 00:29:59,831 --> 00:30:02,901 Transition altitude is 700 meters take-- 605 00:30:02,967 --> 00:30:04,502 NARRATOR: A captain typically informs 606 00:30:04,569 --> 00:30:07,105 his crew of the proper abort speed in a briefing 607 00:30:07,172 --> 00:30:08,706 before takeoff. 608 00:30:08,773 --> 00:30:11,409 Prior to reaching we 609 00:30:11,476 --> 00:30:13,244 will the takeoff. 610 00:30:13,311 --> 00:30:17,182 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: When he comes down to the V1 speed, 611 00:30:17,248 --> 00:30:21,119 it's impossible to distinguish what exactly he's saying. 612 00:30:21,186 --> 00:30:23,288 NARRATOR: Investigators suspect the crew did 613 00:30:23,354 --> 00:30:25,723 not hear a V1 speed either. 614 00:30:25,790 --> 00:30:28,993 Prior to reaching a speed of .. 615 00:30:29,060 --> 00:30:30,628 NARRATOR: The three men never agreed 616 00:30:30,695 --> 00:30:32,096 on the speed at which they could no 617 00:30:32,163 --> 00:30:33,965 longer safely abort takeoff. 618 00:30:34,032 --> 00:30:37,502 If you don't have your pre-planned criteria set up, 619 00:30:37,569 --> 00:30:40,104 like the V speed, like other factors in the aircraft, 620 00:30:40,171 --> 00:30:44,142 you don't have a one measurable gate 621 00:30:44,209 --> 00:30:47,645 that can tell you at this point that you're good or not good. 622 00:30:47,712 --> 00:30:54,719 Rotate. 623 00:30:55,820 --> 00:30:59,123 Had they rejected takeoff 3 to 5 seconds 624 00:30:59,190 --> 00:31:00,692 after attempting to rotate, they 625 00:31:00,758 --> 00:31:02,994 would have still stopped in the clear way, 626 00:31:03,061 --> 00:31:06,030 and everybody would have just walked away. 627 00:31:06,097 --> 00:31:09,601 NARRATOR: Instead, they tried to troubleshoot the problem-- 628 00:31:09,667 --> 00:31:12,337 You probably set the stabilizer to low. 629 00:31:12,403 --> 00:31:13,438 Add some. 630 00:31:13,504 --> 00:31:15,974 NARRATOR: --until they run out of runway. 631 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,076 Calculations show that from the time 632 00:31:18,142 --> 00:31:20,411 the pilots first attempted to lift off, 633 00:31:20,478 --> 00:31:23,948 they had five seconds to decide whether to stop. 634 00:31:24,015 --> 00:31:25,850 They had time to stop. 635 00:31:25,917 --> 00:31:27,652 They allowed themselves to get to the point 636 00:31:27,719 --> 00:31:29,754 where they no longer wanted to abort 637 00:31:29,821 --> 00:31:31,990 and would rather have continued on, which they did. 638 00:31:32,056 --> 00:31:33,057 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: In the cockpit, 639 00:31:33,124 --> 00:31:34,425 there was a feel that the airplane 640 00:31:34,492 --> 00:31:38,029 is going to get airborne any second now, any second. 641 00:31:38,096 --> 00:31:39,364 A little bit more, a little bit more 642 00:31:39,430 --> 00:31:41,666 speed, a little more speed and we're going to lift off. 643 00:31:41,733 --> 00:31:43,167 NARRATOR: Investigators conclude 644 00:31:43,234 --> 00:31:47,438 that continuing the takeoff was a fatal error by the crew. 645 00:31:47,505 --> 00:31:50,608 They can only speculate why they did. 646 00:31:50,675 --> 00:31:52,277 Perhaps the pilots felt pressure 647 00:31:52,343 --> 00:31:53,911 to get their prestigious passengers 648 00:31:53,978 --> 00:31:56,714 to their destination on time. 649 00:31:56,781 --> 00:31:58,416 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: The crew, of course, 650 00:31:58,483 --> 00:32:02,020 was trying to do their best and preform 651 00:32:02,086 --> 00:32:04,255 this mission-- take them for their opening 652 00:32:04,322 --> 00:32:06,324 game of the season. 653 00:32:06,391 --> 00:32:08,426 If you have a maintenance delay, 654 00:32:08,493 --> 00:32:10,361 doesn't quite look good. 655 00:32:10,428 --> 00:32:12,563 And your company, will they call you again? 656 00:32:12,630 --> 00:32:15,033 I don't know, maybe not. 657 00:32:15,099 --> 00:32:17,568 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, results from the brake system analysis 658 00:32:17,635 --> 00:32:18,703 are in. 659 00:32:18,770 --> 00:32:21,839 There's no evidence of mechanical failure. 660 00:32:21,906 --> 00:32:23,941 The brakes were fine. 661 00:32:24,008 --> 00:32:26,377 They calculated that having them actually 662 00:32:26,444 --> 00:32:30,281 fail independently, accidentally, all together, 663 00:32:30,348 --> 00:32:32,317 the odds were literally a billion to one, 664 00:32:32,383 --> 00:32:34,152 which will never happen. 665 00:32:34,218 --> 00:32:36,421 NARRATOR: The finding moves the investigation closer 666 00:32:36,487 --> 00:32:38,923 to a disturbing conclusion-- 667 00:32:38,990 --> 00:32:42,527 one of the pilots must have applied the brakes himself. 668 00:32:42,593 --> 00:32:46,164 We need to take a closer look at the crew. 669 00:32:46,230 --> 00:32:48,466 NARRATOR: Investigators are in a tough position. 670 00:32:48,533 --> 00:32:50,668 The public will not want to hear that the crew 671 00:32:50,735 --> 00:32:53,304 could have been at fault. 672 00:32:53,371 --> 00:32:55,606 JAMES OBERG: There is a very common cultural thread 673 00:32:55,673 --> 00:32:58,776 in Russia of blaming the people present for something 674 00:32:58,843 --> 00:33:00,345 that goes wrong. 675 00:33:00,411 --> 00:33:02,947 It helps to insulate those who put them there 676 00:33:03,014 --> 00:33:09,954 or those decisions put them there, keeps them blameless. 677 00:33:11,322 --> 00:33:13,524 NARRATOR: The Russian flight crew had a solid reputation. 678 00:33:13,591 --> 00:33:16,027 It would be hard for people to believe one of them 679 00:33:16,094 --> 00:33:18,162 accidentally hit the brakes. 680 00:33:18,229 --> 00:33:21,933 Many eyebrows got raised within the Russian 681 00:33:21,999 --> 00:33:23,601 airline industry. 682 00:33:23,668 --> 00:33:27,438 We know that the first officer was very distinguished pilot, 683 00:33:27,505 --> 00:33:31,542 and he had almost 13,000 hours as a first officer 684 00:33:31,609 --> 00:33:33,578 and a captain. 685 00:33:33,644 --> 00:33:35,780 NARRATOR: A review of the crew's flight records offers 686 00:33:35,847 --> 00:33:37,382 up a clue-- 687 00:33:37,448 --> 00:33:39,450 both pilots routinely trained on 688 00:33:39,517 --> 00:33:43,821 and flew two different versions of the Yak plane. 689 00:33:43,888 --> 00:33:46,824 The Yak-40 is a much older regional jet that 690 00:33:46,891 --> 00:33:50,161 carries up to 32 passengers. 691 00:33:50,228 --> 00:33:53,197 The larger Yak-42, which the hockey team was on, 692 00:33:53,264 --> 00:33:57,335 debuted in 1980. 693 00:33:57,402 --> 00:33:59,804 With more powerful turbofan engines, 694 00:33:59,871 --> 00:34:03,141 it can carry three times as many passengers 695 00:34:03,207 --> 00:34:06,544 and fly longer routes. 696 00:34:06,611 --> 00:34:08,379 Both pilots were more experienced 697 00:34:08,446 --> 00:34:11,482 on the older Yak-40, but they also regularly 698 00:34:11,549 --> 00:34:13,885 flew the newer Yak-42. 699 00:34:13,951 --> 00:34:17,221 At most airlines, pilots are not allowed to switch from one 700 00:34:17,288 --> 00:34:19,524 type of plane to another. 701 00:34:19,590 --> 00:34:26,597 It is improper and incorrect to train a pilot to fly two 702 00:34:28,633 --> 00:34:31,235 airplanes at the same time. 703 00:34:31,302 --> 00:34:33,571 NARRATOR: It's beginning to look like the crew's habit 704 00:34:33,638 --> 00:34:36,841 of flying two different but similar planes may have led 705 00:34:36,908 --> 00:34:39,143 to confusion in the cockpit. 706 00:34:39,210 --> 00:34:41,045 Focusing in on the brake pedals, 707 00:34:41,112 --> 00:34:43,548 investigators spot a small but potentially 708 00:34:43,614 --> 00:34:45,917 significant difference. 709 00:34:45,983 --> 00:34:50,755 I want to see those pedals. 710 00:34:50,822 --> 00:34:53,191 NARRATOR: On the older Yak-40, a pilot 711 00:34:53,257 --> 00:34:55,493 rests his foot on the brake. 712 00:34:55,560 --> 00:35:01,265 On the newer Yak-42, he must put his heel on the floor. 713 00:35:01,332 --> 00:35:03,000 JAMES OBERG: They are flying back and forth these two 714 00:35:03,067 --> 00:35:04,969 different kinds of aircraft which happened 715 00:35:05,036 --> 00:35:06,938 to have different ways of putting 716 00:35:07,004 --> 00:35:09,106 their feet on the brake pedal. 717 00:35:09,173 --> 00:35:13,144 And that was when the a-ha started to appear. 718 00:35:13,211 --> 00:35:16,147 NARRATOR: A pilot accustomed to flying the older Yak might 719 00:35:16,214 --> 00:35:19,016 have placed his whole foot on the pedal, and as a result, 720 00:35:19,083 --> 00:35:21,219 could have activated the brakes. 721 00:35:21,285 --> 00:35:25,823 If you rest your feet on the Yak-42 pedals just like you 722 00:35:25,890 --> 00:35:29,093 would in Yak-40, it is possible to create 723 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,396 a pressure on the top part of the pedal 724 00:35:32,463 --> 00:35:34,198 and activate the wheel brakes. 725 00:35:34,265 --> 00:35:38,503 It is possible. 726 00:35:38,569 --> 00:35:42,507 NARRATOR: It's a promising theory, but questions remain. 727 00:35:42,573 --> 00:35:45,710 Investigators can't understand why a pilot wouldn't 728 00:35:45,776 --> 00:35:48,179 notice his mistake right away. 729 00:35:48,246 --> 00:35:52,483 You would have to put about 10, 15, 20 pounds of pressure 730 00:35:52,550 --> 00:35:56,521 onto the pedals, and that is a significant weight. 731 00:35:56,587 --> 00:36:00,091 You would think a person would feel that. 732 00:36:00,157 --> 00:36:04,395 NARRATOR: They find a clue in the crew's medical records. 733 00:36:04,462 --> 00:36:07,331 First officer Igor Zhivelov had secretly been 734 00:36:07,398 --> 00:36:10,134 treated for a nerve condition. 735 00:36:10,201 --> 00:36:13,804 He should not have been certified to fly. 736 00:36:13,871 --> 00:36:15,072 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: The first officer 737 00:36:15,139 --> 00:36:19,277 had a neurological condition where the extremities 738 00:36:19,343 --> 00:36:23,648 sort of lose sensitivity. 739 00:36:23,714 --> 00:36:26,651 He was losing the sensations in his legs. 740 00:36:26,717 --> 00:36:28,519 It was a medical development. 741 00:36:28,586 --> 00:36:29,654 It was a slow development. 742 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:32,189 It didn't make him fall down, but it 743 00:36:32,256 --> 00:36:37,461 made him less aware of feedback from feelings in his feet. 744 00:36:37,528 --> 00:36:38,529 VICTOR ERMOLAEV: So the argument 745 00:36:38,596 --> 00:36:40,665 was made that the first officer could 746 00:36:40,731 --> 00:36:45,670 have been pressing on the brake pedals 747 00:36:45,736 --> 00:36:48,573 without even realizing it. 748 00:36:48,639 --> 00:36:50,041 Look. 749 00:36:50,107 --> 00:36:52,677 Look what happened here. 750 00:36:52,743 --> 00:36:54,045 NARRATOR: Then, investigators make 751 00:36:54,111 --> 00:36:57,448 another startling discovery. 752 00:36:57,515 --> 00:36:58,783 Full power. 753 00:36:58,849 --> 00:37:00,851 NARRATOR: The brakes didn't just slow the plane down, 754 00:37:00,918 --> 00:37:03,221 they also prevented lift off. 755 00:37:03,287 --> 00:37:04,989 It's going to pitch you down because you 756 00:37:05,056 --> 00:37:08,326 are being pushed by engines that are above the brakes. 757 00:37:08,392 --> 00:37:11,195 It's going to give the aircraft a nose down pitch. 758 00:37:11,262 --> 00:37:12,663 NARRATOR: By engaging the brakes 759 00:37:12,730 --> 00:37:15,433 and the rotating wheels, the crew was actually 760 00:37:15,499 --> 00:37:17,535 forcing the nose down. 761 00:37:17,602 --> 00:37:19,770 The effect was like glue, sticking 762 00:37:19,837 --> 00:37:21,639 the plane to the runway. 763 00:37:21,706 --> 00:37:24,642 You probably set stabilizer too low. 764 00:37:24,709 --> 00:37:26,043 Add some. 765 00:37:26,110 --> 00:37:28,879 NARRATOR: The combined errors meant the plane was doomed-- 766 00:37:28,946 --> 00:37:29,981 Full power. 767 00:37:30,047 --> 00:37:33,684 NARRATOR: --as soon as it was airborne. 768 00:37:33,751 --> 00:37:37,455 At that point, the braking force of contact of the tires 769 00:37:37,521 --> 00:37:39,457 with the runway now stops. 770 00:37:39,523 --> 00:37:41,292 And all the other forces that you've 771 00:37:41,359 --> 00:37:42,893 been putting into the aircraft-- pulling back 772 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:47,298 on the yoke, elevator trim, flaps just to get the nose up, 773 00:37:47,365 --> 00:37:51,068 they are now no longer counteracted by the nose 774 00:37:51,135 --> 00:37:52,737 down force of the braking. 775 00:37:52,803 --> 00:37:56,407 The aircraft immediately goes into to nose up, 776 00:37:56,474 --> 00:38:00,444 a high pitch rate, 20 degrees up in about two seconds. 777 00:38:00,511 --> 00:38:02,780 And you can't stay in the air. 778 00:38:02,847 --> 00:38:04,582 NARRATOR: The sudden nose up attitude 779 00:38:04,649 --> 00:38:07,051 causes the wings to quickly lose lift. 780 00:38:07,118 --> 00:38:08,419 Drag increases. 781 00:38:08,486 --> 00:38:09,687 The speed drops. 782 00:38:09,754 --> 00:38:12,790 The plane goes into a stall. 783 00:38:12,857 --> 00:38:15,726 And you're just a big hunk of metal, and fuel, and flesh 784 00:38:15,793 --> 00:38:21,365 just falling through the air. 785 00:38:21,432 --> 00:38:23,801 NARRATOR: Digging further into the pilot's records, 786 00:38:23,868 --> 00:38:27,104 investigators make another astonishing discovery. 787 00:38:27,171 --> 00:38:28,139 Oh, whoa. 788 00:38:28,205 --> 00:38:32,209 So he didn't complete the training? 789 00:38:32,276 --> 00:38:34,412 JAMES OBERG: In the training reports of the two pilots, 790 00:38:34,478 --> 00:38:36,881 it was discovered that, in many cases, 791 00:38:36,947 --> 00:38:39,583 they had been certified as having accomplished certain 792 00:38:39,650 --> 00:38:41,352 flight tasks and flight challenges 793 00:38:41,419 --> 00:38:43,721 such as poor visibility, bad weather flying, 794 00:38:43,788 --> 00:38:44,755 when they hadn't. 795 00:38:44,822 --> 00:38:46,957 When the captain went through training, 796 00:38:47,024 --> 00:38:49,226 then it was sort of put on hold, 797 00:38:49,293 --> 00:38:51,128 and then went through training again, 798 00:38:51,195 --> 00:38:53,097 and then switched employers. 799 00:38:53,164 --> 00:38:57,034 But the training was done inconsistently 800 00:38:57,101 --> 00:38:58,869 with breaks in between. 801 00:38:58,936 --> 00:39:00,671 Some of the training documentation 802 00:39:00,738 --> 00:39:03,908 for the first officer was not even available. 803 00:39:03,974 --> 00:39:06,010 How much for you 804 00:39:06,077 --> 00:39:07,645 Maybe 8 I think. 805 00:39:07,712 --> 00:39:09,080 8.5? 806 00:39:09,146 --> 00:39:11,382 NARRATOR: The crew while highly experienced 807 00:39:11,449 --> 00:39:14,852 lacked the correct training to fly the Yak-42. 808 00:39:14,919 --> 00:39:16,821 The federal air transport agency 809 00:39:16,887 --> 00:39:19,123 immediately suspends the operating license 810 00:39:19,190 --> 00:39:21,025 of Yak Service Airlines. 811 00:39:21,092 --> 00:39:24,195 The fleet was grounded, and Yak Service, as a company, 812 00:39:24,261 --> 00:39:25,529 was closed. 813 00:39:25,596 --> 00:39:30,534 It was the people who had set up that disaster by not 814 00:39:30,601 --> 00:39:33,904 properly training them, by not properly assigning them, 815 00:39:33,971 --> 00:39:37,742 and by a whole series of regulatory failures 816 00:39:37,808 --> 00:39:43,047 and procedural failures that set up this accident. 817 00:39:43,114 --> 00:39:44,281 NARRATOR: There is one last thing 818 00:39:44,348 --> 00:39:49,386 investigators want to examine. 819 00:39:49,453 --> 00:39:52,189 The flight recorders reveal a puzzling exchange 820 00:39:52,256 --> 00:39:55,126 between the captain and first officer just seconds 821 00:39:55,192 --> 00:39:57,795 before impact. 822 00:39:57,862 --> 00:39:59,864 What are you doing? 823 00:39:59,930 --> 00:40:04,268 Full power! 824 00:40:04,335 --> 00:40:06,437 NARRATOR: The team pores over this exchange, 825 00:40:06,504 --> 00:40:11,408 trying to make sense of it. 826 00:40:11,475 --> 00:40:12,743 What you're doing? 827 00:40:12,810 --> 00:40:15,146 Full power! 828 00:40:15,212 --> 00:40:16,981 NARRATOR: They know from the flight data there was 829 00:40:17,047 --> 00:40:19,316 a momentary drop in engine thrust, 830 00:40:19,383 --> 00:40:24,522 along with a brief deflection in the elevators. 831 00:40:24,588 --> 00:40:26,524 Investigators synchronize the data 832 00:40:26,590 --> 00:40:31,896 with the cockpit recording, and a tragic picture emerges. 833 00:40:31,962 --> 00:40:35,533 After rolling off the runway, the captain moves his controls 834 00:40:35,599 --> 00:40:37,868 to abort the takeoff. 835 00:40:37,935 --> 00:40:39,770 The flight engineer follows his lead 836 00:40:39,837 --> 00:40:42,006 and decreases engine power. 837 00:40:42,072 --> 00:40:44,108 The flight engineer thinks they have aborted, 838 00:40:44,175 --> 00:40:45,409 they are going to abort. 839 00:40:45,476 --> 00:40:49,814 He sees a clue from the action of the pilot on the yoke 840 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:52,283 and puts the engines to neutral, actually 841 00:40:52,349 --> 00:40:54,618 powers down the engines. 842 00:40:54,685 --> 00:40:55,986 What are you doing? 843 00:40:56,053 --> 00:40:59,290 NARRATOR: But the first officer disagrees, and the captain 844 00:40:59,356 --> 00:41:00,825 reverses his decision. 845 00:41:00,891 --> 00:41:02,693 Full power! 846 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:04,094 NARRATOR: He orders the engineer 847 00:41:04,161 --> 00:41:07,832 to put the engines back at full power and tries to take off. 848 00:41:07,898 --> 00:41:09,466 Running a safe cockpit requires there 849 00:41:09,533 --> 00:41:11,001 to be a distinct chain of command, 850 00:41:11,068 --> 00:41:12,603 and the captain is in charge. 851 00:41:12,670 --> 00:41:15,206 But the problem with Yak Services 852 00:41:15,272 --> 00:41:19,376 was that the first officer was actually, bureaucratically, 853 00:41:19,443 --> 00:41:24,081 his boss because he was the director of flight services. 854 00:41:24,148 --> 00:41:25,749 It was their last chance. 855 00:41:25,816 --> 00:41:27,251 JAMES OBERG: Even a momentary hesitation 856 00:41:27,318 --> 00:41:30,788 as to who's in charge and whose word goes, 857 00:41:30,855 --> 00:41:34,658 that, in a case like this, can be the moment, 858 00:41:34,725 --> 00:41:39,363 the split second when you might have chosen life versus death. 859 00:41:39,430 --> 00:41:41,065 NARRATOR: Two months after the crash, 860 00:41:41,131 --> 00:41:43,500 investigators release an initial report 861 00:41:43,567 --> 00:41:45,469 outlining the causes. 862 00:41:45,536 --> 00:41:47,872 The pilot's inadvertent braking is listed 863 00:41:47,938 --> 00:41:51,508 as a main factor in the crash. 864 00:41:51,575 --> 00:41:54,211 But the real blame, as the accident investigation came 865 00:41:54,278 --> 00:41:56,113 to conclusion properly in my mind, 866 00:41:56,180 --> 00:41:58,716 was that the people who put the crew in that position 867 00:41:58,782 --> 00:42:00,551 were the ones to blame. 868 00:42:00,618 --> 00:42:02,152 NARRATOR: The charter airline Yak Service 869 00:42:02,219 --> 00:42:04,822 is also severely criticized. 870 00:42:04,889 --> 00:42:06,957 The crew is doing things that you could have predicted 871 00:42:07,024 --> 00:42:09,159 in advance they would have done, 872 00:42:09,226 --> 00:42:11,161 and they were not doing things you could have predicted they 873 00:42:11,228 --> 00:42:14,598 wouldn't have done because of the nature of the crew 874 00:42:14,665 --> 00:42:17,868 training, their background, their experience, everything 875 00:42:17,935 --> 00:42:22,306 that you could expect the pilot to do under those conditions. 876 00:42:22,373 --> 00:42:24,074 NARRATOR: The sole survivor of the crash, 877 00:42:24,141 --> 00:42:28,579 mechanic Alexander Sizov, requires ongoing treatment. 878 00:42:28,646 --> 00:42:35,619 He no longer flies. 879 00:42:39,256 --> 00:42:41,759 After suffering one of the worst tragedies in sports 880 00:42:41,825 --> 00:42:44,795 history, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl cancels 881 00:42:44,862 --> 00:42:46,630 their entire 2011 season. 882 00:42:52,202 --> 00:42:54,972 The beauty of the Russian hockey system, I would say, 883 00:42:55,039 --> 00:42:57,474 is that they do have a great feeder 884 00:42:57,541 --> 00:43:00,144 program with those younger kids coming up. 885 00:43:00,210 --> 00:43:02,813 They have a team called Yaroslavl Two 886 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:04,715 that is the next generation that would 887 00:43:04,782 --> 00:43:07,151 be ready to make the step. 888 00:43:07,217 --> 00:43:08,419 NARRATOR: The next year, the team 889 00:43:08,485 --> 00:43:10,988 makes a triumphant return. 890 00:43:11,055 --> 00:43:13,023 Once again, the city of Yaroslavl 891 00:43:13,090 --> 00:43:16,860 has hopes of winning the cup. 892 00:43:16,927 --> 00:43:18,929 The Lokomotiv fans would also come 893 00:43:18,996 --> 00:43:21,565 to understand the true character of their late team 894 00:43:21,632 --> 00:43:24,668 captain, Ivan Tkachenko. 895 00:43:24,735 --> 00:43:27,037 For years, Ivan had been anonymously 896 00:43:27,104 --> 00:43:32,142 donating millions of rubles to seriously ill children. 897 00:43:32,209 --> 00:43:35,245 Minutes before takeoff, he made his last donation to 898 00:43:35,312 --> 00:43:41,051 a 16-year-old cancer patient. 899 00:43:41,118 --> 00:43:44,355 For some, there's hope that the Yaroslavl disaster will lead 900 00:43:44,421 --> 00:43:47,224 to safer air travel in Russia. 901 00:43:47,291 --> 00:43:49,126 MIKE FOUNTAIN: Through my years of playing there, 902 00:43:49,193 --> 00:43:53,998 plane crashes were just, oh, Mike, it's Russia. 903 00:43:54,064 --> 00:43:55,599 That was the attitude of the players I played 904 00:43:55,666 --> 00:43:56,967 with in the organization. 905 00:43:57,034 --> 00:43:58,235 It's just Russia. 906 00:43:58,302 --> 00:44:01,138 And hopefully, unfortunately, a tragedy like this 907 00:44:01,205 --> 00:44:04,008 can hopefully maybe wake some people up. 908 00:44:04,074 --> 00:44:05,843 There is a push from the government 909 00:44:05,909 --> 00:44:11,215 to clean up the industry from the small operators that 910 00:44:11,281 --> 00:44:17,721 are not quite being controlled, if you will, or inspected 911 00:44:17,788 --> 00:44:20,157 properly on a regular basis. 912 00:44:20,224 --> 00:44:22,493 NARRATOR: The crash of flight 9633 913 00:44:22,559 --> 00:44:26,196 shed a harsh light on commercial aviation in Russia. 914 00:44:26,263 --> 00:44:28,766 Many believe that what's required now 915 00:44:28,832 --> 00:44:31,869 is a strong effort to maintain a culture of safety 916 00:44:31,935 --> 00:44:34,972 throughout the nation's aviation industry. 917 00:44:35,039 --> 00:44:36,940 JAMES OBERG: There's hope we can establish control, 918 00:44:37,007 --> 00:44:39,043 but it requires constant vigilance. 919 00:44:39,109 --> 00:44:41,879 That's not something that procedures can fix. 920 00:44:41,945 --> 00:44:44,681 Only a cultural change can fix it. 921 00:44:44,748 --> 00:44:47,217 And getting it, getting that cultural change 922 00:44:47,284 --> 00:44:51,021 is devilishly difficult. But if you don't do it, 923 00:44:51,088 --> 00:44:52,189 then you pay-- 924 00:44:52,256 --> 00:44:53,257 you pay a devil's ransom.