1 00:00:02,235 --> 00:00:04,037 NARRATOR: A deadly air crash in Brazil 2 00:00:04,104 --> 00:00:05,772 leaves a neighborhood in flames. 3 00:00:07,073 --> 00:00:09,676 INTERPRETER: It looked like a bomb had gone off. 4 00:00:09,743 --> 00:00:12,979 NARRATOR: The Black box data is baffling. 5 00:00:13,046 --> 00:00:13,980 Look at engine number 2. 6 00:00:14,047 --> 00:00:15,949 The power is all over the place. 7 00:00:16,015 --> 00:00:19,786 I was amazed because that's just not supposed to happen. 8 00:00:19,853 --> 00:00:22,255 NARRATOR: To solve the crash of TAM 402, 9 00:00:22,322 --> 00:00:25,325 investigators will need to try something different. 10 00:00:25,392 --> 00:00:26,559 Let's see what we got. 11 00:00:26,626 --> 00:00:29,062 NARRATOR: Something that's never been done before. 12 00:00:29,129 --> 00:00:32,399 And it proved to be very revealing. 13 00:00:32,465 --> 00:00:34,000 Oh, no. 14 00:00:34,067 --> 00:00:36,035 Don't tell me. 15 00:00:36,102 --> 00:00:37,103 ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, 16 00:00:37,170 --> 00:00:38,505 we are starting our approach. 17 00:00:38,571 --> 00:00:39,506 We lost both engines. 18 00:00:39,572 --> 00:00:40,673 Keep your mask up your nose. 19 00:00:40,740 --> 00:00:42,175 Emergency descend. - Mayday! 20 00:00:42,242 --> 00:00:43,176 Mayday! 21 00:00:43,243 --> 00:00:44,611 Brace for impact! 22 00:00:44,677 --> 00:00:45,612 He's the last one. 23 00:00:45,678 --> 00:00:48,081 Investigation started in 2004. 24 00:00:48,148 --> 00:00:55,155 He's going to crash. 25 00:01:02,929 --> 00:01:04,464 NARRATOR: Sao Paulo, Brazil, is the largest 26 00:01:04,531 --> 00:01:07,167 city in South America. 27 00:01:07,233 --> 00:01:09,903 With 16 million residents, morning rush hour 28 00:01:09,969 --> 00:01:13,640 is always a crawl. 29 00:01:13,706 --> 00:01:17,377 The traffic overhead is busy too. 30 00:01:17,444 --> 00:01:19,145 Residential neighborhoods are packed 31 00:01:19,212 --> 00:01:25,785 tied around Congonhas Airport, one of Brazil's busiest hubs. 32 00:01:26,786 --> 00:01:28,555 Jorge da Silva and his family lived 33 00:01:28,621 --> 00:01:31,658 just a stone's throw away from the airport terminal. 34 00:01:32,725 --> 00:01:33,827 INTERPRETER: My family has always 35 00:01:33,893 --> 00:01:35,662 lived in this neighborhood, all of us, 36 00:01:35,728 --> 00:01:38,198 even after we grew up and got married. 37 00:01:38,264 --> 00:01:40,099 When we left our parents' homes, 38 00:01:40,166 --> 00:01:44,571 we bought houses in the surrounding area. 39 00:01:44,637 --> 00:01:47,040 NARRATOR: Every day, more than 500 flights 40 00:01:47,106 --> 00:01:49,142 come and go from this airport. 41 00:01:50,543 --> 00:01:52,879 INTERPRETER: When we were kids, watching a plane go by 42 00:01:52,946 --> 00:01:56,916 would give us a feeling of freedom, a desire to fly. 43 00:01:56,983 --> 00:02:03,990 Seeing those machines in flight is a fantastic thing. 44 00:02:06,526 --> 00:02:08,595 NARRATOR: Today, 89 passengers are 45 00:02:08,661 --> 00:02:10,997 getting ready for a short hop from Sao Paulo 46 00:02:11,064 --> 00:02:14,467 to Rio de Janeiro. 47 00:02:14,534 --> 00:02:16,436 They're flying on TAM airlines. 48 00:02:16,503 --> 00:02:18,304 The Brazilian company has just won 49 00:02:18,371 --> 00:02:20,607 an award for best regional carrier 50 00:02:20,673 --> 00:02:25,011 and wants everyone to know it. 51 00:02:27,647 --> 00:02:29,415 INTERPRETER: The number one painted on the plane 52 00:02:29,482 --> 00:02:33,453 was part of an ad campaign TAM had underway at the time, 53 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:39,425 promoting its business and its aircraft. 54 00:02:39,492 --> 00:02:40,960 No problem, but I should go. 55 00:02:41,027 --> 00:02:42,729 I'm on board right now. 56 00:02:42,795 --> 00:02:45,398 NARRATOR: Regina Lemos is a Brazilian journalist. 57 00:02:45,465 --> 00:02:50,303 She's on her way to Rio to cover a fashion show. 58 00:02:53,907 --> 00:02:56,442 INTERPRETER: My sister was a standout in her field. 59 00:02:56,509 --> 00:02:59,012 She'd been an editor at Marie Claire Magazine 60 00:02:59,078 --> 00:03:02,081 and was working on the launch of a new magazine. 61 00:03:02,148 --> 00:03:04,817 She traveled a lot, covering stories, 62 00:03:04,884 --> 00:03:11,858 reporting, interviewing. 63 00:03:12,859 --> 00:03:14,160 Good morning. How are you doing? 64 00:03:14,227 --> 00:03:15,328 Great. 65 00:03:15,395 --> 00:03:17,230 NARRATOR: One of TAM's most experienced pilots 66 00:03:17,297 --> 00:03:19,065 is in command. 67 00:03:19,132 --> 00:03:24,337 José Antonio Moreno has almost 6,500 flight hours. 68 00:03:24,404 --> 00:03:25,672 Before we start, checklist? 69 00:03:25,738 --> 00:03:26,673 Yes, captain. 70 00:03:26,739 --> 00:03:28,708 Already done. 71 00:03:28,775 --> 00:03:29,709 Good. 72 00:03:29,776 --> 00:03:30,910 Go ahead and call the tower so we 73 00:03:30,977 --> 00:03:32,345 can get these engines started. 74 00:03:32,412 --> 00:03:34,981 You got it. 75 00:03:35,048 --> 00:03:36,549 NARRATOR: First officer Ricardo Luis 76 00:03:36,616 --> 00:03:39,552 Gomes is less experienced. 77 00:03:39,619 --> 00:03:42,422 The 27-year-old has only been qualified to fly 78 00:03:42,488 --> 00:03:45,358 the Fokker 100 for one week. 79 00:03:45,425 --> 00:03:49,028 Sao Paulo TAM 402, we're ready to go 80 00:03:49,095 --> 00:03:51,531 and requesting engine start. 81 00:03:51,598 --> 00:03:53,967 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: TAM 402, you're clear to start. 82 00:03:54,033 --> 00:03:57,637 Fire them up. 83 00:03:57,704 --> 00:04:04,711 Starting number one, starting engine two. 84 00:04:09,482 --> 00:04:10,984 NARRATOR: The short-haul jet is powered 85 00:04:11,050 --> 00:04:16,656 by twin Rolls-Royce engines. 86 00:04:16,723 --> 00:04:17,657 Yeah. 87 00:04:17,724 --> 00:04:19,792 All right, I'll put it away now. 88 00:04:19,859 --> 00:04:22,595 NARRATOR: Ronaldo Jenkins is not only Regina's brother. 89 00:04:22,662 --> 00:04:24,864 He's also an aviation expert. 90 00:04:27,233 --> 00:04:30,370 INTERPRETER: It's a short flight, 35 minutes normally 91 00:04:30,436 --> 00:04:33,373 from Sao Paulo to Rio, and you have approximately 92 00:04:33,439 --> 00:04:35,375 five flights every hour. 93 00:04:35,441 --> 00:04:39,212 So it's a very busy route. 94 00:04:39,278 --> 00:04:41,114 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: TAM 402, you're cleared 95 00:04:41,180 --> 00:04:43,383 for takeoff runway 17, right. 96 00:04:43,449 --> 00:04:44,384 OK. 97 00:04:44,450 --> 00:04:45,918 Here we go. 98 00:04:45,985 --> 00:04:47,453 Take off the rust. 99 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:54,327 NARRATOR: It's 8:26 AM, flight 402 is underway. 100 00:04:55,328 --> 00:04:56,562 Well, as you roll down the runway, 101 00:04:56,629 --> 00:04:59,532 we typically will accelerate the aircraft to a point 102 00:04:59,599 --> 00:05:02,735 that we call V1, that is a decision speed at which 103 00:05:02,802 --> 00:05:05,538 the flight crew makes the decision to either reject 104 00:05:05,605 --> 00:05:07,573 the takeoff, that is to abort the takeoff 105 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:13,212 or continue it with the amount of runway remaining. 106 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,148 NARRATOR: As they accelerate down the runway, 107 00:05:15,214 --> 00:05:17,950 the crew gets a warning. 108 00:05:18,017 --> 00:05:20,987 Hey, this is what? 109 00:05:21,054 --> 00:05:21,988 It's out. 110 00:05:22,055 --> 00:05:25,391 See, the autothrottle is up. 111 00:05:25,458 --> 00:05:28,795 A single chime warning is really of no consequence 112 00:05:28,861 --> 00:05:30,897 during the takeoff roll. 113 00:05:30,963 --> 00:05:33,099 At that point, it wasn't something that they would 114 00:05:33,166 --> 00:05:37,437 have rejected the takeoff for. 115 00:05:39,338 --> 00:05:41,774 NARRATOR: Two more beeps tell them the problem is affecting 116 00:05:41,841 --> 00:05:44,510 their other engine as well. 117 00:05:44,577 --> 00:05:49,849 The autothrottle is out. 118 00:05:49,916 --> 00:05:52,018 Manual thrust. 119 00:05:52,085 --> 00:05:54,954 NARRATOR: They'll have to adjust engine power by hand. 120 00:05:55,021 --> 00:05:56,689 They could certainly continue to take 121 00:05:56,756 --> 00:05:57,824 off in the manual mode. 122 00:05:57,890 --> 00:06:04,363 Nothing to be alarmed with at that point. 123 00:06:05,364 --> 00:06:11,938 V1 rotate. 124 00:06:15,808 --> 00:06:18,511 NARRATOR: It seems like a routine takeoff. 125 00:06:18,578 --> 00:06:20,413 At that moment, the aircraft's climbing. 126 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,217 The nose attitude of the aircraft is raising. 127 00:06:24,283 --> 00:06:26,452 The aircraft is accelerating, and the altitude 128 00:06:26,519 --> 00:06:27,520 is increasing. 129 00:06:27,587 --> 00:06:34,260 Those are all good positive parameters. 130 00:06:35,261 --> 00:06:36,329 No, no, no, no. 131 00:06:36,395 --> 00:06:38,798 NARRATOR: Then, less than 50 feet in the air, 132 00:06:38,865 --> 00:06:42,802 the plane rolls dangerously right. 133 00:06:42,869 --> 00:06:47,140 The captain needs to level the plane fast. 134 00:06:47,206 --> 00:06:49,809 The timing of this could not have been worse. 135 00:06:49,876 --> 00:06:52,779 The aircraft is dissipating energy, airspeed at a rate 136 00:06:52,845 --> 00:06:54,714 of about two knots per second. 137 00:06:54,781 --> 00:06:55,948 Speed is life. 138 00:06:56,015 --> 00:06:58,184 So the resolution of this malfunction 139 00:06:58,251 --> 00:07:05,124 is super critical in terms of time. 140 00:07:05,191 --> 00:07:08,094 NARRATOR: The captain's efforts start to pay off. 141 00:07:08,161 --> 00:07:11,831 The wings move back towards level. 142 00:07:14,167 --> 00:07:15,434 What was that? 143 00:07:15,501 --> 00:07:17,804 NARRATOR: It's a brief reprieve. 144 00:07:17,870 --> 00:07:23,776 The airspeed is dropping dangerously low. 145 00:07:23,843 --> 00:07:29,715 Worse, the captain can't keep the plane level. 146 00:07:29,782 --> 00:07:30,716 DEVICE: Terrain. 147 00:07:30,783 --> 00:07:32,185 Terrain. 148 00:07:32,251 --> 00:07:34,587 It has to be an absolutely sick feeling for that flight 149 00:07:34,654 --> 00:07:39,826 crew at that point. 150 00:07:39,892 --> 00:07:40,827 DEVICE: Terrain. 151 00:07:40,893 --> 00:07:43,763 Terrain 152 00:07:49,669 --> 00:07:53,039 NARRATOR: Just 25 seconds after takeoff, flight 402 153 00:07:53,105 --> 00:07:57,877 hits the ground. 154 00:07:57,944 --> 00:08:02,381 In an instant, the Jabaquara neighborhood is in ruins. 155 00:08:02,448 --> 00:08:05,284 A passenger jet has fallen from the sky. 156 00:08:05,351 --> 00:08:10,289 Houses are crushed, streets are in flames. 157 00:08:10,356 --> 00:08:12,592 Emergency crews respond quickly, 158 00:08:12,658 --> 00:08:15,528 but there's little hope any of the 95 people on board 159 00:08:15,595 --> 00:08:17,797 have survived. 160 00:08:17,864 --> 00:08:21,701 There are also expected to be many casualties on the ground. 161 00:08:21,767 --> 00:08:24,537 News of the horrific crash spreads quickly. 162 00:08:25,705 --> 00:08:27,139 INTERPRETER: My brother phoned me and said 163 00:08:27,206 --> 00:08:28,708 a plane fell in your house. 164 00:08:28,774 --> 00:08:31,811 Come quickly. 165 00:08:31,878 --> 00:08:36,282 NARRATOR: Jorge da Silva races home, unsure what to expect. 166 00:08:37,483 --> 00:08:39,852 INTERPRETER: My brother is a bit of a joker. 167 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:42,622 I didn't believe him at first, but I could 168 00:08:42,688 --> 00:08:47,693 hear the fear in his voice. 169 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:49,528 NARRATOR: Jorge's parents are trapped 170 00:08:49,595 --> 00:08:55,601 at the center of the disaster. 171 00:08:55,668 --> 00:08:58,304 The elderly couple finds their way is blocked, 172 00:08:58,371 --> 00:09:01,274 their escape route engulfed in fire. 173 00:09:04,243 --> 00:09:05,945 INTERPRETER: My father looked back and saw 174 00:09:06,012 --> 00:09:07,847 the room being destroyed. 175 00:09:07,914 --> 00:09:10,449 So they rushed downstairs to the ground floor, 176 00:09:10,516 --> 00:09:16,555 and he saw flames in front of them. 177 00:09:16,622 --> 00:09:25,564 NARRATOR: If they don't get out soon, it could be too late. 178 00:09:28,134 --> 00:09:33,039 Jorge da Silva arrives home to a scene of devastation. 179 00:09:33,105 --> 00:09:35,041 His neighborhood is in flames, and he 180 00:09:35,107 --> 00:09:40,713 has no idea if his parents are alive or dead. 181 00:09:40,780 --> 00:09:43,716 My parents, have you seen them? 182 00:09:45,017 --> 00:09:46,886 INTERPRETER: It looked like a bomb had gone off. 183 00:09:46,953 --> 00:09:49,822 There was fire burning throughout the whole street, 184 00:09:49,889 --> 00:09:53,392 tall flames, lots of smoke, and twisted metal. 185 00:09:53,459 --> 00:09:55,695 It was terrible, like something I'd 186 00:09:55,761 --> 00:09:58,898 only ever seen in war movies. 187 00:09:58,965 --> 00:10:02,234 NARRATOR: The plane's jet fuel has ignited an inferno. 188 00:10:04,704 --> 00:10:06,305 INTERPRETER: There was a river of fire, 189 00:10:06,372 --> 00:10:08,774 a line of flames down the middle of the street 190 00:10:08,841 --> 00:10:12,345 burning all the parked cars. 191 00:10:12,411 --> 00:10:14,513 It was hard to believe it was real that it 192 00:10:14,580 --> 00:10:19,518 was actually happening. 193 00:10:19,585 --> 00:10:21,988 NARRATOR: That as Silvas make a narrow escape out 194 00:10:22,054 --> 00:10:24,790 of the back of their house. 195 00:10:24,857 --> 00:10:29,895 They are later reunited with their family. 196 00:10:31,297 --> 00:10:33,232 INTERPRETER: It was a very emotional moment 197 00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:35,001 that's difficult to describe. 198 00:10:35,067 --> 00:10:37,470 In a short time, I went from a sensation 199 00:10:37,536 --> 00:10:40,940 of having lost them that they were dead to having 200 00:10:41,007 --> 00:10:42,041 found them again. 201 00:10:42,108 --> 00:10:43,809 That was a rebirth. 202 00:10:43,876 --> 00:10:50,516 It was fantastic. 203 00:10:50,583 --> 00:10:52,885 NARRATOR: Others are not so lucky. 204 00:10:52,952 --> 00:10:59,492 Many of Jorge's neighbors are injured, four of them fatally. 205 00:10:59,558 --> 00:11:02,461 The crash has also killed all 95 people who were on board 206 00:11:02,528 --> 00:11:03,462 the plane. 207 00:11:12,471 --> 00:11:13,873 INTERPRETER: I got a call from my son 208 00:11:13,939 --> 00:11:17,576 saying that he'd seen on TV that Regina, my sister, 209 00:11:17,643 --> 00:11:20,279 was on the plane. 210 00:11:20,346 --> 00:11:23,349 I knew there were no survivors. 211 00:11:23,416 --> 00:11:30,322 That's when I realized she was dead. 212 00:11:30,389 --> 00:11:32,124 NARRATOR: Shortly after the disaster, 213 00:11:32,191 --> 00:11:34,960 Jenkins is asked to investigate the TAM crash 214 00:11:35,027 --> 00:11:36,929 for an insurance company. 215 00:11:36,996 --> 00:11:40,633 The death of his sister makes that impossible. 216 00:11:42,501 --> 00:11:44,470 INTERPRETER: I had to contact the insurance company 217 00:11:44,537 --> 00:11:46,572 to say that I just couldn't do the job 218 00:11:46,639 --> 00:11:52,645 since I was now emotionally involved in the case. 219 00:11:52,711 --> 00:11:55,147 NARRATOR: Across Brazil, the enormity of the disaster 220 00:11:55,214 --> 00:11:56,849 sinks in. 221 00:11:56,916 --> 00:12:00,886 It's the worst air crash in Sao Paulo's history. 222 00:12:02,388 --> 00:12:04,523 INTERPRETER: This tragedy was a critical event in the history 223 00:12:04,590 --> 00:12:07,159 of Brazil because it was in a city, 224 00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:09,562 especially the biggest city in the country, 225 00:12:09,628 --> 00:12:16,302 it affected everyone. 226 00:12:16,368 --> 00:12:17,670 NARRATOR: Air crash investigators 227 00:12:17,736 --> 00:12:23,509 from the Brazilian Air Force arrive at the crash site. 228 00:12:23,576 --> 00:12:27,913 Major Carlos da Conceicao leads the team. 229 00:12:29,715 --> 00:12:31,383 INTERPRETER: When I got there, it was really 230 00:12:31,450 --> 00:12:33,652 a scene of total devastation. 231 00:12:33,719 --> 00:12:36,388 The plane took down everything in its path, 232 00:12:36,455 --> 00:12:40,693 houses, cars, everything. 233 00:12:40,759 --> 00:12:47,399 It was like a war zone. 234 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:49,602 NARRATOR: He immediately realizes 235 00:12:49,668 --> 00:12:53,772 the accident could have been even more devastating. 236 00:12:53,839 --> 00:12:56,408 At least the kids were already in school. 237 00:12:56,475 --> 00:12:59,245 NARRATOR: Flight 402 has crashed less than 60 feet 238 00:12:59,311 --> 00:13:02,314 from an elementary school where 800 students were 239 00:13:02,381 --> 00:13:04,483 attending morning classes. 240 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:09,288 INTERPRETER: It was truly surprising 241 00:13:09,355 --> 00:13:12,625 that the streets were empty and there were so few victims. 242 00:13:12,691 --> 00:13:14,994 For some strange reason, at that moment, 243 00:13:15,060 --> 00:13:21,734 there weren't many people on the street. 244 00:13:22,735 --> 00:13:23,836 Take your time. 245 00:13:23,903 --> 00:13:26,205 We don't want to miss anything. 246 00:13:26,272 --> 00:13:27,606 NARRATOR: Recovering all the wreckage 247 00:13:27,673 --> 00:13:29,842 will be a lengthy process. 248 00:13:29,909 --> 00:13:32,678 But for investigators, it's a crucial step. 249 00:13:34,847 --> 00:13:36,715 INTERPRETER: First of all, you have to find 250 00:13:36,782 --> 00:13:38,884 the pieces of the aircraft. 251 00:13:38,951 --> 00:13:44,423 The engines, landing gear, the right wing, the left wing, 252 00:13:44,490 --> 00:13:46,425 the tail section. 253 00:13:46,492 --> 00:13:49,528 Is the airplane all there, or did a part 254 00:13:49,595 --> 00:13:52,565 come off before the crash? 255 00:13:52,631 --> 00:13:59,638 And you start to put together this puzzle. 256 00:14:01,106 --> 00:14:03,475 NARRATOR: At the home of Jorge da Silva's parents, 257 00:14:03,542 --> 00:14:06,545 the recovery team makes an incredible find. 258 00:14:06,612 --> 00:14:09,481 The plane's landing gear has smashed through the roof 259 00:14:09,548 --> 00:14:12,451 and crushed the da Silva's bed. 260 00:14:14,286 --> 00:14:16,722 INTERPRETER: It was a miracle that they survived. 261 00:14:16,789 --> 00:14:19,158 The landing gear of the plane, I learned later, 262 00:14:19,225 --> 00:14:21,193 weighs about two tons. 263 00:14:21,260 --> 00:14:27,733 If my parents had been there, they would have been killed. 264 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,536 NARRATOR: Piece by piece, all the major components 265 00:14:30,603 --> 00:14:34,206 of the plane are found at the crash site. 266 00:14:34,273 --> 00:14:37,509 OK, looks like we have the whole plane here. 267 00:14:37,576 --> 00:14:39,044 NARRATOR: It's important confirmation 268 00:14:39,111 --> 00:14:42,348 that the plane didn't lose any pieces while in the air. 269 00:14:42,414 --> 00:14:45,317 We know that the aircraft departed control flight 270 00:14:45,384 --> 00:14:47,486 at a very, very low altitude. 271 00:14:47,553 --> 00:14:49,855 The first culprit in that type of instance 272 00:14:49,922 --> 00:14:54,226 would be loss of thrust. 273 00:14:54,293 --> 00:14:56,362 NARRATOR: Da Conceicao examines the Rolls-Royce 274 00:14:56,428 --> 00:15:01,800 engines at the crash site looking for signs of failure. 275 00:15:01,867 --> 00:15:03,969 But damage deep inside both engines 276 00:15:04,036 --> 00:15:06,405 tells him they were spinning at high speed 277 00:15:06,472 --> 00:15:11,510 when the plane hit the ground. 278 00:15:11,577 --> 00:15:14,280 Burning and turning. 279 00:15:14,346 --> 00:15:16,248 These engines were fine. 280 00:15:16,315 --> 00:15:17,950 NARRATOR: Ruling out a potential cause 281 00:15:18,017 --> 00:15:20,019 is a step in the right direction. 282 00:15:20,085 --> 00:15:21,787 But investigators will need more 283 00:15:21,854 --> 00:15:23,956 evidence before they can zero in on what 284 00:15:24,023 --> 00:15:30,663 brought down flight 402. 285 00:15:33,766 --> 00:15:38,437 We're going to head maybe just over there. 286 00:15:38,504 --> 00:15:41,874 Can you keep those people back, please? 287 00:15:41,940 --> 00:15:44,610 NARRATOR: Onlookers crowd the Sao Paulo crash site where 288 00:15:44,677 --> 00:15:47,146 99 people lost their lives. 289 00:15:47,212 --> 00:15:50,049 The city has declared three days of mourning. 290 00:15:50,115 --> 00:15:51,950 Brazil's president pledges a safety 291 00:15:52,017 --> 00:15:54,687 review of all city airports. 292 00:15:54,753 --> 00:15:57,756 The pressure for answers is intense. 293 00:15:59,291 --> 00:16:00,859 INTERPRETER: It was the first time I had ever 294 00:16:00,926 --> 00:16:04,063 investigated a crash like this, and it 295 00:16:04,129 --> 00:16:08,000 was really very difficult. 296 00:16:08,067 --> 00:16:13,072 OK, so it was definitely rolling right like like this. 297 00:16:13,138 --> 00:16:14,840 NARRATOR: Witnesses tell investigators 298 00:16:14,907 --> 00:16:17,176 the plane was banking steeply to the right 299 00:16:17,242 --> 00:16:19,044 just before the crash. 300 00:16:19,111 --> 00:16:22,581 Any time you have witness statements that describe 301 00:16:22,648 --> 00:16:25,517 the aircraft rolling or pitching 302 00:16:25,584 --> 00:16:30,356 or observation of any moving flight control surface, 303 00:16:30,422 --> 00:16:36,028 it perks the interest of the investigator. 304 00:16:36,095 --> 00:16:38,564 NARRATOR: Shattered wreckage at the Jabaquara crash site 305 00:16:38,630 --> 00:16:42,401 confirms the witness statements. 306 00:16:46,572 --> 00:16:49,608 INTERPRETER: The right wing was found stuck in a building. 307 00:16:49,675 --> 00:16:56,081 The aircraft sliced into it at an angle like a knife. 308 00:16:56,148 --> 00:16:57,516 NARRATOR: A steep right roll would 309 00:16:57,583 --> 00:17:00,018 have caused the wings to lose lift 310 00:17:00,085 --> 00:17:02,254 and put the plane into a dive. 311 00:17:02,321 --> 00:17:09,328 But why was the plane rolling so steeply? 312 00:17:11,430 --> 00:17:14,166 Investigators wonder if there is a problem with the plane's 313 00:17:14,233 --> 00:17:18,070 control surfaces, the flaps, and slats that pilots extend 314 00:17:18,137 --> 00:17:22,574 from the wings during takeoff. 315 00:17:22,641 --> 00:17:24,910 If the crew didn't set the flaps properly, 316 00:17:24,977 --> 00:17:28,414 it might explain flight 402's fatal trajectory. 317 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,350 We do know that failure to deploy the flaps 318 00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:33,552 or configure the aircraft properly for takeoff 319 00:17:33,619 --> 00:17:36,321 has been involved with many, many mishaps. 320 00:17:36,388 --> 00:17:37,890 NARRATOR: They focus on the mechanism that 321 00:17:37,956 --> 00:17:40,392 moves the flaps in and out. 322 00:17:40,459 --> 00:17:42,861 Precise measurements should tell them if the TAM 323 00:17:42,928 --> 00:17:47,032 crew made a deadly error. 324 00:17:47,099 --> 00:17:52,471 What they find rules out that possibility. 325 00:17:52,538 --> 00:17:54,506 8 degrees, right where it should be. 326 00:17:54,573 --> 00:17:55,808 NARRATOR: The plane was configured 327 00:17:55,874 --> 00:17:56,942 properly for takeoff. 328 00:17:57,009 --> 00:17:57,943 OK, mark it down. 329 00:17:58,010 --> 00:17:58,977 8 degrees. 330 00:17:59,044 --> 00:18:01,180 This is not-- this is not helping us. 331 00:18:01,246 --> 00:18:08,053 Investigators will need to look elsewhere. 332 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:09,087 Yeah. 333 00:18:09,154 --> 00:18:10,122 Check the records. 334 00:18:10,189 --> 00:18:11,623 I want to know everything the pilots 335 00:18:11,690 --> 00:18:14,026 did in the last 24 hours. 336 00:18:14,092 --> 00:18:15,727 How well was a pilot trained? 337 00:18:15,794 --> 00:18:16,862 Was he rested? 338 00:18:16,929 --> 00:18:19,498 Had he eaten within the last several hours? 339 00:18:19,565 --> 00:18:23,469 Everything that makes the man-machine interaction work, 340 00:18:23,535 --> 00:18:26,405 we want to find out what went into that machine 341 00:18:26,472 --> 00:18:28,240 prior to the mishap. 342 00:18:28,307 --> 00:18:32,611 The records look fine. 343 00:18:32,678 --> 00:18:34,847 NARRATOR: A comprehensive review of the cruise records 344 00:18:34,913 --> 00:18:37,115 turns up no red flags. 345 00:18:37,182 --> 00:18:38,851 The crew was well-rested and fully 346 00:18:38,917 --> 00:18:41,620 qualified to fly the plane. 347 00:18:41,687 --> 00:18:45,691 A good investigator will take every bit of evidence 348 00:18:45,757 --> 00:18:49,528 he can put together and make a puzzle 349 00:18:49,595 --> 00:18:51,363 and fit the piece of the puzzle, 350 00:18:51,430 --> 00:18:54,233 so it fits the scenario rather than the scenario 351 00:18:54,299 --> 00:18:56,502 trying to fit the malfunction. 352 00:18:56,568 --> 00:18:58,670 NARRATOR: Investigators hope the black boxes will 353 00:18:58,737 --> 00:19:03,041 fill in some missing pieces. 354 00:19:03,108 --> 00:19:04,743 This one's in good shape. 355 00:19:04,810 --> 00:19:08,046 NARRATOR: The cockpit voice recorder looks promising, 356 00:19:08,113 --> 00:19:09,381 but the flight data recorder, which 357 00:19:09,448 --> 00:19:11,650 tracks the operation of aircraft systems, 358 00:19:11,717 --> 00:19:15,921 is badly burned. 359 00:19:15,988 --> 00:19:22,127 Let's hope this isn't as bad as it looks. 360 00:19:24,162 --> 00:19:26,865 INTERPRETER: It was no longer that orange color, which is 361 00:19:26,932 --> 00:19:29,468 characteristic of black boxes. 362 00:19:29,535 --> 00:19:33,505 It was completely gray from all of the fire damage. 363 00:19:33,572 --> 00:19:40,579 I was really anxious to know if the data had survived or not. 364 00:19:42,814 --> 00:19:43,749 OK, come on. 365 00:19:43,815 --> 00:19:46,852 I need to get these to the states. 366 00:19:46,919 --> 00:19:49,488 NARRATOR: Brazil doesn't have a lab equipped to analyze 367 00:19:49,555 --> 00:19:50,789 the damaged recorder. 368 00:19:50,856 --> 00:19:54,459 So they need to be sent somewhere that does. 369 00:19:54,526 --> 00:19:57,162 It was a US-manufactured flight recorder, 370 00:19:57,229 --> 00:20:00,632 so it was obvious to bring the recorder to the United 371 00:20:00,699 --> 00:20:04,102 States for analysis. 372 00:20:04,169 --> 00:20:07,673 NARRATOR: Dennis Grossi is quickly recruited to the team. 373 00:20:07,739 --> 00:20:09,341 He's an investigator with the National 374 00:20:09,408 --> 00:20:12,010 Transportation Safety Board. 375 00:20:12,077 --> 00:20:13,145 Thanks for helping us. 376 00:20:13,211 --> 00:20:14,313 Of course. 377 00:20:14,379 --> 00:20:16,515 Sure. 378 00:20:16,582 --> 00:20:17,849 Happy to help. 379 00:20:17,916 --> 00:20:19,585 NARRATOR: He's also one of the world's leading experts 380 00:20:19,651 --> 00:20:22,354 on flight recorders. 381 00:20:22,421 --> 00:20:25,324 Let's see if this will work like it's supposed to. 382 00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:26,625 NARRATOR: But with this recorder, 383 00:20:26,692 --> 00:20:29,361 he faces a new challenge. 384 00:20:29,428 --> 00:20:31,330 It's a digital device. 385 00:20:31,396 --> 00:20:36,134 And at 1996, digital technology is not very common. 386 00:20:36,201 --> 00:20:40,238 We had a long experience with tape recorders, 387 00:20:40,305 --> 00:20:43,742 but we had no experience with solid-state recorders. 388 00:20:43,809 --> 00:20:46,211 And it was heavily fire-damaged. 389 00:20:46,278 --> 00:20:50,949 So we thought it was prudent to take it to the manufacturer 390 00:20:51,016 --> 00:20:55,087 to use their expertise in opening it and accessing 391 00:20:55,153 --> 00:21:02,060 the solid-state memory. 392 00:21:02,127 --> 00:21:03,061 OK. 393 00:21:03,128 --> 00:21:05,263 Here we go. 394 00:21:05,330 --> 00:21:07,699 NARRATOR: The data inside could be a huge windfall 395 00:21:07,766 --> 00:21:10,002 for the investigation. 396 00:21:10,068 --> 00:21:11,269 Nice and easy. 397 00:21:11,336 --> 00:21:13,805 NARRATOR: But getting to it is a delicate matter. 398 00:21:13,872 --> 00:21:16,174 There's always that anticipation. 399 00:21:16,241 --> 00:21:21,813 Is it going to be destroyed, or is it pristine? 400 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,249 What condition is the memory in? 401 00:21:24,316 --> 00:21:27,085 Are we going to come up empty-handed, 402 00:21:27,152 --> 00:21:34,159 or are we going to have a viable piece of evidence here? 403 00:21:39,331 --> 00:21:41,166 It looks promising. 404 00:21:41,233 --> 00:21:44,536 Fingers crossed. 405 00:21:44,603 --> 00:21:46,905 The vulnerabilities was the chips breaking. 406 00:21:46,972 --> 00:21:49,474 If you crack a chip, it's done. 407 00:21:49,541 --> 00:21:52,911 Or if the chips come off the board, 408 00:21:52,978 --> 00:21:56,314 and then you have to do a chip-level recovery, 409 00:21:56,381 --> 00:22:00,519 which is very, very difficult. 410 00:22:00,585 --> 00:22:03,021 NARRATOR: They hook the card up to a computer 411 00:22:03,088 --> 00:22:10,095 and attempt to download. 412 00:22:23,141 --> 00:22:24,743 Does it always take this long? 413 00:22:39,791 --> 00:22:46,431 NARRATOR: The data has survived. 414 00:22:47,432 --> 00:22:49,935 Never had a moment's doubt. 415 00:22:50,001 --> 00:22:52,471 The fire protection and the crash impact 416 00:22:52,537 --> 00:22:54,272 protection worked. 417 00:22:54,339 --> 00:22:56,742 We were very happy at that point. 418 00:22:56,808 --> 00:22:58,443 NARRATOR: All of Brazil wants to know 419 00:22:58,510 --> 00:23:00,812 why flight 402 crashed. 420 00:23:00,879 --> 00:23:04,249 Somewhere in the download data, investigators 421 00:23:04,316 --> 00:23:11,923 may now have the answer. 422 00:23:11,990 --> 00:23:17,763 It's been three days since TAM flight 402 crashed on takeoff. 423 00:23:17,829 --> 00:23:21,366 Now with the help of black box data, 424 00:23:21,433 --> 00:23:28,440 investigators may soon know why. 425 00:23:29,608 --> 00:23:31,042 The flight recorder has captured 426 00:23:31,109 --> 00:23:35,881 dozens of parameters about the Fokker 100 short flight. 427 00:23:36,982 --> 00:23:38,450 INTERPRETER: This specific recorder 428 00:23:38,517 --> 00:23:43,221 has 106 parameters, 106 sensors on the aircraft, 429 00:23:43,288 --> 00:23:45,257 which give us information. 430 00:23:45,323 --> 00:23:48,059 So it's important, very important, to have 431 00:23:48,126 --> 00:23:53,165 this initial information in our job. 432 00:23:53,231 --> 00:23:54,232 No, no, no, no. 433 00:23:54,299 --> 00:23:55,700 NARRATOR: But will it be enough to tell 434 00:23:55,767 --> 00:24:02,541 them why the plane rolled so suddenly out of control? 435 00:24:03,775 --> 00:24:06,244 As they study the data, investigators immediately 436 00:24:06,311 --> 00:24:09,481 noticed something unusual. 437 00:24:09,548 --> 00:24:11,216 Look at Engine number two. 438 00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:13,051 The power's all over the place. 439 00:24:13,118 --> 00:24:17,856 The fact that the thrust was was increasing and decreasing, 440 00:24:17,923 --> 00:24:21,660 increasing, decreasing, and then finally full thrust 441 00:24:21,726 --> 00:24:23,328 was very confusing. 442 00:24:23,395 --> 00:24:25,730 Why would this happen? 443 00:24:25,797 --> 00:24:27,966 NARRATOR: After fluctuating several times, 444 00:24:28,033 --> 00:24:30,268 the engine finally reaches full power, 445 00:24:30,335 --> 00:24:32,537 the usual setting for takeoff. 446 00:24:32,604 --> 00:24:35,707 It wasn't clear exactly what was causing this. 447 00:24:35,774 --> 00:24:38,910 Could it be a automated system that 448 00:24:38,977 --> 00:24:42,214 was malfunctioning and causing this to happen, 449 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:49,154 or was it some crew activity? 450 00:24:49,221 --> 00:24:52,958 Can you bring up all the data on the thrust reversers? 451 00:24:53,024 --> 00:24:54,793 NARRATOR: There's another parameter investigators 452 00:24:54,860 --> 00:24:59,064 are eager to see. 453 00:24:59,130 --> 00:25:01,733 OK, so you saw something moving 454 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:03,635 at the back of the engine? 455 00:25:03,702 --> 00:25:05,437 NARRATOR: A witness told investigators 456 00:25:05,503 --> 00:25:07,772 he saw one of the plane's thrust reversers 457 00:25:07,839 --> 00:25:11,009 operating just before the crash. 458 00:25:11,076 --> 00:25:13,111 Thrust reversers are buckets deployed 459 00:25:13,178 --> 00:25:16,114 on landing to redirect the flow of engine exhaust, 460 00:25:16,181 --> 00:25:19,985 pushing it forward to help the plane slow down. 461 00:25:20,051 --> 00:25:22,954 Pilots never used them in the air. 462 00:25:23,021 --> 00:25:25,090 Witnesses saw that the buckets 463 00:25:25,156 --> 00:25:27,058 opening and closing, opening and closing, 464 00:25:27,125 --> 00:25:28,660 and then finally opening. 465 00:25:30,128 --> 00:25:32,564 INTERPRETER: This was a real surprise to everyone 466 00:25:32,631 --> 00:25:35,500 because the reverser is an aerodynamic brake, 467 00:25:35,567 --> 00:25:37,335 which is used on landing. 468 00:25:37,402 --> 00:25:42,107 Why would it open during takeoff? 469 00:25:42,173 --> 00:25:45,744 NARRATOR: If a thrust reversers did somehow deploy in flight, 470 00:25:45,810 --> 00:25:48,146 it could easily cause the type of steep right 471 00:25:48,213 --> 00:25:51,816 roll that doomed flight 402. 472 00:25:51,883 --> 00:25:55,420 For investigators, witness accounts aren't enough. 473 00:25:55,487 --> 00:25:57,822 They need hard evidence. 474 00:25:57,889 --> 00:26:01,660 They soon find it in the flight data. 475 00:26:01,726 --> 00:26:04,462 There. 476 00:26:04,529 --> 00:26:06,831 NARRATOR: Just after takeoff, the right thrust 477 00:26:06,898 --> 00:26:09,200 reversers moves back and forth twice 478 00:26:09,267 --> 00:26:13,538 and then stays in the dangerous deployed position. 479 00:26:13,605 --> 00:26:18,710 This shouldn't even be possible. 480 00:26:18,777 --> 00:26:22,747 I was amazed because that's just not supposed 481 00:26:22,814 --> 00:26:24,649 to happen, especially in a critical phase 482 00:26:24,716 --> 00:26:27,218 of flight like takeoff. 483 00:26:27,285 --> 00:26:28,553 NARRATOR: The thrust reversers system 484 00:26:28,620 --> 00:26:30,288 includes a safety feature designed 485 00:26:30,355 --> 00:26:34,392 to prevent accidental deployment in the air. 486 00:26:34,459 --> 00:26:36,761 The plane's wheels must be firmly on the ground 487 00:26:36,828 --> 00:26:40,498 before the buckets will open. 488 00:26:40,565 --> 00:26:42,867 There's a switch called a weight and wheel switch 489 00:26:42,934 --> 00:26:45,270 that, once it was compressed, once the aircraft touched 490 00:26:45,337 --> 00:26:48,606 down, would allow the pilots to manually 491 00:26:48,673 --> 00:26:50,108 open the thrust reversers. 492 00:26:50,175 --> 00:26:52,377 That was by design. 493 00:26:52,444 --> 00:26:56,047 NARRATOR: Airlines all over the world fly Fokker airplanes. 494 00:26:56,114 --> 00:26:59,317 If there's a design flaw in the reversers system, 495 00:26:59,384 --> 00:27:02,887 the lives of thousands of passengers could be in danger. 496 00:27:02,954 --> 00:27:05,857 It's extremely important that the operators know 497 00:27:05,924 --> 00:27:08,526 of any malfunctions so they may apply 498 00:27:08,593 --> 00:27:10,595 that knowledge to how they're operating 499 00:27:10,662 --> 00:27:11,930 their particular fleet. 500 00:27:11,997 --> 00:27:14,332 American Airlines, US Airways were 501 00:27:14,399 --> 00:27:16,368 big operators of the F-100. 502 00:27:16,434 --> 00:27:17,869 It was critical that information 503 00:27:17,936 --> 00:27:20,905 was disseminated worldwide to all the operators. 504 00:27:20,972 --> 00:27:23,375 NARRATOR: Investigators test the actuators that 505 00:27:23,441 --> 00:27:26,044 move the reversers, looking for a failure 506 00:27:26,111 --> 00:27:31,149 that might explain why one of them opened during flight. 507 00:27:31,216 --> 00:27:34,319 But there's no sign of any malfunction. 508 00:27:34,386 --> 00:27:36,321 The movement of the thrust reversers 509 00:27:36,388 --> 00:27:40,125 it was a big mystery at first. 510 00:27:40,191 --> 00:27:41,793 NARRATOR: They also test the electronics 511 00:27:41,860 --> 00:27:43,495 that detect when the plane's wheels 512 00:27:43,561 --> 00:27:46,197 are safely on the ground. 513 00:27:46,264 --> 00:27:50,435 They need to check every circuit. 514 00:27:50,502 --> 00:27:53,271 The exhaustive effort pays off with the discovery 515 00:27:53,338 --> 00:27:55,840 of a faulty sensor. 516 00:27:55,907 --> 00:27:59,077 It was failing intermittently, signaling the reverse 517 00:27:59,144 --> 00:28:06,051 here to open and close. 518 00:28:07,052 --> 00:28:09,888 The result was chaos in the cockpit. 519 00:28:09,954 --> 00:28:11,589 The sensor failure was intermittent. 520 00:28:11,656 --> 00:28:18,663 So the buckets opened and closed and opened again. 521 00:28:21,733 --> 00:28:24,135 Every time those buckets would open and close, 522 00:28:24,202 --> 00:28:28,073 a different yaw moment would be applied to the aircraft. 523 00:28:28,139 --> 00:28:30,175 Every one of those yaw moments would have to be 524 00:28:30,241 --> 00:28:31,643 countered by the captain. 525 00:28:31,709 --> 00:28:34,679 It was very, very involved and very dynamic situation 526 00:28:34,746 --> 00:28:38,216 at a very low altitude and very low airspeed environment. 527 00:28:38,283 --> 00:28:40,118 NARRATOR: But there's one big problem with what 528 00:28:40,185 --> 00:28:41,786 investigators have uncovered. 529 00:28:41,853 --> 00:28:44,956 The Fokker 100 has an additional safety net 530 00:28:45,023 --> 00:28:46,691 that should have kept the plane safe 531 00:28:46,758 --> 00:28:49,527 even after the sensor failed. 532 00:28:49,594 --> 00:28:52,497 If a faulty thrust reversers deploys on takeoff, 533 00:28:52,564 --> 00:28:54,799 power to the affected engine is supposed 534 00:28:54,866 --> 00:28:58,369 to drop to idle automatically to prevent the reversal 535 00:28:58,436 --> 00:29:00,572 from acting as a brake. 536 00:29:00,638 --> 00:29:03,408 No alarm sounds in the cockpit, but the safety 537 00:29:03,475 --> 00:29:05,343 system kicks in immediately. 538 00:29:05,410 --> 00:29:08,980 The pilots don't have to do a thing. 539 00:29:09,047 --> 00:29:12,717 If there is an uncommanded trust reversal deployment, 540 00:29:12,784 --> 00:29:16,588 the system would automatically retard 541 00:29:16,654 --> 00:29:22,193 the thrust level back to idle without any crew involvement. 542 00:29:22,260 --> 00:29:25,096 The Fokker 100 has more than enough power to climb 543 00:29:25,163 --> 00:29:27,765 safely on just one engine. 544 00:29:27,832 --> 00:29:31,569 So the question remains, why didn't flight 402 make 545 00:29:31,636 --> 00:29:38,109 it safely away from Congonhas? 546 00:29:39,110 --> 00:29:40,044 OK. 547 00:29:40,111 --> 00:29:42,147 Go ahead, please. 548 00:29:42,213 --> 00:29:45,416 The cockpit voice recording may be investigators only hope 549 00:29:45,483 --> 00:29:48,119 of finding the answer. 550 00:29:48,186 --> 00:29:56,895 OK, here we go. 551 00:29:57,896 --> 00:30:00,298 Takeoff thrust. 552 00:30:00,365 --> 00:30:02,367 Clearing for takeoff. 553 00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:04,202 NARRATOR: Investigators listen intently 554 00:30:04,269 --> 00:30:08,506 to the sounds captured in the cockpit of flight 402. 555 00:30:10,575 --> 00:30:14,279 INTERPRETER: When we started listening to the tape, 556 00:30:14,345 --> 00:30:19,150 everything seemed normal during the beginning of the takeoff. 557 00:30:19,217 --> 00:30:22,153 The equipment, the pilots, everything 558 00:30:22,220 --> 00:30:27,158 was as it should be. 559 00:30:28,626 --> 00:30:31,429 Hey, this is what? 560 00:30:31,496 --> 00:30:33,298 NARRATOR: Then, four seconds later, 561 00:30:33,364 --> 00:30:34,832 the crew gets a warning. 562 00:30:34,899 --> 00:30:36,301 PILOT ANTONIO MORENO (ON RECORDER): It's out. 563 00:30:36,367 --> 00:30:38,670 See, the autothrottle is out. 564 00:30:38,736 --> 00:30:39,671 It's a minor issue. 565 00:30:39,737 --> 00:30:43,041 It shouldn't matter. 566 00:30:45,376 --> 00:30:46,511 INTERPRETER: Captain Moreno speaks 567 00:30:46,578 --> 00:30:49,214 calmly to the co-pilot, who he realized 568 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:51,382 was new to this plane. 569 00:30:51,449 --> 00:30:55,153 He calmly tells him that the autothrottle is out and keeps 570 00:30:55,220 --> 00:30:57,755 going with the takeoff. 571 00:30:57,822 --> 00:31:00,858 Why is he so calm and not doing anything? 572 00:31:00,925 --> 00:31:03,728 Because the disconnection of the autothrottle 573 00:31:03,795 --> 00:31:10,535 does not impede takeoff. 574 00:31:11,803 --> 00:31:13,538 NARRATOR: As the plane accelerates down the runway, 575 00:31:13,605 --> 00:31:16,474 the pilots seem perfectly in control. 576 00:31:16,541 --> 00:31:22,914 Rotate. 577 00:31:22,981 --> 00:31:24,616 NARRATOR: But not long after liftoff, 578 00:31:24,682 --> 00:31:26,584 the mood in the cockpit changes dramatically. 579 00:31:26,651 --> 00:31:28,286 PILOT ANTONIO MORENO (ON RECORDER): No, no, no, no. 580 00:31:28,353 --> 00:31:32,991 He sounds like he's fumbling with something. 581 00:31:33,057 --> 00:31:35,226 It's locked. 582 00:31:35,293 --> 00:31:36,594 What's locked? 583 00:31:36,661 --> 00:31:37,762 PILOT ANTONIO MORENO (ON RECORDER): 584 00:31:37,829 --> 00:31:39,097 Turn it off up there, autothrottle. 585 00:31:39,163 --> 00:31:40,231 Pull here. 586 00:31:40,298 --> 00:31:44,269 FIRST OFFICER GOMES (ON RECORDER): It's off. 587 00:31:44,335 --> 00:31:45,803 It sounds like the crew thought the problem 588 00:31:45,870 --> 00:31:47,939 was the autothrottle. 589 00:31:48,006 --> 00:31:51,075 NARRATOR: The pilots don't mention the reverser at all. 590 00:31:51,142 --> 00:31:52,944 They're focused on the autothrottle 591 00:31:53,011 --> 00:31:56,547 and seem to be struggling with cockpit controls. 592 00:31:56,614 --> 00:31:57,548 Turn it off up there. 593 00:31:57,615 --> 00:31:58,549 Here too. 594 00:31:58,616 --> 00:31:59,550 It's off! 595 00:31:59,617 --> 00:32:00,718 It's off! 596 00:32:00,785 --> 00:32:01,953 NARRATOR: There was no alarm to tell 597 00:32:02,020 --> 00:32:03,354 them a reverser had deployed. 598 00:32:03,421 --> 00:32:04,355 DEVICE: Terrain. 599 00:32:04,422 --> 00:32:05,356 Terrain. 600 00:32:18,503 --> 00:32:22,140 Those guys had no idea what was going on. 601 00:32:22,206 --> 00:32:23,675 NARRATOR: It's clear to investigators 602 00:32:23,741 --> 00:32:26,377 that the crew was confused, but they still 603 00:32:26,444 --> 00:32:28,246 don't know what the crew was doing 604 00:32:28,313 --> 00:32:31,449 in those crucial last seconds. 605 00:32:31,516 --> 00:32:35,953 You want to get clear what, in fact, happened so 606 00:32:36,020 --> 00:32:38,256 that this won't happen again. 607 00:32:38,323 --> 00:32:40,258 NARRATOR: To build a more detailed picture, 608 00:32:40,325 --> 00:32:43,061 Dennis Grossi tries something new. 609 00:32:43,127 --> 00:32:45,496 He combines the flight data with the cockpit 610 00:32:45,563 --> 00:32:48,833 voice recording to create a real-time animation 611 00:32:48,900 --> 00:32:50,234 of the flight. 612 00:32:50,301 --> 00:32:51,736 OK. 613 00:32:51,803 --> 00:32:56,407 Take up speed was 127 knots. 614 00:32:56,474 --> 00:33:02,213 It's something that, at that point, the NTSB had never done 615 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:05,416 and it proved to be very revealing. 616 00:33:05,483 --> 00:33:11,222 Let's see what we got. 617 00:33:12,724 --> 00:33:15,360 INTERPRETER: You can evaluate second by second what happened 618 00:33:15,426 --> 00:33:18,029 during the accident, which helps us a lot 619 00:33:18,096 --> 00:33:22,333 in recreating the events. 620 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,602 NARRATOR: The new animation reveals an astounding 621 00:33:24,669 --> 00:33:26,871 detail about how the crew reacted 622 00:33:26,938 --> 00:33:29,741 when the reverse are deployed. 623 00:33:29,807 --> 00:33:32,543 PILOT ANTONIO MORENO (ON RECORDER): No, no, no, no. 624 00:33:32,610 --> 00:33:33,911 It's locked. 625 00:33:33,978 --> 00:33:36,214 Hold it. 626 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:38,683 He must be reacting to the movement of the thrust lever. 627 00:33:38,750 --> 00:33:39,717 No, no, no, no. 628 00:33:39,784 --> 00:33:41,452 The automation just moved it to idle 629 00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:43,421 just like it's supposed to. 630 00:33:43,488 --> 00:33:45,623 NARRATOR: The sudden loss of thrust in the right engine 631 00:33:45,690 --> 00:33:48,493 indicates that the safety system responded correctly 632 00:33:48,559 --> 00:33:50,728 when the reverser deployed. 633 00:33:50,795 --> 00:33:51,963 Turn it off up there, autothrottle. 634 00:33:52,029 --> 00:33:52,964 Pull here. 635 00:33:53,030 --> 00:33:55,933 It's off. 636 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,105 But the pilots misinterpret the lever's movement. 637 00:34:01,172 --> 00:34:02,707 Oh, no. 638 00:34:02,774 --> 00:34:03,975 Don't tell me. 639 00:34:04,041 --> 00:34:05,777 NARRATOR: They think it's a malfunction 640 00:34:05,843 --> 00:34:09,580 that a faulty autothrottle is cutting engine power. 641 00:34:09,647 --> 00:34:14,018 Tragically, they tried to override the system. 642 00:34:14,085 --> 00:34:15,953 I think the first officer is deliberately putting 643 00:34:16,020 --> 00:34:18,322 the engine back to full power. 644 00:34:18,389 --> 00:34:22,059 They, in fact, had ended up with the thrust reverse fully 645 00:34:22,126 --> 00:34:26,364 open and with full thrust on that engine where the thrust 646 00:34:26,431 --> 00:34:28,933 reversers were open. 647 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,435 Turn it off up there. Here too. 648 00:34:30,501 --> 00:34:31,436 It's off. 649 00:34:31,502 --> 00:34:33,471 It off. 650 00:34:33,538 --> 00:34:35,640 NARRATOR: With one engine at full forward power 651 00:34:35,706 --> 00:34:38,409 and the other in full reverse, the plane 652 00:34:38,476 --> 00:34:41,345 quickly rolls uncontrollably into a fatal dive. 653 00:34:41,412 --> 00:34:42,346 DEVICE: Terrain. 654 00:34:42,413 --> 00:34:49,053 Terrain. 655 00:34:50,188 --> 00:34:52,490 Once you put the engine back to full power, 656 00:34:52,557 --> 00:34:54,659 they didn't stand a chance. 657 00:34:54,725 --> 00:34:56,194 NARRATOR: The animation helps reveal 658 00:34:56,260 --> 00:34:58,663 that the crew's actions played a tragic part 659 00:34:58,729 --> 00:35:02,066 in the crash of TAM 402. 660 00:35:02,133 --> 00:35:06,137 But it raises new questions as well. 661 00:35:06,204 --> 00:35:09,440 Why was the crew so confused about an automated system 662 00:35:09,507 --> 00:35:16,347 designed to help save their plane? 663 00:35:17,515 --> 00:35:19,116 There's still a missing piece to this puzzle. 664 00:35:19,183 --> 00:35:20,451 The thought came, why? 665 00:35:20,518 --> 00:35:21,853 How did this happen? 666 00:35:21,919 --> 00:35:28,893 How did the crew not understand what was happening to them? 667 00:35:32,396 --> 00:35:35,867 Let's see how much time these guys spent training for this. 668 00:35:35,933 --> 00:35:38,369 NARRATOR: da Conceicao wants to know how the airline 669 00:35:38,436 --> 00:35:40,938 trains its pilots to deal with accidental 670 00:35:41,005 --> 00:35:43,441 reversal deployments. 671 00:35:45,443 --> 00:35:48,346 INTERPRETER: We found out that TAM had consulted with Fokker 672 00:35:48,412 --> 00:35:50,581 to find out whether there was any need 673 00:35:50,648 --> 00:35:57,622 to train for a reverser deployment during takeoff. 674 00:36:01,425 --> 00:36:05,696 NARRATOR: Fokker's response is a key piece of this puzzle. 675 00:36:05,763 --> 00:36:08,432 A failure so rare they decided not to train for it. 676 00:36:09,700 --> 00:36:11,602 INTERPRETER: Fokker formally responded, 677 00:36:11,669 --> 00:36:14,272 saying the training was not necessary 678 00:36:14,338 --> 00:36:16,674 that the probability that the reversers would open 679 00:36:16,741 --> 00:36:20,444 during takeoff was very small, and this training 680 00:36:20,511 --> 00:36:26,217 was not necessary. 681 00:36:26,284 --> 00:36:28,819 NARRATOR: Fokker estimated the chance of such a failure 682 00:36:28,886 --> 00:36:33,391 was less than 1 per billion flight hours. 683 00:36:33,457 --> 00:36:34,859 Turn it off up there, autothrottle. 684 00:36:34,926 --> 00:36:35,860 Pull here. 685 00:36:35,927 --> 00:36:38,095 It's off. 686 00:36:38,162 --> 00:36:42,300 NARRATOR: The pilot's confusion starts to make sense. 687 00:36:42,366 --> 00:36:45,269 For the crew not to know that the thrust of reverser 688 00:36:45,336 --> 00:36:48,773 deployment would, in fact, pull the throttle back, 689 00:36:48,839 --> 00:36:51,809 in this case, that lack of training 690 00:36:51,876 --> 00:36:56,681 really put the flight crew in a bad situation. 691 00:36:56,747 --> 00:36:57,682 Turn it off up there. 692 00:36:57,748 --> 00:36:59,550 Here too. - It's off. 693 00:36:59,617 --> 00:37:00,618 It's off. 694 00:37:00,685 --> 00:37:02,420 NARRATOR: Confused and untrained, 695 00:37:02,486 --> 00:37:04,922 the first officer restores the full power he 696 00:37:04,989 --> 00:37:08,793 thinks they need for takeoff. 697 00:37:08,859 --> 00:37:11,062 Unfortunately, they didn't have 698 00:37:11,128 --> 00:37:13,931 enough information to make the right decisions 699 00:37:13,998 --> 00:37:15,499 at the right time. 700 00:37:15,566 --> 00:37:18,135 NARRATOR: There's another troubling mystery to solve. 701 00:37:18,202 --> 00:37:22,740 What went wrong with this safety system? 702 00:37:22,807 --> 00:37:26,344 NARRATOR: That safety system should be foolproof. 703 00:37:26,410 --> 00:37:28,946 The first officer should not have been able to overpower 704 00:37:29,013 --> 00:37:34,352 the automation and push the thrust lever to full power, 705 00:37:34,418 --> 00:37:39,056 yet somehow he did exactly that. 706 00:37:39,123 --> 00:37:44,695 The question is how. 707 00:37:44,762 --> 00:37:46,597 The levers are here. 708 00:37:46,664 --> 00:37:49,033 NARRATOR: Investigators trace the components of the safety 709 00:37:49,100 --> 00:37:51,802 system, including the cable that 710 00:37:51,869 --> 00:37:53,471 pulls the thrust lever back during 711 00:37:53,537 --> 00:37:55,573 an accidental deployment. 712 00:37:55,640 --> 00:38:01,245 It runs from the thrust lever all the way to the reverser. 713 00:38:01,312 --> 00:38:05,516 It was very important to, in fact, examine the cable. 714 00:38:05,583 --> 00:38:07,985 What condition was it in? 715 00:38:08,052 --> 00:38:13,057 And the seeing why their throttles 716 00:38:13,124 --> 00:38:16,227 behaved the way they did and the thrust behaved the way 717 00:38:16,293 --> 00:38:17,962 it did. 718 00:38:18,029 --> 00:38:20,998 This connects to the faulty reverser? 719 00:38:21,065 --> 00:38:23,267 NARRATOR: The cable is in good condition, 720 00:38:23,334 --> 00:38:25,302 except for one problem. 721 00:38:25,369 --> 00:38:29,707 It has come apart at a connection point. 722 00:38:29,774 --> 00:38:31,809 It's a baffling discovery. 723 00:38:31,876 --> 00:38:35,646 The cable is designed to withstand an overwhelming 632 724 00:38:35,713 --> 00:38:38,049 pounds of force. 725 00:38:38,115 --> 00:38:45,122 I don't see how a pilot could pull that hard. 726 00:38:47,758 --> 00:38:49,026 Let's set up a test. 727 00:38:49,093 --> 00:38:54,131 There's something I want to try. 728 00:38:54,198 --> 00:38:56,901 NARRATOR: Investigators decide to put an identical cable 729 00:38:56,967 --> 00:39:03,674 to the test. 730 00:39:03,741 --> 00:39:06,911 They pull against the cable from both ends. 731 00:39:06,977 --> 00:39:09,213 Not only where it connects to the thrust levers 732 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:11,982 but also from the opposite end where it attaches 733 00:39:12,049 --> 00:39:13,884 to the thrust reversers. 734 00:39:13,951 --> 00:39:15,986 They'll soon know exactly how strong 735 00:39:16,053 --> 00:39:20,524 the cable system really is. 736 00:39:20,591 --> 00:39:24,028 The safety cable system from the Fokker 100 strains as it's 737 00:39:24,095 --> 00:39:27,631 pulled apart with more and more force. 738 00:39:27,698 --> 00:39:33,471 Then at over 900 pounds of force, it can take no more. 739 00:39:33,537 --> 00:39:37,775 The cable actually failed at a quick disconnect that 740 00:39:37,842 --> 00:39:42,046 was supplied to allow for maintenance so you could 741 00:39:42,113 --> 00:39:45,049 disconnect and reconnect fairly fast, 742 00:39:45,116 --> 00:39:47,785 and that actually turned out to be 743 00:39:47,852 --> 00:39:49,820 the weak point in the system. 744 00:39:49,887 --> 00:39:51,622 NARRATOR: But even with the weak link, 745 00:39:51,689 --> 00:39:54,391 the cable withstood more force than the first officer 746 00:39:54,458 --> 00:39:57,094 alone could have applied. 747 00:39:57,161 --> 00:39:58,662 Then, in terms of design limits, 748 00:39:58,729 --> 00:40:00,197 one of the first questions I would have 749 00:40:00,264 --> 00:40:01,832 is how were they exceeded? 750 00:40:01,899 --> 00:40:04,301 How did this component actually fail? 751 00:40:04,368 --> 00:40:07,571 NARRATOR: Investigators propose an astonishing new hypothesis 752 00:40:07,638 --> 00:40:10,141 to explain what happened. 753 00:40:10,207 --> 00:40:12,443 It began with the electrical failure. 754 00:40:12,510 --> 00:40:14,044 NARRATOR: A failed sensor disables 755 00:40:14,111 --> 00:40:18,315 the lock on the right-side thrust reverser. 756 00:40:18,382 --> 00:40:21,185 The autothrottle disconnects so that the safety 757 00:40:21,252 --> 00:40:24,722 system can assume control of engine power. 758 00:40:24,789 --> 00:40:31,195 After takeoff, the reverser deploys. 759 00:40:31,262 --> 00:40:32,563 No, no, no, no. 760 00:40:32,630 --> 00:40:35,599 NARRATOR: The safety system pulls back the engine power, 761 00:40:35,666 --> 00:40:37,434 but the crew doesn't know what's happening, 762 00:40:37,501 --> 00:40:44,208 and there's no cockpit alarm. 763 00:40:44,275 --> 00:40:45,376 PILOT ANTONIO MORENO (ON RECORDER): 764 00:40:45,442 --> 00:40:47,144 Turn it off up there. Here too. 765 00:40:47,211 --> 00:40:48,612 FIRST OFFICER GOMES (ON RECORDER): It's off. 766 00:40:48,679 --> 00:40:49,747 It off. 767 00:40:53,250 --> 00:40:58,589 PILOT ANTONIO MORENO (ON RECORDER): Oh, God. 768 00:40:58,656 --> 00:41:02,159 Three times, the safety system pulls back the power, 769 00:41:02,226 --> 00:41:05,963 and three times the first officer puts the engines back 770 00:41:06,030 --> 00:41:08,566 to full power. 771 00:41:08,632 --> 00:41:11,101 NARRATOR: Investigators conclude that when the thrust 772 00:41:11,168 --> 00:41:13,771 lever snaps to idle for the last time, 773 00:41:13,838 --> 00:41:17,107 the first officer holds it forward with all his might. 774 00:41:17,174 --> 00:41:20,477 It's a natural response. 775 00:41:20,544 --> 00:41:23,581 The object is to get the airplane as high 776 00:41:23,647 --> 00:41:25,482 and fast as you possibly can. 777 00:41:25,549 --> 00:41:28,018 Given the information that this flight crew had, 778 00:41:28,085 --> 00:41:30,855 I would venture to say that 99% of all flight crews 779 00:41:30,921 --> 00:41:34,291 would have reacted exactly the same way. 780 00:41:34,358 --> 00:41:37,127 NARRATOR: With the throttle held forward, the next time 781 00:41:37,194 --> 00:41:39,630 the reverse cycles open, the first officer 782 00:41:39,697 --> 00:41:43,601 is pushing while the automation is pulling. 783 00:41:43,667 --> 00:41:46,370 The combined force is stronger than the designers 784 00:41:46,437 --> 00:41:47,838 ever anticipated. 785 00:41:47,905 --> 00:41:53,878 It pulls the cable apart. 786 00:41:53,944 --> 00:41:56,380 You had the thrust reversal buckets 787 00:41:56,447 --> 00:41:59,583 fully deployed and full thrust on one 788 00:41:59,650 --> 00:42:03,354 engine in reverse and full thrust on the other engine 789 00:42:03,420 --> 00:42:04,722 in forward. 790 00:42:04,788 --> 00:42:07,691 NARRATOR: The plane rolls violently to the right. 791 00:42:07,758 --> 00:42:10,194 The captain fights to level the plane, 792 00:42:10,261 --> 00:42:12,596 but his years of experience aren't enough. 793 00:42:13,697 --> 00:42:14,899 INTERPRETER: Once the cable breaks, 794 00:42:14,965 --> 00:42:21,972 the accident is inevitable. 795 00:42:24,675 --> 00:42:26,644 At that point, they had no options. 796 00:42:26,710 --> 00:42:33,717 They did everything they humanly could. 797 00:42:39,924 --> 00:42:41,325 NARRATOR: Investigators conclude 798 00:42:41,392 --> 00:42:45,029 the crash was caused by a rare combination of failures. 799 00:42:45,095 --> 00:42:47,231 All of them contributing to an accident that 800 00:42:47,298 --> 00:42:49,033 should have been impossible. 801 00:42:50,868 --> 00:42:53,737 INTERPRETER: The first thing to learn from this investigation 802 00:42:53,804 --> 00:42:57,508 is that nothing is fail-safe. 803 00:42:57,574 --> 00:43:01,245 We need to have guidelines, information, and training 804 00:43:01,312 --> 00:43:06,884 to help pilots respond to an emergency situation, 805 00:43:06,951 --> 00:43:13,958 no matter how unlikely that emergency might be. 806 00:43:18,128 --> 00:43:20,931 NARRATOR: After the crash, TAM airlines added new training 807 00:43:20,998 --> 00:43:23,734 to teach its pilots how to respond if a reversal 808 00:43:23,801 --> 00:43:26,603 deploys during takeoff. 809 00:43:26,670 --> 00:43:29,940 Fokker improved its thrust reversal system. 810 00:43:30,007 --> 00:43:32,509 They also modified the cockpit alarm 811 00:43:32,576 --> 00:43:35,446 so that pilots will now get a warning if a reverse air 812 00:43:35,512 --> 00:43:38,949 deploys on takeoff. 813 00:43:40,451 --> 00:43:42,453 INTERPRETER: An investigation from which nothing is learned 814 00:43:42,519 --> 00:43:44,555 has no value. 815 00:43:44,621 --> 00:43:51,061 The importance is in learning and improving what we do. 816 00:43:52,296 --> 00:43:54,298 INTERPRETER: Whenever we investigate accidents, 817 00:43:54,365 --> 00:43:57,701 we are always searching to understand why. 818 00:43:57,768 --> 00:44:01,271 We want to try and make sure such accidents never 819 00:44:01,338 --> 00:44:03,273 happen again.