1 00:00:02,102 --> 00:00:03,737 NARRATOR: A commuter plane in Norway 2 00:00:03,803 --> 00:00:05,638 is heading for disaster. 3 00:00:05,705 --> 00:00:06,840 Stop! 4 00:00:06,906 --> 00:00:08,775 Just stop! 5 00:00:08,842 --> 00:00:11,311 Then you're starting to run out of options. 6 00:00:11,378 --> 00:00:14,948 It's going over! 7 00:00:15,014 --> 00:00:20,553 Why couldn't it stop, and why didn't it stop? 8 00:00:20,620 --> 00:00:26,359 NARRATOR: The horrific scene is caught on home video. 9 00:00:26,426 --> 00:00:28,828 Watch your step, guys. 10 00:00:28,895 --> 00:00:31,698 We could find bits and pieces of steel, 11 00:00:31,765 --> 00:00:34,834 but all the rest of it was gone. 12 00:00:34,901 --> 00:00:39,506 NARRATOR: Could a mysterious substance point to the cause? 13 00:00:39,572 --> 00:00:45,445 I think we found our smoking gun. 14 00:00:45,512 --> 00:00:46,746 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Ladies and gentlemen, 15 00:00:46,813 --> 00:00:48,148 we are starting our approach. 16 00:00:48,214 --> 00:00:49,315 PILOT: We lost both engines. 17 00:00:49,382 --> 00:00:50,283 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Put the mask over your nose. 18 00:00:50,350 --> 00:00:51,151 Emergency descent. PILOT: Mayday! 19 00:00:51,217 --> 00:00:52,185 Mayday! 20 00:00:52,252 --> 00:00:58,224 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Brace for impact! 21 00:00:58,291 --> 00:00:59,225 MAN: He's gonna crash. 22 00:01:13,907 --> 00:01:16,709 NARRATOR: It's 7:20 AM. 23 00:01:16,776 --> 00:01:20,747 High above the jagged coast of Norway, the crew of Atlantic 24 00:01:20,814 --> 00:01:23,416 Airways 670 reaches the peak altitude 25 00:01:23,483 --> 00:01:30,457 for a short 15-minute flight. 26 00:01:32,459 --> 00:01:34,394 There's 10,000. 27 00:01:34,461 --> 00:01:36,830 OK. 28 00:01:36,896 --> 00:01:38,698 We're all the way up. 29 00:01:38,765 --> 00:01:41,034 It must be time to get ready to go down again. 30 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:44,304 ROLF LILAND: Norway has a lot of steep mountains 31 00:01:44,370 --> 00:01:45,438 and deep fjords. 32 00:01:45,505 --> 00:01:49,909 And if you are to travel by road or by sea, 33 00:01:49,976 --> 00:01:53,480 your journey might take hours or days, 34 00:01:53,546 --> 00:01:56,449 while a short hop with an aircraft of 15 to 20 minutes 35 00:01:56,516 --> 00:02:02,255 will cover big parts of the country. 36 00:02:02,322 --> 00:02:04,357 NARRATOR: This morning, an oil company 37 00:02:04,424 --> 00:02:06,993 has chartered the plane to shuttle a group of employees 38 00:02:07,060 --> 00:02:09,262 to work. 39 00:02:09,329 --> 00:02:13,633 The first workers boarded at Stavanger Sola Airport. 40 00:02:13,700 --> 00:02:16,870 Next up is a quick stop on the island of Stord 41 00:02:16,936 --> 00:02:19,339 to pick up a few more, before flying 42 00:02:19,405 --> 00:02:21,608 on to their final destination at Molde 43 00:02:21,674 --> 00:02:26,679 on the mainland coast. 44 00:02:26,746 --> 00:02:30,817 For Tor Arne Johannesen, it's just another morning commute. 45 00:02:30,884 --> 00:02:33,686 TOR ARNE JOHANNESEN: 46 00:02:33,753 --> 00:02:36,890 INTERPRETER: I was going to be on a 5-2 rotation. 47 00:02:36,956 --> 00:02:39,325 That means I was going to work for five days, 48 00:02:39,392 --> 00:02:40,927 and go home for weekends. 49 00:02:40,994 --> 00:02:47,166 For me, it was a totally normal day. 50 00:02:47,233 --> 00:02:52,205 NARRATOR: The crew is flying a British Aerospace 146, a four 51 00:02:52,272 --> 00:02:54,474 engine commuter plane ideal for flying 52 00:02:54,541 --> 00:02:57,443 between remote Norwegian airfields. 53 00:02:57,510 --> 00:03:03,383 The 146 is a very nice airplane, an easy airplane 54 00:03:03,449 --> 00:03:04,984 to fly actually. 55 00:03:05,051 --> 00:03:06,953 NARRATOR: Sven-Erik Strandberg flew 56 00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:10,757 the 146 for Atlantic Airways. 57 00:03:10,823 --> 00:03:15,528 It was actually meant for landing on short runways 58 00:03:15,595 --> 00:03:19,999 and even gravel runways. 59 00:03:20,066 --> 00:03:21,634 The runway is going to be in sight soon. 60 00:03:21,701 --> 00:03:23,069 Why don't you see what the weather's doing. 61 00:03:23,136 --> 00:03:26,239 NARRATOR: For this first leg, 34-year-old Captain Niklas 62 00:03:26,306 --> 00:03:28,942 Djurhuus is at the controls. 63 00:03:29,008 --> 00:03:32,712 He's been a commercial pilot for more than a decade. 64 00:03:32,779 --> 00:03:36,215 Control, Atlantic 670, can you 65 00:03:36,282 --> 00:03:38,017 advise on current conditions? 66 00:03:38,084 --> 00:03:41,688 NARRATOR: The first officer, 38-year-old Jakob Evald, 67 00:03:41,754 --> 00:03:45,325 joined Atlantic Airways just a few months ago. 68 00:03:45,391 --> 00:03:50,163 Wind is 110 at 6 knots. 69 00:03:50,229 --> 00:03:52,465 Visibility is over 10 o'clock. 70 00:03:52,532 --> 00:03:57,537 Wind 110 at 6, Atlantic 670. 71 00:03:57,604 --> 00:03:59,038 Weather is good. 72 00:03:59,105 --> 00:04:03,643 ROLF LILAND: This was an early October morning. 73 00:04:03,710 --> 00:04:07,180 Just about clear skies and almost calm winds. 74 00:04:07,246 --> 00:04:09,983 So a very good day for flying. 75 00:04:10,049 --> 00:04:13,620 TOR ARNE JOHANNESEN: 76 00:04:13,686 --> 00:04:15,288 INTERPRETER: The plane was normal, 77 00:04:15,355 --> 00:04:17,657 nothing that would predict something was wrong. 78 00:04:17,724 --> 00:04:18,658 It was cold. 79 00:04:18,725 --> 00:04:20,226 That was the only thing. 80 00:04:20,293 --> 00:04:22,161 It was early in the morning, and that's 81 00:04:22,228 --> 00:04:28,568 why I kept my jacket on. 82 00:04:28,635 --> 00:04:30,603 NARRATOR: Stord Airport is perched 83 00:04:30,670 --> 00:04:33,373 on the edge of a rugged island with rocky cliffs 84 00:04:33,439 --> 00:04:36,809 bordering the runway on three sides. 85 00:04:36,876 --> 00:04:38,811 SVEN-ERIK STRANDBERG: It's located 86 00:04:38,878 --> 00:04:42,448 on top of a small mountain, you could say. 87 00:04:42,515 --> 00:04:47,286 So it's pretty steep terrain around. 88 00:04:47,353 --> 00:04:50,223 NARRATOR: There's very little margin for error. 89 00:04:50,289 --> 00:04:56,629 Overshoot the runway, and you could end up in the sea below. 90 00:04:56,696 --> 00:04:59,265 We are still planning on runway 15. 91 00:04:59,332 --> 00:05:00,967 Winds 110 at 6 knots? 92 00:05:01,034 --> 00:05:03,069 Yep. 93 00:05:03,136 --> 00:05:05,505 So it's just a small tailwind. 94 00:05:05,571 --> 00:05:09,342 Let's take runway 33, that way we can do it straight in. 95 00:05:09,409 --> 00:05:10,810 You've got it. 96 00:05:10,877 --> 00:05:13,379 NARRATOR: Shortly before touchdown, the crew 97 00:05:13,446 --> 00:05:17,550 makes a last minute change. 98 00:05:17,617 --> 00:05:19,719 They want to approach Stord single runway 99 00:05:19,786 --> 00:05:23,656 from the Southern end, known as runway 33, 100 00:05:23,723 --> 00:05:26,926 rather than circling around to land from the North end, known 101 00:05:26,993 --> 00:05:30,897 as runway 15. 102 00:05:30,963 --> 00:05:33,566 Control, Atlantic 670, we'd like 103 00:05:33,633 --> 00:05:37,804 to do a visual into runway 33. 104 00:05:37,870 --> 00:05:39,739 Affirmative, 670. 105 00:05:39,806 --> 00:05:41,007 The runway is free. 106 00:05:41,074 --> 00:05:45,078 You are cleared for a visual approach, runway 33. 107 00:05:45,144 --> 00:05:47,947 ROLF LILAND: Since they were coming from the South, 108 00:05:48,014 --> 00:05:49,982 straight and landing towards the Northwest 109 00:05:50,049 --> 00:05:52,585 would be the most convenient way to land. 110 00:05:52,652 --> 00:05:54,387 NARRATOR: The straight in approach 111 00:05:54,454 --> 00:05:55,888 will put the airplane on the ground 112 00:05:55,955 --> 00:06:00,126 in less than five minutes. 113 00:06:00,193 --> 00:06:02,595 What's our landing speed? 114 00:06:02,662 --> 00:06:05,231 112 knots. 115 00:06:05,298 --> 00:06:07,300 NARRATOR: The crew now enters the busiest 116 00:06:07,366 --> 00:06:09,469 time in any flight. 117 00:06:09,535 --> 00:06:11,204 Set speed for final. 118 00:06:11,270 --> 00:06:13,072 NARRATOR: They must simultaneously 119 00:06:13,139 --> 00:06:15,641 shed altitude and speed. 120 00:06:15,708 --> 00:06:18,144 Speed set. 121 00:06:18,211 --> 00:06:19,479 Flaps 20. 122 00:06:19,545 --> 00:06:21,514 NARRATOR: And prepare the plane for touchdown. 123 00:06:21,581 --> 00:06:23,182 Flaps 20. 124 00:06:23,249 --> 00:06:26,486 You're deploying the flaps, you're putting the gear down, 125 00:06:26,552 --> 00:06:27,954 the wheels, if you will. 126 00:06:28,020 --> 00:06:30,656 Gear down. 127 00:06:30,723 --> 00:06:34,360 Gear is down. 128 00:06:34,427 --> 00:06:38,397 Flaps to full. 129 00:06:38,464 --> 00:06:41,768 Flaps full. 130 00:06:41,834 --> 00:06:45,004 NARRATOR: Flight 670 is just one minute from the runway. 131 00:06:58,985 --> 00:07:01,053 We're stable. 132 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,022 We have landing speed. 133 00:07:03,089 --> 00:07:05,792 ROLF LILAND: The flying pilot will be looking outside 134 00:07:05,858 --> 00:07:08,027 at the visual references. 135 00:07:08,094 --> 00:07:10,329 He'll be checking the air speed to make sure 136 00:07:10,396 --> 00:07:13,499 that it's on speed, not too high, 137 00:07:13,566 --> 00:07:15,501 and definitely not too low. 138 00:07:15,568 --> 00:07:17,737 And when you're landing at an airport like Stord, which 139 00:07:17,804 --> 00:07:20,339 is fairly short, where stopping distances is 140 00:07:20,406 --> 00:07:22,642 an important factor, then you're 141 00:07:22,708 --> 00:07:27,280 extremely highly focused on the desired touchdown point. 142 00:07:27,346 --> 00:07:34,353 Reducing thrust. 143 00:07:36,489 --> 00:07:42,228 NARRATOR: The plane touches down at 7:32 AM. 144 00:07:42,295 --> 00:07:48,134 And spoilers. 145 00:07:48,201 --> 00:07:51,737 No spoilers. 146 00:07:54,140 --> 00:07:56,909 INTERPRETER: I noticed there was something abnormal. 147 00:07:56,976 --> 00:08:00,646 Full brakes. 148 00:08:00,713 --> 00:08:02,648 Why aren't we slowing down. 149 00:08:04,350 --> 00:08:07,620 INTERPRETER: It felt like when you're driving a car on ice 150 00:08:07,687 --> 00:08:14,694 and you're trying to break, but they don't work. 151 00:08:18,764 --> 00:08:20,132 We're not stopping. 152 00:08:25,271 --> 00:08:26,572 TOR ARNE JOHANNESEN: 153 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:28,975 INTERPRETER: We realized it wasn't breaking, 154 00:08:29,041 --> 00:08:31,878 and it's moving really, really fast. 155 00:08:37,516 --> 00:08:41,187 Speed. 156 00:08:41,254 --> 00:08:43,522 ROLF LILAND: If the airplane still does not 157 00:08:43,589 --> 00:08:47,260 seem to be decelerating, then you're starting 158 00:08:47,326 --> 00:08:51,030 to run out of options. 159 00:08:51,097 --> 00:08:57,370 NARRATOR: Flight 670 is running out of runway. 160 00:08:57,436 --> 00:09:00,006 Desperate to stop his plane, Captain Djurhuus 161 00:09:00,072 --> 00:09:02,842 takes drastic measures. 162 00:09:02,909 --> 00:09:04,977 Hang on. 163 00:09:05,044 --> 00:09:07,613 NARRATOR: He throws the plane into a sharp turn, 164 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:13,286 first right, then left, hoping to skid to a stop. 165 00:09:13,352 --> 00:09:16,722 These pilots were thinking extremely clearly. 166 00:09:16,789 --> 00:09:19,825 And they even tried to put the aircraft into a skid 167 00:09:19,892 --> 00:09:22,962 just to increase the friction between the wheels 168 00:09:23,029 --> 00:09:27,166 and the pavement. 169 00:09:27,233 --> 00:09:28,200 Stop! 170 00:09:28,267 --> 00:09:29,201 Stop! 171 00:09:29,268 --> 00:09:36,275 Just stop! 172 00:09:39,078 --> 00:09:41,580 We're going over! 173 00:09:45,651 --> 00:09:47,586 TOR ARNE JOHANNESEN: 174 00:09:47,653 --> 00:09:51,357 INTERPRETER: Your only thought is that you're going to die. 175 00:09:51,424 --> 00:09:56,062 This is the end. 176 00:10:20,853 --> 00:10:25,124 The fire brigade responded immediately. 177 00:10:25,191 --> 00:10:27,626 NARRATOR: At Stord Airport, firefighters 178 00:10:27,693 --> 00:10:29,362 race toward the end of the runway 179 00:10:29,428 --> 00:10:35,101 where Flight 670 has disappeared over a cliff. 180 00:10:35,167 --> 00:10:38,337 Both pilots are alive, but fire is consuming 181 00:10:38,404 --> 00:10:39,939 the right side of their plane. 182 00:10:40,006 --> 00:10:40,940 You all right? 183 00:10:41,007 --> 00:10:42,141 Yeah. 184 00:10:42,208 --> 00:10:43,142 Yeah. 185 00:10:43,209 --> 00:10:44,844 Emergency checklists. 186 00:10:44,910 --> 00:10:46,212 I'll shut down, you order the evacuation. 187 00:10:46,278 --> 00:10:48,214 --here comes down off the top. 188 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,149 NARRATOR: Procedures call for the crew 189 00:10:50,216 --> 00:10:55,221 to shut down the engines and order an evacuation. 190 00:10:55,287 --> 00:10:57,890 But the cockpit door is jammed. 191 00:10:57,957 --> 00:11:04,897 The door is stuck. 192 00:11:05,898 --> 00:11:08,200 We've got to get out. 193 00:11:08,267 --> 00:11:09,301 We've got to get out now. 194 00:11:09,368 --> 00:11:10,669 TOR ARNE JOHANNESEN: 195 00:11:10,736 --> 00:11:12,405 INTERPRETER: I had only one focus, 196 00:11:12,471 --> 00:11:16,575 and that was I had to get off the plane. 197 00:11:16,642 --> 00:11:19,745 NARRATOR: Passengers face a terrifying challenge. 198 00:11:19,812 --> 00:11:22,014 The front exits are blocked, and moving 199 00:11:22,081 --> 00:11:23,949 up the aisle to the rear exit doors 200 00:11:24,016 --> 00:11:26,118 is like climbing a cliff. 201 00:11:26,185 --> 00:11:29,789 ROLF LILAND: The passengers had to more or less climb uphill 202 00:11:29,855 --> 00:11:32,792 in order to reach that door, using 203 00:11:32,858 --> 00:11:36,062 the seats and the headrests to pull themselves 204 00:11:36,128 --> 00:11:38,431 up towards the exit door. 205 00:11:38,497 --> 00:11:41,367 NARRATOR: The pilots have their own serious problems, 206 00:11:41,434 --> 00:11:45,137 one of the plane's four engines is not switching off. 207 00:11:45,204 --> 00:11:46,639 The door is stuck. 208 00:11:46,705 --> 00:11:48,274 I can't get engine two to shut down. 209 00:11:48,340 --> 00:11:52,711 Behind the engine, obviously it's very hot. 210 00:11:52,778 --> 00:11:54,447 On the front end of the engine, there's 211 00:11:54,513 --> 00:11:57,283 the jet intake, the air intake, which 212 00:11:57,349 --> 00:11:59,985 is sucking air into the engine for compression. 213 00:12:00,052 --> 00:12:07,059 So basically you have a danger area all around the engine. 214 00:12:11,730 --> 00:12:14,333 INTERPRETER: You're standing in the aisle hearing the jet 215 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,369 engines, and you're sure that you're going to die when you 216 00:12:17,436 --> 00:12:19,972 jump out behind the engines. 217 00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:21,807 NARRATOR: Less than a minute after what 218 00:12:21,874 --> 00:12:26,946 seemed like a normal touchdown, all 16 people on board 219 00:12:27,012 --> 00:12:28,314 are scrambling for their lives. 220 00:12:39,024 --> 00:12:43,095 The cockpit door still won't budge. 221 00:12:43,162 --> 00:12:46,098 Hey, we have to get out of here. 222 00:12:46,165 --> 00:12:48,167 NARRATOR: The pilots are forced to escape 223 00:12:48,234 --> 00:12:50,536 through the side window. 224 00:12:50,603 --> 00:12:54,640 Above the window is a rope that you can use. 225 00:12:54,707 --> 00:12:59,678 And you sit out with the back, lean back, hold the rope, 226 00:12:59,745 --> 00:13:03,649 and kind of winch yourself down. 227 00:13:03,716 --> 00:13:05,384 NARRATOR: At the back of the plane, 228 00:13:05,451 --> 00:13:12,224 Tor Arne Johannesen has finally found a way out. 229 00:13:13,526 --> 00:13:18,964 He escapes just before the plane bursts into flames. 230 00:13:20,866 --> 00:13:23,235 INTERPRETER: The interior burst into flames, 231 00:13:23,302 --> 00:13:26,438 and you couldn't see anything. 232 00:13:26,505 --> 00:13:31,777 The next moment, I'm outside the plane. 233 00:13:31,844 --> 00:13:35,447 I didn't think about whether I was relieved or happy, 234 00:13:35,514 --> 00:13:41,353 I was just full of adrenaline. 235 00:13:41,420 --> 00:13:43,989 My wife. 236 00:13:44,056 --> 00:13:47,927 I need to call my wife. 237 00:13:47,993 --> 00:13:49,929 NARRATOR: A local resident records 238 00:13:49,995 --> 00:13:52,498 the terrifying scene as aviation 239 00:13:52,565 --> 00:13:56,735 fuel burns out of control. 240 00:13:56,802 --> 00:14:02,141 It takes fire crews nearly two hours to quench the flames. 241 00:14:02,208 --> 00:14:04,410 ROLF LILAND: They have to stand up by the runway 242 00:14:04,476 --> 00:14:10,416 and direct their foam and water way down into the ravine, 243 00:14:10,482 --> 00:14:14,486 barely reaching the aircraft. 244 00:14:14,553 --> 00:14:17,690 NARRATOR: Four people are dead. 245 00:14:17,756 --> 00:14:20,559 Both pilots have survived. 246 00:14:20,626 --> 00:14:24,863 Tor Arne Johannesen has suffered some painful burns, 247 00:14:24,930 --> 00:14:26,632 but it could have been much worse. 248 00:14:26,699 --> 00:14:28,000 TOR ARNE JOHANNESEN: 249 00:14:28,067 --> 00:14:32,304 INTERPRETER: I kept my jacket on, which saved my arms 250 00:14:32,371 --> 00:14:35,841 from being badly burned. 251 00:14:35,908 --> 00:14:39,078 ROLF LILAND: There were tragic fatalities. 252 00:14:39,144 --> 00:14:42,581 But the fact that they managed to evacuate so many 253 00:14:42,648 --> 00:14:44,483 from the aircraft is really, really 254 00:14:44,550 --> 00:14:49,655 a feat which has impressed a lot of people in the industry. 255 00:14:49,722 --> 00:14:52,658 NARRATOR: Sven-Erik Strandberg spoke to the captain 256 00:14:52,725 --> 00:14:55,527 just after the crash. 257 00:14:55,594 --> 00:14:58,831 I tried to comfort him somehow there 258 00:14:58,897 --> 00:15:01,367 but he didn't say much. 259 00:15:01,433 --> 00:15:05,237 I couldn't stop. 260 00:15:05,304 --> 00:15:07,906 Why couldn't I stop? 261 00:15:07,973 --> 00:15:14,280 Obviously in shock and trying to figure out what happened, 262 00:15:14,346 --> 00:15:20,986 I would say. 263 00:15:21,053 --> 00:15:22,888 NARRATOR: Within hours, Norway's 264 00:15:22,955 --> 00:15:28,193 Accident Investigation Board, the AIBN, is at the scene. 265 00:15:28,260 --> 00:15:30,996 Watch your step, guys. 266 00:15:31,063 --> 00:15:33,732 TOR NORSTEGAARD: We knew very little in the beginning. 267 00:15:33,799 --> 00:15:36,135 We heard that it had skidded off the runway, 268 00:15:36,201 --> 00:15:39,872 and it was burning, and it was fatalities there. 269 00:15:39,938 --> 00:15:42,808 And then we knew it was serious. 270 00:15:42,875 --> 00:15:44,710 NARRATOR: As they begin their work, 271 00:15:44,777 --> 00:15:49,114 there's only one thing investigators know for sure. 272 00:15:49,181 --> 00:15:53,585 We knew that this aircraft didn't manage to stop. 273 00:15:53,652 --> 00:15:56,288 So we had to look into why couldn't it stop, 274 00:15:56,355 --> 00:15:58,791 and why didn't it stop. 275 00:15:58,857 --> 00:16:01,960 NARRATOR: Answering that question won't be easy. 276 00:16:02,027 --> 00:16:03,796 There's much more to stopping an airplane 277 00:16:03,862 --> 00:16:06,031 than just hitting the brakes. 278 00:16:06,098 --> 00:16:08,667 Aerodynamic forces, atmospheric conditions, 279 00:16:08,734 --> 00:16:13,839 and a range of mechanical systems are all at play. 280 00:16:13,906 --> 00:16:17,009 ROLF LILAND: So the evidence they would find 281 00:16:17,076 --> 00:16:20,012 would need a deep technical analysis in order 282 00:16:20,079 --> 00:16:22,381 to draw conclusions from it, or at least 283 00:16:22,448 --> 00:16:25,017 meaningful conclusions. 284 00:16:25,084 --> 00:16:28,420 NARRATOR: Flight 670 has come to rest nose down, 285 00:16:28,487 --> 00:16:32,091 one side rolled against the steep slope. 286 00:16:32,157 --> 00:16:38,764 We saw that this must have been a dramatic event. 287 00:16:40,032 --> 00:16:41,967 NARRATOR: Investigators quickly realize the wreckage 288 00:16:42,034 --> 00:16:46,372 will give them few leads. 289 00:16:46,438 --> 00:16:48,640 Much of the plane has been completely consumed 290 00:16:48,707 --> 00:16:52,544 by the post-crash fire. 291 00:16:52,611 --> 00:16:54,546 TOR NORSTEGAARD: There was almost nothing left. 292 00:16:54,613 --> 00:16:57,483 It was melted aluminum. 293 00:16:57,549 --> 00:16:59,818 And what we could find was some steel 294 00:16:59,885 --> 00:17:04,723 bolts, and some steel shafts, and bits and pieces of steel. 295 00:17:04,790 --> 00:17:07,659 But the rest of it was gone. 296 00:17:07,726 --> 00:17:10,596 NARRATOR: Investigators face immediate pressure to find 297 00:17:10,662 --> 00:17:14,867 the cause of the crash. 298 00:17:14,933 --> 00:17:19,071 The BAE 146 is considered an ideal machine for Norway's 299 00:17:19,138 --> 00:17:22,374 challenging flying conditions. 300 00:17:22,441 --> 00:17:25,711 If there's a hidden flaw in the design of the aircraft, 301 00:17:25,778 --> 00:17:32,785 other lives could be at risk. 302 00:17:36,155 --> 00:17:38,891 The flight recorders are quickly recovered. 303 00:17:38,957 --> 00:17:41,226 But they've been exposed to intense heat and fire 304 00:17:41,293 --> 00:17:44,029 for two hours, more than double what 305 00:17:44,096 --> 00:17:48,133 they're designed to endure. 306 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,269 They weren't quite burned. 307 00:17:50,335 --> 00:17:53,605 They were suited. 308 00:17:53,672 --> 00:17:55,874 Ooh. 309 00:17:55,941 --> 00:17:57,810 A lot of heat damage to the exterior. 310 00:17:57,876 --> 00:17:59,311 KAARE HALVORSEN: And they had changed color 311 00:17:59,378 --> 00:18:03,916 from the normal red to black grayish 312 00:18:03,982 --> 00:18:06,351 color, which indicates that they had 313 00:18:06,418 --> 00:18:09,288 been exposed to extreme heat. 314 00:18:09,354 --> 00:18:12,691 Well, let's hope the insides are in better shape. 315 00:18:12,758 --> 00:18:15,160 NARRATOR: Investigators send them for analysis, 316 00:18:15,227 --> 00:18:17,529 and hope for the best. 317 00:18:17,596 --> 00:18:19,565 We took both of their recorders 318 00:18:19,631 --> 00:18:22,401 to the British Accident Investigation 319 00:18:22,468 --> 00:18:29,475 Board, which are experts on reading out the recorders. 320 00:18:30,509 --> 00:18:32,811 NARRATOR: For now, the runway itself 321 00:18:32,878 --> 00:18:34,112 is the best lead they have. 322 00:18:34,179 --> 00:18:38,784 For now, just record everything you see. 323 00:18:38,851 --> 00:18:41,019 You never know what might be important. 324 00:18:41,086 --> 00:18:44,690 We could see some marks at the runway 325 00:18:44,756 --> 00:18:49,194 that looked like being from the accident airplane. 326 00:18:49,261 --> 00:18:52,030 So that was very interesting. 327 00:18:52,097 --> 00:18:54,099 NARRATOR: The skid marks might provide 328 00:18:54,166 --> 00:18:57,369 important clues about why the plane failed to stop. 329 00:18:57,436 --> 00:19:00,572 But analyzing them won't be easy. 330 00:19:00,639 --> 00:19:03,575 How many planes use this airport anyway? 331 00:19:03,642 --> 00:19:07,679 On this airport, there's a lot of skid marks. 332 00:19:07,746 --> 00:19:12,584 So it's a tricky part to determine which skid 333 00:19:12,651 --> 00:19:17,723 mark was from which aircraft. 334 00:19:17,789 --> 00:19:21,026 NARRATOR: As they collect bits of debris from the runway, 335 00:19:21,093 --> 00:19:25,430 they notice a troubling detail about the surface. 336 00:19:25,497 --> 00:19:27,232 Runway's damp. 337 00:19:27,299 --> 00:19:30,569 NARRATOR: It lacks a crucial safety feature. 338 00:19:30,636 --> 00:19:35,340 And there are no grooves. 339 00:19:35,407 --> 00:19:37,276 NARRATOR: Most modern runways are 340 00:19:37,342 --> 00:19:40,078 lined with special grooves that carry away rainwater 341 00:19:40,145 --> 00:19:45,918 and help prevent pooling. 342 00:19:45,984 --> 00:19:50,622 It was raining at Stord earlier on the morning of the crash. 343 00:19:50,689 --> 00:19:54,026 A wet runway will make the runway more slippery, 344 00:19:54,092 --> 00:19:59,398 and it will increase the aircraft stopping distance. 345 00:19:59,464 --> 00:20:02,734 We're not stopping. 346 00:20:02,801 --> 00:20:06,138 NARRATOR: Did the dangerously wet runway prevent 347 00:20:06,204 --> 00:20:08,006 Flight 670 from stopping-- 348 00:20:08,073 --> 00:20:09,942 We're going over! 349 00:20:10,008 --> 00:20:11,176 NARRATOR: --before it's fatal plunge 350 00:20:11,243 --> 00:20:17,616 down a rocky embankment? 351 00:20:17,683 --> 00:20:20,185 Air traffic controllers at Stord Airport 352 00:20:20,252 --> 00:20:22,688 can't explain why Atlantic Airways Flight 353 00:20:22,754 --> 00:20:27,059 670 careened over a cliff. 354 00:20:27,125 --> 00:20:29,962 The other flight had no problem. 355 00:20:30,028 --> 00:20:31,897 NARRATOR: An identical plane landed 356 00:20:31,964 --> 00:20:38,804 safely on the same runway just 25 minutes before the crash. 357 00:20:39,938 --> 00:20:42,941 Sven-Erik Strandberg was piloting that plane. 358 00:20:43,008 --> 00:20:47,379 It was not that wet, it was just a little bit damp, 359 00:20:47,446 --> 00:20:52,017 so we didn't notice very much on landing at all. 360 00:20:52,084 --> 00:20:54,586 So it was uneventful. 361 00:20:54,653 --> 00:20:57,756 NARRATOR: The idea that a wet runway was to blame just 362 00:20:57,823 --> 00:21:01,760 doesn't seem to add up. 363 00:21:01,827 --> 00:21:06,565 You describe how the landing looked to you? 364 00:21:06,632 --> 00:21:08,767 NARRATOR: But investigators get a new lead 365 00:21:08,834 --> 00:21:10,602 when they talk to some of the firefighters 366 00:21:10,669 --> 00:21:14,473 who saw Flight 670 land. 367 00:21:14,539 --> 00:21:16,942 Several reports seeing a trail of mist 368 00:21:17,009 --> 00:21:22,247 streaming from the plane's wings after it touched down. 369 00:21:22,314 --> 00:21:24,549 KAARE HALVORSEN: The witnesses stated that they saw wing 370 00:21:24,616 --> 00:21:28,420 vortices from the aircraft. 371 00:21:28,487 --> 00:21:32,891 For us, this is one evidence that the lift spoilers 372 00:21:32,958 --> 00:21:37,095 were not working as intended. 373 00:21:37,162 --> 00:21:39,531 NARRATOR: When an airplane is in flight, 374 00:21:39,598 --> 00:21:42,134 the wings create trails of turbulent air 375 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,803 known as wingtip vortices. 376 00:21:44,870 --> 00:21:50,642 But only when the wings are generating lift. 377 00:21:50,709 --> 00:21:56,882 In the air, you can actually see this like corkscrews 378 00:21:56,948 --> 00:22:01,153 following up from the wings. 379 00:22:01,219 --> 00:22:04,756 NARRATOR: The 146 has six spoilers that should have 380 00:22:04,823 --> 00:22:07,659 deployed on touchdown to disrupt that lift 381 00:22:07,726 --> 00:22:11,463 and help the plane stick to the runway and stop. 382 00:22:11,530 --> 00:22:13,432 As soon as you select the spoilers, 383 00:22:13,498 --> 00:22:16,902 you will feel the airplane sink down towards the runway, 384 00:22:16,968 --> 00:22:20,372 and you can apply the brakes. 385 00:22:20,439 --> 00:22:23,075 NARRATOR: Did the spoilers on Flight 670 386 00:22:23,141 --> 00:22:26,945 somehow fail to deploy? 387 00:22:27,012 --> 00:22:30,716 It may be a difficult question for the team to answer. 388 00:22:30,782 --> 00:22:36,221 All six of the plane spoilers were destroyed by fire. 389 00:22:36,288 --> 00:22:39,624 Is this all we got? 390 00:22:39,691 --> 00:22:41,727 TOR NORSTEGAARD: Digging into this wreckage, 391 00:22:41,793 --> 00:22:45,831 we saw that it was no switches, no wires, nothing that could 392 00:22:45,897 --> 00:22:50,368 be useful for us, but we knew that the actuators possibly 393 00:22:50,435 --> 00:22:52,003 could tell us something. 394 00:22:52,070 --> 00:22:55,140 NARRATOR: Investigators are in luck. 395 00:22:55,207 --> 00:22:57,743 The actuators that move the spoilers into place 396 00:22:57,809 --> 00:23:01,513 have survived. 397 00:23:01,580 --> 00:23:02,781 OK then. 398 00:23:02,848 --> 00:23:06,651 Let's see what these can tell us. 399 00:23:06,718 --> 00:23:11,590 NARRATOR: They send them to the lab for X-ray examination. 400 00:23:11,656 --> 00:23:13,492 The actuators, they were moving 401 00:23:13,558 --> 00:23:14,659 the spoilers up and down. 402 00:23:14,726 --> 00:23:19,131 The actuator is sort of a jack, you see. 403 00:23:19,197 --> 00:23:23,969 So it pushes the spoilers up, and it locks them. 404 00:23:24,035 --> 00:23:25,871 NARRATOR: X-rays of the actuators 405 00:23:25,937 --> 00:23:28,340 confirm the investigators suspicions, 406 00:23:28,406 --> 00:23:32,310 the spoilers never deployed. 407 00:23:32,377 --> 00:23:36,047 With no spoilers, Flight 670 didn't have the usual amount 408 00:23:36,114 --> 00:23:37,783 of stopping power. 409 00:23:37,849 --> 00:23:39,818 It's a compelling clue. 410 00:23:39,885 --> 00:23:42,020 Investigators wonder if they've found 411 00:23:42,087 --> 00:23:48,393 the explanation for the crash. 412 00:23:48,460 --> 00:23:53,799 With no spoilers, they would need 40% more runway. 413 00:23:53,865 --> 00:23:56,902 NARRATOR: As a safety feature, the British Aerospace 414 00:23:56,968 --> 00:24:00,772 146 can stop without spoilers, but it 415 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:02,741 takes a lot more runway. 416 00:24:02,808 --> 00:24:04,009 ROLF LILAND: When you know that you're 417 00:24:04,075 --> 00:24:05,544 going to land at the short airport, 418 00:24:05,610 --> 00:24:09,815 you need to calculate how much distance you will use to land. 419 00:24:09,881 --> 00:24:12,150 How long is this runway anyway? 420 00:24:12,217 --> 00:24:14,252 NARRATOR: Perhaps the runway at Stord 421 00:24:14,319 --> 00:24:16,121 was simply too short for the plane 422 00:24:16,188 --> 00:24:21,760 to stop without this critical equipment. 423 00:24:21,827 --> 00:24:26,198 Stopping distance is 470 meters 424 00:24:26,264 --> 00:24:29,100 on a 1,200 meter runway. 425 00:24:29,167 --> 00:24:33,505 NARRATOR: But it's a dead end. 426 00:24:33,572 --> 00:24:36,441 They had more than enough room to stop without spoilers. 427 00:24:36,508 --> 00:24:38,777 TOR NORSTEGAARD: The last part of the runway, 428 00:24:38,844 --> 00:24:40,979 for instance, the speed should have been so low, 429 00:24:41,046 --> 00:24:44,950 so spoilers or no spoilers shouldn't be that important. 430 00:24:45,016 --> 00:24:49,120 So we knew early on that it must be something else 431 00:24:49,187 --> 00:24:51,556 in addition to the spoilers. 432 00:24:51,623 --> 00:24:53,258 NARRATOR: But what? 433 00:24:53,325 --> 00:24:54,492 That is the mystery now. 434 00:24:54,559 --> 00:24:55,493 Stop! 435 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:56,494 Stop! 436 00:24:56,561 --> 00:24:57,929 Just stop! 437 00:24:57,996 --> 00:25:01,066 NARRATOR: What else went wrong during a routine landing that 438 00:25:01,132 --> 00:25:02,701 suddenly turned to disaster? 439 00:25:02,767 --> 00:25:05,637 We're going over! 440 00:25:25,624 --> 00:25:28,793 NARRATOR: In their quest for answers about the fatal crash 441 00:25:28,860 --> 00:25:32,964 at Stord Airport, investigators have a vital witness, 442 00:25:33,031 --> 00:25:35,033 Captain Niklas Djurhuus. 443 00:25:35,100 --> 00:25:37,335 We tried to get into the cabin, 444 00:25:37,402 --> 00:25:42,674 but the door would not open. 445 00:25:42,741 --> 00:25:44,075 Not too sure why. 446 00:25:44,142 --> 00:25:47,145 We gave it everything we had, but the door wasn't opening. 447 00:25:47,212 --> 00:25:49,881 NARRATOR: He recounts the harrowing last moments 448 00:25:49,948 --> 00:25:52,517 in the twisted cockpit of his burning plane, 449 00:25:52,584 --> 00:25:55,453 and his desperate efforts to open the cockpit door 450 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:56,488 and help with the evacuation. 451 00:25:56,554 --> 00:25:57,489 --you order the evacuation. 452 00:25:57,555 --> 00:26:04,562 Down here comes out off the top. 453 00:26:06,932 --> 00:26:11,136 ROLF LILAND: The door was a new type which was reinforced 454 00:26:11,202 --> 00:26:12,570 for security measures. 455 00:26:12,637 --> 00:26:13,838 I can't get engine two to shut down. 456 00:26:13,905 --> 00:26:17,609 So opening it by kicking it and so forth 457 00:26:17,676 --> 00:26:24,549 would not be as easy as with an old type basic type of door. 458 00:26:25,550 --> 00:26:32,424 Hey, we have to get out of here. 459 00:26:34,092 --> 00:26:38,129 Now I need you to think back further. 460 00:26:38,196 --> 00:26:40,865 NARRATOR: To understand the cause of the accident, 461 00:26:40,932 --> 00:26:43,268 investigators need to know what the captain 462 00:26:43,335 --> 00:26:47,005 was doing in the cockpit before he lost control of the plane. 463 00:26:47,072 --> 00:26:49,207 What happened when you first touched down? 464 00:26:49,274 --> 00:26:52,410 OK, well, as soon as we touched down, 465 00:26:52,477 --> 00:26:54,412 I pulled the spoiler lever. 466 00:26:54,479 --> 00:26:55,647 But it didn't work. 467 00:26:55,714 --> 00:26:57,682 NARRATOR: The captain says he tried to activate 468 00:26:57,749 --> 00:27:04,756 the spoilers on touchdown. 469 00:27:07,292 --> 00:27:13,665 And spoilers. 470 00:27:13,732 --> 00:27:14,666 No spoilers. 471 00:27:14,733 --> 00:27:15,734 Full brakes 472 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,636 NARRATOR: But they didn't engage. 473 00:27:18,703 --> 00:27:21,773 And that wasn't the crew's only problem. 474 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:27,379 The braking system seemed ineffective as well. 475 00:27:27,445 --> 00:27:31,649 We were slowing down. 476 00:27:31,716 --> 00:27:38,690 I think we could have stopped if we just-- 477 00:27:39,791 --> 00:27:44,129 I needed a few more meters. 478 00:27:44,195 --> 00:27:46,031 OK. 479 00:27:46,097 --> 00:27:49,667 Thank you, captain. 480 00:27:49,734 --> 00:27:54,005 Talking to the crew, we got indications that the brake 481 00:27:54,072 --> 00:27:56,307 possibly was not working. 482 00:27:56,374 --> 00:27:59,677 So then we were interested in investigating the braking 483 00:27:59,744 --> 00:28:01,913 system more thoroughly. 484 00:28:01,980 --> 00:28:03,081 We're not stopping. 485 00:28:03,148 --> 00:28:06,017 NARRATOR: If the brakes on Flight 670 failed, 486 00:28:06,084 --> 00:28:13,091 that would explain why the plane couldn't stop. 487 00:28:14,859 --> 00:28:17,128 There might be evidence to support that theory 488 00:28:17,195 --> 00:28:21,232 on the flight data recorder. 489 00:28:21,299 --> 00:28:26,004 But it's been almost entirely melted by the fire. 490 00:28:26,071 --> 00:28:28,873 TOR NORSTEGAARD: The flight data recorder was a rather 491 00:28:28,940 --> 00:28:32,410 old type with the tape. 492 00:28:32,477 --> 00:28:36,848 And the tape hasn't survived the heat. 493 00:28:36,915 --> 00:28:39,784 What we got was just three smaller 494 00:28:39,851 --> 00:28:42,020 fragments that was usable. 495 00:28:42,087 --> 00:28:45,056 That was a disappointment. 496 00:28:45,123 --> 00:28:48,493 NARRATOR: The investigation into the crash of Flight 670 497 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,396 is nearly at a standstill. 498 00:28:51,463 --> 00:28:56,734 There's almost no hard evidence. 499 00:28:56,801 --> 00:29:02,540 We've got about three seconds of FDR data after touchdown. 500 00:29:02,607 --> 00:29:06,077 And we know they had a speed of 20 knots 501 00:29:06,144 --> 00:29:11,950 near the end of the runway. 502 00:29:12,016 --> 00:29:15,620 And that's about it. 503 00:29:15,687 --> 00:29:18,256 NARRATOR: Investigators need to know more about 504 00:29:18,323 --> 00:29:19,824 how well the brakes were working 505 00:29:19,891 --> 00:29:23,194 when Flight 670 touched down. 506 00:29:23,261 --> 00:29:26,931 They hope the skid marks will tell them. 507 00:29:26,998 --> 00:29:29,234 As they trace the marks along the runway, 508 00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:33,371 they notice something strange. 509 00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:36,407 Anyone seen skid marks this color before? 510 00:29:36,474 --> 00:29:40,445 TOR NORSTEGAARD: Normal skid marks are like black lines 511 00:29:40,512 --> 00:29:45,450 along the runway, but this was more like a lightly colored 512 00:29:45,517 --> 00:29:49,420 brownish type of marks. 513 00:29:49,487 --> 00:29:52,257 NARRATOR: Equally strange, the skid marks were dotted 514 00:29:52,323 --> 00:29:57,095 with unusual pieces of debris. 515 00:29:57,162 --> 00:29:59,631 TOR NORSTEGAARD: It smelled like rubber, 516 00:29:59,697 --> 00:30:05,103 and it felt like rubber, but soft and sticky. 517 00:30:05,170 --> 00:30:08,006 NARRATOR: The debris appears to be from the tires, 518 00:30:08,072 --> 00:30:11,009 but investigators have no idea why the tires would have 519 00:30:11,075 --> 00:30:14,012 disintegrated so severely. 520 00:30:14,078 --> 00:30:19,184 I have personally never seen such rubber 521 00:30:19,250 --> 00:30:21,186 grains on the runway before. 522 00:30:21,252 --> 00:30:24,522 So that was new to me. 523 00:30:24,589 --> 00:30:26,624 NARRATOR: Investigators pin their hopes 524 00:30:26,691 --> 00:30:28,259 on the cockpit voice recorder. 525 00:30:28,326 --> 00:30:29,694 OK. 526 00:30:29,761 --> 00:30:31,429 Let's see what we've got. 527 00:30:31,496 --> 00:30:33,298 NARRATOR: Though the flight data recorder 528 00:30:33,364 --> 00:30:35,567 is beyond repair, technicians have 529 00:30:35,633 --> 00:30:37,468 managed to recover the recordings 530 00:30:37,535 --> 00:30:41,172 captured in the cockpit. 531 00:30:41,239 --> 00:30:42,240 There's 10,000. 532 00:30:42,307 --> 00:30:45,610 The manufacturers were able to repair 533 00:30:45,677 --> 00:30:49,814 the memory from the recording and download the information. 534 00:30:49,881 --> 00:30:52,650 And the information was superb. 535 00:30:52,717 --> 00:30:54,819 NARRATOR: This could be their last chance 536 00:30:54,886 --> 00:30:56,187 to solve the puzzle. 537 00:30:56,254 --> 00:30:57,555 The runway's going to be in sight soon. 538 00:30:57,622 --> 00:30:58,823 Why don't you see what the weather's doing. 539 00:30:58,890 --> 00:31:00,124 KAARE HALVORSEN: We had everything, 540 00:31:00,191 --> 00:31:02,427 from takeoff to the accident. 541 00:31:02,493 --> 00:31:05,063 Control, Atlantic 670-- 542 00:31:05,129 --> 00:31:07,532 NARRATOR: They hope the sounds will reveal why 543 00:31:07,599 --> 00:31:10,602 Flight 670 didn't slow down. 544 00:31:10,668 --> 00:31:13,304 Visibility is over 10 kilometers. 545 00:31:13,371 --> 00:31:18,009 Wind 110 at 6, Atlantic 670. 546 00:31:18,076 --> 00:31:20,311 Fairly routine so far. 547 00:31:20,378 --> 00:31:22,780 NARRATOR: They don't hear any mistakes. 548 00:31:22,847 --> 00:31:24,749 ROLF LILAND: The communication between the pilots 549 00:31:24,816 --> 00:31:27,352 was very professional, down to the point, 550 00:31:27,418 --> 00:31:30,188 and exactly how a pilot would expect it 551 00:31:30,255 --> 00:31:31,990 to be on a flight like this. 552 00:31:32,056 --> 00:31:33,958 Wind's 110 and 6 knots? 553 00:31:34,025 --> 00:31:35,927 Yep. 554 00:31:35,994 --> 00:31:38,329 So it's just a small tailwind. 555 00:31:38,396 --> 00:31:41,666 Let's take runway 33, that way we can do it straight in. 556 00:31:41,733 --> 00:31:43,101 You got it. 557 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:45,570 Bit of a tailwind. 558 00:31:45,637 --> 00:31:47,905 What's your landing speed? 559 00:31:47,972 --> 00:31:50,341 112 knots. 560 00:31:50,408 --> 00:31:52,377 Set speed for final. 561 00:31:52,443 --> 00:31:56,114 Looks like they were aiming for the right speed, 562 00:31:56,180 --> 00:32:00,218 but that tailwind could have given them a little bit extra. 563 00:32:00,285 --> 00:32:02,553 Having a tailwind in general will 564 00:32:02,620 --> 00:32:05,523 affect your landing distance. 565 00:32:05,590 --> 00:32:08,359 It will increase a little bit. 566 00:32:08,426 --> 00:32:10,695 NARRATOR: Strong winds behind a plane 567 00:32:10,762 --> 00:32:13,064 can push up landing speed, making 568 00:32:13,131 --> 00:32:15,433 it take longer to slow down. 569 00:32:15,500 --> 00:32:21,172 So pilots usually try to land into the wind. 570 00:32:21,239 --> 00:32:22,674 That's what Sven-Erik Strandberg 571 00:32:22,740 --> 00:32:25,910 did on the day of the crash. 572 00:32:25,977 --> 00:32:27,912 I made a circle to land. 573 00:32:27,979 --> 00:32:30,114 Came in from the North landing towards the South 574 00:32:30,181 --> 00:32:32,650 in a little bit of a headwind there. 575 00:32:32,717 --> 00:32:34,085 Control, Atlantic 670-- 576 00:32:34,152 --> 00:32:37,522 NARRATOR: Investigators wonder if the tailwind eroded Flight 577 00:32:37,588 --> 00:32:40,825 670's safety margin when it was already struggling 578 00:32:40,892 --> 00:32:46,664 to stop without spoilers. 579 00:32:46,731 --> 00:32:48,466 Tailwind? 580 00:32:48,533 --> 00:32:49,467 Could it be that simple? 581 00:33:02,747 --> 00:33:05,149 NARRATOR: Investigators review the history 582 00:33:05,216 --> 00:33:08,286 of the British Aerospace 146. 583 00:33:08,353 --> 00:33:11,055 They find 12 other incidents of the plane 584 00:33:11,122 --> 00:33:14,959 careening off the runway after touching down in a tailwind. 585 00:33:15,026 --> 00:33:22,033 It's a troubling record. 586 00:33:23,601 --> 00:33:30,575 OK, runway is damp, tailwind is 6 knots, 587 00:33:31,976 --> 00:33:33,644 let's give it a try. 588 00:33:33,711 --> 00:33:36,047 NARRATOR: To learn more, they recreate Flight 589 00:33:36,114 --> 00:33:39,016 670's landing in a simulator. 590 00:33:39,083 --> 00:33:44,021 The airport at Stord is a nice airport, 591 00:33:44,088 --> 00:33:48,226 in good conditions, could be a little bit 592 00:33:48,292 --> 00:33:52,797 hard sometimes when it's rainy and the winds from the 593 00:33:52,864 --> 00:33:54,699 West there. 594 00:33:54,766 --> 00:33:58,369 And we're reducing thrust. 595 00:33:58,436 --> 00:34:00,505 NARRATOR: They want to know if conditions 596 00:34:00,571 --> 00:34:05,143 that day made it too difficult to stop with no spoilers. 597 00:34:05,209 --> 00:34:08,045 Don't put out the spoilers. 598 00:34:08,112 --> 00:34:14,952 Step on the brakes. 599 00:34:16,053 --> 00:34:18,923 NARRATOR: But the theory doesn't hold up. 600 00:34:18,990 --> 00:34:23,194 OK, looks like we're back to square one. 601 00:34:23,261 --> 00:34:25,863 Within acceptable limits, there 602 00:34:25,930 --> 00:34:30,301 was nothing wrong about landing with 5 knots tailwind. 603 00:34:30,368 --> 00:34:33,504 NARRATOR: Even without spoilers to help slow the plane, 604 00:34:33,571 --> 00:34:38,543 the tailwind was not enough to push it over the edge. 605 00:34:38,609 --> 00:34:42,246 The answers investigators need remain elusive. 606 00:34:42,313 --> 00:34:46,050 What sent Flight 670 plummeting off the end of the runway. 607 00:34:46,117 --> 00:34:52,723 We're going over! 608 00:34:54,158 --> 00:34:56,327 NARRATOR: Digging through the remains of the burnt fuselage 609 00:34:56,394 --> 00:34:59,297 turns up an unexpected lead. 610 00:34:59,363 --> 00:35:03,034 A kind of breakthrough came when we started 611 00:35:03,100 --> 00:35:06,838 to remove the wreckage. 612 00:35:06,904 --> 00:35:10,608 NARRATOR: One of the tires from Flight 670's main landing gear 613 00:35:10,675 --> 00:35:12,443 has survived the fire. 614 00:35:12,510 --> 00:35:14,679 It's a lucky break. 615 00:35:14,745 --> 00:35:16,481 Investigators immediately noticed 616 00:35:16,547 --> 00:35:18,416 that the edges of the rubber tire 617 00:35:18,483 --> 00:35:22,253 have a peculiar texture, just like the rubber pieces 618 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,423 they found on the runway. 619 00:35:25,490 --> 00:35:28,526 More sticky rubber. 620 00:35:28,593 --> 00:35:31,362 The inner left hand main landing gear 621 00:35:31,429 --> 00:35:34,065 had a flat spot, which indicates 622 00:35:34,131 --> 00:35:37,668 that the tire had been skidding along the runway. 623 00:35:37,735 --> 00:35:41,439 We could see that it had been extremely hot. 624 00:35:41,506 --> 00:35:46,043 And this heat had transformed the tire. 625 00:35:46,110 --> 00:35:48,346 NARRATOR: The tire manufacturer provides 626 00:35:48,412 --> 00:35:50,915 an intriguing explanation for the strange discovery. 627 00:35:55,486 --> 00:35:59,357 Reverted rubber hydroplaning? 628 00:35:59,423 --> 00:36:01,259 NARRATOR: The sticky pieces of rubber 629 00:36:01,325 --> 00:36:03,628 are the result of an unusual phenomenon that 630 00:36:03,694 --> 00:36:06,464 sometimes occurs when rubber tires heat 631 00:36:06,531 --> 00:36:07,999 up due to extreme friction. 632 00:36:08,065 --> 00:36:09,967 Yeah. 633 00:36:10,034 --> 00:36:13,170 Let's bag some of that. 634 00:36:13,237 --> 00:36:14,705 NARRATOR: If the rubber is skidding 635 00:36:14,772 --> 00:36:17,575 along a damp or wet runway, the friction 636 00:36:17,642 --> 00:36:20,645 can generate so much heat that it turns the water 637 00:36:20,711 --> 00:36:23,848 into a cushion of steam that lifts the tire up 638 00:36:23,915 --> 00:36:29,020 off the surface of the runway. 639 00:36:29,086 --> 00:36:35,393 The small layer of steam from the rubber developed 640 00:36:35,459 --> 00:36:38,095 between the tires on the runway, 641 00:36:38,162 --> 00:36:39,864 and basically making it a lot more 642 00:36:39,931 --> 00:36:42,967 difficult to get the required retardation 643 00:36:43,034 --> 00:36:46,270 from the wheel brakes. 644 00:36:46,337 --> 00:36:49,440 NARRATOR: The extreme heat also breaks down the rubber 645 00:36:49,507 --> 00:36:51,976 and makes it sticky, just like the fragments 646 00:36:52,043 --> 00:36:56,280 found on the runway. 647 00:36:56,347 --> 00:36:58,983 It looks like we've got a match. 648 00:36:59,050 --> 00:37:05,823 We had a kind of textbook example of it in front of us. 649 00:37:05,890 --> 00:37:08,025 NARRATOR: The phenomenon also explains 650 00:37:08,092 --> 00:37:10,528 the unusually pale skid marks investigators 651 00:37:10,595 --> 00:37:13,831 found on parts of the runway. 652 00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:17,501 The reason for the skid marks being so pale 653 00:37:17,568 --> 00:37:22,306 is because that cushion of steam sort of steam 654 00:37:22,373 --> 00:37:23,674 cleaned the runway. 655 00:37:23,741 --> 00:37:27,111 Takes all the dirt and everything out of the 656 00:37:27,178 --> 00:37:29,413 runway itself. 657 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:32,049 Something just doesn't seem to fit. 658 00:37:32,116 --> 00:37:34,385 NARRATOR: But there's still a mystery. 659 00:37:34,452 --> 00:37:36,554 Reverted rubber hydroplaning only 660 00:37:36,621 --> 00:37:39,523 occurs if the wheels lock. 661 00:37:39,590 --> 00:37:44,462 It's the only way to produce enough friction. 662 00:37:44,528 --> 00:37:50,434 The BAE 146 is equipped with anti-lock brakes. 663 00:37:50,501 --> 00:37:54,805 And spoilers. 664 00:37:54,872 --> 00:37:55,973 No spoilers. 665 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,341 Full brakes. 666 00:37:57,408 --> 00:38:01,045 NARRATOR: They're not supposed to lock up and skid ever. 667 00:38:01,112 --> 00:38:04,315 And yet that's exactly what happened. 668 00:38:04,382 --> 00:38:06,484 Investigators need to know why. 669 00:38:12,657 --> 00:38:14,692 They return to the sounds captured 670 00:38:14,759 --> 00:38:18,062 in the cockpit of Flight 670. 671 00:38:18,129 --> 00:38:19,563 OK. 672 00:38:19,630 --> 00:38:20,931 Go ahead, please. 673 00:38:20,998 --> 00:38:23,267 KAARE HALVORSEN: We didn't know what had happened 674 00:38:23,334 --> 00:38:25,670 mechanically in the aircraft. 675 00:38:25,736 --> 00:38:28,606 So then we had to look for other means. 676 00:38:28,673 --> 00:38:31,075 NIKLAS DJURHUUS: We have landing speed. 677 00:38:31,142 --> 00:38:38,082 Reducing thrust. 678 00:38:39,083 --> 00:38:42,086 And spoilers. 679 00:38:42,153 --> 00:38:43,087 Hang on. 680 00:38:43,154 --> 00:38:44,388 Play that again. 681 00:38:44,455 --> 00:38:47,458 NARRATOR: Many cockpit controls make distinctive sounds 682 00:38:47,525 --> 00:38:49,126 when pilots move them. 683 00:38:49,193 --> 00:38:53,564 JAKOB EVALD: And spoilers. 684 00:38:53,631 --> 00:38:56,534 NARRATOR: Investigators compare the cockpit recording 685 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:58,869 to a detailed library of sounds, 686 00:38:58,936 --> 00:39:00,638 hoping to piece together what was 687 00:39:00,705 --> 00:39:04,508 happening on board Flight 670. 688 00:39:04,575 --> 00:39:06,043 There. 689 00:39:06,110 --> 00:39:08,913 That click is the spoiler lever. 690 00:39:08,979 --> 00:39:10,881 NARRATOR: The technique pays off. 691 00:39:10,948 --> 00:39:13,684 They're able to identify specific sounds, 692 00:39:13,751 --> 00:39:18,122 including the click of the spoiler lever. 693 00:39:18,189 --> 00:39:19,190 No spoilers. 694 00:39:19,256 --> 00:39:21,258 Full brakes. 695 00:39:21,325 --> 00:39:24,995 NARRATOR: Listening closely, they soon hear another sound, 696 00:39:25,062 --> 00:39:26,997 a sound that could finally explain 697 00:39:27,064 --> 00:39:30,101 why the plane couldn't stop. 698 00:39:30,167 --> 00:39:34,004 We're not stopping. 699 00:39:34,071 --> 00:39:36,140 Stop. 700 00:39:36,207 --> 00:39:40,277 Can you match that? 701 00:39:40,344 --> 00:39:42,546 NARRATOR: The chiming sound indicates 702 00:39:42,613 --> 00:39:47,718 the plane's emergency brake has been switched on. 703 00:39:47,785 --> 00:39:51,355 Play it again. 704 00:39:51,422 --> 00:39:53,090 We're not stopping. 705 00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:56,961 Listen to those tires. 706 00:39:57,027 --> 00:39:58,863 First, the chime of the emergency brake, 707 00:39:58,929 --> 00:40:00,965 then they start skidding. 708 00:40:01,031 --> 00:40:03,200 NARRATOR: It's a major breakthrough. 709 00:40:03,267 --> 00:40:06,971 We got the chime that proved that he has turned 710 00:40:07,037 --> 00:40:11,375 on the emergency brake, and a short period after that, 711 00:40:11,442 --> 00:40:18,215 we could hear the noise from the wheels on the CVR. 712 00:40:18,282 --> 00:40:25,256 I think we found our smoking gun. 713 00:40:26,290 --> 00:40:28,325 Anti-skid and touch down protection 714 00:40:28,392 --> 00:40:29,560 may not be available. 715 00:40:29,627 --> 00:40:33,998 Landing distance will be increased by 60%. 716 00:40:34,064 --> 00:40:36,934 NARRATOR: Investigators learn that the emergency braking 717 00:40:37,001 --> 00:40:39,637 system on the British Aerospace 146 718 00:40:39,703 --> 00:40:43,707 doesn't have anti-skid protection. 719 00:40:43,774 --> 00:40:48,279 That was the last piece in the puzzle that told us more 720 00:40:48,345 --> 00:40:54,885 about this braking situation. 721 00:40:55,886 --> 00:40:57,288 We're stable. 722 00:40:57,354 --> 00:40:59,256 We have landing speed. 723 00:40:59,323 --> 00:41:00,424 Reducing thrust. 724 00:41:00,491 --> 00:41:03,127 NARRATOR: Investigators finally understand why 725 00:41:03,194 --> 00:41:09,366 Flight 670 ended in tragedy. 726 00:41:09,433 --> 00:41:10,968 They touched down here. 727 00:41:11,035 --> 00:41:13,704 But the runway is damp, and there's a tailwind giving 728 00:41:13,771 --> 00:41:17,908 them a bit of an extra push. 729 00:41:17,975 --> 00:41:22,179 And spoilers. 730 00:41:22,246 --> 00:41:25,049 The captain activates the spoilers, 731 00:41:25,115 --> 00:41:27,351 but they don't deploy. 732 00:41:27,418 --> 00:41:28,419 No spoilers. 733 00:41:28,485 --> 00:41:30,087 Full brakes. 734 00:41:30,154 --> 00:41:32,857 Here he switches on the emergency brake. 735 00:41:32,923 --> 00:41:35,092 We're not stopping. 736 00:41:38,028 --> 00:41:40,331 And that's the final straw. 737 00:41:40,397 --> 00:41:41,832 ROLF LILAND: Which means basically 738 00:41:41,899 --> 00:41:44,535 that the wheels are locked, as on a car, 739 00:41:44,602 --> 00:41:46,871 with no anti-skid brakes. 740 00:41:46,937 --> 00:41:50,074 NARRATOR: The plane's fate is sealed. 741 00:41:50,140 --> 00:41:57,147 We're going over! 742 00:42:05,856 --> 00:42:07,892 NARRATOR: Investigators now believe 743 00:42:07,958 --> 00:42:11,896 that even with the damp runway, no spoilers, and the tailwind, 744 00:42:11,962 --> 00:42:14,498 the plane would have stopped in time if not 745 00:42:14,565 --> 00:42:16,467 for the emergency brake. 746 00:42:16,533 --> 00:42:18,302 We're not stopping. 747 00:42:18,369 --> 00:42:22,773 NARRATOR: But the pilots had no way to predict the outcome. 748 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:26,410 They had never trained for such an unlikely scenario. 749 00:42:26,477 --> 00:42:29,079 ROLF LILAND: If you have a failure at a critical time, 750 00:42:29,146 --> 00:42:31,548 like just after touchdown on a case like this, 751 00:42:31,615 --> 00:42:36,854 and the normal systems for deceleration do not work, 752 00:42:36,921 --> 00:42:39,490 then you automatically almost by instinct 753 00:42:39,556 --> 00:42:42,426 go on to the next level, you need 754 00:42:42,493 --> 00:42:44,595 to go to the emergency brakes. 755 00:42:44,662 --> 00:42:47,031 Hang on. 756 00:42:47,097 --> 00:42:48,899 SVEN-ERIK STRANDBERG: You have to stop the aircraft, 757 00:42:48,966 --> 00:42:51,969 and that's what they try to do. 758 00:42:52,036 --> 00:42:56,373 In this case, of course, the runway wasn't long enough. 759 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:58,409 NARRATOR: In their final report, 760 00:42:58,475 --> 00:43:00,911 the AIBN calls for better training 761 00:43:00,978 --> 00:43:05,783 to help pilots stop safely in similar situations. 762 00:43:05,849 --> 00:43:09,153 They also call for longer safety areas around runways, 763 00:43:09,219 --> 00:43:11,488 especially at airports like Stord that are 764 00:43:11,555 --> 00:43:14,525 surrounded by steep terrain. 765 00:43:14,591 --> 00:43:18,329 That's our goal, that every accident should 766 00:43:18,395 --> 00:43:22,099 bring the safety standards a little bit 767 00:43:22,166 --> 00:43:25,436 in the right direction. 768 00:43:25,502 --> 00:43:29,206 NARRATOR: Since the crash of Atlantic Airways Flight 670, 769 00:43:29,273 --> 00:43:31,842 important changes have been made to make landing at 770 00:43:31,909 --> 00:43:33,877 Stord safer. 771 00:43:33,944 --> 00:43:36,146 The runway is now longer, and grooves 772 00:43:36,213 --> 00:43:38,415 have been added to channel water off the surface 773 00:43:38,482 --> 00:43:41,151 in rainy weather. 774 00:43:41,218 --> 00:43:42,987 SVEN-ERIK STRANDBERG: It's 50 meters longer 775 00:43:43,053 --> 00:43:45,322 now than before the accident. 776 00:43:45,389 --> 00:43:50,694 So I think positive things happen even 777 00:43:50,761 --> 00:43:53,897 though we had an accident. 778 00:43:53,964 --> 00:43:57,301 The main task is to improve safety, 779 00:43:57,368 --> 00:44:00,137 and the other is telling the story so others 780 00:44:00,204 --> 00:44:01,505 can learn from failures.