All language subtitles for Air.Disasters.S14E08.Controversial.Crashes.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-AiRPL4NE_track3_[eng]

Narrator: INTERNATIONAL
AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS

DEPEND ON TEAMWORK.

Investigator: LET'S SEE
WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.

Man: IT DOES NOT ADVANCE SAFETY
TO GET THE WRONG CAUSE.

Narrator: SOMETIMES
THE INVESTIGATORS DISAGREE.

Man: TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE

LISTENING
TO THE SAME VOICE RECORDING

MIGHT COME UP WITH
TWO DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS.

Investigator: THEY DIDN'T
WANT THE PLANE TO LAND.

Narrator: STAKES RAMP UP WHEN
THE VICTIMS ARE HIGH PROFILE.

A CRASH KILLS
THE PRESIDENT OF POLAND.

WAS IT SABOTAGE?

Man: CONSPIRACY THEORIES
SPRUNG UP IMMEDIATELY.

Man: THEREFORE YOU HAVE
NO EVIDENCE OF TERRORISM!

Narrator: ON THE EAST COAST
OF CANADA...

First Officer: AIRSPEED!

Narrator: ...U.S. MILITARY
PERSONNEL DIE IN A FIERY BLAZE.

Man: CRASH INVESTIGATORS
ARE ALWAYS UNDER PRESSURE

TO COME UP WITH AN ANSWER
SOONER THAN THEY WOULD LIKE.

Narrator: THE CRASH OF A FLIGHT

CARRYING THE MANCHESTER UNITED
SOCCER TEAM...

Captain: CHRIST!
WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!

Narrator: ...SPARKS
AN INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE.

Man: IT'S NONSENSE.

Narrator: POLITICAL
AND PUBLIC PRESSURES

COMPLICATE THE PROCESS.

Man: THIS INVESTIGATION APPEARS
TO INVOLVE A COVER-UP.

Man: FINALLY I HAVE TO DECIDE,
WHOSE EXPERTS DO I TRUST?

Flight attendant:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

WE ARE STARTING OUR APPROACH.

Pilot: WE LOST BOTH ENGINES!

Flight attendant:
PUT THE MASK OVER YOUR NOSE.

EMERGENCY DESCENT.

Pilot: MAYDAY, MAYDAY!

Flight attendant:
BRACE FOR IMPACT!

Controller: I THINK I LOST ONE.

Man: INVESTIGATION STARTING
INTO THIS TRAGEDY...

Man: HE'S GONNA CRASH!

♪

Narrator: A LIGHT SNOW FALLS
ON MUNICH AIRPORT, WEST GERMANY.

A BRITISH EUROPEAN AIRWAYS
AIRSPEED AMBASSADOR

WAITS ON THE TARMAC.

THE LUXURIOUS TWIN-ENGINE
AIRCRAFT IS ALSO KNOWN

AS THE ELIZABETHAN.

THE CAPTAIN IS
36-YEAR-OLD JAMES THAIN.

HE'S A FORMER RAF PILOT WITH
AN IMPECCABLE SERVICE RECORD.

James Thain: HAPPILY.

Narrator: 38-YEAR-OLD CO-PILOT
KENNETH RAYMENT

IS A WORLD WAR II ACE.

THEY'RE BRINGING HOME

AN EXTRAORDINARY GROUP
OF PASSENGERS,

THE MANCHESTER UNITED
SOCCER TEAM.

IN THE 1950s,

THEY ARE SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS
SPORTSMEN ON THE PLANET.

Announcer: ONLY THE DAY BEFORE,
THEY HAD MET RED STAR

IN BELGRADE
IN THEIR EUROPEAN CUP TIE.

Stephen Morrin:
MANCHESTER UNITED IS PROBABLY

THE MOST PREMIER TEAM,
MOST FAMOUS TEAM

THIS COUNTRY
HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE.

Narrator: HARRY GREGG
IS THE TEAM'S STAR GOALKEEPER.

Harry Gregg: WE WERE
A YOUNG AND WONDERFUL TEAM,

WHICH I AM VERY PROUD
TO HAVE BEEN PART OF.

Narrator: AFTER QUALIFYING
FOR THE EUROPEAN CUP SEMIFINAL,

THE 17 PLAYERS
ARE AMONG THE 38 PASSENGERS

HEADING BACK TO THE UK.

Thain: MUNICH, 609 ZULU UNIFORM,
I AM READY TO TAKE OFF.

Controller: B-LINE 609, UH,
YOUR CLEARANCE EXPIRES AT 3-1.

THE TIME NOW IS 3-0.

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF,
RIGHT TURN OUT.

Thain: THANK YOU. ROLLING.

Narrator: WITH
THE TEMPERATURE HOVERING

AROUND THE FREEZING MARK
AND THE SNOW CONTINUING TO FALL,

THAIN STARTS HIS TAKEOFF RUN.

Controller: FULL POWER.

Thain: FULL POWER.

Gregg: I HAD BEEN READING A BOOK

THAT ONE OF THE LADS
HAD PASSED TO ME.

I WAS READING THAT,

AND WE STARTED OFF
DOWN THE RUNWAY,

AND I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW.

NO BIG DEAL AT ALL.

Thain: TEMPERATURES
AND PRESSURES OKAY.

90.

100.

Narrator: THEY'RE NOT
GETTING ENOUGH THRUST.

THE PLANE CAN'T TAKE OFF.

Kenneth Rayment:
ABANDON TAKEOFF.

Gregg: ALL OF A SUDDEN,

I WATCHED THE WHEELS
LOCK AND UNLOCK,

AND THE PLANE STARTED TO SPIN.

WE STOPPED SLIGHTLY SIDE-ON.

Rayment: SORRY ABOUT THAT.
ENGINE FLUCTUATING.

Thain: 609, WE ARE
ABANDONING THE TAKEOFF.

Controller:
TOWER, PLEASE SAY AGAIN.

Thain: WE ARE ABANDONING
THE TAKEOFF.

MAY WE BACKTRACK? OVER.

Rayment: ENGINE BOOSTING.

Thain: I WOULD THINK SO, YES.

Morrin: UH, THE PROBLEM
WAS A BOOST SURGE,

AND IT HAPPENED
WITH THAT PARTICULAR ENGINE

ON THAT PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT.

IT WAS A BRISTOL
CENTAURUS ENGINE.

IT WAS PRONE TO DOING THIS,

ESPECIALLY AT AIRPORTS
WHICH ARE AT HIGH ALTITUDES,

AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WAS

THAT THE THRUSTS
SOMETIMES OPENED TOO FAST.

Thain: HI THERE.

WE'VE BEEN GETTING A BOOST SURGE
IN THE PORT ENGINE.

Steve Moss:
THEY RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION

THAT THIS WAS
A FAIRLY COMMON PHENOMENON

WHEN OPERATING THE ELIZABETHAN
FROM MUNICH

BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ALTITUDE,

THAT IT WAS
NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT

AND THEY WERE GIVEN ADVICE

WHEN ADVANCING THE THROTTLES
IF THEY GOT THE SURGING

WAS TO JUST RETARD THE SURGING
ENGINE SLIGHTLY, REDUCE POWER,

AND THEN TAKE IT UP AGAIN
TO FULL POWER MORE SLOWLY.

Thain: WINGS?

STILL LOOK GOOD.

NO NEED TO DE-ICE.

Narrator: WITH NO CHANGE
IN THE WEATHER CONDITIONS,

THAIN AND RAYMENT TRY AGAIN.

Thain: MUNICH TOWER,
B-LINE 609 ZULU UNIFORM.

I'M READY TO TAXI. OVER.

Narrator: THE RUNWAY
IS OVER A MILE LONG.

EVEN WITH THEIR PLAN
FOR A GRADUAL ACCELERATION,

THE ELIZABETHAN
SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIFT OFF

JUST PAST
THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE.

Morrin: BOTH ENGINES
SOUND AN EVEN NOTE,

AND WE'RE GOING DOWN THE RUNWAY
NOW FOR A TAKEOFF.

EVERYTHING SEEMS OKAY.

Thain: 105.

V-1.

Narrator: VELOCITY-ONE
IS THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

THE PLANE IS MOVING
TOO FAST TO STOP

BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH YET
TO TAKE OFF.

Morrin: RAYMENT NOW IS WAITING.

HE'S ANTICIPATING NOW
THAIN TO CALL OUT 119 KNOTS,

WHICH IS V-2.

Narrator: AT 119 KNOTS,
THE PLANE CAN BECOME AIRBORNE.

BUT SOMETHING GOES WRONG.

THEY SUDDENLY LOSE SPEED.

Thain: CHRIST!
WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!

♪

Gregg: DARKNESS AND DAYLIGHT AND
SPARKS AND THUMPS AND SMACKS,

AND YOU CAN'T DESCRIBE IT.

[EXPLOSION]

AND THEN IT WAS JUST COMPLETE
AND TOTAL DARKNESS.

I THOUGHT I WAS DEAD.

Narrator: THE ELIZABETHAN
HAS CRASHED THROUGH A FENCE,

HITTING A HOUSE AND A FUEL SHED

300 YARDS BEYOND
THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Thain: OUT! EVERYONE OUT! NOW!
IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE!

Narrator: COMING TO HIS SENSES,

HARRY GREGG CRAWLS
OUT OF THE WRECKAGE.

WITHIN MINUTES OF THE CRASH,

HELP BEGINS TO ARRIVE FROM
THE AIRPORT AND NEARBY FARMS.

TWO GERMAN RESCUERS
CLIMB UP ON THE WING

AND FREE KENNETH RAYMENT
FROM THE WRECKAGE.

HE'S BADLY INJURED.

21 PEOPLE ARE DEAD.

TEN ARE MANCHESTER UNITED
PLAYERS AND STAFF.

MANY MORE PASSENGERS
ARE GRAVELY INJURED.

MANCHESTER UNITED, ONE OF THE
WORLD'S GREATEST SOCCER TEAMS,

IS DEVASTATED.

Gregg: IT WAS A WONDERFUL THING
THAT SADLY WENT WRONG.

Narrator: SIX HOURS
AFTER THE CRASH,

WITH THE PRESS CONVERGING
ON THE SCENE,

GERMANY'S CHIEF
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR,

HANS REICHEL,
BEGINS HIS HUNT FOR ANSWERS.

Moss: OF COURSE,
UPPERMOST IN HIS MIND

WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF ICE
ON THE WINGS,

SO HE WENT LOOKING FOR THAT
AND, SURE ENOUGH, HE FOUND IT.

Narrator: ICE ON THE WING
WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PLANE

FROM GAINING ENOUGH LIFT TO GET
AIRBORNE AT TAKEOFF SPEED.

Hans Reichel: THE WRECKED
AIRCRAFT WAS COVERED

BY A LAYER OF SNOW
ABOUT EIGHT CENTIMETERS THICK.

Narrator: REICHEL FINDS
THE ONLY SURFACES FREE OF ICE

ARE NEAR THE ENGINES.

HE ASSUMES THE ENTIRE WING WAS
COATED IN ICE BEFORE THE CRASH

AND THAT,
DURING THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT,

THE PROPELLERS BLEW AWAY
THE ICE BEHIND THEM.

AS THE INVESTIGATION DEVELOPS,

CO-PILOT KEVIN RAYMENT
DIES FROM HIS INJURIES...

...LEAVING
PILOT JAMES THAIN TO FACE

THE OFFICIAL GERMAN INQUIRY
INTO THE CRASH ON HIS OWN.

Reichel: SHALL I BEGIN?

Moss: THE GERMAN INVESTIGATION,

STRAIGHTAWAY IT SEEMED TO BE
INTO THIS ADVERSARIAL ROLE

OF SOMEBODY BEING ON TRIAL AND
HAVING TO PROVE HIS INNOCENCE.

Narrator: HANS REICHEL
DRAWS ON WITNESS TESTIMONY

OF SNOW ON THE WINGS

AND THAIN'S OWN ACCOUNT
THAT HE DID NOT DE-ICE.

Thain: AND WINGS?

STILL LOOK GOOD.

NO NEED TO DE-ICE.

Narrator: JAMES THAIN EXPLAINS
THAT THE TEMPERATURE

THE AFTERNOON OF THE CRASH

HOVERED AROUND
THE FREEZING MARK.

Morrin: THAIN SAW THE WATER

ACTUALLY DRIPPING OFF
THE LEADING EDGE,

SO HE KNEW THE SNOW
WAS ACTUALLY MELTING,

SO OBVIOUSLY
THAT CONVINCED HIM AGAIN

THAT IT JUST DIDN'T
REQUIRE DE-ICING.

Narrator: BUT THEN HANS REICHEL

PRESENTS A CONTROVERSIAL PIECE
OF EVIDENCE,

A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN
THE DAY OF THE CRASH.

Moss: IT APPEARED TO SHOW
A WHITE AREA,

UM, ON THE TOP OF THE WINGS,

WHICH CERTAINLY WAS INTERPRETED
AS BEING A LAYER OF SNOW OR ICE.

Narrator: EVERY OTHER AIRCRAFT
THAT LEFT MUNICH THAT DAY

WAS DE-ICED,
BUT NOT THE ELIZABETHAN.

FOR INVESTIGATOR HANS REICHEL,
THE CREW'S FAILURE TO DE-ICE

IS THE LEADING CAUSE
OF THE ACCIDENT.

Reichel: APART FROM THIS ICING,

I COULD FIND NOTHING
WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CAUSE

FOR THE ACCIDENT
OR TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO IT.

[SPEAKING GERMAN]

Narrator: IN MARCH 1959, A YEAR
AFTER THE TRAGEDY AT MUNICH,

THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT
RELEASES ITS OFFICIAL REPORT.

IT LAYS THE FULL BLAME
ON CAPTAIN JAMES THAIN.

Sebuda Thain: ICE.

ICE ON THE WINGS, WHICH THEY SAY
WAS THERE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

SIMPLE.

Morrin: AND THEY SAID,
"CAPTAIN THAIN,

HE'S THE ONE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE DEATHS OF 23 PEOPLE

AND DECIMATING THE MANCHESTER
UNITED FOOTBALL TEAM."

THAT IS ONE HELL OF A BURDEN
TO TAKE ON.

Gregg: HE WAS DEFINITELY
BADLY TREATED.

HE WAS MADE THE SCAPEGOAT.

Narrator: BUT CAPTAIN THAIN
IS CERTAIN

ICE ON THE WINGS
DID NOT CAUSE THE CRASH.

HE LAUNCHES
HIS OWN INVESTIGATION.

Sebuda Thain:
I CAN REMEMBER MUM AND DAD

SITTING UP FOR ALL HOURS
OF THE NIGHT TALKING ABOUT THIS

BECAUSE DAD WAS CONVINCED

THAT THERE HAD BEEN
SOME EXTERNAL FORCE

THAT HAD AFFECTED
THE TAKEOFF RUN.

Narrator: IN 1959,

THERE ARE NO FLIGHT DATA
OR COCKPIT VOICE RECORDERS.

THAIN'S CO-PILOT HAS DIED.

NUMEROUS WITNESSES BACK UP

THE OFFICIAL GERMAN REPORT
CONDEMNING HIM.

THE ODDS AGAINST THAIN
SEEM ABSOLUTELY INSURMOUNTABLE.

BLAMED BY GERMAN AUTHORITIES
FOR A TERRIBLE CRASH,

CAPTAIN JAMES THAIN
FIGHTS TO CLEAR HIS NAME.

Sebuda Thain: DAD WAS A MAN OF
GREAT INTEGRITY AND FORTITUDE,

AND HE WAS DETERMINED
THAT HE WOULD MAKE SURE

THAT HE FOUND
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.

Narrator: THAIN SUSPECTS
THE REAL CAUSE OF THE CRASH

MIGHT BE SLUSH ON THE RUNWAY.

HE DISCOVERS
THAT NINE YEARS EARLIER

A TRANS-CANADA AIRLINES PLANE

FAILED TO TAKE OFF
ON A SLUSHY VANCOUVER RUNWAY.

Moss: THEY DID
SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND

THAT AS LITTLE
AS FIVE CENTIMETERS OF SLUSH

COULD REALLY ADVERSELY AFFECT

THE AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY
TO REACH TAKEOFF SPEED.

♪

Terry Townshend:
SO, IMAGINE YOU'RE DRIVING

ON A DRY ROAD DURING THE WINTER

AND YOU SUDDENLY ENTER
AN AREA OF SLUSH.

IMMEDIATELY YOU'RE GONNA NOTICE

RESISTANCE ON THE VEHICLE
FROM THE SLUSH,

AND THE SAME THING
HAPPENS ON THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator:
THAIN BELIEVES OTHER PLANES

DIDN'T HAVE
A SLUSH PROBLEM THAT DAY

BECAUSE THEY TOOK OFF ON THE
FIRST TWO-THIRDS OF THE RUNWAY.

HE HAD TO ACCELERATE MORE SLOWLY

TO COMPENSATE
FOR A BOOST PRESSURE PROBLEM.

BECAUSE OF THIS,

THE PLANE REACHED
THE UNUSED PART OF THE RUNWAY

WITH DEEP SLUSH.

Townshend: IT TAKES MORE POWER
TO OVERCOME THAT SLUSH.

Narrator: IN THE COURSE
OF THAIN'S RESEARCH,

BURIED EVIDENCE COMES TO LIGHT.

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS
FROM THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

ALSO SUPPORT THE SLUSH THEORY.

Controller: B-LINE 609,

UH, YOUR CLEARANCE
EXPIRES AT 3-1.

THE TIME NOW IS 3-0.

Moss: THE MOST CRUCIAL
EYEWITNESSES

SAW THE AIRCRAFT START
THE TAKEOFF RUN AS NORMAL.

ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY,
THEY SAW THE NOSE LIFT,

WHICH WOULD BE
STANDARD PROCEDURE,

BUT THEN, UNUSUALLY, THEY SAW IT
GO BACK DOWN ONTO THE RUNWAY,

WHICH, OF COURSE,
SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.

Narrator: THEN CAPTAIN THAIN
UNCOVERS ANOTHER SHOCKING LAPSE.

Thain: WE QUITE FORTUITOUSLY
CAME ACROSS A WITNESS

WHO HAD MADE AN INSPECTION
OF THE WRECKAGE

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT.

Narrator: KARL HEINZ SEFFER WAS
AMONG THE FIRST AT THE SCENE.

HE SAYS HE SAW NO ICE
ON THE WINGS.

Thain: BUT WHEN THIS REPORT
WAS READ OUT

TO THE FIRST GERMAN COMMISSION,
ONLY PART OF IT WAS READ OUT.

THAT PART WHICH
INCLUDED THE EVIDENCE

THAT HE COULDN'T FIND ANY ICE
WAS LEFT OUT.

Narrator: THAIN SUBMITS
THE NEW EVIDENCE

TO THE GERMAN AUTHORITIES,

BUT THEY REFUSE TO REOPEN
THE INVESTIGATION.

Reichel: IT'S NONSENSE.

Narrator: IN 1961,
BEA OFFICIALLY FIRES THAIN.

Sebuda Thain:
WELL, THEY SACKED HIM,

AND HE WAS DEVASTATED BY THIS.

Narrator: THAIN BECOMES
MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER

TO CLEAR HIS NAME.

HE APPEALS TO THE GERMAN
AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS

TO REOPEN THE INVESTIGATION.

IN 1965, THE GERMANS AGREE.

Thain: THIS IS
THE, UH, REPORT HERE

THAT I GAVE
TO THE GERMAN AUTHORITIES.

WELL, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

THE AIRCRAFT RAN INTO A POOL
OF SLUSH AND/OR WATER

DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN.

Sebuda Thain: INITIALLY
WITH THE SECOND GERMAN INQUIRY,

IT WAS FELT THAT, YES, THERE
COULD BE A GLIMMER OF HOPE.

Narrator: BUT ONCE AGAIN,

THE GERMANS DISCOUNT
THAIN'S SLUSH THEORY

AND TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE CRASH.

THAIN'S HOPES FOR VINDICATION
SEEM CRUSHED FOREVER.

THEN, IN 1967,
PRIME MINISTER HAROLD WILSON

SETS OFF A MEDIA FRENZY
WHEN HE SAYS HE BELIEVES

JAMES THAIN WAS A VICTIM
OF INJUSTICE.

IN 1968, BRITISH INVESTIGATORS
RE-OPEN THE CASE

AND CHALLENGE
THE GERMAN CONCLUSION.

A PHOTOGRAPH THE GERMANS CLAIMED
SHOWED ICE ON THE WINGS

IS EXAMINED BY THE BRITISH TEAM.

Sebuda Thain:
A NEW PICTURE WAS TAKEN

FROM THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE,

WHICH SHOWED CLEARLY
THE MARKINGS ON THE AIRCRAFT,

SO THERE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ICE.

Narrator: BRITISH THINKING IS
BACKED UP BY A STAR WITNESS--

REINHARDT MEYER, A PILOT WHO WAS
FIRST ON THE SCENE OF THE CRASH.

Morrin: IT TURNED OUT WHEN HE
WAS CALLED TO GIVE EVIDENCE,

UH, HE SAID, WELL, I SPOKE TO
REICHEL PERSONALLY FACE TO FACE

AND TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED,
THAT I'D GONE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

I'D LOOKED FOR ICE
IMMEDIATELY AFTER,

WITHIN MINUTES OF THE CRASH,
AND I FOUND NO ICE,

JUST MELTING SNOW ONLY,
AND THAT WAS IT.

SO, EVERYONE
WAS ASTONISHED AT THIS.

Narrator: REICHEL
HAS NO EXPLANATION

FOR THE GLARING OMISSION.

Morrin: SLUSH ON THE RUNWAY

IS GOING TO BE THE GERMAN
AIRPORT AUTHORITY'S FAULT,

AND THEY'RE NOT
GOING TO ACCEPT THAT.

Narrator: IN MARCH 1969...

Thain: GOOD NEWS.

Narrator:
...THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT

ACCEPTS THE SLUSH THEORY

AND FORMALLY CLEARS
JAMES THAIN.

Thain: WELL, OF COURSE, MY
FAMILY ARE VERY PLEASED, INDEED.

Narrator: BUT BEA DOES NOT
GIVE HIM HIS JOB BACK.

CAPTAIN THAIN NEVER FLIES AGAIN.

IN GERMANY, HANS REICHEL
AND THE AVIATION AUTHORITIES

NEVER EXONERATE HIM.

Sebuda Thain:
I THINK THERE WAS A HUGE AMOUNT

OF STRESS AND STRAIN
AND TENSION,

AND HE DIED A YOUNG MAN.

HE WAS 54.

Narrator: THAIN'S REFUSAL
TO ACCEPT A FLAWED REPORT

EVENTUALLY LED
TO A GREATER UNDERSTANDING

OF THE DEADLY EFFECTS
OF SLUSH ON RUNWAYS.

Moss: THE PROBLEM
IS TACKLED NOW,

AND I WOULD SUGGEST
IT WAS PROBABLY A DIRECT RESULT

OF, UH, THE MUNICH ACCIDENT.

AIRPORT AUTHORITIES APPROACH THE
PROBLEM VERY, VERY DIFFERENTLY.

John Griffin: WATCH THE TREES!

Narrator: WHEN A PLANE CARRYING
U.S. SOLDIERS CRASHES IN CANADA,

INVESTIGATORS ARGUE
OVER THE CAUSE.

WAS IT BAD WEATHER, OR WERE
TERRORIST FORCES AT WORK?

David McNair: THEREFORE YOU HAVE
NO EVIDENCE OF TERRORISM.

THIS PROVES NOTHING.

♪

Narrator: ARROW AIR FLIGHT 1285IS NEARING THE END

OF A 6,200-MILE JOURNEYFROM EGYPT TO THE UNITED STATES.

ON BOARD ARE 8 CREW MEMBERS
AND 248 PASSENGERS.

MOST OF THEM ARE U.S. SOLDIERS

WITH THE FAMED
101st AIRBORNE DIVISION,

THE SCREAMING EAGLES.

THE SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN
ON A PEACEKEEPING MISSION

IN THE SINAI
FOR FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS.

THEY'RE HEADING HOME
FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

THE MILITARY HAS HIRED

THE CIVILIAN CHARTER CARRIER
ARROW AIR

TO TAKE THE SOLDIERS
TO FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY.

THE DOUGLAS DC-8 LANDS TO REFUEL
IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES

AT GANDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

ON THE EASTERN EDGE
OF NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA.

Griffin: OKAY, GUYS.

I'D LIKE TO BE REFUELED,
CHECKED,

AND WHEELS UP IN 90 MINUTES.

John Connelly: ROGER THAT.

Narrator: CAPTAIN JOHN GRIFFIN
HAS BEEN AN ARROW AIR PILOT

FOR FOUR YEARS.

FIRST OFFICER JOHN CONNELLY
WILL BE AT THE CONTROLS

WHEN FLIGHT 1285 LEAVES GANDER.

Connelly: WE'RE GOOD TO GO.

Controller: BIG A 9-5-0,
YOU ARE CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.

Narrator: WITH LIGHT SNOW
COMING DOWN,

THE DC-8 ACCELERATES
TO TAKEOFF SPEED.

Griffin: 80 KNOTS.

Connelly: CHECK.

Griffin: V-1.

ROTATE.

Narrator: ARROW AIR 1285
LIFTS OFF FROM GANDER AIRPORT

AT 6:46 A.M.,

BUT JUST SECONDS LATER...

Connelly:
SHE'S FLYING LIKE A PIG.

Griffin: WATCH YOUR ALTITUDE!
PULL UP.

Connelly: COME ON, AIRSPEED!

AIRSPEED!

Griffin: WATCH THE TREES!

[SCREAMING]

[SCREAMING]

[EXPLOSION]

Narrator: THE CRASH
HAS CLAIMED THE LIVES

OF ALL 256 PEOPLE ON BOARD.

INVESTIGATORS DAVID McNAIR
AND PETER BOAG

OF THE CANADIAN AVIATION
SAFETY BOARD, OR CASB,

ARRIVE TO A SCENE
OF COMPLETE DEVASTATION.

McNair: THE SIGHTS AND SMELLS,
IT'S ALWAYS UNPLEASANT,

BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO,
YOU HAVE TO DO IT.

IT'S PART OF YOUR JOB.

Narrator: THEY WONDER
IF THE WEATHER PLAYED A PART

IN THE CRASH.

McNair: DURING THE TIME,
THE FORECAST WAS FOR ICING.

Narrator: THEY DISCOVER THAT

DESPITE THE FREEZING
TEMPERATURES...

McNair: DID YOU SEE THE FLIGHT
ENGINEER INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT?

Narrator: ...THE CREW OF FLIGHT
1285 HAD NOT DE-ICED THE WINGS

BEFORE TAKING OFF.

COULD ICE HAVE CAUSED THE CRASH?

Peter Boag: HEY, THERE WERE
TWO OTHER TAKEOFFS THIS MORNING.

ONE DE-ICED, ONE DIDN'T.

McNair: AND THEY TOOK OFF
WITHIN TWO HOURS OF EACH OTHER.

Narrator: AT THIS POINT,
IT'S HARD TO SAY

WHETHER ICE PLAYED
ANY ROLE IN THIS CRASH.

INVESTIGATORS TURN TO THE
PLANE'S BLACK BOXES FOR ANSWERS,

BUT THEY HIT A DEAD END.

THE COCKPIT RECORDER
WAS MALFUNCTIONING

AND FAILED TO RECORD
THE CREW'S CONVERSATIONS.

McNair: WITH THE ABSENCE
OF COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER,

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY
WHAT THE CREW WAS DOING

OR WHAT THEY WERE FACING.

Narrator: THE FLIGHT DATA
RECORDER IS AN OLD DESIGN

PROVIDING LITTLE INFORMATION.

McNair: THE RECORDER
FOR THE ARROW AIR ACCIDENT

WAS EXTREMELY LIMITED.

WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE
FIRST OF ALL, SPEED,

A LITTLE BIT OF ALTITUDE,
AND HEADING OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THERE
OF ENGINE POWER,

BANK ANGLE, UH, PITCH ANGLE.

Narrator: THEN, WITH THE
INVESTIGATION ONLY HOURS OLD,

IT TAKES A DRASTIC TURN.

AN OVERSEAS U.S. CONSULATE

RECEIVES WORD
FROM A TERRORIST GROUP

CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE CRASH.

DID A BOMB
TAKE DOWN FLIGHT 1285?

A ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE
FORENSICS LAB

TESTS PIECES OF THE WRECKAGE
FOR BOMB RESIDUE.

THEY FIND NO TRACES.

THE TEAM ALSO SEARCHES
FOR ANY FALLEN DEBRIS

BETWEEN THE RUNWAY
AND THE POINT OF IMPACT.

McNair: IF THE AIRCRAFT
HAD EXPLODED

BEFORE IT HIT THE TREES,

ONE WOULD EXPECT SOMETHING
WOULD COME OFF THE AIRCRAFT,

AND WE WOULD HAVE FOUND IT.

WE DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING,
NOTHING AT ALL.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS
DISMISS THE TERRORISM ANGLE

AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
AT THE FLIGHT DATA.

SOMETHING UNUSUAL
CATCHES THEIR EYE.

LIFTOFF HAPPENED 1,000 FEET,
OR 4 SECONDS,

AFTER IT SHOULD HAVE.

McNair: 4,300 FEET, 100 KNOTS.

6,300 FEET, 144 KNOTS.

Boag: THEY SHOULD BE
LIFTING OFF NOW.

McNair: 167 KNOTS.

Boag: AN EXTRA THOUSAND FEET
TO GET OFF THE GROUND.

McNair: WHY'D IT
TAKE THEM SO LONG?

Narrator:
WHAT DELAYED THE LIFTOFF?

Griffin: V-1.

Narrator: WAS THERE SOMETHING
WRONG WITH THE PLANE?

Griffin: ROTATE.

Narrator: OR ARE
THE INVESTIGATORS

LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE?

DETERMINED TO FIND OUT

WHY ARROW AIR 1285
WAS SO SLOW TO TAKE OFF,

INVESTIGATORS
TURN THEIR ATTENTION

TO THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Griffin: IT'S 101,000
POUNDS FOR FUEL.

PASSENGERS AND CARGO UNCHANGED.

Narrator:
THE CREW HAD CALCULATED

THAT EACH PASSENGER
PLUS THEIR BAGGAGE

WOULD WEIGH 170 POUNDS,

BUT THIS WAS
NO COMMERCIAL FLIGHT.

ALL 256 PASSENGERS WERE ADULTS,

ALMOST ALL OF THEM LARGE MEN
HAULING MILITARY GEAR.

McNair: WE ESTIMATED
THAT THE MORE REALISTIC WEIGHT

WOULD HAVE BEEN
220 POUNDS PER PASSENGER.

THAT INCLUDES THE PASSENGER,
EVERYTHING THEY WERE CARRYING,

AND, UH,
AND THE EQUIPMENT THEY HAD.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS
ESTIMATE THE WEIGHT

AT MORE THAN 54,000 POUNDS.

THAT'S 12,000 POUNDS HEAVIER

THAN THE WEIGHT RECORDED
ON THE LOAD SHEET.

McNair: IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Narrator: BUT THIS PLANE
HAD BEEN FLYING

WITH THAT WEIGHT ALL NIGHT,
TAKING OFF FROM CAIRO,

THEN FROM COLOGNE
WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT GANDER
THAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?

McNair: OKAY.
THIS HAS TO BE IT.

ICE AND WEIGHT.

WHY DIDN'T IT FLY?
WE HAD TWO POWERFUL REASONS.

ONE WAS WEIGHT.

THE OTHER WAS EVEN
PROBABLY MORE POWERFUL

IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF ICE
CONTAMINATION ON THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS
CAN ONLY THEORIZE.

NO ONE IN GANDER
SAW THE ICE ON THE WINGS.

THAT'S ONE PROBLEM.

BUT NOW THEY MUST
CONFRONT ANOTHER.

SOME COLLEAGUES AT
THE CANADIAN AIR SAFETY BOARD

ARE RAISING SERIOUS DOUBTS
ABOUT THE FINDINGS.

ONE OF THOSE WITH QUESTIONS

IS BOARD MEMBER
AND AVIATION EXPERT LES FILOTAS.

Les Filotas:
THEY SAID THE AIRCRAFT,

I BELIEVE THAT
THE EXACT PHRASE WAS

"DESTROYED BY A FUEL-FED FIRE."

[EXPLOSION]

THE EARLY REPORTS,
EVERYBODY WHO WAS AROUND THERE

MENTIONED THE MASSIVE EXPLOSION
AND THE MUSHROOM CLOUD.

Narrator: FILOTAS
JOINS THOSE SPECULATING

THAT ARROW AIR FLIGHT 1285 WAS
THE VICTIM OF A TERRORIST PLOT.

FILOTAS POINTS TO PHOTOGRAPHIC
EVIDENCE TO BOLSTER HIS CASE.

Filotas: MANY PHOTOS THAT SEEMED
TO INDICATE THAT, UH,

THERE WAS SOME KIND
OF AN EXPLOSION ON BOARD.

Narrator: ANOTHER KEY PIECE
OF INFORMATION FOR FILOTAS

COMES FROM AUTOPSIES
OF SOME OF THE VICTIMS

THAT INDICATE THERE WERE
EXTREMELY HIGH LEVELS

OF CARBON MONOXIDE
IN THEIR BLOOD.

Filotas: SO, IF THEY HAVE

COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
IN THEIR LUNGS,

THE NATURAL INFERENCE
IS THAT THEY MUST HAVE

BREATHED IN SOME COMBUSTION
PRODUCTS BEFORE THE CRASH.

Griffin: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

SMOKE!

SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT! SMOKE!

Narrator: BUT
THE LEAD INVESTIGATORS

DISMISS THE SABOTAGE THEORIES.

THE EXTREME INTENSITY
OF THE FIRE

COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ABNORMALLY
HIGH LEVEL OF CARBON MONOXIDE

IN THE VICTIMS' BLOOD.

McNair: IT'S GOT NOTHING.

WE HAD NO INDICATION
THAT TERRORISM WAS A PLAYER,

BUT WE DID HAVE
A LOT OF INDICATION

THAT THERE WAS AN AIRCRAFT
PERFORMANCE PROBLEM

AND THERE WERE ICING PROBLEMS.

AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION,

WE DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON
THE EFFECTS OF ICE ON AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: USING A WIND TUNNEL,

INVESTIGATORS
SPRAY A WING WITH ICE

TO SEE HOW
THAT AFFECTS THE LIFT.

THE RESULTS ARE STARTLING.

McNair: JUST A SMALL AMOUNT,
SAY THE SIZE OF SOME SANDPAPER,

IF THAT'S THE TYPE
OF SURFACE YOU HAVE,

IT CAN SERIOUSLY DEGRADE
A LARGE AIRCRAFT.

THAT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME.

Griffin: WATCH YOUR ALTITUDE.
PULL UP.

Connelly: COME ON, AIRSPEED.

AIRSPEED!

McNair: IF YOU TAKE
ONE OF THE FACTORS OUT,

IF YOU TAKE THE ICE OUT
AND HAVE THE SAME WEIGHT,

MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE
THE ACCIDENT.

IF YOU TAKE OUT THE HEAVY WEIGHT
AND STILL HAVE THE ICING,

MAYBE YOU WON'T
HAVE THE ACCIDENT,

BUT IF YOU HAVE THEM COMBINED
TOGETHER, YOU HAVE THE ACCIDENT.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE
THEY HAVE A CONVINCING REPORT

THAT EXPLAINS THE COMPLEX CAUSE
OF THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 1285.

McNAIR: ICE AND WEIGHT.

Narrator: BUT FOUR OF THE NINE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

DISAGREE WITH
THE REPORT'S CONCLUSION.

THE DISSENTERS
TAKE THE UNPRECEDENTED STEP

OF RELEASING
THEIR OWN MINORITY REPORT,

CITING AN ONBOARD EXPLOSION
AS THE CAUSE.

Filotas: IT'S IMPOSSIBLE THAT
ICE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR.

IT DOES NOT ADVANCE SAFETY

TO GET THE WRONG CAUSE
OF AN ACCIDENT.

McNair: THE FACT THAT THERE WAS
A LOT OF CONTROVERSY

AROUND THIS INVESTIGATION
WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE

BECAUSE BASICALLY IT TOOK AWAY
FROM THE SAFETY MESSAGE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING

THAT A LITTLE TINY BIT OF ICE
ON A LARGE WING

WILL HAVE A BIG EFFECT,
BUT IT DOES.

Narrator: THE OFFICIAL REPORT
STILL STANDS,

BUT TO THIS DAY,

THE TWO SIDES DISAGREE
ABOUT THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH.

Wesley Wark: IN THIS
PARTICULAR CASE, OF COURSE,

WHAT WE HAD WAS
AN EXTRAORDINARY OUTCOME,

WHERE YOU HAVE A MAJORITY
AND A MINORITY REPORT

WHICH ARE DEEPLY DIVERGENT,

WHICH RAISE VERY DIFFERENT KINDSOF PICTURES

ABOUT WHAT THE OUTCOME
OF THIS CRASH WOULD BE.

Narrator: IT'S LIKELY
THE CONTROVERSY

WILL NEVER BE RESOLVED.

Phil Derner: I THINK THAT IF

THERE IS A DEBATE, THERE IS

ALWAYS GOING TO BE A DEBATE.

A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT

QUESTION A LOT OF THESE THEORIES

WILL NEVER ULTIMATELY
BE SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS.

Arkadiusz Protasiuk:
CONTINUING OUR APPROACH.

IF WE'RE UNSUCCESSFUL,
WE'LL GO AROUND ON AUTOPILOT.

Narrator: SOMETIMES,
THE IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF A CRASH

IS NOT THE ONLY THING
IN DISPUTE.

Todd Curtis: THE PILOT MADE

DECISIONS OR TOOK ACTIONS

BASED ON A LOT OF OTHER

THINGS THAT HAPPENED.

Controller: I JUST DON'T THINK
WE SHOULD BRING HIM IN.

IT MAKES NO SENSE RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: IT BECOMES A QUESTION
OF WHO IS ULTIMATELY TO BLAME?

Curtis: AND TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE

LISTENING TO THE SAME
VOICE RECORDING

MIGHT COME UP WITH TWO
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS.

Investigator: THEY DIDN'T
WANT THE PLANE TO LAND.

FLYING FROM POLAND TO RUSSIA,

POLISH AIR FORCE FLIGHT 101
IS CARRYING 89 PASSENGERS,

INCLUDING POLISH PRESIDENT
LECH KACZYNSKI.

THE PASSENGERS ARE ON THEIR WAY

TO MARK A GRIM
AND CONTROVERSIAL EVENT.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Jerzy Miller, translated:
THIS ANNIVERSARY WAS

ON APRIL THE 10th.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

IT WAS A GREAT POLISH TRAGEDY--

THE MURDER OF POLISH SOLDIERS
IN WORLD WAR II BY STALIN.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Narrator: IN 1940,
STALINIST FORCES

MARCHED 22,000 POLISH
OFFICERS AND INTELLECTUALS

INTO RUSSIA'S KATYN FOREST
TO BE EXECUTED.

Konstanty Gebert:
FOR THE FIRST TIME,

THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
WAS ACKNOWLEDGING

THE CRIME COMMITTED

AND THE PAIN THAT THE POLES
STILL FEEL FOR THAT CRIME.

Narrator: BY VISITING A MEMORIAL
NEAR THE SITE OF THE MASSACRE,

THE POLISH PRESIDENT
IS TAKING AN IMPORTANT STEP

TOWARDS RECONCILIATION.

A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY
LIES ON THE SHOULDERS

OF CAPTAIN ARKADIUSZ PROTASIUK

AND HIS CREW
OF ELITE MILITARY AIRMEN

FROM POLAND'S
SPECIAL AVIATION REGIMENT.

THEY'RE FLYING
A TUPOLEV TU-154M,

AN EXTREMELY POPULAR
RUSSIAN-BUILT PLANE.

Protasiuk: THROTTLE DOWN.

Narrator: ONE HOUR INTO
THEIR FLIGHT FROM WARSAW,

JUST AFTER 10:00,

THE PLANE BEGINS TO DESCEND
TO SMOLENSK, RUSSIA.

Protasiuk: POLISH 101.

GOOD MORNING.

Controller: POLISH 101,
ACKNOWLEDGE.

POLISH AIR FORCE, WE HAVE FOG.

VISIBILITY IS 400 METERS.

Protasiuk: UNDERSTOOD.

POLISH AIR FORCE 101.

HEAVY FOG.
VISIBILITY'S ONLY 400 METERS.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Sergey Yakimov, translated:
THE FOG WAS SO DENSE,

NOTHING WAS VISIBLE.

YOU COULDN'T SEE YOUR HAND
IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE

OR THE PERSON
STANDING NEXT TO YOU.

Narrator: SMOLENSK AIR BASE
DOESN'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT

NEEDED FOR
A RADIO-GUIDED LANDING.

THE PILOTS WILL FIRST
HAVE TO DESCEND TO 300 FEET,

THEN LOOK FOR THE RUNWAY.

ONCE THEY SPOT IT,
THEY WILL HAVE TO LAND MANUALLY.

CAPTAIN PROTASIUK
TAKES HIS PLANE LOWER

TO GET A FIRSTHAND LOOK
AT THE LANDING CONDITIONS.

BUT AS THEY GET CLOSER,
THE FOG GETS EVEN THICKER.

Controller:
APPROACHING OUTER MARKER.

ON COURSE AND ON GLIDE SLOPE.

Narrator: AS THEY DESCEND,

SUDDENLY
A GROUND WARNING SOUNDS.

Computer: TERRAIN. TERRAIN.
PULL UP.

Navigator: 100 METERS.

Computer: TERRAIN. PULL UP.

Navigator: 90 METERS.

Computer: PULL UP.

Narrator: THE CAPTAIN DECIDES
TO ABORT THE LANDING.

Navigator: 40.

Narrator: HE NEEDS TO CLIMB,
BUT IT'S A STRUGGLE.

Navigator: 20.

♪

Narrator: NO ONE ON BOARD
FLIGHT 101 HAS SURVIVED.

ONE OF THE DARKEST DAYS
IN POLISH HISTORY,

A DAY THAT WAS
TO HAVE BEEN COMMEMORATED

BY THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF,

WILL NOW BE REMEMBERED
FOR YET ANOTHER TRAGEDY.

NEWS OF THE POLISH PRESIDENT'S
DEATH ON RUSSIAN SOIL

STUNS ALL OF POLAND.

Gebert: BECAUSE OF THE DEEPLY
HOSTILE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN POLAND AND RUSSIA,

CONSPIRACY THEORIES
SPRUNG UP IMMEDIATELY.

Narrator:
MANY POLES ARE CONVINCED

THE WORLD HAS JUST
WITNESSED AN ASSASSINATION,

A TARGETED KILLING ORCHESTRATED

BY PRESIDENT KACZYNSKI'S
POLITICAL ADVERSARIES.

RUSSIAN AIR ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATORS

ARRIVE AT THE CRASH SITE.

THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE
INTERSTATE AVIATION COMMITTEE,

KNOWN AS THE MAK.

Investigator:
WE NEED TO MAP EVERY QUADRANT.

Gebert: IT'S NOT EVERY DAY

THAT THEY HAVE TO INVESTIGATE
A PLANE CRASH

AND IT'S A MATTER
OF TOP POLITICAL IMPORTANCE.

Narrator: AT THE CRASH SITE,

THE EVIDENCE IS POINTING
IN A DIRECTION

THAT WILL NOT SIT WELL
WITH THE POLES.

Investigator: WHY WOULD THEY
EVEN TRY TO LAND IN THIS FOG?

Narrator: SOME CLAIM THE POLISH
PILOTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TRIED

TO LAND IN THE HEAVY FOG.

THE SUGGESTION
RAISES ANGER IN POLAND.

Gebert: FOR THE PARTISANS
OF THE CONSPIRACY THEORY,

IT WAS JUST
ANOTHER RUSSIAN WHITEWASH.

Narrator: THE POLISH GOVERNMENT
SENDS THEIR OWN INVESTIGATORS

TO WORK ALONGSIDE THE RUSSIANS.

Polish Investigator:
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT SO FAR?

Narrator: THEY LAUNCH
A PAINSTAKING SEARCH

FOR ANY EVIDENCE
THAT THE FLIGHT

MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT DOWN
BY ASSASSINS.

CAREFUL ANALYSIS BY RUSSIAN AND
POLISH EXPERTS COMES UP EMPTY.

THEY FIND NO EXPLOSIVE RESIDUE
ON THE WRECKAGE

AND NO SIGN THAT THE PLANE
WAS SHOT DOWN.

FOR NOW, INVESTIGATORS
ON BOTH SIDES AGREE--

THE CRASH IS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT,
NOT A POLITICAL ASSASSINATION.

BUT WHAT COULD HAVE
CAUSED THE ACCIDENT?

INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE
THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER

TO SEARCH FOR ANY SIGN
OF ONBOARD MECHANICAL FAILURE.

Russian Investigator: IT LOOKS
LIKE EVERYTHING WAS FUNCTIONING.

Narrator: FLIGHT DATA CONFIRMS

THAT UNTIL THE MOMENT THE PLANE
STRUCK THE FIRST TREE,

THERE WAS NO MALFUNCTION
WHATSOEVER.

Russian Investigator: WE'LL
SEND YOU A COPY OF THE DATA.

Narrator: IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK
LIKE THE INITIAL SPECULATION

FROM THE RUSSIAN TEAM IS TRUE.

Protasiuk: HEAVY FOG,
VISIBILITY IS ONLY 400 METERS.

Narrator: THE POLISH PILOTS
MAY BE AT FAULT.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Miller: ONLY BY COMBINING
ALL THE PARAMETERS

COULD WE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.

DID THE CREW FOLLOW PROCEDURES?

WAS THE PLANE WORKING PROPERLY
TO THE END?

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Narrator: BOTH TEAMS
TURN THEIR ATTENTION

TO THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER.

Protasiuk: MR. DIRECTOR,
FOG HAS ROLLED IN,

AND THE CONDITIONS
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW,

WE'LL NOT BE ABLE TO LAND.

Russian Investigator:
WHO IS HE TALKING TO?

Narrator: IT'S DEFINITELY
NOT A CREW MEMBER.

Protasiuk: MR. DIRECTOR,
THE FOG HAS ROLLED IN.

THE CONDITIONS
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW,

WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LAND.

WE'LL MAKE AN ATTEMPT,
BUT IT PROBABLY WON'T WORK.

Mariusz Kazana:
THEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

Narrator:
POLISH INVESTIGATORS RECOGNIZE

THE VOICE IN THE COCKPIT.

Polish Investigator:
IT SOUNDS LIKE KAZANA,

THE DIRECTOR OF PROTOCOL.

Russian Investigator:
WHAT HE IS DOING IN THE COCKPIT?

Narrator: PROTOCOL DIRECTOR
MARIUSZ KAZANA NEEDS TO KNOW

IF THE PLANE WILL LAND ON TIME.

Kazana: SIR, I HAVE SOME NEWS
FROM THE COCKPIT.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Wieslaw Jedynak, translated:
WE COULD HEAR VOICES OF PEOPLE

WHO WERE DEFINITELY
NOT CREW MEMBERS,

AND THIS MEANT THAT THE COCKPITWAS ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE

WHO WERE NOT PART
OF THE FLIGHT CREW.

Narrator: SAFETY RULES FORBID
VISITORS IN THE COCKPIT

AT KEY POINTS IN THE FLIGHT.

Jedynak: THERE'S A RULE
THAT BELOW A CERTAIN ALTITUDE,

PILOTS SHOULD BE ISOLATED
FROM THE REST OF THE PLANE

SO THEY CAN CONCENTRATE
ON THEIR TASKS.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Narrator: IT NOW APPEARS
THE PRESENCE

OF SO MANY TOP OFFICIALS
ON BOARD

INFLUENCED THE DECISION TO LAND.

Maciej Lasek, translated:
WE DESCRIBE IT

AS INDIRECT PRESSURE,

THE PRESSURE RESULTING
FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE TASK

AND THE MISSION
THE AIRCREW WAS COMPLETING.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Protasiuk: MR. DIRECTOR,
THE FOG HAS ROLLED IN.

WE'LL MAKE AN ATTEMPT,
BUT IT PROBABLY WON'T WORK.

Narrator: THOUGH PROTASIUK
KNEW THE LANDING WAS RISKY,

HE MAY HAVE WANTED
TO SHOW HIS PASSENGERS

THAT HE WAS WILLING TO TRY.

NO ONE WANTS TO DISAPPOINT
A PRESIDENT.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Lasek: TO BE CLEAR, THIS PERSON
DID NOT GIVE ANY INSTRUCTIONS,

BUT JUST HIS PRESENCE
IN THE COCKPIT

INTERRUPTED THE WORK FLOW,

THE DECISION-MAKING, AND
COMMUNICATION AMONG THE CREW.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Controller: TURN ON
YOUR LANDING LIGHTS.

Protasiuk: LIGHTS ON.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS UNCOVER
ANOTHER PUZZLING MOMENT

IN THE COCKPIT.

Computer: TERRAIN. PULL UP.

Narrator: THEY HEAR A WARNING

THAT THE PLANE
IS DANGEROUSLY LOW,

BUT, STRANGELY, THE PILOTS
DON'T SEEM TO REACT TO IT.

Protasiuk:
YOU CAN'T SEE A THING.

Computer: TERRAIN. TERRAIN.

Polish Investigator:
WHY AREN'T THEY CONCERNED

ABOUT THEIR ALTITUDE?

Russian Investigator:
THEY SHOULD BE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS COMPARE
THE PLANE'S INTENDED FLIGHT PATH

TO THE ALTITUDES
CALLED OUT BY THE NAVIGATOR.

Computer: TERRAIN. PULL UP.

Navigator: 40.

30.

20.

Computer: TERRAIN.

Russian Investigator: STOP.

Navigator: 40.

Narrator: JUST AFTER THE
NAVIGATOR CALLS OUT 20 METERS...

Navigator: 20.

[CRASH]

Narrator:
...THE UNMISTAKABLE SOUND

OF THE PLANE
HITTING THE FIRST TREE.

Russian Investigator: 20 METERS?

Polish Investigator: THEY HIT
THE TREE AT 11 METERS, NOT 20.

Narrator: SOMETHING'S NOT RIGHT.

THE NAVIGATOR
IS CALLING OUT 20 METERS,

BUT THE PLANE IS ONLY
11 METERS FROM THE GROUND.

Russian Investigator:
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEIR ALTITUDE.

Narrator: WHY DIDN'T THE CREW
KNOW HOW LOW THEY WERE FLYING?

POLISH INVESTIGATORS WONDER

IF THERE WAS AN ALTIMETER
MALFUNCTION ON FLIGHT 101.

Polish Investigator:
WHAT HAPPENS HERE?

Narrator: WHAT THEY DISCOVER
IS SHOCKING.

Russian Investigator:
SOMEONE RESET THE ALTIMETER.

Narrator: ONE OF
THE ALTIMETERS WAS RESET

AND WOULD NOW GIVE
INCORRECT ALTITUDE READINGS.

♪

Polish Investigator:
WHY WOULD A PILOT DO THAT?

Narrator: POLISH INVESTIGATORS
TAKE THEIR QUESTIONS TO PILOTS

FROM THE SAME SPECIAL REGIMENT
THAT FLEW THE PRESIDENT.

Polish Investigator:
YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU ACTUALLY

CHANGE THE ALTIMETER
TO THE WRONG SETTING?

Narrator: THEY FIND OUT PILOTS

SOMETIMES RESET
THE BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER

TO SILENCE THE CONSTANT WARNINGS

OF THE TERRAIN ALTITUDE
WARNING SYSTEM, OR TAWS.

Computer: SINK RATE. PULL UP.

Polish Investigator:
START PLAYBACK.

Navigator: 90 METERS.

Polish Investigator:
STOP PLAYBACK.

HE WAS USING
HIS RADIO ALTIMETER.

Narrator: INSTEAD, THE CREW WAS
RELYING ON THE RADIO ALTIMETER.

IT USES RADIO WAVES TO MEASURE

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PLANE
AND THE GROUND BELOW.

BUT THE TERRAIN NEAR
SMOLENSK AIR BASE IS UNEVEN.

PLANES HAVE TO FLY
OVER A VALLEY TO REACH IT.

Polish Investigator:
LOOK WHAT HAPPENS HERE.

Narrator: WHEN THE RADIO
ALTIMETER READ 100 METERS,

THE AIR FORCE JET WAS NOT
100 METERS ABOVE THE AIRPORT.

IT WAS 100 METERS
FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VALLEY.

THE RADIO ALTIMETER WAS GIVING
THEM MISLEADING INFORMATION.

Navigator: 30.

20.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Lasek: USING THE RADIO ALTIMETER
AT THIS EARLY STAGE OF APPROACH

IS A SERIOUS MISTAKE.

Narrator: BOTH SIDES AGREE
THE POLISH CREW

MISHANDLED THE APPROACH,

BUT POLISH INVESTIGATORS ARGUE

THAT RUSSIA SHOULD BEAR
SOME OF THE BLAME.

Controller:
APPROACHING OUTER MARKER.

ON COURSE AND ON GLIDE SLOPE.

Narrator: POLISH INVESTIGATORS
FOCUS ON THE ROLE

PLAYED BY RUSSIAN
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.

Controller: POLISH AIR FORCE,
ARE YOU AT 500 METERS?

Protasiuk: WE ARE AT 500 METERS.

Controller: I JUST DON'T THINK
WE SHOULD BRING HIM IN.

IT MAKES NO SENSE RIGHT NOW.

Narrator: BEFORE THE PRESIDENT'S
PLANE REACHED THE AIRPORT,

THE RUSSIAN CONTROLLERS
KNEW THE FOG

WOULD MAKE LANDING
A VERY HIGH RISK,

BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE
AUTHORITY TO TURN THE JET AWAY.

Controller: WE HAVE TO FIND
AN ALTERNATE FOR THE POLES.

WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE WEATHER.

Polish Investigator: THEY DIDN'T
WANT THE PLANE TO LAND.

Narrator: THE CONTROLLER WAS
WAITING FOR CAPTAIN PROTASIUK

TO MAKE THE DECISION
NOT TO LAND.

Controller: WE DO NOT HAVE
LANDING CONDITIONS.

Protasiuk: CONTINUING
OUR APPROACH.

IF WE'RE UNSUCCESSFUL,
WE'LL GO AROUND ON AUTOPILOT.

Controller: IT'S HIS CALL.
LET THEM CONTINUE ON THEIR OWN.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Lasek: I THINK THAT
THE SAME INDIRECT PRESSURE

THAT WAS EXPERIENCED BY THE
CAPTAIN OF THE TU-154 AIRCRAFT

WAS SHARED
BY THE ATC CONTROLLERS

BECAUSE OF THE NATURE
OF THIS FLIGHT.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Narrator: POLISH INVESTIGATORS
PRODUCE A SEPARATE REPORT

CRITICIZING THE SMOLENSK AIRPORT
FOR NOT TURNING AWAY THE PLANE

AND FOR NOT BEING
PROPERLY EQUIPPED.

IN TURN, THE RUSSIANS DISPUTE
THE REPORT'S CONCLUSIONS.

THIS FAILURE TO REACH A
CONSENSUS ONLY FUELS SUSPICION

THAT THE PRESIDENT OF POLAND
WAS ASSASSINATED.

Gebert: YOU HAVE PEOPLE
WHO ARE DESPERATELY

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT HAPPENED,

AND THEY ARE GIVEN INFORMATION
THEY'RE NOT QUALIFIED TO ASSESS.

I MEAN, I'M NOT QUALIFIED

TO ASSESS INFORMATION
OF THE RUSSIAN

OR OF THE POLISH COMMISSION
OR OF THE COUNTER EXPERTS.

I'M NOT AN EXPERT.

SO, FINALLY I HAVE TO DECIDE
WHOSE EXPERTS DO I TRUST?

Narrator: AND PERHAPS
NO OFFICIAL REPORT

COULD EVER SATISFY THE CRITICS

ON EITHER SIDE
OF THE RUSSIAN/POLISH DIVIDE.

Miller: EVERY ACCIDENT
MUST TEACH US A LESSON.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

UNFORTUNATELY,
LEARNING THAT LESSON

HAS COME AT A VERY HIGH COST.

[SPEAKING POLISH]

Derner: SOMETIMES THERE ARE
POLITICAL DIFFERENCES

AND OTHER CHALLENGES,

BUT ULTIMATELY, THEORETICALLY,
EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME TEAM.

EVERYONE WANTS SAFER SKIES.

♪