Blackout Effect (1998) - full transcript

- U.S. Air, turn left, heading 090.
- Flight two-C.

- Descend to 13,000.
- flight 21425.

- And 1-2-4-7 descend to four...
- American.

- Turn left heading tower one
- four zero descent.

turn left heading two...

one hundred.

- American, make a 362.
- One five.

- taxi position, runway...
- runway, make a left.

- N-147, turn right
- Thousand.

- heading three hundred degrees.
- To the right...

- in position on runway.
- A.F.I. 2-2-9.



- American 645,
- Continental 30,

- one eight miles from...
- four miles from here...

- cleared. 1-L-S...
- the outer marker, turn right...

- runway 224. Make approach.
- heading two-two-zero.

- Maintain two thousand two hundred.
- left approach.

- What time's your flight leave?
- I'm scheduled for 11.30.

- Which means 12.30.
- Religiously.

You've no idea what it's like
having to say...

"Thank you for flying...

the number one on-time airline"...

rolling in two hours late.

Speaking of delays,
did you call him yet?

No, I didn't call him.

I don't want to call him
from an airport.



Catherine, just get it over with.

Please see the ticket agent...

- at the airline reservation counter.
- I'm gonna try and make it, honey.

I'll try. I'm gonna try standby.

The flight is delayed.
It gets in at...

Hang on.

Gets into Chicago at 6.45. Yeah.

I'll call you from the plane.

I'm going to the gate right now.

Don't worry. I'm gonna make it.

- Hi, is John there?
- Okay?

Okay, it's just a friend.
I'll call back.

No, that's okay.

- I'll try him later.
- Leave your name.

Could you just tell him that
Catherine Parmel called?

No. Don't page him.

- I'm gonna try him later.
- When is he home?

I was just wondering, is he home
this weekend by any chance?

Okay. Alright. Thanks.

- Why did I do that?
- Is he home?

Yes, he's home. Okay, you know what?

I've just got to go to D.C.
and see him.

- Yeah, you should.
- Right, Maybe I should call him.

No, go see him tonight.

But my flight
doesn't get into Atlanta until 6.00.

Switch with me.
I've got the Chicago-D.C. flight.

You'll be in by eight o'clock.

- What about you?
- Don't worry about me.

Go.

Okay.

Thanks a lot. Alright.
I'll call you later tomorrow.

Don't worry, you're gonna be fine.

This is your final boarding call.

Sorry, folks, about this delay.

As you know. Global is
the number one on-time airline.

Air traffic control has us on hold.

We're now looking at...

a departure time at about 12.20.

Our flight path will take us...

northeast over Las Vegas...

eastbound over Denver,
and just south of Omaha, and then...

- it's a straight shot to Chicago...
- How ya doin', sweetheart?

- from there.
- Good.

- Good.
- Flight time today is just under...

four hours and that should put us...

- into Chicago at about 6.30.
- Color in the lines.

- I'll try.
- Again,

we apologize for the delay
and thank you for choosing Global.

Tower, this is Global 1025.

We're gonna have to refuel
if we wait much longer.

Southwest 876 out of gate 9.

Southwest 876, hold short...

we'll try and get ya out to taxi.

- Continental 443...
- Global 1025...

- taxi to runway 24.
- fly runway heading, runway 24...

right cleared for take off.
123015. Good day.

Global 1025 on the roll.

Flight attendants prepare for...

take off.

V-one...

V-two rotate.

Global 1025, turn right
four zero degrees...

continue assent to ten thousand feet.

Reaching.

Ladies and gentlemen,

if you'd like to listen in...

on our voice communication

you'll find it on channel nine.

Northern 343, radar contact lost,
can you make the airport?

- We got a double flame out.
- Tower...

you gotta find us a highway here.

What the hell happened to the fuel?

Northern 343 Des Moines airport...

is twelve o'clock, eight miles.

Can't make that tower.
Let's get the next clear...

- over to...
- There's a highway over there.

- No cars.
- Is that straight?

No.

- We're gonna have to take it.
- Flaps.

- They're all the way down.
- I hope we can do it.

We're gonna do it. I've got it.

- I've got it.
- Gonna land over that guy. That guy.

See that guy? Don't stall it.

We're gonna do it right here.

We're gonna feel it.
We're gonna put it down. Here we go.

What's the cause?

Pilot error. Ran out of fuel.

Details, details.

Catherine called.

- Catherine? Catherine Parmel?
- Yeah.

What'd she want?

She didn't say.
Are you still seeing each other?

No. She moved to Atlanta.

What'd she say?

She wanted to know if you're
gonna be home this weekend.

And you said?

You're seeing her.

No, I am not seeing her.

- What'd you tell her?
- I told her that...

I thought you'd be around.

So do you want me to go back
to Des Moinesand finish this up?

No. Just get a statement from
the maintenance crew and close it.

I need that file by next week.

How do you run out of fuel?

Karen. Mack.

Here ya go.

American 3721...

fly heading zero niner zero, vectors
for traffic. Expect direct buckeye.

- Who needs caffeine?
- Yeah, a coffee run!

- Where's the rookie?
- I got it. Right here.

Black, sugar, tea,
low fat, don't tell me.

Man, you gonna work the busiest
airspace in the country...

and you can't take a coffee order?

Nonfat, extra sugar.

Nice guess.

You're regular and...

- Decaf.
- God. I knew that.

- I knew that.
- We're going the wrong way.

Jack. I need fifteen,
I can't handle ten mile spacing.

I've got severe turbulence
into Chicago.

We need to be slowing traffic down,
not speeding it up.

Alright, fine.

D.C. central flow has ordered
ten mile spacing.

Ten? Frank, we're backed up as it is.

I've gotta pull
some of these guys off soon.

Just do it.

Where the hell is Drake?

Harold, you know the rules.

Henry, you son of
a miserable pissant...

pain in the ass.

Come on. We need you
out on the floor.

Apparently you've forgotten,
once again, we've a union contract.

Henry, do not give me grief today,
alright? Let's go.

Breaks over in...

- one minute and forty seconds.
- Look, I don't make the rules.

Just get on the floor
and do your job.

Hey, rookie.

What's goin' on? Still bein' hazed?

No, not too bad.

See, they can't fire me.
You know why?

No, man, I don't know. I'm tryin'
to keep the order straight.

I know too much.

Black, sugar, nonfat,
half-and-half, regular...

- November 63, possible traffic...
- cream.

- eleven o'clock, eight miles...
- American 178...

- opposite direction.
- maintain visual separation...

- Flight level two hundred.
- contact Chicago International...

- approach on 127.85.
- Karen, I got somethin' for ya.

- C.O. I haven't even finished...
- Helen.

- the last one, Henry.
- No, this is great.

It's about this computer system
that wakes up one morning...

not only alive and
a conscious being, right?

But so independent that it rebels...

against the human masters here
on Earth.

Henry, I want escape.

We'll escape together.

How many flights a day
did you have in training?

About one fifty.

Now you got almost eight thousand.

Watch me,
I'm gonna make a sandwich here.

Put this guy to twenty-three
and move this guy to twenty-one...

and squeeze this guy in
at twenty-two.

A lot of people in that sandwich.

American 434, amend altitude
maintain flight level two one zero.

Come on. United 377, descend,
maintain flight level 230.

Tristate 602, climb,
maintain flight level 220.

After that climb, report reaching.

I told you, man,
you cannot think in this job.

Tristate 602, reduce speed at 280.

You start thinkin' about passengers,
you'll hesitate.

If you hesitate, you're goin' down.

Good evening. Global 1025.

Good evening Midwest.

Football update, Bears, twenty-four;
Vikings, twelve.

Just thought you might be interested.

You know, not having
a team of your own and all.

At least we don't have the Cubs.

Is that right? Bunch of losers.

Hand off Global 1025.

I got 'em.

Global 1025,
contact Midwest Center on 118.55.

- Have a nice night.
- Midwest Center, Global 1025...

checking out flight level 260.

Global 1025. Midwest Center.
Traffic, eleven o'clock

three zero miles, opposite direction.

You've a business jet
at flight level 240.

Expect descent clearance
in four minutes.

Global 1025, looking.

Ladies and gentlemen

we're beginning our initial descent
into the Chicago area.

Local time is 6.10.
We should be on the ground...

- in about fifteen minutes.
- Thank you.

- and whips...
- For those of you making...

- soda pops leaped off...
- Global connections...

the river and it went kerplop.

I've a military F-18
flight level 350...

lookin' to borrow
some of your airspace.

- Can you handle it?
- P.D.O. 342, climb and...

maintain flight level 280.

Waiting on the F-18, any day now.

I heard you. Alright,
gimme the F-18...

put him at thirty-one.
It's the only altitude I got left.

- Fan the eighty-one, climb and...
- P.D.O. cargo...

- maintain flight level 310.
- 342, traffic...

- You're cleared to...
- ten o'clock, five miles...

- hold on 235...
- turning north...

- flight level 280...
- eastbound out of...

- to flight level 310.
- seven mile leg, left turns.

American 853, amend altitude,
descend to...

- maintain flight level 260.
- What was that?

Did your screen just black out?

Must be you, Henry.

I'd like an unsatisfactory
condition report...

- again.
- You losin' it, Hank?

- You goin' down, my friend?
- My screen blacked out.

He's got his pad out.

Yeah, I know, it's all,
it's very funny, yeah.

It's hysterical.

Henry, you wanna shut up for
a minute and move your guy, please?

Ladies and gentlemen,
we're experiencing...

- some moderate turbulence.
- Let's get this out of here.

We ask that you remain in your seats
with your seat belts fastened.

Center, we're having moderate to
worse turbulence. Request climb to...

- flight level 310.
- Negative, Global 1025.

You've an F-18 at flight level 310.

We gotta get outta this.

Center, 1025
request descent out of...

- flight level 260 for 210.
- Negative, Global 1025.

Do not descend.
Opposite direction traffic. Stand by.

P.D.O. cargo 342. Midwest Center,
how do you hear me?

Where the hell are you?

P.D.O. 342. Center.

- Traffic...
- Center, we're at zero visibility.

- Do you havqe traffic for us?
- Traffic...

- Please sit down.
- Mommy?

You wait for Mommy here, honey.

No. I'm gonna bring her back to
her seat. You need to...

- take your seat as well, okay?
- Okay.

- Mommy!
- She's gonna...

come right back, honey, okay?

- Global 1025, maintain 260.
- Henry...

- when are you gonna move this guy?
- Where?

I've got an F-18 above

- I got a business jet below.
- Turn Global or do something...

'cause I got the P.D.O.
at twenty six.

What? What are you talking about?

You got about ten seconds
to make a call here...

- Get Williams!
- I don't see the P.D.O.!

Karen. Watch my traffic.

- Traffic, descend now...
- What the hell are they waiting for?

Center, we've traffic somewhere.

- Traffic, decend...
- T-CAS is telling us to descend.

- Negative, 1025, do not descend.
- Henry.

- Maintain flight level 260.
- Henry, move the Global.

Turn the Global or move the P.D.O.

- Do something.
- I don't see it. Where's the P.D.O.?

I don't see the P.D.O. Where is it?

Right there. You don't see that?

I didn't see it. Global 1025,
descend immediately!

Mommy!

Where's my mommy?

Global 1025, traffic alert
descend immediately

flight level 210.
Global 1025, acknowledge.

Global 1025, acknowledge.

- You got P.D.0.? Global 1025...
- P.D.O. 342, Midwest Center, over.

acknowledge. Global 1025...

- acknowledge.
- P.D.O.342. Midwest Center.

P.D.O. 342. Mid-west Center.

- Global, acknowledge.
- P.D.O. 342. Midwest Center.

- Global, acknowledge.
- Do you read?

It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay.

- Mommy.
- Acknowledge.

- Global 1025, acknowledge.
- P.D.O. 342. Midwest Center.

- They're in a coast track. Karen...
- P.D.O. 342. Midwest Center.

- P.D.O. 342, Midwest Center.
- I need a sighting in the area.

Lafia, take his traffic.

November seven kilo Victor, this is
Midwest Center requesting a visual...

at your eight o'clock at ten miles.
Do you see anything?

Global 1025. Midwest Center, over.

This is Midwest Center, do you copy?

Global 1025.
Midwest Center, do you copy?

P.D.O. 342.

- Global 1025. Midwest Center, over.
- P.D.O. 342.

Global 1025.
Midwest Center, do you copy?

We're gonna get you out of here,
okay?

Okay, thanks, Karen.

Mr. Wyatt, I'm going to take Henry
to a hotel...

- get him away from the press.
- They're already...

outside the facility.

Take Henry into the conference room.
I'll arrange transportation later.

Get a statement.

Henry. It's okay.
You don't have to do this now.

- I'll help you with it later, okay?
- Okay.

Okay.

- I gotta go call my kids. Okay?
- Don't go, Karen.

- Don't leave me, Karen.
- I'm not gonna leave you.

I just have to go call my kids, okay?

- Okay.
- Okay.

Karen, what happened to the plane?

Why won't anybody tell me
what happened to the planes?

God, no.

God, no.

No!

God, no.

Get a large building or factory
as close to the site as possible.

Use it as a temporary morgue.
Move bodies only.

Don't touch the wreckage
till I say so.

What? Yeah, it could be
an air traffic control problem.

Make sure the controller at Midwest
is secured. Get his name...

his statement, have the F.A.A.
test him for drugs and alcohol.

- I'll check in later.
- Who's missing?

Kim Garfield. I spoke to her
a half hour ago.

She was at a conference in New York.

- She'll meet us in Chicago.
- Does she know this is my case?

She does now.
She wasn't too happy about it.

That's just too bad, isn't it?

- Yes. More this way.
- In here?

I'll meet you on board.

- I don't wanna see this.
- Alright.

We got a family here.

- How long?
- Please. My God!

Come on. Who's on that plane?

You'll all know as soon as I know.

If you need to make a call.

We'll have phones set up
in fifteen minutes.

Looks pretty bad.
There's the cockpit.

- John Dantley.
- Jack Colson.

- Kim Garfield, Paul Roth.
- Jack Colson.

- Search and Rescue. Listen.
- Hi, it's nice to meet you.

We gotta hike in
a ways to the crash site.

It's just up over that crest,
so follow me and I'll take ya up.

Alright, we think the left wing...

clipped the top of
these tall trees here.

We've got the main impact area here.

Let's go.

Kim, note this.

It looks like complete destruction
of the aircraft...

behind the cockpit
with subsequent post-crash fire.

Jack, get the local police. I want
that area below the ridge sealed off.

N.T.S.B. only. No press, no public.
Just Search and Rescue.

How many bodies
have we recovered so far?

We got seventy.

Let's start documenting the wreckage.

Find the tail section wherever
the hell that is. Get the black box.

Guess we'll start over here...

- with the cockpit first.
- Mr. Dantley.

- Yeah?
- I'm Stephen Royer.

F.A.A. Regional Director.

- Hello.
- Look I know... Hi.

I know you people at N.T.S.B.
don't like to speculate.

But it's been six hours
since this crash occurred.

- Nobody's talked to the press.
- We don't speculate.

Look, we got rumors on the Internet.
The Mayor has publicly condemned...

- the air traffic control system.
- We don't speculate.

I'm not asking you to do that.
But two planes...

flying into each other is
not supposed to happen.

Now, there are a lot of people
out there...

that are very nervous. I just need...

- some reassurance from your...
- I'll tell you what.

If you wanna reassure somebody...

why don't you go and talk to some of
the families of the victims? Okay?

- That's not what I'm here for.
- Let me work with him.

- We don't work for the airlines.
- I said...

- We don't work for the F.A.A.
- "with him." I'm not...

- Let's... Everyone's got...
- Look, he's...

an agenda right now. Let's just be
clear about what ours is. Alright?

Kennedy just arrived at International
Here's the passenger list for Global.

How many on board?

A hundred and eighty-two on Global.
Three on P.D.O.

When you're ready,
we can check out the cockpit.

John, you alright?

Is something wrong?

- Catherine was on this flight.
- Catherine? Catherine Parmel?

Are you sure?
I just spoke to her this morning.

I've no comment.

I'm meeting
my chief investigator now.

I'll be happy to answer
questions later.

We haven't interviewed
the controller at Midwest yet.

But we're looking into
the possibility that there may...

have been a mis-communication
between him and the pilot.

It's up to you, if you
want to release that to the press.

Right now our priority is
the recovery of...

- the bodies of the victims.
- Do we expect any survivors?

It'd be a miracle.

Kim will brief you daily.

Alright, it's very late. I think
we should all try and get some sleep.

Excuse me, sir.

I...

I need to disclose something to you.

I knew one of the victims of
this crash, a flight attendant.

John, I'm sorry.
Why didn't you say something?

Was she a close friend?

Yeah. She was someone
I was seeing in D.C.

but we'd stopped seeing each other
well over a year and half ago.

I think you should recuse yourself.

- I agree.
- Kim can take care over.

- She's a senior investigator,
- I'd rather not. I'd like to...

- and you can go back to D.C.
- stay on. I can handle...

the investigation, sir.

I don't believe that
my having known this woman...

will in any way interfere with...

- my ability to do my job.
- You don't think ...

- it poses a conflict?
- No, sir, I do not.

- Come on, John.
- It's not a conflict for me.

And frankly, I don't think that
anyone else...

- even has to know about it.
- The last thing that...

we need is the appearance that
this investigation's been...

- compromised.
- Give me a little credit

- will you?
- The appearance, John.

Okay. Look, you can stay on.

But if it becomes a conflict,
professionally, emotionally.

I want you to recuse yourself.

- I will.
- Now, I'm gonna trust you on this.

It won't be a conflict, sir.
Thank you. I promise.

- Hello.
- Hi, Lori, it's John Dantley.

I don't know if you know this
or not, but...

but Catherine was on flight 1025.

I know.

I just wanted to tell you
how sorry I was.

I can't...

I can't talk to you right now, John.

Yeah, Lori, do you know what
she was doing on a flight to D.C.?

I'm sorry, I've to go.

Wait, Lori?

After being brought to...

- an undisclosed hotel last night...
- Yeah.

- air traffic controller...
- Okay, good.

- Henry Drake arrived home...
- Alright, take one...

- early this morning under...
- and go.

the watchful eye of...

- news cameras and reporters.
- The controller's name is...

Henry Drake.
Neighbors describe him...

as a quiet introspective man
who keeps to himself.

Even his next door neighbor
didn't know his name.

He's forty-six years old, unmarried,
mechanical engineering...

- graduate of Purdue University.
- Electrical engineering!

Right now he's inside his house.

Look, you people are getting it...

- all wrong.
- Mr. Drake, would you like...

- No. I've been told...
- to make a statement?

- that specifically I cannot talk...
- Was it controller error...

- to anybody.
- that caused this crash?

- No. I can't hear.
- Was there a mis-communication?

- You're all talking at once.
- Global had turbulence in the area.

But weather
doesn't seem to be a factor.

Our priority is radar
and voice communication...

between the pilots and
air traffic control.

Here's what I want.
Controller tapes from the facility...

cockpit voice recorder,
and the flight data reorder.

Also, find out if that cargo plane...

had a collision avoidance system
on board.

- Why wouldn't it?
- Not an F.A.A. requirement.

Kim, I want a look at
all the medical and...

training records on that controller.
Interview his friends, family

other controllers working
with him at the time. Anyone.

We'll meet here every morning
at 8.00am sharp for updates.

No one speaks to the press.
Understood?

Alright.

That's it.
Let's remember why we're all here.

We might actually learn something
from all this. Thank you.

I got that D.O.S.T.S.

John, about last night, I apologize.

But I had to call it
the way I saw it.

I understand.
Do we know where the controller is?

- Right behind you.
- I cannot talk about that.

I can't explain that to you.
I cannot talk to you.

First of all. I'm forty-eight,
right? I'm not forty-six.

And second of all, it's
an electrical engineering degree

- not a mechanical engineering degree
- I spoke to one of the F.A.A...

supes off the record about this guy.

Management's been trying to
fire him for the last five years.

- Why?
- Personality conflicts.

He files complaints
compulsively.

- About what?
- Equipment malfunctions...

union grievances. According to them,
he looks for problems.

This could be
a very short investigation.

There's the post-computer,
there's the C.D.C., and there's...

- the direct access radar.
- Can we come in and talk to you...

- inside your house?
- No, you can't come in...

- my house.
- Contact Frank Wyatt.

He's the facility manager at Midwest.

- I want him to work with us on this.
- No, I'm sorry.

Don't you think the facility manager
might have an agenda here, John?

No, not him.

- He's an old friend.
- Frank, good to see you.

It's been a long time, John.
I'm honored that you brought me in...

- on the investigation.
- No one else knows...

- the facility better than you do.
- Well...

this has sure turned us upside down.

Twenty-two years
and not one black mark.

Just be a minute, Henry.

How many planes were you
in communication with...

at the time of the accident?

- Ten.
- And how long...

had you been on your scope?

About two hours and
thirty-five minutes.

I wish I could hear what the hell
he was sayin' in there.

He's sayin' I worked him
overtime yesterday.

Him and ten other guys.

Drake is not ten other guys.

- He's gonna blame me.
- And I handed him off...

too many planes.
He could say anything he wants to.

The truth is, he screwed up, right?

- Yes, he did.
- Guys, we don't know that.

Karen, I saw that cargo jet
on my screen...

and I saw it on his screen, okay?
You saw it, right?

I don't know, man.

Don't say you don't know.
We gotta get the story straight.

- I'm just a trainee.
- No. You're there.

- I think I should go to the shrink.
- Shrink?

This has got nothin' to do
with a shrink.

This is about what you saw.

Now, what I saw were two planes
on a collision course...

that Drake did not separate in time.

When did you
first encounter the P.D.O.'s?

P.D.O. was westbound
at 21,000 feet...

and requested permission
to climb to 28,000.

Didn't you see tine P.D.O.
climbing into Global at 26,000 feet?

When I climbed P.D.O.,
Global was not a factor.

I had sufficient separation.

Obviously, I didn't see P.D.O.
climb into Global.

- Why not?
- P.D.O. data block...

disappeared from my screen.

- Why did you take...
- Excuse me.

What do you mean it disappeared?

Before the collision, I had a glitch.

A blackout on my screen.

After the blackout,
the data block vanished.

So you're telling us you never
even saw the P.D.O. at 26,000 feet.

The data block came back on
my screen just before the collision.

How long was your screen blacked out?

Two, maybe three seconds.

And did the outage occur
in the entire facility?

I've no way of knowing that.

According to the preliminary report,
there was no blackout reported.

Did the supervisor see it?

- I haven't spoken to the supervisor.
- Did you alert your supervisor?

I requested an unsatisfactory...

- condition report.
- But to your knowledge...

he didn't see it happen?

Did anyone see it?

I'm telling you,
I had a blackout on my screen!

I tried to establish radio contact
with the P.D.O.

but I didn't see it!
You didn't see it...

- or it wasn't there?
- It wasn't there.

Alright, let's go back
to the instructions...

- that you gave 1025. If I may?
- Please.

T-CAS, the pilot's on-board
warning device...

indicated conflicting traffic to 1025
and instructed the pilot to descend.

But you denied his request and
told him to maintain altitude.

- It's correct?
- I had other traffic.

I didn't know where
the P.D.O. jet was.

Why would you climb P.D.O from
21 to 28 when you had a 757 at 26?

I've warned this facility about
the sub-standard equipment we have.

I've warned this facility
about deficiencies in the system.

Radar blackouts,
communication outages.

I've telephoned
the F.A.A. Administrator's hotline.

I filed two unsatisfactory
condition reports...

in the last two months
on the very same scope...

- I was using!
- Answer his question, Henry.

Why'd ya climb P.D.O.
from 21,000 feet to 28,000 feet...

when you had a 757 at 26?

I told you the Global's not a factor.
I could see both of those planes.

So you became confused when P.D.O.
as you allege, disappeared.

No. Yes! Fie, yeah, I was confused!

No, see what do you mean "allege?"
you're putting words in my mouth now.

I don't allege anything.
The system...

- is unsafe. It's in jeopardy!
- According to the data we've...

Henry, according to the data we've...

you say one thing,
the radar printout says another.

You're confused and you contradieted
the computer's instructions.

Let's talk about that for a minute.

It's accepted practice that if
it's your word against the computer

the computer has precedence.

That's ludicrous! How can you
give the computer precedence...

when you can't even believe
what it's saying?

Ask the pilots.

Even the T-CAS system
makes mistakes sometimes.

I warned you. Mr. Wyatt.
I warned you!

We've to trust the technology.

You gave the pilot improper
instructions.

- Is that true or not true?
- You're warned that...

- this was gonna happen.
- Is it true or not true?

- You're warned!
- Did you give the pilot...

improper instructions?

This is the scope that Drake used.

He's finishing up
a diagnostic check on it right now.

Test panel looks okay.
Character generator functions.

Character gen...
How old is this scope?

- Older than you.
- We're in transition.

We're due for new equipment
in two years.

- So they say.
- I've hooked into a sector...

for the last five hours. This is
the same traffic Drake had yesterday.

It seems to be functioning fine.

How long do you want me
to stay on it?

Five hours isn't long enough.

Hook up a video monitor to it
and record it.

Drake says he reported two
unsatisfactory condition reports...

on this scope. I wanna see 'em.
All the maintenance records, too.

Did anybody
touch this scope last night?

I run the department.
Nobody touched it.

Let me know what happens.

- What's Henry Drake's status here?
- I'm sure...

he'd like to have his job back,
but he's not gonna get it though.

I gotta find something else
for him to do.

- Union rules.
- That glitch he talked about...

the data disappearing from the screen
that ever happen to you before?

Not to my knowledge. I'll go through
the reports and check.

- Did you see the radar data?
- Yeah, but that doesn't...

prove him wrong. Missing data's
not gonna show up on a radar report.

We need the black box to show if
there's a problem with the avionics.

- How long has Drake worked here?
- Twenty years.

Most of my controllers
burn out after ten...

and move upstairs into management,
but Henry, well, ya know.

Henry Drake's not exactly
what ya call management material.

This equipment is what,
1960s' military?

1950s.

My dad says you guys had more
sophisticated equipment back...

when you're in the Navy.

There's nothing wrong
with the technology, John.

We may have a few more airplanes
in the sky...

but that's not the system's fault.
It works.

Yeah, Barbara, is he there?

Yeah, sure. I'll hold.

Hey, what'd you find out?

Drake's scope checked out.

Really?

- What about those reports he filed?
- They weren't there.

- What do mean they weren't there?
- They weren't there.

The F.A.A. has no record of any
unsatisfactory reports being filed...

or any service on the scope
in the last two months.

That's weird.

- Did we check the D.C. office?
- It's not there.

But I did find out
something interesting.

What?

There're five power outages
in the facility.

Blackouts? Caused by?

Software glitch, power interruption,
stuck computer key...

that one knocked him out
for fifteen minutes.

What's falling out of
that helicopter?

Flowers.

From the families of the victims.

That's as close as they could get.

I saw Catherine a couple months ago.

- I thought you guys broke up.
- Yeah, we did.

But I was in Atlanta,
so I called her.

We got together a couple times.
It's great.

I don't know why, maybe 'cause
there was no pressure on us...

or something,
but it was really, really nice.

I called her a couple of times
when I got back to D.C., but...

she never called me back.

Mr. Dantley.

Park that loader right here.

- How many are there right now?
- All done.

- Bring it down.
- Let's go.

- How's that?
- That's good.

- Mr. Dantley.
- I'm not supposed to talk to you.

- I just want to talk.
- You want this incident reported?

It's not gonna help you out.

Why won't anybody listen to me?

I'm not crazy, I know what I saw.

That plane was not on my scope.

Did you find the unsatisfactory
condition reports...

- I filed?
- They weren't there.

- How? I filed those reports.
- They weren't there.

- They buried them.
- Who?

They'll bury reports.
They'll do whatever...

- they want!
- Tell me something. How come...

out of thirty-five unsatisfactory
condition reports...

filed in the last couple years,
you filed thirty-two of 'em?

Because I speak up.

Just because you speak up
doesn't mean anyone's gonna...

- believe you
- Listen.

Could I look you in the eye like this
if I killed all those people?

Good night. Mr. Drake.

A little higher.

- John!
- Yeah.

- We found the black box.
- They got it.

- Traffic.
- Now you can see the P.D.O...

- Traffic.
- approaching in the computer...

- recreation.
- Traffic.

What the hell are they waiting for?

Traffic, descend now. Traffic...

The crew is getting impatient.

The controller's telling
the Global pilot to maintain...

T-CAS is telling him to descend.

The Global pilot's
receiving conflicting commands.

- Center, we've traffic somewhere.
- Traffic, descend now.

- T-CAS is telling us to descend.
- Traffic, descend now. Traffic.

- Negative, 1025, do not descend.
- Traffic.

- Maintain flight level 260.
- Traffic, decend...

Again the controller gives him
the wrong command.

P.D.O. cargo is now at twenty-five...

and climbing directly into
the path of the Global.

- Center, we're not on visual.
- Traffic, decend now.

- Where's the traffic?
- I don't see him.

- Where's the P.D.0.?
- Traffic, decend.

The controller was keyed up
on his mike.

He seems irritated, confused,
he cant find P.D.O...

Or it's not on his screen.

Or it's not on his screen.
What we do know from the data...

is that the P.D.O. cargo
is almost at 26,000 feet.

Now, somehow the controller
realizes his mistake...

and quickly tries to descend Global.

Global 1025, traffic alert.
Descend immediately to...

- flight level 210.
- 1025 expediting a descend.

He was giving the right commands
to Global.

- But it's too late.
- Traffic...

- descend now.
- We've impact.

- What the hell was that?
- That's not right.

What we got here...

- Traffic. Descend...
- We're hit, man! We're hit!

The next segment of this tape...

is the cockpit recording
after the collision.

This isn't easy to listen to.

Play it.

Center, mayday, mayday!
We're going down!

- We're going down!
- Something hit us back there!

- This is Global 1025.
- Traffic, decend now.

- We're going down!
- Talk to the cabin!

Flight attendants,
assume crash positions.

- Traffic, desend now.
- I can't hold it.

Left rudder.

- We're losing hydraulics!
- On fire, engine two!

- Blow the bottles!
- Hang on!

- I...
- Pull it up.

- Emergency request! Can't...
- Traffic.

God, I can't!

Look at that form.

Come on!

- Score it.
- I tried, man. It was...

- Where are you goin'?
- Goin' home to my kids.

- Come on, one more.
- Come on.

- Tim wants you to stay.
- No. I don't.

See ya.

Henry.

I was gonna call you.

Yeah, but you've been so busy.

Don't do that to me.

Sorry. But under the circumstances...

I think that maybe an ounce of pity
might be appropriate.

Come on, Karen,
I'm drownin' out here.

That's ridiculous.
There's no conspiracy.

Everybody is just tryin' to cover
their own ass.

Karen, what do you think
a conspiracy is?

God! I file the complaints.

I fight for the union,
I put my ass on the line...

for everybody else
and who comes to my defense?

Everybody is suffering.

What did you guys say to the NTSB?

Who?

Lafia, Mack, Conners, you.

I know you guys all talked.
What did you say?

This is great. You don't remember.

Don't get sarcastic with me, Henry.

You know we're not supposed to
talk about...

- what we said.
- Karen, it's me for God's sake!

I went through your divorce.

- I know your children.
- Henry, what do you...

want me to do, lie?

Whatever happened on your scope,
I didn't see it!

But ya know that what
I'm talking about could've happened.

Karen. Listen. I know
it's hard for you to complain.

But you've gotta speak up now!
Those guys, they're not gonna do it.

But you're not them.

You've gotta speak up
and tell people about the system.

Henry...

I'm not you.

We can't keep the black box findings
from the press.

We've to release that information.

- I agree.
- I don't have a problem with that.

I'll schedule a press conference
in two days.

Excuse me, but if you release
this tape to the press...

then the whole world's gonna think
that Henry Drake was responsible...

for the crash of 1025.

Let's not kid ourselves here.
These investigations are now...

public trials played out
in the media.

We release these findings...

- he's guilty.
- John, we've listened to...

all the tapes, we've analyzed
all the data that we have...

we've interviewed and
re-interviewed anyone...

who was even remotely
attached to the crash.

Now, yes the pilot will share
some responsibility

but the cold hard fact is
Henry Drake...

- did not see the cargo plane.
- True.

But he says that it wasn't there
on his scope.

How does that prove he's innocent?

- How does that prove he's guilty?
- You're lookin' to find...

- some fault with the system.
- No.

- I'm not lookin' to find anything.
- Look. If there is...

even the slightest hint
of a remote possibility...

that there's something wrong with
the air traffic control system...

there'll be
international repercussions.

Yes, but what if there is
something wrong with the system?

What if it is flawed?
And if that flaw still exists...

what are we gonna do about it?
Ignore it?

- Wait for it to happen again?
- Of course not.

Then tell me how a guy
with a fairly spotless record...

over twenty years of experience
as a controller...

- puts two planes together.
- His spotless record...

and his experience
are completely irrelevant.

Alright.

What about the unsatisfactory
condition reports he filed?

John, we've been over this before.
They aren't there.

- I looked for 'em myself.
- So he's lying.

We're not making a value judgement
against this guy's character.

Sure we are.
That's exactly what we're doing.

If those reports don't exist,
then Drake is a liar.

Have we double checked
the maintenance logs?

Double checked and triple checked.
There've been no problems reported...

with that scope
for the last several months.

Does anybody else
have a bad feeling about this?

John, I wanna get to the truth of
this matter as much as you do...

- as much as anybody.
- How many blackouts...

did your facility have last year?

We've had occasional power failures.
We installed...

- new software, new equipment.
- Yeah. But how many blackouts?

- Five. We've a backup system.
- And what happens...

- if that backup system goes down?
- It doesn't.

- If. If it did.
- John, this has absolutely...

nothing to do with what happened to
Henry Drake's scope.

Five blackouts.

Now, is that how many really
happened or is that just...

- how many gets reported?
- If a power interruption duration...

is less than one minute,
no report is filed.

- Why not?
- Because it's not required by...

federal air regulations, John.

- I do not make the rules.
- Why does it take something...

like this to happen
before the rules get changed?

People... people die.

John.

You got a call. You need to go to
the crash site right away.

Believe it or not, we're almost
two miles from the crash site.

A couple a hikers found the bodies
early this morning.

We found the last six remaining
bodies in this general area here.

Where was
Catherine Parmel's body found?

I believe she was over here
in this clearing.

Who...

Who was this she was with?

144, that would be, Paulette Oster.

She was a little five year old girl.

Her mother's body was already
recovered, wasn't it?

Yes, sir. Ya know, strangest thing

her mother'sbody wasn't found
anywhere in this area.

We're pretty sure that
she was holding on...

to the little girl
when the plane crashed.

Excuse me, sir, if you don't mind
me asking, did you...

Did you know this woman somehow?

Yeah.

Listen, why don't you
just take your time here and...

if you need me.
I'll be back at the truck.

You okay?

Yeah

You know, you do this for ten years,
you just...

walk by these little flags...

they're just bodies, not a life.

It's...

It's a little different
when you know the person.

You guys want kids, Paul?

Yeah, we've talked about it.

Catherine wanted kids.

She wasn't sure when,
but she knew she wanted them.

I need to go home,
take a couple days off.

I promised Catherine's mom
I'd bring her body back home to D.C.

This isn't right.

This just isn't right.

John?

- Lori.
- Can we talk?

It's about the best I can do.

I haven't been home
since I left for Chicago.

Thanks.

I spoke to Catherine's mom yesterday.

I know. It really meant a lot to her
that you could...

bring Catherine's body back.

Yeah

You know I'm still a little confused.

About what?

About why she was on that flight.

I know that D.C. wasn't on her route
since she moved to Atlanta.

I thought that maybe
she was cornin' home...

to visit her mom, but that wasn't it.

No, she was coming here to see you.

- Me?
- There's something...

I've to tell you. It was my fault.

I was with Catherine in L.A.

I switched flights with her and
she took my route. I killed her.

It should've been me.

No.

No. Don't say that. It shouldn't...

- It shouldn't have been anyone.
- I've to go.

Wait. Why did she want to see me?

It doesn't matter anymore.

John, Mark. I've in my possession
two tickets to the Redskins game.

If you're interested, call me, okay?

Hi, John, it's your mom.

- Hi, Mom.
- I know you're busy.

Call me back when you've a chance.

Dad and I're trying to make plans
for Thanksgiving.

- Yeah.
- I love you. Bye.

Hi, it's Catherine.
I'm calling from L.A.X. and I...

I've to see you. I've something
I've to talk to you about...

and I just... I wanna talk to you
about it in person.

I'm coming into D.C. tonight. I know
you're in town, I called your office.

I hope that was okay.

I need to see you, John.

Would you please be there for me?

Tell me why she was coming to...

- see me.
- I don't know.

Yes you do. Come on,
why'd she wanna see me?

- It doqesn't matter.
- Why'd she wanna see me?

- It doesn't matter.
- It matters to me.

Lori, come on. Please just...

- Tell me.
- She was pregnant.

She loved you, John.

She always loved you.

Didn't you know that?

John?

John?

Hi, it's Catherine.
I'm calling from L.A.X. and I...

I've to see you. I've something
I've to talk to you about...

I just... I wanna talk to you
about it in person.

I'm coming into D.C. tonight.

I know you're in town,
I called your office.

I hope that was okay.

I need to see you, John.

Would you please be there for me?

I used to work in maintenance.

And, well technically.
I'm not a controller just yet.

- I'm still a trainee.
- When do you start?

In about an hour.

A little nervous?

I should actually get back out there.

Did you ever
service Henry Drake's scope?

Any scope that came down to us
was just a number. We checked it...

repaired it
if it needed repair and...

logged it in the book.

- This book, right?
- Yes, sir.

When you service a scope,
it's logged into this, right?

Yes, sir.

Tell me, did anyone ever ask you...

not to log something or
to take something out?

- No, sir.
- Is it possible that a data block...

can disappear from a radar screen?

- It could.
- How?

The scope could overheat, maybe.

That could cause the character
generator to malfunction...

that could cause
the display to malfunction.

Could I go now?

How would we
cause a scope to overheat?

Just turn off the fan.

Can I go now? Please?

Yeah.

How ya doin', buddy?

Good. I'm good.

First day pushin' tin. Ya nervous?

No. I just dropped my pen.

Let me tell you a secret
and don't tell anybody here.

My first week on the scopes
puked my guts out for the whole week.

Man, are you kiddin' me?

This is a true story.
Lighten up, rookie.

Got an easy shift.
Light traffic. No pressure.

What'd he ask you about?

- Who?
- Who?

The N.T.S.B.

- You're just upstairs.
- Nothin', man.

It was just maintenance stuff.

Rock steady. You'll do fine.

You nervous about the job or...

- did somethin' happen up there?
- I...

- I'm not nervous.
- Confidence, man.

That's what this job is all about.
You get into a rhythm...

- and you're in control.
- You're in control.

No, you're in control.

- I'm in control.
- That's right. See ya on the floor.

I'm in control.

I'm in control.

Make six copies of
these arrival route maps...

and then distribute them
to the appropriate control stations.

And then come back.

Don't you use the same maps
every week?

- Yes.
- Why not make six hundred copies?

And then you don't have to
make copies every week, right?

Because I don't do it that way.

Consider yourself
lucky to even have this job.

United 723. Midwest Center.
Resume normal speed.

Descend and maintain
flight level 280.

Rookie. The pilots aren't dogs.
Loosen up.

Southwest 116, turn left heading 280.

Vector for traffic,
expect direct Mason City...

traffic at your two o'clock,
fifteen miles.

Beautiful! Look at that separation.

Okay, let's hear it for the rookie!

Get your own coffee from now on.

Tristate 723
maintain maximum forward...

Southwest 116,
contact Midwest Center...

I'll be back in a minute.
Get that scope running.

Southwest 116,
contact Midwest Center 123.4.

Watch your sequencing
and separation, man...

- or you'll get yourself cornered.
- Where?

Right there, left of Tristate.

You got two planes coming into
each other in about three minutes.

- Tristate.
- Don't panic.

Just talk to him and
put him somewhere.

Tristate 723,
this is Midwest Center.

Turn left heading 210,
reduce speed to 250 knot.

There you go.

Continental 301, traffic ten o'clock,
one mile northbound.

- How you doin'?
- Pretty good.

Pan Atlantic 234...

traffic eleven o'clock,
two zero miles east...

What the hell is this?

I'm goin' down.

What do you got?

Come on.

We got a blackout!

- Let's go
- Got nothing!

Switch to backup!

- Switching.
- Come on. Back up is down.

Start the backup radios.

Radio is down.

What the hell is goin' on?

We've got a blackout.

Find a phone.

That's right. Saint Louis

- can't you see him?
- No.

No, not here. Yes!

- Radio change.
- What do I do?

Keep the picture in your head.
Call in the positions...

- to International.
- Keep it in my head?

- I got ten planes!
- Just get another phone.

I got two of 'em about to crash...

- in two minutes!
- And I've got four.

I'm sorry, man, I can't help you
right now. Just get to a phone...

any phone. Have Chicago tower
take over your airspace.

- Williams' got the number.
- Code five.

Tell 'em we've got no contact. What?

What's the number
for the Chicago air tower?

- 5552320. Are you still there?
- You gotta find him...

- because he's in heavy traffic.
- Who's that?

- backup.
- facilities...

radar on...

Do you see it?

Heavy traffic.

- He's at 22,000. At about...
- I need a phone.

- a hundred and twenty miles east.
- Where is there another phone?

Try downstairs. Last altitude known,
flight level 223.

- twenty-six fourteen miles
- Please! I need the phone!

- and that's to...
- I got two and a half minutes!

- to 2803.
- Sorry.

Excuse me! I need a phone!

- Emergency, I need a phone!
- Join the club.

I got a disaster in two minutes!

Upstairs, outside.

Zero, should be pickin'
'em up right now.

Where's he goin'?

I need the phone.

- I'm sorry, I got planes in the air.
- Hey, what the hell?

American 22 heavy,
cancel take off clearance.

All flights out of Chicago cancelled.

Pick up the traffic from Center.
Ground stop everything.

- International.
- This is Tim Conners. Midwest Center

I got a Tristate 723 squawk 7127
climbing Eastbound...

Westbound three miles
east of the airport.

I got a Pan Atlantic 234
squawk 1017...

eastbound climbing fifteen
for twenty-five in its path.

It's been a good minute and a half.
I just hope...

- they can see each other.
- I'm tryin' to find 'em.

- What frequency are they on?
- 118.55

11855. Pan Atlantic 234...

this is Chicago International,
do you read?

Pan Atlantic 234...

Not on that frequency.
They're talkin' to somebody...

- I just don't know who.
- Can't you just see it?

I don't see it.

It's gotta be there.

I see a vector on the west.
Let me talk to somebody else.

American, you've traffic
on your right...

could be Tristate 723. You've visual?

Well, they're flyin' straight
into traffic. Do you have...

a frequency for 'em? Got it.

Tristate 723,
this is Chicago International...

taking over your airspace.
You've traffic at your altitude.

A jet eastbound at twenty thousand.
Descend immediately.

Descend immediately. Descend!

Please.

Pan Atlantic don't descend with 'em.
Come on.

Come on. Yes! We got 'em.

We got 'em separated.
You're okay. Midwest Center.

Thank you.

- Thank you, God.
- We all done now?

Yes.

Attention all aircraft,
ground stop still in effect...

delays to metered airports
are expected.

We're back! We are back on line!

- Get right on it.
- Hey, Buzz

Alright!

Alright,
let's get back up to speed.

Come on.

Thank you very much.

And you can keep it.

I was robbed. It should have fallen.

- Should have fallen.
- Hey, Lafia, since when you buyin'?

I'm not, these are for me,
get your own.

- Come on.
- Too good to be true.

- Cheers.
- Thank you.

- Hey, to us.
- This is to us.

I gotta take this.

Hey, if it's Tristate...

- tell 'em to keep circlin'.
- Tell 'em to keep circlin'.

Rookie, you okay?

Yeah. I'm alright.

There're tense moments
at the Midwest Center...

- Air Traffic Control...
- We're on the news!

earlier this morning when
a power outage caused a blackout.

All radar and communications
were down for almost five minutes.

No accidents or near midair
collisions were reported.

Frank Wyatt, facility manager
of Midwest Center responded.

It was tense,
there's no question about that...

- but this is the point that...
- There he is.

- I wish to emphasize is that...
- Hey, Frankie. Come on...

- even though we experienced...
- come on, tell 'em Frankie...

- a major power outage at a...
- tell it like it is!

very important air traffic
control facility, the system worked.

The system worked because we've
well-designed contingency plans...

and we've well-trained,
highly skilled professional...

- air traffic controllers.
- And that would be us.

- The system failures rarely occur.
- Yeah, Dan.

- Gentlemen!
- Yes?

And if they do, they present
no problem to the flying public.

- We continue to do our job,
- Does Kennedy know about...

- to minimize delays
- the blackout at the facility today?

- to ensure the smooth flow of...
- Well...

- air traffic control...
- yes, it is urgent, actually.

- and of course the safety...
- I need to speak to him before...

- Today's particular...
- his press conference.

- system failure did cause...
- Can you make that happen?

- delays at Chicago International...
- Thank you.

however, and this is a point
I want to emphasize...

at no time was public
safety compromised.

This was
essentially a non-event.

What the hell is he talkin' about?
It was chaos!

They had planes flying
with no communication...

or radar for four minutes!

- Do they know what caused it?
- No.

But I'm gonna find out.
Kim, bring Henry Drake back in.

They're gonna nail him for 1025...

in two hours and I wanna
talk to him again first.

Paul, get me a printout of
every blackout reported at Midwest.

In fact, every center and Tracon...

- in the country.
- Call Wyatt.

- No.
- He's the facility manager.

I know who he is, Kim.
Go outside the agency.

Get it from NASA. The aviation
reporting systems control base.

I wanna know about any and
all blackouts from now on.

What the hell happened out there?

It could be a commercial
power failure.

Could be a switching mechanism.
I may need to swap a circuit breaker.

- I don't know yet.
- I cannot manage a system...

that I've to piecemeal together
with paper clips and chewing gum.

We'll fix the problem.

And then what?

- Sir?
- We're busy.

I think you should look at this
right away.

According to F.A.A. facility manager
Wyatt, there was no correlation...

between today's blackout and
the Global 1025 midair collision...

three weeks ago which claimed...

- one hundred eighty-five lives.
- Of course not.

F.A.A, officials did not disclose
the cause of today's blackout.

National Transportation
Board director, Dr William Kennedy...

has scheduled a press conference
to address recent findings...

in the crash of Global 1025.

Though officials insist that
the cause of the crash...

is still under investigation,
there are unconfirmed reports...

that the N.T.S.B.
will find that controller error...

was ultimately responsible for
the midair disaster.

Come on, what do I've to do?
They're there, the N.T.S.B.

They saw the blackout!

- The release of the transcript...
- Henry...

- from the flight's data recorder...
- you're scaring the kids.

confirmed what investigators
have suspected since the crash.

Federal officials today indicated
that data from the flight recorder...

clearly established that...

Henry Drake the Midwest Center...

- air traffic controller...
- I didn't cause the crash of 1025.

- failed to communicate...
- I didn't cause... No

- the correct flight position...
- I can't explain it.

- and altitude during the final...
- Hello?

Karen, this is Harold.

- Where's Henry?
- Why?

If you hear from him at all,
let me know.

We got a problem. A big problem.

What?

Always. Question authority.

You see this,
they lie and they lie...

and then they lie to cover the lies.

Girls, can you go play
in the other room for a minute?

critic of the system,
claiming that...

the antiquated equipment
at the center failed him.

- Henry.
- There was...

a memorial service today
in the small town...

- of Norfolk, California.
- What were you doing...

- in the basement?
- Perhaps the town...

most devastated by the crash of 1025.

Henry...

were you in the basement
this afternoon before the blackout?

Yeah, I was in the basement
before the power went out.

Why?

I was lookin' for somethin'.

Behind the power supply unit?

I was looking for
something in the room...

then somebody came in and I hid
behind the power supply unit...

and then the power went out,
but I didn't touch anything.

Why did you hide behind
the power supply unit?

Because I know how people are, Karen.

- Why are you attacking me?
- Henry, they've got...

a security camera
in the power supply room.

You're on the tape!

So, they've got me on tape.
I work there, don't I?

Girls.

- Hello.
- Hello.

Henry...

that was Harold on the phone.
They're looking for you.

That's management. They're...

- trying to intimidate you 'cause
- Look, Henry, no, that's...

- they know that we're friends...
- not what it is. Henry...

- and they...
- just be quietl

Wait a minute.

They couldn't possibly think that
this is intentional?

They think that
I caused the blackout?

My God!

They called the F.B.I.

God.

The F.B.I., they called the F.B.I.
for me. I've gotta go.

- My God!
- Just call them and you explain...

- to them or you explain it to me.
- I can't explain!

I can't explain! I've done that.

Nobody is gonna help me now. Nobody!

- Unbelievable.
- What?

Blackouts in the national database.

And this is just for this year.

Look at the times on some of these,
a minute and a half, three minutes...

- four minutes?
- Are you ready for this?

I just spoke with Midwest.

They think that Henry Drake is
responsible for the blackout today.

What? How?

They caught him on security tape...

- near the power supply.
- What the hell...

- was he doing?
- I don't know.

- Did anybody ask him?
- They can't. He's gone.

I need more time.

I'm not cancelling
this press conference, John.

What is it you expect to find?

Last year there're over 1,500 outages
across the country.

I just experienced one today.
Now, how is it that this facility...

is so damn sure that one little
three second glitch didn't happen?

I've got two unsatisfactory
condition reports...

that no one seems to be able to find.

I've got a lab technician
who used to work at that facility...

who's telling me that he's seen
a data block disappear from a scope.

He's seen it happen.
Now why are we...

rushing to blame a hundred and
eighty-five deaths on one guy...

- when we're not sure?
- You're not sure.

Yes, and I'm the lead investigator
of this case, sir.

Let me tell you something, John.

I speak to the American public,
I speak to the U.S. Congress...

and today I spoke to the President
of the United States.

Now, if you expect me
to publicly indict...

the air traffic control system
based on a couple of...

missing documents and one ex-lab
technician, you're very wrong.

We had a deal, John. I'd allow you
to stay on this case if you could...

handie it professionally,
emotionally. If you can't

then I'll take you off.
Do you understand me?

Yes, sir.

With me tonight is Frank Wyatt...

the facility manager
at Midwest Center.

From the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Jim Travis...

and Stephen Royer from the F.A.A.

Now, our efforts have
focussed on communication...

between the air traffic controller
at Midwest Center...

and the Global pilot.

Voice communication, black box data
have confirmed that...

serious errors in judgement
were committed by...

the air traffic controller who was in
contact with Global 1025...

and the P.D.O. cargo jet.

- I don't know.
- As to any findings that...

the air traffic control system
itself was...

compromised or deficient
in any way,...

the N.T.S.B. has been unable
to make that determination.

Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Royer
will answer questions...

- regarding that.
- Mr. Wyatt, were there other...

power outages at the facility that
may have been caused by Henry Drake?

At this time, we've no idea.

- What did they make?
- Come on.

- Mr. Travis from the F.B.I...
- Four...

- will now make a statement.
- five, six...

As of 5.00pm tonight, the F.B.I.
has launched a nationwide...

search for Henry Drake.

Fifty-seven, fifty-eight...

He's wanted for questioning in
regards to the crash of Global 1025

as well as the blackout
which occurred today...

at the Midwest Facility.

We're notifying all local
law enforcement agencies...

to assist us in his apprehension.

Do you see this as an act of revenge
by Henry Drake?

That's certainly possible,
though we can't comment on...

his motives until we question him.

Is there any speculation that
the crash of 1025...

was not an accident,
but somehow a deliberate act?

We can't speculate right now

but we're certainly
looking into that possibility.

Look at this.

This is a tape of the traffic
we plugged into yesterday.

The scope overheated for four hours.

Now, keep your eye on this.

That is a Tristate jet 624
and now it's at ten thousand feet.

It disappeared.

Now watch. It's not there...

It's not there...

There it is. Now it's at 15,000 feet.

That's exactly what Drake said
happened to his scope.

Did we check the fan
on Drake's scope?

It functioned.

You don't think this guy is guilty?
I mean, come on!

Look at the guy! Total loser.

Ticking time bomb.

- He's guilty.
- He's like that guy you wanted...

to beat up in high school, right?
Now he's like in the spotlight.

This is his fifteen minutes of fame.

Right, like killing a bunch of
people wasn't enough.

Watch this!

You know, I wanna hear from callers.

Where do you think
Henry Drake is right now?

Did anybody check his Mom's house?

I need your help.

I told you yesterday, man,
I quit that place.

Lot of pressure around there lately?

Yeah, a little bit.

What else?

Look, I'm paying someone by
the hour to ask those questions.

Listen, there's a guy out there that
everyone thinks may have killed...

a hundred and eighty-five people.

And maybe he did. But if he didn't,
do you want that on your conscience?

Gimme a break, man.

As the intensive manhunt
for Henry Drake increases...

more questions arise.
The unthinkable.

Could Henry Drake have deliberately
caused the crash of 1025?

Who is Henry Drake?

Kicked off the student council
at Dunbar High School...

fellow students recall the straight-A
nerd as hotheaded and argumentative.

Fellow chess club member, Tom Brown
says he was stickler for details...

and an avid science fiction...

I bet ya didn't think
you'd be back down here so quick?

When I worked down here,
we're afraid to take...

this stuff apart,
the connections were so old.

That's a relic?

We're the number one buyer of
vacuum tubes in the world.

We're the only buyer of vacuum tubes
in the world.

I can never figure out why they
haven't tried to update the system.

They tried. They gave
an outside company...

a contract to redesign the software.
Three billion dollars later...

they still hadn't come up
with anything better.

- They just scrapped the project.
- They come up with nothing?

Zip.

Three billion dollars.

Look at this.

What?

See this part right here?
There's soot...

on the connections from the wires...

- to the fan.
- These are all old parts, right?

Yeah, except for this right here.

The fan.

It's too clean. This is a new part.

How do we find out
when it was replaced?

Every part has a serial number.
Every serial number's gotta be...

logged in the maintenance log book.

Do you mind if I hang onto this
for a while?

- No, not at all.
- Thanks.

I know I'm just one of many
overdressed strangers...

asking you where Mr. Drake is
right now, correct?

And if you don't know where he is
or if you're lying about it, then...

I'll be honest with you,
there's nothing I can do about it.

I'm not a cop or the F.B.I.
or the F.A.A.

All I wanna know is
what happened to 1025.

So...

if and when you do
speak to Mir. Drake...

will you please tell him that
I am his only hope?

It sounds corny,
but he'll know what it means.

Ms. Garfield?

This is a maintenance log
from the Midwest Center.

Would you do an analysis on it
as soon as you can?

An analysis? What are you...

- looking for?
- I don't know. Anything...

- out of the ordinary.
- John, it was human error.

- You know it.
- Just do it. Thank you.

- John. The Midwest Center...
- Yeah?

has no record of this.

And we don't know
when it was installed?

How about when it was
shipped from the manufacturer?

They don't know.

Are you telling me that no one
at Midwest Center...

has any record of this part at all?

That doesn't sound like
human error to me.

No.

Yeah, get me Frank Wyatt, please.

I don't wanna have the discussion
anymore. I'm sick and tired of it.

I know what you're gonna say anyway.

Alls I'm saying is you can't say
the '94 Bulls...

could beat the '83 Celtics
or the '88 Lakers.

- It was a different game back then.
- So what? That's not my fault!

I'm not saying it's your fault.
Why are you taking it so personally?

Yeah? Who is it? Yeah, hang on.

Karen, it's for you. It's "some guy."

He's goin' after that pension,
baby, you know it!

- You guys give me a headache.
- Careful.

- Hello?
- Karen, it's me, Henry.

- Where are you?
- I'm just gonna ask you...

to do one thing, okay?

Karen? Would you just do
this one thing for me?

Do not go to work at the facility
on Wednesday.

- And don't fly.
- What are you saying?

Just do what I'm telling you to do.

Do not fly or go to work
at the facility on Wednesday.

Listen, they wanna help you.

Tag that and get a copy to Paul Roth.

- As soon as ya can. Thanks.
- Will do.

I think Henry's gonna do something.

- What?
- I don't know what.

But he called me and
told me not to go...

near the facility or
fly on Wednesday.

This Wednesday? Two days from now.
Did he say why?

No.

That's the day before Thanksgiving.
Excuse me.

He told her not to fly
or go to the facility.

Now, I'd take that
as a serious threat.

You don't know Henry Drake like I do.
He's all talk.

You're the one that accused him
of shutting down the system.

He doesn't work here anymore. As long
as he's out there and not in here...

- he's not a threat.
- Is there any way that he could...

- get in here?
- How? The facility's...

guarded twenty-four hours a day.

We've changed the security codes.
How can he get in?

We're meeting with the F.B.I.
We're taking this seriously.

You handle the N.T.S.B.
investigation, John.

We'll worry about Henry Drake.

- Okay.
- Alright, let's get started.

There's nothing unusual
about any of the entries.

Except for two.

This entry was made
three months ago, August 8th.

"Scope serviced, check data display,
results pass."

Now, everything looks normal
to the naked eye.

Writing's the same, ink's the same.

The scope I.D. number is 5321.

But, under infrared,
the entry looks like this.

Everything still looks the same
except for the scope I.D. number.

5321 is now 58273.

The three's been altered to
look like an eight...

the one to a seven,
and somebody's added a three.

5321.

That was Drake's scope.

- And the other entry?
- Same complaint...

same service, also passed.

Keep that log secure.

John. You're right.

I knew you'd find it.
Thanks, Ms. Garfield.

I'm not workin' traffic tomorrow
if you're thinkin' of bustin' me.

A draft. Want another one?

- I'm good, thanks.
- Just one.

What do you wanna talk about now?

Is there a question
you've not asked me?

Yeah.

Who altered the two entries
in the maintenance log book?

Can't help you on that one.

I think you can.

And I'm not gonna leave till you do.

Thanks.

You listen to me.

I've cooperated with you.
I've answered your questions.

You don't disrespect me
by cornin' in here...

and accusin' me of something
I know nothing about.

Were they changed before or after
the crash?

I don't know what the hell
you're talkin' about.

You guys.

You guys think they're just
blips on a screen, don't you?

You don't know what I think.

There is nothing you or I could
ever do to bring those people back.

Were they changed before or after
the crash?

How would I know anything
about entries in the program log?

'Cause you're the supervisor.

Only you and the lab technician
have access to it.

Then you should
talk to the lab technician.

I just did.

I already know you did it.
I just don't know why.

I got thirty years on this job.

I tell somebody below me
to do something, they do it.

Somebody above me tells me
to do something, I do it.

That's the way it works, man.

How come you don't understand that?

Who told you to change the log?

Frank Wyatt please.
It's John Dantley calling.

Yes, I'd. Would you please
tell him to meet me...

tomorrow afternoon at the crash site?
It's urgent. Thank you.

Okay.

Great.

The whole system's fried.

Repeater scope, console,
radios, everything.

I've never seen anything like it.

- Thanks, George.
- Yeah.

- How do you fry an entire system?
- HERF.

- Beg your pardon?
- High energy radio frequency.

They used something like it
in the Gulf War.

It'd shut down communications,
radar, it fries everything.

- Name?
- Jim Hale.

ID?

Maintenance from International?

Yes, sir.

Do you know where to park?

- Sure do.
- Alright, then.

Jim Hale from International.

Okay.

We gotcha here.
If you could just sign in for me...

- please.
- Yes, ma'am.

How's Jenny?

Jenny Glass? She's fine. Yeah,
she works weekends now.

- Well, you tell her I said hi.
- I sure will.

You know the code, right?

No actually. You know,
they had changed it...

after the last time
I was here, I think.

- Do you mind?
- Sure, no problem.

Thank you so much.

- Tell Jenny I say hi.
- I will.

- Meadows, I'm back.
- So, what is it...

you wanted me to see, John?

You ever been to a crash site before?

No.

Quite a smell, isn't it?

Each crash site
has a very unique smell.

Can't get rid of it. Gets on you.
Your clothes, your shoes.

I've never gotten used to it.

The 757 didn't explode on impact.

The tail section tore off
from the sheer force of the fall.

But it didn't explode.
It just spiralled down...

- My God.
- for two minutes.

Everyone was still strapped in
and alive till it hit the ground.

For two minutes.

Can you imagine what those
two minutes must've been like...

for those passengers?

No.

No, I can't, John.

See this little fan?
It's part of a scope.

It has one function only
to cool the unit.

You see, what happened the night
of the crash, a little wire...

connected to the fan arced.
The fan stopped working.

And that caused
the character generator to overheat.

So the scope blacked out.

When the scope blacked out,
the data block vanished...

which caused the controller to give
the wrong information to the pilot...

which caused the two planes
to fly into each other...

and kill a hundred and
eighty-five people...

including a woman
I knew and loved.

Because of this little part,
you recognize it?

It's from Henry Drake's scope.

It was replaced
the night of the crash.

Of course it should've been replaced
months ago when Drake said...

"Hey, there's something wrong
with my scope," but...

nobody's gonna listen to
a guy like that.

But after the crash...

somebody listened
and replaced this part.

And destroyed
the unsatisfactory reports he filed.

And nothing was said to the N.T.S.B.

Nothing was said when
an innocent man was blamed.

Nothing was said when a hundred
and eighty-five people were killed!

Wait a minute. Do you think that
if I knew that this would happen...

that I'd allow it to happen?

But you did allow it to happen.

I did not know, John.

- You don't understand.
- Well, tell me.

- Tell me what I don't understand.
- Every day, every single day...

I'm responsible for keeping
thousands of planes in the sky.

That's my job.

People spend longer
'n twenty minutes...

on the tarmac in Chicago,
John, I hear about it.

But I only have so much
control of airspace.

So many controllers, so many scopes

so many technicians and equipment
that breaks down.

I've to keep the planes
running on time...

with a system that
I'm just trying to keep afloat.

Now, I know that that's not right.

We make do with what we have.

But if it's not right,
then why do you protect it?

Because it's what we do.

Frank...

Yeah, Bill Kennedy, please.
It's John Dantley calling.

Yeah, I'll hold.

I don't care what time it is. Do it.

- Just do it.
- Right over there...

I want agents spread out
in a two mile radius of the facility.

Go!

- Dantley.
- Go on inside.

- They're expecting you.
- Thanks.

I say we do what he says.

We're running out of time, gentlemen.

What did the Department of
Transportation say?

I spoke to the Secretary
an hour ago. It's our call.

We shut the Midwest Center down,
that means we ground the planes...

the day before Thanksgiving.

- We're gonna ground the planes?
- Chaos.

We already have it.
We got two hour delays.

People are cancelling flights.
Phone lines are overloaded.

- Airports are a mess.
- Ground the planes.

Think of our priorities here.

I understand your instinct to be
cautious. It's mine, too.

But the threat is not
specific enough.

How much more specific can he be?

He said "ground the planes in an hour
or I'll shut this system down."

How?

He can't get inside the building.
I couldn't get inside the building.

He can't do it outside the building.

We got built-in E.M.I.
shielding that blocks frequencies.

What, Frank, up to ten gigahertz?

Radar's off-site and heavily guarded.

So, you'd put your wife on a plane
right now?

That's not the issue.

- That is the issue.
- Unless Henry Drake...

is some kind of a genius,
I cannot believe this man...

can shut this system down.
I cannot, in good conscience...

stop fifty million people from
travelling today. I can't do it.

He is a genius, Royer.
Ground the planes.

Hello?

John, I think you better take this.

- Hello?
- I'm shuttin' it down.

You've five minutes.

He's here. We've got five minutes.

Excuse me.

Watch it, coming through!

Check the microwave links
upstairs on the roof.

Got it.

Henry.

Don't come any closer.

Stay right there.

So, is anybody listening to me now?

Yeah, we're listening.

- We're all listening.
- Haven't shut it down though

have they?

- What are you doing?
- I'm gonna shut it down myself.

You see this?

I can fry this whole system.
You'd never get it back up.

They'd have to ground the planes
for a week.

And, what about the ones
up there right now?

What happens to them?

I can't think about them.

Well, think about it.

Henry, you want more people to die?

How many more innocent people
have to die?

Five hundred? A thousand?

- Two thousand.
- No. Don't come any closer!

Stay right where you are.

Well... what you're gonna
kill yourself and me?

For what? You're innocent.
I proved it.

You're lying.

There was a flaw in the system.
We found it.

And I promise you,
I'll do everything within my power...

- to fix it.
- It can't be fixed!

Maybe not, but I can at least try.

And I need your help.

Henry, don't let...

those hundred and eighty-five people
die in vain.

Make their lives count for something.

- I didn't...
- Make their families think that...

that something...

- decent can come out of all this.
- I...

- I didn't...
- Don't take that away from them...

or me.

I didn't kill those people.

I didn't kill those people.

I know.

I just... I didn't kill them.

I didn't kill them.

I didn't kill those people...

I know.

First Air 195 heavy...

- you're clear for take off...
- Delta 25...

- runway three right.
- Roger.

- Delta 191...
- one and a half miles...

- continue down wind...
- after departure, turn right...

- heading two zero
- Turn right on the...

- runway 35...
- United Airlines is pleased...

to announce
the arrival of flight 27...

- I'll call you in a couple of days.
- from Denver at Gate...

- Alright.
- G-11.

- You've a good Thanksgiving.
- United Airlines is pleased...

- You, too. We'll make
- to announce the arrival of...

- a difference on this one, right?
- flight 27 from Denver...

- I hope so.
- at Gate G-11.

Yeah, we will.

Arriving passenger, Jim Redland,
please meet your party...

at the lower level,
carousel number one.

- Passenger, Jim Redland, please...
- K-116...

- Section 125...
- section 14...

- carousel number one. Contact...
- you're clear for departure.

Julliard 125...

- Turn left and proceed direct to...
- Good day.

United eleven six mile and half...

- Flight 210, clear for take off
- descend eastbound.

- Southwest 737 non-base...
- Delta 251...

no turnback pattern Farak 472...

- pass behind Apollo 27.
- 2761.

- 294, please.
- 152.75...

Turn left departing
zero point zero...