Ice Airport Alaska (2020) - full transcript
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Narrator: This time,
winter is coming to alaska.
A cargo plane has a $12-million
maintenance emergency.
Levitti: Taking the engine
off is definitely
One of the top five most
dangerous jobs in aviation.
(siren wailing)
Narrator: A gunman
in the terminal--
Becker: This way.
Narrator: Puts police
officers in the firing line.
Hoffman: A worst case, he shoots
himself or shoots one of us.
Narrator: And winter's
first snowstorm strikes.
Harris: My litmus test is if
it's not safe enough
For my family to land on it,
Then it's not safe enough
for anybody to land on.
And that's the bottom line.
(soft rock music)
Narrator: Ted stevens
international airport
In america's last frontier.
Harris: We live in alaska.
The expectation is that we
should be able to function
Regardless of what
the weather is.
Narrator: Hammered
by sub-zero temperatures
And arctic storms--
Man: Temperature is
what's gonna kill you.
Narrator: It takes a major
league team of workers--
Man: In aviation, there's
no second chances.
Levitti: Anything could go
wrong in a split second.
Angelopoulos: Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Everybody stop!
Narrator: To keep the
airport open no matter what.
Man: We're the gateway to asia.
They're counting
on us to be open.
Narrator: The fifth-busiest
cargo hub on the planet.
Man: Transporting the
weirdest cargo in the world
Is just another
day in anchorage.
Narrator: Welcoming millions
of passengers every year.
Officer: Dispatch,
205, I'm breaking.
What's the exact address?
Woman: We have to be 100%
certain 100% of the time.
Narrator: This is
ice airport alaska.
(helicopter blades whirring)
Alaska, america's
most northern state
And its largest at over
twice the size of texas.
It's also the coldest,
wildest state in the us.
It's home to bears, moose,
and thousands of birds.
They're a major
risk to aviation,
So the airport has a dedicated
wildlife management team.
Nelsen: My job is to
coordinate the effort
To keep the wildlife
and the planes
From running into each other.
Narrator: Us department
of agriculture biologist
Spencer nelsen heads the crew.
Nelsen: I grew up in nebraska.
I saw this position open
about seven years ago
And I liked the challenges
that it presented.
There's very few wildlife
biologists in the world
That do a job every day that
you know saves people's lives.
Narrator: The last
frontier has challenges
Spencer wasn't prepared for.
Nelsen: When I came here,
I had to relearn
How to do the entire job.
It's just a really
unique environment.
Nothing you learn in the
lower 48 applies here.
Narrator: It's late October,
A peak time for
wildlife activity
Before winter's big freeze.
Nelsen: Our change here from
fall to winter is pretty abrupt.
Narrator: The first target
for spencer's daily patrol
Is alaska's largest predator.
Nelsen: There's black bears here
and there's brown bears here.
They hibernate here.
They raise their young here.
We wanna get a good handle
On what the bears
are doing right now.
Narrator: In the
fall, hungry bears
Desperate to fatten
up for winter
Are drawn to the airport
by the smell of food.
Nelsen: Last week, I think
we had two reports
Of black bears on
airport property.
We've had situations
where we've had to close
All three runways on
the main airport here
Within a half an hour
Because we've had
as many as two bears
On the airfield at one time.
Just really nerve-wracking
(laughing) for everybody.
Narrator: Hungry
bears will dig
Under the airport's 13-mile
perimeter fence to get in.
Spencer has to find any
breaches before winter comes.
Nelsen: We won't be able
to see them
Because the snow'll be
up against the fence
And they'll be undetectable.
So, we gotta find 'em
now before it snows
And fix 'em now
before it gets frozen.
The runway is just
right through the woods
And down the hill here.
I can just about guarantee you
We're within 200 yards
of a black bear right now
And they probably
know we're here too.
Okay, here's one here.
This would be a place
that a bear's dug.
And I see some freshly
disturbed dirt here.
This looks like something
came through last night.
This extra bit of
fence will fix this.
(hammering)
This wasn't part of
our wildlife degree,
But I wanted to get a job
Where I'd get my
boots dirty every day.
I'm happy with that;
that's really good.
This'll force them
to find another spot
And, you know, then
we'll fix those too.
We just keep at it and
so do the bears, I guess.
Narrator: Spencer
can't rest for a moment.
Winter's onset means
hundreds of migrating birds
Are flocking around
the main terminal.
Nelsen: We get reports of around
20 to 25 bird strikes a year.
They can crack a wing, they
can even destroy an engine.
And worst-case scenario,
We'd expect to see
a human fatality.
Narrator: Of all deaths
Caused by bird
strikes in the us,
Over 10% happen in alaska.
Nelsen: Right here in
the anchorage area
We've had catastrophic accidents
Where human lives were lost.
Narrator: These
birds are migrating
From the arctic to africa.
They've stopped on lake hood
in the center of ted stevens,
A lake which is also the
world's busiest floatplane base.
Nelsen: Behind us is the
international airport,
And we can't have a body of
water this close to that airport
And not do something about the
birds that are on this lake.
Narrator: To
spencer, a duck can be
Just as dangerous as a bear.
Nelsen: Got a group of
diving ducks out there.
These are the ducks
that we don't want
In the airport environment.
See if we can convince 'em
to continue migrating south.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Narrator: Spencer is
here to spoil the party.
Nelsen: So, what I'm gonna do is
fire a cracker shell out there,
Going to explode out over
the water near the ducks
And scare 'em away, I hope.
(gun firing)
(ducks quacking)
Oh.
The flock is up off the
water and moving away.
Good.
Narrator: Spencer spends a
third of his time in the fall
Making the air space bird-free.
(shot whistling)
But very soon, alaska's
extreme weather
Will do the job for him.
Nelsen: Within two weeks,
This is gonna be a
different environment.
The lake's gonna be froze,
the ducks are gonna be gone,
We could have a foot
or two of snow around,
And it's gonna be winter.
It comes fast.
(shot whistling)
(indistinct radio chatter)
(soft acoustic guitar music)
Narrator: The airport is
bracing for winter's first snow.
For now, the sun's shining,
but it's only 20 degrees.
But cold is no excuse in alaska.
A time-critical
international cargo aircraft
Has just touched down.
It must refuel and fly
again as soon as possible
Or risk losing
money and customers.
Polar air is anchorage's
largest freight carrier.
Station manager mike spillane
Is unloading this 747's cargo
for urgent transfer south.
Spillane: We had quite a
bit of express
Material on this aircraft.
The express product
has got to be priority
To get into cincinnati
hub as early as possible.
We try to get ahead of the game,
Get the airplanes
back in the air,
'cause they don't make any
money sitting on the ground.
Narrator: The express
cargo is due in cincinnati
In the next 24 hours.
But this aircraft is grounded.
One of its engines
has a reported fault.
Hulsey: Push this way.
There you go.
Corley: It came in with
a oil leak,
So therefore we have to
change the engine here.
Narrator: Every hour the
plane isn't moving cargo
Costs an estimated $36,000.
Hulsey: Yeah, we're
gonna have to--
Narrator: Lead
technician jarrett corley
Has the enormous
task of replacing
The six-ton, $12-million engine.
Corley: It all plays on me.
Everybody's looking at me.
It's critical.
Hulsey: There you go, come on.
Come on now.
Narrator: As usual,
alaska's weather
Adds to the challenge.
It's already below freezing,
And that's the high for the day.
Corley: It's not easy job
in warm weather,
And tonight it's supposed
to get down to 16.
Narrator: But jarrett
has a $300,000 weapon
To fight the elements.
Hulsey: I think we'll push it
with the poles and drag it back?
Narrator: An inflatable tent.
Corley: So, we used to have to
just work out here in the cold.
You work five or 10 minutes
Then you warm up for
five or 10 minutes.
So, this here worked real well.
You stay warm, safe.
Looks good to me.
(energetic banjo music)
So, this is a fuel rail here.
And inside, there's
a little gasket.
And if it leaks, it's
the engine change.
There's no fix for it.
Be a gasket, which
would cost $20 or $30
Versus an engine change
that's $20 or $30 million.
We have a timeline for this
to be done, which is 12 hours,
But it has to be done safe.
People's lives are in danger.
It's not a tractor.
You can't pull over
and work on it.
Narrator: A 12
-hour delay could cost
Up to half a million dollars.
Polar's reputation and
bottom line will suffer
If this plane's
not fixed quickly.
Corley: We can start
installing it,
The eec, the oil change, inside.
Narrator: But it's not a
straight old-for-new swap.
They need to transfer some
parts of the old engine
To the multimillion
-dollar replacement
Waiting in the workshop.
Corley: This is the new engine
that we're gonna have going on.
It's just the
block, if you will.
The base motor.
Narrator: First,
they have to attach
The old tailpipe exhaust
system made of nickel alloy.
It's designed to withstand
50,000 pounds of thrust
And 1,000-degree temperatures.
Hulsey: Hey, lb, can you
come out and help us?
Narrator: Ex-naval air
force engineer sean hulsey
Is overseeing the installation.
Hulsey: And if they were
not connected proper,
They would not cool the
tailpipe area properly
And it would allow
a burn-through
And the engine begins
to melt itself,
And it happens very quickly.
Narrator: A dent or crack
In this precision-engineered
exhaust would ruin it.
With no spare for 500 miles,
It could be a million
-dollar delay,
So sean is taking no chances.
Hulsey: Come on, jarrett,
you're looking good.
Corley: It's too much.
Hulsey: You got six inches
over here on my side.
Corley: Okay, whoa, stop.
Hulsey: So, we
could lower this.
(metal clanging)
ho, hold on, ho.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Narrator: Anchorage's
air traffic control tower
Is in communication with
an american airlines 777
En route from la to shanghai.
Police sergeant skupnik
Is responding to
the emergency call.
Skupnik: The only
information we've got
On the patient right now
Is that it was some
type of cardiac event.
Anything dealing with
cardiac is always unstable.
Narrator: Only five hours
into the 14-hour journey
And with 4,300 miles of
pacific ocean still to cross,
Ted stevens is
their last airport
For an emergency
landing on us soil.
Skupnik: The passenger
has chest pains,
And that is very, very serious.
We could be walking
on that plane
And have a passenger do cpr
Or we'd better jump
in and do the same.
(sirens wailing)
Narrator: The anchorage
fire department's medics
Also race to the runway.
Skupnik: Plane's due in about
10 minutes or so.
Hoping afd gets here
within that time period.
They've got the als gear, the
advanced life support gear.
The uniqueness of anchorage
airport here in alaska,
We're right on a lot of the
international flight paths,
So it's fairly
common that we get
A lot of the medical
aircraft that come in.
Narrator: Cardiac
arrest is responsible
For 86% of inflight deaths.
If the passenger's
condition has deteriorated
Since they declared
an emergency landing,
He may need resuscitation
at the airport.
Skupnik: You got any
update on the passenger?
Flight crew: Not yet.
Skupnik: Okay.
Narrator: Until
they reach the patient
And assess his vitals,
The team has to
prepare for the worst.
Skupnik: Lewis,
what's the status?
Lewis: They're getting
the wheelchair.
Narrator: The patient
is semi-conscious.
He still needs urgent
medical attention.
Skupnik: It's a
chinese national.
He is traveling alone, so
there's no family or anything
That's gonna be coming off.
You guys get him off to safety.
(siren wailing)
Narrator: The patient
heads to anchorage hospital.
In just 60 minutes, the
ground team has the flight
And its 200 passengers
back in the air.
(air traffic control chatter)
Narrator: Ted stevens'
place on the flight path
Means it's not only
people that need to land
For the sake of their health.
Aioletuna: Turn it on?
Man: No.
Aioletuna: Oh, okay.
Narrator: Ground handling
supervisor maia aioletuna--
Aioletuna: Good morning!
Narrator: Is expecting
a special arrival.
Aioletuna: And our next flight
will be the pig charter.
(laughing)
We see those often.
Narrator: The pigs are
flying from chicago to china
And need a breather
before heading on.
Aioletuna: On board right now
is over 1,100 pig.
They've traveled from chicago,
so they need some fresh air.
George, go up and open
the main deck door, please.
Narrator: Maia
opens every cargo bay
To make sure the pigs get
a big whiff of alaska.
Aioletuna: I can see the
piggies, it's exciting.
I can smell them
too now. (laughing)
Woo, it is kind of warm up here.
Narrator: To guarantee
the pigs a blast of cold air,
Maia has to open the
plane's nosecone.
And after 20 minutes cooling
off, she can get a closer look.
Aioletuna: Hi!
They're beautiful.
Eating good. (laughing)
Narrator: Refueled
and refreshed,
The pigs' alaskan
adventure is over.
Aioletuna: Piggies are ready
to leave. (laughing)
They had their time
here in anchorage.
Ready!
And there goes the
piggies. (laughing)
'til next time!
Pigs do fly, I guess. (laughing)
Radio: Asia air 31,
Runway seven left at
romeo, clear for take off.
Narrator: Late mornings in
the fall are dark in alaska.
Overnight, almost a foot of
snow has covered the airport;
Not good for incoming aircraft.
As the air traffic controllers
Begin their eight-hour shift,
they face a potential crisis.
Beargie: So, after this first
heavy snowfall of the year,
We're expecting some more snow,
Which could have a really
big impact on our operation.
Narrator: The 10
-person day shift,
Led by patrick beargie,
faces a huge test:
Landing 50 planes in
the next two hours
Through the
challenging conditions.
Beargie: Oh, can you let me know
when foothills taxis out?
Man: Yeah.
Beargie: Thanks.
Narrator: And
there's worse to come.
A new storm is on the horizon.
Beargie: Currently, our weather
has been deteriorating.
After 9 a.M., it'll probably
change to freezing rain.
It accumulates on
the runway as water
And can potentially freeze.
Very dangerous for aircraft.
Narrator: Iced runways
would shut the entire airport,
Force the planes to
divert hundreds of miles,
And cost ted stevens millions
of dollars in lost revenue.
Beargie: It's very critical that
we have the runways open
And available for the teams.
Narrator: Patrick alerts
every airport department
To the incoming storm.
Beargie: It's anchorage tower.
The weather radar is showing
freezing rain occurring
Until about 3 o'clock today.
Knox: Okay, tower,
thank you very much.
Narrator: But
the responsibility
Of keeping the runways safe
falls squarely on the shoulders
Of the airfield
maintenance team.
Knox: Okay, everybody.
Could be icy conditions
this morning,
So we gotta be ready
for freezing rain.
Narrator: 110 men
and women work 24/7
To keep the 33 million
square feet of active runway
Clear of the six million tons
of snow which fall every year.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Today, brendon knox, the
airfield maintenance foreman,
Has a huge task in front of
him if he's going to keep
The world's fifth
-busiest cargo hub open.
Knox: We had about eight inches
during the night last night,
So pretty significant
snowfall for anchorage.
It is quite a bit to handle
at the start of the season.
Narrator: Brendon
has 20 years' experience
With alaska's worst weather
And $100 million worth of
Specialized equipment
to call on:
Plows, snow blowers,
and deicers,
Whatever it takes to
keep alaska flying
And ted stevens
open for business.
In 70 years, the airport has
never closed for weather.
Knox: We're real proud of the
record we have here at anchorage
Of keeping the airport open
And especially not
closing for snow.
Narrator: Before brendon
can set his crew to work,
He needs to see just
how icy the runway is.
Knox: Braking action for the
aircraft becomes poor
And there's always the potential
Of the aircraft sliding
off the end of the runway.
Yeah, it's pretty serious.
Narrator: Since 2000,
over 400 deaths worldwide
Were caused by planes
skidding off runways.
Brendon knows the lives
of thousands of passengers
Are in his hands.
Knox: We're gonna head
to do a friction test
And see what the condition
of those surfaces are.
We have certain criteria that
we have to meet for braking
And if we're not meeting that,
we have to close the runway.
Narrator: Sensors
on brendon's truck
Check every aspect of
the surface conditions.
Knox: Ground temperature's
gone down a degree or two.
The snow's gonna be sticking
From here on out probably today.
Narrator: The most
critical is surface friction.
Brendon's computer measures
the braking distance
On a scale of one to a hundred.
Knox: Anything 40 and above
is gonna be good braking.
Below that, we'd have
to close the surface.
It would be kept closed
until it was treated
To get that braking action
back to a safe level.
Narrator: Any
reading below 40
Means the runway is dangerously
icy and not safe to land on.
Knox: I'm gonna brake.
Well, that's about
a 33 right there.
Hang on a second.
The first one-third up
here is, it's a little,
It's a little, I guess
I'd call it greasy.
If we get caught
and ice does form,
We'll have to close the airport.
Narrator: Alaska's biggest
cargo carrier, polar air,
Has grounded one of its 17 747s
Midway on its journey
from asia to cincinnati.
It needs a complete
engine change,
But the delay costs
the company $600
Every minute it's on the ground.
Hulsey: Come on, jarrett,
you're looking good.
Come on, keep coming.
Narrator: Former navy
engineer sean hulsey
Is leading the charge to
get the new engine ready.
Hulsey: One of the
reasons I picked
Aircraft maintenance engineering
Was because we meet
different people
And this job is so totally
dynamically different
Every time, every day.
Man: Very slow.
Narrator: It's the
only spare engine onsite.
Damaging I could be a
multimillion-dollar mistake.
Hulsey: Right there,
that's it, it's in.
I got 12 o'clock,
I got 6 o'clock.
Narrator: The sleeve
is attached with 60 bolts,
But that's 60
opportunities for error.
Hulsey: This single bolt can get
loose inside of the engine.
It can cause a complete
catastrophic internal failure
Of the engine.
How many you got in there, jim?
Jim: I have two.
(bolt clanging)
Narrator: Sean's
dropped a bolt.
If he can't retrieve it, he
could have to scrap the engine.
Hulsey: Damn,
need my flashlight.
Man: Good news, bad news?
Hulsey: It's right under here.
Right there.
Narrator: Luckily,
it's just in reach.
Hulsey: Here you go.
I always get the easy
stuff. (laughing)
Narrator: Sean's
first job is done.
The new engine is ready.
But back outside, they
still have to detach
The old engine from the wing.
That's the hard part.
Levitti: Taking the engine
off is definitely
One of the top five most
dangerous jobs in aviation.
Takes a lot of strength,
a lot of endurance.
It's a huge team effort
And you could easily
hurt each other.
Narrator: Trent levitti
and nik angelopoulos
Must work with the whole team
To lower the six
-ton engine safely.
Levitti: That's gonna
be muffled.
We gotta speak to each
other through the engine.
Angelopoulos: Which one
are you taking?
Levitti: I'm taking this one.
Angelopoulos: All right.
Guys in the back, go up even.
Levitti: Try to match
each other's movements.
Anything could go wrong
in a split second.
If we mess up enough, it
could cost a lotta money.
Angelopoulos: Okay, hold off on
the front, inboard!
Outboard, go on up.
Angelopoulos: In the back,
keep going up!
Hulsey: If the points are
not hoisted
In a symmetrical,
evenly-loaded manner,
The whole engine can
twist like a pretzel.
Levitti: Slowly on
the back though.
Slowly on the back.
Angelopoulos: Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Knox: Okay, everybody,
it's 28 degrees right now.
We gotta be ready for
freezing rain this morning.
Narrator: Airfield
maintenance foreman brendon knox
Is battling winter's
first storm.
It's only the beginning
of a long brutal season.
From here on in the job
will only get tougher.
Knox: If we get caught and ice
does form on the runways,
We have to close the airport.
There's always a
danger of an aircraft
Sliding off the runway.
Any loss of traction would
be pretty devastating
For an aircraft.
Narrator: Also
out on the runway
Is eagle-eyed scott harris from
the airport operations team.
Harris: Bad day for me
at work would mean
Somebody lost their life
Or we had a aircraft
accident or an incident.
Narrator: A 20-year
air force veteran,
Scott won't hesitate to
shut down all three runways
If he doesn't like what he sees.
Harris: I'm just gonna make
sure that this is safe
To operate and land on.
My litmus test is if
it's not safe enough
For my family to land on it,
Then it's not safe enough
for anybody to land on it,
And that's the bottom line.
Narrator: The runways
are safe for the moment.
But on the horizon
there's a storm brewing.
Harris: I can look out right now
and see how it's all grayed up
And the ceilings are low.
We could get this watery ice mix
That could freeze on the runway.
Our worst-case
scenario right now
Is I gotta close this runway.
Narrator: The
most lethal weather
The airport can face
is freezing rain.
Knox: The blue is snow,
the green is rain.
You have to monitor
it continuously
When we get into
a freezing rain.
Narrator: When the air
temperature is above freezing
But the ground
temperature is below,
A sheet of ice can cover
the runway in seconds.
Brendon and scott must decide
How to protect the airport
against the weather.
Harris: Hey, brendon, so
what do you think?
Knox: I think we should put some
anti-ice on it real quick.
Treat it now, then I'll be safe.
Harris: Okay.
Knox: So, I think
I'll get two of 'em, we'll make
a one-way pass and be done.
Harris: Sounds good to me.
Narrator: Deploying the
million-dollar fleet of deicers
Is a preemptive measure
to keep the airport open.
But the conditions don't only
pose a threat to aircraft.
Harris: That's the tsa.
Oh, yeah.
Narrator: The slick ice has
caused a two-ton road block
On a route for brendon's
deicers: A tsa agent's truck.
Harris: This vehicle is
holding up traffic.
Let me see if I can call
one of these other guys
And see if they
can help you out.
Hey, harry, it's scott
in airport operations.
I need your help.
The watch commander's gonna send
One of his crew over
here with a vehicle.
We're gonna try to
hitch the back of this
And just get her going
and pull her outta there.
Narrator: Getting
stuck in the snow
Is a rite of passage in alaska.
(shivering)
Harris: The guys are gonna
pull it back out.
And once we get some traction,
We'll drive forward and
she'll be on her way.
Ay.
Yeah!
Oh yes, baby!
Man: There you go.
Harris: Good sir,
I appreciate it, man.
Narrator: With
the truck now freed,
The access road is
clear for traffic,
But the nightmare weather
scenario has begun.
Brendon's team must
race to the runway.
Knox: Yeah, we're getting
some rain here now,
So we're gonna go ahead and
treat that runway at this point.
Narrator: 25 aircraft are
due to arrive in the next hour.
In current conditions,
they can't safely land.
Knox: You guys go ahead and
get your wings deployed
So we're ready to spray.
Just gotta hurry up here
'cause there's aircraft coming.
It's gonna be pretty fast.
Narrator: The
aircraft waiting to land
Can only be held for so long
before they need to divert.
Brendon throws everything
he's got at the icy runway.
Knox: Let's put that down
full strength instead.
It's already starting
to do something here.
Narrator: They blast
3,000 gallons of deicer
Costing $16,000 onto
the two miles of runway.
But with planes
waiting in the sky,
They're not moving fast enough
for air traffic control.
Knox: Maintenance one
and company.
Yeah, we'll, we've got
kind of a speed limit
With these trucks; we'll
go as best we can here.
Radio: Roger.
Knox: The tower was
asking us to expedite,
But the deicer
trucks that we use
We have to run at about
18 miles an hour or less.
You can only drive this fast.
We're doing the best we can.
(rock music)
Narrator: 12 minutes later,
brendon's done all he can.
Knox: Tower,
maintenance one and company
Are clear, thanks.
Narrator: Air traffic
control gives the first plane
Clearance to land.
Harris: We've got an aircraft
on final right now.
We got another one
on final behind him
Coming through this weather.
So, the worst-case scenario
when aircraft lands,
It is unable to stop and tracks
and slides off the runway.
That's not something we want.
Narrator: Until the
plane touches down,
They can't be sure how
well the deicer has worked.
Harris: He just landed
right there.
I saw a little bit of
moisture coming up,
So we know the runway's wet
because of the local deicing,
So that tells me our
deicing is working well.
Narrator: But the pilots
will have the final say.
Harris: Again, our maintenance
guys have done an excellent job
And our aircraft were
landing just fine.
Narrator: The team has
passed the winter's first test.
But it's only the beginning.
Before the season's over,
There'll be countless more
battles against the elements.
Knox: We've actually had now a
snow event under our belt,
So I think we're pretty
much ready to go here.
Angelopoulos: Hold
it, everybody!
Don't load up the dynos yet!
Narrator: It's midnight.
Polar air has a 747
cargo plane grounded.
Crews are racing to
change its faulty engine,
But time and money
are against them.
Levitti: Back's down completely.
We need to start
going up in the back.
Narrator: The price of delays
Will run into the
thousands of dollars,
But rushing and damaging the
aircraft could cost millions.
Angelopoulos: Hold off in the
front, inboard!
Outboard, go on up!
Narrator: The new
engine is ready to go.
Now, they have to get
the old one off the wing.
Angelopoulos:
That's pretty good.
That's excellent.
Narrator: Removing
the engine is risky.
It weighs six tons
and costs $12 million.
Hulsey: It's not something
that you cut corners on.
Too much money, it's
too much weight,
There's too many
lives standing around.
Narrator: The
team has to position
A steel frame around the engine
to catch its enormous weight
When it's released
from the wing.
It's attached by four pins.
Angelopoulos: I want an inch
of gap, inch of a gap.
Levitti: Hold on, hold on.
Let me, I got this.
Let me, let me do this.
Narrator: The crew must slot
the four pins from the frame
Into the engine
to hold it steady.
Angelopoulos: We're
not there yet.
It has to be lined up perfect
to pick up the weight.
Okay, hold it in the back!
Front only, come on down!
Narrator: They're
achingly close.
But in aviation, close
isn't good enough.
Angelopoulos: Keep
going, keep going.
We're there.
Man: I got the pin in!
Angelopoulos: Your pin?
Your pin?
Levitti: Everybody's,
everybody's in.
Narrator: With all
four pins secured,
What goes up must now
come down, safely.
Angelopoulos: All four
at the same time!
Corley: This is the most
dangerous portion of it
As far as somebody
being able to get hurt.
Angelopoulos: Hold it,
hold it, hold it!
Are you lined up?
Levitti: It's fine.
Narrator: The crew
must control the engine
Every inch of its journey
down into the frame.
Levitti: Watch that seal,
make sure nothing catches.
Angelopoulos: Okay, aft
come on down!
Keep going, everybody down!
You're in the guides!
The engine is down.
Hulsey: Best news all day!
Narrator: But with the
old engine on the ground,
They're still only
halfway there.
Levitti: What's next
is the new engine,
Which is actually
gonna be more valuable
Because it's the one
that's going into service.
That's the most tricky
part of this engine change.
Things can go wrong
any point of the way.
Radio: Runway 33,
clear for takeoff,
Cathay 20.
(indistinct radio chatter)
Narrator: Five
million passengers
Travel through ted stevens
international airport each year,
But not everyone
is a model citizen.
Officer: Hey,
what's your name?
Man: (bleep) you.
Narrator: So,
there's a thin blue line
Upholding law and
order in the terminals.
Officer: Dispatch,
205, I'm breaking.
What's the exact address?
Narrator: The airport police
Have 58 highly-trained officers
Ready to put themselves
in harm's way 24/7.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
It's midnight.
Police officer hoffman is
preparing for his night shift
When he gets an urgent call.
Hoffman: We gotta go.
(siren wailing)
We have a report of a
potentially suicidal subject
And he's got two handguns
in shoulder holsters,
So we are en route right
now trying to locate him.
Worst case, he shoots
himself or shoots one of us.
I don't want anybody to die.
Narrator: The anchorage
police have reported
That an armed man has
entered the airport.
An active shooter
in the terminal
Is every officer's
worst nightmare.
Hoffman: Anchorage police
department reportedly gotten
Suicidal messages
from an individual.
Apd told us that his
cell phone pinged
And they used a
gps locator system
To tell the nearest location.
This individual's device has
just pinged by the terminal
By our ravn alaska gates.
Well, it's extremely
dangerous situation.
We don't know if he aims
to shoot other people
Before he shoots himself.
We have to treat it
absolutely serious.
It's the kinda call that you
pray never happens to you
As a police officer, but
it's the kind of call
That you pray you're
ready for when it does.
Narrator: Every
officer on duty
Has been called to
the south terminal,
The gunman's last
known location.
Hoffman: So, what's going on?
Becker: All right, so apd,
they pinged his phone
And it pinged on international
Near the a gates.
Hoffman: Copy.
Narrator: Out
of the 14,000 faces
Traveling through the airport,
The police officers are
looking for just one,
Who could shoot at any moment.
Hoffman: We've got thousands of
people at this airport.
If there's somebody
there with guns,
Suicidal, we don't know
what he's gonna do,
We have to find him now.
Narrator: The manhunt begins.
Hoffman: We're gonna go mobile
And make sure he's not
outside the airport too.
According to the report,
He's got a black
carhartt jacket on.
We've been told he's over
six foot tall, 180 pounds.
Narrator: Officer hoffman
must scour every inch
Of the six-mile
airport perimeter.
Hoffman: Our airport is huge.
Thousands of cars
are parked here
And we don't know if he's
hiding in one of 'em.
He could jump the fence and
access passenger aircraft.
We don't know where he is.
It's like looking for
a needle in a haystack.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
(siren wailing)
Narrator: It's a
quarter past midnight
And officer hoffman and the
entire airport police department
Are responding to their
most serious call this year:
A suicidal gunman
in the airport.
Hoffman: So, this suspect
is reported to have
Two semi-automatic handguns,
twin shoulder holsters.
That's a lot of
firepower for one guy
In a terminal full of people.
Narrator: The frantic
search to catch him
Has now spread to a six-mile
area around the airport.
Hoffman: This is a very
serious situation.
He said he was armed,
he said it was suicide.
Those are huge red flags.
Narrator: The only
clue to his whereabouts
Is his cell phone.
Hoffman: The gps is only
pinging every 15 minutes,
And that's a lotta ground
he could cover in that time.
Narrator: While
officer hoffman
Scours the airport perimeter,
Officer becker continues the
manhunt inside the terminal.
Becker: The last known location
was basically right out here,
Right at door eight area.
Narrator: The police are
armed with glock 9mm pistols,
But the gunman has
twice the firepower.
Becker: We do not know what kind
of semi-automatics they are,
How many rounds they hold,
So we don't know if
these guns are stolen
Or he coulda just
bought 'em today.
Our main concern
would be his safety
And the safety of
the traveling public.
Hold on a sec.
Okay.
We gotta go.
206 copies, we're mobile.
Narrator: On the radio,
officer becker gets an update
On the latest gps location.
The gunman's outside
the airport perimeter.
Hoffman: 209 copies,
I'll check it out.
We're pretty close
to that area now.
We're gonna go check
out the vicinity
And see if we can find
either the suspect on foot
Or in a vehicle.
Narrator: The gunman's
last known location
Is a parking lot on the
far side of the airport.
Hoffman: A lot of cargo
companies are over here.
A lot of vehicles.
There's a lotta places
for people to hide.
Camera down.
Narrator: To check every
possible hiding place,
Officer hoffman must leave
the safety of his vehicle.
Hoffman: So, this area's clear,
And we are really
scouring this area.
Narrator: The police
have now been searching
For over 30 minutes.
Officer hoffman checks
in for an update
On the gunman's gps signal.
209.
Narrator: Officer
hoffman can stand down.
Hoffman: That's about as good an
outcome as we could hope for.
And it's a relief
Because nobody had to
pull a trigger tonight.
Narrator: It's 5 a.M. And
the crews at polar air cargo
Are on the home stretch
of a marathon engine swap.
Hulsey: One bolt in and
everybody hold!
Narrator: The
old engine is off
And the new $12-million
replacement is almost ready.
Hulsey: We need a
bolt in one place!
Narrator: The
one-ton nose cowl
Is the last piece of the puzzle.
Hulsey: This whole area around
the engine right here
Is a super critical
area on the airframe.
Has to stay smooth.
It can't be dented.
No mistakes at all.
Everybody can push up.
Use your manpower and
that, there you go.
I got one at 12 o'clock.
Got a hard point at 12 o'clock.
We're good.
Man: It's up and mounted,
so now I'm happy.
Rock and roll.
Narrator: With
the nose cowl on,
They can hoist the new
engine onto the wing.
Angelopoulos: Hold it,
right there!
All four, go on up!
Narrator: They have to
be perfectly synchronized
To keep seven tons of engine
safely suspended in the air.
Levitti: It's not just
damaging the engine,
It's people getting hurt.
This is a heavy job.
Careful!
Narrator: If the
engine hits the wing
And damages the plane's
structure, it's game over.
Angelopoulos: You have
to be precise.
You damage the pylon,
Then boeing has to
come out with a repair.
Very expensive.
Levitti: Inboard, slow
down a little bit.
Angelopoulos: You're watching
that seal, right?
Levitti: You'll go
faster than he will.
Narrator: The engine is
now just fractions of an inch
From lining up to
its bolt points
On the underside of the wing.
Angelopoulos: Hold up
on that side.
You keep going up.
Levitti: All right, go up,
keep going up a little bit.
(shouting)
There you go, come on.
Come on, there you go!
We've pinned both sides.
Narrator: Attaching
the engine requires bolts
Made of a specially
-designed steel alloy
Engineered to take the force
Of a jet engine
at full throttle.
Angelopoulos: The entire weight
of the engine
Will be relying on those bolts.
These are very expensive.
As you torque the
bolt, it stretches.
The metals that are used in
it maintain the strength.
Man: The next step will
be to torque 'em down.
Man: It's in, it's in.
Woo! (laughing)
Narrator: After
over 200 man-hours
Spent replacing $30 million
worth of precious engineering,
This 747 is ready to safely
get back into the sky.
Levitti: I mean, it's been fun,
it's been challenging.
I always like a challenge.
That's what we're here for.
But I'm ready for bed,
that's what I'm ready for.
(soft orchestral music)
Narrator: This time,
winter is coming to alaska.
A cargo plane has a $12-million
maintenance emergency.
Levitti: Taking the engine
off is definitely
One of the top five most
dangerous jobs in aviation.
(siren wailing)
Narrator: A gunman
in the terminal--
Becker: This way.
Narrator: Puts police
officers in the firing line.
Hoffman: A worst case, he shoots
himself or shoots one of us.
Narrator: And winter's
first snowstorm strikes.
Harris: My litmus test is if
it's not safe enough
For my family to land on it,
Then it's not safe enough
for anybody to land on.
And that's the bottom line.
(soft rock music)
Narrator: Ted stevens
international airport
In america's last frontier.
Harris: We live in alaska.
The expectation is that we
should be able to function
Regardless of what
the weather is.
Narrator: Hammered
by sub-zero temperatures
And arctic storms--
Man: Temperature is
what's gonna kill you.
Narrator: It takes a major
league team of workers--
Man: In aviation, there's
no second chances.
Levitti: Anything could go
wrong in a split second.
Angelopoulos: Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Everybody stop!
Narrator: To keep the
airport open no matter what.
Man: We're the gateway to asia.
They're counting
on us to be open.
Narrator: The fifth-busiest
cargo hub on the planet.
Man: Transporting the
weirdest cargo in the world
Is just another
day in anchorage.
Narrator: Welcoming millions
of passengers every year.
Officer: Dispatch,
205, I'm breaking.
What's the exact address?
Woman: We have to be 100%
certain 100% of the time.
Narrator: This is
ice airport alaska.
(helicopter blades whirring)
Alaska, america's
most northern state
And its largest at over
twice the size of texas.
It's also the coldest,
wildest state in the us.
It's home to bears, moose,
and thousands of birds.
They're a major
risk to aviation,
So the airport has a dedicated
wildlife management team.
Nelsen: My job is to
coordinate the effort
To keep the wildlife
and the planes
From running into each other.
Narrator: Us department
of agriculture biologist
Spencer nelsen heads the crew.
Nelsen: I grew up in nebraska.
I saw this position open
about seven years ago
And I liked the challenges
that it presented.
There's very few wildlife
biologists in the world
That do a job every day that
you know saves people's lives.
Narrator: The last
frontier has challenges
Spencer wasn't prepared for.
Nelsen: When I came here,
I had to relearn
How to do the entire job.
It's just a really
unique environment.
Nothing you learn in the
lower 48 applies here.
Narrator: It's late October,
A peak time for
wildlife activity
Before winter's big freeze.
Nelsen: Our change here from
fall to winter is pretty abrupt.
Narrator: The first target
for spencer's daily patrol
Is alaska's largest predator.
Nelsen: There's black bears here
and there's brown bears here.
They hibernate here.
They raise their young here.
We wanna get a good handle
On what the bears
are doing right now.
Narrator: In the
fall, hungry bears
Desperate to fatten
up for winter
Are drawn to the airport
by the smell of food.
Nelsen: Last week, I think
we had two reports
Of black bears on
airport property.
We've had situations
where we've had to close
All three runways on
the main airport here
Within a half an hour
Because we've had
as many as two bears
On the airfield at one time.
Just really nerve-wracking
(laughing) for everybody.
Narrator: Hungry
bears will dig
Under the airport's 13-mile
perimeter fence to get in.
Spencer has to find any
breaches before winter comes.
Nelsen: We won't be able
to see them
Because the snow'll be
up against the fence
And they'll be undetectable.
So, we gotta find 'em
now before it snows
And fix 'em now
before it gets frozen.
The runway is just
right through the woods
And down the hill here.
I can just about guarantee you
We're within 200 yards
of a black bear right now
And they probably
know we're here too.
Okay, here's one here.
This would be a place
that a bear's dug.
And I see some freshly
disturbed dirt here.
This looks like something
came through last night.
This extra bit of
fence will fix this.
(hammering)
This wasn't part of
our wildlife degree,
But I wanted to get a job
Where I'd get my
boots dirty every day.
I'm happy with that;
that's really good.
This'll force them
to find another spot
And, you know, then
we'll fix those too.
We just keep at it and
so do the bears, I guess.
Narrator: Spencer
can't rest for a moment.
Winter's onset means
hundreds of migrating birds
Are flocking around
the main terminal.
Nelsen: We get reports of around
20 to 25 bird strikes a year.
They can crack a wing, they
can even destroy an engine.
And worst-case scenario,
We'd expect to see
a human fatality.
Narrator: Of all deaths
Caused by bird
strikes in the us,
Over 10% happen in alaska.
Nelsen: Right here in
the anchorage area
We've had catastrophic accidents
Where human lives were lost.
Narrator: These
birds are migrating
From the arctic to africa.
They've stopped on lake hood
in the center of ted stevens,
A lake which is also the
world's busiest floatplane base.
Nelsen: Behind us is the
international airport,
And we can't have a body of
water this close to that airport
And not do something about the
birds that are on this lake.
Narrator: To
spencer, a duck can be
Just as dangerous as a bear.
Nelsen: Got a group of
diving ducks out there.
These are the ducks
that we don't want
In the airport environment.
See if we can convince 'em
to continue migrating south.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Narrator: Spencer is
here to spoil the party.
Nelsen: So, what I'm gonna do is
fire a cracker shell out there,
Going to explode out over
the water near the ducks
And scare 'em away, I hope.
(gun firing)
(ducks quacking)
Oh.
The flock is up off the
water and moving away.
Good.
Narrator: Spencer spends a
third of his time in the fall
Making the air space bird-free.
(shot whistling)
But very soon, alaska's
extreme weather
Will do the job for him.
Nelsen: Within two weeks,
This is gonna be a
different environment.
The lake's gonna be froze,
the ducks are gonna be gone,
We could have a foot
or two of snow around,
And it's gonna be winter.
It comes fast.
(shot whistling)
(indistinct radio chatter)
(soft acoustic guitar music)
Narrator: The airport is
bracing for winter's first snow.
For now, the sun's shining,
but it's only 20 degrees.
But cold is no excuse in alaska.
A time-critical
international cargo aircraft
Has just touched down.
It must refuel and fly
again as soon as possible
Or risk losing
money and customers.
Polar air is anchorage's
largest freight carrier.
Station manager mike spillane
Is unloading this 747's cargo
for urgent transfer south.
Spillane: We had quite a
bit of express
Material on this aircraft.
The express product
has got to be priority
To get into cincinnati
hub as early as possible.
We try to get ahead of the game,
Get the airplanes
back in the air,
'cause they don't make any
money sitting on the ground.
Narrator: The express
cargo is due in cincinnati
In the next 24 hours.
But this aircraft is grounded.
One of its engines
has a reported fault.
Hulsey: Push this way.
There you go.
Corley: It came in with
a oil leak,
So therefore we have to
change the engine here.
Narrator: Every hour the
plane isn't moving cargo
Costs an estimated $36,000.
Hulsey: Yeah, we're
gonna have to--
Narrator: Lead
technician jarrett corley
Has the enormous
task of replacing
The six-ton, $12-million engine.
Corley: It all plays on me.
Everybody's looking at me.
It's critical.
Hulsey: There you go, come on.
Come on now.
Narrator: As usual,
alaska's weather
Adds to the challenge.
It's already below freezing,
And that's the high for the day.
Corley: It's not easy job
in warm weather,
And tonight it's supposed
to get down to 16.
Narrator: But jarrett
has a $300,000 weapon
To fight the elements.
Hulsey: I think we'll push it
with the poles and drag it back?
Narrator: An inflatable tent.
Corley: So, we used to have to
just work out here in the cold.
You work five or 10 minutes
Then you warm up for
five or 10 minutes.
So, this here worked real well.
You stay warm, safe.
Looks good to me.
(energetic banjo music)
So, this is a fuel rail here.
And inside, there's
a little gasket.
And if it leaks, it's
the engine change.
There's no fix for it.
Be a gasket, which
would cost $20 or $30
Versus an engine change
that's $20 or $30 million.
We have a timeline for this
to be done, which is 12 hours,
But it has to be done safe.
People's lives are in danger.
It's not a tractor.
You can't pull over
and work on it.
Narrator: A 12
-hour delay could cost
Up to half a million dollars.
Polar's reputation and
bottom line will suffer
If this plane's
not fixed quickly.
Corley: We can start
installing it,
The eec, the oil change, inside.
Narrator: But it's not a
straight old-for-new swap.
They need to transfer some
parts of the old engine
To the multimillion
-dollar replacement
Waiting in the workshop.
Corley: This is the new engine
that we're gonna have going on.
It's just the
block, if you will.
The base motor.
Narrator: First,
they have to attach
The old tailpipe exhaust
system made of nickel alloy.
It's designed to withstand
50,000 pounds of thrust
And 1,000-degree temperatures.
Hulsey: Hey, lb, can you
come out and help us?
Narrator: Ex-naval air
force engineer sean hulsey
Is overseeing the installation.
Hulsey: And if they were
not connected proper,
They would not cool the
tailpipe area properly
And it would allow
a burn-through
And the engine begins
to melt itself,
And it happens very quickly.
Narrator: A dent or crack
In this precision-engineered
exhaust would ruin it.
With no spare for 500 miles,
It could be a million
-dollar delay,
So sean is taking no chances.
Hulsey: Come on, jarrett,
you're looking good.
Corley: It's too much.
Hulsey: You got six inches
over here on my side.
Corley: Okay, whoa, stop.
Hulsey: So, we
could lower this.
(metal clanging)
ho, hold on, ho.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Narrator: Anchorage's
air traffic control tower
Is in communication with
an american airlines 777
En route from la to shanghai.
Police sergeant skupnik
Is responding to
the emergency call.
Skupnik: The only
information we've got
On the patient right now
Is that it was some
type of cardiac event.
Anything dealing with
cardiac is always unstable.
Narrator: Only five hours
into the 14-hour journey
And with 4,300 miles of
pacific ocean still to cross,
Ted stevens is
their last airport
For an emergency
landing on us soil.
Skupnik: The passenger
has chest pains,
And that is very, very serious.
We could be walking
on that plane
And have a passenger do cpr
Or we'd better jump
in and do the same.
(sirens wailing)
Narrator: The anchorage
fire department's medics
Also race to the runway.
Skupnik: Plane's due in about
10 minutes or so.
Hoping afd gets here
within that time period.
They've got the als gear, the
advanced life support gear.
The uniqueness of anchorage
airport here in alaska,
We're right on a lot of the
international flight paths,
So it's fairly
common that we get
A lot of the medical
aircraft that come in.
Narrator: Cardiac
arrest is responsible
For 86% of inflight deaths.
If the passenger's
condition has deteriorated
Since they declared
an emergency landing,
He may need resuscitation
at the airport.
Skupnik: You got any
update on the passenger?
Flight crew: Not yet.
Skupnik: Okay.
Narrator: Until
they reach the patient
And assess his vitals,
The team has to
prepare for the worst.
Skupnik: Lewis,
what's the status?
Lewis: They're getting
the wheelchair.
Narrator: The patient
is semi-conscious.
He still needs urgent
medical attention.
Skupnik: It's a
chinese national.
He is traveling alone, so
there's no family or anything
That's gonna be coming off.
You guys get him off to safety.
(siren wailing)
Narrator: The patient
heads to anchorage hospital.
In just 60 minutes, the
ground team has the flight
And its 200 passengers
back in the air.
(air traffic control chatter)
Narrator: Ted stevens'
place on the flight path
Means it's not only
people that need to land
For the sake of their health.
Aioletuna: Turn it on?
Man: No.
Aioletuna: Oh, okay.
Narrator: Ground handling
supervisor maia aioletuna--
Aioletuna: Good morning!
Narrator: Is expecting
a special arrival.
Aioletuna: And our next flight
will be the pig charter.
(laughing)
We see those often.
Narrator: The pigs are
flying from chicago to china
And need a breather
before heading on.
Aioletuna: On board right now
is over 1,100 pig.
They've traveled from chicago,
so they need some fresh air.
George, go up and open
the main deck door, please.
Narrator: Maia
opens every cargo bay
To make sure the pigs get
a big whiff of alaska.
Aioletuna: I can see the
piggies, it's exciting.
I can smell them
too now. (laughing)
Woo, it is kind of warm up here.
Narrator: To guarantee
the pigs a blast of cold air,
Maia has to open the
plane's nosecone.
And after 20 minutes cooling
off, she can get a closer look.
Aioletuna: Hi!
They're beautiful.
Eating good. (laughing)
Narrator: Refueled
and refreshed,
The pigs' alaskan
adventure is over.
Aioletuna: Piggies are ready
to leave. (laughing)
They had their time
here in anchorage.
Ready!
And there goes the
piggies. (laughing)
'til next time!
Pigs do fly, I guess. (laughing)
Radio: Asia air 31,
Runway seven left at
romeo, clear for take off.
Narrator: Late mornings in
the fall are dark in alaska.
Overnight, almost a foot of
snow has covered the airport;
Not good for incoming aircraft.
As the air traffic controllers
Begin their eight-hour shift,
they face a potential crisis.
Beargie: So, after this first
heavy snowfall of the year,
We're expecting some more snow,
Which could have a really
big impact on our operation.
Narrator: The 10
-person day shift,
Led by patrick beargie,
faces a huge test:
Landing 50 planes in
the next two hours
Through the
challenging conditions.
Beargie: Oh, can you let me know
when foothills taxis out?
Man: Yeah.
Beargie: Thanks.
Narrator: And
there's worse to come.
A new storm is on the horizon.
Beargie: Currently, our weather
has been deteriorating.
After 9 a.M., it'll probably
change to freezing rain.
It accumulates on
the runway as water
And can potentially freeze.
Very dangerous for aircraft.
Narrator: Iced runways
would shut the entire airport,
Force the planes to
divert hundreds of miles,
And cost ted stevens millions
of dollars in lost revenue.
Beargie: It's very critical that
we have the runways open
And available for the teams.
Narrator: Patrick alerts
every airport department
To the incoming storm.
Beargie: It's anchorage tower.
The weather radar is showing
freezing rain occurring
Until about 3 o'clock today.
Knox: Okay, tower,
thank you very much.
Narrator: But
the responsibility
Of keeping the runways safe
falls squarely on the shoulders
Of the airfield
maintenance team.
Knox: Okay, everybody.
Could be icy conditions
this morning,
So we gotta be ready
for freezing rain.
Narrator: 110 men
and women work 24/7
To keep the 33 million
square feet of active runway
Clear of the six million tons
of snow which fall every year.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
Today, brendon knox, the
airfield maintenance foreman,
Has a huge task in front of
him if he's going to keep
The world's fifth
-busiest cargo hub open.
Knox: We had about eight inches
during the night last night,
So pretty significant
snowfall for anchorage.
It is quite a bit to handle
at the start of the season.
Narrator: Brendon
has 20 years' experience
With alaska's worst weather
And $100 million worth of
Specialized equipment
to call on:
Plows, snow blowers,
and deicers,
Whatever it takes to
keep alaska flying
And ted stevens
open for business.
In 70 years, the airport has
never closed for weather.
Knox: We're real proud of the
record we have here at anchorage
Of keeping the airport open
And especially not
closing for snow.
Narrator: Before brendon
can set his crew to work,
He needs to see just
how icy the runway is.
Knox: Braking action for the
aircraft becomes poor
And there's always the potential
Of the aircraft sliding
off the end of the runway.
Yeah, it's pretty serious.
Narrator: Since 2000,
over 400 deaths worldwide
Were caused by planes
skidding off runways.
Brendon knows the lives
of thousands of passengers
Are in his hands.
Knox: We're gonna head
to do a friction test
And see what the condition
of those surfaces are.
We have certain criteria that
we have to meet for braking
And if we're not meeting that,
we have to close the runway.
Narrator: Sensors
on brendon's truck
Check every aspect of
the surface conditions.
Knox: Ground temperature's
gone down a degree or two.
The snow's gonna be sticking
From here on out probably today.
Narrator: The most
critical is surface friction.
Brendon's computer measures
the braking distance
On a scale of one to a hundred.
Knox: Anything 40 and above
is gonna be good braking.
Below that, we'd have
to close the surface.
It would be kept closed
until it was treated
To get that braking action
back to a safe level.
Narrator: Any
reading below 40
Means the runway is dangerously
icy and not safe to land on.
Knox: I'm gonna brake.
Well, that's about
a 33 right there.
Hang on a second.
The first one-third up
here is, it's a little,
It's a little, I guess
I'd call it greasy.
If we get caught
and ice does form,
We'll have to close the airport.
Narrator: Alaska's biggest
cargo carrier, polar air,
Has grounded one of its 17 747s
Midway on its journey
from asia to cincinnati.
It needs a complete
engine change,
But the delay costs
the company $600
Every minute it's on the ground.
Hulsey: Come on, jarrett,
you're looking good.
Come on, keep coming.
Narrator: Former navy
engineer sean hulsey
Is leading the charge to
get the new engine ready.
Hulsey: One of the
reasons I picked
Aircraft maintenance engineering
Was because we meet
different people
And this job is so totally
dynamically different
Every time, every day.
Man: Very slow.
Narrator: It's the
only spare engine onsite.
Damaging I could be a
multimillion-dollar mistake.
Hulsey: Right there,
that's it, it's in.
I got 12 o'clock,
I got 6 o'clock.
Narrator: The sleeve
is attached with 60 bolts,
But that's 60
opportunities for error.
Hulsey: This single bolt can get
loose inside of the engine.
It can cause a complete
catastrophic internal failure
Of the engine.
How many you got in there, jim?
Jim: I have two.
(bolt clanging)
Narrator: Sean's
dropped a bolt.
If he can't retrieve it, he
could have to scrap the engine.
Hulsey: Damn,
need my flashlight.
Man: Good news, bad news?
Hulsey: It's right under here.
Right there.
Narrator: Luckily,
it's just in reach.
Hulsey: Here you go.
I always get the easy
stuff. (laughing)
Narrator: Sean's
first job is done.
The new engine is ready.
But back outside, they
still have to detach
The old engine from the wing.
That's the hard part.
Levitti: Taking the engine
off is definitely
One of the top five most
dangerous jobs in aviation.
Takes a lot of strength,
a lot of endurance.
It's a huge team effort
And you could easily
hurt each other.
Narrator: Trent levitti
and nik angelopoulos
Must work with the whole team
To lower the six
-ton engine safely.
Levitti: That's gonna
be muffled.
We gotta speak to each
other through the engine.
Angelopoulos: Which one
are you taking?
Levitti: I'm taking this one.
Angelopoulos: All right.
Guys in the back, go up even.
Levitti: Try to match
each other's movements.
Anything could go wrong
in a split second.
If we mess up enough, it
could cost a lotta money.
Angelopoulos: Okay, hold off on
the front, inboard!
Outboard, go on up.
Angelopoulos: In the back,
keep going up!
Hulsey: If the points are
not hoisted
In a symmetrical,
evenly-loaded manner,
The whole engine can
twist like a pretzel.
Levitti: Slowly on
the back though.
Slowly on the back.
Angelopoulos: Ho, ho, ho, ho!
Knox: Okay, everybody,
it's 28 degrees right now.
We gotta be ready for
freezing rain this morning.
Narrator: Airfield
maintenance foreman brendon knox
Is battling winter's
first storm.
It's only the beginning
of a long brutal season.
From here on in the job
will only get tougher.
Knox: If we get caught and ice
does form on the runways,
We have to close the airport.
There's always a
danger of an aircraft
Sliding off the runway.
Any loss of traction would
be pretty devastating
For an aircraft.
Narrator: Also
out on the runway
Is eagle-eyed scott harris from
the airport operations team.
Harris: Bad day for me
at work would mean
Somebody lost their life
Or we had a aircraft
accident or an incident.
Narrator: A 20-year
air force veteran,
Scott won't hesitate to
shut down all three runways
If he doesn't like what he sees.
Harris: I'm just gonna make
sure that this is safe
To operate and land on.
My litmus test is if
it's not safe enough
For my family to land on it,
Then it's not safe enough
for anybody to land on it,
And that's the bottom line.
Narrator: The runways
are safe for the moment.
But on the horizon
there's a storm brewing.
Harris: I can look out right now
and see how it's all grayed up
And the ceilings are low.
We could get this watery ice mix
That could freeze on the runway.
Our worst-case
scenario right now
Is I gotta close this runway.
Narrator: The
most lethal weather
The airport can face
is freezing rain.
Knox: The blue is snow,
the green is rain.
You have to monitor
it continuously
When we get into
a freezing rain.
Narrator: When the air
temperature is above freezing
But the ground
temperature is below,
A sheet of ice can cover
the runway in seconds.
Brendon and scott must decide
How to protect the airport
against the weather.
Harris: Hey, brendon, so
what do you think?
Knox: I think we should put some
anti-ice on it real quick.
Treat it now, then I'll be safe.
Harris: Okay.
Knox: So, I think
I'll get two of 'em, we'll make
a one-way pass and be done.
Harris: Sounds good to me.
Narrator: Deploying the
million-dollar fleet of deicers
Is a preemptive measure
to keep the airport open.
But the conditions don't only
pose a threat to aircraft.
Harris: That's the tsa.
Oh, yeah.
Narrator: The slick ice has
caused a two-ton road block
On a route for brendon's
deicers: A tsa agent's truck.
Harris: This vehicle is
holding up traffic.
Let me see if I can call
one of these other guys
And see if they
can help you out.
Hey, harry, it's scott
in airport operations.
I need your help.
The watch commander's gonna send
One of his crew over
here with a vehicle.
We're gonna try to
hitch the back of this
And just get her going
and pull her outta there.
Narrator: Getting
stuck in the snow
Is a rite of passage in alaska.
(shivering)
Harris: The guys are gonna
pull it back out.
And once we get some traction,
We'll drive forward and
she'll be on her way.
Ay.
Yeah!
Oh yes, baby!
Man: There you go.
Harris: Good sir,
I appreciate it, man.
Narrator: With
the truck now freed,
The access road is
clear for traffic,
But the nightmare weather
scenario has begun.
Brendon's team must
race to the runway.
Knox: Yeah, we're getting
some rain here now,
So we're gonna go ahead and
treat that runway at this point.
Narrator: 25 aircraft are
due to arrive in the next hour.
In current conditions,
they can't safely land.
Knox: You guys go ahead and
get your wings deployed
So we're ready to spray.
Just gotta hurry up here
'cause there's aircraft coming.
It's gonna be pretty fast.
Narrator: The
aircraft waiting to land
Can only be held for so long
before they need to divert.
Brendon throws everything
he's got at the icy runway.
Knox: Let's put that down
full strength instead.
It's already starting
to do something here.
Narrator: They blast
3,000 gallons of deicer
Costing $16,000 onto
the two miles of runway.
But with planes
waiting in the sky,
They're not moving fast enough
for air traffic control.
Knox: Maintenance one
and company.
Yeah, we'll, we've got
kind of a speed limit
With these trucks; we'll
go as best we can here.
Radio: Roger.
Knox: The tower was
asking us to expedite,
But the deicer
trucks that we use
We have to run at about
18 miles an hour or less.
You can only drive this fast.
We're doing the best we can.
(rock music)
Narrator: 12 minutes later,
brendon's done all he can.
Knox: Tower,
maintenance one and company
Are clear, thanks.
Narrator: Air traffic
control gives the first plane
Clearance to land.
Harris: We've got an aircraft
on final right now.
We got another one
on final behind him
Coming through this weather.
So, the worst-case scenario
when aircraft lands,
It is unable to stop and tracks
and slides off the runway.
That's not something we want.
Narrator: Until the
plane touches down,
They can't be sure how
well the deicer has worked.
Harris: He just landed
right there.
I saw a little bit of
moisture coming up,
So we know the runway's wet
because of the local deicing,
So that tells me our
deicing is working well.
Narrator: But the pilots
will have the final say.
Harris: Again, our maintenance
guys have done an excellent job
And our aircraft were
landing just fine.
Narrator: The team has
passed the winter's first test.
But it's only the beginning.
Before the season's over,
There'll be countless more
battles against the elements.
Knox: We've actually had now a
snow event under our belt,
So I think we're pretty
much ready to go here.
Angelopoulos: Hold
it, everybody!
Don't load up the dynos yet!
Narrator: It's midnight.
Polar air has a 747
cargo plane grounded.
Crews are racing to
change its faulty engine,
But time and money
are against them.
Levitti: Back's down completely.
We need to start
going up in the back.
Narrator: The price of delays
Will run into the
thousands of dollars,
But rushing and damaging the
aircraft could cost millions.
Angelopoulos: Hold off in the
front, inboard!
Outboard, go on up!
Narrator: The new
engine is ready to go.
Now, they have to get
the old one off the wing.
Angelopoulos:
That's pretty good.
That's excellent.
Narrator: Removing
the engine is risky.
It weighs six tons
and costs $12 million.
Hulsey: It's not something
that you cut corners on.
Too much money, it's
too much weight,
There's too many
lives standing around.
Narrator: The
team has to position
A steel frame around the engine
to catch its enormous weight
When it's released
from the wing.
It's attached by four pins.
Angelopoulos: I want an inch
of gap, inch of a gap.
Levitti: Hold on, hold on.
Let me, I got this.
Let me, let me do this.
Narrator: The crew must slot
the four pins from the frame
Into the engine
to hold it steady.
Angelopoulos: We're
not there yet.
It has to be lined up perfect
to pick up the weight.
Okay, hold it in the back!
Front only, come on down!
Narrator: They're
achingly close.
But in aviation, close
isn't good enough.
Angelopoulos: Keep
going, keep going.
We're there.
Man: I got the pin in!
Angelopoulos: Your pin?
Your pin?
Levitti: Everybody's,
everybody's in.
Narrator: With all
four pins secured,
What goes up must now
come down, safely.
Angelopoulos: All four
at the same time!
Corley: This is the most
dangerous portion of it
As far as somebody
being able to get hurt.
Angelopoulos: Hold it,
hold it, hold it!
Are you lined up?
Levitti: It's fine.
Narrator: The crew
must control the engine
Every inch of its journey
down into the frame.
Levitti: Watch that seal,
make sure nothing catches.
Angelopoulos: Okay, aft
come on down!
Keep going, everybody down!
You're in the guides!
The engine is down.
Hulsey: Best news all day!
Narrator: But with the
old engine on the ground,
They're still only
halfway there.
Levitti: What's next
is the new engine,
Which is actually
gonna be more valuable
Because it's the one
that's going into service.
That's the most tricky
part of this engine change.
Things can go wrong
any point of the way.
Radio: Runway 33,
clear for takeoff,
Cathay 20.
(indistinct radio chatter)
Narrator: Five
million passengers
Travel through ted stevens
international airport each year,
But not everyone
is a model citizen.
Officer: Hey,
what's your name?
Man: (bleep) you.
Narrator: So,
there's a thin blue line
Upholding law and
order in the terminals.
Officer: Dispatch,
205, I'm breaking.
What's the exact address?
Narrator: The airport police
Have 58 highly-trained officers
Ready to put themselves
in harm's way 24/7.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
It's midnight.
Police officer hoffman is
preparing for his night shift
When he gets an urgent call.
Hoffman: We gotta go.
(siren wailing)
We have a report of a
potentially suicidal subject
And he's got two handguns
in shoulder holsters,
So we are en route right
now trying to locate him.
Worst case, he shoots
himself or shoots one of us.
I don't want anybody to die.
Narrator: The anchorage
police have reported
That an armed man has
entered the airport.
An active shooter
in the terminal
Is every officer's
worst nightmare.
Hoffman: Anchorage police
department reportedly gotten
Suicidal messages
from an individual.
Apd told us that his
cell phone pinged
And they used a
gps locator system
To tell the nearest location.
This individual's device has
just pinged by the terminal
By our ravn alaska gates.
Well, it's extremely
dangerous situation.
We don't know if he aims
to shoot other people
Before he shoots himself.
We have to treat it
absolutely serious.
It's the kinda call that you
pray never happens to you
As a police officer, but
it's the kind of call
That you pray you're
ready for when it does.
Narrator: Every
officer on duty
Has been called to
the south terminal,
The gunman's last
known location.
Hoffman: So, what's going on?
Becker: All right, so apd,
they pinged his phone
And it pinged on international
Near the a gates.
Hoffman: Copy.
Narrator: Out
of the 14,000 faces
Traveling through the airport,
The police officers are
looking for just one,
Who could shoot at any moment.
Hoffman: We've got thousands of
people at this airport.
If there's somebody
there with guns,
Suicidal, we don't know
what he's gonna do,
We have to find him now.
Narrator: The manhunt begins.
Hoffman: We're gonna go mobile
And make sure he's not
outside the airport too.
According to the report,
He's got a black
carhartt jacket on.
We've been told he's over
six foot tall, 180 pounds.
Narrator: Officer hoffman
must scour every inch
Of the six-mile
airport perimeter.
Hoffman: Our airport is huge.
Thousands of cars
are parked here
And we don't know if he's
hiding in one of 'em.
He could jump the fence and
access passenger aircraft.
We don't know where he is.
It's like looking for
a needle in a haystack.
(suspenseful orchestral music)
(siren wailing)
Narrator: It's a
quarter past midnight
And officer hoffman and the
entire airport police department
Are responding to their
most serious call this year:
A suicidal gunman
in the airport.
Hoffman: So, this suspect
is reported to have
Two semi-automatic handguns,
twin shoulder holsters.
That's a lot of
firepower for one guy
In a terminal full of people.
Narrator: The frantic
search to catch him
Has now spread to a six-mile
area around the airport.
Hoffman: This is a very
serious situation.
He said he was armed,
he said it was suicide.
Those are huge red flags.
Narrator: The only
clue to his whereabouts
Is his cell phone.
Hoffman: The gps is only
pinging every 15 minutes,
And that's a lotta ground
he could cover in that time.
Narrator: While
officer hoffman
Scours the airport perimeter,
Officer becker continues the
manhunt inside the terminal.
Becker: The last known location
was basically right out here,
Right at door eight area.
Narrator: The police are
armed with glock 9mm pistols,
But the gunman has
twice the firepower.
Becker: We do not know what kind
of semi-automatics they are,
How many rounds they hold,
So we don't know if
these guns are stolen
Or he coulda just
bought 'em today.
Our main concern
would be his safety
And the safety of
the traveling public.
Hold on a sec.
Okay.
We gotta go.
206 copies, we're mobile.
Narrator: On the radio,
officer becker gets an update
On the latest gps location.
The gunman's outside
the airport perimeter.
Hoffman: 209 copies,
I'll check it out.
We're pretty close
to that area now.
We're gonna go check
out the vicinity
And see if we can find
either the suspect on foot
Or in a vehicle.
Narrator: The gunman's
last known location
Is a parking lot on the
far side of the airport.
Hoffman: A lot of cargo
companies are over here.
A lot of vehicles.
There's a lotta places
for people to hide.
Camera down.
Narrator: To check every
possible hiding place,
Officer hoffman must leave
the safety of his vehicle.
Hoffman: So, this area's clear,
And we are really
scouring this area.
Narrator: The police
have now been searching
For over 30 minutes.
Officer hoffman checks
in for an update
On the gunman's gps signal.
209.
Narrator: Officer
hoffman can stand down.
Hoffman: That's about as good an
outcome as we could hope for.
And it's a relief
Because nobody had to
pull a trigger tonight.
Narrator: It's 5 a.M. And
the crews at polar air cargo
Are on the home stretch
of a marathon engine swap.
Hulsey: One bolt in and
everybody hold!
Narrator: The
old engine is off
And the new $12-million
replacement is almost ready.
Hulsey: We need a
bolt in one place!
Narrator: The
one-ton nose cowl
Is the last piece of the puzzle.
Hulsey: This whole area around
the engine right here
Is a super critical
area on the airframe.
Has to stay smooth.
It can't be dented.
No mistakes at all.
Everybody can push up.
Use your manpower and
that, there you go.
I got one at 12 o'clock.
Got a hard point at 12 o'clock.
We're good.
Man: It's up and mounted,
so now I'm happy.
Rock and roll.
Narrator: With
the nose cowl on,
They can hoist the new
engine onto the wing.
Angelopoulos: Hold it,
right there!
All four, go on up!
Narrator: They have to
be perfectly synchronized
To keep seven tons of engine
safely suspended in the air.
Levitti: It's not just
damaging the engine,
It's people getting hurt.
This is a heavy job.
Careful!
Narrator: If the
engine hits the wing
And damages the plane's
structure, it's game over.
Angelopoulos: You have
to be precise.
You damage the pylon,
Then boeing has to
come out with a repair.
Very expensive.
Levitti: Inboard, slow
down a little bit.
Angelopoulos: You're watching
that seal, right?
Levitti: You'll go
faster than he will.
Narrator: The engine is
now just fractions of an inch
From lining up to
its bolt points
On the underside of the wing.
Angelopoulos: Hold up
on that side.
You keep going up.
Levitti: All right, go up,
keep going up a little bit.
(shouting)
There you go, come on.
Come on, there you go!
We've pinned both sides.
Narrator: Attaching
the engine requires bolts
Made of a specially
-designed steel alloy
Engineered to take the force
Of a jet engine
at full throttle.
Angelopoulos: The entire weight
of the engine
Will be relying on those bolts.
These are very expensive.
As you torque the
bolt, it stretches.
The metals that are used in
it maintain the strength.
Man: The next step will
be to torque 'em down.
Man: It's in, it's in.
Woo! (laughing)
Narrator: After
over 200 man-hours
Spent replacing $30 million
worth of precious engineering,
This 747 is ready to safely
get back into the sky.
Levitti: I mean, it's been fun,
it's been challenging.
I always like a challenge.
That's what we're here for.
But I'm ready for bed,
that's what I'm ready for.
(soft orchestral music)