Air Emergency (2003–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Flying on Empty - full transcript
Air Transat flight 236 ran out of fuel in-flight over the North Atlantic due to a mysterious leak, forcing the crew to glide to the nearest airfield.
This is a true story
The flight crew, Airbus
and Air Transat declined to take part.
This reconstruction is based on
expert opinion and known facts about the flight
On the night of the 24th of August 2001
a fully loaded Airbus A330
with 306 people on board
ran out of fuel, midway over the Atlantic.
How could a state of the art
computerized airliner
suffer such a catastrophic failure?
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
We have lost both engines
due to the fuel starvation
We are gliding now.
We are now at 30,000 ft
with a rate of descend of 2000 ft/min
We have to ditch in the water.
This film investigates what happened
to AirTransat Flight 236
This is it, it is over
We will die within the next 5 to 10 minutes
Air Crash Investigation S01E03:
Flying on Empty
August, 23th 2001
Toronto's international Airport is busy
Air Transat is a charter company
that has grown rapidly
to become one of the largest airlines in Canada.
Midsummer brings fewer business travellers
and a holiday atmosphere.
Air Transat flight 236 is bound for Lisbon
Most of the passengers are Canadians,
visiting Europe
or Portuguese immigrants, heading home.
The plane, a twin engined Airbus A330
is being flown by a young copilot,
Dirk De Jager
and an experienced captain,
Robert Piché.
Captain Robert Piché
is somewhat out of the ordinary
from the moment he gets his wing,
he gets to learn how to fly and
in the North of the Province of Quebec,
where the conditions occasionally are very severe.
The flight deck of the A330 is ultra-modern:
banks of computers,
connected to over a 100 on-board sensors
constantly monitor the operation of the plane.
This film reveals how
serious problems can arise
when the pilots
get unusual readings from the computers
and begins to dis-trust them.
On this night, the computers assist
a smooth take-off of Flight 236.
With the crew of 13,
Flight 236 has 306 people on board.
240 at 8, cleared for take off 24R
Transat 236 Heavy
At 20:10, the Airbus A330,
loaded with over 47 tons of fuel,
left Toronto for Lisbon.
Rotate
The weather forecast for the Atlantic crossing
is good
Everything runs smoothly on the flight-deck,
apart from a small adjustment to the route
To avoid congestion,
AirTrafficControl directs the flight
60 miles South of its original route
It is a minor alteration,
but will play a crucial role later.
Passengers settle down for the long crossing
Everything appeared quite normal and in fact
we had travelled at Transat previously
and found it not to be very good
I was surprised by the quality of the flight
It was on time, the plane was newer
much better than we expected it would be.
we are getting to our next checkpoint.
Every 30 minutes across the Atlantic,
the crew checked their position
and fuel consumption against their flight-plan
11.2 Tonnes on the Left
Despite the computerized systems,
some procedures like checking the fuel on board
still need to be done by hand
By comparing the amount of fuel in the tanks,
with the amount the flight started with
the pilots can keep an eye
on their fuel consumption
Fuel check complete,
the level is normal for the distance flown
For the first 5 hours, everything is routine.
The flight crew, Air Transat
and accident investigators
have all declined to be interviewed
about what happened next.
This film uses known facts about
the flight standard emergency procedures
and expert opinion to reconstruct
what took place on Flight 236.
Look, we are getting a warning signal
Oil temp low and oil pressure high on number 2
This warning is the first step in the crisis.
Oil pressure is within normal limits on number 1
and number 2 is slightly high.
The computer-display reveals
that the oil temperature is low in engine #2
but the oil pressure is high
It is a very unusual reading
The pilots are puzzled.
I cannot see it here
I look in the manual
A low oil temperature indication is
normally indicative of bad readings, a bad sensor
Oil temperatures don't decrease normally,
they increase
A low oil-temperature would be of no concern
The high oil pressure is a very strange indication
It is very rare,
in fact I have never heard of one
It is only indicative
of the contamination of the oil with fuel
That is not something
that is explained in the manuals
Call the company
The crew contact Air Transat's maintenance group
in Montreal
Transat 236 to Mirabel operations
Mirabel Transat 236, Hi!
We have a little problem
We are getting a warning oil temp low
and a oil pressure high on engine # 2
There is nothing in the Reference Handbook
nor the Operating Manual
The ground crew have no immediate solution,
the pilots must work it out themselves
They may have been given some advice
on troubleshooting
to see if that would help
But ultimately, the pilots are there on their own
They can get advice from somebody 2500 miles away,
but they cannot fix their problems.
I suggest you keep monitoring your oil levels
and see what happens
Because the oil readings are so unusual
the pilots believe
they may indicate a computer error
the crew keep monitoring the oil levels.
Air Transat 236 continues on track
Then, 20 minutes later, a new warning.
Fuel imbalance warning,
I haven't seen that before
I have Air Traffic Control
In the Airbus A330,
most of the fuel is in large tanks in the wings.
The computer has now detected
that the fuel level on the Right
is now significantly
lower than the Left.
The crew consults the Airbus's flight-manual
which recommends they transfer fuel
through the special CROSS FEED VALVE
Fuel will then flow from one tank to the other.
But before opening the cross feed,
the pilots must be sure that the imbalance
is not caused by a more serious problem,
such as a fuel leak.
The last fuel check was only 15 minutes ago,
and it was Okay
No indication of a fuel leak...
...keep going
Wing cross feed...ON
Once you begin a cross-feeding-procedure
to correct the fuel imbalance
a restored action should commence quite quickly
In other words:
the situation would not continue to get worse,
it would either stabilize immediately
and then begin to correct itself
But the situation is not correcting itself.
Unknown to the pilots,
there is a major fuel leak in the #2 engine
on the right hand side of the plane.
Flight 236 is 300 km from the nearest land
in Mid Atlantic.
39,000 ft over the Atlantic,
some 300 km from land
Air Transat Flight 236 is in trouble
Unknown to the pilots,
the right engine is leaking fuel
The plane's computer system
has thrown up a series of warnings
but the pilots believe these are computer errors
Have you ever seen something like this before?
No...
...never,
it doesn't make any sense
Hey, even if there is a leak
it doesn't explain the alarms on the oil system
And everything was Okay at the last check up
You bet it is a computer problem
The task of finding out if there is a fuel leak
is made harder by the design of the Airbus systems
The systems monitor
hundreds and hundreds of sensors.
They can be affected by such things as a
little bit of frost or ice on a sensor
It can present bad data
There is no direct warning to show
if the fuel level is falling faster
than the engines are consuming it
So, the pilots receive no immediate indication
that there could be a fuel leak.
The fuel quantity is not rising
in the tanks of the Right wing
Check fuel quantity
It is very low, hold on
When copilot De Jager
carries out the fuel-calculations
he discovers something is seriously wrong
It is much less fuel than we should have
It looks like a fuel leak
Check again
De Jager finds a disturbing difference
According to all the gauges,
all the tanks in the Right wing are
way below the level they should be
According to the flight plan,
there is hardly anything in the other ones
What about the trunk tank?
There is nothing there, either
Hello, the First Officer here,
can you come to the cockpit please?
Sure
Although Captain Piché still believes
he is dealing with a computer problem
he nevertheless decides to ask for a visual check,
just in case to see if there could be a fuel leak
Captain?
Can you and Karin take some flashlights
and go to the windows
if you can see anything
trailing back from the wings
It looks like a stream,
report it back immediately.
Dirk, I want you to do another check
I am so sorry
In daylight,
the fuel pouring out at the back of the wing
would have been clearly visible
But in the dead of night, even with a torch,
the fuel leaking from the engine
is impossible to see
The crew evidently realized
that the situation was not improving
at that point, he realized that
their circumstances were becoming more serious
I think that there were probably some discussions
took place between the 2 pilots
as to what the next course of action should be.
If the computer is correct,
then with the amount of fuel remaining
the Airbus will no longer be able
to make it to Lisbon.
Captain Piché is forced to divert the flight.
We've got to divert
Get on to Oceanic control
where is the nearest airfield
Transat 236 heavy, Santa Maria Control,
can you advise the nearest airfield
We have a possible fuel problem
The nearest runway is over 300 km away
With the fuel remaining
Lajes Military Airbase
on the tiny island of Terceira in the Azores
should be within reach.
Santa Maria Control, Transat 236 Heavy,
Proceed 230 flight level 390 direct
360 miles threshold
Are you declaring an emergency?
Standby, Santa Maria control
Not yet, it must be the computer
Transat 236 Heavy, Santa Maria Control
No assistance required yet.
Flight 236 continues flying self
for the next 25 minutes
Everything in the cabin seems normal
But in the cockpit,
the fuel readings are getting worse
It must be the computer
I have checked,
There is nothing in the trim or CENTER tank
and the gauges show only
According to the fuel gauges,
the plane is using fuel much faster than normal
Whether they believe the gauges or not,
the captain has no choice
He must warn Air Traffic Control
We have to declare a fuel emergency.
Transat 236 Heavy, Santa Maria Control
Santa Maria Control,
Transat 236 Heavy, go ahead
Transat 236 Heavy,
We declare a fuel emergency
I really hope it is a computer-bug
because if we land in the Azores
and have a plane full of fuel...
...they will crucify us
At 6:13 AM,
less than an hour after the first fuel alarm
the full gravity of their situation strikes on
The right hand engine runs out of fuel
and cuts out
We are losing engine #2,
I don't believe this
OKAY, maximum thrust on #1
What is going on?
The lights start to flickering ON and OFF
That was odd, strange
On one engine,
the Airbus will not fly at 39,000 ft
They must descend quickly.
I do transfer fuel from CENTER tank
and to trim tank
Transferring...
Fuel quantity is reaching zero
This cannot be,
we are not completely dry on this airplane
Alright, we cannot stay at 39,000 ft
with just one engine
236, to Lajes tower, we have lost one engine
Engine flame out
Roger Transat 236,
we can see you on primary radar
You are at 135 nautical miles from Lajes Airfield
We are a 135 nautical miles from Lajes Field
For the next 10 minutes,
the stricken Airbus continues
on its one remaining engine
The pilots still believe
that the computer may be partly faulty
and that they can make it to Lajes
with fuel to spare
The fuel gauge is falling fast, though...
...it is nearly hitting zero
But 13 minutes after the right hand engine cut out
and with 157 km still to go
the left engine begins to fail
We are losing #1
Mayday, mayday, mayday
We have lost both engines,
due to fuel starvation, we are gliding now
One of the most sophisticated airliners
of the modern era
carrying 306 passengers and crew
is now nothing more than a giant glider
drifting steadily down towards the ocean
Excuse me,
Where is the flight attendant?
You could literally hear a pin drop
there was no sound in that plane,
in that cabin at all
A lot of people were praying
and screaming for God
These are the functions we have lost:
We have no more stabilizer and yellow hydraulics
Air Data Reference 2 and 3
No reversers, rudder trim,
Radio HF
With the loss of both engines,
we have no electrical system
If the engines are not running,
the generators aren't running
So, there is no power on the airplane
There is a small device,
that is called RAM turbine
It will deploy from underneath the fuselage
near the wing fairing
And it is a small propeller
The deploy is off the bottom of the fuselage
and it spins in the wind
And that small propeller will provide
very limited electrical and hydraulic systems...
...to run the aircraft
In other words: although it is a glider,
at least it is a controllable glider
Calculate how far we can go with our glide-angle,
will you?
We are now at 30,000 ft
with a rate of descend of 2000 ft/min
We can hang out for 14 or 15 minutes
I don't want to die
Just try to calm her down
like try and reassure her
that everything would be okay
It is a very big struggle to stay calm
when you are considering your death
Without power, the plane loses 1000 ft in height
for every 5 km it travels forward
They can reach the Azores,
but if the pilots make a mistake
they may face a forced landing on the water
I have to ditch in the water
Air Transat Flight 236 is now drifting
without fuel over the Atlantic
Although their initial calculations show
that the plane should make it to Lajes
Captain Piché must now follow
standard emergency procedure in a passenger jet
over water
Prepare the cabin
The cabin is slowly De-pressurizing
We need to put our oxygen masks on
The loss of engine power means
the cabin will soon De-pressurize
Everybody,
please, I need your attention
We are preparing to ditch the plane
and you put on the life jackets right now
Within probably 2 minutes
I saw flight attendants with life jackets
in their hand, running down the isles
Obviously, that was a sign of fear,
'what was happening ?'
was the first question that popped in my mind
You really don't know what to think
but people did start to panic at the point
when they were told to put on life jackets
My best friend was talking to his father
His father died 3 years ago,
but he is talking to him
because he felt for sure he will be joining him
Ditching a large passenger-jet on the water
presents a severe hazard
If the Airbus A330 has to make a forced landing,
the chances of survival...
...are bleak
In my personal opinion,
I don't these air-planes will make very good boats
Typically, an airplane with a low mounted tail
like this, as it enters the water
(one of the first things that is going to hit
the water is the tail)
and it is probably going to be ripped right off
and the fuselage is going to open there
In 1996, a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel
off the coast of East Africa
Its last moments were caught on amateur video
and reveal what happens when
an airliner attempts a controlled landing on water
Of the 175 people on board
the Ethiopian Airways jet
only 50 survived
The chances of surviving when ditching
and floating are not very good.
If Air Transat Flight 236 has to carry out
a similar manoeuvre
it faces an equally grave outcome
With over 100 km before they reach the Azores,
the pilots face a long
and difficult manoeuvre
They need to keep the plane gliding
for more than 15 minutes to reach the Azores.
Transat 236 Heavy
Lajes tower,
receiving Transat 236 Heavy
Do you have us on radar,
Transat 236?
We have you on primary radar
confirm you are 80 miles out
Your heading is good.
Transat 236 Heavy, Lajes Tower,
We are trying to make the runway
Please describe runway heading and length.
Lajes Tower, Transat 236 Heavy,
Runway is 33 and 10865 ft long
Airport right ahead on your present heading
Please tell us when you have it in sight
Transat 236 Heavy, we can not see the airport,
but we tell you when we can
As the minutes tick by,
the long wait for those on board is agonizing.
That is it, this is it,
it is over
We are going to die,
in the next 5 to 10 minutes
I had contemplated the idea that we will die
Certainly, I think
in that moment,
you can accept it more than
you think you would accept it
The torture
of the whole fact that you are going to die
which I totally thought
I was going to
is worse to me than dying
If I am going to die, just kill me now
Just get a gun and shoot me
or just let this plane go down and
nose-dive it into the ocean...
...and just die instantly
On the ground,
emergency services prepare for the crash-landing
of a fully loaded airliner
With 20 km to go,
the crew now prepare
for the most dangerous part of the operation:
getting their plane on the runway in one piece.
Lajes Tower, do you have our distance
and threshold now and weather, please
Roger, Transat 236 Heavy,
you are 8 miles out according to primary radar,
Airspeed 280 knots according to our readings
Visibility unlimited,
you should have the airport in sight
Negative, Lajes Tower
Until now, we can not see the runway.
There is no room for error
Without power,
the pilots have only one chance at landing
If they miss, or overshoot the runway,
the results could be catastrophic.
I got it!
Just to the right.
Minimum RAT-speed is a 140 knots
maximum speed for gravity gear extension 200 knots
Not lowering the gear until the last minute, okay?
The crew struggle
to loose height and speed for landing
Roger, Lajes, 6 nautical miles
Let's open the slats,
it will slow us down a bit
Slats open, locked
As they approach the runway,
their speed increases dangerously
Too fast,
and they could run off the end of the runway
Lower the gear?
Speed is about 200
Alright, I will stabilize the speed
Can you give me a landing-speed, please?
No engine, no flaps
Ideal approach speed is a 170 knots
We're too fast
Yes, but the runway is very long
Captain Piché now performs a difficult
series of swirling manoeuvres
to slow the plane
down for landing
The plane was almost like a 45 degree angle
I thought it was just going to flip over
and nose dive straight down
The plane was circling around the island
to slow down
So, then , we saw land
and then we saw water again
The runway is long, yeah, sure
but at the end is a cliff
If we don't stop at that time, we are toast,
we are dead
The crew line up the giant Airbus
for the final approach
Landing gear down and locked, 3 green lights
No flaps, only the emergency brakes
No spoilers, no reverse thrust
4000 ft, 195 knots
3000 ft, 197 knots
2000 ft, 200 knots
Alert the cabin
Cabin crew, 1 minute to landing
Vertical speed at 3000 ft/min
We are going way too fast
And the speed is increasing, 203 knots now
It is way too fast
1000 ft, 201 knots
Trying to get the nose up
But even if the crew
can get the airbus on the runway
they face a further problem:
without engines, the normal procedures
for braking are severely restricted
The danger is far from over
The pilots must land the plane without power
and somehow get it to stop
The Airbus hits hard at high speed.
Captain Piché tries to hold the nose down
After bursting 8 tyres, the plane finally stops
in the middle of the runway
we are safe, we made it!
Come on, get ready
Get out of the plane right now
I told you we would make it
I just wanted to get out of this airplane quickly
I jumped, I hit the ground hard
My rear end actually even touched the shoot at all
I didn't slide down the slide, I ran down it
And there is this: 'Get out , get out'
So you ran out of that aircraft
What in God's name just happened?
I felt down to the ground,
literally and I started crying
Once you are off the plane,
you want to know what happened
Piché and De Jager had flown their Airbus
without power
further than any passenger jet in history.
As news of their remarkable achievements
spread around the world
they find themselves reluctant heroes
You only have time to think about anything else
than taking care of the safety of your passengers
That is your main goal
since we haven't had any engine
The other main goal was to make the landing safely
So, at that time, the experience came in
with the help of my colleague
that is why we made a successful landing
You are preparing for the worst
but you never know how you will deal
with situations like this
Reflecting afterwards I feel we dealt in
the most professional and complete matter we could
I feel of being grateful
to see all the passengers
We are okay,
When something like this happens,
you will never know what is going to happen
You cannot believe it
It makes no sense that a big jet
with 2 engines has no more power
with 300 people on board
But although the public story was of success,
disturbing questions remained
Why had a highly sophisticated airliner
run out of fuel
What exactly had happened to Flight 236?
Away from the camera's,
an accident investigation began immediately
by the Portuguese, Canadian and
French transport authorities.
Initial checks quickly confirm that
all the fuel tanks of the Airbus were indeed empty
But to loose more than 17 tonnes of fuel
in such a short space of time
meant they had a major leak
The question was: where?
Engineers examine the fuel systems,
searching for faults in the tanks
and the fuel lines
It wasn't long before they found
what they were looking for
Just by the right engine.
In this particular case,
you had a hydraulic tube
that is relatively small,
in comparison to the larger fuel tube
The hydraulic tube made pulsations
in the hydraulic system
were abrading against
the larger tube
and eventually, the larger tube had a leak in it
and the hole eventually
possibly lead in to a fracture of the tube
allowing this massive fuel flow
outside of the engine
The investigators began checking
Air Transat maintenance records
They discovered that on the 19th of August,
five days before the flight
Air Transat had removed the right hand engine
for maintenance
and installed a replacement unit,
sent by Rolls Royce
But as they analyze the repair logs for the engine
they uncovered a shocking mistake
This was not a case of faulty design...
...but of faulty maintenance.
Rolls Royce had supplied the engine
without a hydraulic pump-assembly
To overcome this,
Transat mechanics had used the parts
from an older engine
but they didn't fit properly
and the pipes had been rubbing together
for five days
until midway over the Atlantic...
...one finally broke
The engine was delivered minus these two tubes
and a bracket
The purpose of that bracket was to maintain
adequate clearance
So, if they took the bracket off the old engine
and put it on the new engine
the pipes would be locked together
so that they could possibly abrade
As investigators questioned Air Transat mechanics
they found more disturbing evidence of malpractice
The chief mechanic testified
that he had been concerned about
the substitution of another hydraulic assembly.
Five days before the accident,
he raised his concerns with his superior
The company decided
that the aircraft must go back into service
and could not wait for the missing parts
He should go ahead with the substitution
The replacement parts only differed
from the correct ones by a few mm's
but it was a difference
that nearly cost 306 lives.
A few days after the accident,
Air Transat publicly accepted responsibility
for the faulty maintenance
We have to realize there was a small mistake made
in terms of changing the pump, we installed it
but then some pipes were needed
to be connected to the pump,
and there was a mismatch.
The immediate consequences for AirTransat
in that event
was that they got to pay a fine of $250,000,
which was the highest ever in Canada
for an error that could have been prevented.
How someone that is supposed to be qualified
in their job
can put the wrong part onto an engine
and risk 300 people's lives is beyond me
This incident is a very strong reminder
The regulation is important
and safety is important
Lives will be lost in the absence of that
and they realize
it is not just an imaginary figure in your head
these are real people
You suffer and
continue to suffer
If it hadn't been us,
it would've been our families
This was by no means the end of the story
Investigators now turn their attention
to the cockpit itself.
And what role had the crew played
in the events of August, 24th?
Could they have done more to avert the crisis?
Key questions remained unanswered
Questions about what happened on the flight-deck.
The transport Canada investigation
into AirTransat Flight 236
discovered that basic maintenance errors
had led to the fuel leak
AirTransat had accepted responsibility
and were heavily fined.
But the focus now turned on the flight deck
and the performance of the crew
What part did they play in the fuel loss?
Cross-feed ON
When the crew opened the cross-feed valve
to transfer fuel from the left wing tank
to the right
they lost 17 tonnes of fuel
in less than 30 minutes
Yet, they failed to close the cross feed valve
and prevent further loss.
We have lost both engines,
due to fuel starvation, we are gliding now
In the days after the incident
Captain Robert Piché and Dirk De Jager
were called before the enquiry
and were asked in detail
about their actions.
More than 2 years later,
these findings have still not been published
What follows a possible explanation
for the course of events that night
based on known facts
and expert opinion
OIL TEMP LOW and OIL PRESS HIGH on #2
The warnings of high oil pressure
and low oil temperature
from the #2 engine
on the right wing
would not have led the pilots
to suspect there was already a major fuel leak
The indications that were being presented
with respect to the oil system
would probably not give
the crew any indications
They may have questioned
what was causing the erroneous
or strange indications
but there is nothing, certainly in my mind
or their training that would have triggered them
to suspect that a fuel system might be involved
But although the pilots thought
they had a computer-error
the oil warnings were actually correct
and were the first indication
of a much more serious problem.
When the fuel imbalance warning came up
20 minutes later,
showing less fuel in the right wing than the left,
it seemed unconnected with the oil alarms.
this could have reinforced Captain Piché's idea
that he was facing a series of computer errors
Do not apply this procedure
if fuel leak is suspected
Despite his doubts,
Captain Piché was obliged to follow
Airbus' procedure to correct the imbalance
He opened the cross feed valve.
But was following the checklist enough?
You just cannot idle flip switches
in response to commands from the computers
and anticipate that all will be well at the end
once the checklist is complete,
there we can sit and be happy
That is not the case at all
You've got to keep second guessing:
is that right, did we do the right checklist?
Have we got the results that we need?
Once the pilots calculate
the high rate of fuel loss,
they should have
suspected a fuel leak
By the time they had confirmed the leak,
their options were severely limited
Though they had the choice:
Do I close the cross-feed valve
and see what happens
or do I leave the cross feed valve open
as the fuel imbalance checklist has dictated
and maybe, the situation will correct itself,
the crew wasn't really sure
Captain Piché believed for a long time
that he was facing a computer error
It was only when the engines stopped
that he had to accept the fuel leak was genuine.
The technological complexity of modern aircraft
can help them make them safer and more reliable
But it can also lead to problems
that nearly brought catastrophe...
...to Airtransat 236
Discrepancies in replacement parts
led to a fuel leak
Distrust of computers led the crew
to misread the situation
These errors have huge implications
Only because Air Traffic Control initially set
the plane 60 miles South to avoid congestion
was it close enough to the Azores
when the crisis struck.
Otherwise, it would have had to ditch in the ocean
The Portuguese investigation remains unpublished.
Airbus blames the pilots
for mishandling the fuel leak.
Robert Piché and Dirk De Jager
continued to fly with AirTransat
In August, 2002,
they received one of the highest honours
of the Airline Pilots Association
for the longest glide ever,
accomplished in a passenger airliner.
After the accident,
Airbus modified its checklist
in the event of fuel imbalance
From now on,
the computer checks all fuel-levels
on board against the flight-plan
It now gives a clear warning
if more fuel is being lost
than the engines can consume.
Rolls Royce has reissued a service bulletin,
learning all its clients of the incompatibility
of 2 almost similar parts
Whatever the circumstances are
the pressure that he was under is tremendous
He got that plane down safely
blowing 8 of the 12 tyres
and saved 300 people
Captain Piché saved our lives
and whether or not he made an error
or if there was a failure of a computer...
...it doesn't really matter because we are alive.
Do I think he is a hero?
No
Do I think he is a hell of a pilot?
Yes!
Thank God the islands of the Azores were there
and basically saved our lives,
but if that fuel pump broke
2 or 5 minutes beforehand
we would have ended up in the water
and we probably won't be here to tell the story
Narrated by Stephen Bogaert
Subtitles
Rein Croonen
The flight crew, Airbus
and Air Transat declined to take part.
This reconstruction is based on
expert opinion and known facts about the flight
On the night of the 24th of August 2001
a fully loaded Airbus A330
with 306 people on board
ran out of fuel, midway over the Atlantic.
How could a state of the art
computerized airliner
suffer such a catastrophic failure?
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
We have lost both engines
due to the fuel starvation
We are gliding now.
We are now at 30,000 ft
with a rate of descend of 2000 ft/min
We have to ditch in the water.
This film investigates what happened
to AirTransat Flight 236
This is it, it is over
We will die within the next 5 to 10 minutes
Air Crash Investigation S01E03:
Flying on Empty
August, 23th 2001
Toronto's international Airport is busy
Air Transat is a charter company
that has grown rapidly
to become one of the largest airlines in Canada.
Midsummer brings fewer business travellers
and a holiday atmosphere.
Air Transat flight 236 is bound for Lisbon
Most of the passengers are Canadians,
visiting Europe
or Portuguese immigrants, heading home.
The plane, a twin engined Airbus A330
is being flown by a young copilot,
Dirk De Jager
and an experienced captain,
Robert Piché.
Captain Robert Piché
is somewhat out of the ordinary
from the moment he gets his wing,
he gets to learn how to fly and
in the North of the Province of Quebec,
where the conditions occasionally are very severe.
The flight deck of the A330 is ultra-modern:
banks of computers,
connected to over a 100 on-board sensors
constantly monitor the operation of the plane.
This film reveals how
serious problems can arise
when the pilots
get unusual readings from the computers
and begins to dis-trust them.
On this night, the computers assist
a smooth take-off of Flight 236.
With the crew of 13,
Flight 236 has 306 people on board.
240 at 8, cleared for take off 24R
Transat 236 Heavy
At 20:10, the Airbus A330,
loaded with over 47 tons of fuel,
left Toronto for Lisbon.
Rotate
The weather forecast for the Atlantic crossing
is good
Everything runs smoothly on the flight-deck,
apart from a small adjustment to the route
To avoid congestion,
AirTrafficControl directs the flight
60 miles South of its original route
It is a minor alteration,
but will play a crucial role later.
Passengers settle down for the long crossing
Everything appeared quite normal and in fact
we had travelled at Transat previously
and found it not to be very good
I was surprised by the quality of the flight
It was on time, the plane was newer
much better than we expected it would be.
we are getting to our next checkpoint.
Every 30 minutes across the Atlantic,
the crew checked their position
and fuel consumption against their flight-plan
11.2 Tonnes on the Left
Despite the computerized systems,
some procedures like checking the fuel on board
still need to be done by hand
By comparing the amount of fuel in the tanks,
with the amount the flight started with
the pilots can keep an eye
on their fuel consumption
Fuel check complete,
the level is normal for the distance flown
For the first 5 hours, everything is routine.
The flight crew, Air Transat
and accident investigators
have all declined to be interviewed
about what happened next.
This film uses known facts about
the flight standard emergency procedures
and expert opinion to reconstruct
what took place on Flight 236.
Look, we are getting a warning signal
Oil temp low and oil pressure high on number 2
This warning is the first step in the crisis.
Oil pressure is within normal limits on number 1
and number 2 is slightly high.
The computer-display reveals
that the oil temperature is low in engine #2
but the oil pressure is high
It is a very unusual reading
The pilots are puzzled.
I cannot see it here
I look in the manual
A low oil temperature indication is
normally indicative of bad readings, a bad sensor
Oil temperatures don't decrease normally,
they increase
A low oil-temperature would be of no concern
The high oil pressure is a very strange indication
It is very rare,
in fact I have never heard of one
It is only indicative
of the contamination of the oil with fuel
That is not something
that is explained in the manuals
Call the company
The crew contact Air Transat's maintenance group
in Montreal
Transat 236 to Mirabel operations
Mirabel Transat 236, Hi!
We have a little problem
We are getting a warning oil temp low
and a oil pressure high on engine # 2
There is nothing in the Reference Handbook
nor the Operating Manual
The ground crew have no immediate solution,
the pilots must work it out themselves
They may have been given some advice
on troubleshooting
to see if that would help
But ultimately, the pilots are there on their own
They can get advice from somebody 2500 miles away,
but they cannot fix their problems.
I suggest you keep monitoring your oil levels
and see what happens
Because the oil readings are so unusual
the pilots believe
they may indicate a computer error
the crew keep monitoring the oil levels.
Air Transat 236 continues on track
Then, 20 minutes later, a new warning.
Fuel imbalance warning,
I haven't seen that before
I have Air Traffic Control
In the Airbus A330,
most of the fuel is in large tanks in the wings.
The computer has now detected
that the fuel level on the Right
is now significantly
lower than the Left.
The crew consults the Airbus's flight-manual
which recommends they transfer fuel
through the special CROSS FEED VALVE
Fuel will then flow from one tank to the other.
But before opening the cross feed,
the pilots must be sure that the imbalance
is not caused by a more serious problem,
such as a fuel leak.
The last fuel check was only 15 minutes ago,
and it was Okay
No indication of a fuel leak...
...keep going
Wing cross feed...ON
Once you begin a cross-feeding-procedure
to correct the fuel imbalance
a restored action should commence quite quickly
In other words:
the situation would not continue to get worse,
it would either stabilize immediately
and then begin to correct itself
But the situation is not correcting itself.
Unknown to the pilots,
there is a major fuel leak in the #2 engine
on the right hand side of the plane.
Flight 236 is 300 km from the nearest land
in Mid Atlantic.
39,000 ft over the Atlantic,
some 300 km from land
Air Transat Flight 236 is in trouble
Unknown to the pilots,
the right engine is leaking fuel
The plane's computer system
has thrown up a series of warnings
but the pilots believe these are computer errors
Have you ever seen something like this before?
No...
...never,
it doesn't make any sense
Hey, even if there is a leak
it doesn't explain the alarms on the oil system
And everything was Okay at the last check up
You bet it is a computer problem
The task of finding out if there is a fuel leak
is made harder by the design of the Airbus systems
The systems monitor
hundreds and hundreds of sensors.
They can be affected by such things as a
little bit of frost or ice on a sensor
It can present bad data
There is no direct warning to show
if the fuel level is falling faster
than the engines are consuming it
So, the pilots receive no immediate indication
that there could be a fuel leak.
The fuel quantity is not rising
in the tanks of the Right wing
Check fuel quantity
It is very low, hold on
When copilot De Jager
carries out the fuel-calculations
he discovers something is seriously wrong
It is much less fuel than we should have
It looks like a fuel leak
Check again
De Jager finds a disturbing difference
According to all the gauges,
all the tanks in the Right wing are
way below the level they should be
According to the flight plan,
there is hardly anything in the other ones
What about the trunk tank?
There is nothing there, either
Hello, the First Officer here,
can you come to the cockpit please?
Sure
Although Captain Piché still believes
he is dealing with a computer problem
he nevertheless decides to ask for a visual check,
just in case to see if there could be a fuel leak
Captain?
Can you and Karin take some flashlights
and go to the windows
if you can see anything
trailing back from the wings
It looks like a stream,
report it back immediately.
Dirk, I want you to do another check
I am so sorry
In daylight,
the fuel pouring out at the back of the wing
would have been clearly visible
But in the dead of night, even with a torch,
the fuel leaking from the engine
is impossible to see
The crew evidently realized
that the situation was not improving
at that point, he realized that
their circumstances were becoming more serious
I think that there were probably some discussions
took place between the 2 pilots
as to what the next course of action should be.
If the computer is correct,
then with the amount of fuel remaining
the Airbus will no longer be able
to make it to Lisbon.
Captain Piché is forced to divert the flight.
We've got to divert
Get on to Oceanic control
where is the nearest airfield
Transat 236 heavy, Santa Maria Control,
can you advise the nearest airfield
We have a possible fuel problem
The nearest runway is over 300 km away
With the fuel remaining
Lajes Military Airbase
on the tiny island of Terceira in the Azores
should be within reach.
Santa Maria Control, Transat 236 Heavy,
Proceed 230 flight level 390 direct
360 miles threshold
Are you declaring an emergency?
Standby, Santa Maria control
Not yet, it must be the computer
Transat 236 Heavy, Santa Maria Control
No assistance required yet.
Flight 236 continues flying self
for the next 25 minutes
Everything in the cabin seems normal
But in the cockpit,
the fuel readings are getting worse
It must be the computer
I have checked,
There is nothing in the trim or CENTER tank
and the gauges show only
According to the fuel gauges,
the plane is using fuel much faster than normal
Whether they believe the gauges or not,
the captain has no choice
He must warn Air Traffic Control
We have to declare a fuel emergency.
Transat 236 Heavy, Santa Maria Control
Santa Maria Control,
Transat 236 Heavy, go ahead
Transat 236 Heavy,
We declare a fuel emergency
I really hope it is a computer-bug
because if we land in the Azores
and have a plane full of fuel...
...they will crucify us
At 6:13 AM,
less than an hour after the first fuel alarm
the full gravity of their situation strikes on
The right hand engine runs out of fuel
and cuts out
We are losing engine #2,
I don't believe this
OKAY, maximum thrust on #1
What is going on?
The lights start to flickering ON and OFF
That was odd, strange
On one engine,
the Airbus will not fly at 39,000 ft
They must descend quickly.
I do transfer fuel from CENTER tank
and to trim tank
Transferring...
Fuel quantity is reaching zero
This cannot be,
we are not completely dry on this airplane
Alright, we cannot stay at 39,000 ft
with just one engine
236, to Lajes tower, we have lost one engine
Engine flame out
Roger Transat 236,
we can see you on primary radar
You are at 135 nautical miles from Lajes Airfield
We are a 135 nautical miles from Lajes Field
For the next 10 minutes,
the stricken Airbus continues
on its one remaining engine
The pilots still believe
that the computer may be partly faulty
and that they can make it to Lajes
with fuel to spare
The fuel gauge is falling fast, though...
...it is nearly hitting zero
But 13 minutes after the right hand engine cut out
and with 157 km still to go
the left engine begins to fail
We are losing #1
Mayday, mayday, mayday
We have lost both engines,
due to fuel starvation, we are gliding now
One of the most sophisticated airliners
of the modern era
carrying 306 passengers and crew
is now nothing more than a giant glider
drifting steadily down towards the ocean
Excuse me,
Where is the flight attendant?
You could literally hear a pin drop
there was no sound in that plane,
in that cabin at all
A lot of people were praying
and screaming for God
These are the functions we have lost:
We have no more stabilizer and yellow hydraulics
Air Data Reference 2 and 3
No reversers, rudder trim,
Radio HF
With the loss of both engines,
we have no electrical system
If the engines are not running,
the generators aren't running
So, there is no power on the airplane
There is a small device,
that is called RAM turbine
It will deploy from underneath the fuselage
near the wing fairing
And it is a small propeller
The deploy is off the bottom of the fuselage
and it spins in the wind
And that small propeller will provide
very limited electrical and hydraulic systems...
...to run the aircraft
In other words: although it is a glider,
at least it is a controllable glider
Calculate how far we can go with our glide-angle,
will you?
We are now at 30,000 ft
with a rate of descend of 2000 ft/min
We can hang out for 14 or 15 minutes
I don't want to die
Just try to calm her down
like try and reassure her
that everything would be okay
It is a very big struggle to stay calm
when you are considering your death
Without power, the plane loses 1000 ft in height
for every 5 km it travels forward
They can reach the Azores,
but if the pilots make a mistake
they may face a forced landing on the water
I have to ditch in the water
Air Transat Flight 236 is now drifting
without fuel over the Atlantic
Although their initial calculations show
that the plane should make it to Lajes
Captain Piché must now follow
standard emergency procedure in a passenger jet
over water
Prepare the cabin
The cabin is slowly De-pressurizing
We need to put our oxygen masks on
The loss of engine power means
the cabin will soon De-pressurize
Everybody,
please, I need your attention
We are preparing to ditch the plane
and you put on the life jackets right now
Within probably 2 minutes
I saw flight attendants with life jackets
in their hand, running down the isles
Obviously, that was a sign of fear,
'what was happening ?'
was the first question that popped in my mind
You really don't know what to think
but people did start to panic at the point
when they were told to put on life jackets
My best friend was talking to his father
His father died 3 years ago,
but he is talking to him
because he felt for sure he will be joining him
Ditching a large passenger-jet on the water
presents a severe hazard
If the Airbus A330 has to make a forced landing,
the chances of survival...
...are bleak
In my personal opinion,
I don't these air-planes will make very good boats
Typically, an airplane with a low mounted tail
like this, as it enters the water
(one of the first things that is going to hit
the water is the tail)
and it is probably going to be ripped right off
and the fuselage is going to open there
In 1996, a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel
off the coast of East Africa
Its last moments were caught on amateur video
and reveal what happens when
an airliner attempts a controlled landing on water
Of the 175 people on board
the Ethiopian Airways jet
only 50 survived
The chances of surviving when ditching
and floating are not very good.
If Air Transat Flight 236 has to carry out
a similar manoeuvre
it faces an equally grave outcome
With over 100 km before they reach the Azores,
the pilots face a long
and difficult manoeuvre
They need to keep the plane gliding
for more than 15 minutes to reach the Azores.
Transat 236 Heavy
Lajes tower,
receiving Transat 236 Heavy
Do you have us on radar,
Transat 236?
We have you on primary radar
confirm you are 80 miles out
Your heading is good.
Transat 236 Heavy, Lajes Tower,
We are trying to make the runway
Please describe runway heading and length.
Lajes Tower, Transat 236 Heavy,
Runway is 33 and 10865 ft long
Airport right ahead on your present heading
Please tell us when you have it in sight
Transat 236 Heavy, we can not see the airport,
but we tell you when we can
As the minutes tick by,
the long wait for those on board is agonizing.
That is it, this is it,
it is over
We are going to die,
in the next 5 to 10 minutes
I had contemplated the idea that we will die
Certainly, I think
in that moment,
you can accept it more than
you think you would accept it
The torture
of the whole fact that you are going to die
which I totally thought
I was going to
is worse to me than dying
If I am going to die, just kill me now
Just get a gun and shoot me
or just let this plane go down and
nose-dive it into the ocean...
...and just die instantly
On the ground,
emergency services prepare for the crash-landing
of a fully loaded airliner
With 20 km to go,
the crew now prepare
for the most dangerous part of the operation:
getting their plane on the runway in one piece.
Lajes Tower, do you have our distance
and threshold now and weather, please
Roger, Transat 236 Heavy,
you are 8 miles out according to primary radar,
Airspeed 280 knots according to our readings
Visibility unlimited,
you should have the airport in sight
Negative, Lajes Tower
Until now, we can not see the runway.
There is no room for error
Without power,
the pilots have only one chance at landing
If they miss, or overshoot the runway,
the results could be catastrophic.
I got it!
Just to the right.
Minimum RAT-speed is a 140 knots
maximum speed for gravity gear extension 200 knots
Not lowering the gear until the last minute, okay?
The crew struggle
to loose height and speed for landing
Roger, Lajes, 6 nautical miles
Let's open the slats,
it will slow us down a bit
Slats open, locked
As they approach the runway,
their speed increases dangerously
Too fast,
and they could run off the end of the runway
Lower the gear?
Speed is about 200
Alright, I will stabilize the speed
Can you give me a landing-speed, please?
No engine, no flaps
Ideal approach speed is a 170 knots
We're too fast
Yes, but the runway is very long
Captain Piché now performs a difficult
series of swirling manoeuvres
to slow the plane
down for landing
The plane was almost like a 45 degree angle
I thought it was just going to flip over
and nose dive straight down
The plane was circling around the island
to slow down
So, then , we saw land
and then we saw water again
The runway is long, yeah, sure
but at the end is a cliff
If we don't stop at that time, we are toast,
we are dead
The crew line up the giant Airbus
for the final approach
Landing gear down and locked, 3 green lights
No flaps, only the emergency brakes
No spoilers, no reverse thrust
4000 ft, 195 knots
3000 ft, 197 knots
2000 ft, 200 knots
Alert the cabin
Cabin crew, 1 minute to landing
Vertical speed at 3000 ft/min
We are going way too fast
And the speed is increasing, 203 knots now
It is way too fast
1000 ft, 201 knots
Trying to get the nose up
But even if the crew
can get the airbus on the runway
they face a further problem:
without engines, the normal procedures
for braking are severely restricted
The danger is far from over
The pilots must land the plane without power
and somehow get it to stop
The Airbus hits hard at high speed.
Captain Piché tries to hold the nose down
After bursting 8 tyres, the plane finally stops
in the middle of the runway
we are safe, we made it!
Come on, get ready
Get out of the plane right now
I told you we would make it
I just wanted to get out of this airplane quickly
I jumped, I hit the ground hard
My rear end actually even touched the shoot at all
I didn't slide down the slide, I ran down it
And there is this: 'Get out , get out'
So you ran out of that aircraft
What in God's name just happened?
I felt down to the ground,
literally and I started crying
Once you are off the plane,
you want to know what happened
Piché and De Jager had flown their Airbus
without power
further than any passenger jet in history.
As news of their remarkable achievements
spread around the world
they find themselves reluctant heroes
You only have time to think about anything else
than taking care of the safety of your passengers
That is your main goal
since we haven't had any engine
The other main goal was to make the landing safely
So, at that time, the experience came in
with the help of my colleague
that is why we made a successful landing
You are preparing for the worst
but you never know how you will deal
with situations like this
Reflecting afterwards I feel we dealt in
the most professional and complete matter we could
I feel of being grateful
to see all the passengers
We are okay,
When something like this happens,
you will never know what is going to happen
You cannot believe it
It makes no sense that a big jet
with 2 engines has no more power
with 300 people on board
But although the public story was of success,
disturbing questions remained
Why had a highly sophisticated airliner
run out of fuel
What exactly had happened to Flight 236?
Away from the camera's,
an accident investigation began immediately
by the Portuguese, Canadian and
French transport authorities.
Initial checks quickly confirm that
all the fuel tanks of the Airbus were indeed empty
But to loose more than 17 tonnes of fuel
in such a short space of time
meant they had a major leak
The question was: where?
Engineers examine the fuel systems,
searching for faults in the tanks
and the fuel lines
It wasn't long before they found
what they were looking for
Just by the right engine.
In this particular case,
you had a hydraulic tube
that is relatively small,
in comparison to the larger fuel tube
The hydraulic tube made pulsations
in the hydraulic system
were abrading against
the larger tube
and eventually, the larger tube had a leak in it
and the hole eventually
possibly lead in to a fracture of the tube
allowing this massive fuel flow
outside of the engine
The investigators began checking
Air Transat maintenance records
They discovered that on the 19th of August,
five days before the flight
Air Transat had removed the right hand engine
for maintenance
and installed a replacement unit,
sent by Rolls Royce
But as they analyze the repair logs for the engine
they uncovered a shocking mistake
This was not a case of faulty design...
...but of faulty maintenance.
Rolls Royce had supplied the engine
without a hydraulic pump-assembly
To overcome this,
Transat mechanics had used the parts
from an older engine
but they didn't fit properly
and the pipes had been rubbing together
for five days
until midway over the Atlantic...
...one finally broke
The engine was delivered minus these two tubes
and a bracket
The purpose of that bracket was to maintain
adequate clearance
So, if they took the bracket off the old engine
and put it on the new engine
the pipes would be locked together
so that they could possibly abrade
As investigators questioned Air Transat mechanics
they found more disturbing evidence of malpractice
The chief mechanic testified
that he had been concerned about
the substitution of another hydraulic assembly.
Five days before the accident,
he raised his concerns with his superior
The company decided
that the aircraft must go back into service
and could not wait for the missing parts
He should go ahead with the substitution
The replacement parts only differed
from the correct ones by a few mm's
but it was a difference
that nearly cost 306 lives.
A few days after the accident,
Air Transat publicly accepted responsibility
for the faulty maintenance
We have to realize there was a small mistake made
in terms of changing the pump, we installed it
but then some pipes were needed
to be connected to the pump,
and there was a mismatch.
The immediate consequences for AirTransat
in that event
was that they got to pay a fine of $250,000,
which was the highest ever in Canada
for an error that could have been prevented.
How someone that is supposed to be qualified
in their job
can put the wrong part onto an engine
and risk 300 people's lives is beyond me
This incident is a very strong reminder
The regulation is important
and safety is important
Lives will be lost in the absence of that
and they realize
it is not just an imaginary figure in your head
these are real people
You suffer and
continue to suffer
If it hadn't been us,
it would've been our families
This was by no means the end of the story
Investigators now turn their attention
to the cockpit itself.
And what role had the crew played
in the events of August, 24th?
Could they have done more to avert the crisis?
Key questions remained unanswered
Questions about what happened on the flight-deck.
The transport Canada investigation
into AirTransat Flight 236
discovered that basic maintenance errors
had led to the fuel leak
AirTransat had accepted responsibility
and were heavily fined.
But the focus now turned on the flight deck
and the performance of the crew
What part did they play in the fuel loss?
Cross-feed ON
When the crew opened the cross-feed valve
to transfer fuel from the left wing tank
to the right
they lost 17 tonnes of fuel
in less than 30 minutes
Yet, they failed to close the cross feed valve
and prevent further loss.
We have lost both engines,
due to fuel starvation, we are gliding now
In the days after the incident
Captain Robert Piché and Dirk De Jager
were called before the enquiry
and were asked in detail
about their actions.
More than 2 years later,
these findings have still not been published
What follows a possible explanation
for the course of events that night
based on known facts
and expert opinion
OIL TEMP LOW and OIL PRESS HIGH on #2
The warnings of high oil pressure
and low oil temperature
from the #2 engine
on the right wing
would not have led the pilots
to suspect there was already a major fuel leak
The indications that were being presented
with respect to the oil system
would probably not give
the crew any indications
They may have questioned
what was causing the erroneous
or strange indications
but there is nothing, certainly in my mind
or their training that would have triggered them
to suspect that a fuel system might be involved
But although the pilots thought
they had a computer-error
the oil warnings were actually correct
and were the first indication
of a much more serious problem.
When the fuel imbalance warning came up
20 minutes later,
showing less fuel in the right wing than the left,
it seemed unconnected with the oil alarms.
this could have reinforced Captain Piché's idea
that he was facing a series of computer errors
Do not apply this procedure
if fuel leak is suspected
Despite his doubts,
Captain Piché was obliged to follow
Airbus' procedure to correct the imbalance
He opened the cross feed valve.
But was following the checklist enough?
You just cannot idle flip switches
in response to commands from the computers
and anticipate that all will be well at the end
once the checklist is complete,
there we can sit and be happy
That is not the case at all
You've got to keep second guessing:
is that right, did we do the right checklist?
Have we got the results that we need?
Once the pilots calculate
the high rate of fuel loss,
they should have
suspected a fuel leak
By the time they had confirmed the leak,
their options were severely limited
Though they had the choice:
Do I close the cross-feed valve
and see what happens
or do I leave the cross feed valve open
as the fuel imbalance checklist has dictated
and maybe, the situation will correct itself,
the crew wasn't really sure
Captain Piché believed for a long time
that he was facing a computer error
It was only when the engines stopped
that he had to accept the fuel leak was genuine.
The technological complexity of modern aircraft
can help them make them safer and more reliable
But it can also lead to problems
that nearly brought catastrophe...
...to Airtransat 236
Discrepancies in replacement parts
led to a fuel leak
Distrust of computers led the crew
to misread the situation
These errors have huge implications
Only because Air Traffic Control initially set
the plane 60 miles South to avoid congestion
was it close enough to the Azores
when the crisis struck.
Otherwise, it would have had to ditch in the ocean
The Portuguese investigation remains unpublished.
Airbus blames the pilots
for mishandling the fuel leak.
Robert Piché and Dirk De Jager
continued to fly with AirTransat
In August, 2002,
they received one of the highest honours
of the Airline Pilots Association
for the longest glide ever,
accomplished in a passenger airliner.
After the accident,
Airbus modified its checklist
in the event of fuel imbalance
From now on,
the computer checks all fuel-levels
on board against the flight-plan
It now gives a clear warning
if more fuel is being lost
than the engines can consume.
Rolls Royce has reissued a service bulletin,
learning all its clients of the incompatibility
of 2 almost similar parts
Whatever the circumstances are
the pressure that he was under is tremendous
He got that plane down safely
blowing 8 of the 12 tyres
and saved 300 people
Captain Piché saved our lives
and whether or not he made an error
or if there was a failure of a computer...
...it doesn't really matter because we are alive.
Do I think he is a hero?
No
Do I think he is a hell of a pilot?
Yes!
Thank God the islands of the Azores were there
and basically saved our lives,
but if that fuel pump broke
2 or 5 minutes beforehand
we would have ended up in the water
and we probably won't be here to tell the story
Narrated by Stephen Bogaert
Subtitles
Rein Croonen