Ep 10. Death in the Arctic
- February 23, 2015
In Air Disasters season 14 episode 10, titled "Death in the Arctic," viewers are taken into the tragic events surrounding the crash of Air France Flight 447. The episode examines the events leading up to the disaster and the aftermath of the accident.
The flight took off from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2009, destined for Paris, France. The Airbus A330-200 carried 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board. However, just four hours into the flight, the plane encountered severe weather conditions over the Atlantic Ocean, particularly in the remote Arctic region.
The icy conditions caused malfunctions in the airplane's pitot tubes, which are responsible for measuring the aircraft's airspeed. The malfunction caused confusion in the cockpit, as the pilots were receiving conflicting information about the plane's speed. As a result, the plane went into a stall and plummeted towards the ocean at a speed of 10,000 feet per minute.
The episode explores the investigations following the disaster, highlighting the challenges of locating the airplane and its black boxes in the vast and remote area. It also examines the painstaking work of piecing together what happened based on debris recovered from the ocean.
Experts in the aviation industry weigh in and provide their perspectives on the mistakes made by the pilots and the airline, highlighting the importance of proper training and communication in preventing similar tragedies from happening in the future.
The episode also features emotional interviews with family members of those who lost their lives in the crash, providing a human element to the devastating incident.
"Death in the Arctic" serves as a testament to the devastating impact of aviation disasters, as well as the tireless work of aviation investigators to uncover the truth and improve safety measures in air travel.
