Ep 3. Fire on Board

On this episode of Mayday season 1, we experience the heart-wrenching story of a Christmas Eve flight that turned into a nightmare when a small fire breaks out on board. The episode is aptly named Fire on Board.

The show takes the audience through a step by step journey to uncover why the fire broke out and how the crew's response impacted the lives of the passengers on board.

As is customary with the show, we first see the build-up to the disaster. The flight at the center of this episode was a Scandinavian Airlines System flying from Stockholm to Copenhagen with over 130 people on board, mostly holiday travelers heading home for Christmas. The atmosphere feels festive, with Christmas carols playing in the cabin as passengers enjoy their flight.

Things take a turn when one of the flight attendants notices smoke seeping from the floor beneath a row of seats. Initially, the crew believes it's a minor incident, maybe a fault with the electronics or an overheated engine. However, as the smoke thickens, they realize that it's a fire and activate the alarm. It's established that electrical arcing in a passenger's wheelchair caused the fire.

As the plane descends into the Copenhagen airport, confusion and panic grip the cabin as passengers struggle to comprehend what's happening. The crew has a few minutes to evacuate the passengers before the fire engulfs the cabin, endangering everyone on board.

Of course, with the show's format, we know what's about to happen. Larger questions are how it got to this point, what were the decisions, regulations, and miscommunications that led to this point, and in an emergency situation, how can people stay calm and act quickly to minimize the risk of loss of life?

Mayday season 1 episode 3 provides an answer to some of these questions by providing an in-depth analysis of the cockpit voice recorder and interviewing investigators, family members of passengers, and the flight crews of the day. The episode highlights some critical decision-making errors and communication problems that led to the situation.

We listen, horrified, as the cabin crew tries to put out the fire with extinguishers that were not powerful enough to control the spread of the flames. They waste precious minutes trying to put out the fire rather than evacuating the passengers. It's a tragic realization that in disaster situations, the outcomes can be drastically influenced by moments of indecision and poor decision-making.

The show includes many first-hand accounts, which makes it all the more emotional. Passengers and their loved ones recount their harrowing experiences. We see the panic in their faces, the desperation and fear as they try to escape. Through their accounts, the emotional weight of the disaster hits harder than through the analysis and representation alone.

The show also highlights the impact of the fire on board on the passengers and their families. Some passengers suffered severe burns, requiring them to be hospitalized, some developed PTSD, and some lost their lives.

Mayday season 1 episode 3 - Fire on Board - is an emotional rollercoaster. On one hand, it's a terrifying look at what could happen on an airplane. On the other hand, it's a harrowing reminder of the importance of preparation, critical analysis, and effective communication in disaster situations. It certainly makes for an unforgettable viewing experience.