Mayday Season 11 Episode 11 Nowhere to Land

Mayday is a documentary television series that reveals the causes and events surrounding aviation disasters. Each episode of the show delves into the investigation process undertaken by accident investigators in an effort to shed light on the root causes of the tragic events. Season 11, Episode 11 of Mayday is titled "Nowhere to Land" and details the events that led to the crash of Emery Worldwide Flight 17.

On a dark November night in 1996, Emery Worldwide Flight 17 was en route from Miami to Newark with a stopover in Indianapolis when tragedy struck. The flying freighter, a Douglas DC-8, was being piloted by a three-member crew that included captain Christopher Damo, first officer Kevin Ryan, and flight engineer Steve Holzhalb. The aircraft was carrying a total of 26,051 pounds of cargo, including blankets, electronic equipment, and mail, among others.

Shortly after making a routine stopover in Indianapolis, the captain and his crew resumed their journey to Newark. However, the DC-8 soon encountered unforeseen challenges that made it impossible for them to reach their destination. During the flight, the crew noticed that both the primary and secondary hydraulic systems had failed, leaving them with no control over the aircraft's control surfaces. As a result, the plane began to descend uncontrollably, and the cockpit crew sounded an emergency alarm.

In desperation, the crew attempted to regain some control of the DC-8, but their efforts proved futile. They struggled to communicate and establish contact with their emergency response team on the ground, but the exchange was hindered by inadequate communication equipment and the noise within the cockpit. Meanwhile, the aircraft had descended to 6,000 feet, and the crew was running out of time.

As the situation worsened, the crew made a decision to perform an emergency belly landing. They hoped to land the aircraft in an open-airfield but realized they were running out of options. At this point, they began to assess possible crash sites within the range of their limited communications, but soon realized that their options were limited. The DC-8 was descending rapidly and was approaching a residential area. The crew made a final attempt to reach the ground crew but received no response.

The DC-8 eventually crashed into a wooded area, just a few hundred meters short of a residential neighborhood. Miraculously, the crew survived the ordeal despite sustaining serious injuries. The crash caused significant damage to the surrounding area, destroying trees, power lines, and other structures.

The ensuing investigation of the Emery Worldwide Flight 17 crash unearthed several issues, including inadequate maintenance practices and improperly secured cargo bay doors, that may have contributed to the mishap. Investigators realized that several warning signs were neglected in the run-up to the flight, and that reactive measures were deployed only after the situation had deteriorated. They also concluded that the cockpit crew made a life-saving decision to crash-land in the wooded area, avoiding a disaster that could have been far worse had the aircraft crashed into the residential neighborhood.

The episode of Mayday detailing the events surrounding the crash of Emery Worldwide Flight 17 is a testament to the importance of proper maintenance practices within the aviation industry. It highlights the crucial role of communication and decision-making skills in high-risk environments and serves as a cautionary tale for all aviation industry stakeholders. The viewers of this episode get to witness the investigation process and understand the root causes of the mishap, thus improving their understanding of aviation safety.