Mayday Season 14 Episode 1 Communication Breakdown

In the season 14 premiere of Mayday, titled "Communication Breakdown," viewers are taken on a harrowing journey as they witness the events leading up to a devastating plane crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The episode begins with the takeoff of Hewa Bora Airways Flight 952, a Boeing 727 bound for Kinshasa from Kisangani. As the flight progresses, the crew is met with a number of challenges, including poor visibility caused by bad weather and a malfunctioning altimeter. As they navigate these challenges, the situation quickly goes from bad to worse when the crew is suddenly unable to communicate with air traffic control.

With no way to receive instructions or guidance, the crew must improvise in order to try and land the plane safely. As they descend, they struggle to find the runway in the heavy rain and fog. In the final moments before impact, the pilots are able to partially regain communication with air traffic control and are given instructions for a runway to land on. However, it is too late, and the plane crashes in a residential area, killing over 70 people on board, as well as several people on the ground.

As investigators begin to examine the wreckage and gather information from the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, they uncover the root cause of the communication breakdown that led to the tragic crash. The investigation reveals that the airline, Hewa Bora Airways, had a history of lax safety practices, including poor maintenance, inadequate pilot training, and insufficient communication protocols.

The episode also explores the political and economic factors that contributed to the poor state of the aviation industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including corruption, lack of oversight, and infrastructure challenges. These factors all played a role in the series of events that ultimately led to the crash of Flight 952.

Through interviews with experts, survivors, and family members of those affected by the crash, "Communication Breakdown" offers a comprehensive look at the many complex factors that can contribute to aviation accidents. It serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining high safety standards and effective communication protocols in air travel, and the devastating consequences that can result when these standards are not met.