AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS

8:30pm (PG)

Tonight’s episode of AIR CRASH INVESTIGATIONS takes us back to February 19, 1985, when a series of small mistakes causes a 747 passenger jet to fall 30,000 feet (10 kms) in just two minutes. Could a lack of sleep be behind the near disaster of China Airlines flight 006?

China Airlines Flight 006 is less than 500 kms from Los Angeles when disaster strikes. A series of small problems – beginning with the failure of the jet’s fourth engine – snowballs into an all-out emergency.

The plane stalls, and begins tumbling toward the Pacific Ocean. As it twists and turns, the strong G-forces make the ride hellish for the crew and passengers who are crushed to their seats. The wings buckle, the doors to the landing gear are ripped off and crash into the tail. Precious hydraulic fuel – essential for landing – is lost. The wild spinning motion – and the thick clouds – mean the crew can’t tell up from down.

In just two minutes the plane falls 30,000 feet (10 kms). Then, as it bursts through the clouds, the crew are finally able to see the horizon. Using this as a reference, they level their plane, and pull it out of its terrifying dive.

Leaking hydraulic fluid, and flying with a mangled tail, the crew manage to land their crippled plane safely. The captain is hailed as a hero by the passengers.

Investigators piecing together the extraordinary events of Flight 006 tell a different story. While the pilot and crew were able to save the lives of everyone on board, mistakes they made during the flight caused the near disaster. For the first time, the NTSB examines how sleep patterns and circadian rhythms helped put both the crew, and passengers, in an extremely dangerous position.

PLEASE NOTE: Screens this day and time in Sydney and Brisbane only