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Emergency Airplane Landings Caught on Video - Full Documentary
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00:00More people are flying than ever and cameras and phones are all part of the trip
00:08Capturing unbelievable moments of danger
00:13The plane is on fire for the first time we unpack the science of what's really going on in these caught-on-camera crises
00:22Brace for impact, brace for impact
00:25Revealing in forensic detail how and why flights turn deadly
00:30He was literally clinging to the air to stay airborne
00:36Unraveling secret stories from cockpit error to engine failure. We've just had an announcement. We've got an emergency landing from freak weather to meltdown on the runway
00:52Discover the surprising truth behind planes gone viral
01:00In this episode
01:03Passengers brace for impact on a plane with landing gear failure
01:07When you hear the command of brace brace, you must adopt the brace position shown on your safety card
01:14An aircraft is on the runway when something goes drastically wrong
01:19One maintenance error has near catastrophic consequences
01:29Okay, so we've just had an announcement. We've got an emergency landing. We don't know what's going on, but we've told we've got an emergency landing
01:35And planes literally explode as they come crashing down
01:40Aircraft manufacturers continue to invent new ways to carry more passengers further faster and cheaper than ever before
01:57But when plane technology fails, the pressure is on the pilots to land safely
02:05Saving the lives of everybody on board
02:11As soon as the aircraft is off the ground one of the first things that the crew do
02:27is they just check that the altimeter is registering a climb and that they're clear of the ground and then whoever's not flying calls to the other guy and says pull the undercarriage up
02:34so this big lever goes up and all of the wheels start retracting
02:36As the undercarriage begins retracting into the fuselage the crew become aware that there's a problem
03:04They're not quite sure what it was, but the gear, the undercarriage, was not coming up as it should do.
03:12A warning message in the cockpit alerts the crew that there's a significant loss of hydraulic fluid from the right main landing gear.
03:22When the aircraft have been designed, you have critical systems, systems that you can't afford to lose in total.
03:28Those systems, such as hydraulic systems, are used for everything from luring the undercarriage to operating the flight controls and the speed brakes.
03:36In modern passenger jets, hydraulic fluid is used to power the landing gear, enabling it to extend and retract on take-off and landing.
03:48Without hydraulic fluid to release the undercarriage, the crew may not be able to land the aircraft.
03:55On this occasion, it was discussed amongst the crew and their engineering that it was decided actually it was best,
04:01because of the nature of the problem and where the engineering facilities were, and it was a hydraulic issue, that they should return to Gatwick.
04:10Pilots immediately make a U-turn and head back to Gatwick.
04:14The airplane was ready for a trip to Las Vegas.
04:19It had an awful lot of fuel on board, and airplanes, when they get off the ground for a long trip, are heavier than they are allowed to be when they land.
04:29So they had to actually go to an area where it's safe for pumping fuel out of the tanks into the air.
04:36If it's necessary to make an unscheduled landing, you have to dump fuel, because if you don't, when you come in to land,
04:45the mass of the aircraft is so great still that the landing gear is likely to have a technical failure.
04:53It's likely to break when you try to land the aircraft.
04:56With 170 tonnes of fuel on board, the pilots make their way to the Bristol Channel, circling to burn and jettison as much as they can.
05:08What you want to do is get your aircraft weight down, and you do that by dumping fuel.
05:12You select that in the cockpit, you decide how much fuel you want to get rid of, and then you press a button, and it's jettisoned out through the tubes on the wingtip.
05:19Now, passengers are informed their aircraft is to make an emergency landing.
05:29The pilots are trained, they're trained extensively, on how to communicate matters, important matters to passengers.
05:38And it's also important that this is explained to people that this is a serious matter, and that their attention is now required.
05:46The procedure for an emergency landing obviously varies from airline to airline.
05:52We're talking about a planned emergency.
05:54The captain calls the senior crew member and tells about the nature of the emergency, so what's going on.
06:00The intention, like what's going to happen, what we're going to do about it, and the time available, how long we've got for.
06:08If it's something like the landing gear, for example, the captain might decide that the aircraft has to come to an immediate landing due to a technical reason.
06:15So, please do follow any advice that they give you through this landing.
06:21You do not need your life jacket. We are landing on land. Leave your life jacket where it is.
06:27When you are in this situation, a part of you, at the beginning, will obviously think, I'm a human being and my life is actually in someone else's hands.
06:39But after all, your training kicks in. That's what I'm here for. I'm not just here to serve tea and coffee. I'm actually here to save lives.
06:47Four hours later, they're almost 100 tonnes of fuel lighter.
06:56The pilots make their final checks before landing.
07:01The aircraft has the nose gear and then four main landing gears under the body.
07:05They are very large with the kit and they take a lot of stress over their lifetime.
07:08So, it's a really important part of the aircraft.
07:13The crew attempt to deploy the landing gear, but they quickly realise it's worse than they thought.
07:23The right main landing gear hasn't extended.
07:26Only three out of four main sets of wheels drop down.
07:30The captain has no idea why the aircraft's undercarriage is stuck.
07:39Before every take-off and landing, an aircraft undergoes a number of maintenance checks.
07:46The night before VS-43 was due to depart, maintenance workers replaced the actuator in the right-hand landing gear.
07:55In the hydraulic system of an aircraft, you've got the pump that creates the hydraulic pressure.
08:00And that'll go down the pipes and it'll go to what's called an actuator.
08:03And the actuator is there to convert the hydraulic pressure into mechanical activity.
08:07So, if you like it, it'll push a piston that pushes a rod out that moves something.
08:11And in this case, it would lower the undercarriage.
08:15When the actuator is pumped full of fluid, it works like a muscle, extending and retracting the legs of the undercarriage.
08:25The pilots continue to circle as they try to troubleshoot the issue.
08:30Further attempts to extend the right landing gear fail.
08:40The hydraulic leak has left insufficient fluid to drive the actuator.
08:45Without it, the undercarriage leg can't fall into its correct position for landing.
08:55Instead, it jams sideways against its door.
08:58When you lose a hydraulic system that controls the gear, you have to use an alternate system.
09:07And that alternate system really relies primarily on gravity.
09:09So, it just lets the wheels fall down and lock into place using gravity and air pressure.
09:17When the captain triggers the alternate system, nothing happens.
09:23This must have been a bit worrying because it's not something you practice for.
09:27And you're not quite sure what the aeroplane is going to do.
09:30The flight crew would definitely be concerned that they have a problem with their landing gear.
09:37If ever a flight crew member feels that one of their landing gear legs isn't down in the correct position,
09:43it's a big concern.
09:45The captain has no option.
09:47He must land the plane at Gatwick with only three of the four main landing gear.
09:53Centre of gravity is really important from a pilot's point of view.
09:56And that's because the aircraft has to be weighted so that you can control at all times.
10:02The centre of gravity is the point over which an aircraft balances to remain in an upright position.
10:15In a normal landing, to ensure the plane touches down in the correct position,
10:21the weight the aircraft is carrying must be evenly spread throughout the fuselage.
10:27Large aircraft are so heavy, they need large undercarriage.
10:31Now these are very big bits of equipment, the undercarriage are very tall.
10:34The wheels are massive and there are lots of them.
10:36The worry is that you've got an unequal distribution of weight.
10:40So one gear on one side is taking a lot more weight than the gears on the other side.
10:45With only 80% of flight VS-43's landing gear now operational, the captain comes up with a plan.
10:55He instructs all passengers to move to the left-hand side of the plane,
10:59shifting its centre of gravity to prevent it from tipping over as it lands.
11:06That's why seating arrangements are so important,
11:08why you have to take your seat because of the weight of the aircraft and balancing the aircraft.
11:14With everyone now in place, the flight crew readies passengers for the worst.
11:19When the aircraft stops, you may or may not hear depending on whether the captain expects to evacuate.
11:32Should he want an evacuation, you will hear this is an emergency evacuation.
11:38Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate.
11:43You do think about these scenarios. Sometimes you think about, oh, you'd be a hero at the end of it,
11:48or then you think about, well, what if something happened to myself?
11:52Everyone's allowed to feel nervous. Everyone's allowed to be scared.
11:56But I think being put in that situation though, because of your training, your main point of call is
12:01getting these passengers off safely. I think that just kicks into you straight away.
12:06You must look at your exits now, your nearest could be behind you.
12:10Stay calm, read your safety card, and practice the brace position now.
12:16Hands over your head, don't cross them, just hands over the head.
12:19I've got it.
12:28Leader 7, tower behind the landing, 747 N226 left, out Mike behind.
12:33Leader 2, uh, Playa II, plus one behind, landing 747 short line, n226 left, out Charlie behind.
12:40Type 6 behind landing, 747 n226 left, out Delta behind.
12:44Playa II behind, landing 747.
12:46Three hundred tons of aircraft slammed down on the runway at 160 miles an hour
13:16The 747 finally comes to a halt, leaning heavily to one side
13:40Closed at 15.40
13:48Fortunately, the conditions were pretty kind on the day
13:53The wind wasn't too gusty or anything like that
13:56Because it didn't have the outboard wheels on one side
14:00If the wind had been blowing from that side, it would have tipped the aeroplane over
14:05Good pilot manoeuvring and favourable weather conditions mean the aircraft lands safely
14:11And all 459 passengers and crew are successfully evacuated without injury
14:18Of course it's not ideal, but it's been demonstrated on this occasion
14:23That a Virgin Atlantic Jumbo can land safely
14:26And there's a positive outcome landing on three landing gear legs
14:33Shortly after the incident, investigators discover that the night before the S43 took off
14:40Maintenance workers installed the 185 pound actuator upside down
14:46As the landing gear begins retracting shortly after takeoff
14:52The port boss fitting is damaged, causing a hydraulic leak
14:57But that's not all
15:03Investigators also suggest the maintenance workers error
15:06Is due to a fault with the design of the actuator itself
15:10It's uniform in shape and colour
15:14And the labelling is insufficient to tell easily which is the right way up
15:22The inquiry recommends Boeing modify the actuator to reduce risks of a recurrence
15:28Boeing said we have reviewed this safety recommendation
15:31And believe the figure of the retract actuator in the airplane maintenance manual could be improved
15:37And it is planned to update this figure
15:39To add call-outs to the up and down hydraulic ports
15:43It's a reminder that sometimes the smallest mistake can be critical
15:55But even when an aircraft has all its wheels
15:58A smooth landing can still go wrong
16:01Laylaom
16:15January 13th 2018
16:17A Boeing 737-800 carrying 168 people prepares to land at Trabzon domestic airport
16:25After a short flight from Turkey's capital Ankara
16:31Here we have an aeroplane landing in the middle of the night
16:35at an airport called Trabzon on the northern coast of Turkey.
16:42It's a single-runway airport with a runway that parallels the sea.
16:48The end of the runway is just 65 yards from a 45-degree slope
16:54leading straight down into the Black Sea.
16:57The aircraft's on its final approach.
17:01It's been an uneventful flight.
17:06It was the middle of the night, it was round about midnight local time
17:09when the aircraft touched down and everything seemed to be going fine.
17:14For the two pilots, there's no reason to think
17:17it won't be a straightforward landing like hundreds of others.
17:27Whenever we want to have an aircraft leave the ground or land back on the ground,
17:32we're managing this transition between having a flying machine
17:37which is designed to fly at high levels
17:39and the wings have got to give us lift in this thin air at 30,000 to 40,000 feet.
17:44And then when we get near to the ground, we now want to slow the aeroplane right down.
17:49So whereas the cruise speed might be around about 500 miles an hour,
17:53we want to slow down to as slow as possible.
17:55As the Pegasus flight touches down on the runway at Trabzon Airport,
18:05pilots deploy the reverse thrusters,
18:08rapidly reducing the speed of the aircraft,
18:12slowing it down to a taxiing speed of approximately 25 miles an hour.
18:18It was already going quite slowly and it was approaching the end of the runway.
18:23It suddenly swerved to the left, went off the left side of the runway across the rough ground
18:29and then started going down the very steep slope towards the sea.
18:35As the 737 careers down the slope, the right engine breaks off
18:42and the landing gear collapses beneath the fuselage,
18:47wedging the aircraft in the mud.
18:49It then came to an absolute halt with its nose steeply down the slope.
19:06The cabin would have been at a crazy angle.
19:19It must have been extremely upsetting for the passengers.
19:29The aircraft is precariously positioned at a 45-degree angle just yards from the sea.
19:45Fearing the plane could slide into the water at any moment,
19:49the flight crew immediately execute an unplanned emergency evacuation.
19:53That would be awful. I can't even imagine what that would be like.
19:59I can imagine that crew would have to get into form really quickly.
20:06There is an important training on getting everyone off safely.
20:09We only have 90 seconds to get 250 people off and that's not a lot of time.
20:14You'd hear a call from the captain saying,
20:20cabin crew, you know, evacuate, evacuate, evacuate.
20:22So on that signal, you check out your door area to make sure there's no fires or anything like blocking the exit.
20:30Open the door and just go into command mode straight away.
20:32On this Pegasus flight, there are eight emergency exit locations.
20:40Two at the front, four over the wings and two at the rear.
20:47At that particular accident, the over-wing door were not useful.
20:51It was not possible to use them because obviously the front was absolutely jammed.
20:56With both the front and wing emergency exits unusable,
21:01flight attendants have just seconds to get all passengers up the steep incline and out of the rear doors.
21:09When we open them evacuation doors and we're getting the passengers off,
21:13we just want to do it as quickly as possible because we don't know if there's a fire about to start or an explosion, etc.
21:20So then you'd be having to tell passengers, not this way, go this way.
21:24When the people had to get out of the airplane, there wasn't really very much need for escape slides.
21:32So they were almost stepping out of the doors onto the rough ground.
21:44Fortunately, nobody got hurt.
21:46All the passengers got out safely and they scrambled back up the slope to the airfield.
21:54All the passengers were lucky to escape with their lives.
22:02Next morning, in daylight, the scale of the crash is clear to see.
22:07The passengers were lucky to escape with their lives.
22:17What went wrong at what should be the safest part of a landing?
22:21What happened?
22:23Trabzon Airport is now one of the top 10 busiest domestic airports in the world,
22:30serving over three million passengers a year.
22:34This was the first runway incident after 60 years.
22:44Investigators were stunned.
22:45they're yet to publish conclusive findings
22:51but there are a number of theories as to the cause of the incident
22:58was it something that the crew did or was it something the crew didn't do was there a technical
23:08fall it could have been breaking it could have been a sudden failure that we don't even know
23:15about yet of the left-hand gear leg investigators hone in on the most likely culprit the reverse
23:23thrusters when a plane takes off air is sucked into the engine and expelled out the back to
23:32create maximum speed when a 737-800 lands the cowls around the rear sides of the engine retract
23:43redirecting the air blast back through the vents to help slow it down when the aircraft nears the
23:52end of the runway the reverse thrusters are turned off and the brakes are fully applied bringing it
23:58to a halt but the sudden turn at the end of the runway suggests that the reverse thrust in the
24:06left-hand engine remained on if the airplane misbehaved and only one engine went into reverse
24:16thrust one engine will push forward hot with high amount power and the other one would try to push
24:21back but the engine pushing forward would win hands down did the reverse thrust fail to cancel on the
24:30left-hand engine did it fail to cancel and therefore slew the airplane around and over the edge that's the
24:41the kind of thing that might have made an airplane swerve when nobody intended it to
24:48this is just one theory we won't know what really happened until the investigation is complete
25:10the pegasus flight almost ended up in the black sea but what happens when you come face to face with a
25:18real threat of having to ditch an aircraft in open water
25:25july 29th 2015 at hong kong a cafe pacific triple seven carrying 270 passengers and crew takes off on a
25:37long-haul journey to la halfway through the 15-hour flight instruments indicate there's a problem with
25:45the cooling fan below the cabin floor we've got a cafe pacific 777-300 aircraft so whilst it's over the sea
25:58it then has a problem with the air conditioning system the cooling system that's blowing cool air
26:04into the avionic bay and this is really important on aircraft because cooling air is used to cool the
26:10backs of the computers and we know that lots of computers are used in controlling aircraft so this is really really important
26:20inside the aircraft this cooling fan forces cold air up through the cockpit
26:25to aid ventilation to the hundreds of electronic systems used to fly the plane
26:31within minutes of being alerted to the cooling fan failure pilots detect smoke coming into the cockpit
26:45the fan that blows some of that cold air into the back of the computer
26:50failed what's likely to have happened is this is a mechanical device mechanical devices wear out
26:56and occasionally things do happen so bearings can fail windings or motors can fail and when it did fail
27:02it produced smoke 30 000 feet up in the air in a confined space smoke can be fatal
27:12the worst thing that can happen on an airplane above all else you don't want is a fire because if you can't
27:18stop it it might asphyxiate the crew the passengers etc so a fire is the most terrifying thing that can happen
27:26you've got to do something about it very very fast and try and get the airplane on the ground as fast as
27:32you possibly can the pilots have no option they'll have to make an emergency landing
27:39the flight crew know at all times exactly where they are because they've got modern avionics that tell
27:44them where the nearest airport is at any time if they detect smoke they will then make an immediate
27:51diversion to the nearest airfield there's no ifs no buts they follow a checklist the top of the checklist
27:57is identified the nearest airfield and they will go for it but there's one problem the nearest commercial
28:07airport is at anchorage over 1200 miles away when smoke is detected on a large commercial aircraft the
28:16first thing that the flight crew will be thinking about is how quickly can i land
28:21and that is the decision not should i land but how quickly can i land
28:29unfortunately the stricken aircraft is flying over the north pacific ocean
28:3825 year old passenger ethan williams films himself during the flight
28:44okay so i'm not sure what's happening but there's something going on on this flight all the flight
28:48attendants are running around like crazy uh there's warning signs going off um hopefully something
28:54too bad and um they'll be all right but i don't know we'll see they're all running around like mad
29:01i'm doing something checking the emergency exits and like grabbing bags and running forward and
29:06i don't know something's not right your main role of there is for the safety of the aircraft and the
29:12safety of the passengers all the food and drink etc that's just competitions with the rail lines
29:20the main thing is to make sure the cabin is secure the passengers are secure and then if this time
29:25permits then you can reassure passengers and calm them down and just try and make them feel a bit
29:29better and inform them what you know you know just to reassure them where there's smoke there could be fire
29:37whether a plane's over land or water its captain has just 15 minutes to get it down
29:48they must land immediately they won't dilly dally fire is one of those unusual things the longer it goes
29:55the harder it is to control the aircraft at the time was over water so they prepared for the worst i.e.
30:01prepared for a ditching the flight crew have no alternative but to prepare passengers to land in
30:09the water preparing for an emergency ditching it is something that no cabin crew would like to to go
30:19through you only want to do that on your training center once a year nevertheless it's part of your job
30:27we are cabin crew we are trained to do this and we know what we're doing okay so we've just had
30:32announcements we've got an emergency landing we don't know what's going on but we've told we've got
30:37an emergency landing okay gentlemen we are going to do an emergency landing and it might be necessary
30:44for us to make an emergency beach follow the instructions given by the cabin
30:53you know that you're probably not going to walk away from a ditching at night in the ocean in the
31:18middle of nowhere and a very cold ocean as well we have to we have to cope with that it's like
31:25it's part of our job so flight attendants would look into each other and think this is it however
31:31you have a chance and we know that if there is a chance to walk away is by doing what we've been
31:37taught to do it and that follow the procedures and training and brief the passenger accordingly
31:42obviously when there is a planned emergency uh the cabin crew will have to basically make sure
32:00that they know how to brace they know when to brace and most importantly know how long to brace for
32:12Amanda's, stop the limit, that tail sipping and BE Damascus from the network that уп!?
32:15With everyone on board fully prepared to ditch in the ocean the aircraft is ready to make its final descent
32:28now we've had indications in the far more than ever and we are into planning a normal landing malising
32:31so I should reiterate where we need normal landing however we have decided that this is the safe
32:36So that's really good news guys, we're diving to Shenya and it's going to be a normal landing, not a water landing, so that's really good news, but still don't know why, but it's really bad as long as we land okay.
33:06We're going to be landing in 10 minutes.
33:10Just minutes before ditching, the crew make contact with Ericsson Air Station, a remote US air base on the tiny Alaskan island of Shenya, where they are cleared to land.
33:36They were able to land the aircraft and the outcome was really positive, just because passengers put on their life jackets doesn't necessarily mean that they would be required to land on the sea.
34:00Sometimes it's better to be prepared, prepare for the worst, plan for the best.
34:06The cooling fan issue is a quick fix.
34:10Two hours later, the flight is back in the air with all passengers and crew on board.
34:15Ditching in water is a rare event.
34:22In the last seven decades, there have only been four cases of controlled emergency ditching by passenger planes.
34:31On this occasion, the Cathay Pacific flight narrowly avoided crashing into the ocean, but not everyone is so lucky.
34:39He's ditching.
34:45Oh!
34:47Holy s***! Oh my God!
34:52Ditching.
34:53Not really very much is known about ditching because for very obvious reasons.
34:57You don't throw aeroplanes away by ditching them on purpose.
35:06He's ditching.
35:08He's ditching.
35:10Oh!
35:12I think any successful ditching is going to be largely down to pilot skill.
35:20Every year, an average of 12 small aircraft make controlled ditchings.
35:25He's going to be on the ground!
35:30In Siberia, bystanders capture the moment this Cessna's engine fails, forcing the pilot to ditch in the freezing waters of Lake Baikal.
35:44The aircraft is a single-engined aircraft.
35:48It takes off, gets airborne, and then you can hear the engine stopped.
35:52It hasn't got enough power to stay airborne, and in a single-engined aircraft, if you haven't got enough power to stay airborne, the only way is down.
36:02Wow.
36:04Wow!
36:04Wow!
36:06The Cessna's short wings create less drag, but to keep it in the air, it must fly at faster airspeeds.
36:13In this aircraft, it's sudden loss of power means it can't generate enough speed and lift to remain airborne.
36:23The pilot's only choice is to make a controlled ditch in the water before it stalls.
36:29And as the plane comes down, the Cessna's fixed landing gear poses an even bigger problem.
36:35The problem with an aircraft with a fixed landing gear, the first thing to touch the water is going to be the landing gear,
36:49which is bad because it tends to, the drag of hitting the water can make the aircraft pitch nose down,
36:57and sort of pulpit, submarine underneath the water.
37:02Witnesses film the passengers desperately scrambling out of the plane as it begins to sink into one of the world's deepest lakes.
37:12With the Cessna's wings positioned above the cabin, it's submerged in water.
37:18With no buoyancy aid to keep it afloat, the passengers and crew have just minutes to get out before they drown.
37:27The pilot, I think, did a pretty good job of successfully ditching the aircraft.
37:35The passengers were pretty quick and got out, got out in time, and thankfully nobody drowned.
37:43Ditching a plane is one of a pilot's worst nightmares.
37:46But having to ditch a commercial airliner with hundreds of passengers on board is an experience few can recount.
38:01One emergency landing made headlines around the world.
38:05In the skies over New York in 2009, US flight 1459 suffered a double engine failure as a result of a bird strike at 2,800 feet.
38:25It smashed both engines.
38:29So, Captain Sully Sullenberg, he had no power, he suddenly had a glider on his hands.
38:37At 30,000 feet, a modern passenger jet can glide for approximately 100 miles.
38:43Three miles for every 1,000 feet.
38:48But at an altitude of less than 3,000 feet and descending fast, flight 1459 has only minutes in the air before the plane comes down.
38:58He looked around for, can I glide back to the airfield, decided no, and there was the Hudson River, and he thought, that's big.
39:10Four minutes after takeoff, Chesley Sully Sullenberger has few alternatives.
39:17He has to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River.
39:21The plane could shatter on impact.
39:28All he can do is pick the right moment to keep the nose up and the wings level for touchdown.
39:43The airplane set down and it floated.
39:47And passengers get out onto the wings and they're standing there and the airplane's floating.
39:58Miraculously, the plane remains intact and everyone on board is safely evacuated out onto the wings before being rescued.
40:06Captain Sully Sully Sullenberger did manage to do a marvellous job for us.
40:18That's been invaluable for aviation because it's taught us how a modern airplane can behave if it's ditched skillfully under good conditions.
40:28And what I mean by good conditions is flat water, not much wind, good visibility and daylight.
40:38That was a ditching under as much of an ideal condition as you can have.
40:43So, Sully did a brilliant job, but he did get lucky with the conditions.
40:56Ditching remains uncommon.
40:58But what happens when you can't reach a runway and you have to land in an urban area?
41:04Land is better if the aircraft force lands on land, but in many cases the aircraft may well be flying over, let's say, a built-up area.
41:17It can be very hazardous or even more hazardous than ditching.
41:23Two small aircraft crash land every week due to pilot error, bad weather conditions and technical faults.
41:34But the most common cause of non-fatal accidents involving small aircraft are bad landings.
41:46In Florida, there were five cases alone where planes were forced to land on public highways.
41:52St. Petersburg, Florida.
42:01CCTV footage captures a twin-engine Cessna 402B as it uses 18th Avenue South as a runway.
42:14Taking out trees, power lines and two cars in the process.
42:18And about 15 miles away in Pinellas County,
42:26sheriffs capture the moment this four-seater single-engine Rockwell loses power.
42:33The plane suddenly banks right, narrowly missing their squad car.
42:38It hits a tree and crashes into a fence, bringing it to a halt on the sidewalk.
42:49The pilot and his passenger walk away unscathed.
42:52Luckily for them, the incident occurred on a quiet suburban road.
42:57But this isn't an isolated incident.
43:03What the f**k is going on right now?
43:05I'm in North Carolina, I hate...
43:07Holy s**t!
43:10Holy s**t!
43:11Holy s**t!
43:19That's unbelievable!
43:28Oh! Awesome!
43:36Makilteo, Washington, 3.40pm.
43:39Drivers come to a stop at the streetlights on Harbour Point Boulevard, South West.
43:45It's just an ordinary day.
44:01Shortly after take-off from a nearby airfield, a single-engine aircraft is in trouble.
44:10Suffering from a loss of engine power, the pilot has no option but to put the plane down wherever he can.
44:20Sometimes you only have a matter of seconds before the aircraft is going to land unexpectedly.
44:27It's one of the worst nightmares for if you're flying a small aircraft like this.
44:31If you're at low, very low altitude, under a thousand feet, it's really, really tough.
44:36And it is scary, but you haven't got time to be scared.
44:39What you've got to do is just focus on getting your aircraft onto the ground.
44:44A dashboard camera captures the two-seater Piper PA, hitting a power line and street light,
44:51as it makes an emergency landing.
44:53The aircraft has been airborne for just 10 minutes and is full of fuel.
45:05A Piper PA can carry a maximum of 84 gallons.
45:08Divided between its two main tanks, one on each wing, and its two wingtip tanks.
45:18When the plane hits the power line, a surge of electricity travels through the aircraft,
45:24heating the fuel in the wings.
45:26The Piper's right wingtip then collides with the street light,
45:32rupturing the reinforced fiberglass fuel cell, which ignites the gasoline,
45:37causing a terrifying explosion that brings the plane crashing down on vehicles below.
45:46The crash sparks a car fire and a widespread power outage.
45:52Fortunately, no one was injured.
45:56It's been over 100 years since the first plane made its maiden flight.
46:16With approximately 300,000 planes touching down every day,
46:22why is landing an aircraft still so difficult?
46:27When an aircraft approaches a runway, lots of things are going to happen.
46:31It's going to have to transform from being a flying machine to a wheeled machine,
46:35and it's going to have to do that within the confines of the available space on the runway.
46:39Landing accidents are the most frequent form of aircraft accident,
46:49which is why people are nervous about landings.
46:52Takeoff and landing are considered to be critical stages of flight,
46:55and that's where there's no extraneous conversation in the cockpit.
46:59All the pilots are concentrating 100% because the potential is there to go wrong.
47:10Flying has never been safer.
47:13The industry has systems in place to try and make sure that no mistake slips through the net.
47:22Flying is by far the safest form of transport out there.
47:25You're far more likely to be involved in an accident going to the airport and away from it.
47:30That's how safe the industry is.
47:32When there is a crash, it makes worldwide news.
47:34But accidents are so few and far between, it almost makes it not worth worrying about.
47:55That is between flip drive the driver and lap drive the speedstay driver,
48:01you've got to bypass the exped accelerator bullet.
48:05I have a try again.
48:06Let's move forward for everybody.
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48:14I'm an anti-ftray partner in passing through battle,
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