- vor 22 Stunden
On 21 February 1982, Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 crash-lands in the Scituate Reservoir near Providence, Rhode Island, after a fire erupts in the cockpit, killing one passenger. The cause of the fire was a leakage of flammable windshield washer/deicer fluid.
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LernenTranskript
00:00A horror story unfolds at 4,000 feet.
00:04There were actual flames coming up through the cockpit floor.
00:08We were starting to be burned.
00:11Fire is consuming Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458.
00:14This airplane was a death trap.
00:17It was time to fight for your life.
00:19The pilots have just seconds to get their plane on the ground.
00:22All I could see were trees.
00:24Hold on!
00:25It wasn't going to be a smooth landing.
00:2711 of the 12 people on board make it out alive.
00:33But the fire destroys any evidence of its origin.
00:37The plane's incinerated.
00:38A surviving pilot gives NTSB investigators the break they need.
00:43The first time I hit the switch, I saw the smoke.
00:46It was coming from the base of the control column.
00:49That was a very, very large statement to an investigator.
00:53There are ten passengers on board Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458.
01:22Folks, we'll be getting airborne shortly, so please make sure your seatbelts are fastened at this time.
01:30All set.
01:31Nicely done.
01:33Just after three in the afternoon, the twin otter starts down the runway.
01:38Sixty knots.
01:39Sixty knots.
01:40Flight 458 lifts off from Groton, Connecticut.
01:48The flight is a short hop to Boston, just 87 miles to the north.
01:55Positive rate.
01:57Flaps up.
01:58Flaps up.
01:59Thirty-six-year-old Thomas Prinster is the captain flying today.
02:05He's been with the airline for three years.
02:08Thomas loved by all.
02:10He would show us how to fly that airplane, what you don't want to do, what you do want to do.
02:14It was just a real pleasure to fly with.
02:19Temperatures and pressures in the green.
02:21Looking good.
02:22Pilgrim 458, now passing through 1,000 feet.
02:26Pilgrim 458, roger that.
02:27Passing 1,000.
02:30Twenty-seven-year-old First Officer Lyle Hogg has only been with the airline for a few months.
02:35Before I went to Pilgrim Airlines, I had about 1,500 hours.
02:41In my time at Pilgrim prior to this, I'd flown approximately 400 hours.
02:47The pilots are flying a de Havilland-6 Twin Otter, a turboprop airplane that's popular with regional airlines.
02:58It was a twin-engine turboprop used on local flights for the most part.
03:04A very popular airplane in its day.
03:07It helped lead the regional airline revolution that was going on at the time.
03:12And it was used all over the world.
03:17Pilgrim 458, climb 4,000.
03:21Report Norwich VOR.
03:24The flight to Boston lasts only 40 minutes.
03:27There's no flight attendant on board.
03:30One of the passengers on today's flight is U.S. Air Flight Engineer Harry Polychron.
03:35He's flying to Boston for the start of his shift.
03:39My flight out of Boston the next day was early in the morning.
03:42So my plan was to arrive on Sunday night, get a hotel room, so I would be all set and ready to go.
03:51Paul Hainsworth is a business consultant who's catching a connecting flight in Boston.
03:56Once we started the takeoff and started going up into the air,
04:01I literally just tipped my head over, closed my eyes and started dozing.
04:05I was tired.
04:06The plane reaches its cruising altitude of 4,000 feet.
04:12The weather was a typical February day in New England.
04:15There was clouds at about 3,000 feet with some freezing drizzle, freezing rain.
04:22Pilgrim 458, how's the ride?
04:26Smooth right now.
04:27With the outside temperature nearing minus 3 degrees Celsius,
04:33the precipitation is freezing and creating a layer of ice on the windshield.
04:39We're picking up some ice.
04:41On the windshield, it's similar to frost on a windshield of a car.
04:45Sort of rough looking and difficult to see through.
04:48How do the wings look?
04:53No ice.
04:54All right, let's see if we'll be able to clear this windshield.
04:57You got it.
04:58The pilots want to make sure they'll be able to de-ice their windshield when it's time to land.
05:04We would test the windshield de-ice just to make sure it was working.
05:08We wouldn't continually operate the pump all the way to your destination,
05:13so you wouldn't use up too much of the alcohol.
05:16You'd save it for when you needed it,
05:17which would be on approach and landing at the next airport.
05:23Not getting anything on my side.
05:25I noticed very little fluid on my side of the windshield when I first activated the switch.
05:33Anything on your side?
05:36Some.
05:36Not a whole lot.
05:37The second time held the switch in the on position for a little bit longer,
05:47so we could get a good indication of the de-icing fluid affecting the windshield.
05:52It's still nothing.
05:57Something's not right.
05:59I'm going to stop trying.
06:00Quite soon after that, there was an odor in the cockpit.
06:04It was alcohol-like.
06:05There wasn't an emergency at that time yet, but we were beginning our thought process as far as,
06:12okay, what are we going to do to deal with this issue?
06:15I smell smoke.
06:20Yep.
06:21Around the same time, we also realized there was an acrid-type smell.
06:25The first thought that I had was Tom had been a smoker,
06:29and the ashtray in the cockpit was in the lower center yoke.
06:34We looked towards the floor where the ashtray was,
06:37and it was not smoke coming from the ashtray.
06:41In the cabin, Harry Polychron senses something's not right.
06:46I had my head buried in the paperwork, and then I got that whiff of alcohol.
06:51As a flight engineer, Polychron knows the smell could indicate something serious.
06:57Alcohol is not something you normally smell on an airplane flight.
07:03It's coming from down there.
07:04The pilots now see wisps of smoke entering the cockpit.
07:10We did see, initially, some very light, white-type smoke.
07:16Before we could even talk about that or react to that,
07:21the smoke started to become thick very quickly.
07:25Both pilots realize something is on fire, and it's getting worse.
07:30Fires are terrible things to have on an aircraft.
07:32You can't just pull off to the side of the road with a fire.
07:35You have to do something immediately.
07:38Concept, Pilgrim 458.
07:39We need to direct to Providence. This is an emergency.
07:44The captain wants to land at the nearest airport, Providence, Rhode Island,
07:48just 12 miles to the right.
07:50A turn to Providence was kind of a no-brainer,
07:54because we knew exactly where we were and knew exactly where Providence was.
07:58Pilgrim 458, was that you calling?
08:01Directly to Providence, please.
08:03This is an emergency. There is a fire on board.
08:05Pilgrim 458, roger. Understand.
08:10Turn right, heading up 150 for vectors to Providence.
08:16Okay, let's get on the ground.
08:19Right turn, 150.
08:21I'll look for the runway.
08:24With a fire burning somewhere inside the airplane,
08:28the pilots have very little time to get back on the ground.
08:31I'm pushing! I'm pushing!
08:33But the smoke is making it difficult to see inside the cockpit.
08:37The clouds and ice-covered windshield make it nearly impossible to see outside.
08:41We've got to get under these damn clouds!
08:43We needed to get on the ground as fast as we could,
08:46and so the turn was quite abrupt,
08:48and the descent was quite steep.
08:52Pilgrim 458, how many people on board?
08:56Controllers begin to prepare for an emergency landing in Providence.
09:00We've got 10 people on board.
09:03Lyle responded that there were 10.
09:06He was thinking of the passengers.
09:08He didn't include Tom and himself.
09:11It's getting worse.
09:15Where the hell is it coming from?
09:17It was blinding.
09:19It was choking.
09:21They couldn't see each other.
09:22They couldn't see out the windscreen.
09:23They couldn't see their instruments.
09:26They were in the clouds.
09:29The smoke from the cockpit makes its way through the cabin.
09:37As soon as the black smoke started in the cabin,
09:40it became more and more difficult to see and breathe.
09:43I immediately grabbed the bottom of my sweater,
09:47pulled it up, spat into it,
09:49and put it over my nose and mouth
09:53and started to use that, you know, as a filter.
09:58The pilots are also struggling to breathe.
10:00Since the twin otter is not pressurized,
10:03they're able to open their windows to get fresh air.
10:06Because I was having a hard time seeing Tom at that point,
10:10I opened the window on my side of the aircraft.
10:16But windows in the cabin don't open,
10:18and the passengers are suffocating.
10:20How am I going to get air?
10:23It was time to fight for your life.
10:28The passengers and crew of Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458
10:32are in the fight of their lives.
10:33I did have that tennis racket, boom,
10:36bash out a window.
10:37It drew the smoke out,
10:49and then I proceeded forward.
10:50I did it a couple more times
10:52to other windows on the right side of the airplane.
10:59I was absolutely in awe as to what he was doing.
11:04We'll all be fine!
11:08The smoke is starting to clear!
11:12And I thought,
11:14my God,
11:15this is just an amazing piece of good news,
11:20not only for me,
11:21but for everybody else on the plane.
11:25In addition to the thick smoke,
11:27the pilots are now confronted by fire
11:29coming up through the floor.
11:30I thought,
11:34let me try to get to the fire extinguisher.
11:37It was behind my seat.
11:38It was close to the floor.
11:42But with intense heat coming through the floor,
11:45Hogg can't grab it.
11:50That's when we were starting to be burned.
11:54Initial reaction is not feeling the pain.
11:56The initial reaction is,
11:58you know,
11:58we've got to get this airplane
11:59on the ground quickly.
12:01Still 11 miles from Providence
12:03and unable to see,
12:04the pilots know
12:05they don't have enough time
12:07to get their burning airplane
12:08to the airport.
12:09We were in an emergency descent
12:11pointing towards Providence,
12:13but not knowing if we could get there.
12:16Off-duty flight engineer,
12:18Harry Polychron,
12:19makes his way to the cockpit
12:20to let the pilots know
12:22about the situation in the cabin.
12:24It was hard to stand.
12:28It pitched up,
12:30pitched down,
12:30pitched left,
12:31pitched right.
12:32It was a wild ride.
12:33You got thrown around up there.
12:35When I poked my head
12:35into the cockpit,
12:36it was engulfed in smoke.
12:37They couldn't see the instruments
12:44and they couldn't see outside,
12:45so how they managed
12:48to keep that plane
12:48right side up
12:49amazes me.
12:51I just wanted to let them know
12:53that the passengers were okay
12:54and just keep it up, guys.
12:56You're doing a great job.
12:58I said,
12:58You guys keep flying!
12:59We have everything under control
13:00in the back!
13:01My intentions were
13:03just to keep those guys
13:05inspired to keep doing
13:07what they were doing,
13:08which was heroic.
13:10The flames are spreading
13:12from the cockpit
13:13into the cabin.
13:14The pilots are running out of time
13:16to save their plane.
13:21It was an extraordinarily painful,
13:25frightening,
13:26deadly set of circumstances
13:28getting worse every second.
13:31The pilots can't see each other
13:33and with the windows open,
13:35can't hear each other either.
13:37I needed to make sure
13:37that Tom was, in fact,
13:39still flying the aircraft
13:41and that's when I rested my hand
13:42on the yoke
13:43to follow along
13:44with his movements.
13:47Captain Prinster
13:48maintains a rapid descent,
13:50but he has no idea
13:51where he's going to land.
13:54I initially did not see
13:56an adequate landing site.
13:59We were still in the clouds.
14:01The passengers start
14:03to prepare for the inevitable.
14:05I sat up very straight
14:08in the chair
14:08and took the seatbelt
14:11and ensured
14:12that it was going
14:13across my head bones
14:14and not my stomach
14:17and tightened it
14:18as tight as I possibly could.
14:211,500 feet from the ground,
14:23the heat from the fire
14:24has grown so intense
14:26that the pilots' headsets
14:27are beginning to melt.
14:31They needed to get
14:32that rubber headset off.
14:35These circumstances
14:37were absolutely extreme.
14:40At that point,
14:40it was very clear
14:42to the pilots
14:43that this airplane
14:44was a death trap.
14:47The flight should be
14:48nearing the airport
14:49in Providence.
14:51Pilgrim 458,
14:52you can proceed
14:53direct to Providence VOR.
14:57Without headsets,
14:58the pilots are no longer
14:59able to communicate
15:00with the ground.
15:02One of the pilots
15:04was gripping the yoke
15:05so hard,
15:06his thumb
15:06was on top of a button
15:08that activates
15:09the microphone.
15:11And the result
15:12of that was
15:13the air traffic controllers
15:15heard this roar.
15:17Pilgrim 458.
15:18Pilgrim 458,
15:22do you copy?
15:23I'm not reading you.
15:261,000 feet above the ground,
15:28the twin otter
15:29breaks through the clouds.
15:32Out of my window,
15:34all I could see
15:34were trees.
15:37Tom was making a turn.
15:38I couldn't see him,
15:39but I could feel him
15:40making a turn
15:41to the left.
15:44The pilots need to land
15:46before the fire reaches
15:47the highly flammable fuel
15:49located in the belly
15:50of the aircraft
15:51directly below the passengers.
15:56I was wondering
15:57at this point,
15:59were we going to be able
16:00to get the plane
16:01on the ground
16:02or was it going to explode
16:03in midair?
16:06Get ready!
16:10Oh, God!
16:12Oh!
16:12Oh!
16:12Looking out the window,
16:16I no longer saw all trees.
16:18I saw the shores
16:19of this frozen reservoir,
16:22and my immediate thought was,
16:24hey, we're going to make it.
16:26The pilots have spotted
16:27the Situate Reservoir
16:29near Providence, Rhode Island,
16:31a frozen body of water
16:32that covers five square miles.
16:34It was a wide-open, flat area.
16:37There were no trees.
16:38There was no nothing.
16:39There was just ice
16:39that was a gift.
16:42The pilots aim
16:43their burning plane
16:44towards the reservoir.
16:47The next thing
16:48was just to get
16:49that thing on the ground
16:50as fast as we could
16:51and get out of the aircraft.
16:52It never crossed our minds
16:53was the ice
16:54going to hold
16:54the airplane or not.
16:58In the cabin
16:59of Pilgrim Airlines
17:00Flight 458,
17:02passengers can see
17:03they're heading
17:04for an emergency landing.
17:05I looked out the window
17:07and I saw
17:09impact was imminent.
17:11I wanted to go strap in,
17:13but the seat was on fire,
17:14so I braced myself
17:15against the bulkhead.
17:18Flight 458
17:19is moments
17:20from slamming
17:20onto a frozen lake.
17:23Hold on!
17:25It was a matter of
17:26get this airplane
17:27on the ground
17:27absolutely as fast
17:29as we could.
17:31It wasn't going
17:32to be a smooth landing.
17:33Save me, Jack!
17:34All of a sudden,
17:37there's the most
17:38enormous
17:39bang.
17:42Get it!
17:43Hey!
17:49Paul Hainsworth
17:51and Harry Polychron
17:52are knocked unconscious.
17:54The plane breaks up
17:55as it skids
17:56across the ice
17:56for 500 feet.
17:58When I woke up,
18:05the plane had stopped
18:06and everything
18:07was very quiet.
18:13The pilots
18:14have managed
18:15to maneuver
18:15their burning airplane
18:16onto the ice-covered lake.
18:18Now they must make sure
18:20everyone gets off
18:21the airplane
18:21before it's
18:22completely consumed
18:23by fire.
18:24here we are
18:25in this white,
18:26frozen tundra,
18:27if you will.
18:28What do we do now?
18:32I just released
18:33my seatbelt
18:34and jumped up
18:35and hit the plane door
18:37and attempted
18:38to open it,
18:40which I was
18:41unable to do
18:42because the fuselage
18:44had compressed.
18:45I glanced
18:47and I saw
18:48a split
18:49in the fuselage
18:51right behind
18:52the doorway.
18:55I made the decision
18:56that I was
18:57going to kick
18:58that area
18:59of the fuselage
19:01and make a hole
19:02in it
19:03so that we could
19:04escape.
19:04This way!
19:06There's a hole
19:07back here!
19:07You can get out
19:08this way!
19:09Hainsworth knows
19:10passengers must
19:11get out quickly.
19:12I still had
19:15the concern
19:15that the
19:17plane
19:18could imminently
19:19explode.
19:20I jumped out
19:21first
19:22and I then
19:23started to
19:24assist other
19:25people.
19:26At the front
19:27of the plane,
19:28Harry Polychron
19:29is badly injured.
19:33I was filled
19:34with adrenaline
19:34and shock.
19:36I had dislocated
19:37my shoulder,
19:37I had injured
19:38my knee,
19:39I had a burned
19:39leg.
19:40My very first
19:42instinct was
19:42to get out
19:43of that airplane
19:43right now
19:44and I started
19:45to proceed
19:45to the back
19:46of the airplane.
19:47I heard a young
19:48woman say,
19:48somebody please
19:49help me.
19:50Come on!
19:51This way to the back!
19:52We can get out
19:53of here!
19:53Come on!
19:54You okay?
19:55Come on!
19:57I grabbed
19:57the young lady,
19:58I pulled her
19:58to the back
19:59of the airplane
19:59and as far as
20:00I knew,
20:00I was the last
20:01one out.
20:05Can you make it?
20:10Yeah, yeah.
20:11Yeah, I think
20:13we can make it.
20:16There was no
20:17checklist to be read
20:18and no procedures
20:19to follow at that
20:20point.
20:22Let's get out
20:23of here.
20:24Yeah.
20:26Both pilots
20:27and nine of the
20:28ten passengers
20:29make it off the
20:30plane and head
20:31for the shore.
20:32Minutes later,
20:33the twin otter
20:34is completely
20:34consumed by fire.
20:36I think it's
20:38one in a hundred
20:39million that I'm
20:40still here and
20:42I'm very grateful
20:43to the pilot,
20:45the co-pilot,
20:46and also the
20:48other pilot that
20:49was a passenger
20:50on the plane for
20:51their actions that
20:53were, quite frankly,
20:57beyond remarkable.
20:59One passenger is
21:01dead, the result
21:03of severe smoke
21:04inhalation.
21:05All of the
21:06surviving passengers
21:07are taken to
21:07hospital with
21:08serious injuries.
21:10Both pilots are
21:11badly burned.
21:13Lyle was burned
21:13over 25% of his
21:15body, and the
21:16captain was burned
21:18over seven-tenths
21:20of his body, much
21:21of it third
21:22degree.
21:23Volunteers
21:25immediately begin
21:25removing vital
21:27pieces of wreckage
21:28from the lake, so
21:28they can be studied
21:29more closely by
21:30investigators.
21:32Tonight we have a
21:33cleanup operation.
21:34We have a portable
21:35electric generator
21:36out there with
21:37lights.
21:38We're going to
21:38mop up the fuel
21:40oil and wait
21:41until the FAA
21:42comes.
21:43It's obvious that
21:44the plane was
21:45destroyed by fire,
21:46but it's not
21:47obvious what
21:48caused it.
21:49Knowing that
21:50there's a fire on
21:50board isn't just
21:51enough.
21:52You need to
21:52understand exactly
21:54what happened, how
21:55it happened, when
21:56it happened, and
21:57how the crew were
21:58able to fly the
21:59airplane with a
21:59fire on board.
22:00Both pilots are
22:01too injured to
22:02provide a statement,
22:03so investigators
22:04turn to the
22:05controllers for
22:06more insight.
22:07What did they
22:07tell you?
22:08Just that they
22:08had a fire on
22:09board and needed
22:10to make an
22:10emergency landing.
22:13And when did
22:14they call that
22:15in?
22:15The call came
22:16in at 3.29,
22:18so less than
22:1920 minutes after
22:19takeoff.
22:20What would
22:22cause an
22:23in-flight fire?
22:24You're looking
22:24for a flammable
22:25source, you're
22:26looking for an
22:26ignition source.
22:27Okay.
22:29It's going to be
22:30hard to find
22:30anything useful
22:31in any of this.
22:33Investigators
22:33examine Flight
22:34458's cockpit
22:35gauges, hoping
22:37to find clues
22:38about the cause
22:39of the fire.
22:41But after a
22:42post-crash fire,
22:43those instruments
22:43are often so badly
22:45damaged that they
22:46take extensive work
22:47to get more.
22:47And sometimes we
22:48get nothing from
22:49the instruments
22:50because we just
22:51can't make any
22:51sense out of
22:52what they say.
22:54Wait a minute.
22:56The plane's
22:57clock is still
22:58legible, stopped
22:59by the impact
23:00of the crash.
23:01334.
23:04Not whatever
23:04happened.
23:05Happened fast.
23:07Less than five
23:08minutes after the
23:09pilots report the
23:10emergency, they
23:11slam onto the
23:12frozen reservoir.
23:16This tells
23:17investigators that
23:18the situation
23:19escalated rapidly.
23:27Engine fire?
23:29Pilgrim Air
23:29Flight 458 wasn't
23:31equipped with a
23:31cockpit voice
23:32recorder or flight
23:33data recorder.
23:35Investigators will
23:36need to work
23:36through the most
23:37likely sources of
23:38an onboard fire.
23:39It makes
23:42investigation a
23:43little more
23:43difficult and
23:44takes a little
23:45longer to get
23:45it done.
23:46It doesn't keep
23:47us from doing
23:48an investigation,
23:49but it certainly
23:50adds to the
23:50amount of work
23:51required to
23:51complete an
23:52investigation.
23:53They study what
23:55remains of the
23:55engines to
23:56determine if
23:57they played a
23:58role in this
23:58accident.
24:03Both engines
24:04were running at
24:04the moment of
24:05impact.
24:07The best
24:08indication that
24:08engines are
24:09running at
24:10impact are you
24:11look for damage
24:12to the engine,
24:13you look for
24:13twisting and
24:14bending the
24:14propellers,
24:15look for
24:15direction of
24:16the bending
24:17and the amount
24:17of bending
24:18of the propellers.
24:19There were
24:19clear indications
24:20that both
24:21engines were
24:22developing power
24:23at the time
24:23of impact.
24:26The fact
24:27that the
24:28engines were
24:28running on
24:29impact tells
24:30investigators they
24:31were not the
24:32source of the
24:32fire.
24:37I'll report
24:38the same
24:38thing, smoke.
24:42The pilots
24:43are still too
24:44injured to talk
24:45but interviews
24:46with the
24:46passengers provide
24:47the team with
24:48an important
24:48clue, thick
24:50smoke from the
24:51cockpit poured
24:52into the cabin.
24:52If passengers say
24:56they saw smoke
24:57anytime during the
24:58flight, it would
24:59be a focus of
25:00the investigation
25:01because we would
25:03be interested in
25:04the source of the
25:05smoke, the timing
25:06of the smoke.
25:08They study the
25:09plane's badly
25:10burned wreckage for
25:11any evidence that
25:12could tell them
25:12exactly where the
25:13fire began.
25:15Well, the fire
25:15had to start
25:16somewhere.
25:16We look for
25:19concentrations of
25:20heat, which would
25:21give us an
25:21indication where
25:22the fire began.
25:25Oh, the plane's
25:25incinerated.
25:27Yeah, but the
25:28cockpit floor here
25:29suffered the most
25:30fire damage.
25:32I'd guess that the
25:34fire started
25:34somewhere under
25:35the cockpit.
25:36The plane burned
25:37up after it
25:38touched down on
25:39the ice.
25:40It's impossible to
25:41pinpoint the precise
25:42origin of the fire.
25:43We could tell
25:45generally the area
25:46where it started,
25:47but we needed to
25:48do more work to
25:49look at potential
25:50flammable sources.
25:55Days after the
25:56accident, the
25:57pilots are ready
25:58to make their
25:58statements.
25:59Pilots are most
26:01likely the most
26:01experienced people
26:02on the airplane,
26:03and they can tell
26:04you the events that
26:05occurred around
26:06them at the time
26:08that this was
26:09going on.
26:10All their sights,
26:11sounds, and
26:12feelings can have
26:13make a difference
26:14in the investigation.
26:18Thanks for
26:18agreeing to do
26:19this.
26:20Maybe you just
26:21want to talk me
26:23through what you
26:23can remember.
26:24Towards the end
26:25of that week,
26:26they asked if I
26:27would speak to
26:27the NTSB,
26:28and I agreed.
26:31We tried to
26:33de-ice the
26:33windshield, but
26:35weren't getting
26:36any fluid almost
26:37immediately.
26:39I smelled the
26:40alcohol, and
26:41smoke, and
26:44then I saw the
26:45smoke, thin
26:48and white at
26:49first.
26:51It was coming
26:52from the base
26:52of the control
26:53column.
26:55It didn't take
26:56long before that
26:57smoke turned
26:58thick and black.
26:59soon we
27:02couldn't breathe.
27:04And we were
27:05starting to burn.
27:11How long
27:12between the
27:13de-icing and
27:14the first signs
27:14of smoke?
27:17It all
27:19happened real
27:20fast.
27:22I don't know.
27:24Maybe a minute.
27:26Maybe less.
27:27And that's when
27:28you called in
27:29the emergency?
27:30Yeah.
27:31And started to
27:32descend immediately
27:33after that.
27:34He hit the
27:35switch to
27:36apply the
27:37de-icing fluid
27:38to his
27:39windshield to
27:41clear some
27:41icing that he
27:42saw.
27:43And then very
27:43shortly thereafter,
27:45he had what he
27:46described as white
27:47smoke with an
27:48alcohol smell.
27:49That was a
27:50very, very
27:51large statement
27:52to an
27:53investigator
27:54looking for
27:55a fire.
27:55Okay.
27:59It all
28:00starts right
28:01here with
28:02the de-icing.
28:04The interview
28:05with the first
28:06officer provides
28:07the team with a
28:08focus for their
28:08investigation,
28:09the airplane's
28:10de-icing system.
28:12We'd start
28:13looking in the
28:14wreckage for
28:15evidence for
28:16that de-icing
28:17system and
28:18then begin a
28:19parallel
28:19investigation with
28:21maintenance to
28:22see if there was
28:23any kind of
28:24history of
28:25problems with
28:25that system.
28:27The reservoir
28:28holds one and
28:29a half gallons
28:30of de-icing
28:30fluid.
28:32A switch on
28:32the overhead
28:33console activates
28:34the 28-volt pump.
28:36Flexible plastic
28:37tubing connects
28:37the pump to
28:38the spray nozzles.
28:41It's a pretty
28:42basic system.
28:44The use of
28:44chemical de-icing
28:45in airplanes
28:46had been used
28:47since the
28:4720s, so it
28:49was not an
28:49unknown or
28:50novel system
28:51that they
28:51were using.
28:52investigators
28:54search for
28:55the surviving
28:56components of
28:57the de-icing
28:57system.
28:59If they had
29:00found the
29:00pump and
29:02the attachments,
29:03it clearly
29:03would have
29:04shown to
29:05them where
29:05the problem
29:06was.
29:09That's all
29:09that's left.
29:11No sign of
29:12the pump.
29:13Lines are
29:13all gone.
29:14Melted.
29:15The only part
29:16of the de-icing
29:17system that
29:18survived the
29:19fire is a
29:20melted portion
29:20of the plastic
29:21reservoir.
29:23This tells us
29:24nothing.
29:32Focusing on
29:33the smell of
29:33alcohol reported
29:34by the crew,
29:35investigators study
29:36a sample of
29:37the de-icing
29:38fluid used by
29:39Pilgrim Airlines
29:40to determine
29:41just how
29:41flammable it
29:42is.
29:4287%
29:51isopropyl.
29:53It's a pretty
29:53flammable
29:54stuff.
29:56They are now
29:57fairly certain
29:58that the de-icing
29:59fluid on
30:00flight 458
30:01ignited,
30:02leading to a
30:02raging fire.
30:04But they still
30:05don't know
30:05how.
30:06We really
30:08have not
30:09had any
30:10experience with
30:10this type
30:11of system
30:12causing a
30:13fire on
30:14board an
30:14airplane.
30:17They go over
30:18the first
30:18officer's
30:19statement for
30:20clues about
30:20how the
30:21fire started.
30:22They did
30:23say the
30:23system didn't
30:24work very
30:24well when
30:24they tried
30:25to de-ice.
30:26The first
30:27time I
30:27hit the
30:27switch,
30:29I got a
30:30tiny bit
30:30of fluid
30:31on my
30:31side.
30:32So I
30:33tried a
30:34second time
30:35and got
30:36nothing.
30:37So what
30:38did you do?
30:39That's when
30:40I got the
30:40strong smell
30:40of alcohol,
30:41so I
30:42stopped
30:42trying.
30:44A few
30:44seconds later
30:44we
30:45smelled
30:45the smoke.
30:49Investigators
30:49now need
30:50to figure
30:50out what
30:51part of
30:51the de-icing
30:52system could
30:53have led
30:53to the
30:54fire that
30:54brought
30:55down
30:55flight
30:55458.
31:00Investigators
31:01review
31:01maintenance
31:02records of
31:02the destroyed
31:03airplane for
31:04any
31:04previous
31:04issues with
31:05the plane's
31:06windshield
31:06de-icing
31:07system.
31:09It had a
31:09history of
31:09leaking.
31:11Reports
31:12show that
31:12the plastic
31:13tubing had
31:14a history
31:14of cracking
31:15and separating
31:16from the
31:16pump.
31:18Pilgrim's
31:18mechanics fixed
31:19the problem
31:19by trimming
31:20the cracked
31:21tubing and
31:22reattaching it
31:22to the pump
31:23with clamps.
31:24As the
31:25alcohol comes
31:26into contact
31:26with this
31:27tubing from
31:28the inside,
31:29it's changing
31:29the properties
31:30of the tubing
31:30and it's
31:31causing it
31:32to harden
31:32and swell.
31:34So at the
31:34connection
31:35points,
31:35it's no
31:36longer
31:36maintaining
31:37a good
31:38contact.
31:39They dig
31:40further into
31:41the plane's
31:41history to
31:42find anything
31:42that could
31:43explain how
31:44the de-icing
31:44system led
31:45to an
31:46onboard fire.
31:47Yeah,
31:48listen to this.
31:49A few months
31:49ago,
31:50they discovered
31:50a leak on
31:50this plane.
31:52Maintenance
31:52checked it out,
31:53discovered the
31:53tubing was too
31:54short to reach
31:54the pump.
31:55They had
31:58trimmed and
31:59reconnected
31:59the tubing
31:59so often
32:00that it
32:00didn't fit
32:00anymore.
32:02Every time
32:03mechanics trimmed
32:04the cracked
32:04tubing,
32:05they made
32:06it progressively
32:06shorter until
32:07it couldn't
32:08reach the
32:08pump.
32:10Over time,
32:11you wouldn't
32:11have enough
32:12hose left
32:12to attach it
32:13and you would
32:14have to
32:14replace that
32:15piece of
32:15tubing.
32:17Hello.
32:19Looks like
32:20the same thing
32:21happened on
32:21this plane just
32:22three days before
32:22the accident.
32:23Pretty major
32:25leak by the
32:26sounds of it.
32:28Pilots saw
32:28a leak during
32:29a stop in
32:30New Haven.
32:31They tried to
32:32reattach the
32:33hose coming
32:33from the pump
32:34but they
32:34couldn't because
32:35the tubing
32:35was too
32:36short.
32:37They wrote
32:38it up and
32:39the mechanic
32:40worked on it
32:40later that
32:41day.
32:43The mechanic
32:44repaired the
32:45damaged tubing,
32:46reconnected and
32:47secured it,
32:48then refilled
32:49the reservoir.
32:51The mechanic
32:52says he
32:53clamped the
32:53tubing to
32:54the pump and
32:54then signed
32:55off on the
32:55discrepancy as
32:56repaired.
32:59Three days
32:59later the
33:00plane goes up
33:00in flames as
33:01the pilots
33:02try to de-ice.
33:05Investigators
33:05suspect the
33:06tubes carrying
33:07fluid to and
33:08from the pump
33:09weren't properly
33:10secured and
33:11detached from
33:12the pump after
33:13the repair.
33:15There's a good
33:16chance that that
33:16line wasn't as
33:18long as it should
33:18have been and
33:19probably was
33:20pulling on the
33:20pump and
33:21because of
33:21how it was
33:22attached it
33:22came off.
33:24Still nothing.
33:25The team
33:26believes a
33:27faulty repair
33:27is the reason
33:28the de-icing
33:29system malfunctioned
33:30on flight
33:31458.
33:32But that still
33:33doesn't explain
33:34the fire.
33:35The NTSB
33:36in an effort
33:37to determine
33:38just what
33:39effect that
33:39this system
33:40could have
33:40had on a
33:42fire, either
33:43starting it or
33:43contributing to
33:44it, they
33:45took one of
33:46these reservoirs
33:47and a pump
33:48and into the
33:49laboratory and
33:50hooked it up
33:50to a power
33:51supply to see
33:52what it would
33:52do.
33:54Investigators
33:55need to determine
33:56how much of
33:57the highly
33:57flammable fluid
33:58would have
33:59cooled below
33:59the cockpit
34:00if the tube
34:01did detach,
34:02as they suspect.
34:05Okay, let's
34:06see what we
34:06get.
34:12Even without
34:13activating the
34:13system, it
34:15leaks when the
34:15tube isn't
34:16attached.
34:18They measure
34:19the amount of
34:19fluid that
34:20leaks from the
34:21pump.
34:22The testing
34:23disclosed that
34:25the pump would
34:25leak fluid to
34:28the rate of
34:28about 90
34:29milliliters a
34:30minute, and
34:32over time, that
34:34could actually
34:35drain the entire
34:36tank of a
34:37gallon and a
34:37half of fluid.
34:38The test shows
34:40that if the
34:40tube from the
34:41pump had
34:41detached, a
34:42large pool of
34:43flammable liquid
34:44would have
34:45accumulated below
34:46the cockpit, even
34:47before the
34:48pilots tried to
34:48de-ice the
34:49windshield.
34:50Let's see what
34:51happens when the
34:52system is
34:52activated.
35:01Seven feet.
35:04Holy smokes,
35:05that goes far.
35:07When Hogg tries
35:08to activate the
35:09windshield de-icing
35:10system, the
35:11pump would have
35:12sprayed fluid across
35:13a distance of
35:14seven feet in the
35:15compartment below
35:16the cockpit.
35:17The consequences
35:19of that, given
35:20what is down in
35:21that area, are
35:23quite severe.
35:26The de-ice pump
35:27gets pretty hot
35:28when it's
35:28operating.
35:30The air from the
35:31bleed air duct is
35:32150 degrees
35:33Fahrenheit.
35:34The discharge from
35:36the silencer sends
35:37heated air into the
35:38cockpit, and the
35:40electric motor that
35:41drives the flaps could
35:42also ignite the fluid.
35:45Investigators
35:46pinpoint several
35:47components that
35:48could have ignited the
35:49spray of highly
35:50flammable liquid.
35:52Investigators were
35:53never able to fully
35:54determine what ignited
35:55the fluid because
35:56there was so much
35:57down there.
35:58It could have been
35:59the heat from the
36:00hydraulic pump.
36:01It could have been
36:02the motor for the
36:03hydraulic pump.
36:04It could have been
36:05any one of the
36:05components on the
36:06airplane on the back
36:07of the instrument
36:08panel.
36:10Directly to
36:10Providence, please.
36:11This is an emergency.
36:12There is a fire on
36:13board.
36:14Once the liquid
36:14ignites, it doesn't
36:16take long for fire to
36:17spread throughout the
36:18airplane.
36:19Older aircraft are
36:20less fire resistant to
36:22newer aircraft, and if
36:24you have alcohol from a
36:25de-icing system spreading
36:28through the airplane, it
36:30would have been easier for
36:31it to have burned than
36:32probably the newer
36:33materials.
36:35They've been flying
36:36around in a time bomb
36:37all these years, and
36:37no one thought this
36:38was a problem.
36:41I think it's
36:41surprising any time
36:42you find, particularly
36:44an aircraft that's been
36:44in service for so long
36:46with such a good
36:47history, find something
36:48new that you learn in
36:50an investigation.
36:52Investigators now
36:53consider one final
36:54question.
36:55How the hell did they
36:56even manage to get
36:57this plane on the
36:57ground?
37:07NTSB investigators study
37:09the actions of the
37:10pilots of Pilgrim 458 as
37:12they responded to the
37:13emergency unfolding on
37:15board.
37:17The first sign of black
37:18smoke, they call in the
37:20emergency.
37:23Then immediately change
37:25course for an emergency
37:26landing at Providence.
37:27He pushed the yoke forward
37:30to make the airplane
37:31descend very quickly.
37:34They were still in the
37:35clouds, and the airplane
37:37was coming down rapidly.
37:39Turn right, heading up
37:40150 for vectors to
37:43Providence.
37:43Let's get on the ground.
37:45The pilots quickly began a
37:47rapid descent from 4,000
37:48feet while making a right
37:50turn towards Providence.
37:51All their focus was on
37:54getting the airplane
37:55down.
37:58At this point, the
38:00cockpit is full of thick
38:01black smoke and fire.
38:02So what do these guys do?
38:04They stick their heads out
38:05the window and try and
38:05get below the clouds.
38:08In spite of being unable
38:10to see or breathe, and
38:11badly burned by fire, the
38:14pilots fight to get the
38:15plane below the clouds.
38:17They were getting some
38:18severe burns on their
38:20bodies.
38:20They never left their
38:22seats, and the fact that
38:23they were doing everything
38:24they could to control this
38:25airplane and getting it
38:27down to land on that
38:28frozen lake bed was
38:29amazing.
38:31Despite the pain and the
38:33terror, these pilots
38:35stayed at their posts.
38:37They kept flying the
38:38airplane.
38:39They were determined to
38:41get it down safely,
38:43despite the agony they
38:45were confronting.
38:46They report breaking
38:51through the clouds at 1,000
38:52feet.
38:53Quick left turn.
38:55They're on the ground in
38:55seconds.
38:57The cardinal rule is, you
38:59know, with the fires, get the
39:00airplane on the ground as fast
39:01as you can.
39:02And we did that.
39:04It wasn't pretty, but we did
39:05that.
39:06It got it on the ground, and
39:07almost everybody survived.
39:17Six minutes to get below
39:19the clouds, find a place to
39:20land, and put it on the
39:21ground in a burning
39:23airplane.
39:24The investigators commend
39:28both pilots for their prompt
39:30and heroic actions in
39:32response to the emergency.
39:35Here's an example of a crew,
39:37you know, at the height of
39:38their skills and
39:39professionalism, saving the
39:40lives of themselves and the
39:42people aboard.
39:43Yeah, yeah.
39:46Let's get out of here.
39:47Lesser men would have given
39:49up.
39:50They didn't give up.
39:51They fought right to the end,
39:52and that's why I'm here
39:53today.
39:55Passengers also praised the
39:57actions of off-duty flight
39:58engineer Harry Polychron for
40:00helping to save lives.
40:03Without the actions of the
40:05passenger sitting in front of
40:07me with the tennis racket that
40:10broke out those windows, I
40:12absolutely believe other people
40:14would have died in that
40:16crash.
40:17The NTSB determines that the
40:20fire on board flight 459 is
40:22private was the result of the
40:23poor design of the windshield
40:25de-icing system.
40:27I didn't know how flammable
40:29isopropyl alcohol was.
40:31I think it took the industry by
40:33surprise that it was so
40:35flammable and could result in
40:37such a devastating fire so
40:39quickly.
40:40Investigators recommend that the
40:42isopropyl alcohol system on all
40:45twin otters be replaced with an
40:47electrically heated windshield.
40:49The alcohol de-icing systems went
40:51away as a result of this accident
40:54and I think a realization that the
40:57hazards were just were too high.
41:00But the enduring legacy of flight
41:02458 is the heroism and
41:05professionalism of two pilots who
41:07overcame overwhelming odds to get
41:09their plane and their passengers
41:11safely to the ground.
41:12I don't consider myself a hero.
41:15I consider that we did what we're
41:17trained to do and did what we had to
41:19do that day in order to survive.
41:22The two pilots received numerous
41:25honors for their heroic actions.
41:28Today a memorial stands in a park
41:30named after Prinster and Hogg in
41:32situate Rhode Island near the location
41:34of their remarkable landing.
41:3641 years later, the heroes of flight
41:40458 reflect on the hard lessons
41:43learned that day.
41:45I mean, you guys were just heroic in
41:49your mental strength to just stay with
41:52the task there.
41:53Fortitude is the word.
41:56I think your body takes over and you
41:58just hang in there.
42:00It's nice when stuff really hits the fan
42:01you can really kind of shed everything
42:03away and go for it and I think we all
42:06we all had a little bit of that.
42:09Yeah, it's uh, it was quite a day.
42:10Yeah.