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On August 7, 2020, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Air India Express crashed into a valley after skidding off the runway at Kozhikode International Airport in Kerala, India. Of the 184 passengers and 6 crew members on board the aircraft, the two pilots and 19 passengers died.
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00:01Landing at Calicut Airport.
00:05Speed break up.
00:08The pilots of Air India Express Flight 1344 run out of tarmac to stop.
00:15Oh crap!
00:2221 people are killed.
00:27Start up the hydraulics.
00:30Did the brakes malfunction?
00:33No sign of fluid leak.
00:36The brakes didn't feel?
00:39When investigators listen to the cockpit voice recorder...
00:43Put the wipers on.
00:45...they discover a malfunction of an entirely different nature.
00:51What's happened to it?
00:55So was this crash caused by a faulty windshield wiper?
01:07Oh crap!
01:24It's monsoon season in India.
01:29Air India Express Flight 1344 is on approach to Calicut International Airport.
01:37The pilot flying is Captain Deepak Satay.
01:41He's a highly experienced 59 year old commercial pilot.
01:46Visibility is just above minimum so we can make an attempt.
01:50Okay?
01:51Check.
01:53The captain had flown in and out of Calicut a number of times.
01:57So he was very familiar with the airfield, the terrain around and the weather conditions.
02:05Runway is wet.
02:06Expect turbulence.
02:08Expect weather.
02:09Expect weather.
02:09All precautions.
02:12First officer Akilesh Kumar is age 32.
02:16He joined Air India Express three years ago and has almost 2,000 flying hours.
02:22He has less experience navigating through monsoons than the captain.
02:27That area experiences very heavy showers along with reduced visibility and strong winds.
02:37In addition to the five crew, there are 184 Indian nationals on board.
02:44All are being repatriated amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
02:49It's one of more than 2,000 flights into India to date.
02:53Bringing home thousands of workers stranded abroad when flights were grounded due to COVID restrictions.
03:00So the passengers on these flights were mostly blue collar workers, people who had flown to Dubai to work in
03:08malls, in small restaurants.
03:13About 50 miles from the airport, Captain Satay begins his approach briefing.
03:19For a go around, windshield on approach, approach to stall and recovery on go around as briefed in the first
03:27sector.
03:28Check.
03:30Approach briefing is basically one pilot communicating to the other what his plan of action is.
03:38Any doubts?
03:41No.
03:43Any questions?
03:47No questions.
03:52Today's flight from Dubai to Calicut takes just under four hours.
04:00Calicut Tower, Express India 1344 on ILS runway 28.
04:0812 miles from the airport.
04:10Any change in the visibility?
04:13The captain wants a weather update.
04:17Any change in the visibility? Express India 1344.
04:21Uh, stair by.
04:24Air India, Express 1344.
04:26Uh, stair by.
04:26Latest visibility is 2,000 meters and, uh, light rain.
04:30Copy, Express India 1344.
04:352,000 meters visibility on a tricky airport with light rain.
04:41The pilots are basically a bit more anxious than a normal approach.
04:50Calicut's runway is built on a tabletop plateau.
04:54There are steep drop-offs at both ends.
04:58There is no margin of error.
05:00If you exceed the landing limit, you go straight down into a valley.
05:06The pilots are flying a Boeing 737-800 specially modified for difficult landings.
05:14It has modified spoilers and braking performance and allows it to stop faster than other models of the 737-800.
05:25Just two minutes from Calicut airport, the crew gets ready for landing.
05:31Put the wipers on.
05:38Leading lights in sight?
05:40Yep.
05:46What's happened to it?
05:49Oh, crap.
05:51Wiper's gone.
05:53What a day for the wiper to go.
05:57With decreased visibility hindering their approach, the pilots must make a crucial decision.
06:07If they do not have, uh, the runway or any of the elements in sight,
06:11at that point they have to take a decision to continue or to go around.
06:20Approaching minimums.
06:22500.
06:24Minimums.
06:29Let's go around.
06:34A half mile from the airport, Captain Sate aborts the landing and decides to try it again.
06:50Express India 1344, request reason for go around.
06:55When pilots go missed on an approach, it's important information to share with air traffic control
07:00because that can help other pilots who are coming into the airport anticipate any hazards that may be there.
07:07Due to weather, Express India 1344, heavy rain.
07:11Uh, roger.
07:18While flight 1344 completes its go around, a crew waiting to take off contacts the tower.
07:28Calicut Air India 425, we're ready for taxi and we appreciate if you can give us one zero for departure.
07:37The departing crew wants to switch runways.
07:42Runway two eight and runway one zero are the same strip of runway, but they're in the opposite directions.
07:49Roger. Expect one zero. Taxi via Charlie. Enter backtrack. Line up runway one zero.
07:55Via Charlie. Enter backtrack. Line up on zero.
07:58Air India 425. Thank you, sir.
08:02Typically, departure aircraft want to taxi the least time and get airborne as soon as possible.
08:10Runway one zero is closest to the apron.
08:13To accommodate the departing aircraft, controllers change the active runway from two eight to one zero.
08:22Express India 1344. Wind is now 270 degrees, zero eight knots. Confirm you'd like to make an approach for runway
08:28one zero.
08:32Yeah, we'd like to try if you can give us an update on the visibility for runway one zero.
08:40Visibility is the same, sir, at 2,000 meters and we'll notify you of any improvement.
08:43And now wind is 260 degrees, zero five knots.
08:48Okay. Set up for one zero. Let's try.
09:02Localizer alive.
09:04Check.
09:07The localizer is part of the ILS or instrument landing system.
09:13That provides lateral guidance to the runway's centerline.
09:24Cabin crew, landing stations.
09:28Flight 1344 is now only six miles from the runway.
09:35Shall we do it?
09:37Captain Sate tries the wipers again.
09:40Just a sec.
09:44What is this?
09:46The captain's wiper is working more slowly than it should.
09:51I guess this is the fastest it'll go.
09:54Okay. Glide slope captured.
09:59The glide slope is also part of the instrument landing system and guides the plane on a three-degree slope
10:06to the runway threshold.
10:11Flaps 25.
10:14Flaps 25.
10:15Flaps 25 selected.
10:16Moving.
10:19Calica Tower, Express India 1344.
10:22On ILS runway 10.
10:26Express India 1344.
10:28Roger.
10:29Light rain over the field.
10:30Runway surface wet.
10:32Wind 250 degrees, zero eight knots.
10:34Runway 10 cleared to land.
10:39Four miles from the runway, the crew receives clearance to land.
10:44Okay. Runway in sight.
10:46Runway in sight.
10:47Check.
10:50This time the pilots can see the runway.
10:56Approaching minimums.
10:59500.
11:01As a pilot, when you're coming in for landing where there's weather and visibility just above minimums, you're keeping a
11:08sharper eye because things could change at a moment's notice.
11:13Flight 1344 crosses the runway threshold.
11:2113.
11:22Punch it.
11:29Speed brake up.
11:32The speed brakes are deployed to help slow the plane.
11:38Auto brake disarm.
11:43But the plane isn't stopping fast enough.
11:49Oh crap.
11:55The 737 falls off the end of the runway.
12:02And breaks apart.
12:08Rescuers rush to save the 190 people on board.
12:13As every second could mean the difference between life and death.
12:22In driving rain and darkness, surviving passengers begin to emerge from the wreckage of Air India Express Flight 1344.
12:31The heavy rain benefits the rescue.
12:35It was very helpful, in fact, for dousing the post-crash fire.
12:40It ultimately helped us save lives.
12:45169 people survive the crash.
12:4859 walk away without injuries.
13:02But 21 of those on board are dead.
13:07Captain Deepak Satay and First Officer Akilesh Kumar are among them.
13:25Investigators from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the AAIB, arrive on the scene.
13:33This was the first accident which AAIB would have been investigating on its own.
13:39So it was really an acid test for AAIB to prove its mettle.
13:45The first question investigators must answer.
13:48Did something break off from the airplane before the landing, making it impossible for the plane to stop?
14:00I've got the next batch downloaded.
14:05Looking at them now.
14:08This was the second wave of COVID which was the most dangerous.
14:11So there was an embargo as to how many people could sit in a room and conduct a meeting.
14:18Investigators examine dozens of photos from the crash scene.
14:24Do you agree it's all here?
14:27They conclude all of the wreckage is contained within the crash site.
14:34The wreckage was not very spread out.
14:37It was concentrated over a radius of about 200 feet.
14:43Let's regroup in a bit.
14:47All the damage was caused when the plane overran the runway.
14:54So we wanted to come out with the probable reasons as to what has led the aircraft to exit the
15:02runway.
15:13Only slightly off centre.
15:16But at least they were lined up with the runway properly.
15:20To better understand why the plane overran the runway, investigators try to determine where it initially touched down.
15:28So where do the marks start?
15:35On a dry runway, it is very, very easy to find the touchdown points because the tyres, they leave some
15:43rubber deposit on the point of touchdown.
15:49They work their way back along the runway.
15:58They work their way back along the runway.
16:17Beyond 5,000 feet, we were not able to locate any touch tyre marks.
16:23The tyre marks have been washed away due to heavy rain.
16:29Unable to determine where the plane touched down, investigators examine the runway itself.
16:36Did rubber deposits make the runway too slippery?
16:40They perform a test to determine if the runway's surface provided enough friction or grip for the plane to decelerate
16:49properly.
16:50Our experience shows that an aircraft of 737 class, it leaves a rubber deposit.
16:56And over a period of time, it becomes difficult for the tyre to grip.
17:07Friction test results just came in.
17:10Coefficient of friction ranges from 0.63 to 0.72.
17:21That's within standard.
17:31We were quite satisfied with the condition of the paved surface of Calicut Airport.
17:38There were no major rubber deposits.
17:42With the runway surface ruled out, investigators consider if the plane's tyres were too worn, causing it to hydroplane on
17:50the wet runway.
17:52The grooves on the tyres, like on a car, are channels for water to drain off.
17:58And if the tyre is bald, basically the grooves are worn out.
18:02That will cause the aircraft to slip.
18:08202 PSI, right in the required pressure range.
18:14No skid burn.
18:18Or bald spots.
18:20Just like the others.
18:23If there was a case of hydroplaning, there would be white marks on the runway, and that portion of the
18:31tyres would have been burned.
18:34And here we didn't find either of these.
18:39What about the brakes?
18:43Did the brakes malfunction, causing the plane to overrun the runway?
18:50Some corrosion.
18:55But nothing out of the ordinary.
18:58Let's check the hydraulics.
19:04We wanted to ascertain the serviceability of hydraulics, because this is the braking system.
19:12Start up the hydraulics.
19:21No sign of fluid leak.
19:24The brakes didn't feel?
19:27No.
19:32I can say that there was no abnormality in the deceleration devices.
19:41Okay.
19:45Good.
19:49So, did the plane touch down within the touchdown zone?
19:56Investigators try to determine if the crew of Flight 1344 gave themselves enough space to stop.
20:13They found an image.
20:22From a closed circuit camera, located here.
20:29Looks like they're still about 15 feet above the runway, and they're past the touchdown zone.
20:39We could see clearly the aircraft floating, but unfortunately we couldn't see the exact touchdown point.
20:47So that means they flew well past the touchdown area before putting the plane down.
20:56That's right.
21:05Why would the pilots land so far past the touchdown zone, and risk the lives of everyone on board?
21:22I have the ATC's heat recordings.
21:26Let's hope we get some answers.
21:31Investigators turn to conversations between Air India Express Flight 1344 and the controller,
21:38to learn why the plane overflew the touchdown zone.
21:45Calicut Tower, Express India 1344, on ILS runway 28.
21:54Okay, sounds like they initially planned to land on runway 28.
21:58So why did they land on 1-0 instead?
22:03Landing on runway 28, the winds will be from your front.
22:08And you'll be landing into the wind.
22:10That creates more lift.
22:15But three and a half minutes later, the crew changes their plans.
22:19Tower Express India 1344, going around.
22:25Roger.
22:25Roger.
22:31So they called a go-around.
22:39During monsoon season, it is not very uncommon to see a go-around because of the low ceiling and showers
22:47of rain, which suddenly reduce visibility.
22:53Express India 1344, request a reason for go-around.
22:57Due to weather, Express India 1344, heavy rain.
23:02Roger.
23:05They probably couldn't see the runway.
23:07Sounds about right.
23:10The crew realized that the runway was not in sight.
23:13So they took a call to go around.
23:15So that was absolutely in order.
23:18Calicut Air India 425.
23:20We're ready for taxi and we appreciate if you can give us 1-0 for departure.
23:27Then investigators hear another plane asking to swap the active runway.
23:33And the controller advising flight 1344 of the change.
23:39Express India 1344, wind is now 270 degrees, 08 knots.
23:43Confirm you'd like to make an approach for runway 1-0.
23:48So the controller asked them to use 1-0.
23:58Calicut, Express India 1344.
24:01Go ahead.
24:03How's the visibility on runway 1-0?
24:08Before accepting the new runway, the pilots request clarification of weather conditions.
24:13Both runways at 2,000 meters with light rain.
24:18And how are the surface winds?
24:21Surface winds now 260 degrees, 05 knots.
24:275 knots.
24:30Is that within limits?
24:32Let's check.
24:4010 knots is the limit.
24:42Okay, so landing on 1-0 safely is technically possible even if they'd be landing in a tailwind.
24:55Just ten and a half minutes later, investigators hear the last communication with the tower.
25:05Express India 1344 on ILS.
25:08Runway 1-0.
25:13Express India 1344, roger.
25:16Light rain over the field.
25:17Runway surface wet.
25:18Wind 250 degrees, 08 knots.
25:21Runway 1-0 cleared to land.
25:24Runway 1-0 cleared to land.
25:26And what's the visibility?
25:30They're asking about visibility again.
25:34Seems to be an issue.
25:40Visibility is the same, sir, at 2,000 meters.
25:43Copy, sir. Express India 1344.
25:48Two and a half minutes later, they overfly the landing zone.
25:57An eight-knot tailwind.
25:59I mean, it's still within limits.
26:02Despite missing the touchdown zone, could the crew have safely stopped their plane on the runway?
26:10Speed brake up.
26:19Investigators examined the flight parameters of Air India Express Flight 1344.
26:25The data could shed light on precisely where the aircraft landed after CCTV footage captured it passing the touchdown zone.
26:37Can you isolate the weight on wheels parameter?
26:46Wait on wheels is a sensor which indicates to the FDR the moment the weight comes on the wheels.
26:54That's what we're looking for.
26:56The plane touched down at 1,900 hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds.
27:01So how far down the runway is that?
27:05Using the ground speed of the aircraft, investigators calculate how far the plane flew over the runway.
27:144,438 feet from the threshold.
27:18It became very clear to us as to where the aircraft had exactly touched down.
27:27He overshot the touchdown zone by nearly 1,500 feet.
27:34Leaving less than half the runway for stopping.
27:38Can the plane even stop on half a runway in a tailwind?
27:43Let me calculate the actual landing distance.
27:47The actual landing distance is the distance required from touchdown to stop.
27:54Weight.
27:5763,000 kilos.
28:01Wind.
28:01Last reported tailwind before flight 1344 began its approach was actually 10 knots.
28:08Flaps.
28:1030.
28:147,803 feet.
28:17So according to the information they had before accepting the approach,
28:21they needed to touchdown here to have any chance of stopping before the end of the runway.
28:29Flight 1344 should have touched down 3,000 feet earlier in order to stop safely.
28:37So why did the pilots not give themselves enough runway to stop the plane?
28:48When the aircraft touches down, you experience harsh braking, reverse thrust, more noise.
28:53But here it was totally silent.
28:56And the passengers, they would be wondering why is the aircraft not touching down.
29:06Investigators check the transcripts of the cockpit voice recording
29:10for something that might explain why the pilots carried out the landing without enough runway.
29:18The flight data gives us what happened.
29:21But why it happened comes from the CVR.
29:26Hey.
29:28During the first approach, the windshield wipers are on.
29:32And look what happens afterwards.
29:40Lead in lights in sight.
29:43Yep.
29:4527 seconds after starting the wiper.
29:49What's happened to it?
29:52Oh crap.
29:53Wiper's gone.
29:55It malfunctions.
29:57What a day for the wiper to go.
30:08Maybe that explains why he was so worried about visibility.
30:13According to rules for landing at Calicut during monsoon season,
30:17it is mandatory for pilots to divert to an alternative airport if the wipers malfunction.
30:25So was this crash caused by a faulty windshield wiper?
30:32Unserviceability of a wiper in rainy conditions is a no-go item.
30:38The crew pressed on to land at Calicut.
30:43We couldn't fathom the reason.
30:47Let's see if the wiper was working on the second approach.
30:52Heading to course.
30:54Shall we do it?
30:57Just a sec.
31:01What is this?
31:04I guess that's the fastest it'll go.
31:09So the wiper is working, just not as fast as it should.
31:14Despite the slow wiper, the pilots continue the approach.
31:20Okay, runway in sight.
31:22Runway in sight, check.
31:29So, less than a mile from the airport, both pilots can see the runway.
31:36The faulty wiper doesn't seem to have prevented the pilots from seeing the runway.
31:42And so far they are still on the glide slope.
31:49But it looks like they deviate below and then above it.
31:56The approach became unstabilized.
32:00And the actions on the part of the crew to continue with the approach really shocked us.
32:07So if they were above the glide slope, that means when they crossed the runway threshold, they were 40 feet
32:13too high.
32:14A tailwind less than ideal.
32:23If you fly off of the glide slope this close to the runway, it is unsafe for you to continue.
32:29Yet this crew did continue their landing.
32:33Did the pilots believe they could recover from an unstabilized approach and land safely?
32:45Auto brake disarm.
32:49Oh crap!
32:58Looks like the captain increases engine power to stabilize the landing.
33:06Investigators search the FDR parameters to explain how the pilots of flight 1344 dealt with their unstabilized approach.
33:17In order to have a smooth landing, pilots typically add a bit of thrust just before touchdown.
33:26Which is probably what the captain was trying to do.
33:30He's pushing throttles well beyond 80%.
33:40The captain adds so much power, the plane floats down the runway.
33:51The plane floats over the runway for more than 3,000 feet.
33:56Why wouldn't the captain just put the plane down?
34:04His wiper was barely working.
34:07It's night.
34:09Weather's marginal.
34:11What if he lost track of where he was along the runway?
34:15So when you approach an airfield like Calicut, there are no lights surrounding the runway.
34:21You just see the runway lights.
34:24So in case you have light rain, but low cloud ceiling, that is a very unnerving feeling.
34:35The captain didn't know where to put the plane down because of his slow wiper and the heavy rain, which
34:42reduced his vision.
34:52They still could have done a go-around.
34:56The plane can carry out the go-around from any point of time, even after touchdown, so long the thrust
35:02reversers are not deployed.
35:07So why didn't they?
35:21Just check it. Put the plane down.
35:28Captain.
35:29Yeah?
35:31Go around.
35:35The first officer called for a go-around.
35:39And the captain ignored him.
35:42Why would such an experienced captain not listen to his first officer at such a critical moment?
35:50That was fatal.
35:53If the captain would have gone around, the result would have been different.
36:03Okay.
36:06I appreciate your assistance.
36:08Thanks.
36:11Investigators interview other pilots who flew with Captain Sate to determine how he worked with others in the cockpit.
36:20That was the last pilot on the list.
36:22And?
36:24Here's some of the ways they described him.
36:26Cognitive rigidity.
36:28Goal-oriented.
36:30Tendency towards perfectionism.
36:32Sounds more like an Air Force pilot than a civilian one.
36:35Which is what he was for 21 years at the start of his career.
36:45The military aviators are trained to be goal-oriented because for them the success of a mission is the most
36:51important criteria.
36:54There's another reason the captain may have been determined to land in Calicut.
37:00The crew are now making a second approach into Calicut.
37:04And if they had to go around from this approach, they would, by the operating procedures, be required to divert.
37:13Good.
37:15Did the captain resist a second go around so that he wouldn't be forced to divert?
37:27Here's something.
37:30Investigators focus on the captain's flight schedule before and after the day of the accident.
37:36Take a look.
37:38Captain Sate was scheduled to be on standby the day after the accident.
37:42August 8th.
37:44But the day before the accident, there was a scheduling change.
37:48And captain Sate had to pick up an additional flight.
37:54He was the only captain who could fly out of Calicut, remember, a tricky airport.
38:00And only captains can operate flights in and out of a tabletop airport.
38:08So if he had diverted to another airport instead of landing, the flight to Doha the next day would have
38:13to be cancelled.
38:19He was committed to land because he knew that there was no one else to undertake the flight.
38:26But even if the captain forced the landing, the first officer could still have taken over the controls and diverted.
38:33So why didn't he?
38:36If the captain does not carry out to go around, the co-pilot is expected to take over.
38:41In the safety of the flight, that is a must.
38:46Captain, go around.
38:52Investigators examined the CVR transcripts of flight 1344.
38:57To determine why the first officer failed to take control, they discover a pattern emerging.
39:05Rate of descent, captain.
39:06Of a dismissive captain.
39:09Yeah, yeah. Correcting, correcting, correcting.
39:13And a first officer who didn't assert himself.
39:17Right foot. Right foot.
39:20Check.
39:22Captain.
39:24Go around.
39:29The captain uses his authority to dictate what he wants, and the co-pilot is too submissive to call out
39:36what he sees as unsafe.
39:40Was this type of behavior common at the airline?
39:45Investigators examine Air India Express's operations manual.
39:52It would be very important to understand how teamwork is encouraged in the cockpit of an Air India Express aircraft.
40:04It says captains need to approve flight data presented by first officers.
40:10I would certainly promote a definite hierarchy in the cockpit.
40:16Maybe that's why the first officer didn't feel empowered enough to grab the controls and do the go around.
40:23We realized that the language used amounted to the first officer is subservient to the captain.
40:35Despite the captain's rigidity, one simple procedure could have saved the passengers and crew.
40:46I don't recall them ever calculating their landing distance.
40:52Because they were now coming in with a tailwind onto runway 1-0, the conditions had changed entirely from the
40:59headwind on runway 2-8,
41:01and they needed to do a landing distance calculation.
41:15They missed critical decisions on the tailwind, the wet runway, and potential diversion options, in addition to calculating landing distance.
41:28If they had done any of these, it would have helped them understand there was too little margin of error
41:32to conduct this approach.
41:34...
41:49...
41:51...
42:01Different airport, different outcome.
42:04The captain would have been able to pass controls to the first officer,
42:08who had a fully working wiper to land the plane.
42:14They just diverted to another airport. They'd all be alive today.
42:28There were so many opportunities the crew had to conduct a missed approach during this landing,
42:34but the crew took none of them.
42:41In their final report, investigators recommend expanding simulator training for unstabilized approaches,
42:50stressing that the first officer should assertively assume control
42:53and initiate a go-around if the pilot flying fails to respond.
43:05Simulator training with an emphasis on assertiveness would go a long way
43:08in allowing first officers to take all appropriate actions,
43:12up to and including taking control of the aircraft,
43:15when the pilot in command does not respond appropriately.
43:28This accident is avoidable.
43:33We see the number of risks at every stage the crew had taken,
43:38which were unnecessary risks.
43:41There was a human factor which came into play.
43:47They do not see the consequences of their actions.
43:51That is a key point in any accident.
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