This Plane Ran Out of Fuel at 41,000 FEET - Here's What the Pilots Did Next

July 23 1983 one minute until Flight 143 runs out  of fuel a red light starts flashing in the cockpit   of Air Canada Flight 143 Captain Bob Pearson  furrows his brow and Taps the light thinking   it must be a malfunction the warning light is  indicating that fuel isn't being pumped into   one of the engines Pearson leans over to the  first officer Maurice quintal you seeing this   he asks can tell NASA's head must be faulty wiring  or something I'm telling you these new bowings are   full of Kinks suddenly the plane jerks a series  of new lights begin to flash what the hell Pearson   says he begins checking various dials and gauges  the engine on the left wing begins to whine as   it slows down scampi right kintel says holding  the flight manual in his hands everything that   is happening indicates we're out of fuel the plane  begins to lose altitude there's another jerk and   the right engine sputters to a stop we're going  down Pearson yells find me a place to land three   months before Flight 143 runs out of fuel all  right Bob let's try out the next scenario the   training officer for the new bone 767-233 says  your right wing engine has failed what do you do   Pearson goes through the motion step by step he  adjusts the throttle compensates for the loss of   power and begins to control the scent the trainer  takes off a series of boxes on his clipboard nice   work Captain he says Bob Pearson Smiles he loves  flying in his logged countless hours behind the   flight stick however his passion is gliding he is  one of the most talented gliders in the country   so it's only natural for him to ask this next  question what is the protocol if both engines   go out the trainer pauses that would never happen  he replies I mean I guess if the plane completely   ran out of fuel it's possible but that'd be really  bad because all the electronics run off the power   generated by the engines the pilot would basically  be Flying Blind that's why we have a number of   fail safes in place to make sure there's always  one engine running while Pearson nods his head   sounds simple enough as long as the plane has fuel  there's no reason to worry but he's still curious   that makes sense Pearson says but what if both  engines did go down the flight trainer looks him   dead in the eye AI it'll never happen so we don't  run through that scenario in training Pearson lets   it go but he can't help but feeling that it could  be a fatal mistake to not have at least a protocol   in place if both engines stop working however  he's just a pilot and somebody else gets paid a   lot more money than he does to make these types of  decisions July 21st 1983 two days until Flight 143   runs out of fuel in September of 1981 the Boeing  767 flew its Maiden flight see gone the aircraft   that would be given the designation Flight 143  in the coming days was the 47th Boeing 767 to be   built and had been flying for four months since  its introduction into Fleet 55 changes needed   to be made to the master minimum equipment list  or mmel what the mmel dictates is which systems   are inoperative on the aircraft this might sound  crazy as most people would think every system on   the plane should be working before it takes off  with passengers but this is not the case when   Flight 143 took off in the coming days this list  would indicate some pretty important systems were   not not operational July 22 1983 one day until  Flight 143 runs out of fuel come on a technician   says while deep inside the belly of the plane he  pulls out a faulty sensor in the fuel quantity   indicating system it's been giving Pilots troubles  for days the only way to be sure that the aircraft   had enough fuel to reach its destination was by  doing the refueling calculations by hand these   are 767s are pieces of junk the technician says  tossing his tools in the truck he takes out the   aircraft's logbook and creates a new entry the  technician continues his routine maintenance   check a little annoyed that things keep having to  be fixed on this aircraft little does he know the   inoperable sensor will be one of the key factors  which leads to this very plane running out of fuel   and plummeting to the ground within the next 24  hours July 23 1983 12 hours until Flight 143 runs   out of fuel Captain John Weir and Captain Donald  Johnson walk through Edmonton airport toward their   gate they're scheduled to fly to Toronto and then  to proceed to Montreal they smile at the flight   attendant says they enter the plane when they  get into the cockpit there's a clipboard with   several updates written on it the two pilots begin  conducting their pre-flight checks when there's   a knock behind them good morning gentlemen  a technician says I got good news and then   bad news which do you want first the two pilots  look at each other let's start with the good news   Weir says the technician tells the pilots that  the plane for the most part looks good and the   forecast calls for Clear Skies then the bad news  comes last night the techs found a faulty fuel   sensor so we'll need to take manual readings using  the dipstick the pilots shake their heads it's not   a great way to start the day but the worst part  was all the calculations and conversions that   needed to be done by hand rather than just reading  the fuel gauge the pilots need to use pencil paper   and a slide rule to ensure they had enough fuel  to make it to their destination of course weiren   Johnson had been trained to do this and it was a  requirement to become a pilot but manual readings   left room for human error and in the coming hours  disastrous errors would be made the readings from   the dipstick were taken and converted correctly  and everything was recorded in the flight log   before the plane was fueled and ready to leave  Edmonton for Toronto you're all clear for takeoff   have a good flight the control tower says over the  headset Captain Weir pushes the throttle forward   the aircraft lurches the g-force pushes pilots  and the passengers back into their seats as the   100-ton metal bird Rises to the sky passengers  look out their Windows as the cars and houses   below become nothing but pin Pricks on the vast  Canadian landscape July 23 1983 eight hours until   Flight 143 runs out of fuel Liam slams his fist  against the blaring alarm on his bedside table   it's early afternoon in Montreal but he's still  exhausted from his night shift at the factory   he's been putting in extra hours to save up for  his trip out west to visit Elk Island Banff and   several other national parks it's always good to  get out of the city and spend time in nature and   he needs it now more than ever his engagement has  been called off after his fiancee got offered a   job Halfway Around the World to pursue her  goals of providing Medical Aid to those in   war-torn countries Liam encouraged to make her  dreams a reality but in doing so they both knew   a long-distance relationship would never work he  reluctantly let her go to make the world a better   place with a broken heart but Pride for what the  woman he loved would accomplish about a year later   Liam booked his trip and now he's looking forward  to exploring part of Canada he's never been to   before Liam gets out of bed and finishes some  last minute packing before making his way to the   Montreal Airport six hours until Flight 143 runs  out of fuel Captain Weir gently lowers the 767   under the tarmac and engages the brakes to slow  the craft it's a clear day during his descent he   could see the skyline of Montreal in the distance  he lets out a sign stretches his neck that's it   for today he says to Johnson both Pilots are done  with their shifts and will be staying in Montreal   until the following day the plane taxis to the  Gayton comes to a stop the sounds of seat belts   unbuckling the moment the captain turns off the  fastened seatbelt sign Echoes through the cabin   the passengers grabbed their bags and proceed off  the aircraft as the flight attendants and Pilots   thank them for flying with Air Canada we are in  Johnson gather their things from the cockpit you   want to grab a drink at the bar before heading to  the hotel Johnson asks we're nods head and the two   pilots disembark making sure to thank their  co-workers who've already begun cleaning the   cabin for the next set of passengers Liam sits at  the gate and watches two pilots walk through the   jetway and exit the airport they approach two men  dressed in the exact same suits and hats with the   Air Canada logo on them the pilots stop and talk  to each other for several minutes Liam looks up at   the sign above the entryway to make sure he's at  the right gate it reads Flight 143 with service to   Ottawa and Edmonton he waits patiently for the  announcement to line up and board the plane 5   hours and 45 minutes until Flight 143 runs out  of fuel the avionics technician enters the empty   cockpit of flight 143. he reads a log book and  notices there have been several notes written   about a faulty fuel sensor just to make sure that  the sensor itself was the problem the technician   turns the system on so the fqis can perform a  self-test while he waits for the fuel truck the   test fails just like it said in the logbook piece  of junk the technician says as he closes the mmel   he's about to turn off the system and return it  to the way he found it when the fuel truck arrives   the technician rushes out of the cockpit to tell  the fuel team about the sensor problem and that   they'll have to wait however a fatal flaw is made  the technician never goes back to disengage the   fqis system after the failed test the fuel gauges  are now blank making it seem like the system was   never turned on and masking the fact that the  technician was running a test five hours until   Flight 143 runs out of fuel mom we're gonna be  late if we don't leave now Sophia yells up the   stairs to her mother who's still getting ready to  drive her to the Ottawa airport she just finished   up her master screen environmental science and  conservation and decided to treat herself to a   little time Outdoors before applying to jobs with  the parks department her plan is to explore some   of the wildest places in Canada she's starting her  journey a little further west in Edmonton Sophia   impatiently Taps her foot as she hears the creek  of floorboards above signaling her mother is once   again and going to check her outfit in the mirror  mom you look great let's go a slightly muffled   voice says you can't even see what I'm wearing  I'm going to try on one more outfit Sophia slaps   her hand against her forehead and paces back  and forth she hates being late to anything but   especially the airport she's someone who is  always at least three hours early to her gate   just to make sure that if there are long lines  or traffic she has plenty of time to spare with   each minute that passes Sophia gets more and more  anxious I'm calling a cab she yells up the stairs   her mother appears at the top still putting on  an earring alright I'm coming I'm coming she   says thank God Sophia replies she grabs her bags  and heads out to the front door to the car before   she hops in she checks one last time to make sure  she has everything she reads her ticket and looks   at the flight number it says Flight 143 four  hours until Flight 143 runs out of fuel Captain   Bob Pearson and first officer Maurice quintal  continue their pre-flight check their Flight Plan   has them stopping in Ottawa where they'll pick  up more passengers before continuing to their   final destination in Edmonton Pearson reads  through the notes left by the previous flight   crew when he had passed Weir in the airport the  previous pilot had told him about a faulty fqis   sensor Pearson leans over to kintel and shows  him to note this is what Weir was talking about   we're gonna have to calculate the fuel by hand  Pearson Taps his finger against his lips as he   thinks let's load this bird up with enough fuel  to get us all the way to Edmonton we're already   behind schedule it'll save us a few minutes  if we don't need to wait for the fuel truck in   Ottawa Kentucky grease and they start running the  numbers to figure out how much fuel the tank needs   unfortunately now that everything needs to be done  by hand and double checked the flight is becoming   more and more delayed Pearson gets a dipstick  measurement of the fuel levels the fact that the   plane is relatively new throws him off from the  start the 767s required that all fuel slips be   written in kilograms per liter while every other  aircraft is documented in pounds per liter without   thinking Pearson uses the conversion that he's  been using on other aircraft the first mistake   happens when Pearson converts the 7600 182 liters  of fuel in the tank to 13 597 pounds of fuel   instead of kilograms and since one pound is only  0.45 kilograms that means that his calculations   are off by over half the computations show that in  order to make it all the way to Edmonton the plane   would need 8703 kilograms worth of fuel when in  actuality the tanks need 16 131 kilograms when all   said and done the order for fuel should have been  for an additional 20 088 liters however Pearson   only orders 4917 liters which is exactly how  much the fueling team puts in unknown to everyone   working on the plane and the flight team they'll  have enough fuel to reach Ottawa but not Edmonton   their only hope is that someone will realize  the mistake before Flight 143 takes off from   Ottawa however due to another Series of  Unfortunate Events no one will notice the   fuel tanks are not full until it's too late three  hours and 20 minutes until Flight 143 runs out of   fuel Sofia runs through the Ottawa airport toward  her gate she has a terrible feeling that when she   reaches the plane the doors will be closed and  the flight team won't let her on she rounds the   corner I'm here I'm here she shouts the Air Canada  representative standing at the desk a look at her   in confusion they point out to the sign above them  it says Flight 143 has been delayed Sophia lets   out an exhausted breath and sits in a chair facing  the window so she can watch the planes take off   and land she had plenty of time but to her being  less than an hour early for your flight is the   same thing as being late three hours until Flight  143 runs out of fuel hello ladies and gentlemen   this is your captain speaking sorry about the  delay we should be getting underway shortly Flight   143 was supposed to depart 20 minutes prior but  due to the fuel system being inoperable and the   necessity of doing the refueling calculations  by hand they're behind schedule after a few   more minutes Captain Pearson gets the all clear  from the refueling team and the technicians plane   is ready for takeoff I can tell let's get this  show on the road Pearson says they conduct one   last round of checks and maneuver their craft  toward the runway at 5 30 PM Flight 143 takes   off from Montreal and flies toward Ottawa it'll  be a quick flight and the plane will only be at   cruising altitude for a handful of minutes before  they begin their descent Liam looks at the empty   seat next to him and briefly thinks about his lost  love then he shakes his head to clear the thoughts   and looks out the window he kind of wishes there  was someone sitting next to him just to talk to he   isn't the biggest fan of flying and Company would  be nice but maybe when they land in Ottawa someone   will take the seat 2 hours and 15 minutes until  Flight 143 runs out of fuel the airplane rolls up   to a stop in Ottawa since the flight was already  behind schedule and the pilots believe they have   enough fuel to reach Edmonton no additional fuel  is added a technician takes a dipstick measurement   and glances at the Pilot's calculations seems  like everything checks out and therefore doesn't   do a more thorough investigation into the faulty  fuel system for the fuel calculations the Ottawa   passengers joining the flight begin boarding the  plane Sophia walks down the aisle looking for a   seat now now that she's on the plane her anxiety  has been greatly reduced and she has an easy smile   on her face she proceeds further toward the back  of the craft and spots her row there's an empty   seat next to a man looking out the window his  elbow is on the armrest and jutting out into where   she needs to sit excuse me sir Sophia says this  is my seat a soft voice breaks Liam out of his   Daydream he turns away from the window to see a  woman standing in the aisle looking at him but she   isn't exactly looking at him so much as his elbow  he looks down and sees that he's leaning into the   seat next to him oh I'm sorry Liam exclaims he  slides over so the woman can sit she flops down   next to him and lets out a heavy sigh I didn't  think I was gonna make the flight she says out   loud good thing you were delayed in Montreal Liam  smiles yeah we were sitting on the tarmac for a   while but I guess they figured out whatever the  issue was I am Liam he says holding out his hand   the woman takes it and shakes Sophia it's nice  to meet you Liam the last of the passengers take   their seats and the flight attendants closed the  door Captain Pearson is given the go ahead by the   flight Tower the fuel gauges are still blank but  he doesn't even give them a second thought the   engines Roar to life in Flight 143 lifts off into  the air the plane starts to rise slightly sooner   than expected as if it's lighter than it should  be but the pilots just chalk it up to an updraft   or something similar there is no indication that  in the next couple of hours things are going to go   terribly wrong and Flight 143 will plummet toward  the earth below one hour until Flight 143 runs out   of fuel the hum of the engines fill the cabin  a baby Coos near the front of the plane flight   attendants walk up and down the aisle offering  Beverages and snacks toward the back of the plane   Liam and Sophia are talking I can't believe we're  all visiting the same Parks Liam says maybe we   should just travel together and save on gas Sofia  replies she's only joking but there is a part of   her that finds the man sitting in the next seat  fascinating and not wholly unattractive I mean   it would make sense Liam says with a laugh  ever since Sophia sat down the two haven't   stopped talking they both have an intense love  at the outdoors and have chosen to spend their   hard-earned vacation time exploring national  parks one of the flight attendants comes by can   I get you to anything she asks maybe a glass of  wine Liam looks at Sophia sure why not she says   we still have a few more hours to kill until we  get to Edmonton the flight attendant walks away   with a smile on her face these two wouldn't be  the first passengers she's seen me down a plane   and leave together the flight has been smooth the  sun casts an orange glow Through the Windows seems   as if this will be a pleasant flight for everyone  802 PM two minutes before Flight 143 runs out of   fuel Captain Pearson and first officer cantal sit  in the cockpit talking about the previous year's   hockey season kintel looks out the window and sees  Red Lake Ontario below the plane is cruising at 41   000 feet or just around 12 500 meters a buzzing  sound fills the cabin guitar looks around Pearson   sees a series of blinking lights everything is  indicating that there's some sort of fuel pressure   problem on the left side of the aircraft you think  it's just another malfunction kintal asks beerson   looks at the different warning lights and it's  probably just a failed fuel pump we should be fine   the engine can be gravity fed since we're leveled  off the pilots flick a couple of switches and the   buzzing stops in the cabin of the plane no one is  even slightly aware there is a problem Liam and   Sophia continue to talk businessmen sleep parents  keep their children entertained in the next few   minutes Everything Will Change and screams will  fill the aircraft 804 PM Flight 143 runs out of   fuel a different alarm in the cockpit begins going  off this time it's indicating there's a problem   with the right engine ah this can't be coincidence  says quintal Pearson looks at him and grabs the   Yoke the only way both engines could have pressure  is use is if we are out of fuel Pearson says   what's the closest airport we can land at cantal  pulls out a series of maps and charts the engines   are still running but lights are flashing  through the cockpit it's clear something is   very wrong Winnipeg says can tell if the engines  keep going for a little while longer we can make   it to win at that moment the left engine fails  the plane lurches the flight attendants know   something is wrong this is not just some sort of  turbulence the sound of the left engine can be   heard winding down the plane begins to descend  the passengers aren't quite sure what's going   on but there is a palpable fear starting to fill  the cabin the head flight attendant makes their   way toward the cockpit we lost the left engine  Pearson shouts just as the flight attendant opens   the cockpit door she stands there with a look of  horror on her face but immediately falls back on   her training she closes the door and informs the  rest of the cabin crew alright let's prepare for a   single engine Landing we've been trained for just  this kind of situation Pearson says can tell nods   his head and starts radiuing the tower in Winnipeg  that they've lost an engine and will be conducting   an emergency landing as katullas were laying his  message Pearson tries to restart the left engine   it sputters but won't start up again a new siren  begins to blare in the cockpit the Pilot's worst   nightmare has come true the siren signals that all  the engines are out then there's a sharp bong that   neither pilot has ever heard before and everything  goes dark 806 PM two minutes after Flight 143 ran   out of fuel the passengers now know something  is wrong the lights in the plane have gone   completely out and the sound of both engines has  been reduced drastically the 760 7 was one of the   first airliners to run all of their electronics  and flight instruments using the power generated   by the engines this wouldn't have been a problem  if there was one engine still running but that's   no longer the case passengers begin to scream  and children begin to cry the flight attendants   try to keep their cool as they tell everyone to  fasten their seatbelts and remain calm the plane   jerks back and forth it's falling from the sky  Liam looks around trying to figure out what's   happening he own buckles the seat belt and stands  up Sophia grabs him and pulls him back to his seat   buckle up I think we're gonna crash she Whispers  Liam's eyes are wide he's never been so scared   in his life he rebuckles his seatbelt and looks  at Sophia she holds out her hand he takes it she   squeezes tight Flight 143 descends to 35 000 feet  or 10 700 meters its losing altitude fast Pearson   holds tightly onto the shaking yoke and tries to  keep the plane level kintal has informed Winnipeg   they lost both engines he looks at Pearson I don't  remember this being covered in training kintel   says it's because it wasn't shelves Pearson  this wasn't supposed to happen kintal grabs   the emergency manual looking for the section that  contains the checklist of things to do when both   engines go out he's disheartened to find that no  such checklist exists the pilots are operating in   the dim glow cast by the few instruments that run  on their own batteries everything else including   their screens sensors and warning lights went  off when the second engine failed 807 PM three   minutes after Flight 143 ran out of fuel I can't  move the Yoke pedals or any of the levers Pearson   yells when the power went out the hydraulic  systems used to multiply the force of the pilot   so they could operate the heavy machinery of the  aircraft from the cockpit became disabled now no   matter what either pilot does nothing will budge  for a moment Pearson is filled with Terror as he   no longer has control of the plane there's a loud  clunk from the fuselage when the power went out an   emergency Ram Air turbine swung out from a hidden  compartment this turbine drives a hydraulic pump   that reinstates the power supply to the hydraulic  system the controls on the cockpit begin working   again 809 p.m five minutes after Flight 143 ran  out of fuel Flight 143 continues to descend toward   the ground all right I can do this Pearson says  out loud he thinks about his experiences as a   glider pilot those crafts are much smaller and  lighter than the 767 but he could use the same   principles to hopefully bring this Behemoth of  a plane in for a landing in order to give them   the best shot of making it to Winnipeg Pearson  calculates the optimum gliding speed for a 100   ton passenger plane in his head this has obviously  never been done before so he does the best with   what he has I'm going to try to slow us down to  220 knots Pearson says to control who's still   using charts and maps to identify the best place  to set the plane down cantel gives him a thumbs up   and speaks into his headset we're changing our  speed to 220 knots Winnipeg please be advised   we're coming in hot without any engines or power  cantal unbuckles and proceeds to the cabin full   of frightened people we have a fuel problem he  tells the headlight attendant we're gonna land   in Winnipeg cantal turns around and rushes back  into the cockpit the flight attendant informs   of passengers Liam looks out the window and sees  nothing but trees and natural features they are   nowhere near Winnipeg his stomach sinks Liam turns  to Sophia her eyes are closed he stares at her for   a few seconds when she opens one of her eyes she  squeezes his hand again we're gonna be okay she   says Liam pauses for a moment if we make it out of  this alive can I buy you a coffee he asks Sophia   Smiles I would like that she Whispers 8 11 p.m  7 minutes after Flight 143 ran out of fuel Catal   grabs Pearson's arm I don't think we can make it  to Winnipeg he says I've charted it three times   we just don't have the altitude cattell points to  one of the mechanical backup instruments that's   still working he used the aircraft's radar Echo  from Winnipeg to determine the plane had lost 5   000 feet in 10 nautical miles at that rate they'd  fall well short of reaching the Winnipeg Airfield   I'm gonna look for an alternative kintel shouts  just keep this bird Airborne for as long as   possible Pearson makes slight adjustments to give  cantel more time he's flying by feel at this point   as all the instruments to help guide the aircraft  are either dead or useless without electricity he   cranes his neck to get a look at the landscape  below he can tell that their descent is faster   than he hoped all Pearson can do is keep the  plane steady until kintal finds an alternate   Landing site 8 12 p.m 8 minutes after Flight 143  ran out of fuel a large group of people is camped   out at gamely Motorsports Park getting ready for  the races in the coming days this particular event   is being hosted by Winnipeg sports car club  campers and RVs are set up along the tree line   and pond hot dogs and burgers are being cooked on  open fires kids run around playing tag while the   adults relax in their chairs and sip on drinks the  festivities at the park are supposed to be one of   the best of the Year cars and drivers from across  the region have converged at Gimli to compete or   just watch the action there's a road race course  a go-kart track a drag strip at the moment none   of the courses are being used as the events have  ended for the day Gimli is a perfect sight for the   event as he used to be an Airfield for the Royal  Canadian Air Force after it was decommissioned   the auto clubs took over little did anyone know  that the Airfield was about to become operational   once again and everyone who was there would be  in grave danger 8 14 PM 10 minutes after Flight   143 ran out of fuel I think I found a place to  land can tell says to Pearson there's an old   decommissioned Air Force Base I used to fly out  of not too far from here called Gimli it's within   our flight path should be abandoned unless it's  been repurposed for something else but as far as   I can tell from the map we should be able to make  it Pearson adjusts this course slightly to line   up at the Airfield quintal relays his new plan to  Winnipeg and tells him to send emergency services   to Gimli the air traffic controller confirms  the request no one at the Winnipeg control tower   has any idea of the Airfield is being used for a  Motorsports event 8 17 PM 13 minutes after Flight   143 ran out of fuel cattell runs his fingers over  the different switches on the dashboard looking   for the correct one he locates the lever to force  a gravity drop of the landing gear when hydraulic   system went out with the rest of the power the  pilots lost the ability to lower the landing gear   to remedy the situation at gravity drop forces the  locking mechanism to mechanically unclamp and the   landing gear to free fall into position Sophia  hears a loud bang and the sound of rushing wind   under the floorboards she looks at Liam I think  that was the landing gear she says Liam looks out   the window the landscape is much closer than when  he last checked people all around him are either   praying yelling or holding onto their armrests for  dear life it'll only be a matter of minutes before   they are either safely on the ground or engulfed  by a raging Inferno as the plane is ripped apart   on impact the rear landing gear is down and locked  says can tall but we have a problem with the nose   wheel for some reason it's not locked into place  there's no way for the pilots to fix it or try   again without power so they just hope for the  best Pearson shouts back to the flight attendants   prepare for an emergency landing this message  is relayed to the passengers and everyone holds   on tight 8 19 PM 15 minutes after Flight 143 ran  out of fuel Pearson can now see the runway they're   aiming for it looks like there's some activity  in the area but he hopes it's just emergency   vehicles who are there to come to their aid he  glances outside the cockpit window to try to get   a reading on their speed it becomes clear that  the plane is approaching the runway too fast and   if they don't slow down they'll overshoot their  target without Hydraulics or power there's no way   to extend the flaps to slow their speed maybe we  should fly a circle around the Airfield to slow us   down cantal suggests Pearson shakes his head the  plane doesn't have enough altitude to complete the   full maneuver I'm gonna try something I do when  I'm gliding Pearson says he shifts the control so   that the rudder is going in One Direction and The  ailerons are pointed in the other direction this   is known as a side slip and causes the plane  to increase drag while decreasing altitude at   the same time the controls tighten up as the air  being forced through the Ramjet decreases Pearson   has put all his strength into straightening the  plane back out in preparation for the landing   he grits his teeth and pulls hard 8 20 PM 16  minutes after Flight 143 ran out of fuel the   Campers at Gimli continue to play golf ride bikes  and cook dinner unaware that a passenger airliner   is careening toward them the sun is still above  the Horizon as the sun months receive a lot of   light this far north there's no way for anyone  to know that the plane is approaching as without   working engines the aircraft makes very little  noise everyone at the decommissioned Airfield   continues to enjoy their evening as Flight 143  comes barreling toward them are those kids on   bikes can tall asks pointing ahead of them the  plane is only a thousand feet or 300 meters off   the ground get out out of the way kids Pearson  yells even though he knows there's no way they   can hear him he pulls back on the Yoke and glances  out the window he sees the boys looking up at the   plane with her mouths wide open this is it Pearson  yells there's no stopping now 8 21 PM 17 minutes   after Flight 143 ran out of fuel people at the  Motorsports event scream as the 767 crashes into   the ground and begins sliding toward them people  on the plane yell in terrorists they're thrown   against their seatbelts from the impact Liam holds  Sophia in his arms hoping they can make it out of   this alive Pearson and can tall slam on the brakes  as soon as the wheels touch down the plane skids   along the decommissioned Runway the front landing  gear gives and the nose of the plane slams into   the ground sending Sparks and smoke flying out  from the metal scraping against the concrete a   guard rail that was constructed to separate the  two sides of the drag racing strip gets caught   under the nose of the plane the screeching of  metal on metal fills the air this additional   friction helps to slow the plane down ahead of the  nose Pearson can see a large large group of RVs   and campers at the end of the runway if they don't  stop this plane will slam into the group of people   and vehicles causing immense death and destruction  he grits his teeth harder and pulls back on the   Yoke Flight 143 continues to Skid along the runway  crashing through the barriers the group of campers   is getting closer and closer two of the plane's  tires explode causing the metal casings to scratch   against the ground the plane is almost at the end  of the runway the campers are only 1300 feet away   1200 feet 1100 feet a thousand feet suddenly the  airplane comes to a stop it rocks back and forth   before settling the nose has been crushed and  the landing gear is mangled the smoking fuselage   rests on the ground Pearson opens his eyes he  doesn't move suddenly he hears Applause erupt   from the main cabin behind him the passengers  are thanking the flight team and cheering the   amazing flight skills of Captain Pearson and  first officer can tall they saved everyone's   lives and managed to stop the plane before it  hurt anyone at the Motorsports Festival 8 23 P.M   19 minutes after Flight 143 ran out of fuel  the emergency hatches and doors of the plane   are opened since the front landing gear failed  the entire plane is on an incline with the tail   high up in the air the flight crew deploys the  emergency Chutes and the passengers are helped   down Sophia steps out of the hatch jumps and  slides to safety Liam is right behind her when   he reach the bottom of the slide Sophia is  waiting for him with her arms outstretched   they Embrace for a moment then proceed to the  side of the runway the people camped around   the decommissioned Airfield raced to the plane to  provide any help they can emergency services are   on their way no one is pushing or shoving to get  off the plane the worst is over and the passengers   exit in an orderly manner the last people off  the aircraft are the flight attendants and the   two pilots as ambulances and fire trucks arrive  on the scene a few of the passengers with minor   injuries are treated everyone else waits to be  brought to Winnipeg where they'll be put up for   the night by Air Canada Sophia and Liam stand hand  in hand as fire Crews spray the nose of the plane   with water to cool the metal Hull she turns to  Liam and looks him in the eyes how about that   she says they both laugh there were over  60 passengers and eight crew members aboard   Flight 143 everyone survived and there were no  serious injuries Captain Robert Pearson and first   officer Maurice quintal Were Heroes however an  investigation into what happened to the plane   did uncover the mistakes made when calculating the  amount of fuel necessary to make it to Edmonton   July 25th 1983 two days after Flight 143 ran out  of fuel the aircraft is repaired right on Gimli   Airfield and flown from the decommissioned  Air Base to Winnipeg where it underwent a   rigorous set of repairs and maintenance work  in the coming months the 767 will return to   service and continue to fly Air Canada passengers  until it's replaced by an updated model after the   investigation concludes Captain Pearson is demoted  for six months and first officer cantales put   on a two-week suspension for their roles in the  incident three maintenance workers who worked on   the plane that day were also suspended however  in 1985 both Pearson and quintal were awarded   the first ever federacion and nautique internet  National diploma for outstanding airmanship they   had saved the lives of everyone on Flight 143 in  their quick decision making and admirable flying   saved the plane itself during the investigation  several attempts to replicate Pearson and can   tell success in landing a 767 without any engines  were carried out in simulations every single test   resulted in the plane crashing while Pearson  control had done was nothing short of a miracle   both men continued to Pilot aircraft for the  rest of their lives expectedly always double   checking their fuel levels before takeoff  now watch Malaysian air mystery what we now   know about missing flight MH370 or check out  what happens when you break the sound barrier

Channel: The Infographics Show

Views: 302,122

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Id: 7bvcmAcbFYY

Length: 32min 2sec (1922 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 01 2023