@@thomascabaniss1709 a pilot doesn't necessarily know what makes good UA-cam content. What's good about regurgitating a script someone wrote for you and still getting things wrong? I'm not questioning the pilots knowledge of planes, but any historian could tell you about the things Simon talks about in this video.
I have reached the point where I have more singles awaiting their mates than I have pairs of socks. I am beginning to suspect that the manufacturers of apartment pay-laundry equipment own a couple of major sock makers.
I've heard a lot of aviation accident stories, but very few of them scare me. Sure, if i were there in the moment i would be terrified, but not many of the stories scare me while listening to them in the moment. Usually because there's a human element, humans make mistakes. Usually if it's because of stupidity, corprorate greed, or stuff like egyptair, i'm more angry than scared. When it's genuine mistakes i can feel sympathy. The story that actually scared me they most was Quantas 72. Everything was going fine until the plane suddenly dived. The pilots got it back up, but a few minutes later it dove again. The pilots thankfully got the plane out of the dive and landed safely and there were no deaths, though the passengers suffered many serious injuries. The scariest part was that it happened just because the computer went haywire. No one knows how or why, to his day. The computer is supposed to be the most reliable part of the plane, as they're not susceptible to human error. Having the one part of the plane that should never fail, fail, for seemingly no reason at all? terrifies me.
727s are very technical aircraft to fly and require 3 crew, a pilot, a copilot, and a flight engineer to keep track of the engines and other equipment.These gauges are behind the pilots and not easily visible from the front seats.
If I remember correctly, Gamil al-Batouti was charged with sexual harassment/ misconduct charges in the US by one or more stewardesses and it was alleged that this caused so much shame that he decided to do what he did.
@@wilsonli5642 Exactly. Dont fire someone on Monday, dont fire them moments before going on "Live TV". Dont fire them right before meeting your biggest client. Dont fire them right before making a trans-Atlantic flight.
@@syreallewyatt5048 in my experience in leadership, we've always been told to wait till the end of shift, or project before dismissing anybody. Otherwise you're ASKING for retribution and sabotage
Not mentioned about the RIVET AMBER aircraft - a rather large section of the fuselage was made of fiberglass. Scuttlebutt speculation among the community is that was the most probable cause of the problem, in that it literally peeled apart and dis-integrated in mid flight. Fun fact - all versions of the RC-135 fleet are so extensively modified, that the original manufacturer, Boeing, has disavowed any and all responsibility for the airframes, to the point that all badges, insignia, and placards on them bearing any reference to Boeing have been removed. And although "old", every RC is essentially "rebuilt" (all the way down to the main spar) on a regular basis, a process so complete that it effectively "zeroes out" the time on them, such that they are essentially brand new airplanes. The cumulative price tag on them makes them probably the most expensive aircraft in the USAF inventory.
I went on one of the RC-135Us when it had been totally gutted for the first time in 20 years. There was literally nothing there but the fuselage and wings. Even those had holes in them. They found 8,000 pounds of lead shielding that had been left on the plane when it was a radiation sniffer. This rebuild took almost two years to complete and when finished it was still the heaviest C-135 in the whole fleet.
I flew on one of the planes that was essentially a continuation of the RIVET AMBER, the COBRA BALL. So I heard quite a bit about that plane's loss. The funny thing is the Air Force claims that the most likely cause of the RIVET AMBER's loss was separation of the vertical stabilizer. I have no idea how they came up with that based on what little is known of the crash. But it does seem convenient that the Air Forces claim puts the blame on the basic structure common to all C-135, and not the crazy modification they made to that specific aircraft. If there were any other cases of C-135 variants crashing to the vertical stabilizer popping off mid-flight, I haven't heard of them.
@@ressljs I was a USAF civilian program manager that developed and installed systems into Combat Sent and Rivet Joint. I never got on Ball but worked with the Ball manager as some of the its systems where common With Joint. The word I had was Lisa Ann likely had the cockpit separate from the fuselage in turbulence. Boeing would support all the RC fleet but did not want anything to do with Lisa Ann because they thought it was structurally compromised because so much of the floor beams and skin had been removed. E-Systems disagreed but they never supported building another one like they did the Ball replacements. I worked with one of the operators who survived the second Ball crash. It has a great mission but some of those flights were terrible but it sure was better than the guys riding in the companion ship in the Barents.
@@karlstreed3698 Thank God Shemya was shut down (at least as far as general operations) before I started flying on the Ball. Beyond the dangerous conditions, it's sounds absolutely miserable. I had heard rumors about Boeing declaring the Lisa Ann (another name for the Rivet Amber, in case any non-insiders read this) and refusing to be associated with it. I got that from decades worth of whisper down the lane, so I left it out of my post. But it sounds like you had a more direct and reliable source, so thanks for backing up the rumors I heard.
EgyptAir 990 is NOT a mystery.. not even close. The investigation's finding of pilot suicide/murder is disputed by the Egyptians only because it's a huge embarrassment for them. The evidence is overwhelming.
Very true. He had a history of sexual harassment and on the layover in NY was sited for grabbing room service maids. He was told that was the “last straw” you’re fired as soon as we land in Cairo. The voice recorder clearly recorded him saying “I have made my decision....” just before the engines were cut and the airliner deliberately crashed into the ocean.
Based on the evidence found. I'd be willing to agree with you. The motivation seems somewhat mysterious, but the events were clear in the flight data recording.
I doubt there is any one individual who knows of all the channels he hosts--you know, like how they distribute the keys and launch codes to nukes among several people? ;-)
TopTenz, Today I Found Out, Biographics, Geographics, Mega Projects, Side Projects, Highlight History, Xplrd, Business Blaze, the Casual Criminalist. Have I missed any, allegedly? Just wanted to see if I could off the top of my head.
For Pan Am Flight 7, since the recovered passengers had high carbon monoxide levels in their blood, and the plane crashed well off-course, I'd suspect the pilots were overcome with carbon monoxide which is why they would have gone off-course and crashed. It would also explain the reason for no mayday from the aircraft.
@@user46346bdtgry yet in the story Simon dismissed him given that his ticket cost more than the debt he went to collect. That makes him more suspicious in my book.
Using Air Canada flight 797 and Swiss Air flight 111 as a guide, it seems probable that Pan Am 7 had a smoldering fire. Air crews will do what they can to attempt to control or put out the fire-- Particularly in the case of Pan Am 7 when they were a long way from an airport. Ditching in the ocean is only slightly preferable to crashing in the ocean. That leaves some time for the plane to go off course, for passengers to be alerted to put on life jackets, and absorb C0 into their blood streams from the smoke. It seems the pilots of Pan Am 7 beat the odds and did a fairly good ditching. However, as we learned from Air Canada flight 797, once a smoldering fire gains access to air from emergency exits being opened, the fire roars into life very quickly. It would explain some of the bodies apparently having survived the ditching, and getting out into the water where they unfortunately drowned. I suspect the majority of passengers probably died of the fire or smoke inhalation post ditching, their bodies going down with the aircraft.
content idea :) Simon needs to make a business blaze video with the top or favourite video from that channel, but done in a blaze format. eg: the geographics Yellowstone supervolcano video getting blazed. It would bring Yellowstone to a whole new level! and each channel could have their top videos or simply simons favourite, can get remade and updated with a good lashing of in-jokes and memes.
My grandfather was the flight engineer on the first plane with those engines to make back safely on the ground with the runaway prop. Turns out a part was missing in a lot of the blade hubs.
Fun fact: speaking of The Wright Brothers, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter carries a small piece of cloth from the Wright Flyer under its solar panel. Due for its first flight above Mars tomorrow.
A fun fact is all it is. I personally find it stupid to remove a part of the first airplane so it can also fly first on two seperate planets. Just a pointless pr stunt or a new useless fact for school children.
The Egyption pilot was facing an investigation in regard to a hotel employee who accused him of inapropriate advances. The disgrace to his family was thought to be the reason for his action. Another example of a pilot not wishing to bring disgrace upon his family was Silk Air over Indonesia.
I lived near a medium sized airport when I was a growing up and saw some interesting accidents growing up. Nothing that would classify as a disaster but still no air plane accident (especially with commercial jets) is "small." One of the most memorable was when a passenger liner went past the end of the tarmack and ended up stopping pretty much right at the edge of the airport's property line... any further and the jet would have ended up jumping the railroad and into the field that backed the homes nearest the airport.
To have your memory of time not suffer from the diminishing memory makers and adult statification. When young your time behind is not that long and you do things lots that make "noticeable" memories. When older and "settled" more into an adult life you tend to do the "same thing" each day, ie work etc, and less "adventures". This leads to more time going inbetween the memories so the time when you look back is less filled with stuff. BTW, it totally sucks lol
As of 1989 when I was flying on RC-135s out of Offutt AFB on Rivet Joint, Rivet Amber was still talked about. Lots of assumptions as to the cause, but no one knew for sure. That similar mission out of Shemy is now flown by Cobra Ball, but guys from Offutt still man it.
I know it is technically the past, but there were two separate incidents of hollow core blades failing on the same day in the last couple of months. The more reported one is where the cowling fell on a guy's truck in Denver.
SIMON, I AM WAITING! :) I once commented with these suggestions and you told me I would see some soon! ;) Trbovlje Power Station: The Tallest Chimney in Europe (read as: terbowlye) Slovene Karst: The Region That Gave the Karst Phenomena its Name Predjama Castle: A Castle in a Cave (read as: predyama) The Soča River: The Emerald River that Ran Red During WWI (read as: socha) Maribor: City with the Oldest Vine in the World Franja Hospital: Secret WWII Mountain Hospital that Nazis Never Found (read as: franya) Come on, give this girl something to be happy about! :)
4 months ago I would have played along, but you're probably too stupid to realize it was 4 months ago. Anyway, kick rocks to the next "brand-new" video clip from sometime in May and be amazed. Weirdo.
It would doubtlessly be an interesting video, but I think the ultimate answer is that there’s no other way to make a really big building out of stone without more advanced construction techniques (like arches). They have to be shaped like that for structural integrity.
@@mitcharcher7528 Yes, when you don't know how to do it, you inevitably end up with a pyramid shape. Basically you are just stacking rocks, and so you get a pyramid in the end.
Egyptian gov PISSED ME OFF. He'd just learned he was no longer allowed to do International U.S. flights due to constant sexual harassment & was in trouble once back. Slap in the face to victims & the families. RIP to all
KLM Flight 607-E is always one that has interested me. It crashed not far off the coast of my home town in Ireland and a lot of its victims were buried in a local cemetery where my grandparents and other family members are buried. There is a memorial to the victims there too. No true cause was ever identified. It's always one that's fascinated me due to the local connection. My grandfather was a skipper of one of the boats who assisted with recovering victims remains from the crash site. It would make an interesting topic for a video or documentary.
I don't know what happened in the cockpit of EgyptAir 990, but I can say one thing for sure: The pilot saying "I rely on God" is in no way an indication of suicidal intent in and of itself. We as Muslims say phrases like that in moments of stress or danger all the time, in exactly the same way others might exclaim "Oh my God" or "Damn it". If anything, to another Muslim, hearing the pilot say "I rely on God" means the pilot is doing his best to gain control of the situation.
The cvr picked up the co pilot telling the other to take a break and go to the restroom, after which he began to change the controls to begin the crash the planes. It also picks up the pilot returning and trying to regain control with no help from the co pilot. It was very much murder suicide. The Egyptian government was just trying to save face. It’s a very similar case to the Germanwings murder suicide, after which laws were changed to prevent this occurrence.
I've got an idea for a video. Project Maurader was (or still may be) an experimental plasma weapons system using the shiva star capacitor bank. It was intended as an ICBM interception system. Apparently it worked because after 1995 all of the research was classified.
How the hell does this man make a video on a topic that I’m thinking about within a few hours of me thinking about it. This is the 3rd time now. I am convinced they are scanning my brain for video ideas
Have you ever seen the movie Truman Show with J. Carrey?? We're all watching your every move and know what you're gonna do before you know what you're gonna do
I beg to differ on being "certified" to fly a jumbo. I've watched all the airplane! Movies, airport disaster movies, and enough air crash investigations to know how to fly a plane. All you need to know is: Flaps in correct orientation for ascent, Keep the plane level Know what "stall speed" is Full beans on the throttle for take off. Cute air stewardess. Happy days. Always enjoyable Simon.
4:51 "... embarking on a multi-stop flight around the world. Between California, Hawaii and ultimately Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." I can see the problem. The pilot had been told he was going around the world. Whereas the bloke putting in the fuel thought it was going around the USA.
Pan Am flight 7 was a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, not a 337. The model was based on the B-29 Superfortress, which was the largest bomber in WWII. The civilian model B-377 was pressurized and was a double decker with a spiral staircase and sleeper berths. It also had a lounge or bar downstairs. The engines on those were notoriously unreliable.
Great video. I was familiar with two of the cases but the others were new to me. Mind a video suggestion? A video covering the lost and missing A-Bombs over the years would be interesting for those not familiar with those cases. Also, while its not missing A-Bombs, the rogue A-10 flight of Captain Craig Button and the four 500 lb MK-82 bombs which to this day were never recovered.
A not really fun fact: Shipping companies and insurers don't recognise the area as a high risk and there are scores of ships on multiple shipping lanes through the 'Bermuda Triangle' which pass through daily without incident.
I am surprised and a little disappointed you did not mention the flight from NYC to Caracas via a stopover in Miami back in the 50s - I believe if I recall correctly that too was a PanAm flight. It went missing, then showed up in Venezuela about 50 years later, which caused the people on board the plane to panic, leading them to rush another takeoff again and they yet again completely disappeared without a trace, only to show up a few hours later landing at Miami again, and from there, the industry and government tried their best to avoid any media attention on it and the people onboard and dismiss it away claiming none of that ever happened, aka, covered it up. It was clear proof of Time Dilation, that the plane and every6one onboard went through and experienced as it was the exact plane, registration, age, condition, etc that it was it was last seen in the 50s, and the people on board also were exactly the same in every way that they were then as well. I have to wonder what that was like to have to live through and experience for those poor people onboard that flight, returning 50 years later and literally everything being entirely different, history having been written and stored away on the back-burners of everyone's minds, yet for them, they knew of none of it at all, because for them, it was still the 1950s. Their friends, coworkers, relatives, etc all either dead or long moved on and 50 years older than they were in the 50s, while they again themselves were still the very same in every single way as they were in the 50s - including the very same age, too. Can you imagine what that must be like? That's a whole different kind of torment, terror, confusion, frustration and torture all together to have to go through that. A unique form of trauma you'll never understand or be able to even begin to envision unless you end up experiencing the same yourself at some point. I wonder how many survived it, how many managed to figure out how to move on as well, and fit back into the groove and grind of life at that point in time. And I am curious for those who did not end their lives over it, those who did not lose it mentally, and those who did not/have not died yet, what their perception, understanding and stories of the experience are like and would be. That's especially what I would LOVE to be able to discover and document. It would be profoundly unique and deeply interesting.
Nice to see you got the picture of the 727 right. It's often confused with the Lockheed tri-star. This was the choice of famed hijacker D. B. Cooper as well due to its having a door right below the tail for easy escape skydiving.
Why would it be confused with the TriStar? They look enormously different. I usually see people confusing them with the HS Trident, and the Tupolev Tu-154
This is bizarre. I had never heard of Pam Am flight 7 until 2 hours ago when I saw the story on "Mysteries At The Museum" on TV. Now I turn on Simon's program and there it is again. Weird!
Rivet Amber has always stuck with me. We'll likely never know what went on onboard that aircraft in its final moments, and that just adds to the mystery.
Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view!" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment?
If you do this one again, do the missing flight of Begich and Boggs, two major US politicians (one of whose daughters became a reporter) who disappeared flying in Alaska.
Gamal al-Batouti was reportedly in very hot water with his employer. He had been suspected of "inappropriate" relations with underage girls while staying at the airline's hotel in New York City, and he was facing both termination and possibly loss of his flying privileges (Egyptair was government owned and its personnel were subject to discipline by civil servants). Batouti was an older, family man, and he was looking at destitution and loss of his professional reputation. That's a lot of motive.
That could be sufficient motive to take your own life, but to take a plane full of passengers with you at the same time makes you a mass murderer. Even severely depressed people don’t want to go to that point.
@@Sashazur There was also the fact that it was his own aircrew that tattled on him to Egyptair. Primarily the chief pilot sitting next to him. If it was murder suicide, he wanted to destroy their reputations as well as their lives. Who can say what was going on in his mind at the time.
Another good one was a c-124 that ditched in the atlantic, the crew was seen in life rafts but never recovered. Speculation was they were picked up by a nearby Soviet ship.
Very interesting presentation! (I enjoy most of the content on all of your channels.) If I may make a a small suggestion, stick to solid-colored shirts or jackets on camera. Checkers are really bad for camera/screen work. All the best!! Keep up the great work!!
I don't remember the number of the flight, but there is this one "mysterious" aviation story that has stuck to my mind. I believe the plane had depressurized mid-flight and everyone inside had gone unconscious, so the entire plane was on autopilot. The ground control first believed the plane had been hijacked, so they sent fighter jets to check on it and the pilots of those said they'd seen someone moving in the cockpit, leaving, and then coming back. For quite some time at that. Only one person though. And apparently they were moving around in the cockpit for quite some time, all the way until the plane ran out of fuel and went into a nosedive. The mystery to me, is, who was that person? And what were they doing? Why were they the only one moving? Was it a disoriented pilot or someone else trying to desperately take control of the plane before it fell? Questions we'll never know an answer to.
I had friends on Rivet Amber. One thing to note is that the radar fired out of the right side of the aircraft. The whole right side of the fuselage from just behind the flight deck to the leading edge of the wing was fiberglass to be radar transparent. My theory has always been that turbulence caused it to rip and just tore the plane apart. Oh, and I'm sure you know that the photo you showed is a much later model RC-135.
Would love to see you do something on the Libyan c130’s that have been sitting at Lockheed for 20+ years rotting on the runway. Can get in touch with some folks if interested
That last one doesn't seem like a mystery, just some nut who was given the power to kill all them people, and did so, but denied by the government because pride, which is just stupid... :\
It's the the same vein as the SilkAir crash where NTSB believe it to be Pilot Suicide (or at least in along those lines), where the other investigators disagree and believe it to be an error with the plane.
@@BannorPhil Gameel al-Batouti was a prominent member of a political dynasty with ties to both Nasser and Sadat. That is to say, he was a secularist like his family and their political allies, pretty far away from being a religious nutjob. He was also a war hero, having served as combat pilot in the Egyptian Air Force, and later as a flight instructor. His problem was that despite all this background, his career as an airline pilot was stunted by his lack of English proficiency, preventing him from achieving captaincy because the final exam for that position is conducted in English. At the time of his death, Al-Batouti was one of the most senior and respected pilots in the company, and Egypt in general. He was planning to happily enter retirement in his family estate. Then just before the fateful Flight 990, he was accused of sexual harrasment in his Los Angeles hotel, or rather, he committed sexual harrasment and was reported. It was a pretty clear and cut case that happened outside of Egypt. Even with his family backing he was looking at the possibility of being discharged dishonorably, potentially losing his pension and his family's dignity. This, more than any religious inclination, was his most probable motive for committing suicide. His last prayer (which may give the impression of religious fanaticism) was actually just the standard driver's prayer in Egypt. Sort of like someone saying, Sweet Jesus, don't let me crash this car today. Ironic considering what he was about to do, and also a point the EAAA used as an argument to show he wasn't trying to crash the plane.
@@andrewsuryali8540 Also, the only way for the two elevator halves to be in opposite positions would be mechanical failure. (I'm a pilot. We have to know these things.)
Well done Simon this was really good!
....COMIN UP!!
hello 74 gear.
Nothing Simon does is 'really good'. It's the equivalent of a factory mass producing crap
@@henrycheng6361 dude the guy praising him is a cargo pilot of a 747. He knows what he's talking about. He's got a UA-cam channel about it.
@@thomascabaniss1709 a pilot doesn't necessarily know what makes good UA-cam content. What's good about regurgitating a script someone wrote for you and still getting things wrong? I'm not questioning the pilots knowledge of planes, but any historian could tell you about the things Simon talks about in this video.
“Where does time go?”
The same place all those single socks go.
And biro pen lids along with the third smallest allen key in a set.
"The laundromat of oblivion"
I have reached the point where I have more singles awaiting their mates than I have pairs of socks. I am beginning to suspect that the manufacturers of apartment pay-laundry equipment own a couple of major sock makers.
They go to the missing cheap ball point planet that douglas adams discovered. The pens obviously need something for winter, and why would they need 2?
The Egyptair one has always haunted me...those poor, poor passengers. It’s just too horrendous to think about.
The reaction in Egypt is an embarrassment. When saving face is more important than uncovering the truth.
I've heard a lot of aviation accident stories, but very few of them scare me. Sure, if i were there in the moment i would be terrified, but not many of the stories scare me while listening to them in the moment. Usually because there's a human element, humans make mistakes. Usually if it's because of stupidity, corprorate greed, or stuff like egyptair, i'm more angry than scared. When it's genuine mistakes i can feel sympathy. The story that actually scared me they most was Quantas 72. Everything was going fine until the plane suddenly dived. The pilots got it back up, but a few minutes later it dove again. The pilots thankfully got the plane out of the dive and landed safely and there were no deaths, though the passengers suffered many serious injuries. The scariest part was that it happened just because the computer went haywire. No one knows how or why, to his day. The computer is supposed to be the most reliable part of the plane, as they're not susceptible to human error. Having the one part of the plane that should never fail, fail, for seemingly no reason at all? terrifies me.
727s are very technical aircraft to fly and require 3 crew, a pilot, a copilot, and a flight engineer to keep track of the engines and other equipment.These gauges are behind the pilots and not easily visible from the front seats.
Yes, the gauges are behind the pilot, but that doesn't matter, because the flight engineer was sitting with his face right in front of those gauges.
@@Kirovets7011 What flight engineer? Two people stole an old 727. One, a pilot without a 727 type rating. The other, a mechanic.
If I remember correctly, Gamil al-Batouti was charged with sexual harassment/ misconduct charges in the US by one or more stewardesses and it was alleged that this caused so much shame that he decided to do what he did.
Wikipedia says he was basically told he would be banned from international flights... Seems like they should have told him after he got back.
@@wilsonli5642 Exactly. Dont fire someone on Monday, dont fire them moments before going on "Live TV". Dont fire them right before meeting your biggest client. Dont fire them right before making a trans-Atlantic flight.
EgyptAir deny this incident but it’s on record in the US.
You are correct
@@syreallewyatt5048 in my experience in leadership, we've always been told to wait till the end of shift, or project before dismissing anybody. Otherwise you're ASKING for retribution and sabotage
Not mentioned about the RIVET AMBER aircraft - a rather large section of the fuselage was made of fiberglass. Scuttlebutt speculation among the community is that was the most probable cause of the problem, in that it literally peeled apart and dis-integrated in mid flight. Fun fact - all versions of the RC-135 fleet are so extensively modified, that the original manufacturer, Boeing, has disavowed any and all responsibility for the airframes, to the point that all badges, insignia, and placards on them bearing any reference to Boeing have been removed. And although "old", every RC is essentially "rebuilt" (all the way down to the main spar) on a regular basis, a process so complete that it effectively "zeroes out" the time on them, such that they are essentially brand new airplanes. The cumulative price tag on them makes them probably the most expensive aircraft in the USAF inventory.
I went on one of the RC-135Us when it had been totally gutted for the first time in 20 years. There was literally nothing there but the fuselage and wings. Even those had holes in them. They found 8,000 pounds of lead shielding that had been left on the plane when it was a radiation sniffer. This rebuild took almost two years to complete and when finished it was still the heaviest C-135 in the whole fleet.
I flew on one of the planes that was essentially a continuation of the RIVET AMBER, the COBRA BALL. So I heard quite a bit about that plane's loss. The funny thing is the Air Force claims that the most likely cause of the RIVET AMBER's loss was separation of the vertical stabilizer. I have no idea how they came up with that based on what little is known of the crash. But it does seem convenient that the Air Forces claim puts the blame on the basic structure common to all C-135, and not the crazy modification they made to that specific aircraft. If there were any other cases of C-135 variants crashing to the vertical stabilizer popping off mid-flight, I haven't heard of them.
@@ressljs I was a USAF civilian program manager that developed and installed systems into Combat Sent and Rivet Joint. I never got on Ball but worked with the Ball manager as some of the its systems where common With Joint. The word I had was Lisa Ann likely had the cockpit separate from the fuselage in turbulence. Boeing would support all the RC fleet but did not want anything to do with Lisa Ann because they thought it was structurally compromised because so much of the floor beams and skin had been removed. E-Systems disagreed but they never supported building another one like they did the Ball replacements. I worked with one of the operators who survived the second Ball crash. It has a great mission but some of those flights were terrible but it sure was better than the guys riding in the companion ship in the Barents.
@@karlstreed3698 Thank God Shemya was shut down (at least as far as general operations) before I started flying on the Ball. Beyond the dangerous conditions, it's sounds absolutely miserable. I had heard rumors about Boeing declaring the Lisa Ann (another name for the Rivet Amber, in case any non-insiders read this) and refusing to be associated with it. I got that from decades worth of whisper down the lane, so I left it out of my post. But it sounds like you had a more direct and reliable source, so thanks for backing up the rumors I heard.
I wonder if Boeing wishes it could remove all Boeing badges etc. from the 737 MAX
Everytime Simon says "not going to ask if you enjoyed that video" I feel so guilty because I totally did!
Just so long as you're not wanking.
Very on topic, not self-indulgently seeking validation
EgyptAir 990 is NOT a mystery.. not even close. The investigation's finding of pilot suicide/murder is disputed by the Egyptians only because it's a huge embarrassment for them. The evidence is overwhelming.
Smells like a very similar rather recent crash back in 2014....cough cough
@@stuartwinblad5241 yes, but, significantly, MH370 was never found.
Very true. He had a history of sexual harassment and on the layover in NY was sited for grabbing room service maids. He was told that was the “last straw” you’re fired as soon as we land in Cairo. The voice recorder clearly recorded him saying “I have made my decision....” just before the engines were cut and the airliner deliberately crashed into the ocean.
@@stuartwinblad5241 It reminds me of Germanwings flight 9525.
Based on the evidence found. I'd be willing to agree with you. The motivation seems somewhat mysterious, but the events were clear in the flight data recording.
Thanks Simon for helping me train my listening english so much.
Well done!
Is there a video about lesser known channels that Simon hosts? I feel like you’re gearing up for world domination
I doubt there is any one individual who knows of all the channels he hosts--you know, like how they distribute the keys and launch codes to nukes among several people? ;-)
Wait... are his channels all horcruxes that keep him young?! Except they make other people positive??
@@terryenby2304 good one 👍🏼
TopTenz, Today I Found Out, Biographics, Geographics, Mega Projects, Side Projects, Highlight History, Xplrd, Business Blaze, the Casual Criminalist. Have I missed any, allegedly? Just wanted to see if I could off the top of my head.
I feel like I missed one...
Another mysterious crash was that of Hale Boggs and Nicholas Beglich, both members of House of Representatives who disappeared in Alaska in 1972.
Not really a mystery Alaska is one of the worst places in the world for small planes. Weather can change in a minute and icing is very common.
I had the same thought, maybe they'll do a part 2
@@maxpayne2574 And yet there are so many small planes here. Sometimes small planes are the only way to reach certain communities.
Thank you for NOT showing the over-reported disappearances. Great channel. One of my favorites.
For Pan Am Flight 7, since the recovered passengers had high carbon monoxide levels in their blood, and the plane crashed well off-course, I'd suspect the pilots were overcome with carbon monoxide which is why they would have gone off-course and crashed. It would also explain the reason for no mayday from the aircraft.
probably a fire broke out on-board. but that guy with 3 new life insurance policies & explosives knowledge does look sus
@@user46346bdtgry yet in the story Simon dismissed him given that his ticket cost more than the debt he went to collect. That makes him more suspicious in my book.
Also the aircraft type was a Boeing 377 not 337
Using Air Canada flight 797 and Swiss Air flight 111 as a guide, it seems probable that Pan Am 7 had a smoldering fire. Air crews will do what they can to attempt to control or put out the fire-- Particularly in the case of Pan Am 7 when they were a long way from an airport. Ditching in the ocean is only slightly preferable to crashing in the ocean. That leaves some time for the plane to go off course, for passengers to be alerted to put on life jackets, and absorb C0 into their blood streams from the smoke. It seems the pilots of Pan Am 7 beat the odds and did a fairly good ditching. However, as we learned from Air Canada flight 797, once a smoldering fire gains access to air from emergency exits being opened, the fire roars into life very quickly. It would explain some of the bodies apparently having survived the ditching, and getting out into the water where they unfortunately drowned. I suspect the majority of passengers probably died of the fire or smoke inhalation post ditching, their bodies going down with the aircraft.
Carbon monoxide. Yep.
Never cook with your charcoal grill inside an enclosed airliner.
content idea :)
Simon needs to make a business blaze video with the top or favourite video from that channel, but done in a blaze format.
eg: the geographics Yellowstone supervolcano video getting blazed. It would bring Yellowstone to a whole new level!
and each channel could have their top videos or simply simons favourite, can get remade and updated with a good lashing of in-jokes and memes.
I love it!! It’s economical and hilarious!
Haha I like that idea a lot.
My grandfather was the flight engineer on the first plane with those engines to make back safely on the ground with the runaway prop. Turns out a part was missing in a lot of the blade hubs.
Fun fact: speaking of The Wright Brothers, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter carries a small piece of cloth from the Wright Flyer under its solar panel.
Due for its first flight above Mars tomorrow.
And the data comes back on April 12th, 60 years since Yuri Gagarin and 40 years since the first flight of the Space Shuttle. Good timing!
Wouldn't that impede the panels from functioning?
@@rmm3803 Under the panel... Btw, flight has been pushed forward to the 14th now.
A fun fact is all it is. I personally find it stupid to remove a part of the first airplane so it can also fly first on two seperate planets. Just a pointless pr stunt or a new useless fact for school children.
@@spuffvermon Actually, two planets and a moon. Armstrong took another piece aboard the Eagle Lunar Module during Apollo 11.
The Egyption pilot was facing an investigation in regard to a hotel employee who accused him of inapropriate advances. The disgrace to his family was thought to be the reason for his action.
Another example of a pilot not wishing to bring disgrace upon his family was Silk Air over Indonesia.
"No Amelia Earhart here!" Well, no Amelia Earhart anywhere really.
Nowhere I've looked.
Maybe not there now, but she did end up *somewhere* .
Too soon
You're terrible!!😂😂
@Alan Partridge yep!
I lived near a medium sized airport when I was a growing up and saw some interesting accidents growing up. Nothing that would classify as a disaster but still no air plane accident (especially with commercial jets) is "small." One of the most memorable was when a passenger liner went past the end of the tarmack and ended up stopping pretty much right at the edge of the airport's property line... any further and the jet would have ended up jumping the railroad and into the field that backed the homes nearest the airport.
Would that be Southend Airport? There is a few images of that.
This man is taking over all of UA-cam, Simon is inevitable.
Simon is inevitable!!!🙏👍👻
"Perpetual Obfuscation". I think we have a title for the next Simon Whistler page
Prptl Obfsctn. He doesn't do vowels.
A suggestion could be the first successful air raid attack. The Tondern Raid on the Zeppelin base in 1918!
Hell even a ww1 zeplin video would suffice
'Where does time go?' It's hiding in your beard. Love ya, Simon! Fantastic video. :)
We said "that's almost seven years ago" in unison, lol.
You didn't....Simon said it's already seven years ago
@@SwanRonsonDonnyJepp < found the party pooper.
/s
@@SwanRonsonDonnyJepp nice
To have your memory of time not suffer from the diminishing memory makers and adult statification. When young your time behind is not that long and you do things lots that make "noticeable" memories. When older and "settled" more into an adult life you tend to do the "same thing" each day, ie work etc, and less "adventures". This leads to more time going inbetween the memories so the time when you look back is less filled with stuff. BTW, it totally sucks lol
Aww, that's nothing. Wait and come back when you reminisce about "over 40 years" ago. Where does the time go?
As of 1989 when I was flying on RC-135s out of Offutt AFB on Rivet Joint, Rivet Amber was still talked about. Lots of assumptions as to the cause, but no one knew for sure. That similar mission out of Shemy is now flown by Cobra Ball, but guys from Offutt still man it.
What youtube channel am I watching...*sees Simon...it is 1 of a 1000 channels...
Love this guy's work. He is just so watchable
I know it is technically the past, but there were two separate incidents of hollow core blades failing on the same day in the last couple of months. The more reported one is where the cowling fell on a guy's truck in Denver.
The last one isn't much of a mystery, however it is a great Mayday Air crash investigation video to watch. A terrifying one.
SIMON, I AM WAITING! :)
I once commented with these suggestions and you told me I would see some soon! ;)
Trbovlje Power Station: The Tallest Chimney in Europe (read as: terbowlye)
Slovene Karst: The Region That Gave the Karst Phenomena its Name
Predjama Castle: A Castle in a Cave (read as: predyama)
The Soča River: The Emerald River that Ran Red During WWI (read as: socha)
Maribor: City with the Oldest Vine in the World
Franja Hospital: Secret WWII Mountain Hospital that Nazis Never Found (read as: franya)
Come on, give this girl something to be happy about! :)
I'm pretty sure we have the Franja Hospital one in production... These things take a while :)
@@Sideprojects Yay, thanks for the update, I will stop nagging now!
You should do an episode on Admiral Bird’s Operation High Jump.
Video on bouncing bombs used by the RAF during ww2 would be a good idea, bombers flying low as 60m in enemy territory
To hear Simon say "bohemoth" in whatever language that was has changed me. I can't ever say it the same way again.
Well how do you say it?
4 months ago I would have played along, but you're probably too stupid to realize it was 4 months ago. Anyway, kick rocks to the next "brand-new" video clip from sometime in May and be amazed. Weirdo.
Let's not forget The Arrival: The Twilight Zone Season 3 Episode 2. That mystery was never solved either and it's rated 7.3.
Suggestion: Pyramids around the world.
It's interesting that so many civilizations built pyramids for similar reasons.
"Big pile of rocks impressive!"
It would doubtlessly be an interesting video, but I think the ultimate answer is that there’s no other way to make a really big building out of stone without more advanced construction techniques (like arches). They have to be shaped like that for structural integrity.
@@mitcharcher7528 Yes, when you don't know how to do it, you inevitably end up with a pyramid shape. Basically you are just stacking rocks, and so you get a pyramid in the end.
"Aliens"
@@bills6093 Ooooohhh you unbeliever. I'm telling Mr. Von Daniken on you!
0:34 It gets eaten by the Langoliers.
I’m not a slacker, I’m not a slacker! 😂
@@jfdomega7938
SK:
*How do I make the English character definitely English?* "Bloody hell, mate! Tea and crumpets, mate, more bloody tea, mate!"
Love that movie....
Egyptian gov PISSED ME OFF. He'd just learned he was no longer allowed to do International U.S. flights due to constant sexual harassment & was in trouble once back. Slap in the face to victims & the families. RIP to all
KLM Flight 607-E is always one that has interested me. It crashed not far off the coast of my home town in Ireland and a lot of its victims were buried in a local cemetery where my grandparents and other family members are buried. There is a memorial to the victims there too. No true cause was ever identified. It's always one that's fascinated me due to the local connection. My grandfather was a skipper of one of the boats who assisted with recovering victims remains from the crash site. It would make an interesting topic for a video or documentary.
Seven years ago?!
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Time flies, so fly fish? Idk, just talking out of my arse. I don't even fish lmao.
@@dudepool7530 Fish walk
M. Brysch : "You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish."
It's time for me to fly...
Time flies.
You can't.
They go too fast.
@@hanselmansell7555 : Is time a fleeting moment?
Or an eternity?
I think the Boeing RC-135E needs a "Megaprojects' video made about it Simon!
Agreed! Good Idea!
I misread that as “We need a ‘Megaprojects’ video about Simon.”
@@daerdevvyl4314 No, but we need a Biographics video.
I don't know what happened in the cockpit of EgyptAir 990, but I can say one thing for sure: The pilot saying "I rely on God" is in no way an indication of suicidal intent in and of itself. We as Muslims say phrases like that in moments of stress or danger all the time, in exactly the same way others might exclaim "Oh my God" or "Damn it". If anything, to another Muslim, hearing the pilot say "I rely on God" means the pilot is doing his best to gain control of the situation.
The cvr picked up the co pilot telling the other to take a break and go to the restroom, after which he began to change the controls to begin the crash the planes. It also picks up the pilot returning and trying to regain control with no help from the co pilot. It was very much murder suicide. The Egyptian government was just trying to save face. It’s a very similar case to the Germanwings murder suicide, after which laws were changed to prevent this occurrence.
Also a not so known Aviation mystery according to the History Channel at 3am: *aLiEnS*
That's just what they want you to think. It's the reptilians that are really behind it all!
🖐️aliens🖐️
@carddamom Every Friday
According to ancient alien theorists..
Simon: Where does time go?
Me: Into the past.
Great video Simon. Could you do a video on the Killdozer Incident in 2004?
Yesss! Killdozer!
1:30 - Chapter 1 - Missing 721-223 (Angola, Africa)
4:40 - Chapter 2 - Pan am flight 7
8:00 - Chapter 3 - Rivet amber
10:25 - Chapter 4 - Egypt hair flight 990
@ Ignition [FR] n2 Egypt "hair" flight 990- i kindly notify you that you misstyped "air" with "hair".
Interesting fact about the RIVIT AMBER. Would have expected the military to search to this day. Those were some very special toys!
im so excited for these lesser known videos
Thanks Simon. Love it all!!! I just love how you explain it. Philadelphia USA
Enjoy your content. Enjoy your wit and presentation. Mary from FL 🌴
Simon: "Air travel in the past was dangerous."
Boeing: "Hold my 737."
@@joeees7790 Typical Boeing fan...uses deflection. No Aiirbus model has the same poor reputation on the MAX.
I've got an idea for a video. Project Maurader was (or still may be) an experimental plasma weapons system using the shiva star capacitor bank. It was intended as an ICBM interception system. Apparently it worked because after 1995 all of the research was classified.
That could explain the mysterious energy beam that was filmed at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah.
I remembered the Egyptian airline insistent and as far as I'm concern they refuse to face reality
How the hell does this man make a video on a topic that I’m thinking about within a few hours of me thinking about it. This is the 3rd time now. I am convinced they are scanning my brain for video ideas
It's actually me scanning your brain. I sell the information to Whistler
Bruh.. we ALL know what you're thinking.. just you.
Have you ever seen the movie Truman Show with J. Carrey?? We're all watching your every move and know what you're gonna do before you know what you're gonna do
Google acquired UA-cam -- coincidence? Think about it, (but only with your electronic devices turned off).
Great work and thanks for your very entertaining commentaries. Just a small correction: it's a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, not 337.
My mom's coworker and daughter were on Egypt Air 990. They just wanted to see Egypt and the pyramids. So sad.
Do a video on things that are produced in a limited area, like maple syrup : most of the world's maple syrup production comes from Québec.
This is great idea!
I have a bottle from Cornell, Ithaca New York.
@@zapfanzapfan I said MOST, not ALL. Some is also produced neardy : in Eastern Ontario, New-Brunswick and Northern New-England.
@@simonrancourt7834 I'll get to them when I run out. Any particularly good brands?
Syrup mafia
I beg to differ on being "certified" to fly a jumbo.
I've watched all the airplane! Movies, airport disaster movies, and enough air crash investigations to know how to fly a plane.
All you need to know is:
Flaps in correct orientation for ascent,
Keep the plane level
Know what "stall speed" is
Full beans on the throttle for take off.
Cute air stewardess.
Happy days.
Always enjoyable Simon.
This is one of my favorite channels out of the 300 other one's Simmon does lol
"Malaysian airlines that went missing in 2014....that was already 7 years ago?.."
WAT??! 7 YEARS? omg....
The disaster with the Egyptian Air aircraft, was also subject in the National Geographic Series "Aircrash Investigation".
"I rely on God." You ever hear these words, you better damn well be afraid, because that SOB is about to do something super stupid.
This guy is the UA-cam definition of 'throwing every channel idea at the wall and see what sticks' lol.
4:51 "... embarking on a multi-stop flight around the world. Between California, Hawaii and ultimately Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."
I can see the problem. The pilot had been told he was going around the world. Whereas the bloke putting in the fuel thought it was going around the USA.
Business Blaze Simon would have called that out.
Pan Am flight 7 was a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, not a 337. The model was based on the B-29 Superfortress, which was the largest bomber in WWII. The civilian model B-377 was pressurized and was a double decker with a spiral staircase and sleeper berths. It also had a lounge or bar downstairs. The engines on those were notoriously unreliable.
Great video. I was familiar with two of the cases but the others were new to me.
Mind a video suggestion?
A video covering the lost and missing A-Bombs over the years would be interesting for those not familiar with those cases.
Also, while its not missing A-Bombs, the rogue A-10 flight of Captain Craig Button and the four 500 lb MK-82 bombs which to this day were never recovered.
I always like when Simon says "bay-moth" (behemoth)
fun fact: the amount of plane and ship disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle are about the same as everywhere else.
A not really fun fact:
Shipping companies and insurers don't recognise the area as a high risk and there are scores of ships on multiple shipping lanes through the 'Bermuda Triangle' which pass through daily without incident.
But it's a triangle!
Put together!
I am surprised and a little disappointed you did not mention the flight from NYC to Caracas via a stopover in Miami back in the 50s - I believe if I recall correctly that too was a PanAm flight. It went missing, then showed up in Venezuela about 50 years later, which caused the people on board the plane to panic, leading them to rush another takeoff again and they yet again completely disappeared without a trace, only to show up a few hours later landing at Miami again, and from there, the industry and government tried their best to avoid any media attention on it and the people onboard and dismiss it away claiming none of that ever happened, aka, covered it up. It was clear proof of Time Dilation, that the plane and every6one onboard went through and experienced as it was the exact plane, registration, age, condition, etc that it was it was last seen in the 50s, and the people on board also were exactly the same in every way that they were then as well.
I have to wonder what that was like to have to live through and experience for those poor people onboard that flight, returning 50 years later and literally everything being entirely different, history having been written and stored away on the back-burners of everyone's minds, yet for them, they knew of none of it at all, because for them, it was still the 1950s. Their friends, coworkers, relatives, etc all either dead or long moved on and 50 years older than they were in the 50s, while they again themselves were still the very same in every single way as they were in the 50s - including the very same age, too. Can you imagine what that must be like? That's a whole different kind of torment, terror, confusion, frustration and torture all together to have to go through that. A unique form of trauma you'll never understand or be able to even begin to envision unless you end up experiencing the same yourself at some point. I wonder how many survived it, how many managed to figure out how to move on as well, and fit back into the groove and grind of life at that point in time. And I am curious for those who did not end their lives over it, those who did not lose it mentally, and those who did not/have not died yet, what their perception, understanding and stories of the experience are like and would be. That's especially what I would LOVE to be able to discover and document. It would be profoundly unique and deeply interesting.
Nice to see you got the picture of the 727 right. It's often confused with the Lockheed tri-star.
This was the choice of famed hijacker D. B. Cooper as well due to its having a door right below the tail for easy escape skydiving.
Why would it be confused with the TriStar? They look enormously different. I usually see people confusing them with the HS Trident, and the Tupolev Tu-154
This is bizarre. I had never heard of Pam Am flight 7 until 2 hours ago when I saw the story on "Mysteries At The Museum" on TV. Now I turn on Simon's program and there it is again. Weird!
All the buttons are buttoned good job Simon :)
The hardest button to button!
Rivet Amber has always stuck with me. We'll likely never know what went on onboard that aircraft in its final moments, and that just adds to the mystery.
How about a special on "Star Tiger?"
I remember the 727 case in Angola...coming from an Angola ln native
You are so funny! "Ahhhh, air travel.in the past, Super dangerous!" 😂😂😂😂
Fascinating and chilling in equal measure
Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view!"
Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam."
Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!"
Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..."
Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!"
Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky."
Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction."
Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment?
If you do this one again, do the missing flight of Begich and Boggs, two major US politicians (one of whose daughters became a reporter) who disappeared flying in Alaska.
You always do topics on something I've recently gained interest in. Thanks for reading my mind, allegedly.
Allegedly
This guy is an amazing documentary-ist.
Simon has taught me so much.
Gamal al-Batouti was reportedly in very hot water with his employer. He had been suspected of "inappropriate" relations with underage girls while staying at the airline's hotel in New York City, and he was facing both termination and possibly loss of his flying privileges (Egyptair was government owned and its personnel were subject to discipline by civil servants). Batouti was an older, family man, and he was looking at destitution and loss of his professional reputation. That's a lot of motive.
That could be sufficient motive to take your own life, but to take a plane full of passengers with you at the same time makes you a mass murderer. Even severely depressed people don’t want to go to that point.
@@Sashazur There was also the fact that it was his own aircrew that tattled on him to Egyptair. Primarily the chief pilot sitting next to him. If it was murder suicide, he wanted to destroy their reputations as well as their lives. Who can say what was going on in his mind at the time.
How’s about a vid on the HMS Glowworm and the Admiral Hipper Simon?!
Another good one was a c-124 that ditched in the atlantic, the crew was seen in life rafts but never recovered. Speculation was they were picked up by a nearby Soviet ship.
MORE MYSTERIES, WHISTLER. I LOVE THEM.
Very interesting presentation! (I enjoy most of the content on all of your channels.) If I may make a a small suggestion, stick to solid-colored shirts or jackets on camera. Checkers are really bad for camera/screen work. All the best!! Keep up the great work!!
Thank you for that revised ending.
Great Show
Half of UA-cam is tons and tons of different people making videos about tons and tons of different things. The other half is Simon Whistler.
Good video thank you thank you
Yessir there Mr. Whistler....good show old chap....(yes i borrowed that from Joe)
I started with the casual criminalist and now listen to about 4 shows. How deep is the Simon Whistler rabbit hole?😁
you have to do a video on the rc-135 a very interesting plane still flying
I agree.Very interesting planes that are often overlooked. The Rivit Joint and Cobra Ball are in and out of Offutt all the time.
I don't remember the number of the flight, but there is this one "mysterious" aviation story that has stuck to my mind.
I believe the plane had depressurized mid-flight and everyone inside had gone unconscious, so the entire plane was on autopilot. The ground control first believed the plane had been hijacked, so they sent fighter jets to check on it and the pilots of those said they'd seen someone moving in the cockpit, leaving, and then coming back. For quite some time at that. Only one person though. And apparently they were moving around in the cockpit for quite some time, all the way until the plane ran out of fuel and went into a nosedive.
The mystery to me, is, who was that person? And what were they doing? Why were they the only one moving? Was it a disoriented pilot or someone else trying to desperately take control of the plane before it fell? Questions we'll never know an answer to.
I had friends on Rivet Amber. One thing to note is that the radar fired out of the right side of the aircraft. The whole right side of the fuselage from just behind the flight deck to the leading edge of the wing was fiberglass to be radar transparent. My theory has always been that turbulence caused it to rip and just tore the plane apart. Oh, and I'm sure you know that the photo you showed is a much later model RC-135.
Would love to see you do something on the Libyan c130’s that have been sitting at Lockheed for 20+ years rotting on the runway. Can get in touch with some folks if interested
I remember Rivet Amber, we were living next to Elmendorf AFB on Fort Richardson at the time.
I swear Simon will have hundreds of channels with a ton of subs
Think if they looked hard enough they'd probably find MH370 in Simon's beard
"Around the world flight"
Didn't leave the US, lmao.
That last one doesn't seem like a mystery, just some nut who was given the power to kill all them people, and did so, but denied by the government because pride, which is just stupid... :\
It's the the same vein as the SilkAir crash where NTSB believe it to be Pilot Suicide (or at least in along those lines), where the other investigators disagree and believe it to be an error with the plane.
Yep, just a religious crackpot. Far from a mystery, that....
@@BannorPhil Nah he was charged with sexual harrasment and was going to get fired.
@@BannorPhil Gameel al-Batouti was a prominent member of a political dynasty with ties to both Nasser and Sadat. That is to say, he was a secularist like his family and their political allies, pretty far away from being a religious nutjob. He was also a war hero, having served as combat pilot in the Egyptian Air Force, and later as a flight instructor. His problem was that despite all this background, his career as an airline pilot was stunted by his lack of English proficiency, preventing him from achieving captaincy because the final exam for that position is conducted in English. At the time of his death, Al-Batouti was one of the most senior and respected pilots in the company, and Egypt in general. He was planning to happily enter retirement in his family estate.
Then just before the fateful Flight 990, he was accused of sexual harrasment in his Los Angeles hotel, or rather, he committed sexual harrasment and was reported. It was a pretty clear and cut case that happened outside of Egypt. Even with his family backing he was looking at the possibility of being discharged dishonorably, potentially losing his pension and his family's dignity. This, more than any religious inclination, was his most probable motive for committing suicide. His last prayer (which may give the impression of religious fanaticism) was actually just the standard driver's prayer in Egypt. Sort of like someone saying, Sweet Jesus, don't let me crash this car today. Ironic considering what he was about to do, and also a point the EAAA used as an argument to show he wasn't trying to crash the plane.
@@andrewsuryali8540 Also, the only way for the two elevator halves to be in opposite positions would be mechanical failure. (I'm a pilot. We have to know these things.)