Hey man, just wanted to say, I always find your videos absolutely riveting. While I'm youtube premium, (ie: ad free) because I truly hate advertisements, I always watch through your ad segments to support how I can. Please never stop what you do. Strangely, while I've always been a nervous flyer, your videos instill me with confidence, from the incredible capacity and determination of pilots to the rigorous safety measures airlines and aircraft manufacturers take. Sure, you can be aware that "flying is safer than driving", but it truly doesn't feel that way when you're up in the air as a nervous flyer. Through your channel at least I've been able to learn why it actually is safer.
Great video, as usual! I'm stuck with one question though: what would have happened if the owner of the batteries would have declared dangerous goods? Would that have made a difference? would the batteries have been on the plane at all?
I guess we will never know for sure but I have my doubts that the captain was killed in the impact. I think it is more likely they succumbed to a lethal dose of toxic gasses from the smoke before that point. Hearing the description of conditions in that cockpit I find it unlikely anyone could survive even several minutes breathing that atmosphere. As a survivor of a structural fire I learned the hard way what even a single gasp for breath in a smoke filled space does suffice to say I was reduced to a weak crawl in what felt like an instance and spent days coughing up black phlegm. Not fun and that was a single breath.
Thank you very much for covering this up! It´s a real Horror Story, painful to listen. Lithium Batteries are a real danger to every aircraft. Just a few time ago something similar seems to happen with a TU-204-Freighter of the Russian Cargo-Company Aviastar-TU in Hangzhou/ China. Fortunately in this case the plane was still on the ground, so it was possible to evacuate it in a very short time and so nobody was hurt. But only a few minutes later and they would have been up in the air. So - the problem seems to be still not solved.
Hi, UPS hazmat employee here! Thank you for covering this flight. I just wanted to add that information on this flight and the horrible details of how the plane went down is shared whenever a new hazmat employee is hired to illustrate just how important protocols and accuracy are when a plane is in the air. We’re super strict on anything hazardous including batteries - and this flight is exactly why.
Batteries as air cargo scare me, especially many of the cheap things coming from China or any other bargain basement "cheap as possible" assembly plant. I bought a lot of 200 "hoverboard" batteries to take apart for the individual cells a few years back. They were SO poorly manufactured, I found so many issues that would result in a short circuit (and guaranteed fierce fire) if vibrations or the right bump hit it. And discount power tool batteries are just as dangerous. There's a reason so many knock offs catch fire... 0 safety concern with regards to assembly.
Nice to hear from you! I used to work as a terminal loader first in UPS Denmark Kastrup and in Norway, Gardermoen for a total of 7 years up to 28 August 2010.
@T.J. Kong all containers are built with the idea to keep fires from spreading. There are strict segregation rules about dangerous goods (like a flammable liquid can never be loaded with an explosive for obvious reasons) but at the end of the day we really are at the mercy of shippers. Legal shippers are trained and certified in how to properly pack, mark, and ship hazardous packages. But people will always balk at regulations as if they exist just to inconvenience them. No, they exist because people have died.
This crash always hits me hard. The first officer really did his best to try and land that massive aircraft while being all by himself, in an insanely hot cockpit filled with smoke. I can’t even imagine what he was going through during those final minutes. May the pilots of UPS 6 rest in peace.
Not knowing the outcome for awhile I kept hoping that somehow he had landed the plane, but that hope grew fainter and fainter. I guess the only silver lining is that the plane did not crash into a populated area as it so nearly did,
The thing is that even if he would have landed and managed to bring the aircraft to a full stop, the likelihood of him not surving would still be very, very high, I think. I assume that the captain was already dead.
@@6z0 It's hard to know if he would have survived, He had been in smoke for quite a long time, so at best he'd have lifelong lung problems. Smoke from lithium batteries fires is nasty.
Not a firefighter and I am barely a simulator pilot, but, damn, this story is really sad and panicking: fire onboard, barely any control, blind, difficult communication, a dead body on the cockpit, no oxigen... This was really hard to watch.
As a recently retired MD11 Capt for UPS, I knew and was friends with the Capt (Doug Lampe) of this horrible accident. Doug was an outstanding individual and pilot and is truly missed. Matt’s airmanship was nothing short of heroic! This accident changed much of how we react, handle and train for lithium fires so his death wasn’t in vain. RIP old friend…
Thank you very much for this personal rememberings. Hopefully his death was not in vain. It´s only horrifying to know that such an outstanding performance ended in this way. RIP.
1st cause is the handling of dngerous goods. I understood, this was illegal at that time and was only made to save a $. Besides that I can't imagine the flight suffered any less final damange even if the pilot managed to find the ILA, because of the gear was stuck.
@@SarcasticTruth77 they definitly had no chance. Under this circumstances the plane would disintegrate the moment it touches the ground. Maybe with working landing gear crashing into an airport with good firefighters the pilots may have survived, but its unlikely.
I was a pilot living in Silicon Oasis that night and watched him pass over us at around 200 feet. I saw him impact the ground just to the west of us. Terrible night but so many people had a lucky escape. Can’t help but feel really bad for that poor FOs predicament. RIP
WHOA. Honestly I am shocked at how long this first officer managed to keep the plane in the air and under some sort of control from the time the smoke got in the cockpit. That poor guy...he's a hero for sparing lives on the ground.
I wonder if simulators are even equipped to simulate a smoke filled environment. Also, while watching this video, I couldn't help but think how voice activated controls might have helped but getting such a system to work offline and interface with major aircraft systems would be a nightmare to get certified
@@musharrafhanif I would say its a great opportunity to include smart glasses into the smoke goggles so all the instruments can been seen Also add a cam to the plane so they have close to cockpit view of eveything. Much better then that BS inflatable thing
@@MentourPilot If you do make this video, I would really like to know if the airport firefighters are trained in what the crew firefighting procedures are and therefore whether they can predict and understand what actions were taken before they (the firefighters) arrive. I'm also not sure of the similarities and differences between different airlines' approaches to this training, having only worked for one.
Don't think I've come across a detailed documentary of this aspect - great idea. It is often covered in brief segments along with cargo and baggage handling, etc on documentaries dealing with airport operations, but not a detailed overview from my experience.
Also a little more detail on any systems etc the aircraft have. I have extensive training in marine fire fighting but would be interested to learn more about the aviation side of things
@@notsosmall2830 I'd be fairly surprised if they are not I know thanks to my company part owning a datacentre on the ground we are required to submit this information as part of our fire inspection. Granted a datacentre is considered a high risk facility for fire (we have upwards of 9MW flowing through around hundreds of thousands of flammable circuit boards 24/7 after all) but then surely so are aircraft and airports. So I would expect the fire protection services responsible for managing that risk would need to be kept in the loop about the fire management systems and procedures of the operation they are expected to protect.
I work for UPS Airlines. Recently took a jump seat back from Cologne to Louisville. In the ops center in CGN, there is a small memorial for the two crew members who perished in this crash
Can't imagine the horror these pilots went through. It's so easy to overlook or not even think about the risks of batteries on an aircraft, thank you for reminding us about this. Great analysis as always!
One of the first safety things I was shown when I worked hazmat in the military was a battery related incident. Someone loaded a box of acid filled batteries upside down on a pallet. Thankfully it didn’t cause a fire, but they leaked and ate through the metal pallet and started on the aircraft floor before an issue was identified.
Me too. At least their actions will be remembered by so many of us..No matter where or what you do in what industry whether personal or professional, trying is worth it, even if it's not a win.
What hits me hard about this tragedy is, that the more time passed, the less of a chance the crew had to end this without crashing. They were giving the best they could for what they knew about the situation, only for the situation to turn worse. And when the captain gets overwhelmed by the smoke it is just heart breaking. I have deep respect for the first officer for the way he managed this walk in hell. It is so sad, that those two souls didn't make it. RIP
The case where keeping the plane flying also doesnt work. It is very sad. I mean, he must have been flying for 20 minutes with laring alarms. I cant even imagine the amount of stress
The so called "Green" agenda with regard to the promotion of EV's appears to have as its offshoot a great degree of managerial bias in favor of lithium-ion batteries, to such an extent that the extreme, inherent risks associated with the self-oxygenating, super hot fires (4,100f/2,260c) has been programmatically dismissed by authorities at the managerial-Satanic level of the binge-drinking frat boys in charge of managing our collective psychosis. As such the crew was exposed to the oversight with respect to the dangers posed by their cargo in very much the same way as has been consistently witnessed in the case of the many container-ship fires that have been occuring with electric vehicles being shipped across the high seas. Global-warming rebranded as climate change being a demonstrable hoax, this as easily demonstrated by the failure of doomsday prognostications with respect to sea level rise, the agenda is of course one involving the standard-issue method of deception understood by the terms "strategic and tactical misrepresentation." After all the objective of policy makers on high is to impose various gradations of martial law by way of recourse to fraudulent invocations of the precautionary protocol with lockdowns due to climage issues imposed with every bit of the same logic of falsification as witnessed with regard to the agenda of pretending that the Corona Virus has ever been the cause of any other disease than that of the common cold. And so we can expect such "accidents" as this to continue to occur within a predictable cadence and since one of the objectives, aside from restricting travel via EV's in the context of insufficient charging infrastructure and the slow pace of re-charging, is also that of imposing draconian measures with respect to the imposition of internal surveillance systems within buildings, this for the purpose of protecting us all from all of the terrible fires anticipated by way of dangerous lithium-ion batteries inside homes and businesses. Because all that we are given to understand as true is but a bit of B.S., this per the acronym of the dominate voice within the public information space, See B.S.--i.e CBS. No hope ont he horizon with regard to escape from the prison planet under design by our binge-drinking, Satanic masters. My famly runs the so called Illumi-Nutty. And make no mistake. They're here to stay. And they love doing the most terrible things imagineable to children, poverty as the engine of the abduction.
I think of all of the accidents you’ve covered, this one has been the most terrifying. The helplessness those pilots must have felt is haunting. Very sympathetically and factually told Petter, especially from your perspective as an airport firefighter, great work as always 👍
As a long time airline employee, I truly appreciate your words to potential passengers about batteries. I know it can be frustrating to be constantly asked what you have packed in your checked luggage and carry on. What devices, batteries, etc. We only want to keep everyone safe. I think a lot of folks think a thermal runaway is far fetched, but it happens all the time. And finally, God bless these pilots. I wish they would have shot for Doha. I felt they would have made it, but that's an uneducated observation. 🙏
It would most likely have been the better decision (only half the distance away, no message relay needed even after the smoke made them unable to see), but at the time the Captain made the decision, it's not like they already had that issue yet, so I don't think anyone can fault him for deciding to return. Even then, with how far the fire had already deteriorated everything, it's still questionable whether they would have managed to safely bring it down :(
@@sleepysera Small point, but Captain made the Dubai choice twice. When everything was stable, fine. But when smoke became obvious, he again asked ATC not for the nearest now - but to descend quicker towards Dubai. So it’s getthereitis, and not checking FO’s controls after his own control issue- which would’ve alerted them to switch to autopilot earlier. Benefit of hindsight… that’s asking humans for a perfect robotic reaction. They are both heroes either way.
As a resident in Qatar,I don’t think the 747 would have enough runway space for landing there.The Hamad Airport wasn’t completed and the doha airport was small.Again,it was possible,but very unlikely
An interesting thing to note about this incident is that right after it had occurred, when the only thing that was still known about the matter at the time was that the plane crashed due to an onboard fire, UPS voluntarily started their own serious & fullfledged investigation into trying to find ways to improve the fire-prevention/safety systems onboard their aircrafts. UPS started doing this prior to the completion of the air crash investigation and release of the final report, so hats off to them for taking such initiative. I'll also add that they were also among the first companies to both take up the recommendations made by the related investigation team (shortly after the final report's publication), and implement new fire-related measures (like EVAS).
@@MentourPilot The most effective preventative would be a rigidly enforced complete ban on carrying Lithium Batteries and any such dangerous cargo on aircraft. If smoking can be banned - this type of cargo is a million times more dangerous.
@@rainscratch how do you want to ship lithium batteries? Ships only? Is a lithium fire so much safer on the high seas? Now a trick question: How do you ban goods, when cargo is not always declared correctly? Does banning this battery type incentivize not declaring them? I think good restrictions and regulations are a better way to go then a complete ban.
@@sarowie Yes very good points Michael. Nothing is fail safe. Ships would be a safer option as there is not a critical weight factor such as in aircraft, in designing cargo containers or cargo hold sections that can deal with a catastrophically hot and uncontrolled fire. A ship fire is also very serious. Perhaps not as serious as an aircraft fire? Lots of factors to consider to answer that question. Of course both applications depend on the dangerous cargo being declared and processed properly. Bringing in the age old problems of human error, purposeful lying about contents etc. Perhaps with the seriousness of a complete ban, technology can be developed that detects L-ion in cargo if it gets through from neglect or purposeful lying on manifests. If tech can be used to detect drugs or explosives, I can't see why not. Resultant huge fines or jail may be a further deterrent? Nothing is perfect.
Actually we just need the dry lithium batteries without flammable electrolyte- a graphene type. Li FePO4 is safer, but less energy dense than cheap current Li-ion bombs. Cargo carries tons of them, recharheable and primary/single use.
I'm not kidding, I damn near had a panic attack listening to you tell this story. My God, these poor pilots. I can't, nor do I want to imagine the horror of being in that cockpit. This story is the fuel of nightmares for me. My heart really goes out to these two. Incredible story-telling, however on your part, Petter.
Sorry to have caused you anxiety Brad, that was not my intention. Yes, this is one of the most horrific reports I have had to work through. Truly the stuff of nightmares.
I know. Those poor men. Especially the man trying to land the plane. It is heart breaking. I feel so bad for them, and also for their loved ones, because it must have been so hard for their loved ones to know that they had died in such a terrible way. I was so so so angry at whoever stupidly did not mark those crates as 'dangerous goods'. I really really wanted to know what happened to those people! Did they know who it was?? Where they charged with something?? Did they go to jail??
I can’t bear to watch it. I discovered awhile ago when my parents watched those aircraft crash investigation programmes that I hate them if the pilots can’t save their plane, because I seem to be hardwired into wanting them to win on some instinctive level despite knowing they won’t. And it’s probably related to that unreasonable instinct that, when I see an aircraft, says. “Nope, bad idea. I’m not okay with us boarding that thing.” I’m really not a fan of flying. Not only am I constantly on edge for the entire flight but I get vertigo a lot. Not on helicopters, oddly enough but passenger planes, yes and it’s unpleasant. Especially when the thing is circling in a holding pattern.
I've been avoiding this episode because I knew how heartbreaking it was. That FO was an incredible pilot for how far he made it with everything going against him. Beautifully covered!
I am in the Navy and served on a submarine. A fire onboard was one of the worst casualties that could have happened for similar reasons. It was something we practiced often.
Smarter Every Day did a deep dive (sorry) on US Navy submarines a while back, and one of the segments demonstrated a firefighting drill. It was incredibly intense, carefully planned and executed, and I can absolutely see why you practice it so often.
Well said - you are basically in an underwater pressure vessel, only the pressure is the reverse to an aircraft. Smoke inhalation, like on aircraft, would be a rapid killer.
On surface ships too. We had a massive fire at the base of our forward super structure at 200 miles off the coast. Threatened to bring down the whole super structure and kill the ship. That was the most stressful casualty I’ve been in.
As opposed to many other crashes, this is a story of absolute professionalism and duty. There were no glib remarks, arrogance, or oversights. This is a true testament to never giving up
When you are staying in front of your death, you have no fucking choice but don't give up. You just have no choice! So I don't like this saying. This also applies to many other situations.
@@nikkapur4048 I never said otherwise nor was this the point of mine or Topias post. I wrote my post with deep and very sad comprehension of their situation.
@@derfvcderfvc7317 I am not sure, Doha (Bahrain) would take 11 minutes in direct flight, Dubai 20 minutes. But 45 minutes after the fire warning they were not even close to any airport, so THIS is the mistake.
This was so heartbreaking and sad to listen to , That co-pilot never gave up , he did his best to the very end . RIP to the Crew . Looks like we lost an excellent co-pilot that day .
@@Kanbei11 Worst part is they would have had to continue their own flight after this. I can't even imagine how on earth they kept their wits and did that.
i’m a fedex retail worker and we always have to ask if there’s lithium batteries in people’s packages. next time someone asks me why i’m just going to point them towards this video! very well done video and such a heroic but tragic tale
Thank you for covering this event. I always remember it very solemnly. I am a ramp employee at UPS at the main hub in Louisville Kentucky. I remember watching the aircraft, N571UP, as it departed Louisville for what would be the last time, just a couple of days before the accident. The mood at UPS was very solemn: it was the first time a UPS plane had gone down with loss of life. Since then UPS has indeed taken many measures to insure a similar accident doesn't happen again. Improved oxygen masks for flight crew. Fire resistant containers and coverings for pallets which are now in widespread use. And tighter regulations for carrying lithium batteries abord aircraft. This accident and the investigation made flying both freight and passengers much safer. On a side note, N571UP was a young 747. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was just three years old, and had just over 10,000 hours flying time.
In the others, you usually have at least the 2 pilots and ATC, if not more folks all working the problem. The Captain likely died shortly after removing his mask, ATC was at 2 removes due to the realy, and the First Officer was so isolated in the last stretch, kept working and working, but was working, and ultimately died, alone.
@@kirstinmckeown3581 Absolutely the most horrifying in flight disaster I've heard about based with what the first officer was faced with. (not most horrific aircraft crash)
@@kirstinmckeown3581 My read? As someone who's done military NBC training? The captain was feeling rather bad anoxia. He had gotten to the point he HAD to ditch the mask since he'd suffocate if he kept using it. But that edge of panic in his dialog means he may have already been near blackout anoxia already. That last thing he said is when he failed to keep holding his breath. He probably inhaled a lungful of toxic smoke and that was it. He was dead before the co-pilot even got close to the airport.
@@marhawkman303 that was my take--he wouldn't have taken off his mask unless it was not doing its job--better a "shot in the dark" where he would probably die than doing nothing and certainly dying. I meant no criticism to him, both pilots faced no-win, fatal scenarios, both kept working the problem until they died, he just met his no-win earlier than the first officer.
As a 40 year veteran pilot, my hands were sweating going through this video. I have had smoke in the cabin twice in my career and it definitely gets your attention. I have also trained on EVAS and think it should be a mandated item on every pressurized aircraft. You better know your mode selectors like the back of your hand though because EVAS doesn't keep them visible.
I’m certified for the transport of dangerous goods and it absolutely terrifies me what can happen if those batteries go wrong, and they can go wrong very, very quickly. I’m incredibly careful about following those rules and my colleagues think I might be over exaggerating. I’ll show them this video next time they say something.
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz Well, in a car you can break the car to a full stop in a matter of seconds and evacuate the vehicle staight away. Here, the plane was 180 NM from the airport. Just that distance is a minimum of 30 minutes at the high speed they were travelling plus all the intricacies of getting the plane onto a runway.
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz as long as you aren't trapped in the car, (or if you are, proper containment and venting can direct the flames away from you). The plane is sealed up, and these batteries burn like blow torches even without oxygen. They're a hobby of mine, but in the current state I certainly wouldn't want to be trapped in a burning EV just as much as I wouldn't want to be in a flying plane with these batteries on board.
This was the one of the darkest, most heart wrenching event reports. The fact that in his final moments the FO was practically suffocating and not being able to see when or where he was going or if he will hit anything compounds the anxiety to the extremes until the agony suddenly ends.
Never knew you were an airport firefighter! Amazing story-telling and visuals as per, Petter. Just getting better and better. By far my favourite aviation content across both streaming and TV without a doubt. I can tell you, from being caught in a serious house fire, choking on carbon monoxide is no small feeling. It hits and chokes you instantly. I’d go as far as saying it’s the most dangerous threat of any aircraft. Not because the aircraft can’t withstand nor suppress the fire, but because smoke inhalation is a killer. Firefighters saved my life. Literally.
@@kenbrown2808 You must be confusing carbon monoxide with something else. With a high concentration of carbon monoxide, only a few breaths will make you unconscious, even in otherwise clean air.
@@jessecook5930 Indeed. Running down a partly smoke filled stair case I took two breaths and the world started spinning. A couple of breaths more would definitely made me unconscious.
@@jessecook5930 yes, you'll get sleepy and pass out. not choke. choking is caused by everything ELSE in smoke. actually, with a high enough concentration of ANYTHING, enough oxygen will be displaced that you will pass out. but the specific danger of CO is that it binds to your red blood cells, so even moving a person suffering from CO poisoning to clean air is not very effective at getting the CO released back out. thus, accurately measuring the CO load in the patient's bloodstream and treating then with oxygen, possibly hyperbaric oxygen is important to help them recover from CO poisoning. carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless, tasteless gas. unlike pretty much everything else in smoke. but what do I know, I'm just a random person correcting a misunderstanding on youtube.
I can't imagine the horror that was inside this cockpit I'm genuinely surprised how well the first officer dealt with this almost impossible situation, and kept the aircraft flying for as long as it did, Rest in peace.
As a former pilot this video was heart wrenching for me. God bless that first officer and his heroic attempts to save his life and those on the ground.
This is definitely the most heartbreaking and difficult to watch video on Mentour's channels, however, it is clearly an accident that is filled with very important lessons for fire safety in aviation.
@@anaghaadharsh What good would it make if the cockpit is full of smoke? What would you be gaining with smoke goggles? Also, if they have air masks on they would not be able to use smoke goggles.
This is a brutal story. I'm surprised they didn't head towards the closest airport when they got the warning, but it also shows how quickly everything went sideways after they got the warning.
Agree - I made a comment today along similar lines. Landing is the only and top priority, as fast as possible, even a too short runway or too heavy - it is better than a catastrophe that happened to this flight and Swissair 111.
i’m still baffled as to why on earth would they choose to fly to dubai, yes they know dubai but a fire can spread in a matter of precious minutes! if only they went to doha 😔
I remember this accident, at that time we sent a lot of goods via UPS. One day I was creating new shipping documents online and a note on the UPS website said they remembered their colleagues - the two pilots who died in that plane crash. it gave me chills and made me sad.
My mentor in aviation retired from UPS on the 747 as a training captain back in 2015. He was part of the team that listened to the CVR as he knew the 747 really well. He said that co-pilot NEVER gave up flying that airplane and was surprisingly calm throughout the situation.
He is def a hero for doing what he could in a no win scenario. I’m glad they at least took their deaths seriously because I can’t imagine what they went through here. It is a nightmare scenario to the maximum degree. As a former firefighter the smoke and fire scares me so much. I do wish we had the opportunity to listen to the actual audio but I can understand why they don’t release it, and only the transcripts instead.
The first officer, died trying to save his plane and inadvertently hundreds of others. What a legend. Though absolutly tragic there is alot to learn from an accident like this. Great coverage and breakdown again Cpt. Petter!!!
That’s what I got from it too. He managed to at least get the plane to where the least amount of casualties would occur. Sadly, he and his captain were lost but no one else. This could have been so much worse.
Absolutely very well made. Great presentation. Asiana had a lithium cargo fire flying from Seoul to Shanghai and crashed into the sea. This was after the UPS crash. There does not seem to be available information on this and I think it would be very educational.
FDR memory module broke off and was lost. The CVR was never recovered. Wreckage indicated that flammable liquids also exploded tearing away part of the airframe. Samsung had a history of exploding lithium cell phone batteries. They should have stuck with safer Chinese-made batteries.
I used to work as a terminal loader first in UPS Denmark Kastrup and in Norway, Gardermoen for a total of 7 years up to 28 August 2010. We loaded, checked and secured packages and mail for AAY, AAD, AAA, and other types of containers. We had often hidden packages by facility coordinators as safety checks. Never failed them. We took safety very seriously. Fire safety, bodily safety. One facility coordinator decided one cold evening in a february to conduct a fire alarm exercise 40 mins before we were supposed to have our ULDs loaded and sealed, and ready for the aircraft... **Good times**! Good thing I had remembered to eat something the previous hour. I get hangry and moody easily. My favorite aircraft, the one I fell madly in love with, was a B767-400ER. After our work at the terminal in the summer we used to accompany our Gateway agent and the first officer in the main loading bay for a check of the ULDs and whether they were all securely attached. I have seen the cockpit of that aircraft twice after permission from the captain. Just what I needed to get me to the road to a pilot school. I send my condolences to the families. Indeed. One small oversight, one wrong decision and that fire hazard becomes 1000 times greater. I get very curious as to who and how they decided and managed to load such dangerous containers in that aircraft. Maybe the gateway agents were not UPSs. It sounds to me to be impossible that such a decision would take place in Europe
The video said the containers weren’t marked or declared as dangerous goods which I guess is one reason they were loaded the way they were. One thing the video doesn’t say is what would have been different if they were correctly declared, given the dangerous goods regulations at the time (I know the regulations regarding lithium batteries changed because of this accident). Could it have made a difference to the outcome?
@@vikalm Not really. The faulty batteries would have been loaded on an other aircraft instead, or sent by ship. UPS would definitely have declined a pallet cargo shipment of 3 such pallets, and might have taken just one of those instead. I can't be sure myself
You know there's saying that death of unit is tragedy and death of millions is statistic, it's almost the same, there are only two units in this story so it's more tragic because those people were only people on airplane.
I was 8 years old when this happened and I reside in Dubai, my dad's cousin saw the plane come down, he lived in Silicon Oasis... I remember hearing about the crash on Radio as I was with my dad in his car
These poor men died in one of the most horrific imaginable way. Basically blind, barely breathing, disoriented and alone. It’s gut wrenching to even think about it
This is one of the accidents that hit me hardest. I remember watching it on Air Crash Investigation and just hoping that they made it. When it was clear that they didn't make it, and knowing the co-pilot fought right to the end, I just cried. All of the accidents where people have lost their lives is incredibly sad, but rarely do I cry. As always, thank you for your non-dramatised analysis of this story.
The "logic" of returning to a known location is a powerful psychological motivation that has killed many people in fire emergencies, where they have often headed into the fire because it's in the return path toward the entrance where they entered the building. Perhaps the captain's return decision was motivated this way.
Lots of fire casualties in public venues are the result of people heading for the way they came in, rather than the closest and safest emergency exit to where they are. Smoke, panic, poor lighting, alcohol (in clubs etc) all have contributed to tragically high death rates in such venues.
As a retired 27yr Firefighter/EMS First Medical Responder that has declared a 'May Day' in a working structure fire after falling through collapsed stairs/ flooring, I vaguely know how the First Officer felt on being alone in a high heat/thick smoke atmosphere and feeling abandoned 😳. I was blessed to be rescued by my brothers...unfortunately it was his time. Condolences 🙏🏻
Once more: Great video, well done! As a firefighter i only can repeat Petters words: Be aware of what you are carrying around with you. A fire in a closed room is hell on earth. It's not Hollywood loud, noisy, with bright sparks and you just cannot stay there unprotected or with a wet tissue over your nose. It will be pitchblack and after two breathes you will be just gone. I really hope that none of you will ever be in such a situation.
This has to be the most harrowing story I’ve ever heard in this channel. Absolutely terrifying. Poor pilots 😢😢. You did it really good, Petter. Such a sad and harrowing situation.
There are many tragic aviation crash histories but this one is high up there. No matter what the FO did, nothing got better. He would do something that would make me sigh in relief, then something horrible sets in. My heart sank in when he JUST past Dubai Airport runway and it simply never did get better. Thank you for this incredible piece !
I worked for UPS International for almost 30 years. I’ve read the reports but watching this video was so painful that I almost couldn’t finish it. UPS hires excellent pilots and everything from training to maintenance is top notch. But this video really hammers home that there are always factors that you can’t control and this was a perfect storm of really horrible events chained together. Thank you for making it and emphasizing how truly dangerous fire from whatever source, but especially Li-On batteries, can be. Our prayers remain with the two pilots and their families and appreciation that, with almost no visibility or control of the aircraft, the copilot at least managed to avoid significant casualties on the ground.
I love how you put the viewer in the seat of the pilots. It really makes the stories so much more interesting and scary. I’m always on the tip of my chair
I found myself getting really down as I realized no-one made it out of this. (Your demeanor changes as you continue through a story. I can see how much these impact you, even in the telling of the situations.) I admire that First Officer so much; it seems he never gave up and tried so much to get the plane safely back on the ground. Such a damned shame, the outcome.
Talk about flying blind! I've had the honor of transporting many UPS pilots over the years to and from their planes and from their conversations, I find them to be highly intelligent and methodical. I'm not surprised to hear the pilot ended up saving hundreds of lives by his persistence and courage.
As a South African, whenever I hear about fires aboard a 747, I am reminded of the Helderberg disaster of 1987 - a South African Airways 747 combi that was brought down by a fire in the rear cargo section. It is strange that lessons weren't learnt from that incident and incorporated into the newer versions of the 747, especially given the astounding improvements in technology since 1987. Thank you for all the work you put into your presentations.
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz Swissair Flight 111Aircraft certification standards for material flammability were inadequate in that they allowed the use of materials that could be ignited and sustain or propagate fire. Consequently, flammable material propagated a fire that started above the ceiling on the right side of the cockpit near the cockpit rear wall. The fire spread and intensified rapidly to the extent that it degraded aircraft systems and the cockpit environment, and ultimately led to the loss of control of the aircraft.[1]: 253Investigators identified evidence of arcing in wiring of the in-flight entertainment network, but this did not trip the circuit breakers, which were not designed to trip on arcing. The investigation was unable to determine whether this arc was the "lead event" that was assumed to have ignited the flammable covering on MPET insulation blankets that quickly spread across other flammable materials.[1]: 253 After the crew cut power to "non-essential" cabin systems, a reverse flow in the cockpit ventilation ducts increased the amount of smoke reaching the flight deck.[1]: 240 By the time the crew became aware of the severity of the fire, it had become so extensive that it was impossible to address as it happened.[1]: 254 The rapid spread of electrical power failures led to the breakdown of key avionics systems, and the crew was soon rendered unable to control the aircraft. The pilot-in-command was forced to fly manually because he had no light by which to see his controls after the instrument lighting failed. The fuel-laden plane was above maximum landing weight; as the flight crew dumped fuel as per procedure, they lost all control, and the doomed plane flew into the ocean uncommanded.
I was a volunteer firefighter for 6 years and I know the feeling of dread when smoke becomes so dark you cannot even orient yourself as to left to right or even up and down. The training we received was top notch but I will never be able to shake that dread feeling. I cannot imagine trying to fly a plane while this is going on.
Having the spare oxygen masks stowed in a location that require the pilots to get out of their seats and remove the main oxygen masks also seems like a flaw.
Maybe step 1 of the fire alarm check list should be that the pilot who isn't flying goes and gets the spare oxygen masks in case they are needed later on.
It already is available as one of the episodes from the "Air Disasters'" series on the Smithsonian Channel. The production is outstanding, and it's absolutely riveting and horrifying.
That is an amazing description of a very upsetting event. Thankfully the co-pilot managed to avoid killing anyone on the ground - they must both be considered Martyrs for their actions! I've been on Fire Training at TEEX in Houston, TX, and have experienced the heat and blackness associated with smoke in an enclosed space. I'm not sure whether I was actually breathing while watching this video but I survived to the end so guess I was! Thanks, Petter and team, for sharing and educating all of us...
Absoluitely dreadful, like you said it's impossible to imagine how terrified and stressed the co pilot would have been. But to put those final inputs in to stop this from being any worse in those insane conditions, he's a hero.
Wow. Poor pilots. It was hard enough for the pilot to pass out but the first officer had to endure all the horrors of trying to land his aircraft, safely and successfully but in the end failed and died. A very brave man as well as the captain. I can't even imagine what was going through his mind. So sorry for their loss and their families who had to face their loss, too. 😓
I watched this today for the first time - those pilots were in an impossible situation, I do feel that the First Officer did all that he possibly could to try and land the aircraft, alone, essentially blind and fearful, he remained focused and professional - his actions even at the last moments in flight were nothing short of heroic. May his soul and the soul of the Captain rest in peace - with his duty well done. This one hit hard.
The part where you explain the introduction of the EVAS system made me tear up a little for some reason. The idea of aviation industry professionals thinking, inventing, discussing, designing, fitting, testing, manufacturing this new system so that something like this could never happen again is very uplifting.
This is one of the most emotional accidents I've learned about (I actually posted on the ACI subreddit about this one not long ago). I feel so sorry for everyone involved, and also so impressed how everyone was fighting until the end. It must have been horrifying for the FO after the PIC got incapacitated, yet he kept on, trying to land. Sadly the fire was just too intense. Great video. I thought I already knew a lot about this one, but the information about the packs was new to me.
How terrible and hard this accident is, I can’t imagine how was the co-pilot setting in that situation, and the fact that he never gave up fighting these hits that come one after the other just makes him a real hero, may he and the captain both rest in peace.
Mkay, so guessed the ups 6 flight from the teaser. Top content as usual, they should show these on Nat geo. And yes, still believe the story of the FO is incredibly amazing and sad in the same time. Fighting til the end, in absolutely adverse conditions and being so close to actually pulling this miracle... So sad for him to go in such a way.
This video was so gut-wrenching I had to take a break and watch it in 2 sections. The FO of this flight was a true hero by diverting his failing aircraft away from known populated areas before it crashed. To the very end, he flew that crippled bird until it would simply fly no longer. Kudos also for the number of safety measures proposed and enacted for cargo flights following this horrible accident. Thank you, again Capt Mentour for another very informative video.
You’re storytelling is remarkable. I could almost feel like I was in the cockpit. This was an incredibly tragic accident, YES, they all are, but knowing how the FO fought to try to save the aircraft was both heroic and heartbreaking. Thank you Sir. The book you’re reading “The Art of Storytelling” is really paying off.
At the end of the video Petter explains why I'm hearing a new safety warning: if you lose your portable electronic device in your seat - do not adjust your seat to retrieve the device. Call a flight attendant. It seems they are worried that the battery could be damaged by the mechanism and start a fire.
They are extremely volatile and dangerous - they can get very hot in even normal operation. if you feel your laptop overheating pull out the charger and turn it off immediately - they can burst into a raging blow torch in seconds.
@@rainscratch Yep! And hopefully if it has a removable battery remove it...or at least get the whole thing to an area that it can't do as much damage. Sounds silly but we actually had someone with a battery puffed up in their laptop and started getting hot while working from home, they stored it in their (TURNED OFF) kitchen oven overnight as a precaution figuring at least that would have a better chance of containing it if it went nuclear and give them a safety margin. Nothing bad happened, it cooled down and they brought it to the office to get a new one. Also don't store loose batteries in your pockets where it could touch keys/coins/pen-clips/etc.
This is excellent and should be required viewing for those who use air cargo. I was employed by DHL Express for many years. We were constantly being tested and being re certified for DG. I spent many hours educating clients on shipping of lithium batteries. Some were very frustrated when shipments were refused or returned because they the contents or packaging did not meet IATA regulations for shipping of Lithium batteries. It’s better to have a frustrated client instead of a tragic loss of life.
I'm currently working for them for many years now as well (LEJ HUB), and this tragedy is always part of DG recertifications. However, I never heard of the desperate and professional struggle of the pilots, and can't get them out of my head now 😢 I will bring this truly excellent presentation up to instructors and colleagues, if that's okay! Thank you so much for this and I can only agree, it should be required viewing 👏
I grew up on aviation disaster stories. My dad and brother were airplane-obsessed. My dad wanted to be a pilot, but his vision wasn't good enough. My brother is an aircraft maintenance engineer. And I find the whole subject boring. But your videos remind me of listening to my dad and brother analyzing every disaster in detail over family dinners. My brother and I were read crash stories at bedtime. I've to read, and didn't have many books of my own so I started reading my dad airplane books by the time I was 11 or 12. I read "It Doesn't Matter Where You Sit", "The Ghost of Flight 401" "All 4 Engines have Failed". And many many others I've forgotten. I'm familiar with most of the stories you cover. My dad would love your channel. He passed away 5.5 years ago. I'm loving thecwalk down memory lane watching your videos. I'm sure my dad is hanging out with pilots in Heaven, hearing all the first hand accounts.
This is the most terrifying vid ive ever seen on this channel. ive just got done watching an Apollo 13 documentary and this somehow seems more disturbing, wow.
i’ve watched many of these videos, read about many accident flights, but this is the one i think that’s stuck with me the most out of all of them. it’s just terrifying. thank you, as always, for covering it so well and respectfully.
@@markmcculfor6113there are fire suppressants that can put out lithium battery fires. They're a lot more complex than standard fire suppressants - they include chemicals that will separate the oxidizer and fuel, as well as quickly lower the temperature to prevent chain reaction
In many industries the people coming up with the solutions are now too close to the problem to see better ideas. I still don't understand how in 2024 planes go missing, pilots can turn of transmitters, planes can't tune into Starlink and stream black box data in realtime to remote ground stations and so many more solutions which are stupid easy. Even the mistakes made by pilots seem so easily fixable if the right people are programming. Having seen how Boeing is doing maybe it's time for SpaceX to build a plan. bah!
That was a heartbreaking synopsis...I can't even imagine what that FO went through during those last 15 minutes or so. You've done a great job presenting the material for this very tragic accident. Thank you!
I almost wish he’d passed out with the captain to spare him from this terrible fate, but there’s no way to know where it would have finally fallen out of the sky.
I had to pause this when he took off the autopilot near the end. Emotional overload. A couple of tears trickled for the poor bastard, totally helpless and about to die and fully aware of that. RIP, 1st officer. RIP cap'n.
I’m not a pilot just a passenger and I have learned so much from you, the storytelling is so insightful and there are so many brave pilots up there in the sky. Thank you for doing what you do🥰
It’s a miracle there weren’t mass fatalities on the ground, considering a gigantic 747 crashed right into the middle of a busy city. RIP to the pilots🕊
I am a "Mentour Pilot" as well. 30 years retired CANSOFCOM and RCAF pilot/instructor. If half my pilots were half as knowledgeable and quick-minded logical as you... my hair would likely be thicker and far less grey. Brilliant videos. I am vastly impressed and have subscribed. Thank you!
@Karamjeet Bedi I have been retired 10 years but if your cousin is CAF I likely know of him as I taught at CFB Southport and Cold Lake for many years but do not recall any Punjabi students off hand. If he is Canadian and flies an F18 I am aware/know who he is possibly.
@Karamjeet Bedi lol...no need to worry no misunderstanding. I was confused because there was a pilot at CFB Cold Lake @call sign "Abdul" and he was from India. Thought it may have been him because the world of F18 pilots in Canada is a tight small one. Enjoy your day and thank you for your respect.
I love that you usually give info about the crew, so that they aren't just generic pilots who signed up for risk, but real people having their worst day. It personalizes the story and brings home the individual tragedy of such situations, whether 2 pilots or 400 passengers. I can't imagine the horror of the FO being so new to the aircraft in this situation, all alone, and blind, which you described perfectly. Yours is currently my favorite YT channel and I very much look forward to new videos!
This is so sad :( I’ve seen documentaries about this flight, but yours goes into so much detail and makes us more engaged and empathetic to the pilots. Thank you.
This is so sad, they have tried their best and how frightened they would have been at that time! It is so hard to think. Pilots are really great people. Thank you for this explanation, captain.. knowing more and more things... All the best to you, captain!
This one just destroyed me. The detail and explanation as usual is excellent. The incident however, is just so devastating. The pilot showed excellent airmanship to the very end. He tried so hard.
@@ThunderAppeal you have no concept at all what Petter is doing. He’s educating future pilots. He’s educating future mechanics, aviation professionals, those on the ramp, everyone. He shows how important it is to get the work right and how one “small little thing” that usually no one will notice, can lead to catastrophic results. So…grow up before you show up.
Absolute perfection when it comes to telling a story, this channel is getting better by the day. Poor pilots, cant even start to imagine what they must have gone through 😔 Snyggt jobbat Petter!
Great video as always, Petter. This flight is the one that has always gnawed at me, truly a nightmare scenario. Inflight fires are so terrifying, you have to have flawless decision making under enormous pressure and adverse conditions from the very outset to have a chance at surviving. I’ve seen several videos on this flight but as always is the case with your videos, I learned several new things. I think your experience as a firefighter added tremendously to the quality of this one! Would you consider doing a video on FedEx Flight 705? I think that’s the most amazing story of courage and airmanship that I’ve ever seen, and the story is incredibly riveting and dramatic. Would love to see your take on it, for some reason I don’t think that one has received a proper treatment yet from the UA-cam aviation community!
34:24 nothing makes me prouder of individuals than when even if their own situation is futile they carry out a last heroic action that saves hundreds of lives
Sure…if caught. Legitimate shippers follow strict protocols and do a good job declaring and packaging items correctly. They’re not the ones I worried about. It was the “undeclared” hazmat ma & pa shippers who either didn’t know the rules, didn’t care or tried to get something by the system.
If they were caught, that hardly seems like a sufficient punishment. Maybe they should be locked in a tiny room and made to do really difficult stuff while the room fills with smoke.
This one effected me the most out of all of your videos. The first officer is a true hero! I cannot imagine what that must of been like under those circumstances. This give me a whole new respect for airlines. I am the grumpy traveler who would be cranky( to myself only) over the restrictions for luggage and carry on baggage. That has 100% changed after watching this channel and especially this episode. My next flight will be much more enjoyable as I respect the flight crew and staff and have a complete attitude change when it comes to restrictions and rules. May these two brave souls rest in eternal peace and I wish their families peace and well wishes on this earth.
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Thank you Blinkist for helping me make this type of content! 💕
Hey man, just wanted to say, I always find your videos absolutely riveting. While I'm youtube premium, (ie: ad free) because I truly hate advertisements, I always watch through your ad segments to support how I can. Please never stop what you do. Strangely, while I've always been a nervous flyer, your videos instill me with confidence, from the incredible capacity and determination of pilots to the rigorous safety measures airlines and aircraft manufacturers take. Sure, you can be aware that "flying is safer than driving", but it truly doesn't feel that way when you're up in the air as a nervous flyer. Through your channel at least I've been able to learn why it actually is safer.
Great video, as usual! I'm stuck with one question though: what would have happened if the owner of the batteries would have declared dangerous goods? Would that have made a difference? would the batteries have been on the plane at all?
I don't know what Blinkist is, i dont know what they do. Because they helped make videos im gonna research em too!😅
I guess we will never know for sure but I have my doubts that the captain was killed in the impact. I think it is more likely they succumbed to a lethal dose of toxic gasses from the smoke before that point. Hearing the description of conditions in that cockpit I find it unlikely anyone could survive even several minutes breathing that atmosphere. As a survivor of a structural fire I learned the hard way what even a single gasp for breath in a smoke filled space does suffice to say I was reduced to a weak crawl in what felt like an instance and spent days coughing up black phlegm. Not fun and that was a single breath.
Thank you very much for covering this up! It´s a real Horror Story, painful to listen. Lithium Batteries are a real danger to every aircraft. Just a few time ago something similar seems to happen with a TU-204-Freighter of the Russian Cargo-Company Aviastar-TU in Hangzhou/ China. Fortunately in this case the plane was still on the ground, so it was possible to evacuate it in a very short time and so nobody was hurt. But only a few minutes later and they would have been up in the air.
So - the problem seems to be still not solved.
Hi, UPS hazmat employee here! Thank you for covering this flight. I just wanted to add that information on this flight and the horrible details of how the plane went down is shared whenever a new hazmat employee is hired to illustrate just how important protocols and accuracy are when a plane is in the air. We’re super strict on anything hazardous including batteries - and this flight is exactly why.
Batteries as air cargo scare me, especially many of the cheap things coming from China or any other bargain basement "cheap as possible" assembly plant.
I bought a lot of 200 "hoverboard" batteries to take apart for the individual cells a few years back. They were SO poorly manufactured, I found so many issues that would result in a short circuit (and guaranteed fierce fire) if vibrations or the right bump hit it.
And discount power tool batteries are just as dangerous. There's a reason so many knock offs catch fire... 0 safety concern with regards to assembly.
Nice to hear from you! I used to work as a terminal loader first in UPS Denmark Kastrup and in Norway, Gardermoen for a total of 7 years up to 28 August 2010.
Very well done !!!
As I often say “safety rules are written in blood”.
@T.J. Kong all containers are built with the idea to keep fires from spreading. There are strict segregation rules about dangerous goods (like a flammable liquid can never be loaded with an explosive for obvious reasons) but at the end of the day we really are at the mercy of shippers. Legal shippers are trained and certified in how to properly pack, mark, and ship hazardous packages. But people will always balk at regulations as if they exist just to inconvenience them. No, they exist because people have died.
This crash always hits me hard. The first officer really did his best to try and land that massive aircraft while being all by himself, in an insanely hot cockpit filled with smoke. I can’t even imagine what he was going through during those final minutes. May the pilots of UPS 6 rest in peace.
Indeed 😢
Yes, indeed.
Not knowing the outcome for awhile I kept hoping that somehow he had landed the plane, but that hope grew fainter and fainter. I guess the only silver lining is that the plane did not crash into a populated area as it so nearly did,
The thing is that even if he would have landed and managed to bring the aircraft to a full stop, the likelihood of him not surving would still be very, very high, I think. I assume that the captain was already dead.
@@6z0 It's hard to know if he would have survived, He had been in smoke for quite a long time, so at best he'd have lifelong lung problems. Smoke from lithium batteries fires is nasty.
I was a firefighter for 33 years and I was getting more and more distressed with this story as it progressed, I felt every emotion this pilot felt
hey brotha, I was a firefighter EMT (tillerman also) for about 9 years in the 90s. I too was feeling the same emotions as you.
So you like videos where the narrator is profiting off the misery of others.
Interesting.
Same.
@@ThunderAppeal Are you okay?
Not a firefighter and I am barely a simulator pilot, but, damn, this story is really sad and panicking: fire onboard, barely any control, blind, difficult communication, a dead body on the cockpit, no oxigen... This was really hard to watch.
As a recently retired MD11 Capt for UPS, I knew and was friends with the Capt (Doug Lampe) of this horrible accident. Doug was an outstanding individual and pilot and is truly missed. Matt’s airmanship was nothing short of heroic! This accident changed much of how we react, handle and train for lithium fires so his death wasn’t in vain. RIP old friend…
Indeed. 😢
So sorry for your loss. They both behaved as utter professionals. RIP
Thank you very much for this personal rememberings. Hopefully his death was not in vain. It´s only horrifying to know that such an outstanding performance ended in this way. RIP.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Thank you for sharing. I'm very sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss
This is such a terrible accident, and the fact that the co-pilot overflew the airport makes it even sadder to me. They almost made it
Imagine if they had selected to go to the airport half the distance away.
Might have been alive today if they did.
1st cause is the handling of dngerous goods. I understood, this was illegal at that time and was only made to save a $.
Besides that I can't imagine the flight suffered any less final damange even if the pilot managed to find the ILA, because of the gear was stuck.
Just having his calls recited are chilling. I cannot imagine the terror he faced.
With the fire, fuel and speed the gear was irrelevant, tbh
@@SarcasticTruth77 they definitly had no chance. Under this circumstances the plane would disintegrate the moment it touches the ground. Maybe with working landing gear crashing into an airport with good firefighters the pilots may have survived, but its unlikely.
I was a pilot living in Silicon Oasis that night and watched him pass over us at around 200 feet. I saw him impact the ground just to the west of us. Terrible night but so many people had a lucky escape. Can’t help but feel really bad for that poor FOs predicament. RIP
That's terrible that you had to see it.
Silicon Oasis lol
Damn
Who's cargo?, who's batteries? When did ATC relize they where directing a VERY Large "Bomb" back to thier airport / City
I can't imagine watching something like that as a pilot, and then keep flying.
WHOA. Honestly I am shocked at how long this first officer managed to keep the plane in the air and under some sort of control from the time the smoke got in the cockpit. That poor guy...he's a hero for sparing lives on the ground.
Yes, he did a great job under the circumstances.
@@MentourPilot I'm thinking that most pilots would have trouble doing what he did in a simulation?
I wonder if simulators are even equipped to simulate a smoke filled environment. Also, while watching this video, I couldn't help but think how voice activated controls might have helped but getting such a system to work offline and interface with major aircraft systems would be a nightmare to get certified
@@musharrafhanif I would say its a great opportunity to include smart glasses into the smoke goggles so all the instruments can been seen Also add a cam to the plane so they have close to cockpit view of eveything. Much better then that BS inflatable thing
@@mnztr1 Yes! Like the goggles firefighters have to see through smoke!
Why not make a video of how the airport fire services work? I think that everyone would be very interested!
Yes! That’s a great idea
@@MentourPilot If you do make this video, I would really like to know if the airport firefighters are trained in what the crew firefighting procedures are and therefore whether they can predict and understand what actions were taken before they (the firefighters) arrive. I'm also not sure of the similarities and differences between different airlines' approaches to this training, having only worked for one.
Don't think I've come across a detailed documentary of this aspect - great idea. It is often covered in brief segments along with cargo and baggage handling, etc on documentaries dealing with airport operations, but not a detailed overview from my experience.
Also a little more detail on any systems etc the aircraft have. I have extensive training in marine fire fighting but would be interested to learn more about the aviation side of things
@@notsosmall2830 I'd be fairly surprised if they are not I know thanks to my company part owning a datacentre on the ground we are required to submit this information as part of our fire inspection. Granted a datacentre is considered a high risk facility for fire (we have upwards of 9MW flowing through around hundreds of thousands of flammable circuit boards 24/7 after all) but then surely so are aircraft and airports. So I would expect the fire protection services responsible for managing that risk would need to be kept in the loop about the fire management systems and procedures of the operation they are expected to protect.
I work for UPS Airlines. Recently took a jump seat back from Cologne to Louisville. In the ops center in CGN, there is a small memorial for the two crew members who perished in this crash
Amen
Can't imagine the horror these pilots went through. It's so easy to overlook or not even think about the risks of batteries on an aircraft, thank you for reminding us about this. Great analysis as always!
Battery fires are violent and fierce.
That poor crew.
One of the first safety things I was shown when I worked hazmat in the military was a battery related incident. Someone loaded a box of acid filled batteries upside down on a pallet. Thankfully it didn’t cause a fire, but they leaked and ate through the metal pallet and started on the aircraft floor before an issue was identified.
I'd like to know if the responsible shippers were found and charged with a crime
That first officer , the captain died much sooner than the crash
How about the pilot's families?
I'm crying because this heroic copilot deserved to live.
Me too. At least their actions will be remembered by so many of us..No matter where or what you do in what industry whether personal or professional, trying is worth it, even if it's not a win.
@@LAKE_reader You are so right. bless you
@@LAKE_reader right. Even though they have moved on from this life, they live on through us, our experiences, memories and sorrow.
The captain did as well
Boths pilots did. They both did what they could to land a plane on fire.
What hits me hard about this tragedy is, that the more time passed, the less of a chance the crew had to end this without crashing. They were giving the best they could for what they knew about the situation, only for the situation to turn worse. And when the captain gets overwhelmed by the smoke it is just heart breaking. I have deep respect for the first officer for the way he managed this walk in hell. It is so sad, that those two souls didn't make it. RIP
The case where keeping the plane flying also doesnt work. It is very sad. I mean, he must have been flying for 20 minutes with laring alarms. I cant even imagine the amount of stress
The so called "Green" agenda with regard to the promotion of EV's appears to have as its offshoot a great degree of managerial bias in favor of lithium-ion batteries, to such an extent that the extreme, inherent risks associated with the self-oxygenating, super hot fires (4,100f/2,260c) has been programmatically dismissed by authorities at the managerial-Satanic level of the binge-drinking frat boys in charge of managing our collective psychosis. As such the crew was exposed to the oversight with respect to the dangers posed by their cargo in very much the same way as has been consistently witnessed in the case of the many container-ship fires that have been occuring with electric vehicles being shipped across the high seas. Global-warming rebranded as climate change being a demonstrable hoax, this as easily demonstrated by the failure of doomsday prognostications with respect to sea level rise, the agenda is of course one involving the standard-issue method of deception understood by the terms "strategic and tactical misrepresentation." After all the objective of policy makers on high is to impose various gradations of martial law by way of recourse to fraudulent invocations of the precautionary protocol with lockdowns due to climage issues imposed with every bit of the same logic of falsification as witnessed with regard to the agenda of pretending that the Corona Virus has ever been the cause of any other disease than that of the common cold. And so we can expect such "accidents" as this to continue to occur within a predictable cadence and since one of the objectives, aside from restricting travel via EV's in the context of insufficient charging infrastructure and the slow pace of re-charging, is also that of imposing draconian measures with respect to the imposition of internal surveillance systems within buildings, this for the purpose of protecting us all from all of the terrible fires anticipated by way of dangerous lithium-ion batteries inside homes and businesses. Because all that we are given to understand as true is but a bit of B.S., this per the acronym of the dominate voice within the public information space, See B.S.--i.e CBS. No hope ont he horizon with regard to escape from the prison planet under design by our binge-drinking, Satanic masters. My famly runs the so called Illumi-Nutty. And make no mistake. They're here to stay. And they love doing the most terrible things imagineable to children, poverty as the engine of the abduction.
This story is just awful. These two souls did all they could to. May they rest easy 😢
so wouldnt it make sense then to have gone for Bahrain which is twice closer? maybe then they'd have a chance
I think of all of the accidents you’ve covered, this one has been the most terrifying. The helplessness those pilots must have felt is haunting. Very sympathetically and factually told Petter, especially from your perspective as an airport firefighter, great work as always 👍
Thank you, yes this was a terrifying event for sure.
The one where both pilots suffocated was horrifying as well. Nightmare fuel
@@Shess2010 May I know which one you are referring to?
@@y-yyy The Swissair 111 I presume.
@@stekikun6854 Thank you!
As a long time airline employee, I truly appreciate your words to potential passengers about batteries. I know it can be frustrating to be constantly asked what you have packed in your checked luggage and carry on. What devices, batteries, etc. We only want to keep everyone safe. I think a lot of folks think a thermal runaway is far fetched, but it happens all the time. And finally, God bless these pilots. I wish they would have shot for Doha. I felt they would have made it, but that's an uneducated observation. 🙏
most folks don't know what a thermal runaway is. Maybe they'll learn after enough electric cars turn into fireballs.
It would most likely have been the better decision (only half the distance away, no message relay needed even after the smoke made them unable to see), but at the time the Captain made the decision, it's not like they already had that issue yet, so I don't think anyone can fault him for deciding to return. Even then, with how far the fire had already deteriorated everything, it's still questionable whether they would have managed to safely bring it down :(
@@sleepysera Small point, but Captain made the Dubai choice twice. When everything was stable, fine. But when smoke became obvious, he again asked ATC not for the nearest now - but to descend quicker towards Dubai.
So it’s getthereitis, and not checking FO’s controls after his own control issue- which would’ve alerted them to switch to autopilot earlier. Benefit of hindsight… that’s asking humans for a perfect robotic reaction. They are both heroes either way.
It's less dangerous when in carry-on because everyone can see it and get a fire extinguisher
As a resident in Qatar,I don’t think the 747 would have enough runway space for landing there.The Hamad Airport wasn’t completed and the doha airport was small.Again,it was possible,but very unlikely
An interesting thing to note about this incident is that right after it had occurred, when the only thing that was still known about the matter at the time was that the plane crashed due to an onboard fire, UPS voluntarily started their own serious & fullfledged investigation into trying to find ways to improve the fire-prevention/safety systems onboard their aircrafts. UPS started doing this prior to the completion of the air crash investigation and release of the final report, so hats off to them for taking such initiative. I'll also add that they were also among the first companies to both take up the recommendations made by the related investigation team (shortly after the final report's publication), and implement new fire-related measures (like EVAS).
Yes, they are a good company!
@@MentourPilot The most effective preventative would be a rigidly enforced complete ban on carrying Lithium Batteries and any such dangerous cargo on aircraft. If smoking can be banned - this type of cargo is a million times more dangerous.
@@rainscratch how do you want to ship lithium batteries? Ships only? Is a lithium fire so much safer on the high seas?
Now a trick question: How do you ban goods, when cargo is not always declared correctly? Does banning this battery type incentivize not declaring them?
I think good restrictions and regulations are a better way to go then a complete ban.
@@sarowie Yes very good points Michael. Nothing is fail safe. Ships would be a safer option as there is not a critical weight factor such as in aircraft, in designing cargo containers or cargo hold sections that can deal with a catastrophically hot and uncontrolled fire. A ship fire is also very serious. Perhaps not as serious as an aircraft fire? Lots of factors to consider to answer that question.
Of course both applications depend on the dangerous cargo being declared and processed properly. Bringing in the age old problems of human error, purposeful lying about contents etc.
Perhaps with the seriousness of a complete ban, technology can be developed that detects L-ion in cargo if it gets through from neglect or purposeful lying on manifests. If tech can be used to detect drugs or explosives, I can't see why not. Resultant huge fines or jail may be a further deterrent? Nothing is perfect.
Actually we just need the dry lithium batteries without flammable electrolyte- a graphene type. Li FePO4 is safer, but less energy dense than cheap current Li-ion bombs. Cargo carries tons of them, recharheable and primary/single use.
I'm not kidding, I damn near had a panic attack listening to you tell this story. My God, these poor pilots. I can't, nor do I want to imagine the horror of being in that cockpit. This story is the fuel of nightmares for me. My heart really goes out to these two. Incredible story-telling, however on your part, Petter.
Sorry to have caused you anxiety Brad, that was not my intention.
Yes, this is one of the most horrific reports I have had to work through. Truly the stuff of nightmares.
I know. Those poor men. Especially the man trying to land the plane. It is heart breaking. I feel so bad for them, and also for their loved ones, because it must have been so hard for their loved ones to know that they had died in such a terrible way.
I was so so so angry at whoever stupidly did not mark those crates as 'dangerous goods'. I really really wanted to know what happened to those people! Did they know who it was?? Where they charged with something?? Did they go to jail??
I had the exact same reaction and thought it was almost panic attack inducing. Absolute horror.
I can’t bear to watch it. I discovered awhile ago when my parents watched those aircraft crash investigation programmes that I hate them if the pilots can’t save their plane, because I seem to be hardwired into wanting them to win on some instinctive level despite knowing they won’t.
And it’s probably related to that unreasonable instinct that, when I see an aircraft, says. “Nope, bad idea. I’m not okay with us boarding that thing.” I’m really not a fan of flying. Not only am I constantly on edge for the entire flight but I get vertigo a lot. Not on helicopters, oddly enough but passenger planes, yes and it’s unpleasant. Especially when the thing is circling in a holding pattern.
I've been avoiding this episode because I knew how heartbreaking it was. That FO was an incredible pilot for how far he made it with everything going against him. Beautifully covered!
I am in the Navy and served on a submarine. A fire onboard was one of the worst casualties that could have happened for similar reasons. It was something we practiced often.
As an ex UK submariner I hear you.
Smarter Every Day did a deep dive (sorry) on US Navy submarines a while back, and one of the segments demonstrated a firefighting drill. It was incredibly intense, carefully planned and executed, and I can absolutely see why you practice it so often.
Well said - you are basically in an underwater pressure vessel, only the pressure is the reverse to an aircraft. Smoke inhalation, like on aircraft, would be a rapid killer.
On surface ships too. We had a massive fire at the base of our forward super structure at 200 miles off the coast. Threatened to bring down the whole super structure and kill the ship. That was the most stressful casualty I’ve been in.
As opposed to many other crashes, this is a story of absolute professionalism and duty. There were no glib remarks, arrogance, or oversights. This is a true testament to never giving up
When you are staying in front of your death, you have no fucking choice but don't give up. You just have no choice!
So I don't like this saying.
This also applies to many other situations.
@@Delibro u would shit and wet yourself if u were in this situation
@@nikkapur4048 I never said otherwise nor was this the point of mine or Topias post.
I wrote my post with deep and very sad comprehension of their situation.
They made a huge mistake in not going to Bahrain instead. They double the time to get back on the ground and that ended up costing them everything.
@@derfvcderfvc7317 I am not sure, Doha (Bahrain) would take 11 minutes in direct flight, Dubai 20 minutes. But 45 minutes after the fire warning they were not even close to any airport, so THIS is the mistake.
RIP
Douglas Lampe
(1962-2010)
and
Matthew Bell
(1972-2010)
Absolutely horrifying, especially because it looked like FO is going to make it. What a depressing accident.
This was so heartbreaking and sad to listen to , That co-pilot never gave up , he did his best to the very end . RIP to the Crew . Looks like we lost an excellent co-pilot that day .
...and Capt.
Shout-out to the relay aircraft and ATC too. Can't have been easy for them to hear this and not being able to do much to help
@@Kanbei11 Worst part is they would have had to continue their own flight after this. I can't even imagine how on earth they kept their wits and did that.
i’m a fedex retail worker and we always have to ask if there’s lithium batteries in people’s packages. next time someone asks me why i’m just going to point them towards this video! very well done video and such a heroic but tragic tale
Thank you for covering this event. I always remember it very solemnly. I am a ramp employee at UPS at the main hub in Louisville Kentucky. I remember watching the aircraft, N571UP, as it departed Louisville for what would be the last time, just a couple of days before the accident. The mood at UPS was very solemn: it was the first time a UPS plane had gone down with loss of life. Since then UPS has indeed taken many measures to insure a similar accident doesn't happen again. Improved oxygen masks for flight crew. Fire resistant containers and coverings for pallets which are now in widespread use. And tighter regulations for carrying lithium batteries abord aircraft. This accident and the investigation made flying both freight and passengers much safer.
On a side note, N571UP was a young 747. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was just three years old, and had just over 10,000 hours flying time.
Sorry for your loss and thank you for sharing this with us. 💕
@@MentourPilot Yes ☺
Listening to the first officer's final struggle is really terrifying. Even more so than with some other dramatic, high loss of life accidents.
In the others, you usually have at least the 2 pilots and ATC, if not more folks all working the problem. The Captain likely died shortly after removing his mask, ATC was at 2 removes due to the realy, and the First Officer was so isolated in the last stretch, kept working and working, but was working, and ultimately died, alone.
The cockpit voice recorder of this must be very rough to listen to.
@@kirstinmckeown3581 Absolutely the most horrifying in flight disaster I've heard about based with what the first officer was faced with. (not most horrific aircraft crash)
@@kirstinmckeown3581 My read? As someone who's done military NBC training? The captain was feeling rather bad anoxia. He had gotten to the point he HAD to ditch the mask since he'd suffocate if he kept using it. But that edge of panic in his dialog means he may have already been near blackout anoxia already. That last thing he said is when he failed to keep holding his breath. He probably inhaled a lungful of toxic smoke and that was it. He was dead before the co-pilot even got close to the airport.
@@marhawkman303 that was my take--he wouldn't have taken off his mask unless it was not doing its job--better a "shot in the dark" where he would probably die than doing nothing and certainly dying. I meant no criticism to him, both pilots faced no-win, fatal scenarios, both kept working the problem until they died, he just met his no-win earlier than the first officer.
As a 40 year veteran pilot, my hands were sweating going through this video. I have had smoke in the cabin twice in my career and it definitely gets your attention. I have also trained on EVAS and think it should be a mandated item on every pressurized aircraft. You better know your mode selectors like the back of your hand though because EVAS doesn't keep them visible.
@@ThunderAppeal Arsehole comment
@ThunderAppeal if he doesn't make this video do these poor souls respawn? No, so I see no harm in his respectful and insightful breakdowns.
@ThunderAppeal what is your problem?
@@JFon-ck6mg He is profiting off the misery of others.
Anyone who is interested and needs to know can easily read the ntsb report.
@@GLayne What is your problem? I know. You like people who profit off the misery of others.
I’m certified for the transport of dangerous goods and it absolutely terrifies me what can happen if those batteries go wrong, and they can go wrong very, very quickly. I’m incredibly careful about following those rules and my colleagues think I might be over exaggerating. I’ll show them this video next time they say something.
Then imagine being in a car, where there is ½ ton of these things just under the "floorboard".
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz Well, in a car you can break the car to a full stop in a matter of seconds and evacuate the vehicle staight away. Here, the plane was 180 NM from the airport. Just that distance is a minimum of 30 minutes at the high speed they were travelling plus all the intricacies of getting the plane onto a runway.
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz You can stop the car far easier than an air freighter. This is absolutely not the same thing at all.
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz that’s very different, in a car it’s easy enough to simply stop the car and move away
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz as long as you aren't trapped in the car, (or if you are, proper containment and venting can direct the flames away from you).
The plane is sealed up, and these batteries burn like blow torches even without oxygen. They're a hobby of mine, but in the current state I certainly wouldn't want to be trapped in a burning EV just as much as I wouldn't want to be in a flying plane with these batteries on board.
This was the one of the darkest, most heart wrenching event reports. The fact that in his final moments the FO was practically suffocating and not being able to see when or where he was going or if he will hit anything compounds the anxiety to the extremes until the agony suddenly ends.
There's a reason so many medals for heroism are posthumous.
The captain passing out was extremely sad
That last pilot was a hero in the end.
Never knew you were an airport firefighter! Amazing story-telling and visuals as per, Petter. Just getting better and better. By far my favourite aviation content across both streaming and TV without a doubt. I can tell you, from being caught in a serious house fire, choking on carbon monoxide is no small feeling. It hits and chokes you instantly. I’d go as far as saying it’s the most dangerous threat of any aircraft. Not because the aircraft can’t withstand nor suppress the fire, but because smoke inhalation is a killer. Firefighters saved my life. Literally.
Absolutely true. Fire is the worst thing that can happen in an aircraft.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
carbon monoxide, you don't even notice. it's everything ELSE in the smoke that chokes you out.
@@kenbrown2808 You must be confusing carbon monoxide with something else. With a high concentration of carbon monoxide, only a few breaths will make you unconscious, even in otherwise clean air.
@@jessecook5930 Indeed. Running down a partly smoke filled stair case I took two breaths and the world started spinning. A couple of breaths more would definitely made me unconscious.
@@jessecook5930 yes, you'll get sleepy and pass out. not choke. choking is caused by everything ELSE in smoke. actually, with a high enough concentration of ANYTHING, enough oxygen will be displaced that you will pass out. but the specific danger of CO is that it binds to your red blood cells, so even moving a person suffering from CO poisoning to clean air is not very effective at getting the CO released back out. thus, accurately measuring the CO load in the patient's bloodstream and treating then with oxygen, possibly hyperbaric oxygen is important to help them recover from CO poisoning.
carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless, tasteless gas. unlike pretty much everything else in smoke.
but what do I know, I'm just a random person correcting a misunderstanding on youtube.
I can't imagine the horror that was inside this cockpit
I'm genuinely surprised how well the first officer dealt with this almost impossible situation, and kept the aircraft flying for as long as it did, Rest in peace.
As a former pilot this video was heart wrenching for me. God bless that first officer and his heroic attempts to save his life and those on the ground.
This is definitely the most heartbreaking and difficult to watch video on Mentour's channels, however, it is clearly an accident that is filled with very important lessons for fire safety in aviation.
Agree completely. Heartbreaking indeed.
@@Pindi44 Why Aren't the pilots reaching for the 'smoke goggles'?
@@anaghaadharsh What good would it make if the cockpit is full of smoke? What would you be gaining with smoke goggles?
Also, if they have air masks on they would not be able to use smoke goggles.
This is a brutal story. I'm surprised they didn't head towards the closest airport when they got the warning, but it also shows how quickly everything went sideways after they got the warning.
Yes, indeed.
Reminiscent of Swissair 111.
Agree - I made a comment today along similar lines. Landing is the only and top priority, as fast as possible, even a too short runway or too heavy - it is better than a catastrophe that happened to this flight and Swissair 111.
i’m still baffled as to why on earth would they choose to fly to dubai, yes they know dubai but a fire can spread in a matter of precious minutes! if only they went to doha 😔
this decision really hurts. You just anticipate the worst and act as fast as possible.
I remember this accident, at that time we sent a lot of goods via UPS. One day I was creating new shipping documents online and a note on the UPS website said they remembered their colleagues - the two pilots who died in that plane crash. it gave me chills and made me sad.
My mentor in aviation retired from UPS on the 747 as a training captain back in 2015. He was part of the team that listened to the CVR as he knew the 747 really well. He said that co-pilot NEVER gave up flying that airplane and was surprisingly calm throughout the situation.
He was a brave man and saved many lives.
He is def a hero for doing what he could in a no win scenario.
I’m glad they at least took their deaths seriously because I can’t imagine what they went through here.
It is a nightmare scenario to the maximum degree.
As a former firefighter the smoke and fire scares me so much.
I do wish we had the opportunity to listen to the actual audio but I can understand why they don’t release it, and only the transcripts instead.
Damn. This comment is what really made ot hit me. This is so sad.
He's in a better place
That must have been very painful to listen to. My heartfelt condolences to the pilots' families.
This is the stuff the worst nightmares are made of..
Correct
The first officer, died trying to save his plane and inadvertently hundreds of others. What a legend. Though absolutly tragic there is alot to learn from an accident like this. Great coverage and breakdown again Cpt. Petter!!!
That’s what I got from it too. He managed to at least get the plane to where the least amount of casualties would occur. Sadly, he and his captain were lost but no one else. This could have been so much worse.
@@thespuditron9387 May his sacrifice not be in vain, and that the regulations involved afterwards are able to save countless more lives.
Absolutely very well made. Great presentation. Asiana had a lithium cargo fire flying from Seoul to Shanghai and crashed into the sea. This was after the UPS crash. There does not seem to be available information on this and I think it would be very educational.
yeah this video was exceptional. they are all good, but this one was over the top.
I would be interested in the story mentioned here as well!
The flight data recorder(s) would have to be recovered, which might not have been possible due to the location
FDR memory module broke off and was lost. The CVR was never recovered. Wreckage indicated that flammable liquids also exploded tearing away part of the airframe. Samsung had a history of exploding lithium cell phone batteries. They should have stuck with safer Chinese-made batteries.
I used to work as a terminal loader first in UPS Denmark Kastrup and in Norway, Gardermoen for a total of 7 years up to 28 August 2010. We loaded, checked and secured packages and mail for AAY, AAD, AAA, and other types of containers. We had often hidden packages by facility coordinators as safety checks. Never failed them. We took safety very seriously. Fire safety, bodily safety. One facility coordinator decided one cold evening in a february to conduct a fire alarm exercise 40 mins before we were supposed to have our ULDs loaded and sealed, and ready for the aircraft... **Good times**! Good thing I had remembered to eat something the previous hour. I get hangry and moody easily. My favorite aircraft, the one I fell madly in love with, was a B767-400ER. After our work at the terminal in the summer we used to accompany our Gateway agent and the first officer in the main loading bay for a check of the ULDs and whether they were all securely attached. I have seen the cockpit of that aircraft twice after permission from the captain. Just what I needed to get me to the road to a pilot school. I send my condolences to the families. Indeed. One small oversight, one wrong decision and that fire hazard becomes 1000 times greater. I get very curious as to who and how they decided and managed to load such dangerous containers in that aircraft. Maybe the gateway agents were not UPSs. It sounds to me to be impossible that such a decision would take place in Europe
Indeed. Thank you for sharing this with us.
The video said the containers weren’t marked or declared as dangerous goods which I guess is one reason they were loaded the way they were. One thing the video doesn’t say is what would have been different if they were correctly declared, given the dangerous goods regulations at the time (I know the regulations regarding lithium batteries changed because of this accident). Could it have made a difference to the outcome?
@@vikalm Not really. The faulty batteries would have been loaded on an other aircraft instead, or sent by ship. UPS would definitely have declined a pallet cargo shipment of 3 such pallets, and might have taken just one of those instead. I can't be sure myself
Although this crash probably has the lowest fatalities, it's still one of the most horrific ones 😔
You know there's saying that death of unit is tragedy and death of millions is statistic, it's almost the same, there are only two units in this story so it's more tragic because those people were only people on airplane.
I know the outcome, yet can't help but root for FO Bell to land safely every time.
I was 8 years old when this happened and I reside in Dubai, my dad's cousin saw the plane come down, he lived in Silicon Oasis... I remember hearing about the crash on Radio as I was with my dad in his car
Those poor pilots. My heart sunk and I was getting stressed just watching this. I couldn't image living through it. :(
These poor men died in one of the most horrific imaginable way. Basically blind, barely breathing, disoriented and alone. It’s gut wrenching to even think about it
This is one of the accidents that hit me hardest. I remember watching it on Air Crash Investigation and just hoping that they made it. When it was clear that they didn't make it, and knowing the co-pilot fought right to the end, I just cried. All of the accidents where people have lost their lives is incredibly sad, but rarely do I cry. As always, thank you for your non-dramatised analysis of this story.
It's the only episode in which I cried.
The "logic" of returning to a known location is a powerful psychological motivation that has killed many people in fire emergencies, where they have often headed into the fire because it's in the return path toward the entrance where they entered the building. Perhaps the captain's return decision was motivated this way.
It was still probably the wrong one. Hopefully, other pilots will remember that.
Lots of fire casualties in public venues are the result of people heading for the way they came in, rather than the closest and safest emergency exit to where they are.
Smoke, panic, poor lighting, alcohol (in clubs etc) all have contributed to tragically high death rates in such venues.
@@rainscratch alot of those places also illegally lock or block the fire exits so people can't sneak in and out.
@@rainscratch sounds like you are describing any incendiary situation.
@@CHAOS88100 you mean David Copperfield??
As a retired 27yr Firefighter/EMS First Medical Responder that has declared a 'May Day' in a working structure fire after falling through collapsed stairs/ flooring, I vaguely know how the First Officer felt on being alone in a high heat/thick smoke atmosphere and feeling abandoned 😳. I was blessed to be rescued by my brothers...unfortunately it was his time. Condolences 🙏🏻
Once more: Great video, well done! As a firefighter i only can repeat Petters words: Be aware of what you are carrying around with you. A fire in a closed room is hell on earth. It's not Hollywood loud, noisy, with bright sparks and you just cannot stay there unprotected or with a wet tissue over your nose. It will be pitchblack and after two breathes you will be just gone. I really hope that none of you will ever be in such a situation.
Absolutely. Thank you! 💕
This has to be the most harrowing story I’ve ever heard in this channel. Absolutely terrifying. Poor pilots 😢😢. You did it really good, Petter. Such a sad and harrowing situation.
Same here, Lara. I think this is the scariest story I heard on Petter’s channel… Stunned.
There are many tragic aviation crash histories but this one is high up there. No matter what the FO did, nothing got better. He would do something that would make me sigh in relief, then something horrible sets in. My heart sank in when he JUST past Dubai Airport runway and it simply never did get better. Thank you for this incredible piece !
I worked for UPS International for almost 30 years. I’ve read the reports but watching this video was so painful that I almost couldn’t finish it. UPS hires excellent pilots and everything from training to maintenance is top notch. But this video really hammers home that there are always factors that you can’t control and this was a perfect storm of really horrible events chained together. Thank you for making it and emphasizing how truly dangerous fire from whatever source, but especially Li-On batteries, can be. Our prayers remain with the two pilots and their families and appreciation that, with almost no visibility or control of the aircraft, the copilot at least managed to avoid significant casualties on the ground.
I love how you put the viewer in the seat of the pilots. It really makes the stories so much more interesting and scary. I’m always on the tip of my chair
I found myself getting really down as I realized no-one made it out of this. (Your demeanor changes as you continue through a story. I can see how much these impact you, even in the telling of the situations.) I admire that First Officer so much; it seems he never gave up and tried so much to get the plane safely back on the ground. Such a damned shame, the outcome.
Talk about flying blind! I've had the honor of transporting many UPS pilots over the years to and from their planes and from their conversations, I find them to be highly intelligent and methodical. I'm not surprised to hear the pilot ended up saving hundreds of lives by his persistence and courage.
As a South African, whenever I hear about fires aboard a 747, I am reminded of the Helderberg disaster of 1987 - a South African Airways 747 combi that was brought down by a fire in the rear cargo section. It is strange that lessons weren't learnt from that incident and incorporated into the newer versions of the 747, especially given the astounding improvements in technology since 1987. Thank you for all the work you put into your presentations.
There was also a Swiss air flight that crashed because a new infotainment system for the passengers overheated and caught fire.
South African Airways Flight 295. RIP
Yes, exactly, that´s absolutely correct. RIP.
This fire was very similar - a self oxidizing fire. I don't think the SAA fire was ever determined exactly what the flammable agent was?
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz Swissair Flight 111Aircraft certification standards for material flammability were inadequate in that they allowed the use of materials that could be ignited and sustain or propagate fire. Consequently, flammable material propagated a fire that started above the ceiling on the right side of the cockpit near the cockpit rear wall. The fire spread and intensified rapidly to the extent that it degraded aircraft systems and the cockpit environment, and ultimately led to the loss of control of the aircraft.[1]: 253Investigators identified evidence of arcing in wiring of the in-flight entertainment network, but this did not trip the circuit breakers, which were not designed to trip on arcing. The investigation was unable to determine whether this arc was the "lead event" that was assumed to have ignited the flammable covering on MPET insulation blankets that quickly spread across other flammable materials.[1]: 253 After the crew cut power to "non-essential" cabin systems, a reverse flow in the cockpit ventilation ducts increased the amount of smoke reaching the flight deck.[1]: 240 By the time the crew became aware of the severity of the fire, it had become so extensive that it was impossible to address as it happened.[1]: 254
The rapid spread of electrical power failures led to the breakdown of key avionics systems, and the crew was soon rendered unable to control the aircraft. The pilot-in-command was forced to fly manually because he had no light by which to see his controls after the instrument lighting failed. The fuel-laden plane was above maximum landing weight; as the flight crew dumped fuel as per procedure, they lost all control, and the doomed plane flew into the ocean uncommanded.
can't imagine how hard it actually was to be in that cockpit, R.I.P captain and 1st officer
I was a volunteer firefighter for 6 years and I know the feeling of dread when smoke becomes so dark you cannot even orient yourself as to left to right or even up and down. The training we received was top notch but I will never be able to shake that dread feeling. I cannot imagine trying to fly a plane while this is going on.
At least on the ground we have gravity for up and down. In the air you can't even trust that...
Having the spare oxygen masks stowed in a location that require the pilots to get out of their seats and remove the main oxygen masks also seems like a flaw.
Maybe step 1 of the fire alarm check list should be that the pilot who isn't flying goes and gets the spare oxygen masks in case they are needed later on.
@@daverussell457 From what I inferred from the video, the "spare" was meant for the jump seat. The pilot's oxygen really shouldn't be failing.
Dude... The captain's last words are so chilling
the production quality is just getting better and better every video. Thanks Petter and the Mentour team for the awesome, informative videos!
This needs to be on TV or Netflix or something. The quality, production, narration, it’s great!
@Godzilla Hårddisksson and UA-cam is well known for fucking it’s creators. These videos deserve to be on Netflix
You'd have to relinquish control of your production if bigger companies got involved. Pretty sure that would not be a good thing.
@@jayt9882 control costs money. Which he’ll get.
It already is available as one of the episodes from the "Air Disasters'" series on the Smithsonian Channel. The production is outstanding, and it's absolutely riveting and horrifying.
@@a1d3nh0 Stop shilling for Netflix. It's not that prestigious.
That is an amazing description of a very upsetting event. Thankfully the co-pilot managed to avoid killing anyone on the ground - they must both be considered Martyrs for their actions!
I've been on Fire Training at TEEX in Houston, TX, and have experienced the heat and blackness associated with smoke in an enclosed space. I'm not sure whether I was actually breathing while watching this video but I survived to the end so guess I was!
Thanks, Petter and team, for sharing and educating all of us...
Absoluitely dreadful, like you said it's impossible to imagine how terrified and stressed the co pilot would have been. But to put those final inputs in to stop this from being any worse in those insane conditions, he's a hero.
Agreed.
Wow. Poor pilots. It was hard enough for the pilot to pass out but the first officer had to endure all the horrors of trying to land his aircraft, safely and successfully but in the end failed and died. A very brave man as well as the captain. I can't even imagine what was going through his mind. So sorry for their loss and their families who had to face their loss, too. 😓
No, he didn't fail! He managed to land the plane where it would cause the least amount of harm!
I watched this today for the first time - those pilots were in an impossible situation, I do feel that the First Officer did all that he possibly could to try and land the aircraft, alone, essentially blind and fearful, he remained focused and professional - his actions even at the last moments in flight were nothing short of heroic. May his soul and the soul of the Captain rest in peace - with his duty well done. This one hit hard.
The part where you explain the introduction of the EVAS system made me tear up a little for some reason. The idea of aviation industry professionals thinking, inventing, discussing, designing, fitting, testing, manufacturing this new system so that something like this could never happen again is very uplifting.
This is one of the most emotional accidents I've learned about (I actually posted on the ACI subreddit about this one not long ago). I feel so sorry for everyone involved, and also so impressed how everyone was fighting until the end. It must have been horrifying for the FO after the PIC got incapacitated, yet he kept on, trying to land. Sadly the fire was just too intense.
Great video. I thought I already knew a lot about this one, but the information about the packs was new to me.
Gripping, brutal, heart wrenching, valiant. They did there bloody best, especially the first officer. Got me this one 😞
How terrible and hard this accident is, I can’t imagine how was the co-pilot setting in that situation, and the fact that he never gave up fighting these hits that come one after the other just makes him a real hero, may he and the captain both rest in peace.
Mkay, so guessed the ups 6 flight from the teaser. Top content as usual, they should show these on Nat geo. And yes, still believe the story of the FO is incredibly amazing and sad in the same time. Fighting til the end, in absolutely adverse conditions and being so close to actually pulling this miracle... So sad for him to go in such a way.
Yes, I fully agree
Yes, absolutely - and very, very sadly.
This video was so gut-wrenching I had to take a break and watch it in 2 sections. The FO of this flight was a true hero by diverting his failing aircraft away from known populated areas before it crashed. To the very end, he flew that crippled bird until it would simply fly no longer. Kudos also for the number of safety measures proposed and enacted for cargo flights following this horrible accident. Thank you, again Capt Mentour for another very informative video.
You’re storytelling is remarkable. I could almost feel like I was in the cockpit. This was an incredibly tragic accident, YES, they all are, but knowing how the FO fought to try to save the aircraft was both heroic and heartbreaking. Thank you Sir. The book you’re reading “The Art of Storytelling” is really paying off.
So you like it when someone profits off the misery of others like the guy in the video.
At the end of the video Petter explains why I'm hearing a new safety warning: if you lose your portable electronic device in your seat - do not adjust your seat to retrieve the device. Call a flight attendant. It seems they are worried that the battery could be damaged by the mechanism and start a fire.
Yes, it has happened.
They are extremely volatile and dangerous - they can get very hot in even normal operation. if you feel your laptop overheating pull out the charger and turn it off immediately - they can burst into a raging blow torch in seconds.
the cabin crew knows how to properly take the seat apart so hopefully not smashing your device and starting a lithium battery fire
Yeah, that's a new one I've not heard before.
@@rainscratch Yep! And hopefully if it has a removable battery remove it...or at least get the whole thing to an area that it can't do as much damage. Sounds silly but we actually had someone with a battery puffed up in their laptop and started getting hot while working from home, they stored it in their (TURNED OFF) kitchen oven overnight as a precaution figuring at least that would have a better chance of containing it if it went nuclear and give them a safety margin. Nothing bad happened, it cooled down and they brought it to the office to get a new one. Also don't store loose batteries in your pockets where it could touch keys/coins/pen-clips/etc.
This is excellent and should be required viewing for those who use air cargo. I was employed by DHL Express for many years. We were constantly being tested and being re certified for DG. I spent many hours educating clients on shipping of lithium batteries. Some were very frustrated when shipments were refused or returned because they the contents or packaging did not meet IATA regulations for shipping of Lithium batteries. It’s better to have a frustrated client instead of a tragic loss of life.
Absolutely!!
I'm currently working for them for many years now as well (LEJ HUB), and this tragedy is always part of DG recertifications. However, I never heard of the desperate and professional struggle of the pilots, and can't get them out of my head now 😢 I will bring this truly excellent presentation up to instructors and colleagues, if that's okay! Thank you so much for this and I can only agree, it should be required viewing 👏
I grew up on aviation disaster stories. My dad and brother were airplane-obsessed. My dad wanted to be a pilot, but his vision wasn't good enough. My brother is an aircraft maintenance engineer. And I find the whole subject boring. But your videos remind me of listening to my dad and brother analyzing every disaster in detail over family dinners. My brother and I were read crash stories at bedtime. I've to read, and didn't have many books of my own so I started reading my dad airplane books by the time I was 11 or 12. I read "It Doesn't Matter Where You Sit", "The Ghost of Flight 401" "All 4 Engines have Failed". And many many others I've forgotten.
I'm familiar with most of the stories you cover. My dad would love your channel. He passed away 5.5 years ago. I'm loving thecwalk down memory lane watching your videos. I'm sure my dad is hanging out with pilots in Heaven, hearing all the first hand accounts.
Speechless 😨 Thank you for sharing this story, Petter.
This is the most terrifying vid ive ever seen on this channel. ive just got done watching an Apollo 13 documentary and this somehow seems more disturbing, wow.
i’ve watched many of these videos, read about many accident flights, but this is the one i think that’s stuck with me the most out of all of them. it’s just terrifying. thank you, as always, for covering it so well and respectfully.
As a total layman, I find it astounding that there are no fire suppression systems on cargo planes.
It wouldn't put out a battery fire though, they're self sustaining
they do now in the cargo containers
@@markmcculfor6113there are fire suppressants that can put out lithium battery fires. They're a lot more complex than standard fire suppressants - they include chemicals that will separate the oxidizer and fuel, as well as quickly lower the temperature to prevent chain reaction
In many industries the people coming up with the solutions are now too close to the problem to see better ideas.
I still don't understand how in 2024 planes go missing, pilots can turn of transmitters, planes can't tune into Starlink and stream black box data in realtime to remote ground stations and so many more solutions which are stupid easy.
Even the mistakes made by pilots seem so easily fixable if the right people are programming. Having seen how Boeing is doing maybe it's time for SpaceX to build a plan. bah!
That was a heartbreaking synopsis...I can't even imagine what that FO went through during those last 15 minutes or so. You've done a great job presenting the material for this very tragic accident. Thank you!
I almost wish he’d passed out with the captain to spare him from this terrible fate, but there’s no way to know where it would have finally fallen out of the sky.
I had to pause this when he took off the autopilot near the end. Emotional overload. A couple of tears trickled for the poor bastard, totally helpless and about to die and fully aware of that. RIP, 1st officer. RIP cap'n.
You're just killing it with the production quality on this series. So good, its rivals the TV show.
My father and daughter watch these videos with me....and now we only want to fly with you as pilot 👨✈️. Love from Ireland 🇮🇪
Massive respect for first officer. Great man indeed. He tried everything possible. What happened was terrible😢. RIP great man🙏🏻
I’m not a pilot just a passenger and I have learned so much from you, the storytelling is so insightful and there are so many brave pilots up there in the sky. Thank you for doing what you do🥰
haven't realize how hard and painful this event was. Excellent exposure of the whole accident. From a colleague on your airline, good job keep it up.
It’s a miracle there weren’t mass fatalities on the ground, considering a gigantic 747 crashed right into the middle of a busy city. RIP to the pilots🕊
I am a "Mentour Pilot" as well.
30 years retired CANSOFCOM and RCAF pilot/instructor.
If half my pilots were half as knowledgeable and quick-minded logical as you... my hair would likely be thicker and far less grey.
Brilliant videos. I am vastly impressed and have subscribed. Thank you!
@Karamjeet Bedi I have been retired 10 years but if your cousin is CAF I likely know of him as I taught at CFB Southport and Cold Lake for many years but do not recall any Punjabi students off hand. If he is Canadian and flies an F18 I am aware/know who he is possibly.
@Karamjeet Bedi lol...no need to worry no misunderstanding. I was confused because there was a pilot at CFB Cold Lake @call sign "Abdul" and he was from India. Thought it may have been him because the world of F18 pilots in Canada is a tight small one. Enjoy your day and thank you for your respect.
I love that you usually give info about the crew, so that they aren't just generic pilots who signed up for risk, but real people having their worst day. It personalizes the story and brings home the individual tragedy of such situations, whether 2 pilots or 400 passengers. I can't imagine the horror of the FO being so new to the aircraft in this situation, all alone, and blind, which you described perfectly. Yours is currently my favorite YT channel and I very much look forward to new videos!
This is so sad :( I’ve seen documentaries about this flight, but yours goes into so much detail and makes us more engaged and empathetic to the pilots. Thank you.
This is so sad, they have tried their best and how frightened they would have been at that time! It is so hard to think. Pilots are really great people.
Thank you for this explanation, captain.. knowing more and more things... All the best to you, captain!
No horror movie could ever capture the shear terror of being that first officer (or that captain).
This one just destroyed me. The detail and explanation as usual is excellent. The incident however, is just so devastating. The pilot showed excellent airmanship to the very end. He tried so hard.
So you like videos where the narrator profits off the misery of others.
@@ThunderAppeal you have no concept at all what Petter is doing. He’s educating future pilots. He’s educating future mechanics, aviation professionals, those on the ramp, everyone. He shows how important it is to get the work right and how one “small little thing” that usually no one will notice, can lead to catastrophic results. So…grow up before you show up.
Absolute perfection when it comes to telling a story, this channel is getting better by the day. Poor pilots, cant even start to imagine what they must have gone through 😔
Snyggt jobbat Petter!
Tack Magnus!
Great video as always, Petter. This flight is the one that has always gnawed at me, truly a nightmare scenario. Inflight fires are so terrifying, you have to have flawless decision making under enormous pressure and adverse conditions from the very outset to have a chance at surviving. I’ve seen several videos on this flight but as always is the case with your videos, I learned several new things. I think your experience as a firefighter added tremendously to the quality of this one!
Would you consider doing a video on FedEx Flight 705? I think that’s the most amazing story of courage and airmanship that I’ve ever seen, and the story is incredibly riveting and dramatic. Would love to see your take on it, for some reason I don’t think that one has received a proper treatment yet from the UA-cam aviation community!
Thank you. Yes, I’ll add that one to the list.
Thanks for your kind words.
34:24 nothing makes me prouder of individuals than when even if their own situation is futile they carry out a last heroic action that saves hundreds of lives
I can't help wondering, were there criminal and civil penalties for the shippers, who didn't properly declare hazardous cargo?
Sure…if caught.
Legitimate shippers follow strict protocols and do a good job declaring and packaging items correctly. They’re not the ones I worried about. It was the “undeclared” hazmat ma & pa shippers who either didn’t know the rules, didn’t care or tried to get something by the system.
We
Most likely, it is now known where is was loaded. It would not be very hard to figure out which shipment it was.
Who says they didn't?
If they were caught, that hardly seems like a sufficient punishment. Maybe they should be locked in a tiny room and made to do really difficult stuff while the room fills with smoke.
Thank you, FO, for giving your life to save others in the Silicon living areas. Well done!
In all fairness, its unlikely the FO knew where he was flying. He was just trying to keep in the air.
@@goodbyemr.anderson5065 Thank you for inadvertently doing it then. It is still rightful to be grateful.
This one effected me the most out of all of your videos. The first officer is a true hero! I cannot imagine what that must of been like under those circumstances. This give me a whole new respect for airlines. I am the grumpy traveler who would be cranky( to myself only) over the restrictions for luggage and carry on baggage. That has 100% changed after watching this channel and especially this episode. My next flight will be much more enjoyable as I respect the flight crew and staff and have a complete attitude change when it comes to restrictions and rules. May these two brave souls rest in eternal peace and I wish their families peace and well wishes on this earth.