The Gimli Glider! Explained

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  • Опубліковано 10 гру 2020
  • The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/mentourpilot12201
    On the 23rd of July 1983, Air Canada flight 143 took off from Ottawa towards Montreal. The flight is operated without any fuel gages and, due to a crew calculation error, without much fuel in the tanks. Over Red Lake, the fuel runs out and the Pilots will have to glide the Boeing 767 towards an emergency landing.
    This is the story of the Gimli Glider as explained by an airline pilot. Enjoy!
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    Below you will find the links to videos and sources used in this episode. Enjoy checking them out!
    Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_G...
    Final report: data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,2 тис.

  • @davewalker9926
    @davewalker9926 3 роки тому +2300

    I flew the partially repaired 767 from Gimli to Winnipeg a few days after the incident. - Capt. David Walker, Flight Manager 767 (retired)

    • @Rx7man
      @Rx7man 3 роки тому +95

      That's interesting!.. how "repaired" was it? They got the nose gear fixed, new tires, etc on the back?, maybe a little bodywork with pop rivets?

    • @davewalker9926
      @davewalker9926 3 роки тому +347

      @@Rx7man It was a very partial repair. We couldn't raise the landing gear. Max speed of 210 knots indicated. Only two pilots allowed, no passengers.

    • @joelockhart6986
      @joelockhart6986 3 роки тому +51

      @@davewalker9926 Fascinating. I'll assume to save weight you would have calculated bare minimum of fuel to get you off the ground and to Winnipeg. Did you go VFR? You need 30 minutes extra fuel or was that waived?

    • @Rx7man
      @Rx7man 3 роки тому +53

      @@davewalker9926 I'm not surprised about no passengers allowed! Good job getting it home

    • @gustavmeyrink_2.0
      @gustavmeyrink_2.0 3 роки тому +82

      @@davewalker9926 where would they have got passengers from on a drag strip?
      'Come to see the drag racing and get a free flight to Winnipeg'?

  • @martquin8232
    @martquin8232 3 роки тому +271

    Hello, my name is Martin Quintal and I am the son of first officer Maurice Quintal. I know captain Pearson pretty well as my dad flew many times with him. Mr. Mentour pilot, you made quite a good video about the story of air canada flight 143. Maybe that event be remembered to all pilots.

    • @wisdomrules8474
      @wisdomrules8474 Рік тому +18

      You must be so proud of your father, Martin! Are you a pilot too?

    • @Iugeer
      @Iugeer Рік тому +8

      You must be so proud of your father, Martin! Are you a pilot too?

  • @scottguffie7759
    @scottguffie7759 2 роки тому +414

    I remember watching the "Mayday: Air Investigations" Episode covering this incident and they made it sound like it was almost entirely the ground crew's fault/ Glad to hear that the problem was much more complex than just one person screwing up.

    • @steveedwardsab
      @steveedwardsab 2 роки тому +13

      I thought I was alone in this thought. I even thought I missed that part of the story from Mayday.

    • @mrbigw100
      @mrbigw100 Рік тому +10

      Yeah they said the fuel truck used pounds instead of kgs or something didn’t they

    • @Kanbei11
      @Kanbei11 Рік тому +31

      It often is, but that doesn't make good TV so they skip over the nuance

    • @anjakellenjeter
      @anjakellenjeter Рік тому +19

      Yeah, ACI isn't always good with nuance. This is particularly noticeable if you watch some of the early episodes with cases they've revisited later due to losing the rights to the earlier seasons - some of the newer ones have greater nuance than the older ones.
      I do remember seeing the refueller log for this in that episode though and there's no denying it was pure jokes as far as technical paperwork goes.

    • @happyvocal
      @happyvocal Рік тому +11

      In an aircraft investigation there is never one single cause, but a chain of mistakes that lead to an accident. In the end there are usually some more culpable than others, but it doesn't change that the airlines are a system of people working together holding each other accountable, I mean we have to be. We're humans capable of error.

  • @lodnisroub
    @lodnisroub 2 роки тому +215

    I used this incident several times in my physics classes, vector math, glide ratio, the importance of correct unit conversion, and to test whether they do a reality check on their results and understand how flying works. It is a perfect example :-D

    • @dutchhoke6555
      @dutchhoke6555 2 роки тому +9

      Exactly..check your work. I recall unit conversions from college physics ;
      You're either right on, or way off.

    • @joshcarter-com
      @joshcarter-com Рік тому +5

      In any physics class I took I was required to have units on EVERY number. Teacher would mark it wrong without units. That sounds harsh but this example is precisely why you do that. If the units don’t work out then you’re doing the problem wrong!

    • @IroAppe
      @IroAppe 11 місяців тому +4

      I also thought about that. But if they were even slightly neglecting, which the wrong conversion ratio hints towards, they probably just took the number 1.77 and wrote kg/l behind it. In that case, writing the units down, wouldn't have helped, because after the number they then wrote kg, and the rest of the calculation then works "correctly", even though it isn't, because they haven't checked their prerequisites.

    • @joshcarter-com
      @joshcarter-com 11 місяців тому +3

      The physics nerd in me is compelled to mention that 1 liter of water has 1 kilogram of mass. It makes a good sanity check: if you’re writing down a liquid conversion that’s substantially different than 1 Kg/L you should wonder, is this close to the same density as water? If so the number should be around 1.

    • @R2Bl3nd
      @R2Bl3nd 9 місяців тому +3

      ​@@joshcarter-comThat's the first thing I thought of when I got to the relevant part in the video; The density of fuel tends to be a bit less than water but not an extreme amount. 1 kg equals 1 l, of water, so unless your fuel is made of mercury, it's a pretty good approximation if you just want to do a sanity check.
      I don't know why they weren't more careful about the calculations here but I guess that's just the thing. There was just a particular combination of human failures. Almost always the chain is broken at some point. In this case, the chain of events leading to utter disaster was broken only by superior piloting skills.

  • @donalddecuypere8757
    @donalddecuypere8757 3 роки тому +1806

    Good day. I'm 83 now, but back when this occurred I was an Enroute Air Traffic Controller in the Winnipeg Area Traffic Control Centre. This is the first time that I've heard the whole story of this incident that I observed at the time. Thank you.

    • @rosekay5031
      @rosekay5031 2 роки тому +48

      You must have some stories to tell

    • @calvinv3478
      @calvinv3478 2 роки тому +18

      @@rosekay5031 definitely

    • @rolfen
      @rolfen 2 роки тому +33

      There are many documentaries and articles about this incident. However this channel is very good at telling stories, I'm glad you heard it here first.

    • @MrSigmatico
      @MrSigmatico 2 роки тому +9

      I think they have done a documentary on National geographic as well

    • @thenorseguy2495
      @thenorseguy2495 2 роки тому +5

      @@MrSigmatico Yes. That is where I first heard about this

  • @capt.davidtomlinson9951
    @capt.davidtomlinson9951 3 роки тому +563

    One other factor in the successful conclusion of this story is the condition of the Gimli strip. Built in 1943 for the Canadian airforce and, after 40-years, it was still in great shape! I say that proudly as my Dad built it ...

    • @henkvandenbos9769
      @henkvandenbos9769 3 роки тому +29

      He did a great job!

    • @davecrupel2817
      @davecrupel2817 3 роки тому +27

      Your dad indirectly saved the lives of everyone on that airplane!
      BAM!
      how do you like that one?

    • @cathyburkart9395
      @cathyburkart9395 3 роки тому +3

      👏👏👏♥️

    • @darrellshoub7527
      @darrellshoub7527 2 роки тому +2

      wow ! just ... wow !!!!!! That is so cool . I love those kind of mini sories in the comments !

    • @ethelcross3599
      @ethelcross3599 2 роки тому +3

      First things first, I think you are a very handsome gentleman, your voice and accent are charming...hsving said all that, I find your videos and narrative absolutely funtastic and entertsining...I have done a lot of flying as a passenger the longest ones with Qantas from Aussieland to my country Nicaragua..I am now a happily retired passenger in Nicaland enjoying your videos and remembering one flight where
      the Pilot allowed me to Enter the cabin and sit in the stewardess sit and he explained a few things to me...this, of course was
      before 911...

  • @dbr2355
    @dbr2355 3 роки тому +501

    I lived in Gimli from 73 ( grade one) to 89. I rember learning the metric system that year. The Air Force pulled out of Gimli in 1972. It was a training center. To me and my friends the old base was a playground to us, as in the early years of my life, we lived in the PMQs next to the base.
    In 1984, I was in my driveway ( in 1980 we moved about 5 miles from the base out to the countryside close to i tiny place called Husavik) downwind of the airbase when the plan flew a few hundred feet overhead. It was very silent with just some wind rushing past it, this was audible as they were close to me and the ground. I thought it was weird such a large aircraft was heading in. Next day, there it was.. I was working in the base during this summer ( still young guy going from grade 10 to 11) at Hanger 5, which was the operations of OCA ( Ontario Central Airlines) as my father was employed there. Air Canada approached my dads Boss, Barney Lamm, and made him a deal. The deal was, help us, and let our guys set up a work base in your hanger and in return Air Canada granted Barney and Marion ( his wife) a leftime pass on Air Canada Flights ( they have long since past. Barney is a legend, look him up.) Barney gave them his own office to use and directed my father to help in any way he could. My Father and I, along with others, moved equipment to the runway/dragstrip ( jacks, a large"moose" tractor) to haul it back to the hanger after the front wheel was repaired. The nose was missing allot of material in the general area of the undercarige. We tried using our 10 ton moose which had a 460 ford V8 and creeper 1st gear and a small dozer hook together, but the tires had sank into the pavement enough ( our bigest aircraft was a DC3 .....its hot in the summer there so the old asphalt was soft and not made for a heavy aircraft like this) that it was a no go... blew the clutch on the moose. Air Canada operations had to flatdeck a big 30 ton moose from the Winnipeg Airport to move the plane. Incidentally when the plane came to a stop, not only was the nose gear collapsed, all the other tires we're missing almost the whole bottom of them from the brakes being jammed on as the plane barreld down the dragstrip. The rubber was completely gone like somebody sliced the bottom of the tires right off . When the day came to leave after repairs were done, they made an announcement that they would be leaving on the following day, in the afternoon. However, they pulled a little bit of a fast one because on that particular day, as I was pulling out of the driveway to head to the hangar to start work at 8am, I saw the plane flying overhead and heading back to Winnipeg. They just didn't want to have anybody around when they left, I guess just in case. One other point I like to just correct is that there wasn't a drag race going on, but there were children playing on the drag strip and then in the pit area there was a small circuit track. So the people who were actually at the races that day were using the circuit track with midget racers at the far end of the 1/4 Mile Strip in the pit area. When the plane came down it came right down on the centre guardrail of the 1/4 mile track ( was an NHRA sanctioned track at the time...saw many a race there) and picked out all the short little post that were holding it in place. The posts were old and weak. The plane came to rest long before it reached the pit area which is a good thing because at the beginning of that 1/4 milestrip are the Christmas lights and also there is a building there a small booth as well as wires going back and forth. There is an active runway in Gimli still to the day, but he chose the "wrong" one I think because it was visible first . The runways are parallel and the tiwer is unmanned. The next year I worked the Gimli Parks . We honored the flight crew by bring some of them in for the Icelandic Celebration on the August long weekend. I even got to drive in the parade in my convertible Beattle with Mayor Ted Arnason riding high in the back tossing candies to the kids. Great memories.

    • @pcguy619
      @pcguy619 3 роки тому +25

      That was a great story. I really hope it's immortalized here!

    • @pradiptanugraha6410
      @pradiptanugraha6410 3 роки тому +26

      it's ironic that the pilot that flew the plane back to winnipeg is also here in the comments

    • @pradiptanugraha6410
      @pradiptanugraha6410 3 роки тому +6

      it's ironic that the pilot that flew the plane back to winnipeg is also here in the comments

    • @arfyness
      @arfyness 3 роки тому +26

      Come for the video, stay for the audience story time!

    • @michaelrmurphy2734
      @michaelrmurphy2734 3 роки тому +16

      I think the Gimli Glider is in the desert in Arizona now. It should be returned to Manitoba to that airstrip.
      When the airplane runs out of fuel have a CANADIAN pilot on board! We have done it twice, you know!

  • @barryaiello3127
    @barryaiello3127 2 роки тому +124

    Although Pearson was part of the error that allowed it to run out of fuel his flying ability was insane, holding that large bird in a slip with but a whisper of hydraulic boost was done with pure determination and an impressive display of physical strength.

    • @mathewlovesnow4939
      @mathewlovesnow4939 10 місяців тому +6

      Yes, he was part of the error. math and measurement conversion mistake. US Imperial measurement vs Metric (international) measurement. for his flying skills that help landed the plane, thanks to his experience and skills as glider plane pilot

    • @didreams969
      @didreams969 9 місяців тому +7

      I’m so glad they got credit and appreciation for their brilliant handling and being mentally able to respond and not panic

  • @bartomand3681
    @bartomand3681 3 роки тому +227

    My best friend was one of those kids. His dad was one of the first people on site with both of his pits fire extinguishers. They were interviewed for one of the books that was written about it. The Air Canada maintenance crew that were dispatched from Winnipeg ended up running out of gas on their way to Gimli.

    • @jimmesc
      @jimmesc 3 роки тому +82

      They ran out of gas ? ? ? Seriously ? ? ?
      That is hilarious ! 😂

    • @moi01887
      @moi01887 3 роки тому +37

      @@jimmesc Yeah, that's just too ironic.

    • @zygas25
      @zygas25 3 роки тому +12

      Oddly enough this whole dilemma started due to funky math

    • @tomriley5790
      @tomriley5790 3 роки тому +9

      Oh you couldn't make it up:-)!

    • @Guyfromhe
      @Guyfromhe 3 роки тому +1

      I read those bike kids got "attacked" by a Cessna emergency landing or something like 10 years ago in a pickup truck on the highway... Is that true?

  • @jimbaritone6429
    @jimbaritone6429 3 роки тому +599

    One of the other lucky breaks that Bob Pearson and Maurice Quintal had was that the ATC at Winnipeg was still equipped with a large, high-power military "skin-paint" radar system, in addition to the more modern transponder system. They llit that up in order to be able to see the altitude, range and bearing of the aircraft - since it no longer had a transponder and was not visible on the regular ATC system. The controller was able to give Quintal pretty good readings on his range and bearing as well as height above ground, so Maurice Quintal was able to calculate their descent rate and forward speed in addition to position.
    My parents lived in Edmonton; my dad, also a pilot, knew Bob Pearson quite well. I remember the news in the papers and on TV at the time, and I was introduced to First Officer Quintal a bit later.
    In spite of the procedural errors that led to this happening, it's hard to overstate just how amazing Pearson's performance was in side-slipping and yawing that 767. He had almost no power, poor visibility because of the aircraft attitude and cockpit windows, and although Quintal was getting good information from Winniped ATC and plotting course and distance to the Gimli strip, Bob Pearson was carrying the can, and had absolutely zero options.
    Not enough speed or altitude (or control function) to do a full turn, or go around. Nope, he had to reduce airspeed and loose a lot of altitude in a pretty short time. It remains one of the most outstanding episodes of airmanship I know. Both Pearson and Quintal were very experienced - I belive Bob Pearson had over 16,000 hours in large jets, and Maurice Quintal over 4200 hours, in addition to his time in the RCAF. If it was going to happen, there would not be too many crews who had that combination of experience and skills. Several years later, I flew on that particular 767 to YVR, and noticed that there was a small plaque mounted near the forward entranceway, saying that this _was_ the famous "Gimli Glider."

    • @roderickcampbell2105
      @roderickcampbell2105 3 роки тому +34

      Even more information I didn't know about. Thanks for adding this. The flight crew's performance is legendary. No one is perfect and to get this aircraft down without fatalities is amazing. I would have loved to see that plaque!

    • @kwerk2011
      @kwerk2011 3 роки тому +25

      That's a brilliant addition to the video, thank you!

    • @donnix768
      @donnix768 3 роки тому +26

      It stayed with the air canada fleet until 2009 i believe.

    • @alexmcintyre8229
      @alexmcintyre8229 3 роки тому +47

      A few months after the landing in Gimli Manitoba, Bob Pearson and Maurice Quintal were both working with each other again and they both quickly realized that the 767 that they were on board was the “Gimli Glider”

    • @trooperdgb9722
      @trooperdgb9722 3 роки тому +13

      Hadn't one of them operated FROM that (now closed) airbase while in the RCAF? And had more familiarity with that runway than most other pilots would have had? Ahh..I should have just kept watching!

  • @michaelwoodhams7866
    @michaelwoodhams7866 3 роки тому +61

    For a couple of years I taught a physics course to student pilots. The very first thing I did with them was the Gimli Glider fuel calculation (as unit conversions was the first topic.)

  • @joesanchez4895
    @joesanchez4895 3 роки тому +98

    Bob Pearson was respected in the late 80s
    . The first flight I ever boarded at five years old the flight attendant mentioned his name and he came out and said hi to the cabin . Cheers and applause instantly filled the cabin. Well deserved too!
    This is the best explanation I have Ever seen for this accident! Thank you!!

  • @starcraftguy1
    @starcraftguy1 3 роки тому +371

    Also worth noting is that several air crews gave the situation a try in the simulator but all crashed.
    So a very unique situation with rare circumstances.

    • @cayrick
      @cayrick 2 роки тому +2

      The consequences were different for the actual flight crew than for the wanna be's.

    • @ilovecops5499
      @ilovecops5499 2 роки тому +4

      NO, THAT IS A CONSPIRACY THEORIE, IT IS NTO VERIFIED, I FATT CHECKWD IT!

    • @agcons
      @agcons 2 роки тому +18

      @@ilovecops5499 Im srue yu di d teh bets reseearc h.

    • @marhawkman303
      @marhawkman303 2 роки тому +47

      @@cayrick well part of it is experience. Pearson did maneuvers in a 767 that, for stated reasons, no one trains on. It's that simple. NO one in their right mind would do that side slip during normal operation because of the risk of flameout. Pearson was a person who had practiced the maneuver in other aircraft. He hadn't in a 767, but. well he at least knew how to do the maneuver safely.
      The part that's most impressive.... is that this wasn't a CRASH landing... nope. Not normal, by any means, but not a crash landing. But C-GAUN left Gimli under its own power and was returned to active service.... yeah... it came in with no fuel, skidded down the runway.... but wasn't wrecked. It takes a heck of a pilot to land an aircraft like that. I'd love to shake his hand.

    • @gordonepema722
      @gordonepema722 Рік тому +2

      @@marhawkman303 The sideslip explanation given by Petter was a bit weird - the engines were dead, so turbulent air off the forebody wouldn't affect the engines here. Sideslips do present a risk of stalling the wing that is partially blocked by the forebody. Not a risk for this aircraft-plenty of wing I suppose. I know of a Cold Lake T-33 crash caused by a sideslip maneuver where that happened - too close to the ground to recover.

  • @dansv1
    @dansv1 3 роки тому +532

    I almost didn’t watch this because I’d heard the story at least 3 times before. However this presentation had much more information.

    • @Hans-gb4mv
      @Hans-gb4mv 3 роки тому +3

      I mostly know it from the movie.

    • @Trotters79
      @Trotters79 3 роки тому +18

      Same. Lots of details mentioned here which appear to have been simplified or left out in the Air Crash Investigation / Mayday TV series.

    • @Markle2k
      @Markle2k 3 роки тому +10

      @@Trotters79 Even other aviation UA-camrs didn't as clearly communicate the issue with the MEL that made it clear why the pilots were demoted/suspended at first. It seemed like they were scapegoated before by the airline.

    • @SYNtemp
      @SYNtemp 3 роки тому +4

      @@Markle2k Eh, or they shifted own error to the airline... both quite possible. IMO, they showed excellent skills while correcting own and also others errors...

    • @aaronsmith5433
      @aaronsmith5433 3 роки тому +2

      @@Markle2k I was scapegoated in a similar faction(not my fault but blamed on me).
      Upset initially, I soon calmed down and enjoyed my unpaid vacation to do some traveling I otherwise would have never been able to.
      I know they'd never go for it , but I'll take the blame for anything just to do that again.

  • @davidanderson4091
    @davidanderson4091 Рік тому +53

    I am astonished that there was any possibility at all to have a _"circuit breaker out"_ indication while it was closed (pushed in). Without exception, in 20 years of aviation maintenance, every circuit breaker tag I have ever used could *not* be fitted to a closed circuit breaker, and if the circuit breaker was pulled and tagged, you could not push it in without removing the tag.

    • @mehere8038
      @mehere8038 Рік тому +2

      What year did you start? If you started after this incident, then your experience isn't the least bit uprising, let alone astonishing is it. The results of investigations into incidents like this is normally to make system changes that eliminate the possibility of it ever happening again, which is what you are describing finding in your work

    • @davidanderson4091
      @davidanderson4091 Рік тому +4

      @@mehere8038 After I completed my training, I started my _"hands on aircraft"_ career in 1973 working on C-130 Hercules and P3B Orions. Every C/B on those aircraft had a round, black head with the rating written on it. When you pulled the breaker, the shaft was white (so you could see it was pulled) and slimmer than the head. The tags were small red plastic rectangles with an upside down keyhole - the large end slipped over the head of the C/B and the small end slid down snugly over the shaft. It was physically impossible to push the C/B back in with the tag in place. We all had our own tags with our names on them, so that anyone could look at the tag and know who pulled and tagged that breaker.

  • @johndone5906
    @johndone5906 Рік тому +6

    I flew as a training Captain on Boeing 727, 737 (200-900), 747 (200, 300 an 400), and also for a short time on the 767. The MEL is a pilots document, it is an absolute no discussion no override book. You are correct there is a maintainable version of the MEL that gives the engineers more latitude to dispatch buy using one time only maintenance release usually to get the aircraft home for repair on non-revenue flight. The Captain Never has the right to override the MEL even if receiving approval from maintenance control. This story I have used many time to demonstrate this doctrine to new Captains. Aviations ability to learn from past mistakes is one of its strongest features. Once again your ability to turn complex technical discussion into easy to understand story is superb. I think we need a medal for “excellence in aviation story telling”.

  • @halepauhana153
    @halepauhana153 3 роки тому +476

    As a Canadian pilot, the story of the Gimli Glider is the stuff of legends here. I heard that when C-GUAN was retired to the Mojave Desert in 2008, Captain Pearson, FO Quintal, 3 of the flight attendants, and some of the original passengers, all went along for the last ride.

  • @cgirl111
    @cgirl111 3 роки тому +105

    As over a two decade nuclear power plant operations supervisor I learned early on that as far as turn overs are concerned it's "trust nobody - check everything". It served me well.

    • @brandtaylor93
      @brandtaylor93 3 роки тому +7

      trust but verify

    • @mmi16
      @mmi16 3 роки тому +22

      As a 5 decade railroader - You NAILED it. Turnover is the most dangerous time on the job. What you understand and what THEY understand can be two very different things. Additionally - don't remove blocking devices on 'in service' equipment - the blocks are there for a reason.

    • @cgirl111
      @cgirl111 3 роки тому +9

      @@mmi16 This is why when a nuke plant goes into an outage, which is operations busiest time, we go to 12 hour shifts to eliminate one turnover per day.

    • @alfredomarquez9777
      @alfredomarquez9777 3 роки тому +9

      @@mmi16 I agree completely... See the CSB (Chemical Safety Board) video on UA-cam on the accident with explosion and fire at the BP Refinery in Texas City... There you can see the operators leaving early and the following turnover arrive late, and the absolute lack of coordination and communication!
      The same exactly on the accident where a Turboprop lost the horizontal stab-elevator because maintenance left the repair incomplete, and the next turn did not inspected the partial repair!

    • @Muck006
      @Muck006 2 роки тому

      Basically all nuclear power plant accidents happen because of HUMANS MAKING MISTAKES. The technology is safe ... IN THEORY ... but people can turn a valve the wrong way or have brainfarts while designing a power plant (like "let's put the emergency batteries in the BASEMENT of our power plant at the shore"). Because of "humans make mistakes" nuclear power is UNSAFE ... and shouldnt be used.
      And do NOT trust "experts" who never held a spanner in their life ... like a certain "physicist" Angela Merkel, who signed off on a nuclear waste dump here in Germany while she was minister of ecology under Helmut Kohl ... and which is now so irradiated that cleanup can begin in 2030 at the earliest.

  • @zoidberg444
    @zoidberg444 3 роки тому +45

    One of the most legendary bits of flying in history - there was a lot of experience in the cockpit that day and it showed. There are a fair few similarities to the miracle on the Hudson. The experience of both pilots, the captains being accomplished glider pilots. Good CRM and a fair bit of luck. As someone who is familiar with both metric and imperial - my father and my grandfathers would frequently work in imperial I always work in metric and metric alone. When you confuse the two that is where things like this happen. NASA lost a $100 million spacecraft because they combined metric and imperial measurements. The report into the accident came to some very sensible and helpful conclusions.
    I believe Maurice Quintel passed away a few years ago. RIP.
    Edit: Also thanks for explaining the exact mathematical error that they made. I have seen plenty about this accident but never exactly where the error crept into their fuel calculations.

    • @AaronOfMpls
      @AaronOfMpls 2 роки тому +5

      From what I've read elsewhere, the conversion factor might not have been prominently labeled as lb/L or kg/L in the form either. Rather just "density" or "specific gravity". Or if it was, everyone might've ignored it, being too used to the old lb/L factor.
      As for the Mars Climate Orbiter: NASA actually had been 100% metric for some years before. But their contractor Lockheed-Martin had used US Customary in their bit of the MCO's guidance software -- and had neglected to convert the numbers to metric before passing them on to NASA's part of the software. At Mars, the MCO was supposed to lose some speed by passing through the planet's upper atmosphere on its way into orbit. But instead, it passed too low in the atmosphere and burned up.

  • @jrmckim
    @jrmckim 3 роки тому +84

    I know everyone and their grandpa has done JAL 123 but what hasnt really been covered is why the Japanese government took so long to respond to the crash. The accounts of the survivors says the many of the passengers were actually alive but died because rescue services took hours to respond. The US military even tried to intervene but was turned down by Japanese authorities.
    The story of those brave pilots really captivated me. While teaching in Japan, I actually went to the crash site and saw the mementos and offerings left by the families and public. Its very surreal and heartbreaking to see these families still mourning after 30+ years.
    I would really love to hear your take on this accident and aftermath. I know it's been covered so many times but I think you could help explain in detail the events leading to and the effects this crash had on the world afterwards.
    I really hope you give it some thought. Good luck and have a great day. ✈👍🏻

    • @anjakellenjeter
      @anjakellenjeter Рік тому +21

      Yumi Ochai - the surviving deadheading flight attendant's account of what happened after that crash is utterly heartbreaking. She lay on the side of that mountain for hours and heard all but three of the plane's passengers die - from their injuries or exposure to the cold - whilst hearing helicopters come and go.
      Despite the feeling surrounding the US's ''military occupation'' of Japan, the fact that so many people could have survived had the US military not been turned away literally as the first medic was about to leave the helicopter caused significant scandal - so much so that no one will admit to who actually ordered the US away. And not surprising because no one in the Japanese government is ever going to lose face by admitting that they chose a time when people's lives were at stake to get into a jurisdictional pissing match.

    • @Baffled_King
      @Baffled_King Рік тому +9

      @@anjakellenjeter A story of heroic, but doomed, airmanship. They managed to fly an unflyable plane for a few minutes in their brave struggle to survive. And yes, the Japanese government's refusal to accept help is a bitter pill

  • @brentgalye2936
    @brentgalye2936 3 роки тому +203

    I was at the races in Gimli that day, watched the whole thing. Also had the pleasure of taking most of the crew for real glider rides at the air cadet gliding camp a year or two later. If Bob had been a couple of miles short he could have used our farm strip... LOL, little bit short.

    • @Dirk-van-den-Berg
      @Dirk-van-den-Berg 3 роки тому +3

      One question Sir: in the report Mentour says: the emergency slides were hanging almost vertical. How did the people on the plane get out? The wings were too high to jump to the ground.

    • @orbitalpotato9940
      @orbitalpotato9940 3 роки тому +5

      @@Dirk-van-den-Berg they just got out the front ones lol

    • @Dirk-van-den-Berg
      @Dirk-van-den-Berg 3 роки тому +2

      @@orbitalpotato9940 Why Lol? I don't see anything funny here.

    • @orbitalpotato9940
      @orbitalpotato9940 3 роки тому +3

      @@Dirk-van-den-Berg im loling at the lack of critical thinking in your comment.

    • @brentgalye2936
      @brentgalye2936 3 роки тому +37

      @@Dirk-van-den-Berg The R1 and R2 slides where almost vertical (most aft slides) and those that came out those doors were for the most part injured, The over wing exits and the forward exits were much better. The over wings the passengers slid off the front of the wing, not the aft where the slides were and only had a short drop to the ground. The forward exits the slides were almost flat to the ground and after jumping onto the slide they only had to shimmy down the slide to exit. It was an exciting day in Gimli to say the least. I also watched that very same aircraft take off from that airport some time later after temp repairs and that was also exciting. I had the pleasure of also flying on that plane a few years later on a trip to Europe.

  • @likebot.
    @likebot. 3 роки тому +108

    I remember the Gimli Glider incident and later being annoyed when learning it was a Imperial/Metric error still being made 10 years after Canada converted to Metric. What you explained here really helps because I hadn't known that the 767 was the first Boeing in Canada to have Metric guages and that this particular peice of equipment had a fuel tank guage malfunction. Thanks for this!

    • @davidianmusic4869
      @davidianmusic4869 3 роки тому +12

      News reports of the day left it solely to the conversion error, little or no mention of broken gauges. The impression I was left with was the ground crew was in error. As good as the flying was, I’m less impressed with the aircrew.

    • @alfredomarquez9777
      @alfredomarquez9777 3 роки тому +19

      @@davidianmusic4869 Don't forget to take into account that the Confirmation Bias of Captain Pearson was favored by his previous conversation with the previous flight captain, who seeded the misunderstanding, and even more facilitated by the tecnician that left the Circuit Breaker open, that inclined Pearson to believe that the whole fuel gauge system was fully inoperative. A perfect "Swiss Cheese holes" alignement case!

    • @likebot.
      @likebot. 3 роки тому

      @Andrew Phillips it began in 1970 lasted 15 years. Schools in my province started teaching it in 1973 but we used both systems right up to University.

    • @TheOwenMajor
      @TheOwenMajor 3 роки тому +2

      @@likebot. Metricfication in Canada was another one of Trudeau's efforts to shape the country in his image, it was never popular and died with his government.

    • @likebot.
      @likebot. 3 роки тому +1

      @@TheOwenMajor What does PETRO-CAN stand for?

  • @jeremyroberts4760
    @jeremyroberts4760 3 роки тому +34

    I agree, this was an outstanding presentation that illustrates how ALL aviation accidents result from a chain of events, rather than one singular fault. Regardless, these pilots do deserve to be commended as they brought the plane in successfully and saved lives, the ultimate job of the cockpit crew. Great work!

    • @didreams969
      @didreams969 9 місяців тому

      they must have mentally thanked the C and FO for the rest of their lives because we know , from the Mentour, that many other pilots would have failed to respond correctly to such an unusual fault..

  • @CW-rx2js
    @CW-rx2js Рік тому +24

    This incident is quite well known in aviation and every Canadian should know about the Captain's great airmanship

    • @franziskani
      @franziskani Рік тому +2

      Along with poor maths skills (and conversions, incl. a servies of conversions are NOT high maths either. you just have to be careful and it is good to have a plausibility check). I understand that they have a lot to think of before start, and one can make mistakes, but there is such a thing as plausibility checking. It is not too much to aks to go the extra mile when you have no (working) fuel gauge about the results of such a critical calculation. Even if whoever does such a calculation is normally good with such tasks, that should also be independently verified. That could include calling someone from the company to give them the values for the calculation, but not telling them the result they had gotten - and asking them to double check.
      They made several bad mistakes - and saved their lifes with good flying skills.

    • @willd1790
      @willd1790 Рік тому +1

      I'm not sure if I'd call this good airmanship-a incredible feat of flying once they were in the emergency, but they had every opportunity to never be in that situation in the first place. I end up feeling very conflicted about the whole thing, which makes me feel weird being a good Canadian lol.

  • @RobinHood70
    @RobinHood70 3 роки тому +119

    As one of the people who requested this a while back, I'd like to thank you for covering this story. This was easily the most detailed version of it I've ever heard, and included several facts that I'd never come across in any other video about the incident. Thank you!

    • @jeremyO9F911O2
      @jeremyO9F911O2 3 роки тому +1

      There's a museum today in Gimili dedicated to the incident. Nice little town to check out too, especially during the Icelandic festival.

    • @alfredomarquez9777
      @alfredomarquez9777 3 роки тому +1

      EXACTLY RobinHood70 !!!
      This video comfirms the excellent contents and insight of MENTOUR PILOT, it is a very valuable channel indeed. I was nicely surprised to learn several unknown aspects too, even when I had read at lenght on this accident.

  • @kodewerk
    @kodewerk 3 роки тому +20

    Amazing that it worked out as well as it did. Fun fact, the crew sent out from Winnipeg had their truck run out of gas on their way to recover the plane. I also love your use of conformation bias and how it played a role in this disaster. Unsurprisingly, you see this all the time although the situations are never quite this dramatic.

  • @alan2804
    @alan2804 3 роки тому +11

    Air accident investigations are one of my favourite subjects, they combine the technical, analytical and the human side of events. Some are shocking, some are absolutely fantastic like Captain Chesley Sullenberger landing safely in the Hudson river. So whether the cause was human error, incompetence or just back luck or design failure they all have an individual story to tell. Please keep the series going.

  • @poppabear9279
    @poppabear9279 3 роки тому +8

    I know someone else who needs an outstanding airmanship award. Petter, for delivering some excellent content on public awareness, continuous training and consistently calming public opinion about air safety and even teaching young aspiring pilots an inside view at what being a pilot really means.

  • @zapfanzapfan
    @zapfanzapfan 3 роки тому +332

    "But when will I ever need math skills in real life?"...

    • @9999AWC
      @9999AWC 3 роки тому +10

      If you know additions, substractions, multiplications, and division, you have the necessary math skills to be a pilot.

    • @alfredomarquez9777
      @alfredomarquez9777 3 роки тому +42

      @@9999AWC Not quite correct... Some knowledge of trigonometry or angles and triangles is needed in addition to basic arithmetics. In addition to those maths, a good grasp on the physics of flight and the many systems on complex aircraft of today is becoming critical. If pilots conrinue the alarming tendency to become button pushers, more avoidable accidents will occur. Both Mentour and Captain Joe have shown the importance of knowing the engineering aspects of nowaday planes.

    • @brianarbenz1329
      @brianarbenz1329 3 роки тому +29

      If the United States ever catches up with the civilized world and converts fully to the metric system, we have Capt. Pearson and his crew's mishap to learn from.

    • @matekochkoch
      @matekochkoch 3 роки тому +11

      @@9999AWC Pilots have a different skill set than waiters.

    • @robopup1
      @robopup1 3 роки тому +11

      I need them every day, I'm a civil engineer

  • @allantucker102
    @allantucker102 3 роки тому +52

    I was there. He just missed several runway protrusions of metal rods a previous renter of the property had put in as barriers to runway use. It sure was quiet until people realised it was landing on the inactive runway, not the active one. All in all a miraculous day.

  • @looneyflight
    @looneyflight 3 роки тому +8

    That should have been a dual award. Outstanding Airmanship and Terrible Math Skills.

  • @mlfett6307
    @mlfett6307 3 роки тому +11

    I love telling this story too. As an ex-Montrealer, I remember when it happened and our confusion over changing to metric (we still use both imperial and metric in our lives as a result of living next to the US). Thanks for sharing it!

  • @Dobermanator
    @Dobermanator 3 роки тому +42

    I'm Canadian so I know this one. Another glide landing equally as amazing was a Canadian Air Transat Flight 236, in 2001 ran out of fuel over the Atlantic and needed to glide for quite a long time before a heavy landing.

    • @jimbaritone6429
      @jimbaritone6429 3 роки тому +8

      Bob Piche was the Captain on that flight, wasn't he? I met him years earlier, when he was a bush pilot, I think in norhern Quebec/northern Ontario. That was a fair bit east for us - took a long time to get there from northern Alberta in a DHC-2 Beaver. I was just a kid, but I was checked out to fly the Beaver on floats anyway, so I could give my Dad a break on long trips. The reason I remember Piche was that he knew, or had flown, that particular Beaver, and came over to talk to us. I could be wrong, and I might be thinking of somebody with a similar name. But, it's a small world up that way. When I heard about the JetBlue incident, "Gimli Glider - again" was the first thought that popped into my head. Wasn't the same cause, but still another astonishing glide.

    • @roymaddocks3184
      @roymaddocks3184 2 роки тому +1

      Mentour has done a video of that one, too

    • @SamanthaBobowski
      @SamanthaBobowski 2 роки тому

      @@roymaddocks3184 what is it called, I want to see that one too please.

  • @amlangupta3513
    @amlangupta3513 3 роки тому +11

    I met Captain Pearson a few years ago - a friend had arranged for the captain to be the speaker at an event and we had a chance to talk with him prior to the speech. Very nice guy and quite the story.

    • @MentourPilot
      @MentourPilot  3 роки тому +4

      Indeed! Well handled after the first few mistakes

    • @taliajo118
      @taliajo118 3 роки тому +2

      I've met him too :) I used to work at a travel agency with his daughter, and he would come in quite often. Very nice guy.

  • @thebiffer100
    @thebiffer100 3 роки тому +211

    Just for interest sake I used to fly with Bob Pearson as his second officer on the B727 back in the early eighties just before AC took delivery of our B767s. He was a most wonderful and skilled captain, a pleasure to work with and a funny guy especially on our layovers. I went on the L1011 when he went to the B767. The downfall of course came when Canada decided to convert to metric and all hell broke loose, especially in the aviation sector and prematurely, in my opinion. We did not really understand it fully but nonetheless Transport Canada approved it. The bad luck that day would have that snag of an un serviceable fuel gauge which according to the M.E.L. required a fuel dripstick check on the tanks done independently by the flight crew AND maintenance the way I remember it. ALL pilots feared and hated to perform these checks as they are complicated and involved using not just charts and figures but inside the cockpit walls are spirit levels to determine the angle of the aircraft as it is sitting and apply it to the corrections. THIS is where it should have stopped. Errors are a certainty combined with the newly integrated conversion charts. Even if things were left in Imperial standards it is challenging enough. In the immediate aftermath the airline CEO at the time instantly attempted to dismiss Pearson and Quintal for the blame, and yet in the U.S. they received the highest award distinguishing them as heroes that demonstrated the finest aviation skills ever attempted in a grave emergency SAFELY. The Canadian government was so determined to make the change to metric this was just the most obvious blunder, and as the saying goes "be careful what you wish for".

    • @MentourPilot
      @MentourPilot  3 роки тому +50

      Thank you for those added details!

    • @MrSigmatico
      @MrSigmatico 2 роки тому +13

      @@MentourPilot Why is the fuelgauge on whatever is fueling a plane in volume when what you want is weight, it only serves to cause confusion and with all the safety in the airline industry I can not get my head around having to do an extra calculation like that to make it to your destination.
      How is hundreds of peoples lives dependent on some random persons ability to divide or multiply something by whatever on the day?

    • @willshedo
      @willshedo 2 роки тому +12

      @@MrSigmatico I guess it is because the fuel that is pumped into the tank trucks is paid for per volume (liter or gallon), the measurement how many fuel a truck can load is done in liters, not in weight.
      The pilots on the other hand have to know how many kilos their (creating an example) 5000 liters of fuel weigh to calculate depending things like taking-off speed and many more.
      One should think, somebody that made it to being pilot should be able to do relatively simple calculations like this.
      I guess the real bug at the time was the change from pounds to kilos which had not arrived in everyones head.

    • @RicardoMartinez-oh9sq
      @RicardoMartinez-oh9sq 2 роки тому +8

      The highest award most deserved. That landing is almost beyond belief.

    • @LilleyAdam
      @LilleyAdam 2 роки тому +1

      excellent question and point. just leave it in base units of kg.

  • @TheDevilWAH
    @TheDevilWAH 3 роки тому +11

    I always love the attention you give to all partied involved in these incidents (enginees, ground crew, cabin crew, ATC,etc) While the pilot is at the center many of the stories it rally gives a sense of how all the role orking togather are what ends up minimising the imact of the issues the occour and often end up with every one safely walking away.

  • @baksatibi
    @baksatibi 3 роки тому +157

    Worth mentioning that the aircraft (C-GAUN) was repaired and flown for Air Canada until it was retired in 2008.

    • @Banditt42
      @Banditt42 3 роки тому +9

      It went to the airplane graveyard in the states and gave the military tower there a fly by before landing.

    • @Hans-gb4mv
      @Hans-gb4mv 3 роки тому +10

      I wonder how they got it out of there. Did they do emergency repairs on site and fly it out of there, or did they dismantle it and transport it over land?

    • @DimitriPappas
      @DimitriPappas 3 роки тому +3

      @@Hans-gb4mv Great question. On site repairs seems more feasible I would think, but would love to know for sure

    • @baksatibi
      @baksatibi 3 роки тому +26

      @@Hans-gb4mv According to Wikipedia _The aircraft was temporarily repaired at Gimli and flew out two days later to be fully repaired at a maintenance base in Winnipeg. Following the full repair, the aircraft was returned to service with Air Canada._

    • @richardtruesdell8289
      @richardtruesdell8289 3 роки тому +10

      @@Hans-gb4mv "Hey, I need some fuel and a set of snow tires at Gemli drag strip"

  • @sanniepstein4835
    @sanniepstein4835 3 роки тому +166

    Captain Pearson was also the first pilot to land a commercial jet without engines, so he had no examples to give him confidence.

    • @martbosman8373
      @martbosman8373 3 роки тому +12

      Most other pilots know enough basic arithmetic to prevent it.

    • @colin5196
      @colin5196 3 роки тому +58

      @@martbosman8373 Well, aren't you snotty, Mart ... do you think math would have saved everybody from a flock of geese ingested into the engines. Let's ask Sully. Oh, and what do you know of "most other pilots" anyway?

    • @michaelrmurphy2734
      @michaelrmurphy2734 3 роки тому +4

      But not the last of course!

    • @adamf663
      @adamf663 3 роки тому +15

      @@martbosman8373 most pilots are not part of the maintenance staff.

    • @everydayisathanksgiving8025
      @everydayisathanksgiving8025 3 роки тому +6

      ​@@martbosman8373 nevertheless, the conclusion of the inquiry was that the captain and his copilot were not responsible and they were cleared.

  • @jjquinn2004
    @jjquinn2004 3 роки тому +8

    Years ago, I used to conduct a training course that touched on work / life balance and we would discuss this incident. One of the characters that the movie follows is a very driven individual - he was even shown making last-minute business calls from the airport pay phone. During the flight, and once he knew what was happening - because as you said, the flight attendants kept the passengers fully informed - his priorities changed and he wrote a letter to his wife. I am sure he was not the only one on the plane who did that. A lesson for us all.

  • @sukhygill9596
    @sukhygill9596 Рік тому +4

    i love this, the crew deserved the first time award, shame on those who suspended them, this is a great outcome, change comes slow, rushing only allows for things to go wrong

  • @dougtarbet6193
    @dougtarbet6193 3 роки тому +44

    The Captain’s glider experience saved the day. By crossing the controls he created enough drag to slow the aircraft and bleed off altitude to be able to land on the decommissioned runway. I heard through the grapevine that when the parameters of this incident were put into an Ar Canada 767 flight simulator every pilot who tried it crashed. On another note I was boarding an AC 767 in Toronto a couple years after the incident and I asked the stewardess if she knew the tail number of the aircraft. She replied that she didn’t and asked why? I replied oh I just wanted to know if it’s number 304 (if memory serves here). She looked puzzled so I said, you know, the Gimile Glider? The look of horror on her face was priceless. I laughed and told her not to worry. The 767 is a good bird and left to take my seat.

    • @jasonwhite1069
      @jasonwhite1069 2 роки тому +5

      It was 604. I worked on the ramp for Air Canada, in Vancouver, in the late '80s, and whenever 604 was in I would go sit in Bob Pearson's seat.

    • @johnandrews3568
      @johnandrews3568 2 роки тому +2

      @@jasonwhite1069 did the seat have huge indents to make way for Bob Pearson's giant, titanium balls?

    • @RicardoMartinez-oh9sq
      @RicardoMartinez-oh9sq 2 роки тому +1

      The captain knew the dynamics of flying as a classical musician knows his or her instrument. Just amazing.

  • @rootsid
    @rootsid 3 роки тому +18

    I am not a pilot nor do I have any connection to the aviation industry, however I do always learn from and enjoy Mentour Pilot video's. Thank you sir!

  • @YesYouAreAbsolutelyCorrect
    @YesYouAreAbsolutelyCorrect 3 роки тому +22

    This is the first time I heard, that this mistake had it roots in flight crew own hands! In the documentaries they usually point at the ground crew.
    Thank you for all the details.

  • @J_Stronsky
    @J_Stronsky 2 роки тому +14

    This story makes me feel a whole lot better about the time I misjudged how much fuel I had left on the highway - doesn't seem so bad now :P

  • @garyodle5663
    @garyodle5663 3 роки тому +14

    As an airline flight dispatcher I always wondered how this could have happened. You explained it very well.

  • @superopa1306
    @superopa1306 3 роки тому +29

    Brother-in-law and I were inside that plane the following morning. Drove down from a nearby campsite we were staying at. Next to no security and very easy to get onto the plane and into the cockpit. Too bad no cellphones back then to take pictures or videos. Have visited the Gimli Glider Museum in Gimli a few times. Two years ago, met Captain Robert Pearson. What an experience.

  • @zachary3352
    @zachary3352 3 роки тому +3

    I don't know what it is, but Petter, you have a way of telling these stories that's so engaging. I love when I start imagining being a character in the story, and your storytelling allows me to do this naturally! Thanks for making us all smarter pilots and people.

  • @GermanTabor
    @GermanTabor 3 роки тому +2

    As an A&P I appreciate all your videos. I always learn something new about accidents I thought I understood. What you're doing for the aviation community is awesome, you don't skip the details and you base everything on the report.

  • @PilotThumper
    @PilotThumper 3 роки тому +34

    This is an amazing story. A great example of a pilots additional training resulted in a pilot who thought outside the norm to save lives.

    • @MentourPilot
      @MentourPilot  3 роки тому +22

      Indeed, unfortunately they were also part of the chain that caused it.

    • @PilotThumper
      @PilotThumper 3 роки тому +2

      @@MentourPilot very true. It's amazing the amount of knowledge a PIC has in there heads when working with such amazing machines. Thankfully he was able to get the plane landed with no loss of life and this helped to prevent this from every happening again. Truly an amazing story. I have watched a number of shows on this one and was one of the reasons I joined the Air Cadets as a kid to learn how flying a glider works :P

    • @BennyGeserit
      @BennyGeserit 3 роки тому +6

      @@PilotThumper When it happened the pilots were demoted pretty quick but Pilots interviewed on American television described the landing as landing the Space Shuttle blindfolded. Air Canada didn't know how incredible a landing feat this all was.

    • @PilotThumper
      @PilotThumper 3 роки тому +6

      @@BennyGeserit exactly! Thankfully the pilots appealed the decision and flew for many years and even got awarded for the amazing work they did bringing this machine to the ground in one piece.

    • @dan_
      @dan_ 3 роки тому +6

      @@BennyGeserit To be fair, they did make 3 major mistakes that directly led to the incident even becoming an incident in the first place. Obviously they should be praised for how they subsequently dealt with it, and "any landing you can walk away from.." etc, but they did also wreck a plane through their own incompetence and lack of attention to clearly very critical procedures. I'd have been amazed if they weren't given a strong reprimand after this. You wouldn't give a license to a new pilot in training who made a sequence of blatant mistakes but happend to miraculously get the plane down safely from an almost impossible position they'd got themselves into. I certainly hope you wouldn't anyway!

  • @joelmorry2864
    @joelmorry2864 3 роки тому +35

    Fantastic! This happened in my own home province in Manitoba!

    • @MentourPilot
      @MentourPilot  3 роки тому +9

      Indeed!

    • @ariochiv
      @ariochiv 3 роки тому

      Is that a good thing?

    • @siglavikingkearns8108
      @siglavikingkearns8108 3 роки тому +4

      @@ariochiv Depends who you ask. I live near Gimli - they've opened a small combination museum and detailed explanation shop. They tried to buy the actual 767 when it was retired but it was too costly. There are some pieces of the airplane there though.

    • @ariochiv
      @ariochiv 3 роки тому +1

      @@siglavikingkearns8108 I guess a small town embraces any notoriety they can get. 😊

    • @siglavikingkearns8108
      @siglavikingkearns8108 3 роки тому +2

      @@ariochiv um No. Most of us wish to be left in peace.

  • @ltmohapi8932
    @ltmohapi8932 Рік тому +3

    One of my favourite episodes on Aircrash Investigation. Had to talk about it after seeing decommissioned airport that had been turned into an airstrip in Thaba Nchu, South Africa. Mentour Pilot, very thorough and detailed explanation, even for the layman. I have always loved crab landings and think that Captain Pearson was a hero despite initial errors by him and others at large

  • @danielkeirsteadsr6939
    @danielkeirsteadsr6939 3 роки тому +11

    My favorite too. along with the landing on a levy in Louisiana after losing both engines due to hail
    na

  • @86budda
    @86budda 3 роки тому +13

    Thank you for this video, that's one of my favorite accidents in the history of civil aviation. I used to work for a company creating software for airlines and I always had this story in mind when dealing with unit systems and conversions. We were always very strict about handling units of measurement in the application code. Safety first!

    • @mzytptlk
      @mzytptlk 2 роки тому

      Mr. Olszewski: Glad to know from you. My grandfather was Wsievolod Olszewski from Poland.

  • @MajorHavoc214
    @MajorHavoc214 3 роки тому +46

    I was in high school when this accident happened and it inspired me to learn the metric system before I joined the US Army.

    • @jacyborreaux919
      @jacyborreaux919 3 роки тому +6

      It’s really easy! Everything is multiple of 10

    • @bobbrewer5182
      @bobbrewer5182 3 роки тому +12

      I grew up with the metric system, and have learned small amounts of imperial in several jobs, I think metric is a far more logical system.

    • @mikehenderson631
      @mikehenderson631 3 роки тому +4

      Thank you very much for your service sir

    • @rysacroft
      @rysacroft 3 роки тому +5

      Growing up the UK I learned both systems at an early age. About 30 years ago I had a German pal who could not really get his head around imperial units. He thought that the inch could only be divided into tenths, twelfths or eighths. Because I had studied technical drawing I showed him that it was easy to, for example, drill holes in a piece of metal that were five thirteenth of an inch apart. I think that his brain exploded :)

    • @sevenlux7093
      @sevenlux7093 3 роки тому +1

      @@rysacroft Why to do it simple, when it can be done complicated ;-)

  • @BoJack_HorseFly85
    @BoJack_HorseFly85 2 роки тому +2

    I love how you can give so much more and so much better information in about half the time most documentaries require to present this story.

  • @pauloamenta3083
    @pauloamenta3083 3 роки тому +6

    Peter, I found your channel few days ago, I really enjoy all the clear information you share with us; all the videos are very informative and help me learn a lot. I live in Winnipeg and know the story well. actually my daughter finished the glider course with Air Cadets at that exact base in Gimli 2 years ago and there is a museum at Gimli dedicated to this story and they have some parts of the original plane. Congrats and thanks for sharing those videos with us.

  • @JessLuvnNicky
    @JessLuvnNicky 3 роки тому +7

    I never heard this story until last year. I am a public librarian in Canada and I had NO idea that caption Pearson was actually visiting my library all summer! Until another library visitor came in while he was there one day and she asked if I knew who he was. He is a great lad to chat with!!! ✈️🤓

  • @cindymackling9369
    @cindymackling9369 3 роки тому +3

    Thanks for the video Petter. I was born and raised in Winnipeg, MB Canada and my family owned a cottage near Gimili. And we were at the cottage when this flight occurred. In fact, the plane may have flown right over our cottage as it was situated, as the crow flies, along the same path as the runway that jet landed on. Of course, with no engines running we couldn't have heard it anyway When the races were on we could hear the cars. The next day my father had heard about the landing on the news and he took me over to see the plane. We were able to get fairly close to where the plane had stopped as we took a "backroad" that paralleled the runway. A good memory to have. Was glad that there were no fatalaties.

  • @cayrick
    @cayrick 2 роки тому +2

    Peter that was very thorough. I met a man who was a private pilot who at that time could visit the cockpit. The stewardess who set it up was busy and just as he reminded her again, she had a look of terrror in her eyes and said "We're going down".

  • @ChrisZwolinski
    @ChrisZwolinski 3 роки тому +2

    I remember when this happened, I was almost 15.
    Just another in the many difficulties and mix ups while we were converting from imperial to metric.
    Many lucky factors came into play as well, the gliding capability and pilots knowledge of the area.
    Love the review you did on it.
    Awesome flying.

  • @coca-colayes1958
    @coca-colayes1958 3 роки тому +63

    Mr Mentour you have a fancy way of saying the word “centimetres”

    • @alphalunamare
      @alphalunamare 3 роки тому +12

      Stopped me in my tracks that did, it was like hearing a new word for the first time :-)

    • @HoosierRallyMaster
      @HoosierRallyMaster 3 роки тому +1

      @Andrew Yes I bet he pronounces "kilometre" differently from you, too. But in the opposite direction.

  • @thomassletvik1353
    @thomassletvik1353 3 роки тому +38

    I remember this sentence from the Air Crash Investigation episode:
    "Captain Pearson is out of fuel. Out of engines. Out of options."
    Not a good situation to be in.

    • @mrrolandlawrence
      @mrrolandlawrence 3 роки тому +2

      Well technically he did still have 2 engines. not quite the same as the b707 where they ripped off the engines and pylons on a delivery flight.

    • @spacemanmat
      @spacemanmat 3 роки тому +7

      Not out of options, he very skilfully used those options available to him to land the plane without anyone getting killed.

    • @garethmurtagh
      @garethmurtagh 3 роки тому +4

      I loved the commentary when they saw the two kids cycling up the runway with the plane approaching them.
      “Without its engines the plane is silent, and one thing the Boeing 767 doesn’t have as standard is a horn!” 🤣🤣🤣

    • @samiam619
      @samiam619 3 роки тому

      Thomas Sletvik, that’s why I Mostly avoid those fake documentaries. And not in a tRump kind of fake. Meaning they want to spice up the story with Hollywood slick headlines.

    • @cayrick
      @cayrick 2 роки тому +1

      @@garethmurtagh Surprised it wasn't a report recommendation.

  • @jayminor9757
    @jayminor9757 3 роки тому +1

    This was the clearest, best presented explanation of this incident, particularly in regards to the fuel quantity calculation errors, that I have heard. Thank you very much from a AME with 48 years under his belt and private pilot for 30 years.

  • @JoeBeaudette
    @JoeBeaudette 3 роки тому +4

    As someone from Winnipeg, I always love hearing this story. Great video Petter!

  • @DrTrin
    @DrTrin 3 роки тому +5

    I performed cargo weight and balance for Fedex flights in Canada. Even though it has been 8 years since I did that job, and I knew the outcome of this story, when those incorrect calculations appeared on the screen, in seconds I yelled out, "No no no no!" and stood up from my chair. The adrenalin rush was huge. All good now.

  • @rishabhmehta2477
    @rishabhmehta2477 3 роки тому +14

    Side slipping a commercial jet with no engines.
    Awesome video

  • @sandygrogg1203
    @sandygrogg1203 2 роки тому +5

    I l9ve this story…and never tire of it, what a miracle…

  • @Werrf1
    @Werrf1 3 роки тому +4

    Thank you for laying out the errors so clearly - both the conversion, and the exact details of the failure of the fuel gauges. I'd heard about both, but not the details of exactly what went wrong.

  • @lxcien4867
    @lxcien4867 3 роки тому +72

    „Pearson is going to attempt a side slip“ The best sentence of the aircrash investigation series...

    • @dan_
      @dan_ 3 роки тому +5

      Here it is, slightly edited: watch?v=jVvt7hP5a-0

    • @Geigerzaehler
      @Geigerzaehler 3 роки тому +1

      I really expected "Déja vu" in this moment.

    • @saulekaravirs6585
      @saulekaravirs6585 3 роки тому +3

      @@Geigerzaehler He side sliped into a place he'd been before, where they were racing cars. "Deja Vu! and I've been in this place before. Higher on the Street and Know it's may place to be me! Wooooo!"

    • @moi01887
      @moi01887 3 роки тому

      @@dan_ Cool video! Kind of funny though... they make it look like the plane was coming down at almost a 90-degree angle to the runway. Slips in real life aren't nearly that dramatic.

    • @stanthology
      @stanthology 3 роки тому

      On the way into Midway Airport in Chicago in a 737 the pilot was side slipping the jet big time. It was quite violent! When it landed, there was an audible gasp. (of relief!) I knew what he was doing because of a general interest in aviation. I got the impression lots of the passengers thought we were crashing. (old airport. short runways. A few years later, a jet went out of the airport off the end of the runway and someone in a car got killed on the road.)

  • @iamtheiconoclast3
    @iamtheiconoclast3 3 роки тому +9

    As a Canadian and long time fan of your channel I was super stoked to see you had covered our iconic aviation incident. As usual your analysis was fascinating and so well explained that even a layperson such as myself could understand. I doubt that anyone has told it better. :)

    • @isabellind1292
      @isabellind1292 2 роки тому

      I wish one of these aviation channels would cover the little known flight out of Montreal in the 1950's when a bomb that was planted aboard the aircraft blew up killing all 24 souls. The last woman executed in Canada was hanged for her role in the conspiracy.

  • @sandihunter1260
    @sandihunter1260 2 роки тому +2

    We were racing at Gimli in September 1982 a year before the incident in July 1983. It was a fun race track to be at but can't imagine what the road racing people must have felt that day when they saw the airplane coming in for a landing. A wonderful Canadian story.

  • @pearlkt
    @pearlkt 3 роки тому

    I sadly witnessed a major air show tragedy and been so scared of flying since . I have watched you and another gent who have helped me conquer fears. Thank you for breaking things down

  • @alexeibobyrev2250
    @alexeibobyrev2250 3 роки тому +10

    Flying general aviation in Canada it always amazes me that we calculate the weight and balance in pounds, fuel in gallons then call the fuel service and request fuel in litres. E6B gets a bit of a workout when I want to go flying. 😀. Great content!

    • @TheOwenMajor
      @TheOwenMajor 3 роки тому

      It's because of our half *ssed adoption of metric. It was a pet project of a single government that never had any widespread support.

    • @jasonwhite1069
      @jasonwhite1069 2 роки тому +1

      @@TheOwenMajor You really don't want to let go of that bone!

    • @jimattrill8933
      @jimattrill8933 2 роки тому

      It's easy. The fuel company is paid for volume of fuel delivered not the weight of it which varies with the specific gravity which can change all the time. Maybe they should be paid in pounds or Kg of fuel but the bowsers measure fuel flow and volume, not the weight.

  • @stvtppng
    @stvtppng 3 роки тому +6

    I know this story well but it's so much more chilling and rewarding to hear it from a pilot's perspective. Thank you. (From Montreal)

  • @McSynth
    @McSynth 3 роки тому +1

    Astonishing just how some people can perform, and demonstrate their skill and professionalism when under such (unexpected) pressure. Congrats to Captain Pearson and his crew.

  • @leotuscadero9572
    @leotuscadero9572 Рік тому +2

    Hello there I'm just a truck driver that enjoys watching your documentary on air line crashes. Watching your videos take the Pressure off of everyday truck driving Thank you for sharing these videos

  • @LilYeshua
    @LilYeshua 3 роки тому +23

    I haven't heard it this detailed though.

  • @grrlpurpleable
    @grrlpurpleable 3 роки тому +28

    One of the most remarkable feats of pilot skill - side slipping a 767 onto a disused runway without any fatalities!

    • @roderickcampbell2105
      @roderickcampbell2105 3 роки тому

      As an aviation buff and Canadian I figured knew all about this one. But it's Mentour so I have to watch. And then learned a lot. But I knew that the crew were solid gold. All of them.

    • @roderickcampbell2105
      @roderickcampbell2105 3 роки тому

      Mentour, can you cover Air Transat Flight 236? Sadly another Canadian based carrier that ran out of fuel. But landed without any fatalities in the Canaries I think. And of course, the flight crew got some blame. Cross feed valve use I think. Go figure.

    • @dmack1827
      @dmack1827 3 роки тому

      @@roderickcampbell2105 Azores.

    • @roderickcampbell2105
      @roderickcampbell2105 3 роки тому

      @@dmack1827 Correct, it was in Azores and not Canaries. Thanks.

  • @macandrewes
    @macandrewes 3 роки тому +14

    Excellent video. Absolutely the best explanation I have ever heard of this incident. Little known fact: If Gimli hadn't been available at the time, they could easily have diverted to nearby Oin and Gloin. So they had options.

  • @olising8843
    @olising8843 3 роки тому +82

    Whenever I get on a flight I always hope that four slices of cheese don’t have a hole in the same place.

    • @dallassukerkin6878
      @dallassukerkin6878 2 роки тому +4

      :grins: Good comment :). I hope that most people here, probably being aviation enthusiasts, understand your reference :thumbs up:

    • @benmac940
      @benmac940 2 роки тому

      @@dallassukerkin6878 the Swiss cheese model is widely used in risk assessment/ accident evaluation, not just in aviation

  • @avflyguy
    @avflyguy 3 роки тому +9

    Back in the early 2000's, I recall a story that probably didn't make headlines (out of the country). A contract flight crew was dispatched from the US to El Salvador to ferry a helicopter back to the US with several fuel stops. After 4 days of lousy weather, an opportunity came up to get 1st leg done. A US passenger (actually the owner of the helicopter) was also along for the ride - total of 3. While flight crew was busy w/ flight planning and other government red tape, they told the passenger (a low time fixed wing pilot) to go out to put in 150 gallons of jet fuel. Fired up and off they haphazardly went. Unfortunately, the fuel was in liters not gallons. Predictably the engine quit while over a jungle and crashed. It tooks a couple of days (bad weather) to find the downed ship. Unfortunately, the front of the helicopter had broken loose from the fuselage, so the 2 pilots were ejected to the canopy floor where they both became victims of native jungle predators. The passenger in the back survived still buckled in and got a front row seat to the carnage below. Not sure anyone knew or recognized the hasty mistake of rushing things and nobody caught the fueling error. Instead of 150 gallons, they got 150 liters - as *150* was what the display showed on the fueling pump meter.

    • @hughmungus1767
      @hughmungus1767 2 роки тому

      Why on earth didn't the fuel gauge show the units that were being measured?

  • @AdvancedUSA
    @AdvancedUSA 3 роки тому +46

    It’s almost always a combination of errors that, when combined, turn into an accident.

    • @subduedpotato7216
      @subduedpotato7216 3 роки тому +6

      its true for most things, not just flying. Rarely does a single error actually lead to an accident

    • @IMBlakeley
      @IMBlakeley 3 роки тому +1

      I've always know it as the incident pit

    • @RicardoMartinez-oh9sq
      @RicardoMartinez-oh9sq 2 роки тому

      A US probe to Mars crashed because of the same errors.

    • @NicolaW72
      @NicolaW72 2 роки тому

      Indeed.

  • @aattc1
    @aattc1 3 роки тому +3

    One of the greatest aviation stories ever!!! I actually have a small piece of ac 604. Love your videos. Thank you Petter

  • @bluemoyie8618
    @bluemoyie8618 2 роки тому

    Thank you for that, you've given an excellent description and explanation of this incident. Not only my non-trained opinion, but I have that from an active airline captain. I've watched the re-enactment, and held my breath even though I knew it was not real life. The extreme tunnel vision that the captain experienced during severe stress is something that I can very much relate to. I appreciated your giving details from the final report, and of what became of the flight crew and cabin crew.
    The cabin crew certainly deserved the recognition that they received in keeping the passengers safe and calm. And, I believe that the award given to the captain and first officer was well deserved.

  • @wizardmix
    @wizardmix 3 роки тому +11

    I have a small piece of the fuselage of the actual Gimli Glider fashioned as a keychain. It's my "good luck" charm when I travel. I also like freaking out pax who don't realize that the skin of an aircraft is barely 3mm thick.

    • @BANTIGG
      @BANTIGG 3 роки тому +1

      I have one also!

    • @wizardmix
      @wizardmix 3 роки тому

      @@BANTIGG I used to work for the MotoArt guys around 12 years ago. That was a really fun gig. Now that I've seen this, I'm beginning to question the luck of it! Seems like the only thing the crew did correctly was be able to fly the plane in the emergency of their life. I guess that's enough. I'll still bring it with me!

    • @BANTIGG
      @BANTIGG 3 роки тому

      @@wizardmix I think that pilots in a simulator duplication of that event all crashed is a testament to the Gimli Glider crew. Use your tag in good luck and health! I have often wondered if I flew in that plane on one of my many flights between YYZ , YEG, and YVR in the mid-to late eighties and beyond. No Internet research possible in those days, so sadly, I'll never know!

    • @wizardmix
      @wizardmix 3 роки тому

      @@BANTIGG Good point. I suppose the only people who would know if they were ever on a plane that would go on to crash are those who always record the tail number they fly on. I think it's fairly possible that I've flown on at least one plane that would go on to crash in my lifetime.

  • @redlywaxer
    @redlywaxer 3 роки тому +5

    Read this story years ago in Readers Digest. It is an amazing story and took on new meaning to me with the technical aspects and pilot knowledge you shared it with! Thank you for bringing this amazing story back to life for us!

  • @chargilchrist
    @chargilchrist 2 роки тому +1

    I really enjoyed this story along with the comments from people who were there, remember this event and participated after the fact. Great stuff!!

  • @raymondstrom7686
    @raymondstrom7686 3 роки тому +1

    The Canadian National Radio Control Championships were flown off that strip in 1978. I competed there and took home top prize. The strip was in pretty good condition, which is why the drag guys used it too. Nice smooth track with long runout. I could only imagine the terror for the two kids on bikes with a 767 chasing them and probably making a lot of scraping noise. If we had been there then, it would have been all eyes in the skies since that was our practice anyway. Dragsters, mostly heads under hoods. Great story Mentor Pilot.

  • @richardpatrick32123
    @richardpatrick32123 3 роки тому +41

    I love these videos! You are a great story teller.

    • @MentourPilot
      @MentourPilot  3 роки тому +9

      Thank you! So glad you enjoy it!

    • @arfyness
      @arfyness 3 роки тому +1

      @@VisualDrone12 I hadn't even noticed, but it is super distracting to have irritating or too loud music that clobbers spoken content. Much better to go without.
      That said, I also really appreciate when storytellers know their sound design enough to use music to quite good effect, like Barely Sociable, off the top of my head, and especially Lemmino with his own original music.

  • @adamfrazer5150
    @adamfrazer5150 3 роки тому +2

    You are a First-Rate storyteller - many thanks for covering these events, but it's your engaging and complimentary approach that make all the difference to me 👍🇨🇦

  • @joesinakandid528
    @joesinakandid528 2 роки тому +2

    Capt. Peter, very well done, Sir!
    Your observations and cautions certainly reflect and dovetail on my experiences (40 years) USAF, enlisted, Munitions career field as well as a low time little 'ole private pilot.
    PS - the pillow colors and their significance do not go un-noticed. "Green to Green or Red to Red, Perfectly Safe to Go Ahead." - Joe - TSgt (Ret)

  • @HMac411
    @HMac411 Рік тому +1

    That is a fantastic story and just became my favorite aviation story as well. The capper was that, ultimately, the Captain and First Officer were awarded for their airmanship. Amazing story!

  • @nathansmith1085
    @nathansmith1085 3 роки тому +19

    As a pilot, how do you like the show Air Disasters? Its one of my favorites. I always loved the story of the Gimbli Glider, but no one has explained it as well as you just did. That is why I love this channel! Thanks!

    • @MentourPilot
      @MentourPilot  3 роки тому +15

      I like the series! It is a bit simplified and dramatized but it’s definitely worth watching!

    • @andreas_hs
      @andreas_hs 3 роки тому +5

      it runs on German TV as well from time to time and is titled "Mayday-Series". It is both mostly very sad and very interesting and the series adds a lot of drama to the incidents. And I love your professinal view on these things ✌👏😁

  • @disturbthpce
    @disturbthpce 3 роки тому +20

    I think you forgot to mention this was the first transport category aircraft with all engines inop, successfully land without loss of life.

    • @donjones4719
      @donjones4719 3 роки тому +11

      So I'm curious. The auxiliary generator (ram air turbine) can provide power for very limited instruments, understandably. But why wasn't vertical speed one of the included instruments? Use of the RAT system means both engines are out, which means the plane is a glider - and that's a very crucial instrument in that circumstance.

  • @MystikalDawn
    @MystikalDawn 3 роки тому +2

    I flew on the aircraft shortly before her retirement, short flight from Halifax CYHZ to St. John's CYYT, there was a plaque in her front galley as you boarded that recognized her as the "Gimli Glider".

  • @debbieguitor1745
    @debbieguitor1745 2 роки тому +1

    These pilots are legends in Canada. My brother lives in WInnipeg and I’ve been to Gimli. Amazing story!!

  • @ArsenalEcho
    @ArsenalEcho 3 роки тому +3

    This is my favorite aviation story too, ex aequo with TACA110. You also provided much more information than some other documentaries like ACI/Mayday. According to those, the refueling technician got all the blame for the botched conversion. Thanks for this!

  • @petertaylor8170
    @petertaylor8170 3 роки тому +8

    Thank you for explaining this in more detail than Hollywood did. My recollection of the film is that the blame was placed on the guys doing the refuelling. One asking the other either how many kilo's in a pound or how many gallons in a litre.

    • @zoidberg444
      @zoidberg444 3 роки тому +1

      The rule of these sorts of accidents is that numerous people are at some degree of fault and that was probably because there was something wrong with the system. Pearson and Quintel both signed off on the fuelling of the aircraft. No one was innocent in this.

  • @henryj.8528
    @henryj.8528 3 роки тому +1

    OK, after watching you for years, I subscribed based on this video. Very well done. I had heard that most of the problem was maths and the changeover at Air Canada to the metric system (which confuses everybody still) and not really "pilot error" as such. I believe the Captain did have the convo and did get an updated MEL.The entire crew did an outstanding job of saving every life with no major injuries. Glad they could still fly. I'd have flown with that crew the very next day.

  • @darrellshoub7527
    @darrellshoub7527 2 роки тому

    THIS HAS GOT TO BE one of my FAVORITE of ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL your many episodes !!!!!!!!!!!! it is absolutley COMPLEX, EPIC and LEGENDARY !!!!!!! Great job, Mentour !!!