Ep 3. Behind Closed Doors

In season 1 episode 3 of the show Air Disasters, titled "Behind Closed Doors," viewers are taken back to the tragic event of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 in 2000. The episode focuses on the investigation that followed the crash and the discovery of a critical flaw in the design of the MD-80 aircraft.

The episode begins by setting the scene of Flight 261, a regularly scheduled flight from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco with a stopover in Seattle. On the evening of January 31, 2000, the MD-80 aircraft encountered a mechanical problem with its horizontal stabilizer, the wing-like structure on the tail that controls the pitch of the plane. The pilots realized they were unable to control the plane's pitch and ultimately lost control, crashing into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

The episode then delves into the investigation that followed the crash, led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB's investigation would reveal a critical flaw in the design of the MD-80's horizontal stabilizer. The stabilizer had a jackscrew that was prone to wear and tear, which could cause the jackscrew to seize up and prevent the pilots from controlling the plane's pitch.

Viewers get an inside look as the NTSB team begins to piece together the events leading up to the crash, including interviewing witnesses, analyzing the black box recordings, and physically examining the wreckage. As they work to understand what went wrong, they discover that the pilots made several attempts to regain control of the horizontal stabilizer, even manually cranking it with a tool on board. However, despite their efforts, the plane remained uncontrollable.

The investigation soon turns to the MD-80's manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas (which later merged with Boeing). The NTSB team discovers that in the past, McDonnell Douglas had known of the jackscrew's tendency to wear and had issued a service bulletin advising airlines to inspect it more frequently. However, Alaska Airlines had not followed these guidelines, meaning that the problem had gone undetected.

The episode highlights the intense pressure faced by airlines to keep their planes in the air and avoid costly downtime. Maintenance and inspection schedules are carefully balanced against revenue and passenger demand, and sometimes corners are cut - often with fatal consequences.

Overall, "Behind Closed Doors" is a gripping episode that takes viewers behind the scenes of a tragic air disaster and shows the intricate and painstaking work of the NTSB investigation team. The episode sheds light on the importance of proper maintenance and inspection procedures in aviation safety and will leave viewers with a new appreciation for the dedication of those who work tirelessly to prevent such disasters from happening again.