Ep 3. Disaster at Tenerife
- TV-14
- January 21, 2018
- 44 min
-
(162)
On this episode of Air Disasters, we delve into one of the deadliest aviation disasters in history. The Disaster at Tenerife recounts the chain of events that led to a collision between two commercial airliners on March 27, 1977, at the Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands.
The episode begins with a glimpse of the airport's chaotic state due to a terrorist incident that shut down the airport. As the airport reopened, the backlog of flights caused congestion on the runways. Two large aircraft, a KLM Boeing 747 and a Pan Am Boeing 747, found themselves on the same taxiway and headed towards the same runway.
As the air traffic controllers struggled to communicate with the pilots and maintain order, a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications led to a tragic collision. The KLM pilot, Captain Jacob Van Zanten, mistook the controller's clearance to take off as permission to do so. The Pan Am flight was still on the runway and attempting to exit when the KLM flight started its takeoff run, causing a catastrophic collision that killed 583 people.
The episode goes into detail about the investigation that followed the disaster, revealing the lessons learned about communication, language barriers, and standard operating procedures. It also highlights the human cost of the tragedy, with interviews from loved ones of the victims and survivors who share their harrowing experiences of that fateful day.
The documentary uses a blend of expert analysis and immersive simulations to create a detailed picture of the Tenerife disaster. It features interviews with aviation experts, air traffic controllers, investigators, and survivors, providing a deep dive into the human factors that contributed to the tragic collision.
Overall, the Disaster at Tenerife is a sobering reminder of the importance of clear communication and strict adherence to standard procedures in aviation. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in aviation, or anyone who wants to know the true stories behind some of the world's most infamous aviation accidents.
