Ep 10. Carnage in Sao Paolo

On the 17th of July in 2007, a TAM Airlines Flight 3054, an Airbus A320, is scheduled to take off from Porto Alegre with a final destination of Sao Paolo. The flight was carrying 181 passengers and 6 crew members on board. However, the flight did not go as planned.

As Flight 3054 approached Sao Paolo, it found itself dealing with a very dangerous situation. Heavy rain caused the runway to be extremely slippery, and the flight's speed brakes and reverse thrusters were not working properly. Due to these factors, the pilots were unable to slow down the aircraft enough and were unable to stop the plane as it thundered down the runway.

The plane eventually crashed through a barrier and plunged off the side of the runway, skidding into a nearby gas station where it exploded upon impact. The crash killed all 187 people on board, as well as 12 people who were on the ground. It was the deadliest aviation accident in Brazilian history at the time.

The episode explores the various factors that led up to the crash, and how they could have been prevented. Investigators discovered that there were numerous issues with the runway that could have contributed to the crash. For example, the runway was poorly designed and there were no proper drainage systems in place, which could have helped to prevent runoff water from accumulating. In addition, there were no runway guard lights to alert pilots when they were nearing the end of the runway.

Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the pilots of Flight 3054 were not properly trained to handle the difficult conditions that they were facing. They had been trained to land on wet runways but were not given sufficient training on how to handle hydroplaning, which is when the plane loses grip on the runway due to a layer of water. This meant that they were ill-prepared to handle the slippery conditions that they faced as they approached Sao Paolo.

The episode also explores the human factors that contributed to the tragedy. One issue was the lack of clear communication between the Brazilian aviation regulators and the airlines. This made it difficult for airlines to properly prepare for the challenges of landing in Brazil.

Another issue was the duty time regulations for pilots. The captain of Flight 3054 had been working long hours and had not had sufficient rest, which can impair decision-making and reaction time. Furthermore, the cockpit voice recorder revealed that the pilots were not communicating effectively with one another, which may have contributed to their inability to slow down the airplane as it landed.

Overall, the episode highlights the importance of proper training, communication, and regulation in aviation. The crash in Sao Paolo was a tragic reminder of the need for constant vigilance and improvement to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.