Ep 9. Deadly Discussions

In season 17 of Air Disasters, episode 9 is titled "Deadly Discussions" and explores the events leading up to a catastrophic plane crash. The episode opens with the normal routine of an Emirates flight, with 62 passengers and a crew of six boarding the plane in Dubai, heading towards the Iranian city of Mashhad.

The first discussions to take place are crucial to the disaster. The flight deck crew discuss that they will be reaching their cruising altitude of 38,000 feet soon and that they need to adjust cabin pressurization accordingly. They decide to adjust the pressurization once they reach the altitude. The crew also discusses the changing weather and turbulence in the region and how it may impact their flight.

Shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew begins to notice something is amiss. Passengers are complaining of headaches and some are even showing signs of oxygen deprivation, such as difficulty breathing and confusion. As cabin pressure is directly related to the amount of oxygen available for passengers, the cabin crew immediately suspects a problem with pressurization.

The flight attendant's calls to the flight deck are not answered, and it becomes clear that something is very wrong. The crew is unresponsive and even appear unconscious, as the airplane starts to fly aimlessly. The passengers have to take matters into their own hands, and one brave passenger attempts to enter the cockpit to assist the crew.

Air traffic control soon loses track of the flight, and the situation becomes increasingly dire. After an intense search spanning over an hour, the airplane is eventually found crashed in the mountains near the Iranian city of Kerman. All 68 people on board are killed in the crash.

Investigating authorities determine that the cause of the disaster to be a tragic miscommunication between pilots, resulting in an incorrect setting of the cabin-pressurization system. The pilots had neglected to reset the system after taking off, causing the cabin to gradually depressurize.

The crew's lack of response to the cabin crew and air traffic control was due to the effects of hypoxia, a condition caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. At cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, the air is thin, and humans cannot breathe without oxygen supplement. Therefore, the crew must rely on pressurization of the cabin to ensure there's an adequate supply of oxygen to breathe.

The episode includes interviews with experts who explain the science behind these events and how important communication among crew and air traffic control is in aviation safety. The episode serves as a reminder that even small mistakes can have catastrophic consequences in aviation.

"Deadly Discussions," showcases the importance of regular training, monitoring and updating of procedures, and making sure that crew members have open and direct lines of communication in a fast-moving and challenging event. This episode is a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the intricacies of aviation safety, as it illustrates how crucial communication, monitoring, and training are in preventing tragic events like this from happening in the future.