Ep 4. Cutting Corners

Cutting Corners is the fourth episode of Mayday's first season. In this episode, viewers are taken to a tragic event that occurred on July 1, 2002, when a Bashkirian Airlines flight and a DHL cargo flight collided in mid-air over Uberlingen, Germany, killing 71 people in total.

The episode begins by introducing the Bashkirian Airlines flight 2937, which was carrying mostly Russian schoolchildren and their chaperones on a trip to Spain. The flight was operated by a Tupolev Tu-154, a Russian-built jet, and was being flown by experienced pilots who had all the necessary qualifications. The flight was on its normal route over Eastern Europe and was being monitored by air traffic control in Switzerland.

As the Bashkirian flight was approaching Zurich, Switzerland, air traffic control cleared them for their landing pattern. Suddenly, the DHL cargo flight 611, a Boeing 757, was approaching from the other direction. The two flights were on a collision course, and neither seemed to be aware of the other's location.

As the planes grew closer, the automated collision-avoidance system on both planes began to sound alarms. However, the DHL flight's Captain, who was the sole pilot on board, was distracted. He had received instructions from air traffic control to descend to a lower altitude, and he was looking at his charts to confirm his new altitude.

As the Bashkirian flight's crew saw the DHL plane approaching, they desperately tried to climb to avoid the collision. Sadly, they didn't have enough time, and the DHL plane collided with the lower part of the Bashkirian flight. The two planes exploded on impact, and debris rained down on the small town of Uberlingen, Germany.

The remainder of the episode follows the investigators as they try to determine what went wrong and how the collision could have been avoided. They first look at the air traffic control recordings, which show the Swiss controller making an error. In an attempt to manage the heavy traffic in the area, they cleared the DHL flight to ascend to a higher altitude, which put them directly on a collision course with the Bashkirian flight.

The investigators then review the cockpit recordings from both planes. They discover that the DHL flight Captain, who was a highly experienced pilot, had flown over the same area in the past and knew he could get a better arrival route. He chose to take a shortcut to avoid the congestion, even though it wasn't part of his usual route.

The investigators also discover that the DHL flight's transponder, a device that communicates the plane's altitude and position, was not working correctly. The investigation team concluded that even if the DHL flight's Captain had been paying attention to the alarm, he might not have seen the warning to avoid the other aircraft and might have continued flying straight – directly into the Bashkirian plane.

Cutting Corners is an episode that takes the viewer on a riveting journey to explore the technical causes of the crash. It shows the importance of constant vigilance and adherence to regulations by pilots, air traffic controllers, and others working in aviation. Through meticulous analysis, the investigators' reports serve as a warning to the aviation industry, highlighting the importance of thorough planning and strict adherence to procedures in reducing the risk of catastrophic incidents.