Airbus A310 suffers critical failure at 35,000 feet - Air Transat Flight 961

On March 6, 2005, an Airbus A310-308ET registration C-GPAT, which took off from Varadero to Quebec, was flying over the Caribbean Sea when a sudden loss of control took the pilots by surprise.

[@marks6663]

So far we have learned that even without rudders or fuel, Air Transat will get you down safely. I don't believe they have ever lost a passenger.

[@psalm2forliberty577]

What other stunts does Air Transat do ?

[@kevinmic6740]

Fair play to air transat pilots, they always manage to get out of sticky situations.

[@kdawson020279]

Air Transat vying for the safety spot vacated by Qantas, and good on them.

[@bobthebuilder5728-v3w]

Well . . . Maybe in the bar 🍷🥂🍻

[@AndreyPaiva-ed2ih]

@@psalm2forliberty577 Land an A330-200 with no fuel, and glide it for 170 km.

[@michaelgollehon6656]

Your animation is second to none. Love it. Those pilots deserved that award. They remained calm and didn’t create more problems. Aviate, Navigate and Communicate. Reminds me of Flt. 123 and American over NY. Both unthinkable tragedies. Of course my favorite hero was Capt. Al Haynes and Denny Fitch on 232. Denny Fitch apologized to a little old lady that survived and she told him, “BS Denny, you saved so many,” Hats off to those gentlemen for controlling a jumbo jet with no hydraulics. Fitch had been practicing that on the simulator and was deadheading from Denver. Luck or destiny?

[@joeyf504327]

It's a flight simulator

[@michaelgollehon6656]

@ wow!

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

​@@joeyf504327 the crash of the DC 10 and deaths of many passengers was no simulation.

[@denniswofford]

I flew the A300 and 310 (same type rating for both jets) for 17 years. I thought they were great airplanes. Never had a serious problem in all that time. While there is a flight control systems page that can be pulled up on the right ECAM by the pilots, it doesn't show the condition of any of the flight controls, only their movement in response to flight control inputs by the pilots or autopilot. The only way these pilots would have had a clue that their rudder was missing would have been to select that ECAM page and then move the rudder pedals to see if the rudder position indicator responded to their inputs, which it would not have since the rudder was missing. The dutch roll tendency is inherent in all swept wing aircraft. To counter it, the A300/310s (and every other large jet aircraft) have a yaw damper that automatically maintains directional control and prevents dutch roll by small counter movements of the rudder. No rudder, no yaw damper, which is bad because dutch roll, if not countered with proper control inputs, will continue to get worse and probably lead to structural failure. The A300/310s have dual yaw dampers, one primary and a backup. Kind of surprised that they didn't trip off when the rudder left the airplane.

[@davedave5787]

You know your planes!!😇

[@woodenseagull1899]

Flying in a DC10 years ago, you never needed a return ticket....😢

[@davidhynd4435]

Those passengers didn't know just how lucky they were. This could have easily grown into a catastrophic event.

[@gregfolland6569]

Excellent screen visuals! … Great presentation - very nicely done! … 👍

[@MPCFlights]

Thank you!

[@stevenwest000]

Thanks for all the work put in this video.

[@DaveArksey]

Great video and excellent simulation. Air Transat has had a couple of extremely serious incidents however their excellent pilots have heen able ro bring everyone back safely. Well done!

[@TheLitehart1]

I love your style of presentation. I always get the feeling that we as viewers are directly involved with the plane. This A310 apparently wasn't fitted with a warning device that a major part of the plane had gone missing. I saw that after the investigation, precautions were taken concerning the rudder itself, but I didn't see anyone address the fact that no warning system was in use to warn the pilots that the rudder was missing.

[@Burdale1]

Really excellent video.👋👋

[@MPCFlights]

Thank you 👍

[@williamlewis9350]

With all the instrumentation on these modern airliners I'm surprised that there was nothing to indicate the entire rudder was missing. I've been watching airline mishap/disaster videos for years and I don't know why airline manufacturers have not installed internal video cameras covering different parts of the plane. It's unbelievable how many times there is a major problem and the pilots are clueless. They don't even have the ability to see a wing on fire or a piece of the plane missing.

[@AsherJohnson-k1i]

Yeah.

[@stevenwest000]

Yeh I agree it seems bizarre.

[@bunglejoy3645]

With a high altitude fire proof heat to1000 degrees camera they could be on outside if pkabe and filtering pictures into cockpit of wings, engines, fuel tanks,flaps, wheels

[@gordonbryan8381]

There is not an airliner flying, no matter the age, that has a system to advise the crew if the rudder detaches or if the engine strut breaks and the entire engine falls off. How many other times has a rudder fallen off or an engine separated from the aircraft in flight? I know, I know, the American Airlines 727 that lost an engine 30 or 40 years ago. But that was a comedy of errors in the cockpit also.

[@The_Original_Forrest_Trump]

I have been wondering the same thing, cams for landing gear, engines, rear vertical and horizontal stabilizers, leading edges and flaps??? Doesn’t seem like a lot on a multi million dollar aircraft, why do you think they don’t? Cost?😳

[@raulcrudele1]

As per your narration, I just don't understand, how come they did not realize the pedals were not responding. Stunning video!!

[@mikearreola2609]

My goodness… praise God these highly skilled pilots were able to stabilize the aircraft and not over react. Bravo!!! 👏🏼

[@scotty6346]

Top piloting skills from the flight crew, A relief i am sure that the rudder detaching didn't cause terminal damage to any other part of the aircraft.

[@miket2120]

The flight was safe and stable because you had TWO pilots in the cockpit. The airlines want to do away with the copilot to save money and have a single pilot + computer operation. For this sort of issue and many others, the outcome would be exponentially increased pilot workload and a computer saying that there is nothing wrong with the aircraft. The results could be catastrophic .

[@bradjohnson482]

Great video and an awesome ending!

[@frankfarago2825]

Only two pilot in the cabin, and 7 flight attendants. So, a total crew count of nine. For a passenger count of over 260 souls. Also, not everyone wants to start an international flight -- at 2:48 AM, in the middle of the night. Oh, Air Transat, Oh, Canada.....

[@davis7099]

Amazing pilot work and fantastic visual presentation . You are the top in the work!

[@MPCFlights]

Thank you!

[@psalm2forliberty577]

Wow, the A310 became an experimental aircraft while airborne & full of Pax. Praise God 🙌 she didn't lose any of the vertical stabilizer or it'd be a whole different outcome. In this case the advance in aviation safety was written in ink, not blood !

[@gusmc01]

A310: "I'm a badass airplane, I can fly without a rudder" also A310: "I'm missing a rudder, but I have no way to warn you about that"

[@satwiksamanta8686]

😂

[@jourwalis-8875]

Very skilled pilots!

[@Nobilangelo]

All-round external cameras so that pilots can get a bird's-eye view of their aircraft should be de rigueur.

[@Luko007]

I was thinking exactly the same thing. The cost would be no factor on a multimillion aircraft

[@AsherJohnson-k1i]

Unfortunately the cameras would induce drag and would also probably rip off.

[@bunglejoy3645]

​It would ve great if they could get round drag issue would a lightweight camera prevent drag​@@AsherJohnson-k1i

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

Since small video cameras can cost as low as $10 each, it’s definitely time to install them on the outside of planes. The security camera I have at my front door is as small as an ice cube.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

@@bunglejoy3645 Flush-mounted video cameras with fisheye lenses would have almost no effect on the drag.

[@tonybalazs]

I definitely think there should be a warning light for when a piece of your plane falls off.

[@GFK256]

Sounds similar to the American Airlines crash out of JFK in 2001, right after 9/11. The entire tail separated due to extreme rudder inputs and possible fatigue cracks. Think that was an A300 or A310. Also thought that rudder inspections were supposedly addressed after that accident.

[@Met-Tech]

I have no proof but I’m certain that many engineers, probably at multiple points in time, have proposed adding the capability for the plane to tell the pilots when a part is missing or jammed, but have always been overruled due to probability vs. cost. But lives could be saved if pilots experience a problem and the computer tells them THE RUDDER IS MISSING so they don’t spend time trying to work a plan based on trying different things that could send the plane into the ground at 700 mph. I would like to know right away that if I try a certain workaround, it could result in complete loss of control and the deaths of everyone, that way I just don’t do it.

[@mattcampbell4777]

"Rudder?.....We don't need no stinking rudder!"

[@minopamma]

Excellent video.

[@walkerpantera]

with all that technology you'd think the plane could let you know a critical piece has fallen off.

[@deadchewie]

Surprised the computer didn't indicate any rudder trim problems.

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

Excellent video. I have a suggestion. February 1964, eastern airlines flight 304 from New Orleans

[@fareedjavadi2122]

Great video . Well done

[@marks6663]

this is the incident I referred to in a previous video to prove that rudders are not necessary for flight. It is much better that a faulty rudder separate rather than stay attached and cause control problem like in Northwest 85.

[@charlesschneiter]

Well, I beg to differ: Imagine having an engine failure and no rudder to compensate for the resulting yaw - to just name one reason to have a rudder? Also, crosswind landings would be eehhhmmm ... interesting without a rudder...

[@marks6663]

@@charlesschneiter not saying that a rudder is not useful, especially in a plane designed to have one. lol. I'm saying that it is not necessary for controlled flight. People in the Northwest 85 video were saying that it would have been disastrous had the rudder came off. My argument was had it come off, that would have solved the immediate problem of asymmetric rolling forces that are trying to kill them.

[@swatt862]

Maybe top 10 comment I've ever seen in a decade.

[@TheShowblox]

Suggestions: Air Astana 1388, Precision Air 494, Eastern 935

[@MPCFlights]

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll look into those.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

I didn’t even know that a plane could fly without a rudder.

[@markcardwell]

Rudder? We don't need no stinking Rudder!😂

[@stuntmanstu1]

……and I fart in your general direction!

[@brucemcintosh7466]

It's thought that the FO immediately asked for his suitcase upon arrival at the gate. He needed to change.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Excellent airmanship. However, it is surprising to me that the crew, while hand flying the jet, failed to notice complete loss of rudder authority.

[@stevenwest000]

As others have pointed out, it’s pretty bizarre that modern jetliners have no detection for critical loss of parts like rudder! I’m sure there is a reason for it but probably the same reason they don’t fit global tracking devices.

[@57Jimmy]

‘Stick and Rudder’ Air Transat pilot: “We don’t need no stinkin’ rudder! Oui? Non?”

[@Yatra-kj3zq]

Great video. I find it amazing that an entire rudder is missing, and the system does not issue any warning?

[@BabyFruitBat]

How could these pilots manually fly the plane and not realise the rudder was missing?

[@jsmariani4180]

If Space X can put cameras on the outside of Starship to monitor flight progress, why can't passenger airplanes have them too?

[@oneworldawakening]

Why was the tendency to roll worse on autopilot? Why was it less bad at a lower altitude?

[@TheSelf_8]

Engineers forgot the rudder break off warning.

[@paulw4310]

I have absolutely no idea how they could've lost the entire rudder and not have lost hydraulics. I'm not familiar with 310 systems, but typically a rudder is powered by two systems for redundancy (it's not expected that you would lose the whole rudder in flight). It appears from what's presented in the video that they not only didn't lose two systems, they never even got a "HYD" caution or warning message on the ECAM. Seriously, I don't get it, but I'm glad it worked out!

[@paulmorris4656]

Very lucky. The actuators are in the vertical fin itself and looks like the rudder detached at the eye ends and left the actuators and lines intact!

[@paulw4310]

@@paulmorris4656 Yeah...if that's the case, they were indeed very lucky.

[@stephenqueen7686]

They didt use enough Epoxy when they glued it together.darn prebuilt kits

[@dogbadger]

So the rudder was never found? I'm guessing it dethatched over the straights of Florida

[@jacob-verghese]

with what material is the rudder made

[@larrybaker5316]

Pilot question.....the 707 or DC-8 that was taking us to Nam in 1970, had a fishtail to it after takeoff....for quite a while.......pilot said auto pilot wasn't working correctly, couldn't dump fuel, so had to burn it off before landing (either Seaboard World, or Flying Tiger Lines)....did that sound like an autopilot problem or something else?...thanks

[@richardlewis4288]

Sounds like a yaw damper problem. Technically part of the autopilot system to dampen out the fish tailing (known as Dutch roll) which occurs on swept wing aircraft.

[@larrybaker5316]

@@richardlewis4288 thanks!

[@David1212-p9d]

I don't understand why the computer system on the plane didn't tell them anything was wrong.

[@bernhardecklin7005]

Imagine if instead of the vertical stabilizer...only the rudder had remained attached...

[@Aircraft1606.]

Air Transat Flight 961 CVR Transcript 4:37 CAPT GAUTHIER: I'm going to engage Autopilot No .1. 5:24 CAPT GAUTHIER: I'll fly it manually. 5:50 F.O LOISELE: Control‚ Air Transat 961. We have a problem with the autopilot and are flying manually. 5:59 F.O: LOISELLE: We request a descent.

[@cchris874]

So how did they steer?

[@Randomly_Browsing]

Using thrust asymmetry

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

Ailerons.

[@MorganBrown]

Rudder schmudder

[@Georg-f5hj]

Kann mir eine helfen ich hänge etwas 🙄 irgendwas passt mir hier nicht die Piloten haben die Maschine gewendet um 180 grad um zurück zum Flughafen zum landen und sind nicht draufgekommen das die kein Seitenruder mehr haben 🤔 hab nicht gewusst das eine 310 alleine mit die Querruder wenden kann 🙄😂😂

[@arquivoyager2010]

Ist etwas komisch....dachten wohl das Ruder ist verklemmt, aber wussten Rat...

[@rugger1009]

You’re never safe in an Airbus -

[@GustavoRey-oo6zi]

👍

[@ianhereinaz1]

Did this accident reveal anything new and/or further cause to AA 587?

[@Randomly_Browsing]

No

[@TheShowblox]

If this happened to a BOEING aircraft…

[@itjustlookslikethis]

Yeah, front page news for a week.

[@satwiksamanta8686]

Then it would be the pilot's fault 😂😂

[@dutchy777]

you do not explain how they turned the aircraft without a rudder

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

It's explained alright, ailerons.

[@Navigator87110]

Skillz, dude.

[@polka120]

It was an A330, not an A310.

[@Randomly_Browsing]

That's a different incident

[@georgecoons6872]

todays boeing planes would have bonziiiied.

[@jimmyrodgers6785]

Wrong livery?

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

It seems Scarebus had problems with several rudders being torn off their aircraft, one went down in NYC because it lost its rudder due to to harsh an application 111

[@vsevolodozerov8947]

How they could make a U-turn without a rudder in principle and then without noticing. Then question - is rudder necessary.

[@lindabarrett5631]

ANOTHER Boing failure!? Holy smokes!😊

[@itjustlookslikethis]

It was an Airbus.

[@angelorobel12]

I'm sorry but is that a joke you're putting here or what?

[@Pamela-b5e]

Animation very unrealistic. At 35,000 feet, the objects on the ground are passing by way too fast. Unless folks live at 30,000 ft...

[@Lauriedriver]

Could you do better?

[@gregtennessee8249]

Vote Blue America Stop trump

[@marypetrie930]

Don't be silly!

[@GorgeDawes]

Nothing silly about it, although I’m not sure what the comment is doing here.

[@dont3167]

Real Americans don't vote communist/blue.

[@marks6663]

Vote Stein, do not support genocide. Trump and Harris are two sides of the same zionist coin.

[@itjustlookslikethis]

Too late, my friend. November 5th can't happen soon enough.

[@henryt9281]

Please stop wasting our time with non-fatal "accidents".

[@joopbreuer9113]

You can unsubscribe

[@henryt9281]

@@joopbreuer9113 Never subscribed to this garbage channel in the first place. Don't need to be wasting my time filtering out all-survived videos.

[@waynetompkins3006]

I'm grateful finding "new material" for a channel like this is difficult.

[@Navigator87110]

I like the "non-fatal" incidents. It makes for a nice change of pace. Mix things up a bit, y'know?

[@dareisnogod5711]

👎 @ 7:37 wrong word. Should be : "As they descend PAST..."

[@The_Original_Forrest_Trump]

No sensors or other means to alert the cockpit that a VERY IMPORTANT CONTROL SURFACE has decided to fall off ffs??

[@dareisnogod5711]

Don't give up ! Keep trying to improve your English skills.