Mid-air Collision Over The Amazon Rainforest (Gol Airlines Flight 1907 & N600XL) DISASTER BREAKDOWN

[@DisasterBreakdown]

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[@notme2day]

You voice, accent, inflection and cadence are very soothing ... seems weirdly wrong that they can lull me to sleep in this context.

[@yagoalmeida7004]

@Disaster Breakdown Thank you! i was waiting for this video

[@abdyblanco4870]

Can you do the 1960 midair collision over New York City between a United DC-8 and a TWA Lockheed constellation.

[@fr4nce5ca86]

@@Nisie23 what's wrong with you? he was so obviously talking about the narrator, not the pilots? calm down

[@SonofTheMorningStar666]

@Schlomo Baconberg Voice AND accent. Hence they.

[@Lycan_Jedi]

Props to the Gol Captain. He's literally fighting against fate and trying to keep his first officer calm in order to save the plane. It's amazing even in his final seconds he kept a level head.

[@mwbgaming28]

Pretty sure he had his amygdala removed when he was younger, hence the lack of fear

[@adotintheshark4848]

He was resigned to his fate but even so he kept trying until the end.

[@c.swinford8283]

I'm sure he knew that if they were going to think of any sort of miraculous move in the coming seconds they'd need a clear head to do it. Also, he probably didn't want the first officer to be as petrified as he was and figured with his authority he might at least make those few moments less awful for him.

[@mwbgaming28]

@@c.swinford8283 it's also the fact that people (including the captain of the GOL flight) who have had their amygdala removed are incapable of feeling external fear (such as being in a plane that lost part of it's wing) As such, the captain was able to maintain focus far better than the first officer largely because his thoughts were not clouded by fear

[@kiiingst0n]

They are trained this way, to never give up regardless how unlikely recovery seems.

[@TinyFlyThing]

How the Captain still said "Calm Calm" over and over to keep his First Officer from loosing it. Even if it was just for 50sec. I find this very commendable in the face of such a disaster.

[@joaogrrr]

"I don't care if I'm going down, I'm not going like a bitch"

[@eumoria]

that was extremely brave and focused. if only he was given a chance to save them he would have.

[@veedubgeezer]

This was my first thought too.

[@bl00dline360]

True but still that some scary recording,may the people of this tragic flight RIP,next week I have a flight from USA to Rio de Janeiro 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@mikexxxmilly]

Experience

[@kikastra]

That captain though. You're plummeting to the earth, and your co-pilot is freaking out. "Calm, calm". Balls of steel.

[@kikastra]

@Schlomo Baconberg Of course. If your life is about to end and you know it, freaking out is justified. I suspect that the captain had a good notion that his life was probably going to end, but he knew the only way out of the mess, which at that point he didn't know was impossible, was to remain calm and do what he could to try to save everything. Courage right to the end. My full respect to him.

[@BGI_guy]

another tuesday for the captain

[@kikastra]

@@BGI_guy Unfortunately, his last Tuesday. RIP good man!

[@Berchol]

He didn’t become a captain for some random reason.

[@PassionForSpeedF1]

Its better to stay calm then panicking, so yeah, you should always stay calm.

[@Duzinfa]

Also, this is the only Gol Linhas Aéreas airplane to ever crash in their history. And it wasn't even their fault.

[@mwbgaming28]

Very few airlines can make that claim, I'm surprised GOL didn't sue the ATC company who gave the legacy its flight level clearance

[@Duzinfa]

@@mwbgaming28 they didn't sue because the "company" is the Brazilian military, basically.

[@mwbgaming28]

@@Duzinfa the military can be sued for peacetime negligence

[@yanava]

There was a series of errors made by a lot of people involved. No one single actor can be sued.

[@macleunin]

And Gol has just turned 20 years old.

[@claire7004]

That “Aii!” had such a haunting tone to it

[@yagoalmeida7004]

@@Nisie23 (PT-BR) Cara, esse é o CVR mais triste que eu já ouvi. Espero que nada do tipo aconteça novamente.😔 (EN-UK) Mate, this is the saddest CVR that I ever heard. I hope that nothing like that happens again.😔

[@Kilanator]

I am also brazilian, and D N is right. That was a cry from someone desperate because he was doing whatever he could, but wasn't getting any response from his plane. Chilling and heartbreaking to say the least.

[@yagoalmeida7004]

@@Kilanator Your asnwer couldn't be more accurate than it. I feel bad every time I hear it!

[@justinbollaert2253]

So true

[@helwatywahab5236]

This is first 737 800 crash😭😭😭 last 737 800 is uia flight 752😭😭😭 Rip

[@b.t.356]

The fact that the Captain's first instinct is to keep his first officer as levelheaded as possible makes my blood run cold yet is comforting at the same time. Those poor people. Gutting that this ever happened.

[@redblade8160]

B. T. The Captain did not need to try and keep his first officer "level-headed" - the impact of the crash would "level" his head!

[@absurdist5134]

​@@redblade8160 Have a think about who you want to be. Callous, disrespectful, cruel.

[@Panthersoup]

It's a small thing, but I really appreciate your use of content warnings in videos containing CVRs. Hearing a recounting of a disaster is one thing, but hearing the actual recording of someone's final moments is another, and I'm not always able to handle that. I usually don't skip past them in your videos but the warnings give me a chance to brace myself. It's very thoughtful of you and is one of many things about your content that makes it feel so well put together and respectful to the victims of these disasters.

[@mwbgaming28]

Snowflake

[@GUITARTIME2024]

Don't be a wuss.

[@renanwenzel7040]

Gay

[@SaitoSite]

Man, these comments here replying to yours are absolutely pathetic.

[@mwbgaming28]

@@SaitoSite how so, it's true, he is a wuss if he needs trigger warnings on a CVR from a crashed plane (it should be obvious that it's going to contain graphic audio) Dont like it, don't click on it

[@yagoalmeida7004]

Fact: Before the mid-air break up, the captain toggled the land gear to "downed" position, in hope to slow down the airplane. Rest in Peace all 154 people on-board. 🇧🇷😔

[@squillz8310]

Makes sense. The only flaps and air brakes they had left were on the right wing. Gear was their last line of defense against the dive. Rest in peace.

[@iw4861]

I did think so

[@jbernfinger5494]

That explains why the photographs of the wreckege of GOL 1907 seems to have the main gear lowered

[@mwbgaming28]

The knee jerk reaction would also be to use differential power and rudder to try and force the plane to roll level, but most likely the left engine was ripped off within seconds of the collision due to impact forces and wing deformation I ran a simulation of this in 3DFoil (based mostly on wreckage pictures and known details) last year since the flight data recording was never released And it was completely impossible to control, even if the control authority of the aileron and spoilers on the right wing, and the rudder were doubled, and the left engine stayed on what remained of the wing and was ran at full power, with the right engine at full reverse thrust, it still rolled over and had so much sideslip that the plane would've just hit the ground sideways or in a flatspin Absolutely no possible way to control that Now if what remained of the left wing still looked like a wing (the general shape, structural integrity, sweep angle, and the upper surface were intact) then the pilots likely could've landed it in a fashion similar to Pan AM 843, at high speed, and just barely on the edge of controllability

[@luuduonghy659]

@@mwbgaming28 Same situation as Concorde case at France despite both pilot had do their best but the situation was pretty impossible to success The Concorde situation was they stuck a metal, while this one was a collison

[@professorgrimm4602]

The Captain of the Gol Airlines plane has balls of steel. His plane is falling from the sky and spinning, his co-pilot is freaking out and he's just like "Calm, Calm".

[@redblade8160]

ProfessorGrimm. As opposed to someone like you that would have been screaming their head-off.

[@DOUGL4S1]

Those must have been some terrifying final moments for passengers and crew. If they didn't pass out due to G-forces, they would see the plane breaking apart all around them, only to either be struck by a piece of debris or watch their fall from thousands of feet into the jungle below. Awful.

[@Glibzer]

@Schlomo Baconberg where the fuck did that come from?

[@sleepyyheadd]

@Schlomo Baconberg the fuck?

[@PixelTrain1]

they probably would've passed out by the 5th roll, no human should be able to withstand that type of gforce

[@MrNicoJac]

@@PixelTrain1 The pilots didn't, so the passengers in the isle seats (at the very least) wouldn't either.

[@adotintheshark4848]

the sudden loss of cabin pressure would have rendered all them unconscious long before the crash.

[@becksimilian2955]

The Captian of the downed plane is such a true professional.... "calm, calm" just trying to keep working the problem even though its ultimately hopeless

[@jstagirlinthisworld]

I'm having an unexpected reaction to the CVR - from like, 6th-9th grade, I watched/read/listened to more haunting media than was healthy, and I still usually just feel very shaken up by these sorts of things but for this, I just can't stop thinking about not just the beyond-superhuman nerves & composure of the captain, but his extraordinary feat of graciousness in comforting his first officer in what was also the captain's final moments. It was a really powerful thing to witness, even in retrospect. If I learn to live up to a fraction of that captain's capacity for selflessness and grace, it'll have been a good life.

[@Mochrie99]

That. was. horrible. That poor pilot's "Aiiii!" and the sound just cutting out made my stomach drop to my knees.

[@GregorioStyreco]

I get what you are saying... but I really dont think, that he was "poor". He had the balls of steel.

[@danwolfe238]

Whimp

[@de-fault_de-fault]

@@GregorioStyreco balls of steel or not, no one is going to feel great staring death in the face. No shame in that, and it takes nothing away from the courage he also showed.

[@dontspikemydrink9382]

@@danwolfe238 seems the whimp, is you, for bullying people online

[@dontspikemydrink9382]

@@GregorioStyreco that was the co pilot.

[@change_your_oil_regularly4287]

I hope every pilot I fly with is as cool and professional as the GOL captain. Truly amazing work to stay so cool, calm and collected given the extreme situation. RIP Sir.

[@redblade8160]

CHANGE_YOUR_OIL_REGULARLY And how is the Captain that is staying "cool, calm and collected" going to do you any good? The plane still crashed, you fool.

[@kristita_888]

I have heard a LOT of CVRs. Few have been as horrifying as this - especially combined with the animation of how that plane was spinning like a top. What a hopeless, horrifying situation. Those poor people. What a terrifying way to spend your last moments.

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

I agree. This is one of the top 10 scariest CVRs I've ever listened to.

[@localmenace3043]

This and Japan Air 123 are particularly haunting.

[@LosHigos655]

@@localmenace3043 listen to the CVR of Polkovo Flight 612. That one’s the most disturbing CVR I’ve ever listened to

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

All those recording are childsplay... spent some time on lifeleak and VCR will be able to help you sleep because it's really nice compared to getting slowly crushed by an elevator, slowly suffocating because the chest is getting smushed. But it's not a competition of course, tragedy is still tragic ;)

[@sparrowhawk_lastname]

Agreed. Maybe it's the addition of the simulator footage (after all, these pilots were much calmer than those in some other CVRs) but I just... I don't even have the words to describe it. Horrific.

[@Conradd23]

What a professional captain! Even in an entirely hopeless situation he was still focused and calm.

[@luuduonghy659]

While other group of pilot would be scream

[@mikexxxmilly]

“Aii!” It’s chilling how one word can be so impactful . Pure terror in his voice. Such an abrupt ending

[@ScoobyShotU]

I don't think it's a word more of a sound but I get what u meant its extremely heartbreaking

[@dkdkksdk]

@@ScoobyShotU yes it’s a word, it’s basically ouch in portuguese

[@JohnPeterAG]

@@ScoobyShotU it can also mean as a "no!" in that case

[@tu7765]

"no"?@@JohnPeterAG

[@oldmategio]

sort of a lament

[@luiggiparise8301]

Thanks for covering it. Last month, it completed 15 years and it's still causes commotion in here. For us, brazilians, Gol 1907 was the same as the 11/09 for you country. There had been reports of passengers that stuffed their underwares with their documents so they could be identified, and others that had gave hands to try to hold the impact or to pray together, because they all knew that was the end. May them rest in peace.

[@luiggiparise8301]

@Khoi Le Anh Err, UK?

[@luiggiparise8301]

Ow my bad, I hadn't saw your first message xD

[@luuduonghy659]

As of today, this should be in my opinion the worst incident in Brazil aviation incident

[@luiggiparise8301]

@@luuduonghy659 I dunno if this is the worst that happened here since there was one 707 of Lufthansa that crashed departed from Guarulhos if I recall it right, but for sure it's the worst one if we just consider the national airliners!

[@andrewilliamcesardossantos1555]

@@luiggiparise8301 actual the Lufthansa 707 crashed after take off from Galeão Airport on Rio de Janeiro 1979

[@gaztastic]

15:55: Collision, 737 loses a quarter to half of left wing (37,000ft) 15:58: Autopilot disconnect/Bank angle in excess of 35 degrees 16:01: 100ft+ below altitude selected on autopilot 16:11: Estimated roll rate of around 390 degrees per second (based on wind noise) 16:15: Landing gear is deployed (indicated by the click), to try and slow the descent 16:20: Overspeed warning (over 480kts, 900kph, 550mph) 16:36: Aircraft begins to break apart 16:48: Plane disintegrates into 3 main pieces/CVR loses power (around 7000ft)

[@mrdraw2087]

390 degrees per second? That's like being inside a washing machine.

[@whoever6458]

You're right. The cockpit voice recording is truly horrifying and heartbreaking.

[@danwolfe238]

No it's not. It's not even the worst

[@brody3166]

@@danwolfe238 I don't know what's wrong with you and all the other sociopaths who have been commenting on here. I saw all the other comments, calling people beta, snowflake, downplaying the death of airplane pilots and telling people to toughen up. Well guess what? No one thinks you're tough. I don't see you as strong or brave. Bullying and abusing people anonymously online and downplaying the deaths of the pilots in the flight discussed in the video just makes you an awful human being. I find you and all the other people like you pathetic and repulsive. You contribute nothing to the conversation and make everything worse just by writing those messages. Why don't you leave the people with a shred of empathy alone and go find some other empty, soulless shells to spew your garbage at?

[@nature_fiend777]

@@brody3166 so true

[@Naomi-gr7fm]

@@brody3166 Bunch of losers behind their screens trying to pump their e-chest because normal folks empathize with this tragedy. Don't mind those dweebs.

[@yrnbornstarr821]

when he said "aiii" my blood ran cold

[@ZenkaiAnkoku2]

Somehow, in the videos I have seen documenting this disaster, I don't remember ever seeing the loss of control displayed like that. They rolled at least 11 times. It was instant. Love your documentary, as always. Really sheds light on this incidents. Without the fanfair and dramatics you remember that these were all just normal people involved.

[@rick15666]

These videos are so reliably well done. Everything about it. Details, graphics, ATC audio, pilot info, the presenter, hell even the music, all excellent. Thank you for such consistently high quality content.

[@ayanomar1408]

This was so sad, I find bit solace that in such high elevation with no oxygine masks they most likely passed out. at least i hope so😔

[@kbellanger4140]

What the hell are you talking about? No collision animation tool

[@helwatywahab5236]

Why plane break apart? Remainds me to metrojet flight 9268,aerolinee itavia flight 870 and china airlines flight 611

[@redblade8160]

rick. You obviously get a lot of entertainment through the demise of others.

[@rick15666]

@@redblade8160 there’s a clear distinction between the nature of the content, and the production quality of the channel. Clearly, my comment relates to the production quality. Find someone else to start a baseless argument with.

[@JelMain]

There was another design issue, though: a key piece of kit should have protested being shut off. Accidents happen because safety redundancy isn't built in, making them carelessness rather than true accident.

[@maxfullerton5228]

Oh god. I feel so horrible for the crew of the GOL plane....and the passengers. The captain was trying to keep the FO calm to the end. A true pilot and hero. I can't even imagine dying that way. Everything is fine and then all of sudden you are spinning towards the ground nearing the speed of sound and just terrified out of your mind , then just as sudden you feel the wind and the cold of outside,the plane ripping apart and maybe even you survive the crash just to die alone in the jungle. May the rest in peace. How horrible.

[@oldmategio]

indeed, mate. although i dont feel a person can survive such an impact

[@chriswilliams2652]

Many have said it but I have to agree. The Captain of the Gol flight has my utmost respect. Damn y'all, most if us would be screaming like little girls. This guy had the nerves of steel! RIP to all those whose lost their lives.

[@arandomthing2489]

This is an amazing video, your coverage of this incident is perfect. It’s so depressing to see the final moments were so horrible.

[@ct1762]

another strong possibility why the N600 pilots didn't see the Gol flight: the closing speed was a minimum 850KTS. At that speed, unless you knew exactly were to look, you wouldn't even be able to tell what color the plane was. Like a flash of lightning out of a clear sky.

[@speeddrawingamateur688]

In fact the system that spot other airplanes coming in your direction was in in Gol airplane but not in the airplane that collide with them... in fact theres no questions about it till this day...

[@megyskermike]

Yeah, that audio was pretty distressing, didn't even have time to find a bit of peace before the end. Rest in peace~ As always excellent coverage of this accident/incident~

[@megyskermike]

@@horemustjugen6677 Great story

[@PixelTrain1]

@@horemustjugen6677 unlike you, some people go outside and experience the real world and dont focus on deep topics all the time.

[@carolel2459]

@@horemustjugen6677 wow you’re so edgy and cool

[@localmenace3043]

@@horemustjugen6677 Damn, you must be way cooler than the rest of us. Or you’re just sociopathic.

[@seraphik]

@@horemustjugen6677 what a badass you must be 😒

[@Sterge08]

The production of these videos just gets better after every video. Amazing job as always!

[@DisasterBreakdown]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@estefhaneborges8039]

I'm Brazilian and I read a book that tells several details about 1907, the writer of the book got in touch with some relatives of the victims, including relatives of the Gol 1907 pilots! First officer's parents say, they hold no grudge against legacy pilots.

[@addisonlane2508]

What a heartbreaking tragedy. The captain is the exact kind of person we need more of in the world which is maybe why that recording hurts so much. He was taken away far too soon...they all were. My heart goes out to their families and I hope they are resting in peace.

[@queloda]

I was only a child at the time, i remember being 7, or 8 (2007-2008) and my father showing me the accident in a magazine, the research team in the jungle with the plane remains, it was the accident "anniversary" i felt really spooked at the time, and i still feel it when watching/reading about it. Edit: following the years of the GOL crash at the amazon forest, we were always reminded of this airplane disasters, TAM in the city where i live São Paulo, and the Air France too, because of the many brazilians onboard... Keep it up the great videos,i thanks you for your easy to understand pronunciation, as a foreigner, i appreciate that.

[@kscorp5176]

I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt.

[@pink1433]

Seriously. So many times you hear that the air traffic controllers and any pilots involved never go back to work in the industry.

[@Harley-and-Her-Ruff-Riders]

@@pink1433 Same with truckers and train conductors if they kill a person. Even if it's an accident, I'd be unable to go back to work doing the same thing. I'd always second guess myself.

[@TheEmolano]

​@@Harley-and-Her-Ruff-Riders about train conductors depends on the frequency those things happens, I've heard histories that in Germany they bet how many suicides will happen during a week. It's so common that the average conductor become desensibilized, he could not do anything anyway.

[@Harley-and-Her-Ruff-Riders]

@@TheEmolano I'm not sure that anyone could get used to it, but even knowing how most conductors might face this, they'd still be affected. Maybe suicide 150 if it's that bad wouldn't hurt as much, but that first one is devastating. Imagine just day dreaming as you drive a long strip, then see someone in the tracks just staring you in the eyes, waiting. You can't break in time but you try. And you end up with that person plastered on your train, possibly even the window being covered in parts of someone. That's haunting. It's a sight someone wouldn't be able to forget. I'm sure each one hurts less but desenitizing like that is what soldiers do, and they rarely can keep it up when they aren't soldiers. Accidental/unpreventable deaths, no matter why it happened, haunts the people that did it.

[@gregmcgregginton574]

Well, they did. Even avoided persecution while at it.

[@eknowledge7309]

One of the most unfortunate accident as far as boeing 737 was concerned given that other aircraft survived.

[@aenguswright7336]

Yeah, easily could have been the other way around: if the legacy had been 1 metre higher up, the GOL may have survived and the private jet would have been destroyed.

[@geraldo209]

Thank you for covering one of the worst air disaster in my country. A true shame and a dark day in brazilian aviation. Due to poorly made comunications, misunderstanding, lack of atc coverage and failure to comply with aviation regulations by the legacy pilots, a very rude error was made when maintaining the same altitude all the way through their journey by N600xl. The embraer flight was supposed to fly their filed flight plan in case they had problems with comunications. Brazilian ATC procedures and coverage was also at fault and played a key role in this acident.

[@rileyhooper7911]

Pilots are trained to wait for clearance from ATC. Generally if there isn’t clearance given it may be for a reason, ATC is the law of the air except in emergency situations. Then the pilot goes into Aviate Navigate Communicate, that’s when ATC is no longer the law.

[@geraldo209]

@@rileyhooper7911 that doesnt make them inocent at all. they had a flight plan to follow wich i doubt it they even read it. Pilots are trained to keep a high situation awareness at all tines, they knew they were not being able to get in touch with atc, and their transponder was off, at that point their filed flight plan dictates the rules, not atc. And they had 2 altitude changes clearly filed in their flight plan.

[@purebottle]

@@rileyhooper7911 Wait I'm confused: in the video they explain that, since the airway is used for planes going back and forth the two cities, ergo, the different altitudes required for the two planes, then why didn't the Ember one go down as according to the flight plan? You would think that kind of vital information (going this way flies on even, going other way around flies on odd numbered) is something all pilots should have been told of. And because ATC wasn't responding, won't it be better to stick to the flight plan? Ofc it's possible that the crew from Embr mixed it up but idk, won't they have time to check copies of their flight plan or something while trying to re-establish connection with ATC?

[@zikalokof1challenge414]

@@geraldo209 The thing is, they are not allowed to change altitude without an ATC clearance, no matter if its filled in a flight plan or not. Thats why for example they dont simply switch frequencies without ATC clearance, because they need to. As he said, ATC is the law of the sky, unless you are in an emergency, which they were after the collision. Im just constantly pissed of at people from my own country that have no knowledge in aviation at all saying such bs against the Legacy pilots cuz they dont want to admit that ATC played a key role on the accident

[@zikalokof1challenge414]

@@purebottle Welp, they are required to have an ATC clearance, even if its stated how the airway works, because something could have changed or something like that, so they are not allowed to rely on flight plan, because (ironically) it could cause a mid-air collision, and thats pretty much why ATC exists, so they cant just go against the rules

[@stt5v2002]

What is the benefit of having the transponder switched off? Why would the pilots want to do this? If it isn’t necessary too often, perhaps a verbal or other notification system would help prevent a switch off that’s isn’t intended or noticed.

[@yagoalmeida7004]

about the alarm: was an project error by Embraer. Today, all Embraer jets has a red light and an alarm song that indicates to crew that there are something wrong with the transponder system. About the transponder: it needs to be turned off when in ground or the ATC's screens will be hard to understand and it can cause other accidents like this.

[@jensaugust743]

The transponder's sertting is changed atleast 4 times per flight, so no.

[@dan8518]

@@yagoalmeida7004 they should have a system in place that once the landing gear is up, the transponder can’t be turn off or something like that.

[@bradcrosier1332]

@@dan8518 - Trnasponders can and do occasionally malfunction, crews need to be able to turn them off in some circumstances. What was lacking with regard to this was a clearer annunciation that it was off.

[@dan8518]

@@bradcrosier1332 Not 100% true, yes they do need to be able to turn them off for that reason you're right. However, most modern airliners are fitted with two transponders. And the odds of one falling are so small, the odds of both failing is almost impossible. Unless, u have a complete electrical failure. So I agree and disagree, you should be able to disable one but not both. And name me one airline crash that was caused by a transponder failing or resulting in a electrical fire. Because I could name you multiple crashes that were caused by a transponder being off or resulted in a lost of a aircraft. Like in this case. I'm not sure that risk outweighs the risk of being able to turn off the transponder in flight.

[@jasperaj1]

Sends chills to my back, the recording. However the captain of the 737 was a mightily impressive man! This becomes absolutely clear by his reaction trying to calm down the first officer despite the situation. RIP!

[@michealpersaud6718]

Dude I love the longer videoe. I just love the details of depth you go into man. Truly insightful. Much love from Guyana! Brazils neighbour!

[@rushmgl]

I’ve worked on the Legacy 600 many times and I can tell you now that he would’ve had to have had his shoe and sock off and some very nimble toes to “accidentally” turn off the transponder with his foot…… it is a little funny to picture though

[@Rexdrey]

That captain is a brave man. My heart was racing just listening . He tried to keep calm and figure it out

[@CathyKitson]

It might be an idea to make it impossible to turn the transponder off. As a layman, I can see no justifiable reason why a pilot should WANT to turn it off.

[@ey7290]

Transponders are turned off when a plane has landed as to not overwhelm radar screens, it depends on the country but transponders have to be on from runway to runway and can only be switched off when the aircraft has left the runway after landing or has reached the gate, again it depends o the country

[@CathyKitson]

@@ey7290 Oh, I see. I didn't know that.

[@patagualianmostly7437]

@@ey7290 I can appreciate that....but why no alarm when switching off "in-flight"? An essential navigational aid...without it, ATC is simply guessing, no? And why did not the pilots of the Executive jet not descend according to their flight plan on route UZ after Brasilia? The odd-even difference that would have avoided this accident. Seems to me...the fault lies with the Embraer pilots: Little experience, Switching off the radio...switching off the transponder...... Beats me how they ever got qualified to fly a brand new plane..... Unbelievable.

[@ey7290]

@@patagualianmostly7437 I’m not disputing the Embraer pilots not being at fault. I just pointed out why transponders can and have to be turned off

[@robertbull5584]

​@E Y Bit late to the conversation here, but do you think a solution to this would be to have the transponder switch off automatically when stationary, and switch on automatically when moving?

[@greymark420]

That cockpit recording sent shivers up my spine. A truly terrible accident.

[@CiderDivider]

Thank you for the calm highlights of incoming content warnings for audio. It's simple, but it definitely helps brace folks for what they might want to skip over for their own health. What a horrible accident, and things like this, it's so challenging to "place blame". Lives were lost, but everyone involved was doing what they could from the overwhelmed ATC, troubles in radio frequency, managing the instruments... I can't imagine. Bless the captains, crew, and passengers of that flight, as well as the smaller jet as no doubt to learn about the incident hurt them deeply.

[@themobseat]

It's amazing how an airplane computer system is created, it's equally amazing how the off switch can be located mere inches from the footrest. What are these people in engineering thinking?! 🙄

[@KB-bh9hp]

Engineers are simultaneously the smartest and dumbest people you'll meet.

[@razorfett147]

@@KB-bh9hp i can vouch for this from experience

[@KB-bh9hp]

@@razorfett147 Like he doesn't seem very intelligent in terms of how he treats and interacts with people, doesn't have a lot of common sense or street smarts.

[@bradcrosier1332]

It’s sometimes a matter of where a particular item will fit given the very limited amount of real estate in the cockpit and many important things which need to be accessible to the crew, some of which must be in certain locations (such as the primary flight displays).

[@Koronuru]

That F/O saying "Aiiiii" while the Captain trying to calm him down... :(

[@bcy5414]

I remember seeing a documentary on this, and the relatives of one of the passengers on the downed plane expressed seething resentment that everyone on the corporate jet survived, yet everyone died on Gol.

[@gageworking8408]

Man that voice recording really is horrific

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

If I had to choose which plane survived, it would not have been the private corporate jet.

[@misseselise3864]

you’d prefer nearly 200 people to die than five? ok…

[@sheerri]

@@misseselise3864 OP said the opposite of what you’re assuming. Neither thought is particularly morally upright, but they said the GOL plane should’ve survived, not the corporate private plane.

[@notme2day]

@@sheerri reading comprehension seems to be a lost skill in today's world.

[@sheerri]

@@notme2day Indeed. It’s a sad thing to see.

[@stt5v2002]

Obviously a rational and decent person would “choose” to save the most lives in that scenario. I think you are trying to say you hate corporate businessmen so much that you would like to see them dead. I’m not sure that type of thought process is good for you. It’s highly unlikely that such people are actually the cause of your problems.

[@rrknl5187]

I've never liked glass cockpits, way to easy for something like accidentally turning something on or off. Years ago, the transponder was a separate device and it had knobs rather than touch buttons. There was no possible way to accidentally turn it off. Sometimes advanced technology isn't the best way to go..........

[@rick15666]

Agreed, it’s unreal that such a universally critical unit (TCAS/transponder) can just casually be switched off and left off. Surely there’s very few legitimate reasons to keep it off, there should be a more visible or even audible notification of this. If not constant, at least periodic. Like really.

[@Zyphera]

@@rick15666 the transponder must be off at ground to not confuse atc. So it will be turned off and on atleast 2 times every flight. Edit: or was this way back then. This changed later on with modern transponder. You still change modes for ground and takeoff/airspace though.

[@MrNicoJac]

@RR KNL: Ehh.... Even knobs and buttons can be pressed accidentally. In fact, if you were to put your feet up on the dash (in a manner of speaking) it's really easy to accidentally depress a button. By contrast, if it's a (modern) touch screen, it should only register human skin (or water) and not the leather (or rubber or cotton) that shoes are made of. Still, I think all touch screen panels should be navigate-able by knobs and dials too, just as a backup.

[@bmused55]

Like planes with the older analoge guages didn't crash because someone turned something off or misread something? Yeah, no. Plenty crashes that happened before glass cockpits were attributed to pilots misinterpreting the analogue dials or hitting a switch. The infamouse altimeter on the DC9 for example. Easily misread and lead to a few CFIT incidents!

[@imawsome1000000]

It’s so encouraging to see how your channel’s been growing! You deserve it!

[@SK-qu4wo]

There are audible notifications in the cockpit for all critical systems, so why not have an audible warning when the transponder is turned off? If the pilots of the Embraer were aware that the transponder was turned off, they would have turned it back on in time for TCAS to activate, and maybe, just maybe this disaster could have been averted.

[@AmariFukui]

Mad respect to the captain, keeping a level head in a life or death situation takes serious discipline, especially when it looks hopeless

[@tdestroyer1882]

Wow! What another amazing and informative video, it’s so sad to see such horrifying final moments

[@dennislp3]

This is a great example of how ATC needs to include offsets into their orders, or pilots should have the liberty to insert their own offsets. Even just an offset of 50ft (15 meters) could have saved all those lives. Orderly and easy "lanes" are great, but when you have to literally make rules for airplanes using specific lanes for safety purposes then you know improvements can be made...

[@NondescriptMammal]

50 ft isn't much margin of error though, considering that flight levels are nominal altitudes that assume a standard atmospheric pressure profile, and so can vary from actual altitude by more than 50 ft depending on the local atmospheric pressure conditions at that flight level at any given moment

[@dennislp3]

@@NondescriptMammal It was just an example. I stated "even 15 meters COULD have saved all the lives". I was not advocating for 15 meters. You also have to keep in mind that altitude is usually handled by autopilot so it's fairly precise...that's how you end up with situations like this.

[@bradcrosier1332]

What you are describing is known as “SLOP” - Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure and it is commonly used in oceanic airspace to increase safety by reducing the likelihood of a midair collision. It is used in some continental airspace, however (ironically) Brazil does NOT authorize its use in their airspace. Vertical offsets are not practical for the reasons enumerated as well as others beyond the sole that can adequately be covered here, hence why lateral offsets in increments tenths of a nautical mile (which can be programmed into most flight management systems) are utilized.

[@skyferrari]

i've been binge watching your videos and this morning my boyfriend reminded me of this accident. we're from manaus and i remember the commotion not only in manaus but across the country. the cockpit voice recording is gut wrenching, their final words gave me a deep angst. may all of them rest in peace.

[@deanharvey1468]

Been watching a lot of these (as what happens when you find such new channels) and would LOVE a generic stat at the start that says "Remember - air travel is very safe and such occurrences only happen every (insert stats here)". Perhaps, when it's less hassle due to Covid I "might".... just "might".... get on a plane again . Fascinating stuff - keep up the good work.

[@nfsrival1499]

I agree, bit its common knowledge that travel by air is by far the most safe way of transport. Its not even close. There was a calculation made some where, it was 11million:3000 (travel via plane: travel via car). And we still take the car pretty much every day.

[@kaydens6964]

Statistics can be manipulated tho, you can get different interpretation from same set of data, in this case airline wants customers, so its often branded the safest way to travel. Terrible way to die too, falling for minutes fully conscious... sometimes death itself is not that bad, its knowing you gonna die but cant do anything about it... and you are falling!

[@kathrynhedrick4347]

Your videos make my day!! I love learning stuff like this as a FA, every accident keeps us safer today

[@eknowledge7309]

Yeah u r right. His narration is also perfect.

[@vascomiguel3384]

I can't imagine how confusing it must have been to these pilots, to be inside of a flight deck during cruise and out of nowhere, the airplane starts spinning uncontrollably, along with numerous alarms ringing at the same time...

[@SaraU_U]

first officer shaking voice made me cry… may they rest in peace

[@robingroenbech3876]

The coming to terms with your death was easier for the captain as he was older in age, had experienced much more his golden age, where as the co-pilot was only 29, he had everything ahead of him, not a wonder he freaked out, you cant come to terms with death at that age.

[@gregmcgregginton574]

You can literally feel the fear in his voice. What a horrifying audio.

[@cmg1351]

Pilot was young, 44. This idea goes beyond age because there's no specific point in life where it suddenly becomes easier to accept that we all have to face our own mortality.

[@GooseGumlizzard]

@@gregmcgregginton574 idk how you can hear anything. If you didn't have the subtitles would you even know ?

[@Admiral_Jezza]

Japan Airlines 123 is still worst imo, as that was both hopeless and lasted for around 30 minutes iirc, there wasn't a quick end to that horrifying experience.

[@AngelCanseco1]

There's also Alaska airlines, they flew inverted before going into a dive

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

God forbid when he gets to Western Airlines Flight WAL2605.

[@kristenclark9640]

Comair 3272 is also pretty haunting.

[@melteddali8000]

Überlingen is the worst for me given the fact that a huge portion of the victims were children and the ATC really wasn't at fault given his company's protocol put him in an overworked impossible position yet he still was murdered for it

[@IdliAmin_TheLastKingofSambar]

@@melteddali8000 If I ever wanted to write a screenplay for a bleak, unrelentingly sad, but relatable film that would cause the audience to seek therapy, the Überlingen story would likely be a major source of inspiration.

[@whisperingwind4455]

This video is the first that balanced out both aircraft’s involved. In particular Mayday air disasters only really focused on the smaller plane and left out a lot of info involving the Gol aircraft. I don’t think they even named the pilots.

[@Motionwarning]

This is my new aviation disaster channel, I’m watching all your videos right now 😍

[@gregmcgregginton574]

I remember that day. I was 13, I'm Brazilian. Very unfortunate perfect storm of events that led to a disaster.

[@Guilmon35249vr]

I agree with the NTSB's result. An aircraft with no active transponder should still be able to be safely directed to where it needs to go. ATC should've been more alert, and potentially, they could've seen that N600XL's transponder was offline and taken correct measures.

[@brauliomiranda2825]

I believe that after this accident and with the accident of the TAM 3054, audio from black boxes became restricted, it is no longer available. The president of Brazil at the time changed several guidelines to prevent these audios from being leaked during investigations.

[@cole716]

This is the first video I had to watch in real time. I found your channel a little bit ago and watched every single one

[@AlternateCesarT]

yes again an new video. thats why i enjoy your channel. thank you so much. i love sauterdays. the cvr is so sad. knowing the last few seconds they had to live.

[@juliusalimari]

I had a friend who had a friend that died on that plane, and she refused to talk about it because of trauma. My mother worked on the airline at the time, and it was total chaos. Also, the legacy pilots basically ran away from justice, and lived normally after killing hundreds of people.

[@birdbrain4445]

I said earlier (I just discovered - or rediscovered as I'm about to get into - your channel and have been bingeing your vids now; I love your work) that I found your channel through the new Helios 522 video... but clicking on this one, starting to watch it, reading the comments etc., I realised I've seen this video months before. It was during one of my more ill-advised dives into this topic (it's a morbid fascination of mine I sometimes really shouldn't be delving near, lol) that I had to leave behind for my own sake, along with this video and thus your channel. Glad I found it again though. Also, again, appreciate the timestamps for skipping the CVRs... this particularly tragic incident has one of the most haunting CVRs I've ever heard. The alarms blaring, the increasing sounds of the plane falling apart, the captain so valiantly trying to recover the plane and keeping his distressed FO calm... it's way too much, sometimes.

[@MarkusAudio]

Mid air collisions always interested me, and you covered the three most well-known. Major Kudos to you, and always the deepest respect for all lost lives.

[@magillanz]

there should be a warning sound when the Transponder is turned off (like with Autopilot) since it is a critical piece of equipment.

[@dsg4500]

Transponder needs / is purposefully turned off during flights, it would be too annoying

[@magillanz]

@@dsg4500 rubbish. aeroplane transponders are on all the time in most cases

[@dsg4500]

@@magillanz I meant the auto pilot oops

[@realityfloor9356]

Embraer manufactures the best planes in the world, it is known that the accident occurred because the American pilots turned off the devices, it is an undeniable fact.

[@billcar6805]

A simple audio warning to warn about the transponder being deactivated would have solved this....

[@02Tony]

A very good video on telling the story of the GOL airline. I was disappointed with Air Crash Investigation/Mayday episode where it mainly focused on the Embraer story despite no loss of lives or even injuries.

[@annefonseca3681]

The Legacy jet pilots inexplicably had their transponder off and did not follow flight plan, regardless of issues when contacting ATC- that was also at fault. Gol pilots barely had time to process what had happened when they went down to their demise taking 150+ souls with them. Legacy pilots Joseph Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino were welcomed as heroes back in the US. All smiles.. They were sentenced but to this day never served time, never took accountability. It baffles me. Edit: the black box audio personally breaks my heart apart. I am a Brazilian flight attendant and I can only imagine the terror of these pilots, crew and passengers in their final seconds. Captain Décio, 44, soothing Copilot Thiago, 29, knowing the inevitable is coming is heartbreaking.

[@robertmcghintheorca49]

I was in no way prepared to listen to that. It takes an awful lot to shock me, especially for someone who at the time of this commenting is only 20 years old, and that shocked the hell out of me. Thanks for warning us that what we were going to hear was disturbing.

[@EK-oe9sj]

Transponders should be MADE to not be able to be shut off by pilots.. PERIOD...

[@Duzinfa]

Problem is, in a situation where the transponders couldn't be shut off, the controller on a crowded airport would see a LOT of dots on his screen when the planes would be on the ground, unable to differentiate each other.

[@Arsenal347]

They should not be allowed to be turned off during flight only on ground.

[@admiralsnackbar69]

@Schlomo Baconberg oh shut up

[@Nathan-bd6cq]

@Schlomo Baconberg Why would they stage MH370?

[@EK-oe9sj]

@@Duzinfa Only when in the air

[@5milessep]

Order of contributing causal factors. 1. Failure of the ATC system to prevent a mid-air collision in controlled airspace between two aircraft under positive control. 2. Failure of ATC to detect the deactivation of the Legacy’s transponder (linked to point 3 & 4) 3. Poor design of the ATC system to accomodate military operations in a civilian system. Thales civilian ATS radar system modified to suite this combined civil/military environment. This introduced confusing/non-standard data block information. 4. The inadvertent deactivation of the transponder by the legacy crew. 5. Failure of the Air Traffic Controller to maintain communication with the Legacy for a considerable period. 6. Questionable decision by the Legacy crew to elect to cruise at a non-standard Flight Level for the direction of flight for a prolonged period.

[@massashihosono]

Legacy crew just didn't have enough experience to flight such distance. They actually never flew to Brazil... and they and the company they use to work for, knew they were not prepared for the job

[@dodoubleg2356]

Glad you chose to do a vid on this crazy yet tragic event. I'm really enjoying your channel, & w/this vid it's even better. Keep up the good work; lookin' fwd to the next one. 😉👍👍✌️

[@xpollland]

there's so many factors in this incident that we can't shift blame on one thing. almost everyone was at fault here: the atc and the pilots of the embrair were both making many mistakes. and, if i'm not mistaken, there was also a lot of radio deadzones along their flight path, so that didn't help the situation at all.

[@28ebdh3udnav]

Props to that captain that even when he knew he was going to die, he didn't want to make it obvious. Reminds me of the B747 crash in Amsterdam by an Israeli cargo operator.

[@cee_el]

It’s crazy, as in admirable, how the gol captain sounded so calm in that situation ..

[@greymark420]

Once again a very articulated video, thank you.

[@Relkond]

The ‘view outside’ for a head-on collision between passenger jets may be moot. Unless contrails are involved, by the time you see the oncoming aircraft and determine you’re at the same flight level, you’re long past time to do anything about it - you’re looking for something visually the size of a small house approaching at a relative speed well above Mach - an approach speed faster than some bullets.

[@bradcrosier1332]

This is exactly correct. The crew of the Embraer literally had no idea that they had a midair collision until after they were on the ground. They never saw anything. It’s hard for many people to grasp, because the speeds involved are so far beyond what most people ever experience (the side view out of the passenger window is NOT the same as a head on closure rate which may exceed Mach 1.8 for some types).

[@Spellregent]

This is soooo sad :(. Holy

[@IVAOpilot]

I just found you via the KZbin recommendations, after watching Menour Pilots Air accident videos. You got yourself a new sub :-)

[@animeandwieardness6132]

Wow, that really was tough to listen to, but thank you for sharing.

[@YanDaOne_QC]

TheFlightChannel's last video is a narrated one which is the 1st time he's doing it, he was previously using subtitles.....You may have started a revolution lol

[@BGI_guy]

Its not the first time he did it in a Aerosucre 727 video

[@Vilizio]

Not the first time

[@sydnerxx]

The fact that the first captain was able to be calm during that... Idk how any one is calm with all those sounds and what's happening around them. Crazy and such a Terrible way to go :(

[@lunaa764]

Such a sad accident. One of the few that still brings tears to my eyes when I listen to the CVR recording. All the alarms and then the sound of the G forces as the plane spins out of control before being ripped apart midair is just so chilling.

[@finalinstinct2716]

ExcelAire (stay away from them at all cost) allowed the following unthinkable to happen based on the research by the FAA: 1. Installed a faulty radio on the new legacy 600 plane which collided with the passenger plane. 2. The pilot operating the new legacy 600 series only had 5 hours 35 minutes and the other pilot only 3 hours 30 minutes. There is no need to state anything else as the above is enough to conclude that their act was unjustifiable and because of this avoided at all times

[@eriktruchinskas3747]

I wonder if when pilots think about stuff like this potentially happening they think "eh beats drowning"

[@PixelTrain1]

idk man, extremely high g-forces are pretty painful

[@pearlkt]

God bless the souls that were taken 💔🤍 massive respect to the captain asking for calm, what a man

[@SaintCharlos]

It's horrible how the pilots of N600XL did not face any consequences despite their lack of experiences and turning off the collision detection leading to such a disaster... Those 154 people and their families deserve justice!

[@ultravoiid]

Wasn't them turning off the TCAS completely on accident by resting their feet on the footrest that was right below the transponder switch?

[@ax.f-1256]

Easy. Because if that would have happened then Embraer, the BRAZILIAN manufacturer of the plane would also get into trouble because a) why did they design a plane where using the footrest could accidentally turn off the transponder ? b) why does turning off the transponder not create a warning of some sort ? and c) why was that particular Transponder unit known to have some trouble before it was installed on the accident aircraft, despite it being a brand new jet on its maiden flight ? And the Brazilian military would also be asked the questions: a) Why didn't their controllers notice that the Legacy was not at the assigned altitude ? b) why didn't they notice that the transponder signal was switched off on the Embraer legacy? c) why did the controller not give the crew a new radio frequency BEFORE they left the area where his radio frequency was about to become unable to reach them. Despite still having them on the radar (albeit as a Primary target, but still with the data block being visible. Because that's the way the radar system was designed) d) why did the initial controller who gave the crew their IFR clearance, transmit a wrong clearance before takeoff ?? "Clear to Manaus FL370" Instead of the correct one according to the filed flight plan ? All of those questions would also come up in BRAZILIAN court if Brazil would have tried to blame the American pilots. (Who worked for a company that just bought a Multimillion Dollar jet from a BRAZILIAN company) While the BRAZILIAN military operated ATC. And since nobody was interested in asking those questions in BRAZIL. Nobody started asking more questions than absolutely necessary... So that's basically the reason why they did not arrest them..

[@natifdigital]

I watched a lot of disaster videos but this one makes me tear up. Rest in peace.

[@desdicadoric]

That captain was a brave man, rest in peace brother

[@DaGrumpyTaco]

A small correction to the video: The rule is NOT North odd South even, but actually EAST Odd, WEST even. On a compass, assuming straight North is heading 360, headings 360-179 would require an odd altitude, while headings 180-359 require an even altitude.

[@DaGrumpyTaco]

There are also some nuanced rules above FL410

[@kyleproctor6928]

Why is turning off the transponder on any aircraft even an option? Private or commercial they should automatically come on once weight is off wheels.

[@michaelcampin1464]

I still recall a near miss over Southern England when two planes on a collision course were both told to descend which nearly caused a mid air crash. Luckily both planes were told by the warning systems to do different things. One to descend the other to climb