A flight leaves Miami and shortly bursts into flame and crashes in the Everglades, killing all aboard. As is usual, the introductory segment illustrates the nature of the accident itself. Part two deals mainly with analysis and experts are interviewed. Part three goes over the most likely explanation and the measures taken to correct the problem. Narration carries the viewer along. Expert testimony and unusually well-done computer graphic images are sprinkled throughout.
The authorities had a hell of a job collecting the remains of the airplane because the Everglades are a vast, shallow swamp. It's hard to reach and, once there, the investigators must probe around under the water. The analysis reveals that the fire began in the cargo hold and was begun by mislabeling "oxygen generators" as "oxygen cylinders." The lethal mistake was labeling the oxygen generators as "empty." They weren't "empty", they were "expired", meaning out date. Not all of the generators were empty. Sealant caps improvised by maintenance popped as the airplane gained altitude. The explanation lost me at this point. Okay, there are 144 oxygen generators in the cargo hold. When they pop they cause an ultra-hot fire. But what was the source of the ignition?
A little digression. It's been proposed by linguists that words determine thoughts, not the other way around. It's called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The idea came to Benjamin Whorf first, an insurance adjuster who was looking into accidents involving the explosion of gasoline drums that were "empty." Workers were lighting matches and peering into the gasoline drums to be sure there was no gasoline left in them. They were filled with fumes ready to be ignited by anyone with a nearby match. Under some conditions words carry the power of life and death, as they did in this instance. The "expired oxygen cylinders" on the cargo manifest bore little resemblance to the "full oxygen generators" in the cargo hold.
This series, by the way, doesn't closely resemble the popular investigative programs shown on television. There's nothing tabloid about it. Nobody weeps on film and there is no mention of dead bodies or body parts. Emotional responses of both the viewer and the participants is taken for granted, leaving the emphasis on technical analysis.
The authorities had a hell of a job collecting the remains of the airplane because the Everglades are a vast, shallow swamp. It's hard to reach and, once there, the investigators must probe around under the water. The analysis reveals that the fire began in the cargo hold and was begun by mislabeling "oxygen generators" as "oxygen cylinders." The lethal mistake was labeling the oxygen generators as "empty." They weren't "empty", they were "expired", meaning out date. Not all of the generators were empty. Sealant caps improvised by maintenance popped as the airplane gained altitude. The explanation lost me at this point. Okay, there are 144 oxygen generators in the cargo hold. When they pop they cause an ultra-hot fire. But what was the source of the ignition?
A little digression. It's been proposed by linguists that words determine thoughts, not the other way around. It's called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The idea came to Benjamin Whorf first, an insurance adjuster who was looking into accidents involving the explosion of gasoline drums that were "empty." Workers were lighting matches and peering into the gasoline drums to be sure there was no gasoline left in them. They were filled with fumes ready to be ignited by anyone with a nearby match. Under some conditions words carry the power of life and death, as they did in this instance. The "expired oxygen cylinders" on the cargo manifest bore little resemblance to the "full oxygen generators" in the cargo hold.
This series, by the way, doesn't closely resemble the popular investigative programs shown on television. There's nothing tabloid about it. Nobody weeps on film and there is no mention of dead bodies or body parts. Emotional responses of both the viewer and the participants is taken for granted, leaving the emphasis on technical analysis.
