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Narrator: A 747 FLYING TOWARD SOUTH AFRICA FILLS WITH SMOKE.
A FIRE HAS ERUPTED IN THE CARGO AREA, BUT THE PLANE CAN'T LAND.
IT'S TOO FAR OVER THE INDIAN OCEAN.
Woman: THE FIRST THOUGHT I THINK FOR MANY, MANY SOUTH AFRICANS
WAS WHAT WAS ON THAT PLANE?
Narrator: THE PASSENGERS ARE CHOKING ON TOXIC FUMES.
Controller: REQUEST A FULL EMERGENCY, PLEASE.
Pilot: AFFIRMATIVE, THAT'S CHARLIE, CHARLIE.
Narrator: THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO CLEAR THE SMOKE.
THE CREW MUST TRY A RARELY USED AND RISKY MANEUVER...
Pilot: OPEN THE DOORS.
Narrator: ...OPEN THE DOORS IN FLIGHT.
Controller: SPRINGBOK 295, PLAISANCE.
Narrator: IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME AS THE PLANE BURNS UP.
IT MUST REACH LAND BEFORE IT CRASHES INTO THE SEA.
Controller: SPRINGBOK 295, PLAISANCE.
Pilot: MAYDAY, MAYDAY.
Narrator: ON NOVEMBER 27, 1987,
A SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS 747 FLIES FROM TAIWAN
BACK HOME TO SOUTH AFRICA.
Pilot: EVERYTHING GOOD?
Engineer: FINE, CAPTAIN. READY TO TAKE OVER?
Pilot: YES, THANKS.
Narrator: NINE HOURS INTO THEIR FLIGHT OVER THE INDIAN OCEAN,
THE MAIN CREW RETURNS TO THEIR SEATS,
ALLOWING THE RELIEF CREW TO REST.
THE CREW PREPARES FOR A SCHEDULED STOP
ON THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS.
VALERIE LOTTERING HAS ENJOYED HER FIRST OVERSEAS VACATION,
JOINING HER HUSBAND CORRIE WHILE HE WAS ON BUSINESS.
Samantha Van der Walt: MY FATHER WAS ON A BUSINESS TRIP
AND MY MUM HAD GONE WITH FOR HOLIDAY.
MY DAD HAD ACTUALLY GONE TO THE EAST
TO SECURE CELL PHONE TECHNOLOGY,
WHICH WAS JUST SORT OF HAPPENING IN SOUTH AFRICA AT THE TIME.
Narrator: THE PLANE IS A MODIFIED 747,
KNOWN AS A COMBI, SHORT FOR COMBINATION.
A PASSENGER PLANE AND A CARGO PLANE IN ONE--
IT'S DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE FLEXIBLE QUANTITIES
OF PASSENGERS AND CARGO.
THE COMBI HAS A LARGE CARGO AREA DOWN BELOW, LIKE A REGULAR 747.
THE COMBI ALSO HAS A LARGE CARGO AREA
RIGHT BEHIND THE LAST ROW OF ECONOMY CLASS SEATS.
THE COCKPIT SITS ONE LEVEL ABOVE THE CABIN.
Fred Bereswill: YOU COULD LOAD FROM 6 TO 12 PALLETS
ON THE MAIN DECK, ADJUSTING THE BULK HEAD
FOR THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS YOU WANTED TO CARRY.
AND THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY WORTHWHILE AND USEFUL TOOL.
Narrator: FLIGHT 295 IS CARRYING 159 PEOPLE,
AS WELL AS SIX LARGE PALLETS OF CARGO.
KNOWN AS THE HELDERBERG, THE 747 COMBI IS A VITAL MEMBER
OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS FLEET.
IT'S PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR LONG RANGE FLYING.
Bereswill: FOR SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
DURING THE DAYS OF APARTHEID,
A PLANE LIKE THE COMBI HELPED THEM IN THAT RESPECT,
BECAUSE THEY HAD TO FLY AROUND THE BULGE OF AFRICA
OVER THE ATLANTIC.
Narrator: TO PROTEST SOUTH AFRICA'S WHITE RACIST REGIME,
THE VAST MAJORITY OF BLACK AFRICAN STATES REFUSED TO ALLOW
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINES TO FLY OVER THEIR AIRSPACE,
CAUSING THEM TO FLY LONGER ROUTES.
Debora Patta: THERE WERE SANCTIONS, HEAVY SANCTIONS
AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA ON POLITICAL, ECONOMIC,
AND CULTURAL FRONTS.
SOUTH AFRICA WAS NOT WELCOME ANYWHERE CREDIBLE IN THE WORLD.
Narrator: ON FLIGHT 295,
LESS THAN AN HOUR BEFORE ITS STOP IN MAURITIUS,
THE SMOKE ALARM BREAKS THE CALM OF THE COCKPIT.
IT'S FOR THE CARGO AREA ON THE MAIN DECK,
DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PASSENGERS.
BY THE TIME THE CREW GETS TO IT, THE FIRE IS RAGING.
Flight attendant: IT'S BAD.
Engineer: SHOULD I GET ANOTHER BOTTLE OVER THERE?
Attendant: YEAH, HURRY!
Pilot: READ OUT THE FIRE CHECKLIST FOR US, PLEASE.
Narrator: IN FIRE EMERGENCIES THE CREW FOLLOWS
A STANDARD CHECKLIST TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.
Engineer: THE BREAKER POPPED AS WELL.
Pilot: HUH?
Engineer: WE'LL CHECK THE BREAKER PANEL AS WELL.
Narrator: THE FIRE IS BURNING THROUGH THE PLANE'S WIRING,
CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS.
Attendant: MOVE AS FAR FORWARD AS YOU CAN.
Narrator: BUT THERE'S A MORE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM--
PASSENGERS ARE HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING.
Engineer: DUCT ISOLATION VALVE SWITCHES--OPEN.
PACK VALVE SWITCHES--ALL OPEN.
RE-CIRCULATING FAN SWITCHES--
OFF.
Narrator: THE FIRE CHECKLIST INSTRUCTS THE PILOT
TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT.
BUT THE CLOSEST ONE IS ON THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS,
ALMOST 200 MILES AWAY.
THERE'S NOT A LOT CAPTAIN UYS CAN DO--
HE ASKS A MEMBER OF HIS FLIGHT CREW
TO GO HELP FIGHT THE CARGO FIRE.
Engineer: BRING ME ANOTHER BOTTLE.
Narrator: CAPTAIN UYS INITIATES AN EMERGENCY DESCENT.
HE CALLS THE AIRPORT ON THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS,
WHICH IS ON GOOD TERMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA.
IT'S JUST BEFORE 4:00 IN THE MORNING
WHEN MAURITIUS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RECEIVES THE CALL.
Uys: MAURITIUS, MAURITIUS, SPRINGBOK 2-NINER-5.
Controller: SPRINGBOK 2-NINER-5, MAURITIUS,
GOOD MORNING, GO AHEAD.
Uys: GOOD MORNING, WE HAVE A SMOKE PROBLEM,
AND WE'RE DOING EMERGENCY DESCENT TO LEVEL 15--UH, 140.
Controller: CONFIRM YOUR WISH TO DESCEND TO LEVEL 140.
Uys: YEAH, WE'VE ALREADY COMMENCED,
DUE TO A SMOKE PROBLEM IN THE AEROPLANE.
Controller: DO YOU REQUEST A FULL EMERGENCY, PLEASE?
Uys: AFFIRMATIVE. THAT'S CHARLIE, CHARLIE!
Narrator: CAPTAIN UYS SOUNDS CALM, BUT HE HAS TO FIND
A WAY OF GETTING RID OF THE SMOKE ON HIS PLANE.
WHATEVER IS BURNING IN THE CARGO HOLD
IS PRODUCING THICK, NOXIOUS SMOKE
WHICH IS POURING INTO THE CABIN.
IT COULD BE DEADLY TO THE PASSENGERS.
Controller: YOUR ACTUAL POSITION, PLEASE.
Uys: UH, SAY AGAIN.
Controller: ACTUAL POSITION.
Narrator: CAPTAIN UYS IS LOSING POWER TO MANY OF HIS INSTRUMENTS.
Uys: WE'VE LOST A LOT OF ELECTRICS.
WE HAVEN'T GOT ANYTHING ON THE, ON THE AIRCRAFT NOW.
Narrator: HE'S NOT SURE WHERE HE IS.
THE AIRPORT PREPARES FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING,
WHILE THE CREW OF THE HELDERBERG FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
FROM ANOTHER CHECKLIST TO GET RID OF THE SMOKE.
Engineer: SUPPLEMENTARY VENT FAN SWITCH--OFF.
RECIRCULATING FAN SWITCHES--
ON.
SMOKE CONDITION?
Uys: HOLD ON, I'LL CHECK DOWNSTAIRS.
Narrator: THE CREW GETS MORE BAD NEWS FROM THE CABIN--
THE SMOKE IS GETTING THICKER.
Engineer: IT'S WORSE! [COUGHS]
WE CAN'T BREATHE DOWN HERE.
Narrator: WITH THE PLANE APPROACHING AN ALTITUDE OF 15,000 FEET
THE CHECKLIST ADVISES THE CAPTAIN TO EXECUTE
AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER THAT FEW PILOTS HAVE EVER PERFORMED.
Uys: WE NEED TO OPEN THE DOORS.
REPEAT, OPEN THE DOORS!
Narrator: OPENING THE PLANE'S DOORS IN MIDAIR IS THE ONLY HOPE
FOR THINNING A CLOUD OF SMOKE THAT COULD KILL THE PASSENGERS
BEFORE THE STRUGGLING JET CAN LAND.
AS THE CABIN OF FLIGHT 295 FILLS WITH SMOKE,
THE CAPTAIN BEGINS HIS EMERGENCY DESCENT TO 15,000 FEET
SO THE DOORS CAN BE OPENED.
Uys: OUTER FLIGHT LEVEL 150 FOR 140.
Co-pilot: 150 FOR 140.
150 FOR 140.
LEVEL 140, SLOWING.
Narrator: AT 15,000 FEET,
PASSENGERS CAN BREATHE THE OUTSIDE AIR.
AT THAT ALTITUDE, THE DIFFERENCE IN PRESSURE
BETWEEN THE AIR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CABIN
IS ENOUGH TO FORCE THE CABIN AIR OUT QUICKLY,
BUT NOT DANGEROUSLY.
NOW THE CAPTAIN MUST DRAMATICALLY REDUCE HIS AIRSPEED
TO 230 MILES AN HOUR-- 200 KNOTS...
ANY FASTER AND THE CREW WON'T BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS.
Uys: THIS IS CAPTAIN UYS SPEAKING, WE'RE OPENING
TWO OF THE ENTRY DOORS TO CLEAR THE SMOKE FROM THE CABIN.
DO NOT PANIC, YOU'LL BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE
ONCE WE COMPLETE THIS PROCEDURE.
Bereswill: YOU JUST CRACK THE DOOR, AND THIS GENERATES
A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF AIRFLOW THROUGH THE AIRPLANE.
Uys: PLAISANCE, SPRINGBOK 295.
WE'VE OPENED THE DOORS TO SEE IF WE CAN...WE SHOULD BE OKAY.
Co-pilot: LOOK THERE!
Uys: CLOSE THE BLOODY DOOR!
JOE, SWITCH UP QUICKLY, THEN CLOSE THE HOLE ON YOUR SIDE.
Narrator: SMOKE IS NOW BUILDING UP IN THE COCKPIT,
BUT THERE'S NO OUTSIDE DOOR TO OPEN.
Controller: TEMPERATURE IS 22, 2-2,
AND QNH IS 1018 HECTOPASCALS, 1018, OVER.
Narrator: THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER
NOW FOCUSES ON GIVING THE CAPTAIN THE INFORMATION HE NEEDS
FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
Uys: ROGER, 1018.
Controller: AFFIRMATIVE, AND BOTH RUNWAYS
ARE AVAILABLE, IF YOU WISH.
AND 295, I REQUEST PILOT'S INTENTION.
Uys: WE'D LIKE TO CHECK IN ON 13.
Controller: CONFIRM RUNWAY 13.
Uys: CHARLIE, CHARLIE.
Controller: AFFIRMATIVE, YOU'RE CLEARED
DIRECT TO FOXTROT, FOXTROT.
YOU REPORT APPROACHING 50.
Uys: KAY.
Narrator: CAPTAIN UYS HAS ONE HOPE--HE MUST MAKE IT
TO THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS, NEARLY 160 MILES AWAY.
THE HELDERBERG CONTINUES ON ITS DESPERATE JOURNEY.
Controller: 295, PLAISANCE.
Narrator: BUT AT 4:08 IN THE MORNING,
A CALL BY THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER IS NOT RETURNED.
Controller: SPRINGBOK 295, PLAISANCE.
SPRINGBOK 295, PLAISANCE...
Narrator: WITH NO RESPONSE FROM FLIGHT 295 FOR 36 MINUTES,
ATC MAURITIUS FORMALLY DECLARES AN EMERGENCY.
AN ALERT GOES OUT TO SEARCH AND RESCUE CREWS.
SEVERAL AIRCRAFT TAKE OFF FROM MAURITIUS
AND SEARCH THE DARK WATERS FOR THE MISSING PLANE,
BUT FIND NOTHING.
AT THE AIRPORT IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
OFFICIALLY DECLARES FLIGHT 295 DELAYED.
Van der Walt: WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING AWAY
ON OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY.
I THINK THAT'S MAYBE THE EXTENT
OF THE DIFFERENCES OF THE EMOTIONS,
IS THAT YOU'RE SO ANXIOUS AND EXCITED FOR THEM TO COME HOME,
AND THEN THE ABSOLUTE DEVASTATION OF THE NEWS,
GETTING THE NEWS, YOU KNOW, THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAS GONE MISSING.
Narrator: IN THE AFTERNOON OF THE NEXT DAY,
A RESCUE PLANE SPOTS THE FIRST SIGNS
OF FLOATING AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE.
RENNIE VAN ZYL,
THE HEAD OF SOUTH AFRICA'S AVIATION SAFETY BOARD,
IS ASSIGNED TO THE HELDERBERG CASE.
Rennie Van Zyl: A NORMAL INVESTIGATOR WILL ONLY HANDLE
A MAJOR ACCIDENT ABOUT ONCE IN 20 YEARS IN HIS CAREER.
SO THIS WAS A--QUITE A BIG WAKEUP AND A CHALLENGE TO US,
TO START RUNNING WITH THIS INVESTIGATION IN THAT MORNING.
Narrator: EIGHT BODIES ARE FOUND IN THE WATER,
ALL SUFFERING FROM EXTREME TRAUMA.
Van Zyl: IT WAS AROUND ABOUT TWO O'CLOCK,
THAT WE IN FACT WERE ADVISED
THAT THE WRECKAGE AND AN OIL SLICK HAD BEEN SPOTTED.
AND IT WAS THEN QUITE APPARENT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS LOST.
Narrator: SOUTH AFRICA QUICKLY BECOMES OBSESSED
WITH WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH.
IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE INVESTIGATION,
THERE'S VERY LITTLE TO EXAMINE, ONLY SMALL BITS OF THE PLANE
THAT ARE FLOATING ON THE SURFACE.
CONTAINED WITHIN THAT DEBRIS,
RENNIE VAN ZYL'S TEAM DISCOVERS THREE WRISTWATCHES.
THE WATCHES STOPPED ONLY THREE MINUTES
AFTER THE LAST COMMUNICATION WITH THE PLANE.
THE HELDERBERG'S DEMISE WAS SUDDEN AND DRAMATIC.
THE PRESS AND PUBLIC OPINION REINFORCE THE IDEA
THAT SOMETHING SINISTER BROUGHT THE PLANE DOWN.
IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO THE CRASH,
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS OFFICES AROUND THE WORLD
HAD BEEN THE TARGET OF PROTESTS.
Patta: THE SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS AIRLINE AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME
WAS A GOVERNMENT BODY, IT WAS OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
IT WAS THE NATIONAL CARRIER, BUT IT WAS ALSO VERY MUCH PERCEIVED
TO BE PART OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT.
SO ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS PLANE CRASH,
AND ANOTHER THEORY THAT WAS PUT AROUND
WAS THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A BOMB IN THE CARGO.
THAT IN FACT WE WERE A TARGET,
SOUTH AFRICA OR THIS SAA PLANE, WAS A TARGET OF TERRORISTS
WHO HAD THE WORST INTERESTS OF THIS COUNTRY AT HEART.
Narrator: EXPERTS EXAMINE THE SMALL BITS OF WRECKAGE THEY HAVE,
SEARCHING FOR THE TELLTALE SIGNS OF AN EXPLOSION--
IMPACT CAVITIES, SURFACE PITTING, OR SPATTER CAVITIES.
SPATTER CAVITIES ARE CAUSED BY THE WHITE HOT FRAGMENTS
FROM A HIGH EXPLOSIVE DEVICE, STRIKING AND MELTING
THE LIGHT ALLOYS OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE.
BUT EXPERTS SPOT NO SIGN OF AN EXPLOSION.
AND WHEN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TAPES ARE STUDIED,
VAN ZYL HEARS THAT THE CREW
APPEARED TO BE COPING WITH THE EMERGENCY.
Uys: PLAISANCE, SPRINGBOK 295,
WE'VE OPENED THE DOORS TO SEE IF WE CAN...WE SHOULD BE OKAY.
Narrator: WITH JUST SMALL PIECES OF THE PLANE TO STUDY,
INVESTIGATORS ARE STUMPED.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE,
OR WHAT ROLE IT PLAYED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PLANE.
Van Zyl: THE OBVIOUS THING TO DO WAS TO GO AND TRY AND RETRIEVE
THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER, THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER,
AND AS MUCH WRECKAGE AS WE CAN FROM THE AIRCRAFT
TO ESTABLISH WHAT REALLY HAD HAPPENED.
Narrator: THE PROBLEM IS VAN ZYL DOESN'T EVEN KNOW
WHERE TO FIND THE UNDERWATER WRECKAGE.
IT COULD BE FAR FROM THE FLOATING DEBRIS.
NO ONE IS SURE EXACTLY WHERE THE PLANE CRASHED.
HE TURNS TO THE UNITED STATES LOOKING FOR HELP.
AN AMERICAN SALVAGE COMPANY IS HIRED TO FIND THE WRECKAGE
AND BLACK BOXES, BUT TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
THE BOXES HAVE BUILT-IN LOCATING DEVICES CALLED PINGERS,
WHICH RUN ON BATTERIES THAT WILL EVENTUALLY RUN DOWN.
Roy Truman: THE DRIVING FACTOR WAS THAT THE PINGER
ON THE DATA AND VOICE RECORDERS WAS TRANSMITTING,
AND IT ONLY HAD A 30-DAY GUARANTEED SHELF LIFE.
IF WE COULDN'T GET OUT THERE IN 30 DAYS,
THE CHANCES WERE THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DETECT IT.
Narrator: BY THE TIME THE PROPER EQUIPMENT CAN BE ASSEMBLED
IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, ONLY SEVEN DAYS REMAIN
BEFORE THE BATTERIES IN THE PINGERS WILL DIE OUT.
MEANWHILE, BLOOD TESTS ARE PERFORMED
ON THE HUMAN REMAINS PULLED FROM THE DEBRIS FIELD.
ALL SHOW TRACES OF SOOT IN THEIR TRACHEA.
IT IS DETERMINED THAT AT LEAST TWO OF THE PASSENGERS
DIED FROM SMOKE INHALATION.
INVESTIGATORS FACE A DISTURBING REALIZATION--
EVEN AS THE CREW WAS STRUGGLING TO LAND THEIR PLANE,
SOME OF THE PASSENGERS WERE ALREADY DEAD.
WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE BLACK BOXES,
INVESTIGATORS CONTINUE TO EXAMINE THE FLOATING WRECKAGE.
AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF RECOVERED ITEMS,
A PARTLY MELTED GRAPHITE TENNIS RACKET
OFFERS A TELLTALE CLUE ABOUT THE FIRE.
GRAPHITE ONLY BURNS AT TEMPERATURES
GREATER THAN 1,100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
INVESTIGATORS NOW KNOW THAT THE FIRE ON THE HELDERBERG
WAS EXTREMELY HOT.
THIS DISCOVERY MAY EXPLAIN WHY A FULLY CHARGED EXTINGUISHER
FROM THE FRONT OF THE PLANE
IS RECOVERED WITH OTHER FLOATING WRECKAGE.
INVESTIGATORS NOTICE A MELTED PIECE OF CARGO NETTING
ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE EXTINGUISHER.
THEY DETERMINE THAT THE EXTINGUISHER
IS FROM THE PASSENGER CABIN,
SUGGESTING THAT AS THE FIRE BURNED, A CREW MEMBER
GRABBED THE EXTINGUISHER AND BROUGHT IT TO THE CARGO AREA.
Man: A FULL FIRE EXTINGUISHER
AND A PLANE THAT WAS BROUGHT DOWN BY A FIRE
SHOWS THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON,
IT WASN'T DISCHARGED BECAUSE THE CREW MEMBER
COULDN'T ACCESS THE AREA BECAUSE OF THE HEAT.
OR THE FACT THAT THERE WAS MELTED METAL
ON THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS FURTHER EVIDENCE
TO THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE.
Narrator: BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT,
IN THE 20-YEAR HISTORY OF THE 747 COMBI,
NO ONE HAD EVER DIED FROM FIRE OR SMOKE.
Bereswill: WHEN WE HEARD ABOUT A FIRE IN THE HELDERBERG,
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR A WIDE-BODIED AIRPLANE.
IT WAS, IT WAS NEWS, AND BECAUSE IT WAS SO NEW,
AND THE THOUGHT WAS THAT
WE REALLY COULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
Narrator: WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED SUCH AN INTENSE FIRE
ON THE HELDERBERG?
WAS IT A WIRING PROBLEM ON THE PLANE,
OR HAD THE CARGO ITSELF SOMEHOW STARTED THE BLAZE?
Van Zyl: INITIALLY, THE INVESTIGATION, OF COURSE,
FOCUSED ON WHAT WAS THE CARGO.
THE FIRE OBVIOUSLY HAD ORIGINATED
IN THE MAIN DECK CARGO COMPARTMENT,
SO THE LOGICAL THING IS TO LOOK
WHAT DID THE WAYBILLS INDICATE WAS CARRIED IN THE AIRPLANE.
Narrator: INVESTIGATORS LEARN THAT THERE WERE SIX PALLETS OF CARGO
ON BOARD FLIGHT 295.
USING MASTER WAYBILLS, VAN ZYL'S TEAM IS ABLE TO DETERMINE
THAT 103,000 POUNDS OF BAGGAGE AND CARGO
WAS OFFICIALLY ON BOARD.
INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF
A TAIWANESE CUSTOMS OFFICIAL PERFORMED A RANDOM INSPECTION
OF SOME OF THE CARGO.
HE FOUND NOTHING SUSPICIOUS.
NOW MORE THAN EVER, INVESTIGATORS NEED TO FIND
THE REST OF THE PLANE
AND LOCATE THE HELDERBERG'S BLACK BOXES.
BUT 30 DAYS AFTER THE CRASH,
VAN ZYL'S TEAM GETS SOME VERY BAD NEWS--
THERE'S STILL NO SIGNAL DETECTED FROM THE BLACK BOXES.
AND THEY ARE STILL NOT CERTAIN
EXACTLY WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE IS.
SO FAR, THE SEARCH HAS COST 1.5 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS,
AND THE TEAM HAS BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE VITAL EVIDENCE.
THE HELDERBERG CRASH IS QUICKLY BECOMING
A TEST OF VAN ZYL'S ABILITIES AND HIS RESOLVE.
THE INVESTIGATION REACHES A STANDSTILL--
VAN ZYL HAS FAILED TO DISCOVER THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE
OR EVEN FIND THE PLANE'S WRECKAGE.
IF HE KEEPS LOOKING, IT WILL COST MILLIONS MORE,
AND THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY REMOTE.
YET THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING OUT
WHETHER OTHER 747s ARE SAFE IS HIGH.
Man: THIS WASN'T JUST AN AIRPLANE, THIS WAS A BOEING 747.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO FLEW THE 747 EVERY DAY
AT THAT TIME WERE DEPENDENT ON A SATISFACTORY ANSWER
AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS AIRCRAFT WAS SAFE.
Narrator: NOW, RENNIE VAN ZYL MUST DECIDE WHETHER TO SPEND
THE MONEY NEEDED TO RECOVER THE PLANE'S WRECKAGE
FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
VAN ZYL DECIDES HE MUST TRY TO RECOVER WHAT HE CAN.
Van Zyl: WITHOUT THE WRECKAGE, WE'LL NEVER KNOW THE TRUTH.
Barry Strauch: WHAT THEY SPENT ON ONE INVESTIGATION
WHAT WE SPENT IN SIX MONTHS OF CONDUCTING OUR,
ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.
Narrator: BEFORE INVESTIGATORS CAN SALVAGE THE HELDERBERG,
THEY MUST FIND IT.
THE WRECKAGE LIES SOMEWHERE VERY DEEP UNDER WATER.
61 DAYS AFTER THE CRASH OF THE HELDERBERG,
VAN ZYL RECEIVES SOME INTRIGUING NEWS FROM HIS TEAM.
SOPHISTICATED SONAR EQUIPMENT HAS DETECTED A LARGE OBJECT
14,000 FEET UNDER WATER ON A FLAT PLATEAU.
IT COULD BE THE HELDERBERG.
Van Zyl: AND THEY PRESENTED ME WITH A PIECE OF PAPER
WITH A LOT OF BLACK DOTS OF VARIOUS SIZES ON IT,
AND THEY SAID, "THAT'S YOUR WRECKAGE."
AND MY QUESTION TO THEM WAS,
"HOW DO I KNOW IT'S THE WRECKAGE OF THE 747?"
MAYBE THIS IS A SUBMARINE
FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR OR SOMETHING.
AND THE RESPONSE WAS JUST,
"RENNIE, IT IS IT, BECAUSE WE TELL YOU IT IS THE WRECKAGE."
Narrator: BUT NO ONE'S EVER GONE THAT DEEP
TO SALVAGE ANYTHING, INCLUDING THE TITANIC.
VAN ZYL HAS NO CHOICE.
TO FIND OUT WHETHER THE SONAR IMAGES ARE IN FACT THE WRECKAGE,
HE MUST LAUNCH THE MOST EXPENSIVE PART
OF THE INVESTIGATION-- OPERATION RESOLVE.
A REMOTE CONTROLLED SUB, CALLED THE GEMINI, WILL BE SENT
TO THE OCEAN FLOOR TO VIDEOTAPE WHAT'S THERE.
IF IT IS THE HELDERBERG, THE GEMINI WILL SEARCH
FOR KEY ITEMS, INCLUDING THE BLACK BOXES.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE MINI SUB MUST BE ATTACHED
TO THE MOTHER SHIP BY A FLEXIBLE FIBER OPTIC CABLE
THAT'S OVER FOUR MILES LONG.
NO CABLE THAT LONG HAS EVER BEEN BUILT.
Truman: WE NEEDED A 20,000-FOOT CABLE.
THERE WAS NO EXISTING CABLE, SO WE HAD TO GO
TO A CABLE MANUFACTURER AND GET A CABLE DESIGNED AND BUILT.
Narrator: WHILE THE FIBER OPTIC CABLE IS ASSEMBLED,
VAN ZYL LAUNCHES A SEPARATE INVESTIGATION,
RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITIES
OF THE HELDERBERG.
INVESTIGATORS WANT TO KNOW WHETHER THE COMBI
WAS PROPERLY DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE PASSENGERS
ON SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT 295 FROM FIRE.
Van Zyl: THE SMOKE SHOULD NOT HAVE ENTERED THE COMBI'S CABIN.
Narrator: THE AMERICAN TEAM LEADER IN THE INVESTIGATION,
BARRY STRAUCH, GOES TO BOEING'S HEADQUARTERS IN SEATTLE
TO FIND OUT HOW THE COMBI WAS TESTED FOR CERTIFICATION
IN FIRE PREVENTION.
INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER THAT TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REGULATIONS,
BOEING'S FIRE TESTS WERE CONDUCTED
BY SETTING A BALE OF TOBACCO LEAVES ON FIRE.
WHEN A TECHNICIAN ENTERS THE CARGO AREA
TO FIGHT THE DEMONSTRATION FIRE,
NO SMOKE ENTERS THE PASSENGER CABIN,
AND THE FIRE IS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED.
Strauch: WELL, THAT WAS IN THE TEST CONDITIONS
THE BOEING USED TO GET THE AIRPLANE APPROVED.
BUT IN THE REALITY, AS WE SAW IN THIS ACCIDENT,
IT DIDN'T WORK THAT WAY,
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE A NICE, CLEAN FIRE
WITH FANS BLOWING THE SMOKE TOWARDS THE CEILING.
YOU HAD PALLETS, YOU HAD A FIRE
THAT WOULD HAVE GROWN CONSIDERABLY
BEFORE THE SMOKE HAS GENERATED, AND YOU HAD PLASTIC SHEETING
THAT WOULD PROVIDE FUEL TO THE FIRE
IN ADDITION TO ALL THE CARDBOARD AND PACKING MATERIALS
WITHIN THE PALLETS THEMSELVES.
Narrator: THE COMBI IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT SMOKE
FROM ENTERING THE PASSENGER CABIN.
THE AIR THERE IS KEPT AT A SLIGHTLY HIGHER PRESSURE
THAN IN THE CARGO AREA.
WHEN THE DOOR BETWEEN THE TWO IS OPENED, THE AIR SHOULD FLOW
INTO THE CARGO AREA, KEEPING THE PASSENGERS SAFE.
INVESTIGATORS THEN CONDUCT THEIR OWN TEST.
THEY SET A LARGE PALLET OF TIGHTLY PACKED CARGO ON FIRE,
MIMICKING CONDITIONS ON THE HELDERBERG.
THE BLAZE IS MORE INTENSE, AND THE TEMPERATURE IS HOTTER.
INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER THAT THIS MUCH HOTTER FLAME
HAS A RADICAL IMPACT ON THE AIR IN THE CARGO HOLD.
WHEN THE CARGO DOOR IS OPENED,
THE SMOKE NOW FLOWS INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN.
THEN INVESTIGATORS DISCOVER SOMETHING
POTENTIALLY MORE LETHAL.
AS THE PASSENGER CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE,
A CHECKLIST INSTRUCTED THE CREW
TO TURN ON THE CABIN'S RECIRCULATING FANS.
THE INTENTION OF THE CHECKLIST IS TO DISSIPATE THE SMOKE
IN THE PASSENGER CABIN AFTER THE FIRE HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED.
Engineer: RECIRCULATING FAN SWITCHES--
ON.
Narrator: BUT IN THIS CASE,
TURNING THE FANS ON MAY HAVE BEEN DEADLY.
FANS DRAW AIR FROM ABOVE THE CABIN'S CEILING
AND FROM THE CARGO COMPARTMENT,
BEFORE RECIRCULATING IT BACK TO THE PASSENGERS.
Van Zyl: THE CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS WERE EXTREMELY HIGH,
AND WERE FATALLY HIGH.
IN FACT, THE ONE BODY, AND WE HAVE TO STRESS AGAIN
HE WAS ALLOCATED THE SEAT
REALLY BELOW THE RECIRC FAN INLET AREA.
THAT WAS THE HIGHEST LEVEL,
I THINK WE'RE TALKING AROUND ABOUT 66%.
[COUGHING]
THAT IS NOT A SURVIVABLE LEVEL AT ALL.
Narrator: BY FOLLOWING THEIR CHECKLIST,
THE CREW MAY HAVE FED TOXIC GAS INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN.
Van Zyl: IT MIGHT VERY WELL HAVE BEEN
THAT MOST OF YOUR PASSENGERS WERE ASPHYXIATED BEFORE IMPACT.
Narrator: NO CHECKLIST FOR A 747 COMBI HAD EVER FORESEEN
THE HELDERBERG'S SIMULTANEOUS PROBLEMS--
A CARGO FIRE PROBLEM, AND A CABIN SMOKE PROBLEM.
Strauch: THE SMOKE REMOVAL CHECKLIST IS PREDICATED
ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE FIRE HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED.
IF THE FIRE HASN'T BEEN EXTINGUISHED,
THAT WOULD HAVE THE FUNCTION OF ACTUALLY
INCREASING THE AIRFLOW TO THE FIRE
AND INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF OXYGEN TO THE FIRE.
WE THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS CASE--
THAT THE FIRE HAD NEVER BEEN EXTINGUISHED.
AND IN FACT, THE CREWS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER
MAY HAVE IN FACT MADE THE SITUATION WORSE.
Narrator: INVESTIGATORS BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT FIGHTING A FIRE
IN THE COMBI'S CARGO AREA
IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.
Strauch: IF THERE WAS A FIRE IN ONE OF THESE PALLETS,
IT WAS QUITE LIKELY THAT BY THE TIME THE CREW
WAS ALERTED TO THE FIRE, IT WOULD BE TOO LATE.
Van Zyl: THEN THE CABIN INSTANTLY FILLED UP WITH SMOKE.
Narrator: BUT VAN ZYL STILL DOESN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED SUCH A FIERCE FIRE.
HOW HAD THE BLAZE STARTED?
AND HOW HAD IT BROUGHT THE PLANE DOWN?
THE ANSWERS STILL LIE DEEP UNDER THE OCEAN.
IT TAKES MONTHS TO BUILD THE FIBER OPTIC CABLE
THAT'S LONG ENOUGH FOR THE GEMINI
TO REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1988,
THE GEMINI BEGINS ITS RECORD-BREAKING JOURNEY.
Truman: WE WERE HESITANT TO SAY THAT EVERYTHING WOULD WORK,
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO DO SEA TRIALS ON THIS,
ALL OF THIS NEW EQUIPMENT.
Narrator: THE CABLE ALLOWS TECHNICIANS AT THE SURFACE
TO MANIPULATE THE GEMINI AT OVER 14,000 FEET.
IT ALSO CARRIES VIDEO SIGNALS FROM THAT REMARKABLE DEPTH.
THEN, ONE YEAR TO THE DAY AFTER IT DISAPPEARED,
THE HELDERBERG IS FOUND.
FROM A DEPTH OF OVER 14,000 FEET,
THE SUBMARINE SENDS BACK IMAGES THAT COULD ONLY BE
THE WRECKAGE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT 295.
Truman: THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF LUGGAGE
JUST STREWN ALL OVER THE SEABED.
MASSIVE STRUCTURES, THE WINGS, TAIL,
HUGE PARTS OF THE CABIN SPLIT OPEN,
AND YOU COULD SEE ALL OF THE RIBS, AND THE, THE WIRING,
THE HYDRAULIC PIPING, I MEAN, IT WAS INCREDIBLE
JUST TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT WENT INTO A MACHINE
SPREAD OVER AN AREA OF ABOUT FIVE, SIX SQUARE MILES.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
Narrator: VAN ZYL'S EXPENSIVE GAMBLE IS BEGINNING TO PAY OFF.
DESCENDING TO THE HELDERBERG'S WRECKAGE
IS A TRIUMPH FOR HIM AND HIS TEAM.
BUT JUST FINDING THE DEBRIS ISN'T NEARLY ENOUGH.
A YEAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT, VAN ZYL IS STILL HOPING
FOR THE IMPROBABLE--
THE RECOVERY OF THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER.
Van Zyl: WE REALLY WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER THE CABIN CREW
REPORTED TO THE CAPTAIN THAT THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION,
OR WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE BACK.
Narrator: HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF VIDEOTAPE ARE RECORDED.
IT'S EXHAUSTING WORK.
THEN AT NINE O'CLOCK ONE MORNING,
SOMETHING CATCHES THE EYE OF ONE OF THE TECHNICIANS.
Technician: GO BACK, GO BACK FOR A SECOND.
WE MIGHT HAVE PASSED SOMETHING.
Narrator: AT LONG LAST, THE BLACK BOX IS DISCOVERED.
Technician: THERE, THAT'S IT!
THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE!
MY GOD, WE FOUND IT!
WE FOUND IT!
Van Zyl: THAT WAS A VERY FULFILLING MOMENT IN OUR FIND,
WHAT WE HAD AIMED FOR, WE HAVE ACHIEVED, WE'RE GETTING IT.
Narrator: IT TAKES A FULL FIVE HOURS FOR THE GEMINI
TO BRING THE BLACK BOX UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA TURNS THE DISCOVERY
INTO FRONT PAGE NEWS.
IT'S NOW 1989, AND THE APARTHEID GOVERNMENT
IS STILL RUNNING THE COUNTRY WITH AN IRON FIST.
VAN ZYL MAKES AN UNUSUAL DECISION--
HE TAKES THE SEALED BLACK BOX TO WASHINGTON AND OPENS IT THERE.
Van Zyl: OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN ACCUSED
OF HAVING COVERED UP SOMETHING, OR LEFT SOMETHING OUT,
OR WHATEVER, AND WE, THE FAA, AND THE NTSB GUYS
ALL LISTENED TO THIS TAPE AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Narrator: TENSION IN THE ROOM IS HIGH.
THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER SHOULD BE A TAPE
OF THE LAST 30 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT...
BUT IT TURNS OUT TO BE A MAJOR FRUSTRATION.
AFTER A YEAR ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN,
IT'S DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING.
[TAPE HISSING]
Van Zyl: IT WAS THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE,
SITTING IN THE PLAYBACK ROOM AT THE NTSB FACILITIES,
AND YOU WATCH THE TIME, AND THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION
OF PROBLEMS ON THE TAPE.
AND I'M WATCHING THE CLOCK, AND ABOUT 25 MINUTES,
I WAS REALLY GETTING VERY, VERY ANXIOUS.
[TAPE HISSING]
Narrator: FOR 28 MINUTES, THE TAPE REVEALS NOTHING UNUSUAL.
THEN, EVERYTHING CHANGES.
Van Zyl: NEXT MINUTE, OF COURSE, THE ALARM BELL GOES ON THE CVR,
AND WE HAD ABOUT A MINUTE'S WORTH
OF RELEVANT RECORDING ON THE TAPE BEFORE THE TAPE STOPPED.
Narrator: NORMALLY, THE BLACK BOX RECORDS
THE FINAL MOMENTS OF A FLIGHT-- BUT NOT THIS TIME.
INSTEAD INVESTIGATORS ARE ABLE
TO LISTEN TO THE START OF THE ACCIDENT
BEFORE THE RECORDING MYSTERIOUSLY STOPS.
IT'S NOT WHAT VAN ZYL HOPED FOR,
BUT IT GIVES HIM CRUCIAL NEW INSIGHT INTO THE FIRE.
Uys: WILL YOU READ OUT THE FIRE CHECKLIST FOR US, PLEASE?
Narrator: 14 SECONDS AFTER THE FIRE ALARM GOES OFF,
THE PLANE'S CIRCUIT BREAKERS START TO POP.
Technician: THE BREAKER POPPED AS WELL.
Uys: HUH?
Technician: WE'LL CHECK THE BREAKER PANEL AS WELL.
Uys: YEAH.
Narrator: INVESTIGATORS ESTIMATE THAT UP TO 80 CIRCUITS WERE DISABLED.
THE WIRES TO THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER ARE DESTROYED
ONLY 81 SECONDS AFTER THE FIRE ALARM FIRST GOES OFF.
VAN ZYL HAS NOT RECEIVED THE KEY EVIDENCE THAT HE HOPED FOR.
BUT THE FIRE IS REVEALED AS MUCH MORE VIOLENT
THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.
THE RECORDING LEAVES MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED.
BUT IT DOES HELP VAN ZYL TO ARRIVE AT A PERSONAL OPINION
OF WHY THE PLANE MAY HAVE CRASHED.
Van Zyl: A LOT OF THINGS WERE HAPPENING IN THE COCKPIT,
AND WE BELIEVE THAT HE PROBABLY WAS FACED
WITH UP TO 80 CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPING IN THE COCKPIT
AT THE TIME.
MAY HAVE MADE CONTROLLING OF THE AIRCRAFT
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT,
AND THE POSSIBILITY THEN EVEN OF THE AIRPLANE
JUST GRADUALLY DESCENDING INTO THE SEA.
WHETHER IT WAS A CONTROLLABLE FLIGHT, I HAVE MY DOUBTS.
Bereswill: I PUT MYSELF IN THE COCKPIT ON THIS THING,
AND I SAID, "I WOULD HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED."
HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, JUST FIGURING, NOW WHAT DO WE DO?
YOU KNOW, DID THEY DO THE CHECKLIST CORRECTLY?
WE'LL NEVER KNOW.
Narrator: BUT INVESTIGATORS STILL DON'T KNOW
WHAT TRIGGERED THE HELDERBERG FIRE.
THE MYSTERY CAN NOW ONLY BE SOLVED
BY SALVAGING PARTS FROM THE CRASHED PLANE.
VAN ZYL'S FOCUS IS ON CERTAIN KEY PIECES
OF THE COMBI'S CARGO AREA.
THEY ARE BROUGHT TO A HANGAR
AND REASSEMBLED LIKE A GIANT JIGSAW PUZZLE.
HIS PLAN IS TO RECONSTRUCT THE SECTION OF THE CARGO AREA
WHERE THE FIRE MOST LIKELY STARTED.
VAN ZYL DISCOVERS THAT THE CARGO AREA FLOOR IS UNTOUCHED BY FIRE.
Van Zyl: SO WE KNOW THAT THE FIRE NEVER BURNED
LOWER THAN ONE METER OFF THE CARGO FLOOR.
Narrator: BUT THE WALLS AND CEILING
AT THE FRONT OF THE CARGO AREA REVEAL SEVERE FIRE DAMAGE.
VAN ZYL MAKES A DRAMATIC DISCOVERY.
THE SEAT OF THE FIRE WAS ON THE FRONT RIGHT PALLET OF CARGO.
Van Zyl: SO WE WERE LOOKING AT THE VERY LOCALIZED FIRE ON ONE PALLET.
Narrator: THE FRONT RIGHT PALLET WAS MOSTLY FILLED WITH COMPUTERS,
PROTECTED BY POLYSTYRENE PACKAGING.
INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT THAT A FIRE WITHIN THE PALLET
CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE POLYSTYRENE PACKING MATERIAL,
PRODUCING GASES WHICH ACCUMULATED NEAR THE CEILING.
WHEN THE GASES BECAME HOT ENOUGH,
THEY IGNITED INTO A FLASH FIRE
THAT SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CARGO HOLD.
Strauch: ONCE SMOKE PENETRATED THE POLYETHYLENE SHEETS,
THAT FIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY HOT.
Narrator: BUT EVEN IF THE PACKING MATERIAL
HAD HELPED SPREAD THE BLAZE,
VAN ZYL STILL DOESN'T KNOW WHY IT STARTED.
AFTER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
AND MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF OF WORK,
HE HAS TO END HIS INVESTIGATION.
Van Zyl: I WOULD HAVE FELT A LOT BETTER
IF WE HAD BEEN IN A BETTER POSITION
TO GIVE MORE FACTUAL INFORMATION TO THE BOARD TO CONSIDER.
BUT THAT WAS NOT TO BE, AND WE WERE NOT GOING TO FABRICATE.
Narrator: BUT INTEREST IN THE WRECK OF THE HELDERBERG DOESN'T DIE.
DARK RUMORS CIRCULATE ABOUT A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
Patta: IT'S AGAINST THIS BACKDROP
OF A VERY REPRESSIVE APARTHEID GOVERNMENT.
AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, THE FIRST THOUGHT,
I THINK FOR MANY, MANY SOUTH AFRICANS,
WAS WHAT WAS ON THAT PLANE?
WAS THERE SOMETHING IN THAT CARGO HOLD
THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THAT TERRIBLE FIRE,
BECAUSE PLANES DON'T JUST BURST INTO FLAMES MIDAIR AND CRASH.
Narrator: THEN, A SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT CHEMIST
MAKES A STARTLING DISCOVERY,
WHICH LEADS TO A CONTROVERSIAL NEW THEORY.
A MICROSCOPIC IRON PARTICLE ON THE NYLON NETTING
NEXT TO THE PALLET HAS A UNIQUE PROFILE.
THE AIRFLOW PATTERNS ON THE IRON SUGGEST THAT IT TRAVELED
AT A VERY HIGH VELOCITY WHILE IN A MOLTEN STATE.
THE DISCOVERY COULD MEAN THAT THE FIRE ON THE HELDERBERG
WAS NOT A FLASH FIRE TRIGGERED BY PACKING MATERIALS.
Bereswill: THIS WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE.
THIS WAS A FIRE THAT WAS, HAD IT'S OWN OXYGEN.
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE SOMETHING LIKE A SPARKLER,
WHICH HAS FUEL AND ITS OWN OXYGEN.
IT WAS SOME KIND OF MATERIAL SIMILAR TO A SPARKLER
THAT WE FEEL WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
Narrator: A BRITISH FIRE AND EXPLOSION ANALYST
EXAMINES THE EXTERIOR SKIN OF THE PLANE ABOVE THE PALLET
AND COMES UP WITH ANOTHER PIECE OF EVIDENCE
TO SUPPORT THE NEW THEORY.
THE SKIN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PLANE REACHED TEMPERATURES
AS HIGH AS 570 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
Bereswill: YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
TO BURN THROUGH AN AIRPLANE SKIN IN FLIGHT,
BECAUSE THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COOLING FROM THE AIRFLOW
ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SKIN.
Narrator: DR. DAVID KLATZOW IS ONE OF NUMEROUS EXPERTS
WHO QUESTION WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE.
David Klatzow: IT WOULD HAVE INVOLVED SUBSTANCES
WHICH NORMALLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CARRIED ABOARD AN AIRCRAFT,
PARTICULARLY A PASSENGER AIRCRAFT.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
A NORMAL PACKING MATERIAL-- WOOD, CARDBOARD, PLASTIC--FIRE.
YOU DON'T CARRY THE THINGS OF THAT NATURE,
WHICH CARRY THEIR OWN OXYGEN,
WHICH CAN PRODUCE AN ACCELERATED FIRE,
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS,
ONE OF WHICH THEY ARE GENERALLY UNSTABLE.
THE SECOND REASON IS THAT NORMAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING METHODS
WILL NOT PUT THEM OUT.
Narrator: WHAT COULD START SUCH A FIRE?
THE ONLY DANGEROUS GOODS LISTED ON THE CARGO MANIFEST
ARE COMPUTER BATTERIES.
SOME BELIEVE THE HELDERBERG MUST HAVE BEEN CARRYING CARGO
THAT WASN'T LISTED.
AT THE TIME, SOUTH AFRICA WAS UNDER
AN INTERNATIONAL ARMS EMBARGO.
THE COUNTRY WAS ALSO FIGHTING A WAR WITH ANGOLA.
Patta: SOUTH AFRICA DIDN'T HAVE CAPACITY
TO DO EVERYTHING ITSELF, AND THERE WERE TIMES
WHEN IT HAD TO BUY FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
SAA WAS SEEN AS A SURROGATE CARGO CARRIER--
THAT THEY COULD SOMEHOW, THROUGH ITS COMMERCIAL AIRLINE USE,
ALSO BRING IN SUBSTANCES FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT
UNDERCOVER, UNDER PROTECTION, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Klatzow: IT WAS NOT THAT EASY FOR THEM TO FLY
A QUASI-MILITARY AIRLINE INTO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
AND PICK UP MILITARY CONTRABAND, WHICH YOU MUST REMEMBER
WE WERE LABORING UNDER AN ARMS EMBARGO AT THE TIME.
Narrator: THE MEDIA FUELS THE FLAMES OF SUSPICION
THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS USING PASSENGER JETS
TO SECRETLY IMPORT WEAPONS.
ARMSCOR IS THE CORPORATION RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPLYING
THE SOUTH AFRICAN FORCES WITH MUNITIONS.
Klatzow: AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A NEED TO PRODUCE
A BETTER ROCKET SYSTEM, A MORE EFFICIENT ROCKET SYSTEM
FOR DEALING WITH THE AIR MENACE IN ANGOLA.
AND THE ROCKETRY SYSTEMS WHICH ARE USED FOR THOSE PURPOSES
HAVE AS THEIR PROPELLANT, THE MAJOR COMPONENT
OF THE PROPELLANT IS AMMONIUM PERCHLORATE,
AND THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE WAS BEING CARRIED
ABOARD THE HELDERBERG.
BUT IT IS NOT THE SORT OF COMPOUND
YOU WANT ON AN AIRCRAFT WHEN YOU ARE FLYING ON THAT AIRCRAFT,
BECAUSE IT IS UNSTABLE, IT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO SELF-IGNITION
BY ANY KIND OF VIBRATION AND VIOLENT MOVEMENT.
Narrator: THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH
DOES NOT COME TO THE CONCLUSION
THAT THE HELDERBERG WAS CARRYING ILLEGAL ARMS.
YET DARK RUMORS PERSIST FAR INTO THE FUTURE.
THE HELDERBERG ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE EARLY 747 COMBI
WAS VULNERABLE IN THE EVENT OF AN ONBOARD FIRE.
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS IMMEDIATELY STOPS USING
THE 747-200 COMBI MODEL, AND AMERICAN OFFICIALS DEVELOP
NEW REGULATIONS FOR THE AIRCRAFT.
EVENTUALLY, THE COMBI 200s ARE REPLACED
WITH NEWLY DESIGNED 747 400 MODELS.
Bereswill: AND THE FAA WENT THROUGH AND DEVELOPED
SOME NEW REGULATIONS, BUT FOR THE WEIGHT AND EVERYTHING
THAT WAS GOING TO BE HAVE TO BE ADDED IN THERE
DID NOT MAKE IT AN ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY AFTER THE HELDERBERG ACCIDENT,
747 COMBIS WERE NOT USED ANYMORE.
Narrator: THERE ARE TRIBUTES AND MEMORIALS TO THE 159 VICTIMS,
BUT CLOSURE DOES NOT COME EASILY FOR THE FAMILIES.
Van der Walt: I NEED AN ANSWER FOR WHY I WAS ORPHANED AT 14.
AND I FEEL THAT, AS I SAY I'M PROBABLY TOUCHING ON HEARSAY,
BUT THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF EVIDENCE
THAT DOES POINT TO SOMETHING NOT BEING RIGHT ON THAT FLIGHT,
AND THAT THE FLIGHT WAS CARRYING SOMETHING ILLICIT.
Narrator: 10 YEARS AFTER THE HELDERBERG CRASH,
THE NEW SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT
LAUNCHES A COMMISSION TO RE-EXAMINE THE ACCIDENT.
Patta: THE TRUTH COMMISSION WAS TASKED WITH BASICALLY UNCOVERING
THE TRUTH ABOUT APARTHEID ATROCITIES,
AND ONE OF THE AREAS IT WAS TASKED TO LOOK AT
WAS THE ROLE OF THE SAA IN SANCTIONS BUSTING
DURING THE '80s, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE HELDERBERG
WAS A FREAK ACCIDENT OR NOT.
Narrator: IN 1998, THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
MAKES A CONTROVERSIAL CONCLUSION.
NAMELY, THAT NOTHING THAT WAS LISTED IN THE CARGO MANIFEST
COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE.
Patta: AND THE TRUTH COMMISSION RECOMMENDED
THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING UNTOWARD
ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE HELDERBERG.
Klatzow: THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
EXPOSED THE IMPROBABILITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT VERSION
AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
Narrator: IF NOTHING IN THE CARGO INVENTORY
COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE, WHAT DID?
AND HOW DID IT GET ON BOARD?
Van Zyl: THE REALITY, UNFORTUNATELY,
IS THAT UNLESS SOMEBODY TODAY COMES UP AND SAYS,
"YES, I DID THIS," OR "YES, WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS,"
AND YOU CAN PROVE THEM NOT TO BE INVOLVED IN A HOAX,
THAT WILL BE POSSIBLY THE ONLY TIME IN WHICH
WE WILL REALLY KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN AND CAUSED,
WAS THE SOURCE OF IGNITION OF THE FIRE.
Narrator: IN ITS FINAL REPORT, THE COMMISSION SUGGESTS
THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT.
Patta: BUT SURPRISINGLY, THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED.
THE ANC-LED GOVERNMENT HASN'T PURSUED THAT.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, WHY?
AND I THINK THAT THE ANSWER LIES IN WHAT MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE,
IS THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO BE TOO COSTLY.
Klatzow: THEY DON'T WANT TO OPEN IT FOR THE SIMPLE REASON
THAT IT WOULD BE FINANCIALLY DISASTROUS FOR THE AIRLINE.
Narrator: RENNIE VAN ZYL DEVOTED YEARS OF HIS LIFE
TO SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF THE HELDERBERG.
HIS INABILITY TO DEFINITELY PROVE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE
DOES NOT STOP HIM FROM SEEING THE BENEFIT
OF HIS INVESTIGATION.
Van Zyl: I BELIEVE THAT WE, AS A TEAM,
HAD DONE THE BEST THAT WE COULD
UNDER EXTREME CHALLENGING CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.
WHAT WE HAD DONE HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE,
IT WAS PIONEERING WORK.
THE FRUSTRATION IS WE COULD NOT ESTABLISH
THE SOURCE OF IGNITION,
AND WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW.
Van der Walt: I BELIEVE THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL OUT THERE
THAT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT AIRCRAFT.
I KNOW THAT THE THOUGHT PROCESSES AT THE TIME WERE,
OUR COUNTRY WAS AT WAR,
AND THEY WERE DOING THEIR DUTY FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
BUT I JUST FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE A HEART
FOR THE FAMILIES AND BRING OUT THAT INFORMATION.