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00:02U.S. Air flight 1493
00:04Erupts into flames
00:06Upon landing in Los Angeles
00:08Heads down, state down
00:12And crashes into a building
00:14It was so violent
00:16Passengers struggle
00:18To reach the exits
00:20My only thought was to get out of the plane
00:22Of the 89 people onboard
00:2421 don't get out alive
00:26NTSP investigators must figure out why
00:30There's no reason to believe
00:32That they all couldn't have evacuated
00:34They soon make a horrifying discovery
00:36Good God
00:38We found 11 victims
00:40Located within just a few feet
00:42Of the emergency exit
00:44How do they get trapped here?
00:46What they learn will improve the odds of survival
00:48In aviation disasters
00:50Mom, we have to jump
00:52In an emergency evacuation
00:54Every second counts
00:55Leave your belongings
00:56Come, this way
00:57Brace for impact
01:01Evacuate! Evacuate!
01:03Evacuate!
01:21It's just before 6 p.m.
01:23On the California coast
01:25U.S. Air Flight 1493
01:27Is preparing to land in Los Angeles
01:31This was a nice flight
01:33Everything went perfect
01:35The service went perfect
01:37The weather went great
01:38There had been no problems
01:40Seep off
01:43I was seated near the front of the plane
01:45In row 4
01:46I was seated in the middle seat
01:48On the right-hand side of the plane
01:50Elise Rosewater
01:52Is looking forward to a vacation
01:54On the west coast
01:56I had just graduated from college
01:58And was working my first job
02:00And it was time for a break
02:02And I wanted to go out to California
02:03And visit my brother
02:04And explore L.A.
02:06Flight 1493
02:08Flight 1493
02:09Is 25 miles
02:10From the runway
02:12USA 1493
02:13Do you have the airport in sight?
02:16Affirmative
02:18The pilots disengage the autopilot
02:20On their Boeing 737
02:22A bag underneath this
02:26This version of the plane
02:28Has 128 seats
02:30But tonight's flight is not full
02:32Only 83 seats are occupied
02:35Together with two pilots
02:37And four flight attendants
02:39There are 89 people on board
02:41Seated near the middle of the plane
02:43In row 9
02:44Are Vicky Rosemeyer
02:46And her mother Judy
02:47They're travelling to Los Angeles
02:48For a holiday
02:49I was a novice flyer at the time
03:02I had not flown much
03:04And was nervous about the flight
03:07My mother had never flown before
03:09So I was, you know, looking after her
03:12Confirm visual approach
03:17For USA 1493
03:19Is 2-4 left
03:21That's correct
03:22USA 1493
03:23On this leg of the flight
03:25First Officer David Kelly
03:27Is the pilot flying
03:28While Captain Colin Shaw
03:30Communicates with the controller
03:32They've already had a busy day
03:36They began their flight
03:37On the other side of the country
03:38In Washington D.C.
03:40Before stopping in Columbus, Ohio
03:42On their way to one of the busiest airports
03:45In the world
03:48Situated not far from the center of Los Angeles
03:51LAX handles 1,500 flights per day
03:55Controllers are kept very busy
03:59246, are you still holding short of 47?
04:02Affirmative
04:03You're next
04:04Sky West 569
04:07Taxi up to and hold short
04:09Flight 1493
04:11Is minutes from touchdown
04:15Near the back of the plane
04:16Is a seasoned traveler
04:18Scott Vaughan
04:19He's sat through this landing many times
04:22It was a multi-city trip
04:24For work
04:25It was a Friday night
04:26And I just couldn't wait to get home
04:28I was sitting in the back of the plane
04:30On row 19
04:31On the aisle
04:32A few rows behind Scott
04:35The flight attendants
04:36Take their seats in the galley
04:38Once all the passengers were secured
04:43I went to my jump seat
04:45And buckled in
04:47And Van was beside of me
04:49And Van and I had gone through training together
04:51U.S. Air 1493 is for the left side
04:562-4 left
04:58The pilots wait for the final clearance to land
05:01U.S. Air 1493 cleared to land
05:04Runway 2-4 left
05:05Just as the plane touches down
05:12What the?
05:14We were in the middle of a big fireball
05:20The plane wasn't stopping
05:27I didn't realize what was happening
05:33I could hear metal scraping
05:37It was so violent
05:39Smoke was infiltrating the plane very rapidly
05:42And the smell became overwhelming
05:43Grab your ankles
05:44Heads down
05:45Stay down
05:46It was a surreal movie
06:00Things were actually slowing down
06:02Felt like a lifetime
06:03Felt like a lifetime
06:08In the tower
06:09Controllers can only watch
06:10As the burning plane speeds towards a building
06:17Oh, Jesus
06:21The plane came to a halt
06:22And another fireball
06:25It was a pretty dramatic stop
06:27Our bodies went flying forward
06:28It was similar to being in a car crash
06:3183 passengers and 6 crew members
06:38Find themselves inside a burning airplane
06:41Decisions made in the next few minutes
06:43Will determine who will live
06:45And who will die
06:51We've had a crash on runway 2-4 left
06:53A U.S. Air 737
06:55The airport's fire and emergency crews
07:01Are immediately dispatched to the scene
07:03Crash was called in
07:05And the goal is to mobilize quickly
07:07Arrive on scene
07:09And start deploying resources
07:11Within three minutes
07:12To create survival conditions
07:14For those on board
07:15The passengers and crew on board
07:19The burning plane
07:20Find themselves in a fight for survival
07:22It was a very, very thick black smoke
07:28Very sooty
07:30And difficult to see anything
07:32It basically became like pitch black
07:34In the cabin
07:37It's now up to the cabin crew
07:39To evacuate the plane as quickly as possible
07:41My training kicked in
07:44And it all came right back to me
07:46I didn't have to think
07:47What do I do next
07:48When I got the door open
07:51And I saw that the slide was inflated
07:54I had a sense of relief
07:57That we can get everybody out of this aircraft
08:00There's fire outside the left side door
08:04It's not safe to use
08:05Our evacuation drills are ingrained in us
08:08We know them by heart
08:10We don't just make them up
08:11Come this way
08:12Leave your belongings
08:13Come this way
08:14Go
08:17Go
08:18Jump
08:19Jump
08:20Be first
08:21Hands up
08:22Go
08:23It takes fire crews only one minute
08:24To get to the crash site
08:25And begin extinguishing the fire
08:28The response time was amazing
08:30They started firefighting
08:32And rescue operations simultaneously
08:34They begin by covering the burning 737
08:38With fire retardant foam
08:41The objective is to control 90% of that fire
08:45Within the first minute of arrival
08:47To allow the best chance of survival for passengers and crew
08:51Jump
08:52Be first
08:53Hands up
08:54I had in the back of my mind
08:56The plane could explode at any second
08:58But seeing those passengers
09:01I just thought
09:03That's one more
09:04That's another one
09:05That's another one
09:06And I believe that is why I stayed on the aircraft
09:08At the front of the plane
09:10Passengers struggle to find their nearest exit
09:12I don't think I was thinking
09:14I followed the person in front of me
09:17I do remember the smoke being so thick
09:20That I was trying to get down
09:22Remembering a PSA from my childhood
09:24That smoke rises
09:25And you should try to get down in a fire
09:27The line of people was moving slower than you'd like in an emergency
09:33It was mass chaos
09:37Five rows back
09:40Vicky Rosemeyer and her mother
09:42Are just across from an overwing emergency exit
09:45Come on
09:46Come on
09:47Come on
09:48I remember helping my mother up
09:52I remember turning around
09:54Noticing the door open
09:57And I seen light from that
09:59Scott, Elise and Vicky all have the same goal
10:03To reach the overwing exit at the middle of the plane
10:07Almost there
10:08Mom?
10:09Mom!
10:10Mom!
10:11Mom!
10:12I was three or four feet from the emergency exit
10:15My mother was with me
10:17I had a hold of her
10:18And just within an instant she was gone
10:21I was not going to leave without my mother
10:24Mom!
10:29My only thought was to get out of the plane
10:32And I was in go mode
10:34After crashing into an inactive fire station at LAX
10:38The passengers of US Air Flight 1493
10:41Are desperately trying to get off the burning plane
10:45I knew there was an exit on the right side of the plane
10:48The cabin's filled with smoke so it's very hard to see
10:53The aisle was jammed with people
10:55And so instinct took over or fight or flight took over
11:00I took an alternative route
11:03I just started climbing across the seats
11:06There were no people in those seats
11:11And I was crawling across them
11:14And moving as fast as I could
11:16Vicki finally sees her mother
11:21She got knocked down
11:26Because she turned around to get her purse
11:29And pretty much resigned at that point
11:44But she found the strength to get up
11:49And made her way to the door
11:51Vicki and her mother have made it out of the plane
12:04And onto the wing
12:05But they're not safe yet
12:07All we could hear were people yelling at us to jump
12:10Jump! Jump!
12:12Firefighters would have been worried about passengers standing on the wing
12:18Because they're actually standing on a fuel tank
12:21That wing or fuel tank has the potential to explode
12:27When I told my mother that we needed to jump
12:30And she said no
12:31She was not going to jump that far
12:33She was afraid to jump
12:35Okay mum
12:38Mum we have to jump
12:40So I grabbed her arm and threw her with me
12:43Okay
12:47While passengers struggle to escape
12:49Fire crews are still trying to extinguish the flames
12:53They cannot send rescuers into the cabin
12:56Until the fire is under control
12:59I'm going to be wanting a significant reduction
13:02And control of the external fire
13:05Before I send my firefighters in to do an internal attack
13:09This is because the lives of the firefighters is also a top priority
13:15Just two minutes have passed since the plane came to a stop
13:19And there are many passengers still on board
13:22When I got to the exit row
13:25I climbed on to what I thought was luggage
13:29I got out on the wing
13:33I could feel fresh air on my face
13:35And I could breathe again
13:37Scott Vaughn also reaches the overwing exit at row 10
13:42There was like a light or a gap that opened up
13:44That I could see that I must be close at that point
13:48I went out to the wing
13:51And we jumped down to the ground
13:53And then I stood back up and I turned and I looked at this massive plane on fire
14:01It was a disaster scene
14:04And then I turned around and it was complete chaos
14:08All over the runway
14:09There were emergency vehicles
14:11TRIOS centers set up everywhere
14:15But not everyone has made it off
14:18At the rear of the plane, the flight attendants can barely breathe
14:21The smoke had gotten so thick
14:24That it burned the back of my throat
14:29My nose was burning
14:32My chest was burning
14:34I had no idea smoke could be so painful
14:39The passengers were not coming to our exit any longer
14:44And the two of us were still inside the aircraft
14:46You got to go
14:49You got to go
14:51Then he pushed me out
14:53And then I went down the rear slide
14:56Van Spurgeon enters the smoke-filled cabin
15:00To see if he can find any more passengers
15:02But he doesn't get far
15:04I was able to feel the seat back
15:06So I know that I went up two rows
15:09And I could not see or hear anybody
15:12Van Spurgeon
15:15Van Spurgeon
15:17Get out, come on
15:19I heard my co-worker Patricia shouting for me to get off the aircraft
15:24And that's when I decided to jump
15:26I felt that there were no more people on the aircraft that were coming to that exit
15:33After five minutes of battling the inferno, fire crews make an unexpected find
15:39They found a propeller and that gave them a clue that there was another aircraft involved
15:48It's now clear that the unimaginable has happened
15:53What the?
15:55U.S. Air Flight 1493 has collided with another aircraft on the runway
16:00An aircraft crash is probably the worst type of incident a firefighter could face
16:07And in this case, two aircraft were involved
16:11The news sends air traffic controllers scrambling to determine the identity of the other plane
16:17What about SkyWest 569?
16:23No, we're not hearing from them
16:26SkyWest 5569, a Fairchild Metroliner with 12 people on board, is unaccounted for
16:35We recognized through discovery of the wreckage that this 737 had collided with a Metroliner
16:42The full toll of the accident can now be measured
16:4868 people have made it off the burning 737
16:51But 21 people from that plane do not survive
16:55Including a flight attendant and Captain Colin Shaw
16:59Seated right at the point of impact
17:01Two other passengers are fatally injured
17:03I had no idea that anybody had died, especially two of my co-workers
17:09I was devastated
17:11Just devastated
17:13All 12 occupants of the Metroliner have also been killed
17:17Investigators must now determine why a total of 35 people lost their lives at one of America's busiest airports
17:25News of the horrific collision at LAX shocks people across the country
17:29Just a short few hours after everything that had happened, I'm home, turn on the news to watch it, and it was like a movie that I was not part of
17:40Two runways are immediately closed for the investigation, sending air travel into chaos across the country
17:48Investigator Bob McIntosh leads the team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB
17:57It's his job to determine what caused the deadly collision
18:02This kind of a collision of a major air transport airplane and another aircraft on a runway is unusual
18:11It was a challenge to find out why this terrible accident had taken place
18:18While McIntosh leads the investigation into how the collision happened, survival factors investigator Hank Hughes has a different priority
18:28737-300's cabin was configured for 128 passengers and 4 crew
18:32Our primary mission is to look at the survivability or non-survivability of the accident
18:41How people were able to survive, how they were able to evacuate the airplane
18:45And for that matter, how the evacuation was carried out
18:50Okay, there were 89 passengers and crew on board
18:54Most accidents are survivable
18:56Our question was, how and why did these people perish?
19:02Hughes' team inspects the burnt-out plane
19:05To understand why 21 passengers and crew were unable to escape the Boeing 737
19:12The cabin floor of the airplane was completely destroyed by fire
19:16Therefore we had to use plywood to reconstruct the floor and make a safe area to stand on so we could begin our work
19:24We started at the back of the airplane and worked our way forward
19:31Make sure you get a picture of that
19:33We were very concerned about the fire and the consequences of such a rapidly spreading fire
19:43We found 11 victims in the center of the passenger compartment
19:50All of whom were located within just a few feet of the emergency exit
19:57Good God
19:59They had piled up on top of each other
20:02How did they get trapped here?
20:03Look at this burn pattern
20:17This is where the fire started
20:20And it moved rearward from here
20:22The area of the airplane that suffered the most intense fire damage
20:28Was the front of the airplane, the front of the passenger cabin
20:32That's where it started
20:36Hughes comes to a striking realization about the victims
20:40They were all out of their seats
20:43Everybody in the cabin survived the initial impact
20:48It was quite apparent that all of them had been able to unbuckle from their seatbelts
20:56And make their way back to the overwing exit
20:59But somehow 20 of those passengers and one of the flight attendants never made it out
21:05Investigators need to find out why
21:07Okay
21:10So it seems most of the fatalities were seated in this area here
21:16After we realized that many of the fatalities were seated in the front of the airplane
21:22It was important to understand why
21:25The team interviews surviving crew members
21:28In many instances flight attendants have provided some insight that we wouldn't normally get
21:33Right after that first bump I could see flames
21:37Before the final impact?
21:39That's right, as we were skating
21:42During the course of our interviews it became very apparent
21:47That almost upon initial contact with the Metroliner within milliseconds
21:52That airplane was on fire
21:54That's how instantaneous it was
21:57There was a lot of concern within our investigation about the intensity and the spread of the fire
22:05Investigators soon discover a vital clue in the burnt out wreckage
22:10A damaged oxygen tank in the forward cargo compartment
22:14It had damage to the regulator up on top of the bottle
22:19And it had a broken feed tube coming out of the bottle
22:22Take a look at this
22:25It was a 76 cubic foot capacity tank
22:29That's a lot of oxygen
22:37It was housed exactly where they impacted the Metroliner
22:41A ruptured oxygen tank on the 737 would have fed the fire
22:46Add the fuel from the burning Metroliner
22:51There was a great deal of liquids from the collision
22:56That were flammable
22:58And the gaseous oxygen was most probably the accelerant
23:03Investigators build a mock-up of Flight 1493's cabin
23:08To test how quickly an oxygen-fed fire spreads
23:11Previous tests showed that under normal circumstances
23:17The fire would have accelerated in about five minutes
23:21The results of the new test are astonishing
23:25As a result of the introduction of the oxygen and the burn test
23:30The fire accelerated out of control in two minutes
23:33Very significant difference
23:35The test explains why passengers reported seeing fire spread through the cabin as quickly as it did
23:43Because of the oxygen-fed fire the passengers were denied what would have been an extra three minutes to make their way out of the airplane safely
23:52The oxygen didn't just prevent passengers from getting off the airplane
23:57It may also have prevented firefighters from getting on
24:00If compressed oxygen had not been introduced into that fire, in my opinion, the fire would have been much less severe inside the aircraft
24:12But fire wasn't the only obstacle to the evacuation
24:16Passengers also described seeing heavy black smoke filling the cabin
24:20Well, as the airplane was skidding down the runway, smoke began to come into the cabin
24:28And it went from kind of a soft willy smoke to thick, dark, and had a horrible odor
24:37Within five, ten seconds
24:39So why all that smoke so darn fast?
24:52Since 1985, regulations mandate that cabins must be fitted with fire-retardant materials that slow the spread of flames and toxic smoke in the event of a fire
25:03But the damage to flight 1493's cabin indicates it did not meet that standard
25:12This airplane was equipped with the older materials that were not fire-retardant
25:18And that would include the carpeting, the seat fabric, as well as the side walls
25:25A review of the plane's history explains why the cabin was fitted with out-of-date furnishings
25:31Made in 1985, before the regulations kicked in
25:38This particular airplane was exempted from the fire-retardant cabin furnishings regulation
25:46Primarily because it was manufactured before the effective date in 1985
25:51But fire-retardant fabrics were to be installed on older planes when they received cabin upgrades
25:57The FAA's philosophy was that when an aircraft would be brought in for major rehab of the interior, that all of the cabin furnishings would be retrofitted with the upgraded fire-retardant furnishings
26:16Investigators learned that the 737's cabin was refurbished in 1989
26:21Hardly anything met the new flammability standards
26:27Hold on, hold on, hold on
26:30But because of a loophole in the regulations, it never got the fire-retardant upgrade
26:35The FAA reg said, if you just want to do the rug, or you just want to do the seats, or you just want to do the walls, that's not considered a major upgrade
26:46That's where the loophole was
26:50None of the interior panels were touched
26:52If the cabin had been retrofitted with fire-retardant furnishings, it would have given people more time to make their way to the emergency exits and safely evacuate the airplane
27:05An oxygen-fed fire and out-of-date cabin furnishings explain the intensity of the smoke and fire
27:12Yet 68 people did manage to get off the plane
27:17What decisions did they make that enabled them to escape when so many others could not?
27:27As Hank Hughes looks into why 21 people were unable to make it out of the cabin of US Air Flight 1493
27:33Bob McIntosh investigates why two planes were allowed to be on the same runway at the same time
27:43We had to wonder how it was possible that the tower controller responsible for that runway had not seen this issue taking place
27:54Why was the Metroliner even on that runway?
27:59No, I positioned it there and asked it to hold
28:01Skywest 569 taxi into position and hold short runway 24L
28:08So why did you give US Air permission to land?
28:14It was a hectic night
28:16I lost track of the Skywest flight
28:21US Air 1493 cleared to land runway 24L
28:24Our challenge was to try and figure out how the tower controller allowed this to happen when she had numerous years of experience and training
28:37The collision happened here at 1807
28:40The collision happened here at 1807
28:44Just before 1806 she gave US Air clearance to land on runway 24L
28:52But that runway wasn't clear
28:54Skywest has been holding on the runway for more than a minute
28:57What were the human performance issues that caused her to not recognize this situation?
29:07As McIntosh pieces together events in the LAX Tower
29:12Doesn't make sense
29:13Investigator Hughes wonders what prevented so many passengers from reaching the plane's exits
29:20This airplane was designed with six functional emergency exits all of which would have allowed the passengers
29:29Under normal circumstances to have made a safe evacuation in 90 seconds
29:34L1 wouldn't have even opened
29:38Hughes learns what he can about the exits used during the evacuation
29:43As the airplane slid to a stop
29:46The L1 door collided with the side of a building which wouldn't allow it to be open
29:53That leaves five others
29:56What's the story with L2?
29:58The rear left exit was operational and it was not used during the evacuation
30:07Patricia Hodges explains to investigators why no one exited from the left rear exit
30:14The door has a little porthole and that's where I saw the orange glow
30:20With a fire burning outside the exit Hodges keeps the door closed
30:26That leaves four
30:30But this would have been too dangerous
30:33The left over wing exit was utilized by only two passengers
30:38No other passengers made way out of the airplane through that exit
30:42Which was probably due to the intensity of the fire and fumes on that side of the airplane
30:47Everything else opened
30:48People made their way out of R1, the right over wing and R2
30:57You should be able to get 89 people out of three doors in less than two minutes
31:01Given the number of passengers on the airplane that wasn't full
31:05There's no reason to believe that they all couldn't have evacuated within the 90 seconds
31:10Investigators take a closer look at how the evacuation unfolded
31:14Okay
31:17Only three people went out here at R1
31:21Three people were able to make their exit through the R1 door
31:26And I believe it was attributable to the intensity of the fire and the toxic fumes that were generated in front of the cabinet
31:34Other people weren't able to go forward and make their exit through that door
31:40About 37 people went out here over the right wing
31:46That's a lot
31:48Only about 15 passengers made their way back to their best option
31:53The R2 exit
31:55The rest went forward
31:57The flight attendants tell investigators they were urging passengers to move to the rear
32:04Come this way, leave your belongings, come this way
32:07Yet passengers moved in the opposite direction
32:11Initially we wondered why the people were moving toward the front of the airplane rather than
32:17The back of the airplane as directed by the flight attendants
32:20Hughes hopes survivor testimony will give him the answer he needs
32:26The passenger in 19C actually crawled over seats to get to the overwing exit
32:33Scott Vaughan is one of the passengers sitting at the rear of the plane who moved forward
32:38There was a lot of confusion and I'm quite sure there was a lot of quick assessment to which way should I go in this cabin
32:49He starts here on the left side of the plane
32:52Then he moves to the right side
32:54And he climbs over eight rows of seats to get to this exit here
33:00There was an emergency exit just three rows behind him
33:03Why did Vaughan move forward and take a longer path out of the plane?
33:12I never looked back
33:14All I was focused on was reacting and getting out of the plane
33:19And for whatever reason at that moment I saw it as the exit was go forward
33:24Not in back of me
33:26It's just human nature, you know, if you know you're in a fight or flight situation
33:30Got to get out of the airplane and if you see daylight near an overwing exit window
33:36Chances are that that might be what attracted the people to go in that direction
33:41One after another after another
33:44If only they'd look behind them
33:49Hughes understands why so many passengers went forward instead of to the nearer exit at the rear
33:54But not why eleven people died within reach of an open door
34:03As survivability investigators try to work out why so many died on board USAir flight 1493
34:10She was having trouble reaching another plane
34:13Transcripts of radio calls have given Bob Mackintosh a better understanding of why the controller forgot there was another plane on the runway
34:22Wings west 5006 tower
34:26Wings west 5006 tower
34:29Wings west 5006 tower
34:33Wings west 5006 tower
34:35Just before she cleared the metroliner to hold on the runway
34:41The controller lost radio contact with another taxiing airplane
34:44The controller called the aircraft several times and there was a delay of I think more than 30 seconds where
34:54There was no communication from this aircraft
34:57Then one minute before the crash she can't find a flight strip for a departing aircraft
35:02Tower
35:09Wings west 5072 is ready for takeoff
35:12Wings west 5072
35:15Mackintosh has identified a series of distractions that caused the controller to lose track of the metroliner holding on the runway
35:24The local controller had numerous deviations from an aircraft she couldn't get a hold of an aircraft without a departure strip
35:37All these things were working on her efficiency to recognize that aircraft that was still out there in the middle of the runway when she issued a landing clearance for 1493
35:48They all reported a log jam when they approached the exit at row 10
35:58Survivability expert Hank Hughes now pieces together the events that led to the blockage at the row 10 exit
36:06It's estimated the evacuation took approximately three to four minutes
36:11Three to four minutes is a long time
36:26According to passenger interviews people were moving very slowly as they headed towards the right overwing exit
36:33They were almost at a standstill
36:35So what's the holdup?
36:36Investigators find their first clue in the burnt-out wreckage
36:50What's this doing here?
36:55We found that the overwing exit hatch was sitting in the actual emergency exit row
37:02I was crawling on top of the exit door that was on top of the seats to get out of the exit
37:16Everyone is just moving slowly
37:19The placement of the hatch on the floor resting against the seat
37:23Provided an obstruction that was the width of the hatch which is probably close to a foot and a half or two feet
37:30And it would have been a significant impediment to their getting out of the airplane quickly
37:37After the 737's emergency exit door is opened
37:41It's supposed to be pushed through the opening and tossed away from the plane
37:46This clears the opening to allow passengers to escape quickly
37:50Passengers are briefed on how to properly open the emergency exit door
37:54So why didn't that happen?
37:57The passenger sitting next to the door wasn't the one who opened it
38:00During the emergency the passenger seated directly next to the right overwing exit hatch
38:05Was unable to open the door where they either froze or were frightened
38:08Fortunately, a passenger seated behind them was able to get up and open the overwing exit hatch
38:26The passenger who opened the door didn't push it outside the exit
38:29Passengers had to climb over and around the emergency exit hatch to get out of the airplane which cost time
38:43Investigators identify one further factor that would have slowed progress to the emergency exit
38:49There was a fight
38:52There was a fight
38:55There was a fight
39:05Investigators discover reports of an altercation between two passengers on board U.S. Air Flight 1493
39:12A young man's mother was trying to get out and a male passenger pushed his way past the mother
39:18And her son unfortunately got into a fist fight with the gentleman that pushed his mother out of the way
39:27It was very unfortunate and tragic because it cost valuable time
39:32The delay opening the door, the crush of passengers moving forward instead of to the exit at the back
39:39The placement of the door and the altercation at the exit all added vital minutes to the evacuation
39:47Minutes that ended up costing passengers their lives
39:52In an emergency evacuation every second counts
39:56The one thing you don't have is time in an emergency situation because
39:59A post-crash fire or other hazard as a result of an accident often kills as many people as an accident does
40:12Raging fire, blinding smoke, unusable exits, a series of obstacles and delays
40:20That's why 21 people died in that cabin
40:22Hank Hughes' investigation has determined why nearly one quarter of the passengers on U.S. Air Flight 1493
40:33Were unable to escape the burning airplane
40:36In the view of the safety board, the toxic fume and fire was the major contributing factor to the loss of life
40:43Hughes and his team make a number of recommendations to improve the chances of survival inside the cabin
40:49They focus on preventing a bottleneck at an exit from occurring again
40:56Basically the recommendation provided that the FAA provide a rule that requires that the passengers be screened for their suitability
41:04To serve as evacuators in overwing exit rows
41:08And also provide a specific briefing for those passengers and that the passengers acknowledge that they are responsible in the event of an emergency
41:21Flight attendants are also required to make sure passengers know where the nearest emergency exit is during their briefing
41:29And to point out that it may be behind them
41:31Take out that seat back hard, find out where all of the exits are
41:37And then count the rows, if you can, between the exits
41:42That could possibly save your life
41:46Finally, to prevent the fast-spreading fire which quickly engulfed the cabin and released toxic smoke
41:52The NTSB recommends that all older planes are fully updated with fire-retardant materials as soon as possible
42:03Modern day aircraft cabin furnishings don't burn so easily
42:10Allowing more time for passengers to evacuate the aircraft, increasing their chances of survival
42:17Van Spurgeon goes on to join USA's training program as an instructor
42:26I wanted to pass along all of the information that I learned from my situation as a training instructor
42:38The survivors of Flight 1493 have their own ideas about what allowed them to escape
42:44I was feeling, get the hell out of there
42:51That's what I was feeling, but it was all reactionary
42:53It wasn't this logical moment that many people think about
42:57Well, first, then we're gonna do this, and then we're gonna do that
42:59It doesn't work that way
43:05I think it was luck
43:06I think the fact that I went backwards instead of forwards saved my life
43:14I think the fact that I remained calm probably helped
43:19But at the end of the day, if something blew up, I would have been unlucky
43:23I was in the right seat and did the right things
43:34I don't think I panicked at all
43:39I was listening to my instincts, I think
43:44And I did what I had to do
43:47Go! Go!
43:53I never felt like I was gonna die
43:55I wasn't ready to die
43:56I'm ready to die