Air France trying to land during a bad thunderstorm here in my hometown of Toronto. I remember watching it live on TV as a kid hoping everyone was getting off the plane. I'll never forget driving by the crash site on a nearby highway seeing what's left of the plane.
@@xjcrossx Same here. The incident (Air Transat flight 236) had happened only two years before. Plus, as I lived in Montreal back then and Air Transat was a local airline, that particular episode caught the most media attention at the time.
This one, having grown up in Winnipeg and spent countless days in Gimli, i have been to the exact spot this aircraft landed. The story if the Gimli Glider is a bit of a legend here. There is even a mural of this incident painted on the wall of the Gimli Harbour pier depicting the aircraft as she was coming down on the strip with the two boys on bicycles off in the distance.
Slipping a commercial aircraft successfully saving 69 people is CRAZY!!!!! Im an crew chief in the US air force and this completely blows me away. Bob Pearson should be known around the world.
Unfortunately it wasn’t named after Bob Pearson. ‘The airport was officially renamed Lester B. Pearson International Airport in 1984, in honour of Toronto-born Lester B. Pearson, the 14th prime minister of Canada’
I was just waitng for the "I told you so"... a good reminder of the obvious. We chuckle sometmes. Enjoy these open open forums. Everybody has a "say."😂.Sometimes, I think that it's just me...often, it"s the "me" fr many yrs ago.😂.
These are the people we should be seeing and get to hear more than the criminal and murderous politicians and business executives on our news screens. That whole electeonics system.was probably pushed onto the market to make profit and care wasn't given to train on it or at least give information on it. Man is inadequate no matter how smart we think we are intellectually!!!
Even more the aircraft was repaired and placed back into service to fly until January 2008. The aircraft was scrapped in 2014 after unsuccessful attempts to sell it at auction.
I worked at an autoparts store in 2007. my employer was working for Air Canada. But after 9/11 happened. He was removed as an airline pilot and given a position of doing preflight security screening of passengers checking over names in a no flight list. He also transferred during the holiday season each year to various airports across the country and frequently replaced other airport staff during their scheduled vacation breaks. Some of the little stories he shared at my workplace were quite extraordinary. It takes a great deal of patience and smooth thinking to run the airline industry and deal with angry passengers and customers during flight delays and cancellations. So far, the Canadian airline industry has kept an impeccable record for safety in the country
Captain, I salute you. There will be generations of Canadians born because you did the impossible. To fly the plane down from 27,000 feet with no fuel, and doing a rapid descent flying like a glider took some major nuts. You and your co-pilot demonstrated incredible problem solving skills. Salute to your co-pilot and crew, and the air traffic controller. I am amazed. God Bless from America.
Except for putting all the blame on that poor slob who made the clerical error, and not saving some blame for the idiot designers who didnt put a fuel gauge in the cockpit.
Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all the compliments and kind words I've received. I couldn't have done it without Maurice Quintal, the cabin crew, ATC, and Rick. I'd also like to thank Peen peller, Lindsay Arthur, and Steve Thompson.
I know this was 40 years ago, but this miraculous landing should have been commemorated. That was the ultimate display of intelligence, quick thinking, & bravery, and in midst of impossible odds. Bravo to all involved in bringing this plane down without any fatalities. You are true heroes in every sense of the word.👏👏👏
@@tyson31415 there is a movie about this landing, Falling from the Sky Flight 174. Not a high dollar movie but Captain Pearson makes a cameo in it. movie is on you tube.
Read his comment. It was a team effort by all. Not to take away from the Captain but all played a roll esp 1st officer doing all calculations from ATC.
Captain and Air Traffic Controllers who helped get them to that runway. Without their quick adjustments, the flight would have taken a very different scenario that may not have ended so well.
My sister was a flight attendant for air Canada at the time. She was supposed to be on this flight but got called in for a flight the night before and so was switched out for another flight attendant for your flight. Your skill is unmeasured and to be admired thank you for your heroic actions along with everyone involved. ❤
This was one of the greatest displays of airmanship ever recorded. Anyone who can side slip a 767 and land it without the nose gear, saving everyone on board deserves the Sully Award. When they said they plane had half the fuel it needed it was like a light bulb went off when I thought about a pound being about half a kg, there's the mistake.
@@julietcunningham852 crazy how many things went wrong/right that day. Also, the rest of the world, at least in aviation nowadays, uses pounds/feet to measure altitude and fuel.
@@julietcunningham852 arrogance is usually what gets your head blown off, you drown or your car flips over. Our humility suits an opinion much better, especially you’re a no body, no body needs to ingratiate themselves with.
Having worked as a flight attendant and 3 emergency landings in a year. It's a gut-wrenching experience. Every day is a gift. Kudos to the crew and captain who dealt with this as best they could.
I saw an earlier production of this story. The pilot had a hobby of gliding and was exceptionally good at it. He credited this experience with helping get this safe landing. What an amazingly trained pilot he was. He was an exceptional hero.
Sideslips are not specifically a glider maneuver. It’s taught to even the most basic private pilot certification. They played up the association of this maneuver to his glider skills to sell the story better.
@@cloudserph well, yes, but mostly no. :p See, it's true that maneuver is doable in many vehicles, but, you're not going to learn it doing type training for a 737. This is one of the few scenarios where it's useful. In normal operation a side slip is more likely to cause the jet to STALL. This pilot knew how to perform the maneuver because he had practice as a glider pilot.
An incredible story. Putting a jet liner in a sideslip like that, with no engines! Never been tried before. Then he puts it right on the runway. Jeepers, give that crew a medal.
The response from him "Okay" show a great trust in his first pilot. He was scared too, but he didn't question his first pilot nor did he protest. This is trust.
This pilot and crew used every resource they had to deal with this devastating landing. The pilot to me is a hero. Everyone lived and has a different perspective of life.
@@AFuller2020Because the fuel pump failed. How is that their fault? Edit: It did not fail, they failed to convert volume to mass on the computer and didn’t have enough fuel, so it was pilot error.
@veryslyfox Indeed. Looking more into it, it appears their FQIS failed, so they used a dripstick but failed to properly convert the volume measurement to mass measurement, resulting in about half needed fuel to make the trip. You need to work on being more polite. I thought the fuel pump failed in this incident, I was mistaken and have now mentioned this. Everyone makes mistakes, the problem is that you lack a basic respect towards other people and immediately choose a hostile attitude. Be better. That attitude doesn’t fly in any career field.
Sully lands a powerless A320 on a river and becomes such an international megahero they make a movie about him. Pearson lands a powerless 767 by turning it into a 250 ton, 200 mph glider and all he gets is some news headlines and a TH-cam video. This guy should be the most famous pilot since Lindbergh, with streets and schools and babies all over Canada named after him.
Both of the men are heroes, yes Pearson should have seen a little more praise than what he did get. That’s because more people, news stations, and just activity in general is in New York, not some random town in Manitoba.
This also happened in the 80s . Sully is beyond amazing for what he did. Pearson definitely deserved more praise, he’s a G beyond Gs. Every person did their part. What an amazing story.
The pilots have received a lot of praise in the comments, let me be one of the firsts to praise the flight attendant. She is a professional, and a beauty.
I had never heard of this amazing landing of a commercial aircraft! The pilot did an outstanding job of acting with courage and skill under life and death pressure!
It's the Captain's job to check that the fuel is sufficient for the flight. He failed that day by not noticing the fuel error. You're not a hero if your error put the aircraft in a dangerous situation in the first place.
But seeing as how the fuel error happened all along the chain of events, it’s not like the error stood out to him or anyone. It was a sneaky error that would have been missed by most.
@C K again, it wasn't his training to work it into kilograms. That is AIR CANADA'S fault, not the pilots. Apparently, you like slagging on real heroes. What happened in your childhood??
Perhaps the most compelling video I've ever seen. I was a cabin crew member on TWA at that time and had one experience where I had to prep passengers for an emergency landing/ditching over the Atlantic but we had nothing like this. We landed without incident in Gander NF. This is perhaps the most skilled crew I could ever imagine and my thoughts were with every step they took. I did recall that as Flight Service Manager doing that emergency I went into autopilot mode. The training took over in me, crew and passengers responded flawlessly. That's what I saw here except the boldness and creativity of this Captain is virtually off the charts. Amazing job all and great interviews. Thank you so much for this powerful learning experience.
Yeah, biggest miracle here! The PLANE survived! It was an emergency landing but it was not a CRASH landing. C-GAUN went on to serve out the rest of it's planned service life. Pearson and several others who were there that day took one last trip on it's final flight before it was retired.
Excellent pilot, be prepared for the worst, look back at all of your experiences and make a call. His glider experience was a big part of what made this work.
I find it "EXTREMELY" amazing how these pilots can remain cool, calm, and collected during an experience like this. I think if it were me in those pilot's seats, I would be looking for a parachute in sheer panic mode..LOL... We have to give these pilots the utmost respect and admiration as we would any hero. They are definitely a special breed of human beings. I am so thrilled that no one lost their lives in this crash.
I suspect the ability to remain calm is why they're commercial pilots in the first place. People like you and I wouldn't qualify in the 1st place. Either that or they were too busy just piloting to panic! 😂
I just found out that Rick Dion passed away in 2009, less than a year after this episode was first aired. I'm really grateful that he got the chance to give an interview. As for Maurice Quintal, he passed away in 2015. Interestingly, while checking if Bob Pearson was still alive, I found out there were two Montreal-based Air Canada captains named Bob Pearson. The one featured in this episode was nicknamed "Gimli Bob" and appears to be alive, and the other, who passed away in 2019, was nicknamed "Captain Bob".
Speaking of Rick Dion, after years had passed since he and Bob Pearson's wife had died, a reunion was held to commemorate 30 years since the Gimli glider incident It was there where Bob met Pearl, Rick's wife, they have been together 10 years since then.
Funny how we all cheered for Scully, landing in the river. He even got a movie. But this guy also performed a miracle. I only know about it because the story was in a Flying magazine at the time. What a story!
Well this happen in 1983 there was a movie about it but less known since sully landing was in 2009 so it was more recent… but if you have interested in aviation stories this one is a classic with also air transat flight 236.
The relatively safe landing was amazing, and brought a tear to my eye. Catharsis after a so dangerous situation resulted in saving all those souls on board. Thank God and the pilots. SAE to Metric, who knew?
@@AFuller2020You telling me that you’ve never made any mistake, ever, while at work/school/life in general? Especially when changing from a system you’ve been using your whole life to a totally new system?
This is why I have so much respect for pilots. I really admire them. Definitely some of the most technically sound people in the world. Hats off to them all, especially these two. Great work!!!
I'm Canadian and worked in the medical field, and I can say that changing to the metric system in Canada threw a lot of us into chaos! We would calculate and recalculate drug dosages to make sure we were correct on stuff. It was definitely a learning curve for everyone.
That landing earns a Purple Heart equivalent. To be able to stay calm and in control of your emotions and nerves in that circumstance while carrying out that maneuver on a 767……perfect. Absolutely perfect. Well done, sir.
As a glider pilot I trained in side slips. One day giving a ride to a non pilot friend I needed to slip a good amount of altitude. I knew the "feeling" was extremely unnatural so I gave him a preliminary "This is going to feel very strange" before I set her sideways. The passengers on this flight must have really thought it was over.
Yeah, NO ONE trains in it because, as Mentour pointed out in his video, a side slip can actually cause the engines to flame out if you do it during normal operations.
Don’t know why they add electrical power resvoites that would add a a emergency power source that stands alone at each not attached to the fuel source pump lines
Bob Pearson is an Amazing man who not only landed a 747 with no engines, but had knowledge of drifting planes which helped. HERO Pearson, a name that should be known throughout our country.
Wow, just wow. Has to be one of the most nail-biting, suspenseful near air disaster videos I’ve seen. The skill of the pilots was awesome-thank goodness they are so skilled and well trained.
Courage and spectacular control of the plane. These pilots (so well prepared and patient) definitely DESERVE the largest Medals of Bravery. Mind blowing video. They saved all of those lives by thinking clearly. Thanks for sharing.
What saved the plane and all the passengers is the fact that the captain had a lot of experience with gliders which made him a much better aviator that understand how to control an aircraft on the trashhold between stalling and proper lift. And also God of course that helped him, the plane and the people on the ground
The 767 crew & ATC had a challenge that most people cannot imagine how to deal with a 767 glider. Outstanding experience to all members made this landing possible. Congratulation to all who were saved,
I have a new personal motto, based on this occurrence, "At times, in order to get things done successfully, you have to DO SOMETHING that's NEVER been DONE BEFORE."
These people are the true unsung heroes we have. I don't know everything but, I tell you.....people like this, dealing with this, and successfully pulling it off; These people are the ones that deserve some serious kudos.
That's amazing that he could fly that huge plane in a sideways position and land it safely. I can't imagine the stress the crew and passengers were going through. I live in Winnipeg and we go to Gimli with our 2 dogs every summer for something to do. It's a very pretty little town.
The Gimili glider. Been to that track and do recall this as I'm from Minnesota. Never forget hearing about it. The Gimili glider. Well known story here. LEGENDARY!!!! Bob Pearson. 👍
Repent to Jesus Christ “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV h
Wheeew! I love the episodes where no one dies and everyone looks back on what happened and laughs about it. The episodes where no one from the flight is there to interview suck…😢
I saw this on another channel. It's still devastating.but conceivable how it could happen. Things get through the cracks. We used to test for water in the fuel.
@@sharoncassell9358 Totally, I’m kinda amazed that accidents like this don’t happen more often which is why it should be mandatory that every airplane made have fuel tanks that can read how much fuel is actually in the tanks, not this crap where it takes the pilot’s word that he or she is punching in the right amount into the fuel computer, that’s a bunch of crap. Being a country like Canada that uses metric and standard (like the USA does) it was only a matter of time before an accident like this happened. I don’t even blame the fuel guy, they need to pick ONE unit of measurement and make everyone in the industry use it from then on. Having someone convert the numbers on a notepad is ridiculous.
I always break out in tears after watching these. What an incredible crew this flight had!! I really hope computers are doing all the calculations today because young people cannot count or do calculations on their own. Heaven forbid if they have to change anything from imperial to metric measurements.
I like the fact that even given the emergency situation with landing the pilot thought how he could save those two boys as well with some quick decisive action. That's truly heroic under the circumstances.
Bob Pearson is a great pilot, crabbing the aircraft to lose altitude without gaining airspeed was quick thinking. As pilots we’re all taught this maneuver, but I didn’t think of it watching the episode.
I was a 13 year old kid living in Portage la Prairie MB when this happened. I think every Canadian around my age or a bit older knows the story of, or at least ABOUT, the Gimli Glider. This must be an older episode, since the aircraft itself was retired in 2008 and subsequently scrapped in 2014. On board for its final flight to the boneyard in California were Captains Bob Pearson and Maurice Quintal, and 3 other individuals who were serving as flight crew during the original incident.
Yeah, this is old. It was on this same channel like 2 years ago. I've seen it half a dozen times, and about to watch it again. I'll always believe that crop dusters and gliders are some of the best pilots to have flying your plane in the event of a sticky situation.
This should be a movie. Great story and I was pleased to learn Air Canada stepped up that it presented an opportunity for training. I was surprised the impact was light enough to restore the plane. Those pilots should be decorated!!
Having grown up in Winnipeg I have been to Gimli countless times. I have been to the exact spot the plane landed at. If you take a walk along the pier at the Gimli Harbour, the wall of the pier is lined with murals painted by artists, there is one in memory of this even depicting the aircraft as she was coming down on the drag strip with the boys on bicycles off in the distance. Those pilots were absolute heros. I can only imagine the sheer terror of the passengers when the plane went into that slip. I am sure they all thought they were falling out of the sky and would soon be dead. Had there been any other pilots in that cockpit surly there would have been casualties.
When I first saw this on the Air Disasters series, I was on the edge of my seat, and cheered at the end; filled with admiration for the crew. What a story! I loved, loved, loved that somebody that designed the plane thought about, "What if the plane loses all power?"
My grandparents were 2 of the passengers on this flight I remember my grand father saying this was the first time in his life he was scared on a plane and he flew f4 phantoms during the Vietnam war into combat
I imagine the fact that he wasn't in control of what was happening and didn't know what was causing the problem could make that situation much more terrifying.
Bob Pearson and Maurice Quintal deserve the Order of Canada. That glide manoeuvre was as spectacular as Sully's landing on the Hudson River. I do remember this incident, but I don't remember hearing a huge explosion of well deserved praise the likes of which Sully received. We Canadians need to make much more fuss of our own heroes. I salute these men for their gutsy intuitive and creative solutions to a multi problem situation.
What an amazing story with heroic people all around. The pilots even saved the plane itself from burning after making sure all the people were safe. Just fantastic!
What has been the most memorable episode from Mayday for you?
Air France trying to land during a bad thunderstorm here in my hometown of Toronto. I remember watching it live on TV as a kid hoping everyone was getting off the plane. I'll never forget driving by the crash site on a nearby highway seeing what's left of the plane.
Flying on Empty. Everybody lived and it was great flying.
@@xjcrossx Same here. The incident (Air Transat flight 236) had happened only two years before. Plus, as I lived in Montreal back then and Air Transat was a local airline, that particular episode caught the most media attention at the time.
This one, having grown up in Winnipeg and spent countless days in Gimli, i have been to the exact spot this aircraft landed. The story if the Gimli Glider is a bit of a legend here. There is even a mural of this incident painted on the wall of the Gimli Harbour pier depicting the aircraft as she was coming down on the strip with the two boys on bicycles off in the distance.
This one, The Gimili Glider.
Pilot wasn't worried until he was on the ground and saw the boys on the runway. That's skill under pressure, beautiful.
Highly focused in the moment and human spirit of survival and duty.
Quick thinking at its finest!!! This pilot is next level!!!! Makes the stress of 30+ students in my Kindergarten class non-existent!!!
He should have worried before he took off and then not taken off.
😂 dads joke was made on the boys emotion.
@@davidquinn9676 😂 he is an actor why he should be worried if he knows that he is simulating aircraft operations on ground
Whoever came up with the emergency wind turbine that pops out when the power dies is a freaken genius
It’s called the RAT. They’re so loud you can hear em from like 2 football fields away. I’m a mechanic.
That’s some Inspector Gadget engineering, but it saved almost 70 lives.
Why is that “genius”? Genius would be buffering foam released around the plane.
@@yorocco1arrogance
@@al69420 what makes the noise in the ground?
Slipping a commercial aircraft successfully saving 69 people is CRAZY!!!!! Im an crew chief in the US air force and this completely blows me away. Bob Pearson should be known around the world.
Yes he should be known around the world!
This man drifted a passenger jet with no engines and landed with no casualties. What a boss!
nice slideslip bro
"Well, I guess I'll slip it."
Daaah DON DAAAAH!
@@andyevans9967 Flex
F it we ball mentality paid off in spades.
That too on a drag strip 😂
Slips a 767 at 3000ft and nobody knows his name. Bob Pearson should be a name EVERY Airman should know. Well done, Captain 💪
I understand..I’m slipping the plane a member of project mayhem has a name. His name is Robert Pearson. His name is Robert Pearson.
They named the Toronto Airport after him “ Pearson International “ ‼️‼️🇨🇦
Unfortunately it wasn’t named after Bob Pearson. ‘The airport was officially renamed Lester B. Pearson International Airport in 1984, in honour of Toronto-born Lester B. Pearson, the 14th prime minister of Canada’
@@Bthkful yes , I did know that …. I was just having some fun 🇨🇦
I was just waitng for the "I told you so"... a good reminder of the obvious. We chuckle sometmes. Enjoy these open open forums. Everybody has a "say."😂.Sometimes, I think that it's just me...often, it"s the "me" fr many yrs ago.😂.
Bob Pearson and the late Maurice Quintal should be nominated for the Order of Canada.
These are the people we should be seeing and get to hear more than the criminal and murderous politicians and business executives on our news screens. That whole electeonics system.was probably pushed onto the market to make profit and care wasn't given to train on it or at least give information on it. Man is inadequate no matter how smart we think we are intellectually!!!
Both are dead, Pearson went first
@@ontheroad8149No Quintal did in 2015.
@@evanshiong3557 Rest In Peace to those Pilots
They probably would of done if they wasnt partly to blame.
Why have I never heard of this miracle. What piloting! No one died and he landed a 767 with both engines out! Wow! Amazing!
I never heard of it either until now.
Got a Guiness record for longest airliner glide with no engines, to boot, I think
Happened in Canadian mid west …. Kinda quiet out there ‼️‼️🤣🤣
Even more the aircraft was repaired and placed back into service to fly until January 2008. The aircraft was scrapped in 2014 after unsuccessful attempts to sell it at auction.
We know, we watched the video! Boing!!!
I worked at an autoparts store in 2007. my employer was working for Air Canada. But after 9/11 happened. He was removed as an airline pilot and given a position of doing preflight security screening of passengers checking over names in a no flight list. He also transferred during the holiday season each year to various airports across the country and frequently replaced other airport staff during their scheduled vacation breaks. Some of the little stories he shared at my workplace were quite extraordinary. It takes a great deal of patience and smooth thinking to run the airline industry and deal with angry passengers and customers during flight delays and cancellations. So far, the Canadian airline industry has kept an impeccable record for safety in the country
☠️
Captain, I salute you. There will be generations of Canadians born because you did the impossible. To fly the plane down from 27,000 feet with no fuel, and doing a rapid descent flying like a glider took some major nuts. You and your co-pilot demonstrated incredible problem solving skills.
Salute to your co-pilot and crew, and the air traffic controller.
I am amazed. God Bless from America.
Remarkable flying!!
I think this is easily the best Mayday episode. It has everything: great CPM, great airmanship, great plot twist, and a great ending.
Except for putting all the blame on that poor slob who made the clerical error, and not saving some blame for the idiot designers who didnt put a fuel gauge in the cockpit.
I agree. It's an amazing true story, real and honest, and exceptionally well told.
Airmanship? They couldn't read the fuel doc and they RAN OUT OF GAS...I don't even run out of gas in my vehicle.
@@AFuller2020 yeah, since a car is more simple than a plane... It takes years of training to fly a plane.
CPM?
Thank you, everyone. I appreciate all the compliments and kind words I've received. I couldn't have done it without Maurice Quintal, the cabin crew, ATC, and Rick. I'd also like to thank Peen peller, Lindsay Arthur, and Steve Thompson.
you're welcome you are a hero
Bravo 🥰
It goes to prove "that we perform how we practice". Everyone that day performed as trained. Super job!!!
Team work works!
@@cameronpickard7456 GOD IS THE HERO
Bob Pearson is a superhero. Goat of all Goats. King of the air. Boss of all Bosses. Salute Sir
Love this
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I know this was 40 years ago, but this miraculous landing should have been commemorated. That was the ultimate display of intelligence, quick thinking, & bravery, and in midst of impossible odds. Bravo to all involved in bringing this plane down without any fatalities. You are true heroes in every sense of the word.👏👏👏
Thank you for your post!!!!
If it was an American pilot we'd already have a movie about it :p
Well said
God didn't want to waste a great hero and over-qualified aviator.
@@tyson31415 there is a movie about this landing, Falling from the Sky Flight 174. Not a high dollar movie but Captain Pearson makes a cameo in it. movie is on you tube.
Bob Pearson is an amazing pilot. He saved all 61 passengers and 8 crew. Without him they all would have died.
Read his comment. It was a team effort by all. Not to take away from the Captain but all played a roll esp 1st officer doing all calculations from ATC.
Way to go bob
And they still demoted him for 6 months 😒
WTF?!?!@@Mrpuggo0322
Amazing!
This dude drifted a whole ass plane onto a drag strip only feet from two kids on bikes like an 80s movie come to life.
I was in US Naval Air for four years. All I can say about the pilot is that he truly is a real STUD. Far more impressive than even a Gretzky Hat Trick
@@shaunelijah2232 what do you mean in "U.S. naval air" for four years? You flew? Or you dealt with aircraft
The pilot took off without a working fuel gage. And didn't understand the equation used to convert depth of fuel to mass of fuel.
what's a Gretzky Hat Trick?
@@MrNickcafc 3 goals in one game scored by Wayne Gretzky
Captain Bob Pearson needs to be Internationally recognized for his quick wits.
I’ve watched hundreds of these and this Captain is something else. Absolutely astounding work.
This was even more impressive than Sully’s landing. Unbelievable.
Captain and Air Traffic Controllers who helped get them to that runway. Without their quick adjustments, the flight would have taken a very different scenario that may not have ended so well.
God Bless you Captain. You are a hero
Captain Bob Pearson needs a Eurobeat soundtrack wherever he goes
My sister was a flight attendant for air Canada at the time. She was supposed to be on this flight but got called in for a flight the night before and so was switched out for another flight attendant for your flight. Your skill is unmeasured and to be admired thank you for your heroic actions along with everyone involved. ❤
This was one of the greatest displays of airmanship ever recorded. Anyone who can side slip a 767 and land it without the nose gear, saving everyone on board deserves the Sully Award.
When they said they plane had half the fuel it needed it was like a light bulb went off when I thought about a pound being about half a kg, there's the mistake.
Think it's about time for the USA to join the rest of the world and go metric??????
@@julietcunningham852 crazy how many things went wrong/right that day. Also, the rest of the world, at least in aviation nowadays, uses pounds/feet to measure altitude and fuel.
@@julietcunningham852 arrogance is usually what gets your head blown off, you drown or your car flips over.
Our humility suits an opinion much better, especially you’re a no body, no body needs to ingratiate themselves with.
If US converts to metric, by the looks of the education system in the US, it will be one gigantic mess. I hope I'm already dead by that time.
The fuel gauges should have shown the tanks only half full. Why not have two layers of safety, instead of relying on someone's calculations!!!!
The pilots are heroes. Thank God no one was seriously hurt or killed.
God bless the United States of America
I’m 5 minutes in and not at all disappointed that I just read this spoiler. I’m quite relieved.
@@julievanderleest God is good. :D
@@marhawkman303 all the time! ❤️👆🏻
Good news. Spoiler alert
That pilot did a Tokyo Drift in the air, landed without nose gear, and avoided hitting two kids that were in the way of the landing. Like a BOSS.
He sure did!
Yup!
Yeeeeeees!!!!! I was literally gonna write this comment 😂😂😂. I'm no pilot, but as a Civic driver, I know drifting when I see it. He's a BOSS!
@@michellewilliams5533 I used to drive a Civic, stick shift, I know EXACTLY what you mean 😂
Doing a side slip in a passenger jet is unheard of but it worked
Captain Pierson and Captain Sully saved lives with outstanding flying abilities and both were experienced gliders too. Interesting. 😊
Very interesting indeed.
Things that make ya go hummmmm
How do I get to hear what they’re saying?
Don't forget Piché with Air Transat! Landed a plane with no engines, did a 360 degrees, and still landed safely at the airport!
Check out what Carlos Dardano did, he's an outstanding pilot as well!
The Captain and First Officer = REAL LIFE HEROS...
That was incredible.
Can you believe the Captain was actually demoted for not verifying the fuel properly?
@@danielnewman3441 Yes actually. He should have verified the fuel. The damage to the plane and drag strip could have been prevented.
@@danielnewman3441 Yes, they ran out of fuel....that's a big deal when you entire job is to keep the plane in the air, it requires fuel.
Absolute legend !! The real Top Gun guy
I watched an episode about this incident years ago, and it's stayed with me ever since. Flying this route last week brought back those memories.
Having worked as a flight attendant and 3 emergency landings in a year. It's a gut-wrenching experience. Every day is a gift. Kudos to the crew and captain who dealt with this as best they could.
@@Stormdiane God bless you and I'm sorry you went through 3 of these in a year. I'm sorry you went through any at all. Hugs
I would have quit after the 2nd...jm.
One of the greatest displays of non combat airmanship ever recorded.
Combat or non combat..... this is as good as it gets in my book. Legendary
Don't forget about the pilots who landed on the Hudson River and got everyone off.
I saw an earlier production of this story. The pilot had a hobby of gliding and was exceptionally good at it. He credited this experience with helping get this safe landing. What an amazingly trained pilot he was. He was an exceptional hero.
if that pilot had not been a glider pilot this would have had a much different ending, a true hero because of his knowledge
Pilot is a skilled glider pilot, co-pilot not only used to fly out of Gimli, but still has the info to be able to call them and talk to them.
@@marhawkman303 the Gimli runway is abandoned...
A pilot in a Cessna should be able to do the same thing.
Just because they're big they still glide and slip. Airplanes are airplanes.
Sideslips are not specifically a glider maneuver. It’s taught to even the most basic private pilot certification. They played up the association of this maneuver to his glider skills to sell the story better.
@@cloudserph well, yes, but mostly no. :p
See, it's true that maneuver is doable in many vehicles, but, you're not going to learn it doing type training for a 737. This is one of the few scenarios where it's useful. In normal operation a side slip is more likely to cause the jet to STALL. This pilot knew how to perform the maneuver because he had practice as a glider pilot.
An incredible story. Putting a jet liner in a sideslip like that, with no engines! Never been tried before. Then he puts it right on the runway. Jeepers, give that crew a medal.
Maurice Quintal is God’s actual name? No way.
@Thomas Woodward Should’ve been GOD is my foremost pilot then relying on my human capabilities… Nothing diverts GOD’s plan.
Yeah a diamond crusted 🥇
@Thomas Woodward as in his faith in Jesus
@@hassanhashi4091b87D6yu
47:17: Amazing! That pilot's glider experience made him the only one who could have pulled it off.
That pilot was INCREDIBLE!
This pilot deserves the Sully Award.
@@jamesstreet228 Most Definitely!!
@@jamesstreet228 Sully deserved the Pearson award.
They should've got fired or the mechanics who maintenance the plane ,,,besides it being exaggerated story
Your incredible
23:48 "Well... I guess I'll just slip it..." That look on Quintal's face... priceless.
*THIS.* ⬆️⬆️⬆️
That is what I remember most from this episode the first time I watched this.
The response from him "Okay" show a great trust in his first pilot. He was scared too, but he didn't question his first pilot nor did he protest. This is trust.
This and the cactus 1549 flight are testaments that knowledge and experience can save countless lives. These pilots deserve all the medals
This pilot and crew used every resource they had to deal with this devastating landing. The pilot to me is a hero. Everyone lived and has a different perspective of life.
Amen
Accept they ran out of gas...it's their fault.
@@AFuller2020Because the fuel pump failed. How is that their fault?
Edit: It did not fail, they failed to convert volume to mass on the computer and didn’t have enough fuel, so it was pilot error.
@veryslyfox Indeed. Looking more into it, it appears their FQIS failed, so they used a dripstick but failed to properly convert the volume measurement to mass measurement, resulting in about half needed fuel to make the trip.
You need to work on being more polite. I thought the fuel pump failed in this incident, I was mistaken and have now mentioned this. Everyone makes mistakes, the problem is that you lack a basic respect towards other people and immediately choose a hostile attitude. Be better. That attitude doesn’t fly in any career field.
Sully lands a powerless A320 on a river and becomes such an international megahero they make a movie about him.
Pearson lands a powerless 767 by turning it into a 250 ton, 200 mph glider and all he gets is some news headlines and a TH-cam video.
This guy should be the most famous pilot since Lindbergh, with streets and schools and babies all over Canada named after him.
Both of the men are heroes, yes Pearson should have seen a little more praise than what he did get. That’s because more people, news stations, and just activity in general is in New York, not some random town in Manitoba.
Probably because the Gimli Glider happened 40 years ago. The Miracle on the Hudson was only 15 years ago and happened in the age of social media
Sully was nothing
This also happened in the 80s .
Sully is beyond amazing for what he did.
Pearson definitely deserved more praise, he’s a G beyond Gs.
Every person did their part. What an amazing story.
@@michpackfan Nothing? How many jet airliners have you landed in a river without killing anybody?
Give the man the respect he deserves.
The pilots have received a lot of praise in the comments, let me be one of the firsts to praise the flight attendant. She is a professional, and a beauty.
I had never heard of this amazing landing of a commercial aircraft! The pilot did an outstanding job of acting with courage and skill under life and death pressure!
RIGHT! Mentour Pilot also did a video on it from a pilots perspective!
My Dad always says Any landing you can walk away from is a good one. Even a landing with no engines.
Both Pilots deserve such recognition. They both kept their composure and Pilot Bob Pearson is a Maverick, top gun! GOD Bless them both.
It's the Captain's job to check that the fuel is sufficient for the flight. He failed that day by not noticing the fuel error. You're not a hero if your error put the aircraft in a dangerous situation in the first place.
But seeing as how the fuel error happened all along the chain of events, it’s not like the error stood out to him or anyone. It was a sneaky error that would have been missed by most.
@C K again, it wasn't his training to work it into kilograms. That is AIR CANADA'S fault, not the pilots.
Apparently, you like slagging on real heroes. What happened in your childhood??
Perhaps the most compelling video I've ever seen. I was a cabin crew member on TWA at that time and had one experience where I had to prep passengers for an emergency landing/ditching over the Atlantic but we had nothing like this. We landed without incident in Gander NF. This is perhaps the most skilled crew I could ever imagine and my thoughts were with every step they took. I did recall that as Flight Service Manager doing that emergency I went into autopilot mode. The training took over in me, crew and passengers responded flawlessly. That's what I saw here except the boldness and creativity of this Captain is virtually off the charts. Amazing job all and great interviews. Thank you so much for this powerful learning experience.
My favorite episodes are when the passengers think they're going to die but everyone survives including the plane when it lands in one piece.
Yeah, biggest miracle here! The PLANE survived! It was an emergency landing but it was not a CRASH landing. C-GAUN went on to serve out the rest of it's planned service life. Pearson and several others who were there that day took one last trip on it's final flight before it was retired.
@SpaceAce100 I am sure everyone who needed therapy got it, whatever kind of therapy the passengers needed.
It's a rare episode of this series where not only did nobody die, but the plane even took off again.
Excellent pilot, be prepared for the worst, look back at all of your experiences and make a call. His glider experience was a big part of what made this work.
I find it "EXTREMELY" amazing how these pilots can remain cool, calm, and collected during an experience like this. I think if it were me in those pilot's seats, I would be looking for a parachute in sheer panic mode..LOL... We have to give these pilots the utmost respect and admiration as we would any hero. They are definitely a special breed of human beings. I am so thrilled that no one lost their lives in this crash.
I suspect the ability to remain calm is why they're commercial pilots in the first place. People like you and I wouldn't qualify in the 1st place. Either that or they were too busy just piloting to panic! 😂
And that's why they don't have parachutes on commercial airplanes
They learn it.
Please don’t do any profession where lives depend on you
Lol no for real! I would start crying and screaming and run out the emergency exit 🤣
I just found out that Rick Dion passed away in 2009, less than a year after this episode was first aired. I'm really grateful that he got the chance to give an interview. As for Maurice Quintal, he passed away in 2015.
Interestingly, while checking if Bob Pearson was still alive, I found out there were two Montreal-based Air Canada captains named Bob Pearson. The one featured in this episode was nicknamed "Gimli Bob" and appears to be alive, and the other, who passed away in 2019, was nicknamed "Captain Bob".
This would be Gimli Bob. They said he trained there in the Air Force.
@@MunroMcLaren No that was Maurice Quintal who trained at Gimli
Speaking of Rick Dion, after years had passed since he and Bob Pearson's wife had died, a reunion was held to commemorate 30 years since the Gimli glider incident It was there where Bob met Pearl, Rick's wife, they have been together 10 years since then.
@@jethro1963wow!
@@jethro1963oh wow WTH. That’s weird & cute at the same time 😅
Captain Bob Pearson is a true life HERO! My upmost respect to you sir 🫡
I remember this happening. What a lifesaving job by the pilot. Thank goodness for his glider experience.
Funny how we all cheered for Scully, landing in the river. He even got a movie. But this guy also performed a miracle. I only know about it because the story was in a Flying magazine at the time. What a story!
Well this happen in 1983 there was a movie about it but less known since sully landing was in 2009 so it was more recent… but if you have interested in aviation stories this one is a classic with also air transat flight 236.
Praise God !!! The pilots were on point !!! By the way , the acting on this video was better than most Hollywood movies . Great job !!!
That pilot was INCREDIBLE!. The Captain and First Officer = REAL LIFE HEROS....
What a pilot simply amazing; I believe because of his brilliant thinking and guts, he saved many lives on that faithful day.
Bob Pearson and the flight crew were all heroes and did an amazing job. GOD was their in the cockpit with them.
MAN THAT PILOT DESERVES AN OSCAR, MEDAL OF HONOR 🎖 AND EVERY OTHER MEDAL! BRAVO TO HIM!!!
The relatively safe landing was amazing, and brought a tear to my eye. Catharsis after a so dangerous situation resulted in saving all those souls on board. Thank God and the pilots. SAE to Metric, who knew?
An Oscar? Lol while I agree he was a hero, an Oscar has nothing to do with flying lol. And he would not deserve it just for being a hero haha
@@thickerconstrictor9037 Well... I was just excited 🤣
@@JustTuningIn fair enough, it was a very exciting landing. :p
He should have been fired for not checking his fuel allowance, the hype around pilots is disturbing, he's no Sully.
Two amazing angels of the sky! These heroes will never be forgotten. Thank you for your incredible bravery and courage! Canada proud!
That Captain and Co pilot are heros in my book thank God all are safe!!
One of the greatest displays of non combat airmanship ever recorded.. The Captain and First Officer = REAL LIFE HEROS....
The pilots and radar controller undoubtedly saved lives that day. They did a FANTASTIC job in a very scary situation.
If they had only calculated their fuel asset correctly the wouldn't have run out of gas and crashed.
They did calculate the fuel correctly, just in a different unit because nobody received the memo that "Hey, btw, we're Kg now, not Lbs"@@AFuller2020
@@AFuller2020You telling me that you’ve never made any mistake, ever, while at work/school/life in general? Especially when changing from a system you’ve been using your whole life to a totally new system?
@@AFuller2020That wasn't the job of the pilots or air traffic control, so that's not relevant to the comment.
Bob Pearson is a hero for sure, to pull that off is unbelievable !!
This is why I have so much respect for pilots. I really admire them. Definitely some of the most technically sound people in the world. Hats off to them all, especially these two. Great work!!!
I'm Canadian and worked in the medical field, and I can say that changing to the metric system in Canada threw a lot of us into chaos! We would calculate and recalculate drug dosages to make sure we were correct on stuff. It was definitely a learning curve for everyone.
That landing earns a Purple Heart equivalent. To be able to stay calm and in control of your emotions and nerves in that circumstance while carrying out that maneuver on a 767……perfect. Absolutely perfect. Well done, sir.
As a glider pilot I trained in side slips.
One day giving a ride to a non pilot friend I needed to slip a good amount of altitude.
I knew the "feeling" was extremely unnatural so I gave him a preliminary "This is going to feel very strange" before I set her sideways.
The passengers on this flight must have really thought it was over.
I did a side slip in an actual glider, but seeing it done on a large commercial airliner is something else.
Yeah, NO ONE trains in it because, as Mentour pointed out in his video, a side slip can actually cause the engines to flame out if you do it during normal operations.
Don’t know why they add electrical power resvoites that would add a a emergency power source that stands alone at each not attached to the fuel source pump lines
But it didn’t matter because there was no engines
Bob Pearson is an Amazing man who not only landed a 747 with no engines, but had knowledge of drifting planes which helped. HERO Pearson, a name that should be known throughout our country.
A 747 side slide. He used it all the time to slow down and not go around waiting to land.
For the Pilots to not know how to fly a 767, also to Save every passenger on board is so BEAUTIFUL!
Wow, just wow. Has to be one of the most nail-biting, suspenseful near air disaster videos I’ve seen. The skill of the pilots was awesome-thank goodness they are so skilled and well trained.
Courage and spectacular control of the plane. These pilots (so well prepared and patient) definitely DESERVE the largest Medals of Bravery. Mind blowing video. They saved all of those lives by thinking clearly. Thanks for sharing.
I just learned about Taca flight 110, which had a similar story in 1988. Absolutely riveting that these pilots are so well skilled. True heroes!!!
What saved the plane and all the passengers is the fact that the captain had a lot of experience with gliders which made him a much better aviator that understand how to control an aircraft on the trashhold between stalling and proper lift.
And also God of course that helped him, the plane and the people on the ground
Yeah god gave us all the tools needed to safely land a creation of our own. No need to intervene, if you set them up to win.
Those pilots where magnificent. Incredible bravery, creativity and skill.
The 767 crew & ATC had a challenge that most people cannot imagine how to deal with a 767 glider. Outstanding experience to all members made this landing possible. Congratulation to all who were saved,
I have a new personal motto, based on this occurrence,
"At times, in order to get things done successfully, you have to DO SOMETHING that's NEVER been DONE BEFORE."
this is the most amazing feat of aviation i've ever seen in my life
These people are the true unsung heroes we have. I don't know everything but, I tell you.....people like this, dealing with this, and successfully pulling it off; These people are the ones that deserve some serious kudos.
The Pilots are total Rockstars! The Crew, ATC's and passengers were awesome, as well! ✨️⭐️✨️
Favorite episode. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
amazing
The joy on the air traffic controller’s face said it all. This is an extraordinary story. I’m surprised I don’t recall it.
That's amazing that he could fly that huge plane in a sideways position and land it safely. I can't imagine the stress the crew and passengers were going through. I live in Winnipeg and we go to Gimli with our 2 dogs every summer for something to do. It's a very pretty little town.
The best episodes are the ones where the pilots save everyone or almost everyone with their skill
The Gimili glider. Been to that track and do recall this as I'm from Minnesota. Never forget hearing about it. The Gimili glider. Well known story here. LEGENDARY!!!! Bob Pearson. 👍
Riveting! Thank goodness the pilot could glide sideways to slow the plane down, and no one including the boys and families on the ground were hurt.
were those 2 naughty boys (boys of course!) interviewed?
Repent to Jesus Christ “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
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Wheeew! I love the episodes where no one dies and everyone looks back on what happened and laughs about it. The episodes where no one from the flight is there to interview suck…😢
I saw this on another channel. It's still devastating.but conceivable how it could happen. Things get through the cracks. We used to test for water in the fuel.
@@sharoncassell9358 Totally, I’m kinda amazed that accidents like this don’t happen more often which is why it should be mandatory that every airplane made have fuel tanks that can read how much fuel is actually in the tanks, not this crap where it takes the pilot’s word that he or she is punching in the right amount into the fuel computer, that’s a bunch of crap. Being a country like Canada that uses metric and standard (like the USA does) it was only a matter of time before an accident like this happened. I don’t even blame the fuel guy, they need to pick ONE unit of measurement and make everyone in the industry use it from then on. Having someone convert the numbers on a notepad is ridiculous.
@@frankthespankI agree. They should stick to one measurement
Can we talk about the guys on the race track coming up to help them? Love the fellowmanship there
I was not aware the extend pilots and crew demonstrate such professionalism. These pilots are true heroes.
I always break out in tears after watching these. What an incredible crew this flight had!! I really hope computers are doing all the calculations today because young people cannot count or do calculations on their own. Heaven forbid if they have to change anything from imperial to metric measurements.
Especially also in cooking w/a cookbook telling you measurements in metrics when you only know those terms in cups, teaspoons etc.
Amen to that! 😂
Yes. Most people born after 1980 seem to have a massive problem with even simple arithmetic.🙄
I like the fact that even given the emergency situation with landing the pilot thought how he could save those two boys as well with some quick decisive action. That's truly heroic under the circumstances.
The crew of this plane are legends. To bring a brand new 767 down safely with no engines is rare. What skill
Excellent quality documtary series..the pilots were outstanding
Bob Pearson is a great pilot, crabbing the aircraft to lose altitude without gaining airspeed was quick thinking. As pilots we’re all taught this maneuver, but I didn’t think of it watching the episode.
I remember watching this series on TV a long time ago with my grandpa. We loved it.
I was a 13 year old kid living in Portage la Prairie MB when this happened. I think every Canadian around my age or a bit older knows the story of, or at least ABOUT, the Gimli Glider. This must be an older episode, since the aircraft itself was retired in 2008 and subsequently scrapped in 2014. On board for its final flight to the boneyard in California were Captains Bob Pearson and Maurice Quintal, and 3 other individuals who were serving as flight crew during the original incident.
Interesting. Thanks for the update.
Yeah, this is old. It was on this same channel like 2 years ago. I've seen it half a dozen times, and about to watch it again. I'll always believe that crop dusters and gliders are some of the best pilots to have flying your plane in the event of a sticky situation.
This should be a movie. Great story and I was pleased to learn Air Canada stepped up that it presented an opportunity for training. I was surprised the impact was light enough to restore the plane. Those pilots should be decorated!!
It was, they made a Tv movie in 1995 starring William Devane called "Freefall Flight 174".
wow what man Bob Pearson was. Hats off sir. That side slip saved the lives.
Incredible airmanship, and great performance by the controllers as well
Having grown up in Winnipeg I have been to Gimli countless times. I have been to the exact spot the plane landed at. If you take a walk along the pier at the Gimli Harbour, the wall of the pier is lined with murals painted by artists, there is one in memory of this even depicting the aircraft as she was coming down on the drag strip with the boys on bicycles off in the distance. Those pilots were absolute heros. I can only imagine the sheer terror of the passengers when the plane went into that slip. I am sure they all thought they were falling out of the sky and would soon be dead. Had there been any other pilots in that cockpit surly there would have been casualties.
When I first saw this on the Air Disasters series, I was on the edge of my seat, and cheered at the end; filled with admiration for the crew. What a story!
I loved, loved, loved that somebody that designed the plane thought about, "What if the plane loses all power?"
My grandparents were 2 of the passengers on this flight I remember my grand father saying this was the first time in his life he was scared on a plane and he flew f4 phantoms during the Vietnam war into combat
I imagine the fact that he wasn't in control of what was happening and didn't know what was causing the problem could make that situation much more terrifying.
Thanks for your service!
Proud to have Canadian relatives!
That is what you call a Top Gun pilot only on a commercial jet. He is a hero and right up there with Skully.
Bob Pearson and Maurice Quintal deserve the Order of Canada. That glide manoeuvre was as spectacular as Sully's landing on the Hudson River. I do remember this incident, but I don't remember hearing a huge explosion of well deserved praise the likes of which Sully received. We Canadians need to make much more fuss of our own heroes. I salute these men for their gutsy intuitive and creative solutions to a multi problem situation.
Pure Canadian genius everywhere. From Georges Saint-Pierre to the "Cirque du soleil" and even among airplane pilots.
This might be the ultimate perform under pressure moment.
That pilot pulled of the slickest move.
What an amazing story with heroic people all around. The pilots even saved the plane itself from burning after making sure all the people were safe. Just fantastic!