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00:00:00,834 --> 00:00:02,567
[Russ]
PanAm defined air travel.
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00:00:02,567 --> 00:00:04,800
And this accident
changed aviation forever.
3
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,934
And yet it has been
almost completely forgotten.
4
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:10,867
[Russ] Shortly after takeoff,
5
00:00:10,867 --> 00:00:13,667
he hears what he thinks
are explosions.
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00:00:13,667 --> 00:00:14,767
Nobody knows what to do.
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00:00:14,767 --> 00:00:17,433
So now I presume it's chaos.
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00:00:18,367 --> 00:00:20,100
We also find information
that can lead us
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00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:21,200
to where this happened.
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00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,767
We've actually discovered
here in the archive a map
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00:00:23,767 --> 00:00:25,266
showing the route
of the plane,
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00:00:25,266 --> 00:00:27,100
including where they think
it went down.
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00:00:27,100 --> 00:00:29,166
That indicates
the crash location?
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00:00:29,166 --> 00:00:30,533
Yes.
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So this aircraft is just
sitting in the deep somewhere?
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00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:34,667
[Russ] That's right.
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00:00:34,667 --> 00:00:35,900
Just waiting to be found.
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00:00:37,667 --> 00:00:38,667
[Josh] Show me this map.
19
00:00:38,667 --> 00:00:40,266
What did you find
in the archives?
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00:00:40,266 --> 00:00:41,200
[Russ] This is it.
21
00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:42,567
Or the technology
we're bringing to bear,
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this is going to give us
the best chance
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to find Clipper Endeavor.
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00:00:46,467 --> 00:00:48,166
Conditions don't look great.
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00:00:48,166 --> 00:00:49,433
Wind is picking up.
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00:00:50,166 --> 00:00:51,667
Getting bad out.
27
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Can we sonar scan in this?
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00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:54,800
[man]
We're going to go for it.
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00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,300
[Josh] There's something
wrong out there.
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00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:57,767
Ooh, what is that?
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[Russ] Let's see what it is.
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Heading down.
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00:01:01,266 --> 00:01:03,000
Oh, oh, oh, something there.
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What is that?
35
00:01:17,700 --> 00:01:20,467
[woman]
Please take a moment to find
the exit nearest to you.
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00:01:20,467 --> 00:01:22,900
In the unlikely event
of a water landing,
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00:01:22,900 --> 00:01:25,500
you'll find a flotation device
beneath your seat.
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00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:27,767
We hear this announcement
on every flight.
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00:01:27,767 --> 00:01:29,100
Many people tune it out.
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But the pre-flight
safety briefing
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00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,567
has saved countless lives.
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And yet,
it wasn't always there.
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00:01:34,867 --> 00:01:38,300
We can trace its origin
back to one tragic accident.
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On April 11, 1952,
PanAm Airways Clipper Endeavor
45
00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:47,367
departs from San Juan,
Puerto Rico,
46
00:01:47,367 --> 00:01:51,800
a routine flight bound for
New York with 69 souls aboard.
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00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,066
And nine terrifying
minutes later,
48
00:01:57,066 --> 00:01:59,600
the plane crashes
into the Atlantic.
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00:02:05,166 --> 00:02:08,867
Miraculously,
everyone on board
survives the impact.
50
00:02:08,867 --> 00:02:12,367
And that could and should be
the end of the story.
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00:02:12,367 --> 00:02:16,100
But the passengers haven't
received a safety briefing.
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00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:17,867
And many panic.
53
00:02:17,867 --> 00:02:20,800
In the chaos, 52 people drown.
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00:02:22,767 --> 00:02:25,967
This disaster
changed aviation forever.
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00:02:25,967 --> 00:02:28,266
Every time you fly,
you are safer
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00:02:28,266 --> 00:02:30,200
because of what happened
to this plane
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00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,000
and her passengers
70 years ago.
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00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,266
Yet despite the small area in
which it could have crashed,
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00:02:36,266 --> 00:02:38,800
Clipper Endeavor
has never been found.
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00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:42,266
A phantom lost
in incredibly deep water
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00:02:42,266 --> 00:02:45,066
thousands of feet
beneath the waves.
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But all that may be
about to change.
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00:02:47,300 --> 00:02:50,967
A group of aircraft hunters
known as Air Sea Heritage
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00:02:50,967 --> 00:02:53,567
has just discovered
long-lost documents
65
00:02:53,567 --> 00:02:56,000
and forgotten
eyewitness accounts.
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Pinpointing the location
of the plane
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00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,367
and with a state-of-the-art
research vessel
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00:03:00,367 --> 00:03:02,367
armed with
high-resolution sonar
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00:03:02,367 --> 00:03:04,367
and a remotely
operated vehicle,
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the team is about to launch
a mission to scour the seabed
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00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,600
off the coast of Puerto Rico.
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00:03:10,867 --> 00:03:13,600
So ladies and gentlemen,
please fasten your seatbelts
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00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:15,867
and place your seatbacks
and tray tables
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00:03:15,867 --> 00:03:18,000
in their full
upright position.
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00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,767
We'll be arriving shortly
in San Juan in search
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00:03:20,767 --> 00:03:24,734
of a legendary lost aircraft,
the Clipper Endeavor.
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The past is all around us.
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Oh, this is crazy.
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A world of mystery...
80
00:03:33,567 --> 00:03:34,667
This is a plane.
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00:03:34,667 --> 00:03:35,767
-[man] Yeah.
-[laughs]
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...danger...
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00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:38,867
We are about to be underwater.
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00:03:38,867 --> 00:03:39,800
Whoa!
85
00:03:40,867 --> 00:03:42,133
...and adventure.
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00:03:44,266 --> 00:03:46,233
It's just straight down!
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00:03:47,367 --> 00:03:49,500
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
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I travel to the far corners
of the Earth
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to uncover where legends end.
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[screams, laughs]
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...and history begins.
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Okay, let's punch in.
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00:04:00,467 --> 00:04:01,767
I'm Josh Gates,
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00:04:01,767 --> 00:04:05,800
and this
is Expedition Unknown.
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00:04:10,166 --> 00:04:12,800
Hola from sunny San Juan,
Puerto Rico,
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00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,166
where my search for
the lost Clipper Endeavor
is officially on.
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00:04:17,166 --> 00:04:20,967
Spanish for "rich port,"
Puerto Rico is exactly that.
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00:04:20,967 --> 00:04:25,300
A swashbuckling stunner and a
treasure trove of history.
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00:04:25,867 --> 00:04:27,367
Nope, it's still not a state
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00:04:27,367 --> 00:04:28,900
and still not sure
it wants to be.
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00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:30,867
But this is the only
American territory
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00:04:30,867 --> 00:04:33,867
that Christopher Columbus
ever actually visited.
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00:04:33,867 --> 00:04:36,600
The pastel painted streets
of old San Juan
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00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,800
are bursting with color,
a healthy dose of humidity,
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00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,767
and Caribbean flavor.
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00:04:41,767 --> 00:04:43,667
And keeping guard
over the city
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00:04:43,667 --> 00:04:47,867
is a 500-year-old
Spanish fortress at Morro Bay.
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00:04:47,867 --> 00:04:50,400
Back in the 1950s,
San Juan was in the midst
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00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,400
of one of its
many transformations.
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As the economy shifted
from agriculture to industry,
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00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,266
hundreds of thousands
of Puerto Ricans
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00:04:57,266 --> 00:04:59,166
left seeking higher wages.
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00:04:59,166 --> 00:05:00,967
Now many of them
landed in New York.
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00:05:00,967 --> 00:05:03,300
And for more on that,
see West Side Story.
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00:05:03,300 --> 00:05:04,700
[dramatic music playing]
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00:05:06,467 --> 00:05:09,467
Sorry, anyway, in this
rapidly modernizing world,
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00:05:09,467 --> 00:05:11,300
you've got Puerto Ricans
flying north,
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00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:13,166
and you've got jet-setters
on the mainland
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00:05:13,166 --> 00:05:15,767
flying south
to this tropical paradise.
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00:05:15,767 --> 00:05:20,300
Travel and tourism boomed,
and one airline led the way.
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00:05:21,266 --> 00:05:22,300
PanAm.
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00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:24,667
The airline that came
to define the glamour
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00:05:24,667 --> 00:05:28,567
and excitement of air travel
was also an airline of firsts.
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The first US airline
to operate
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00:05:30,567 --> 00:05:33,567
an international flight
in 1927.
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00:05:33,567 --> 00:05:35,767
The first to fly
a sitting president,
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00:05:35,767 --> 00:05:38,467
and the first to fly
around the world.
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00:05:38,467 --> 00:05:41,567
And in the 1950s,
PanAm developed
economy-class
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00:05:41,567 --> 00:05:44,667
passenger service to make
flying more affordable.
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00:05:44,667 --> 00:05:47,667
One Douglas DC-4,
dubbed the Clipper Endeavor,
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00:05:47,667 --> 00:05:49,000
was given the popular route
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00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,367
between New York
and Puerto Rico.
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00:05:51,367 --> 00:05:54,467
On April 11, 1952,
the company offered
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00:05:54,467 --> 00:05:59,467
a special $64 Easter fare
on Flight 526A
135
00:05:59,467 --> 00:06:01,800
for Puerto Ricans
eager to spend the holiday
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00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,967
with their family and friends
in New York.
137
00:06:03,967 --> 00:06:06,300
Unfortunately,
the flight never arrived.
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00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:09,400
Nine minutes
after Clipper Endeavor
took off from San Juan,
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00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,767
it soared overhead
and then crashed
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00:06:11,767 --> 00:06:14,233
somewhere out there
in the Atlantic Ocean.
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00:06:16,266 --> 00:06:19,567
For 72 years, she has remained
in water so deep
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00:06:19,567 --> 00:06:22,367
that no modern search
has ever been mounted.
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00:06:22,367 --> 00:06:24,667
Now, one team
is leading the charge
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00:06:24,667 --> 00:06:26,900
to find this legendary plane.
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00:06:26,900 --> 00:06:29,500
Outside the National Library
of Puerto Rico,
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00:06:29,500 --> 00:06:32,967
I meet fellow Explorers Club
member Russ Matthews.
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00:06:32,967 --> 00:06:34,567
-Josh. Hey!
-Hey!
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00:06:34,567 --> 00:06:36,166
-How are you, man?
-Good. Good to see ya.
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00:06:36,166 --> 00:06:37,300
Great to see you, too.
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00:06:37,300 --> 00:06:39,400
Russ is the president
and co-founder
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00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,467
of the Air Sea
Heritage Foundation,
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00:06:41,467 --> 00:06:44,867
dedicated to investigating and
preserving historical wrecks
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00:06:44,867 --> 00:06:48,400
related to aviation
and maritime history.
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00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,367
And that brings us
to PanAm Clipper Endeavor.
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00:06:51,367 --> 00:06:52,200
[Russ] That's right.
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00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:53,533
What got you interested
in this story?
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00:06:53,533 --> 00:06:56,467
-Well, I was actually
researching other incidents
-Yeah.
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00:06:56,467 --> 00:07:00,667
and came across
this story that I'd actually
never heard before.
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00:07:00,667 --> 00:07:02,266
I had never heard
of this either.
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00:07:02,266 --> 00:07:03,967
Which is crazy. I mean,
this is what we do.
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00:07:03,967 --> 00:07:05,000
-Right
-Yeah.
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[Russ] And, you know,
the more I looked into it,
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00:07:07,266 --> 00:07:09,567
the more and more compelling
it became.
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00:07:09,567 --> 00:07:12,000
This accident
changed aviation forever.
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00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,367
Right. And yet it has been
almost completely forgotten.
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00:07:15,367 --> 00:07:17,500
It has. We've been working
on this for five years.
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00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:18,867
Wow. Five years of research.
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00:07:18,867 --> 00:07:19,967
-That's right.
-Okay.
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Here, actually,
in the archives
here in Puerto Rico,
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00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,767
there is a wealth
of information.
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00:07:24,767 --> 00:07:26,000
There is a whole paper trail.
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And I think
within those documents
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are the keys
to finding this plane.
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00:07:29,367 --> 00:07:30,567
-Can I see it?
-Yeah. Let's go.
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00:07:30,567 --> 00:07:32,133
Come on.
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00:07:32,667 --> 00:07:36,667
The archive contains
over 90,000 cubic feet
of documents,
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00:07:36,667 --> 00:07:38,767
some dating back
to the 18th century.
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00:07:38,767 --> 00:07:40,367
All dedicated to preserving
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00:07:40,367 --> 00:07:42,867
the territory's history
and culture.
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00:07:42,867 --> 00:07:44,967
So, Josh, this is everything
they have on Clipper Endeavor.
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00:07:44,967 --> 00:07:46,767
-Wow.
-And you can see
it's considerable.
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00:07:46,767 --> 00:07:47,533
[Josh] Yeah.
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00:07:49,367 --> 00:07:51,266
So take me
through the archives.
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Take me through this accident.
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00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:54,700
I think a good place to start
is with the experience
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00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:56,867
of the passengers
who were on board.
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00:07:56,867 --> 00:08:00,166
[Josh] These files from
the initial investigation
contain evidence from
188
00:08:00,166 --> 00:08:02,500
the Civil Aeronautics Board,
the Coast Guard,
189
00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:07,900
and PanAm itself, spanning
a five-month inquiry in 1952.
190
00:08:07,900 --> 00:08:11,266
They also contain
the testimony of 17 survivors
191
00:08:11,266 --> 00:08:15,100
who paint a picture
of what happened
on that fateful day.
192
00:08:15,100 --> 00:08:18,133
So this is from a passenger
named Juan Cruz Nieves.
193
00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:20,700
Juan is 14 years old.
194
00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:23,300
He's traveling
for the first time
by air with his friend.
195
00:08:24,300 --> 00:08:25,967
Shortly after takeoff,
196
00:08:25,967 --> 00:08:28,767
he hears what he thinks
are explosions.
197
00:08:28,767 --> 00:08:30,900
[Josh] Right. It says,
"The first I knew
there was something wrong
198
00:08:30,900 --> 00:08:32,900
with the airplane was
when I felt it shudder."
199
00:08:33,867 --> 00:08:37,100
At 12:13 p.m.,
two minutes after takeoff,
200
00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:39,800
the still ascending plane
begins to shake.
201
00:08:41,266 --> 00:08:43,500
But nobody in the cabin
knows why.
202
00:08:45,066 --> 00:08:47,700
So we have another passenger
here, Nelda Rivera.
203
00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:49,000
"The plane doesn't seem
to be able
204
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:50,667
to gain sufficient altitude."
205
00:08:50,667 --> 00:08:53,266
So these passengers know
that something's wrong,
206
00:08:53,266 --> 00:08:55,266
-but maybe not exactly what.
-No.
207
00:08:55,266 --> 00:08:58,567
Nelda goes on to say,
"One of the crew came
through the door
208
00:08:58,567 --> 00:09:00,500
from the pilot's compartment
and shouted something
209
00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:02,467
in English
that I did not understand.
210
00:09:02,467 --> 00:09:04,367
And then sat down
in his seat very quickly."
211
00:09:04,367 --> 00:09:06,367
Most of the people
on the plane, again,
are from Puerto Rico,
212
00:09:06,367 --> 00:09:08,367
and a lot of them
don't speak English.
213
00:09:08,367 --> 00:09:10,667
So even with
the little information
that they're getting,
214
00:09:10,667 --> 00:09:12,100
they're not understanding.
215
00:09:12,100 --> 00:09:14,400
[Josh] The plane, just out
over open ocean,
216
00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,000
is already turning back
towards San Juan
217
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,634
when another loud noise
shakes the cabin.
218
00:09:20,667 --> 00:09:23,800
With minimal information
and even less communication,
219
00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,166
the passengers are unprepared
for the emergency landing
220
00:09:27,166 --> 00:09:29,300
that the pilots
are about to attempt.
221
00:09:36,266 --> 00:09:38,767
This is from
another passenger,
Emiliano Cruz Arroyo.
222
00:09:38,767 --> 00:09:40,667
He says he was standing
when the plane hit the water,
223
00:09:40,667 --> 00:09:43,066
"Was thrown against the seat
in front of mine.
224
00:09:43,066 --> 00:09:44,100
And the next thing I remember
225
00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:46,266
is that blood was coming
from my nose and mouth.
226
00:09:46,266 --> 00:09:47,066
Looked around for my friend,
227
00:09:47,066 --> 00:09:49,200
but I was not able
to find him."
228
00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:51,867
So chaos
when it hits the water.
229
00:09:51,867 --> 00:09:53,166
Yeah, confusion everywhere.
230
00:09:53,166 --> 00:09:55,367
[Josh] At 115 miles per hour,
231
00:09:55,367 --> 00:09:57,567
the plane has dived
into the Atlantic.
232
00:09:57,567 --> 00:10:01,400
Miraculously,
everyone on board
has survived the landing.
233
00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,300
But the disaster
has only just begun.
234
00:10:04,300 --> 00:10:08,200
The Clipper Endeavor
is now rapidly sinking
into the ocean.
235
00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,367
So does the plane break apart
when it hits the water?
236
00:10:11,367 --> 00:10:12,700
Yeah,
after the initial contact,
237
00:10:12,700 --> 00:10:14,266
the tail hits first
and separates.
238
00:10:14,266 --> 00:10:16,000
The first officer
didn't even know anything
239
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,367
until he looked out the window
and saw it floating away.
240
00:10:18,367 --> 00:10:20,667
-[Josh] Saw the tail
floating away?
-Yes.
241
00:10:20,667 --> 00:10:23,100
And the plane then sinks?
How fast?
242
00:10:23,100 --> 00:10:25,166
Two, three minutes tops.
243
00:10:25,166 --> 00:10:26,467
-Two, three minutes?
-Yes.
244
00:10:26,467 --> 00:10:28,166
-The entire plane's gone.
-That's it.
245
00:10:28,166 --> 00:10:30,266
So now I presume it's chaos.
246
00:10:30,266 --> 00:10:32,166
Yes, nobody knows what to do.
247
00:10:32,166 --> 00:10:34,100
-Right.
-They don't know where
to find their life jackets.
248
00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:35,600
They don't know where
the life rafts are.
249
00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:37,100
They don't know
where the exits are.
250
00:10:37,100 --> 00:10:40,867
They're looking out there
and realizing that, you know,
251
00:10:40,867 --> 00:10:42,567
not only are they
in the middle of this,
252
00:10:42,567 --> 00:10:45,266
you know, roiling ocean,
but it's...
253
00:10:45,266 --> 00:10:47,000
They know it's full of sharks.
254
00:10:48,567 --> 00:10:51,567
[Josh] Outside the plane,
these tropical waters
are teeming
255
00:10:51,567 --> 00:10:53,700
with 42 species of sharks,
256
00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:57,500
including known man-eaters
like bulls and tigers.
257
00:10:57,500 --> 00:11:01,867
15 knot winds
are also kicking up
12 foot tall waves.
258
00:11:01,867 --> 00:11:05,066
Some passengers are too scared
to disembark.
259
00:11:05,066 --> 00:11:06,166
And those life jackets,
260
00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:07,767
they're tucked into
the headrests
261
00:11:07,767 --> 00:11:09,500
of the seats
where most passengers
262
00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:11,600
don't know to look for them.
263
00:11:14,467 --> 00:11:15,867
This passenger, Gloria, says,
264
00:11:15,867 --> 00:11:17,567
"The flight attendant
opened the exit.
265
00:11:17,567 --> 00:11:20,300
People began going out
without their life jackets.
266
00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:22,467
If there were instructions
given about the life jackets,
267
00:11:22,467 --> 00:11:23,700
I did not hear them."
268
00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:25,767
I then grabbed my cousin
by the arm and tried
269
00:11:25,767 --> 00:11:27,367
to get her to leave the plane,
270
00:11:27,367 --> 00:11:29,166
but she was hysterical
and would not let go
271
00:11:29,166 --> 00:11:30,200
of the side of the exit,
272
00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:31,467
and I was not able
to get her out."
273
00:11:31,467 --> 00:11:32,634
[Russ] No.
274
00:11:33,467 --> 00:11:35,867
[Josh] This is from,
uh, Enrique Garcia.
275
00:11:35,867 --> 00:11:38,567
" I went to the emergency exit
behind me and went through it
276
00:11:38,567 --> 00:11:40,567
with my baby, six months old.
277
00:11:40,567 --> 00:11:42,000
I stayed on the wing
for a moment,
278
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,200
but a big wave
carried my baby away."
279
00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:45,400
Yeah.
280
00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:46,700
Ripped out of his arms.
281
00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:47,900
[Russ] Out of his arms.
282
00:11:48,567 --> 00:11:49,800
Come on.
283
00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,767
How quickly do rescuers
get on the scene?
284
00:11:55,767 --> 00:11:58,700
The first aircraft is airborne
within six minutes.
285
00:12:00,367 --> 00:12:03,767
[Josh] It doesn't take long
for responders to spot
the passengers,
286
00:12:03,767 --> 00:12:07,700
and rescue boats
arrive on the scene
within 90 minutes.
287
00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:09,667
The rescuers
who responded to the scene
288
00:12:09,667 --> 00:12:12,100
could see sharks in the water.
289
00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:14,066
So the Coast Guard Cutter
that was sent to the rescue,
290
00:12:14,066 --> 00:12:15,300
the Bramble,
291
00:12:15,300 --> 00:12:17,467
they had the crew
break out rifles
292
00:12:17,467 --> 00:12:19,367
to fend off sharks.
293
00:12:19,367 --> 00:12:22,100
In one instance, the co-pilot
294
00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:24,467
of the first rescue plane
to land
295
00:12:24,467 --> 00:12:28,567
looks and sees Juan
and his friend struggling,
296
00:12:28,567 --> 00:12:30,667
and the co-pilot
without even thinking about it
297
00:12:30,667 --> 00:12:32,100
dives in after them.
298
00:12:32,100 --> 00:12:35,166
And he talks about twice
they were attacked by a shark,
299
00:12:35,166 --> 00:12:38,266
and he had to kick it as hard
as he could to drive it away.
300
00:12:38,266 --> 00:12:39,266
Insane.
301
00:12:41,066 --> 00:12:43,467
The human tragedy
radiating from these pages
302
00:12:43,467 --> 00:12:47,000
v overwhelming, and it didn't
need to be this way.
303
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,967
The pilot got the plane down.
304
00:12:48,967 --> 00:12:51,000
Life jackets were inches away
305
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,667
from these terrified
and confused passengers.
306
00:12:53,667 --> 00:12:56,967
But a lack of communication
doomed their escape.
307
00:12:56,967 --> 00:12:58,700
Can we also find information
that can lead us
308
00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:00,066
to where this happened?
309
00:13:00,066 --> 00:13:03,000
We can, and within
these files is something
310
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,500
that's going to show us
where we think the plane is.
311
00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:06,333
What's that?
312
00:13:06,333 --> 00:13:09,200
A map showing the route
of the plane,
313
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,467
including where they think
it went down.
314
00:13:11,467 --> 00:13:13,867
That indicates
the crash location?
315
00:13:13,867 --> 00:13:14,767
Yes.
316
00:13:14,767 --> 00:13:15,767
Can we see that?
317
00:13:15,767 --> 00:13:17,266
Well, I can show it
to you here,
318
00:13:17,266 --> 00:13:19,300
or we can go fly
that path ourselves.
319
00:13:20,266 --> 00:13:21,100
Let's do it.
320
00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:22,133
[dramatic music playing]
321
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,200
All right.
322
00:13:33,567 --> 00:13:34,467
Okay, you hear me?
323
00:13:34,467 --> 00:13:35,200
I gotcha.
324
00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:36,800
All right,
let's rock and roll.
325
00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,100
Hey, let's do it.
326
00:13:45,967 --> 00:13:48,100
Josh, this is
East La Grande Airport.
327
00:13:48,967 --> 00:13:50,767
We are taking off
in the same direction,
328
00:13:50,767 --> 00:13:53,066
same runway
as Clipper Endeavor.
329
00:13:53,066 --> 00:13:54,567
So we are in
their shadow right now.
330
00:13:54,567 --> 00:13:56,667
We're following in their path.
331
00:13:56,667 --> 00:14:00,066
[Josh]
Explorer Russ Matthews and I
are flying in the doomed path
332
00:14:00,066 --> 00:14:02,000
of the PanAm Clipper Endeavor,
333
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,000
which crashed 70 years ago
off of Puerto Rico,
334
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,867
drowning 52 passengers
335
00:14:06,867 --> 00:14:09,767
and changing air safety
procedures forever.
336
00:14:09,767 --> 00:14:11,967
Now, a newly discovered map
337
00:14:11,967 --> 00:14:14,967
from the original
Civil Aeronautics
Board investigation
338
00:14:14,967 --> 00:14:17,900
may finally tell us
where to find the wreck.
339
00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:20,667
Okay, so show me this map.
340
00:14:20,667 --> 00:14:22,166
What did you find
in the archives?
341
00:14:22,166 --> 00:14:23,300
This is it.
342
00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:24,767
These are maps
that were created
343
00:14:24,767 --> 00:14:26,867
by crash investigators
after the accident.
344
00:14:26,867 --> 00:14:28,500
[Josh] Oh, my Lord.
345
00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:30,467
Yes, and they detailed,
step by step,
346
00:14:30,467 --> 00:14:32,066
the sequence of events.
347
00:14:32,066 --> 00:14:35,100
[Josh] This map provides
a moment by moment account
348
00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:37,567
of the plane's
tragic nine-minute flight,
349
00:14:37,567 --> 00:14:41,266
with key events numbered
and described in the legend.
350
00:14:41,266 --> 00:14:44,967
The document shows that
the experience of the crew
during the flight
351
00:14:44,967 --> 00:14:48,100
was far different from
that of the passengers.
352
00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:50,600
[Russ] So if we look
at this map here,
they leave the airport.
353
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,600
We follow this line, and then
we see a number one on here.
354
00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:54,767
[Josh] Number one.
355
00:14:54,767 --> 00:14:57,767
This is when the number three
engine started to run hot
356
00:14:57,767 --> 00:15:00,567
and the air pressure
was failing.
357
00:15:00,567 --> 00:15:02,567
[Josh] In response
to the dropping pressure,
358
00:15:02,567 --> 00:15:05,367
Captain John C. Byrne
takes no chances.
359
00:15:05,367 --> 00:15:07,400
He shuts down
the failing engine,
360
00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,367
leaving three more
to keep the plane in the air.
361
00:15:10,367 --> 00:15:13,300
We heard
in the passenger testimony
that something happens
362
00:15:13,300 --> 00:15:15,367
outside the plane, a shudder,
an explosion.
363
00:15:15,367 --> 00:15:17,100
When that number three engine
shut down,
364
00:15:17,100 --> 00:15:18,567
that's probably the shudder
that they felt.
365
00:15:18,567 --> 00:15:19,400
Right.
366
00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,000
Right.
They could feel that this big,
367
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,400
powerful engine's
going offline.
368
00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:23,567
-Right.
-Got it.
369
00:15:23,567 --> 00:15:25,166
And the next thing
we see on this map,
370
00:15:25,166 --> 00:15:27,300
it looks like
he's changing course.
371
00:15:27,300 --> 00:15:29,000
[Russ] He's already decided
he's going to return
372
00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,934
to the airport
that we just left from.
373
00:15:32,667 --> 00:15:34,867
[Josh] Losing an engine
at low altitude is dangerous,
374
00:15:34,867 --> 00:15:37,000
but not necessarily fatal.
375
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,767
The pilots abort
the flight path
to New York, though,
376
00:15:39,767 --> 00:15:41,066
and turn the plane around
377
00:15:41,066 --> 00:15:43,367
to head back
to San Juan Airport.
378
00:15:43,367 --> 00:15:45,367
Okay, so Josh, right here,
we're making the same turn
379
00:15:45,367 --> 00:15:46,533
that they made on this map.
380
00:15:46,533 --> 00:15:49,800
So this is not ideal,
but he's got three
good engines.
381
00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:51,400
He's turning back
to the airport.
382
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,467
Unfortunately, I see
another marker on here,
383
00:15:53,467 --> 00:15:54,533
-[Russ] Yeah.
-number two.
384
00:15:54,533 --> 00:15:56,567
[Russ] But now as he starts
to come up on power
385
00:15:56,567 --> 00:15:58,266
and he's trying
to gain altitude,
386
00:15:58,266 --> 00:16:00,166
he starts to lose
the number four engine.
387
00:16:00,166 --> 00:16:01,300
-Oh, no.
-Yeah.
388
00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:03,600
So now he's losing
the other engine
of the right wing.
389
00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:04,700
Exactly.
390
00:16:04,700 --> 00:16:06,767
[Josh] The number four engine
has to be shut down
391
00:16:06,767 --> 00:16:08,500
along with the number three,
392
00:16:08,500 --> 00:16:11,600
rendering the entire
right wing powerless.
393
00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:13,767
The pilots are now
desperately trying
394
00:16:13,767 --> 00:16:15,600
to keep the plane aloft
long enough
395
00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:17,800
to return to the airport.
396
00:16:19,967 --> 00:16:22,100
So he's trying to do anything
he can to stay in the air.
397
00:16:22,100 --> 00:16:23,333
But he's trying to use
those engines
398
00:16:23,333 --> 00:16:26,200
on the left wing to compensate
for what he lost on the right.
399
00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:27,800
[Russ] Yes. It's not working.
400
00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:28,867
They're still losing altitude.
401
00:16:28,867 --> 00:16:31,000
Now Captain Byrne
has to figure out what to do.
402
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,367
It's starting to look likely
that they're going to ditch.
403
00:16:33,367 --> 00:16:35,000
-They're going
to land in the water.
-[Josh] Right.
404
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,166
The only option
he has to prevent that
405
00:16:37,166 --> 00:16:38,900
is he's got to make
this plane lighter.
406
00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:40,900
He's got to do anything he can
to keep it in the air.
407
00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:43,500
It is the only option
to do that quickly.
408
00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:46,000
[Josh] Number four
on the list, fuel dumping.
409
00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:48,600
[Russ]
But it's very dangerous.
410
00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,700
So he sends the second officer
back to the cabin,
411
00:16:51,700 --> 00:16:54,066
make sure nobody's smoking,
412
00:16:54,066 --> 00:16:57,500
and to turn off electric power
to the galley to the cabin.
413
00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:00,367
[Josh] This is
the one announcement
shouted in English
414
00:17:00,367 --> 00:17:03,667
that many of the passengers
fail to understand.
415
00:17:03,667 --> 00:17:05,400
What are they worried about?
Like a spark?
416
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,000
They're worried about a spark.
417
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:08,000
They're worried
about an explosion.
418
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:08,934
-Wow.
-Yeah.
419
00:17:08,934 --> 00:17:11,166
But one of the unfortunate
results of that
420
00:17:11,166 --> 00:17:13,100
is that it also turns off
the public address system
421
00:17:13,100 --> 00:17:14,000
in the cabin.
422
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,066
Oh, my word.
423
00:17:15,066 --> 00:17:16,567
So now they have no ability
424
00:17:16,567 --> 00:17:18,367
-to even communicate
with the passenger.
-Yeah, that's right.
425
00:17:18,367 --> 00:17:20,567
There's no announcement made
because they don't have
426
00:17:20,567 --> 00:17:21,867
the ability
to do this anymore.
427
00:17:21,867 --> 00:17:23,000
Got it.
428
00:17:23,567 --> 00:17:26,567
They've dumped
3,500 gallons of fuel
429
00:17:26,567 --> 00:17:29,166
but are still miles away
from the airport.
430
00:17:29,166 --> 00:17:31,100
They're on a race
against time now
and they're losing.
431
00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:31,767
[Josh] Right.
432
00:17:31,767 --> 00:17:33,767
They're maybe 100 feet off.
433
00:17:33,767 --> 00:17:36,000
100 feet above the last.
434
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,000
So this is like
their Captain Sully
435
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,800
-miracle in the Hudson moment.
-Exactly.
436
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,266
He's basically making
the call in the instant,
437
00:17:43,266 --> 00:17:45,200
"I'm not going to risk
going back over land.
438
00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:47,400
-I'm not going to make it.
We're going in the water."
-That's right.
439
00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:49,367
-We realize that
this is inevitable.
-Right.
440
00:17:49,367 --> 00:17:51,000
So at this point
with the comm system off,
441
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,767
all the second officer can do
is return to the cabin,
442
00:17:53,767 --> 00:17:56,667
make a motion that
they're about to ditch,
take his seat.
443
00:17:56,667 --> 00:17:58,667
Most of the people near him
didn't understand English,
444
00:17:58,667 --> 00:18:00,467
didn't understand what
he was trying to tell them.
445
00:18:00,467 --> 00:18:04,166
We read the testimony
of these passengers
and all of this,
446
00:18:04,166 --> 00:18:06,000
this whole sequence of events,
447
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:07,867
they don't know really
any of this is happening.
448
00:18:07,867 --> 00:18:09,200
They just know
something's wrong.
449
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:10,967
All they know is that
that water is getting closer.
450
00:18:10,967 --> 00:18:12,166
Right.
451
00:18:12,166 --> 00:18:14,667
Number eight and the very last
thing in this ledger is...
452
00:18:14,667 --> 00:18:16,500
"Ditched."
453
00:18:16,500 --> 00:18:17,800
Plane hits the water.
454
00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:22,667
We've arrived at where
the crew accounts
455
00:18:22,667 --> 00:18:25,533
and the passenger testimony
violently meet.
456
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,767
The Atlantic Ocean,
where the plane lands
on the water,
457
00:18:35,767 --> 00:18:37,767
snapping off the tail section.
458
00:18:37,767 --> 00:18:41,100
It could have been a miracle,
but while some passengers
459
00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:44,967
make it to life rafts
and rescue, most do not.
460
00:18:44,967 --> 00:18:48,100
The plane and tail
sink beneath the 12 foot waves
in minutes,
461
00:18:48,100 --> 00:18:50,800
leaving few traces behind.
462
00:18:53,367 --> 00:18:56,100
Okay, we should be
over the position right now.
463
00:18:56,100 --> 00:18:58,066
So Josh,
take a look out there.
464
00:18:58,066 --> 00:19:01,433
We are somewhere about where
Clipper Endeavor went down.
465
00:19:02,667 --> 00:19:03,867
[Josh] This is it.
466
00:19:03,867 --> 00:19:07,767
The exact area where Russ
believes the plane was lost.
467
00:19:07,767 --> 00:19:10,767
The discovery
of these documents
has already given us
468
00:19:10,767 --> 00:19:13,734
a major head start
in locating the plane.
469
00:19:14,567 --> 00:19:16,567
Starting with this
and with the other information
470
00:19:16,567 --> 00:19:18,266
we're finding in the archives.
471
00:19:18,266 --> 00:19:21,000
Plus the technology
we're bringing to bear,
472
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,667
this is going to give us
the best chance to find
Clipper Endeavor.
473
00:19:24,667 --> 00:19:26,867
[Josh] Having shadowed
the plane's final flight,
474
00:19:26,867 --> 00:19:30,467
we land the chopper
and prepare for
a deep sea exploration
475
00:19:30,467 --> 00:19:32,800
unlike any I've ever assisted.
476
00:19:35,900 --> 00:19:38,200
Early the next morning
at San Juan Harbor,
477
00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,467
we prepare to board
the Blue Manta,
478
00:19:40,467 --> 00:19:43,867
a state of the art
77 foot long marine research
479
00:19:43,867 --> 00:19:46,600
and surveying vessel that
will serve as the nerve center
480
00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,400
of our search.
481
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,000
We board the ship
to meet the rest of our crew,
482
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,900
including an old friend
of mine.
483
00:19:53,467 --> 00:19:54,967
Hey guys,
remember Evan Kovacs?
484
00:19:54,967 --> 00:19:56,967
Oh my gosh, it's been forever.
How are you?
485
00:19:56,967 --> 00:19:57,967
[Josh] Yeah.
Very good, man. Very good.
486
00:19:57,967 --> 00:20:00,166
Last time I saw you,
we were diving in Namibia.
487
00:20:00,166 --> 00:20:02,000
Namibia, yeah, exactly.
488
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,767
[Josh] Evan Kovacs is an
underwater imaging specialist
489
00:20:04,767 --> 00:20:06,500
who I got to know
scanning the depths
490
00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:09,467
of Namibia's Lake Otjikoto.
491
00:20:09,467 --> 00:20:12,700
And since then,
he and sonar expert
Ben Roberts here
492
00:20:12,700 --> 00:20:15,567
have made some major upgrades
to their kit.
493
00:20:15,567 --> 00:20:17,000
The beasts.
494
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:18,900
This is our side scan sonar.
495
00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:20,900
Big difference is we're towing
this behind the boat
496
00:20:20,900 --> 00:20:22,166
and most importantly
we're getting it
497
00:20:22,166 --> 00:20:23,433
really close to the bottom.
498
00:20:23,433 --> 00:20:26,367
So we're going to have
a much, much higher
resolution image.
499
00:20:26,367 --> 00:20:28,967
[Josh] The fact is, because of
the depth of the wreck,
500
00:20:28,967 --> 00:20:31,567
nobody has tried to find
the Clipper Endeavor.
501
00:20:31,567 --> 00:20:34,500
But going deep
won't be an issue for us.
502
00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:36,667
And so what depth
is this rated to?
503
00:20:36,667 --> 00:20:37,834
6,500 feet.
504
00:20:37,834 --> 00:20:40,467
-This can go
more than a mile underwater?
-Over a mile.
505
00:20:40,467 --> 00:20:42,767
-Okay, so that should
get the job done.
-[Evan] Yeah.
506
00:20:42,767 --> 00:20:45,100
[Josh] The sonar will be
hugging the ocean floor
507
00:20:45,100 --> 00:20:49,000
where the average pressure is
900 pounds per square inch.
508
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,300
So once we get
a target to investigate,
509
00:20:51,300 --> 00:20:52,867
no one will be diving it
510
00:20:52,867 --> 00:20:54,767
because no one can.
511
00:20:54,767 --> 00:20:58,467
Instead, we'll be sending this
remotely operated vehicle.
512
00:20:58,467 --> 00:21:00,100
And on board here,
we've got what?
513
00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:01,867
[Evan] Well, we've got the 4K,
514
00:21:01,867 --> 00:21:03,567
we've got the HD,
we've got the sonar.
515
00:21:03,567 --> 00:21:06,467
-So this has its own
onboard sonar system.
-It does, yeah.
516
00:21:06,467 --> 00:21:09,000
[Josh] That means the ROV can
not only chase a hit
517
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,266
from our main sonar,
518
00:21:10,266 --> 00:21:13,100
it can initiate
forward-facing sonar scans
519
00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:14,300
ahead of itself
520
00:21:14,300 --> 00:21:16,300
to home in on an exact target.
521
00:21:17,300 --> 00:21:19,800
Okay, so we've got our sonar,
we've got our ROV.
522
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:21,467
The big question is,
523
00:21:21,467 --> 00:21:23,567
where do we send them?
Where do we look exactly?
524
00:21:23,567 --> 00:21:24,867
I've been working on that one
for a while.
525
00:21:24,867 --> 00:21:26,000
-Yeah?
-Yeah.
526
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,166
You got a plan?
527
00:21:27,166 --> 00:21:28,734
-Let's go check it out.
-[Josh] Come on.
528
00:21:30,066 --> 00:21:32,600
Inside, we pass by
the array of computers
529
00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,867
and monitors we'll be using
to direct our search.
530
00:21:35,867 --> 00:21:38,400
Also here is
Russ's better half,
531
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,634
research analyst Idee Montijo.
532
00:21:41,266 --> 00:21:42,900
-Idee.
-Hey, Josh, how are you?
533
00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:43,700
Great to see you.
534
00:21:43,700 --> 00:21:46,567
And we've also got
flag number 35.
535
00:21:46,567 --> 00:21:49,100
[Josh] This is an official
Explorers Club expedition,
536
00:21:49,100 --> 00:21:51,200
so we're carrying
an official flag.
537
00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,467
And old 35 here, has
quite the illustrious resume,
538
00:21:54,467 --> 00:21:56,600
most recently
as part of the expedition
539
00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:58,300
that found
Ernest Shackleton's ship,
540
00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:01,000
the Endurance, on the bottom
of the Weddell Sea.
541
00:22:01,967 --> 00:22:03,767
Okay, well, we got a lot
to live up to here.
542
00:22:03,767 --> 00:22:05,266
Yeah, we do. We've got to
add to that history.
543
00:22:05,266 --> 00:22:06,667
-[Josh] Yes.
-And here's how
we're gonna do it.
544
00:22:06,667 --> 00:22:08,700
All right, so we are here.
545
00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:09,967
-[Josh] Mm-hmm.
-[Russ] And then
546
00:22:09,967 --> 00:22:12,066
this is the airfield
547
00:22:12,066 --> 00:22:13,367
where Clipper Endeavor
took off from.
548
00:22:13,367 --> 00:22:15,166
-Got it.
-So you remember
the map we had
549
00:22:15,166 --> 00:22:16,700
-with us in the helicopter?
-Yes.
550
00:22:16,700 --> 00:22:18,133
All right,
so that's over here.
551
00:22:18,967 --> 00:22:21,400
We can see that's
the estimated flight path.
552
00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,367
-[Josh] Right.
-[Russ] All right,
so you notice here
553
00:22:23,367 --> 00:22:25,400
at the end of this
estimated flight path,
554
00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:26,667
they have
a set of coordinates.
555
00:22:26,667 --> 00:22:28,500
-That's where they figure
the plane went down.
-[Josh] Okay.
556
00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:30,100
And that's
roughly where on here?
557
00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:31,166
It's roughly right here.
558
00:22:31,166 --> 00:22:32,800
[Josh] Okay, got it. Now,
559
00:22:33,967 --> 00:22:34,867
big question.
560
00:22:34,867 --> 00:22:36,600
Is this an accurate set
of coordinates?
561
00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,266
-[Russ] So these are
the best guesses...
-[Josh] Okay.
562
00:22:38,266 --> 00:22:40,100
...based on
the eyewitness testimony,
563
00:22:40,100 --> 00:22:42,500
-the survivors,
and the rescuers.
-[Josh] Got it.
564
00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:44,100
Now, we did some digging,
565
00:22:44,100 --> 00:22:46,266
and it took years, really...
566
00:22:46,266 --> 00:22:47,500
-[Josh] Right.
-...until we finally
got the help
567
00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:48,600
of the Coast Guard
Historian's Office,
568
00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,367
and they were able to produce
this amazing document.
569
00:22:51,367 --> 00:22:54,100
-It's been in the archives
for the last 72 years.
-Wow.
570
00:22:54,100 --> 00:22:56,133
-[Russ] Yeah.
-Okay, so what is this?
571
00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:03,567
[Josh] Okay,
so what am I looking at?
572
00:23:03,567 --> 00:23:05,767
This is a comprehensive report
573
00:23:05,767 --> 00:23:07,667
from the commander of
the Greater Antilles Section.
574
00:23:07,667 --> 00:23:09,400
So this is
a Coast Guard report
575
00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:11,767
that just was sitting
in the archives in D.C.?
576
00:23:11,767 --> 00:23:13,567
-Yeah. Yeah.
-Wow.
577
00:23:13,567 --> 00:23:15,100
Aboard the Blue Manta,
578
00:23:15,100 --> 00:23:17,200
researcher Russ Matthews
is showing me
579
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,600
a newly discovered
Coast Guard document
580
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:20,767
that may help pinpoint
581
00:23:20,767 --> 00:23:23,100
the location
of the Clipper Endeavor.
582
00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:26,367
The Pan Am plane
whose crash in 1952
583
00:23:26,367 --> 00:23:28,467
killed 52 people, resulting in
584
00:23:28,467 --> 00:23:31,300
the air safety rules
we still follow today.
585
00:23:31,300 --> 00:23:32,800
So here on the second page,
586
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,000
we find that
when the Coast Guard
arrived on the scene,
587
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,467
it's about 80 minutes later.
588
00:23:37,467 --> 00:23:38,800
Okay.
589
00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:42,600
The new information
from this Coast Guard report
590
00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,467
has shown that the oil slick
spotted by rescuers,
591
00:23:45,467 --> 00:23:48,967
on which
the original investigation
based their coordinates,
592
00:23:48,967 --> 00:23:52,867
had likely been drifting for
over an hour since the crash.
593
00:23:52,867 --> 00:23:55,500
So using weather data
from 1952,
594
00:23:55,500 --> 00:23:59,100
Russ has established
a likely origin point
for the slick.
595
00:23:59,100 --> 00:24:01,500
Then there's a bearing
taken during the crash
596
00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:03,767
by the tower
at San Juan Airport,
597
00:24:03,767 --> 00:24:07,400
300 degrees,
roughly seven miles offshore.
598
00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,200
A statement
from a witness says
599
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,400
he saw the Clipper
further to the northwest.
600
00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,066
And finally, Russ has
the location of a reef
601
00:24:15,066 --> 00:24:16,100
near the shore.
602
00:24:16,100 --> 00:24:17,200
The captain said
603
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,667
he deliberately ditched
the plane in deeper water
604
00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:20,900
to avoid hitting it.
605
00:24:21,767 --> 00:24:23,066
With all of these points,
606
00:24:23,066 --> 00:24:25,667
Russ is creating
a brand-new search zone
607
00:24:25,667 --> 00:24:27,533
to find the Clipper Endeavor.
608
00:24:28,166 --> 00:24:29,266
So, Idee,
609
00:24:29,266 --> 00:24:31,367
how large an area are we
talking about scanning here?
610
00:24:31,367 --> 00:24:32,200
We're talking about
611
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,700
ten square nautical miles
in total.
612
00:24:34,700 --> 00:24:36,767
[Josh]
Not only is this deeper water
613
00:24:36,767 --> 00:24:38,400
than I've ever investigated,
614
00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:42,600
but the search zone will take
days and days at sea to cover.
615
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:43,367
Everyone aboard, though,
616
00:24:43,367 --> 00:24:45,834
is enthusiastic
to get underway.
617
00:24:47,166 --> 00:24:49,166
All right, we got a plan.
Should we go find a plane?
618
00:24:49,166 --> 00:24:50,367
-Sounds good.
-Let's go find a plane.
619
00:24:50,367 --> 00:24:52,033
-Yeah.
-Let's do it. Yeah.
620
00:24:56,567 --> 00:25:00,066
[Josh]
We've put out to sea where
the Clipper Endeavor awaits.
621
00:25:08,767 --> 00:25:10,000
Once we reach the search zone,
622
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,500
it's time to lower
the side-scan sonar
into the water.
623
00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:16,300
But first, we need to
put down something else.
624
00:25:17,367 --> 00:25:19,867
Josh, this is
our USBL transducer.
625
00:25:19,867 --> 00:25:21,000
We're gonna
put this in the water,
626
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,400
and then we have
a beacon on the sonar fish
627
00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:24,533
or the ROV
628
00:25:24,533 --> 00:25:26,567
that will tell us where it is
while we're underwater.
629
00:25:26,567 --> 00:25:29,133
-Got it. So this thing's
tracking that at all times?
-Exactly.
630
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,967
[Josh] On a scan this deep,
the transducer
631
00:25:31,967 --> 00:25:34,066
is an essential piece
of equipment.
632
00:25:34,066 --> 00:25:37,100
It talks to both the sonar
and the ROV
633
00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:39,667
2,000 feet down in the dark.
634
00:25:39,667 --> 00:25:42,500
Without it,
we'd have no ability
to pilot them safely.
635
00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:45,533
And speaking of safety...
636
00:25:46,367 --> 00:25:49,300
All right, so, not exactly
flat calm out here.
637
00:25:49,300 --> 00:25:50,867
[Evan] No, no. It's not ideal.
638
00:25:50,867 --> 00:25:52,667
[Josh] Yeah.
Can we sonar scan in this?
639
00:25:52,667 --> 00:25:54,266
Yeah, it's at the edge.
It's marginal.
640
00:25:54,266 --> 00:25:56,367
But, you know, it's about
a four to six foot sea,
641
00:25:56,367 --> 00:25:57,400
so we're gonna go for it.
642
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,200
So how's this work?
Obviously, this sonar unit's
643
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:01,266
attached to this
big winch here.
644
00:26:01,266 --> 00:26:02,166
-What do we got here?
-Uh, exactly.
645
00:26:02,166 --> 00:26:03,967
Yeah, so this winch has about
646
00:26:03,967 --> 00:26:05,600
15,000, 16,000 feet on it.
647
00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:08,467
And we're expecting to have
anywhere up to 6,000 feet out.
648
00:26:08,467 --> 00:26:09,967
Wow. So we're gonna have
649
00:26:09,967 --> 00:26:11,567
a mile's worth of cable
dragging behind us.
650
00:26:11,567 --> 00:26:13,667
We potentially will
in our deeper section.
651
00:26:13,667 --> 00:26:14,967
Okay. Should we
get it in the water?
652
00:26:14,967 --> 00:26:15,867
-Yeah, let's go.
-Let's do it.
653
00:26:15,867 --> 00:26:17,333
Let's scan. Come on.
654
00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:22,166
The Blue Manta is an aluminum
twin-engine catamaran,
655
00:26:22,166 --> 00:26:24,433
which means
it can handle these seas.
656
00:26:24,967 --> 00:26:25,967
We just need to make sure
657
00:26:25,967 --> 00:26:28,367
that the sensitive sonar
doesn't get smashed
658
00:26:28,367 --> 00:26:31,100
as we winch it down
into the rough water below.
659
00:26:32,166 --> 00:26:33,400
[Evan] Okay, she's in!
660
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:37,266
[Josh] And once it's away,
the search officially begins.
661
00:26:37,266 --> 00:26:40,266
On our first shift, we fix
our eyes to the monitor,
662
00:26:40,266 --> 00:26:44,100
where we scan the first of
ten lanes in our search zone.
663
00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:45,667
All is calm.
664
00:26:45,667 --> 00:26:47,233
Well, for a few
minutes anyway.
665
00:26:48,567 --> 00:26:50,000
Hmm. Wait, what is that?
666
00:26:50,867 --> 00:26:52,333
Can we see that up close?
667
00:26:52,867 --> 00:26:54,767
It's almost industrial.
668
00:26:54,767 --> 00:26:56,667
[Josh] Right.
Maybe an old container there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
669
00:26:56,667 --> 00:26:57,600
-[Russ] Yeah.
-[Josh] I like that.
670
00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:59,800
-[Russ] Mm-hmm.
-How much water is this in?
671
00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:01,233
This is in about 800 feet.
672
00:27:01,567 --> 00:27:02,967
Okay.
673
00:27:02,967 --> 00:27:04,567
-We're not
scuba diving to that.
-[Russ] No.
674
00:27:04,567 --> 00:27:06,300
That's what
we got the ROV for.
675
00:27:07,467 --> 00:27:09,000
I think we should see
what that is.
676
00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,467
We mark the coordinates
for us to return to later
677
00:27:11,467 --> 00:27:15,433
with the ROV, and we
continue the scan for hours.
678
00:27:16,867 --> 00:27:19,934
It is about 11:34 p.m.
679
00:27:21,266 --> 00:27:22,233
Still scanning.
680
00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:24,567
Quick update.
681
00:27:24,567 --> 00:27:26,567
It's 1:00 a.m.
682
00:27:26,567 --> 00:27:27,867
Still scanning.
683
00:27:31,767 --> 00:27:34,500
All right. So we're coming up
on 2:00 a.m. here.
684
00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:35,266
What's your sleep plan?
685
00:27:35,266 --> 00:27:37,467
What's your
strategy here, Russ?
686
00:27:37,467 --> 00:27:38,467
I'm gonna power through.
687
00:27:38,467 --> 00:27:39,500
You're not gonna sleep at all?
688
00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:40,500
Probably not.
689
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,000
I mean, it took
too much to get
690
00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:44,467
into this position. I'm not...
691
00:27:44,467 --> 00:27:46,400
-You're not leaving?
-...wasting a second
of it. No.
692
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:47,800
Well, I admire that.
693
00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:49,233
And you're gonna
film all night?
694
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,600
Mm-mm.
695
00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:52,400
[mouthing] I'm going to bed.
696
00:27:53,367 --> 00:27:54,900
Russ is an iron man,
697
00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:56,600
but I've been on
enough missions at sea
698
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,300
to know that rest
is a valuable commodity.
699
00:27:59,300 --> 00:28:01,300
So I make my way to my bunk...
700
00:28:01,300 --> 00:28:03,567
All right, signing off.
701
00:28:03,567 --> 00:28:05,900
...to be gently rocked
to sleep by the sea.
702
00:28:08,567 --> 00:28:09,667
I said gently.
703
00:28:09,667 --> 00:28:11,900
Can we turn this thing down
a little bit? Jeez.
704
00:28:17,266 --> 00:28:18,233
All right.
705
00:28:19,567 --> 00:28:21,166
It's a new day.
706
00:28:21,166 --> 00:28:22,967
Gotta find some breakfast.
707
00:28:22,967 --> 00:28:25,667
Pan Am economy passengers
in 1952
708
00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:28,200
got chilled pineapple juice,
scrambled eggs
709
00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:29,867
with grilled Canadian bacon,
710
00:28:29,867 --> 00:28:33,066
muffins, and toast
with honey and jam.
711
00:28:33,066 --> 00:28:35,367
We do our best to match
with burned coffee
712
00:28:35,367 --> 00:28:37,233
and an off-brand
frozen waffle.
713
00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,600
A couple of not-Eggos later,
and we get back to work.
714
00:28:43,066 --> 00:28:45,266
We're scanning
lane four of ten,
715
00:28:45,266 --> 00:28:48,133
and the monitor is
right where I left it
a few hours ago.
716
00:28:48,667 --> 00:28:50,400
The sea floor looks the same.
717
00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:51,667
But after a while,
718
00:28:51,667 --> 00:28:53,734
I'll admit
I start to see things.
719
00:28:56,367 --> 00:28:57,800
That's a dinosaur.
720
00:28:58,467 --> 00:28:59,400
Right?
721
00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,400
That's the head
and the body and the legs.
722
00:29:03,300 --> 00:29:05,066
-It's a little T-Rex face.
-[Russ] Hmm.
723
00:29:05,066 --> 00:29:07,467
[Josh] Needing a break,
we hand off monitor duty,
724
00:29:07,467 --> 00:29:09,433
and I decide
to do a little fishing.
725
00:29:10,066 --> 00:29:11,133
You have any jacks?
726
00:29:11,567 --> 00:29:13,400
Go fish.
727
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,100
[Josh] After I lose, I get to
return to an entire morning
728
00:29:16,100 --> 00:29:18,266
and afternoon of
staring at a screen
729
00:29:18,266 --> 00:29:20,233
with no hard leads emerging.
730
00:29:20,867 --> 00:29:22,667
Until just before sunset,
731
00:29:22,667 --> 00:29:24,000
I grab some fresh air
732
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,200
and an unfortunate
weather report.
733
00:29:26,867 --> 00:29:28,767
Conditions don't look great.
734
00:29:28,767 --> 00:29:29,900
I mean, wind is picking up,
735
00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:32,000
-forecast is for
rougher seas tonight, yes?
-[Russ] Yes.
736
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,066
Weather's looking like
it's gonna turn on us.
737
00:29:34,066 --> 00:29:35,967
-[Josh] Yeah.
-Um, higher seas,
738
00:29:35,967 --> 00:29:37,266
maybe some rain.
739
00:29:37,266 --> 00:29:38,367
Higher seas meaning what?
740
00:29:38,367 --> 00:29:39,467
Uh, ten feet.
741
00:29:39,467 --> 00:29:40,600
-Ten-foot seas?
-[Russ] Yeah.
742
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:42,867
[scoffs] Okay,
that'll be a fun night.
743
00:29:42,867 --> 00:29:45,367
It's gonna get rough.
We're gonna get beat up a bit.
744
00:29:45,367 --> 00:29:47,967
All right. Well,
fasten your seat belts.
745
00:29:47,967 --> 00:29:49,467
It's gonna be a bumpy night.
746
00:29:51,367 --> 00:29:55,100
So far on our trip, the sea
has been bumpy but manageable.
747
00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:56,166
On night number two, though,
748
00:29:56,166 --> 00:29:59,200
Mother Nature has decided
to crank up the dial.
749
00:30:02,767 --> 00:30:04,066
Getting bad out.
750
00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:17,600
[Josh] Somewhere in the waters
off Puerto Rico
751
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:19,900
is the wreckage
of the Clipper Endeavor.
752
00:30:19,900 --> 00:30:21,700
And while scanning 2,000 feet
753
00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:24,266
beneath the surface
of the Atlantic is never easy,
754
00:30:24,266 --> 00:30:27,900
a raging storm
is making tonight's work
especially difficult.
755
00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:33,600
Oh, my God. Flying fish!
756
00:30:34,300 --> 00:30:36,367
The fish just jumped
into the boat.
757
00:30:36,367 --> 00:30:37,667
Unbelievable.
758
00:30:37,667 --> 00:30:40,500
Hopefully, that's not
the only catch of the day.
759
00:30:40,500 --> 00:30:43,467
We toss it back
and brace for even worse seas,
760
00:30:43,467 --> 00:30:45,033
and they don't disappoint.
761
00:30:47,100 --> 00:30:50,000
Waves crash over the bow
of our research vessel.
762
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,567
Half the crew is throwing up
off camera somewhere,
763
00:30:52,567 --> 00:30:55,300
and those who aren't
are immobilized by nausea
764
00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:56,700
and soaked to the bone.
765
00:30:58,700 --> 00:31:01,767
Yet this experience
is another sobering reminder
766
00:31:01,767 --> 00:31:03,867
that Clipper Endeavor's
survivors clutched
767
00:31:03,867 --> 00:31:06,867
to a life raft in waves
even larger than these
768
00:31:06,867 --> 00:31:08,333
while waiting for rescue.
769
00:31:10,967 --> 00:31:12,767
After suffering
Poseidon's wrath
770
00:31:12,767 --> 00:31:14,300
for nearly five hours,
771
00:31:14,300 --> 00:31:17,500
the seas finally abate
and the world stops spinning.
772
00:31:18,567 --> 00:31:20,767
All right, time to get back
into the mix.
773
00:31:20,767 --> 00:31:23,333
I head below deck
and return to scanning.
774
00:31:24,266 --> 00:31:26,233
Oh. What is that?
775
00:31:27,166 --> 00:31:28,400
That's not nothing.
776
00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,767
-What is that?
-Can we go closer on that?
777
00:31:30,767 --> 00:31:32,700
[Josh] How long
is just the bottom piece?
778
00:31:32,700 --> 00:31:34,000
[Ben] About 50 feet.
779
00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:34,867
Width?
780
00:31:34,867 --> 00:31:36,066
About 20 feet.
781
00:31:36,066 --> 00:31:38,166
It's in the pocket
for the fuselage.
782
00:31:38,166 --> 00:31:40,500
This target is long enough
and wide enough
783
00:31:40,500 --> 00:31:42,567
to be a DC-4 fuselage,
784
00:31:42,567 --> 00:31:44,567
and is casting a sonar shadow
785
00:31:44,567 --> 00:31:47,567
that suggests it rises
from the ocean floor.
786
00:31:47,567 --> 00:31:50,166
We mark it to come back later
with the ROV
787
00:31:50,166 --> 00:31:51,900
and spend
the remainder of the night
788
00:31:51,900 --> 00:31:53,600
scanning through
the search zone.
789
00:32:00,166 --> 00:32:03,400
On the third day, we enter
the final lanes of scanning.
790
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,634
It starts out
like the previous lanes.
791
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,233
It doesn't end like them.
792
00:32:11,367 --> 00:32:12,233
Oh.
793
00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:13,600
What is that?
794
00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,166
That looks like it could be
the tail of an airplane.
795
00:32:16,166 --> 00:32:17,400
What's the size of that?
796
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,100
It's about 35 feet long,
797
00:32:20,100 --> 00:32:22,033
broken into a couple pieces.
798
00:32:22,367 --> 00:32:23,533
Tail's how high?
799
00:32:23,867 --> 00:32:25,300
27 feet.
800
00:32:25,300 --> 00:32:27,634
[Josh] How long
is just the larger piece?
801
00:32:28,266 --> 00:32:30,700
Uh, 7 meters, about 25 feet.
802
00:32:32,667 --> 00:32:33,700
Tail?
803
00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:36,300
I mean, it's the one piece
that we know for sure
804
00:32:36,300 --> 00:32:37,567
separated from the airplane.
805
00:32:37,567 --> 00:32:39,300
-It should be
sitting by itself.
-[Russ] Yeah.
806
00:32:39,300 --> 00:32:40,900
Only one way to know for sure.
807
00:32:40,900 --> 00:32:42,667
I would love to dive on this.
808
00:32:42,667 --> 00:32:44,333
-Let's see what it is.
-[Russ] Okay.
809
00:32:45,367 --> 00:32:47,367
[Josh]
This is our best hit thus far,
810
00:32:47,367 --> 00:32:49,367
and we immediately
add it to our list
811
00:32:49,367 --> 00:32:51,467
to follow up with the ROV.
812
00:32:51,467 --> 00:32:54,400
When we finally
complete the search zone
a few hours later,
813
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,800
we have four solid targets
to investigate,
814
00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,166
including one that
resembled the fuselage
815
00:32:59,166 --> 00:33:00,800
and another the tail.
816
00:33:01,867 --> 00:33:04,600
I go on deck to welcome
the towfish back aboard.
817
00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:10,367
Okay. Sonar unit
is coming up. We're gonna
818
00:33:10,367 --> 00:33:12,066
switch the winch over
to the ROV,
819
00:33:12,066 --> 00:33:13,467
get that in the water,
get it down.
820
00:33:13,467 --> 00:33:14,900
Check out these targets.
821
00:33:15,900 --> 00:33:18,867
It takes hours to raise
and stow the sonar.
822
00:33:18,867 --> 00:33:21,400
Then we transfer
the cable to the ROV
823
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,433
to dive our first target
as the sun sets.
824
00:33:26,767 --> 00:33:28,867
Once we verify
the data connection,
825
00:33:28,867 --> 00:33:30,700
we pair it to our transducer
826
00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:33,100
so that we can track
its movements to the inch
827
00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:35,500
as it descends to the bottom
of the Atlantic.
828
00:33:37,066 --> 00:33:39,200
The ROV is
released into the water
829
00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,200
and begins
the long, dark descent
830
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,433
to the possible tail section
we discovered in lane ten.
831
00:33:47,767 --> 00:33:48,900
ROV is diving?
832
00:33:49,567 --> 00:33:52,100
Yeah, we are heading down.
833
00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:57,867
Passing 100 feet.
834
00:33:57,867 --> 00:33:59,467
[Josh] Okay, going down.
835
00:33:59,467 --> 00:34:01,667
The descent
is slow and careful.
836
00:34:01,667 --> 00:34:04,033
Everything below us
is an unknown.
837
00:34:04,667 --> 00:34:07,266
All right, passing 600.
838
00:34:07,266 --> 00:34:09,233
Okay, almost there.
Here we go.
839
00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:13,767
The bottom should be
coming into view
pretty soon here.
840
00:34:13,767 --> 00:34:16,000
[Evan] Yeah, we should be
coming in any minute now.
841
00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,233
[Josh] Here we go. Okay.
We are on the bottom.
842
00:34:18,667 --> 00:34:19,967
Wow, look at that.
843
00:34:21,867 --> 00:34:24,300
[Evan] All right, well,
let's head to the target.
844
00:34:25,767 --> 00:34:27,900
-The visibility is not great.
-[Evan] Nope.
845
00:34:28,467 --> 00:34:29,934
Dark and sandy.
846
00:34:32,166 --> 00:34:33,767
And what's stamped
on that tail livery?
847
00:34:33,767 --> 00:34:35,800
Uh, it's got the PAA logo...
848
00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,600
-Right.
-...and the registration
number.
849
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:38,567
[Josh] Right.
850
00:34:38,567 --> 00:34:41,367
[Russ] N88899.
851
00:34:41,367 --> 00:34:43,200
-Seared into your memory.
-Yes.
852
00:34:45,867 --> 00:34:47,367
It's a little tough
with the topography, too.
853
00:34:47,367 --> 00:34:48,867
It's like these little hills
and stuff in front of you.
854
00:34:48,867 --> 00:34:51,000
Yeah, it's just...
They're big sand waves.
855
00:34:52,767 --> 00:34:55,567
[Josh] It seems totally flat
when you're looking at it
on that screen going by,
856
00:34:55,567 --> 00:34:57,867
but you realize there's
a lot of actual...
857
00:34:57,867 --> 00:35:00,400
There's a lot
of texture down here,
a lot of topography.
858
00:35:02,667 --> 00:35:05,600
The sonar from our towfish
found the target.
859
00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:09,300
Now we're relying on
the ROV's sonar
to bring us to it.
860
00:35:12,166 --> 00:35:13,467
Ooh, sonar. Is that something?
861
00:35:13,467 --> 00:35:16,200
Yeah, no, no, no. We got
something coming up
on the sonar here.
862
00:35:21,166 --> 00:35:23,333
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Something there.
863
00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:25,934
What is that?
864
00:35:30,867 --> 00:35:34,066
In 1978, the Pina Colada
was declared
865
00:35:34,066 --> 00:35:36,266
the official drink
of Puerto Rico.
866
00:35:36,266 --> 00:35:38,367
But bragging rights
for the original recipe
867
00:35:38,367 --> 00:35:40,200
have caused many a bar fight.
868
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:42,400
Legend holds that
a Puerto Rican pirate
869
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:45,500
invented the cocktail
to help improve crew morale,
870
00:35:45,500 --> 00:35:47,800
but that the recipe was lost.
871
00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:49,667
That is, until 1954,
872
00:35:49,667 --> 00:35:52,467
when the Caribe Hilton's
Ramon "Chito" Marrero
873
00:35:52,467 --> 00:35:54,700
mixed together rum,
pineapple juice,
874
00:35:54,700 --> 00:35:56,166
and cream of coconut,
875
00:35:56,166 --> 00:35:58,033
creating the Pina Colada.
876
00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:00,166
Or so they say.
877
00:36:00,467 --> 00:36:01,767
Perfection.
878
00:36:02,967 --> 00:36:05,300
A short time later,
the Barrachina restaurant
879
00:36:05,300 --> 00:36:08,066
claimed a recipe of their own
to be the original,
880
00:36:08,066 --> 00:36:11,133
and now serves
3,500 of them a day.
881
00:36:11,667 --> 00:36:13,700
Let's make that 3,501.
882
00:36:14,467 --> 00:36:15,500
Oh, that's amazing.
883
00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:17,100
-I know.
-[Josh] Which is better?
884
00:36:17,100 --> 00:36:18,967
The investigation is ongoing.
885
00:36:18,967 --> 00:36:21,667
I should probably have
about 40 more of these
to figure it out.
886
00:36:21,667 --> 00:36:22,700
Keep them coming, Jorge.
887
00:36:23,066 --> 00:36:24,300
No problem.
888
00:36:24,700 --> 00:36:25,700
[mouthing] It's this one.
889
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:32,567
All right. Yeah, we got
something right here.
890
00:36:32,567 --> 00:36:34,500
-Uh...
-Oh, something there.
891
00:36:35,700 --> 00:36:36,734
What is that?
892
00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:44,767
Is that sand?
893
00:36:45,467 --> 00:36:46,600
[Evan] I thought it was
something solid,
894
00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:48,333
but it could be a clay bank.
895
00:36:52,700 --> 00:36:54,367
Yeah. Yeah, it is.
896
00:36:54,367 --> 00:36:56,900
-Arms going right through.
That's just clay.
-[Evan] Yep.
897
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:00,867
I mean, a big,
flat surface there
898
00:37:00,867 --> 00:37:02,600
reflecting off the sonar.
899
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:05,100
-Totally.
-[Evan] Yeah.
900
00:37:08,567 --> 00:37:09,467
-tail fin.
-Like a tail fin.
901
00:37:09,467 --> 00:37:10,600
-Right.
-Yeah.
902
00:37:11,567 --> 00:37:13,000
But it's weird.
There's nothing in...
903
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:14,834
-I mean, it's just clay.
-[Josh] Yeah.
904
00:37:17,900 --> 00:37:19,300
Heartbreaker.
905
00:37:19,300 --> 00:37:20,800
The topography has fooled us
906
00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,166
into reading
a natural sand formation
907
00:37:23,166 --> 00:37:24,900
as potentially man-made.
908
00:37:25,266 --> 00:37:26,867
So, strike one.
909
00:37:26,867 --> 00:37:29,066
Intriguing target.
Not Clipper Endeavor.
910
00:37:29,066 --> 00:37:30,133
No. No.
911
00:37:30,667 --> 00:37:32,767
There's still more out there.
912
00:37:32,767 --> 00:37:34,800
Let's get some shut-eye
and we'll try again tomorrow.
913
00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:35,834
Absolutely.
914
00:37:35,834 --> 00:37:37,567
All right, Evan, I think
we're gonna bring her up.
915
00:37:37,567 --> 00:37:38,900
Copy that. Bringing her up.
916
00:37:41,166 --> 00:37:42,867
[Josh]
After hauling up the ROV,
917
00:37:42,867 --> 00:37:45,200
we head to our bunks
for a few hours of sleep
918
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,300
as the boat steams back
to our second sonar target.
919
00:37:54,567 --> 00:37:56,800
I awake the next morning
as the team prepares
920
00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:58,700
to redeploy the ROV.
921
00:37:58,700 --> 00:38:00,900
And the day
starts off with a bang.
922
00:38:01,266 --> 00:38:03,467
Or should I say, a snap.
923
00:38:03,467 --> 00:38:05,400
[indistinct chatter]
924
00:38:08,300 --> 00:38:10,166
-[man 1] Whoa. Up and over.
-[man 2] Where are we going
with that?
925
00:38:10,166 --> 00:38:10,900
[man 1] Up and over.
926
00:38:10,900 --> 00:38:12,500
[man 2] Up and over.
All right.
927
00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:16,600
[Josh]
Something wrong out there.
928
00:38:17,500 --> 00:38:18,333
They got a problem out there.
929
00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,100
-Whoa! What happened?
-[Evan] Yeah.
930
00:38:23,667 --> 00:38:25,000
Whole tracking pole let go.
931
00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,967
It broke off?
932
00:38:26,967 --> 00:38:29,533
The bracket sheared
right there at the attachment.
933
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:32,767
[Josh] I'm, uh...
934
00:38:32,767 --> 00:38:34,634
I'm afraid to ask.
What does this mean?
935
00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:36,500
Uh, we don't know... [sighs]
936
00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:38,367
Yeah. Wow. Uh...
937
00:38:38,367 --> 00:38:39,567
This is basically
938
00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:41,300
the transducer
for the underwater GPS.
939
00:38:41,300 --> 00:38:42,500
-Right.
-[Evan] So,
940
00:38:42,500 --> 00:38:45,367
first and foremost, we've lost
all underwater positioning,
941
00:38:45,367 --> 00:38:47,667
which then means
we can't use the ROV.
942
00:38:47,667 --> 00:38:50,266
Basically, diving the ROV
without this is
943
00:38:50,266 --> 00:38:51,667
stumbling around
in a dark room
944
00:38:51,667 --> 00:38:52,800
with a flashlight,
945
00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:54,400
but the room's
the size of Manhattan.
946
00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:56,300
-We're done?
-We're done. Yeah.
947
00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:58,567
[Josh] This is devastating.
948
00:38:58,567 --> 00:39:00,467
After almost a week
of scanning
949
00:39:00,467 --> 00:39:02,200
and searching with the ROV,
950
00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:04,567
we're unable
to continue the investigation
951
00:39:04,567 --> 00:39:07,767
or probe
any remaining targets.
952
00:39:07,767 --> 00:39:10,000
All right, well, let's regroup
and get this thing secured
953
00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:11,900
-to figure out
where we go from here.
-[Evan] Yep.
954
00:39:12,967 --> 00:39:14,200
[Josh] Russ and Idee
955
00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:16,967
have spent years using every
available piece of evidence
956
00:39:16,967 --> 00:39:18,800
to home in
on this search zone.
957
00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:20,867
And while
several targets remain,
958
00:39:20,867 --> 00:39:23,500
I'm not sure any of them feel
diagnostic enough
959
00:39:23,500 --> 00:39:25,700
to be something
as large as the Clipper.
960
00:39:26,867 --> 00:39:28,667
If you were a betting man,
961
00:39:28,667 --> 00:39:30,266
where would you put it down?
962
00:39:30,266 --> 00:39:32,000
-I was betting it's in here.
-Right.
963
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:33,600
-Yeah.
-Do you think
maybe it still is?
964
00:39:34,166 --> 00:39:35,467
It's a mystery, Josh.
965
00:39:35,467 --> 00:39:36,700
[Josh] It is a real mystery
966
00:39:36,700 --> 00:39:40,500
because having been a part of
many searches for lost planes,
967
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:43,266
this one feels
really findable.
968
00:39:43,266 --> 00:39:44,567
-Yeah.
-[Josh] It just
969
00:39:44,567 --> 00:39:46,667
feels like there's
so much data.
970
00:39:46,667 --> 00:39:50,266
You've created,
I think, such a sensible
bounding box here.
971
00:39:50,266 --> 00:39:53,000
-It just feels like
it should be in here.
-Right.
972
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,200
All these voices
from 72 years ago
973
00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:56,867
are just reaching out
and saying
974
00:39:56,867 --> 00:39:58,333
-this is where it is.
-[Russ] Yeah.
975
00:39:58,967 --> 00:40:02,000
-They want to be found.
-Big time.
976
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,000
[Russ] We're not giving up.
We'll be back.
977
00:40:09,900 --> 00:40:12,100
[Josh] If I've learned
one thing studying history,
978
00:40:12,100 --> 00:40:14,900
it's that tragedy
always leaves a legacy.
979
00:40:15,467 --> 00:40:17,600
There's loss and there's pain.
980
00:40:17,967 --> 00:40:19,867
Those are unavoidable.
981
00:40:19,867 --> 00:40:21,767
But in the case
of the Clipper Endeavor,
982
00:40:21,767 --> 00:40:23,500
there's also growth.
983
00:40:25,567 --> 00:40:27,600
After the accident,
the Clipper's captain
984
00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,166
recommended a pre-flight
safety briefing
985
00:40:30,166 --> 00:40:32,233
to avert panic and confusion.
986
00:40:32,967 --> 00:40:35,100
Pan Am wisely
heeded his advice,
987
00:40:35,100 --> 00:40:37,834
followed by the rest
of the aviation industry.
988
00:40:38,467 --> 00:40:39,600
And you know what happened?
989
00:40:40,100 --> 00:40:41,200
It worked.
990
00:40:42,667 --> 00:40:45,066
Four years later,
Pan Am Flight 6
991
00:40:45,066 --> 00:40:46,867
ditched in the Pacific Ocean.
992
00:40:46,867 --> 00:40:49,300
Its captain not only did
a safety briefing
993
00:40:49,300 --> 00:40:51,567
but he and his crew
spoke with passengers
994
00:40:51,567 --> 00:40:54,266
throughout the ordeal
to set them at ease.
995
00:40:54,266 --> 00:40:57,300
And everyone escaped
with their lives.
996
00:40:57,300 --> 00:41:00,634
So did countless others
in the 70 years that followed.
997
00:41:01,900 --> 00:41:04,867
We are demonstrably safer
as passengers today
998
00:41:04,867 --> 00:41:07,100
because of
the Clipper Endeavor.
999
00:41:07,100 --> 00:41:10,166
Yet this was not
a sacrifice willingly made.
1000
00:41:10,166 --> 00:41:12,500
That's why Russ, Idee,
and the team
1001
00:41:12,500 --> 00:41:13,967
will keep searching.
1002
00:41:13,967 --> 00:41:17,000
Using this mission
to learn, to adapt,
1003
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,000
and to refine the search grid
for the next mission,
1004
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,200
until the plane is found.
1005
00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:24,100
So that those
who gave their lives
1006
00:41:24,100 --> 00:41:26,700
can receive
the full measure of gratitude
1007
00:41:26,700 --> 00:41:28,767
that they so richly deserve.