The deadly mid-air collision over Owingen (Part 1/2) | Forensic Files

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located at the northern foothills of the Swiss Alpine region is Lake Constance the third largest freshwater lake in
Central and Western Europe at 64 kilometers in length Lake Constance stretches across three countries
northern Switzerland southern Germany and western Austria acting as a watery border between each nestled on the lakes
north and shoreline is the German city of Ur Burlington an industrial harbour city that operates as a central point
for the outlying semi rural communities six kilometers north of ooh Billingham is an inland village called Ovington
home to a population of around 3,000 people acres of farmland grassy meadows and fruit orchards surround the small
township framed by rolling hills covered in dense fur and oak tree forests as night fell on July 1 2002 the quiet
streets evolving and were disrupted by a deeper rumbling from above prompting locals to assume a nun forecast storm
was fast approaching seconds later a deafening explosion unlike any typical roll of thunder or
crack of lightning roared across the landscape houses trembled as startled residents raced the windows balconies
and the streets to determine the source of the frightening noise above the distant forest a large ball of fire
illuminated the night sky offering an resident still a vague Mullah described the site quote the sky was orange red
flaming and we saw detonations again and again and we realized that couldn't have been
a normal thunderstorm it was something we had never heard or seen before townsfolk watched in awe at what they
initially believed was an elaborate fireworks display it wasn't until burning fragments started to rain down
when the chilling realization dawn they were witnessing a catastrophe hula tinkle akka had just finished
entertaining guests shared in her patio garden when she was startled by the loud
bangs from above within seconds cloning pieces of metal crashed down onto her Terrace smashing through an awning and
melting her outdoor furniture shrapnel splintered the exterior walls of her home and two shuddered its windows hula
her partner and their young daughter rushed out onto the street where panicked voices shattered around them
the plane fell within minutes all vegans picturesque countryside was on fire huge
columns of black smoke rose upwards into the night sky searing the throats and belongings of locals who ran into the
fields to douse the spreading flames they immediately recognized several pieces of the debris an aircraft tail
chassis and turbines landing gear and a cockpit with a cracked bloodied windshield laying amongst the wreckage
were dozens of small bodies [Music] as day broke the following morning of July 2 2002 the sheer extent of the
tragedy that had befallen the German countryside the night prior was fully realized the once lush and vibrant rural
landscape now resembled a battlefield forests and agricultural fields were charged and avoided with twisted
fractured pieces of metal the air rate of burning fuel and heavy gray smoke lingered under the overcast skyline
representatives of the German Federal Bureau of aircraft accidents investigation arrived to the scene
following reports of an incident that seemed too unbelievable to be true according to witnesses two planes had
collided in midair over Lake Constance these reports were confirmed when the remains of two commercial aircraft were
found throughout an area of approximately 350 square kilometres key wreckage had fallen over seven major
sites in a narrow corridor 20 kilometers long and two kilometers wide the area was cordoned off to keep on lookers in
the media at bay as thousands of firefighters police officers and the rescue workers surveyed the debris
trying to comprehend the devastation around them as they searched desperately for survivors helicopters equipped with
infrared cameras soared above while the depths of nearby Lake Constance were scanned by boats using sonar equipment
officials considered it a miracle that no one on the ground was killed or injured by the falling debris and the
damage to surrounding towns was relatively minor the first plane was identified as a
passenger jet luggage was strewn throughout the site and contained clothing travel necessities into
children's belongings statements from witnesses coupled with the distribution of the debris indicated that this plane
had broken up a mid-flight that's pieces falling across the land below the right wing was located in a
cornfield and to the left was found two kilometers out resting in the garden of a golf course the plane's fuselage
informally referred to as its body was split in two with the pieces landing 300 metres apart the forward section
including the cockpit had crashed into an apple plantation the recession including the engines had to narrowly
missed the nouvion boarding school for disabled children averting what could have been an even greater tragedy the
aircraft's tail was found sprawled across a rural road between two crop fields visible on its sides was the
yellow white and blue logo of bosch korean airlines a Russian airline company the remains of the second
aircraft identified as a cargo jet were discovered in a forest five kilometers east of Orpington in the vicinity of the
village of Tice's thought its nose was embedded to two meters deep into the forest floor strapped to the pilots
seats inside the cockpit were the bodies of the two men crew scattered in close proximity were parcels bearing the red
and white branding of international courier company DHL most of the cargo jets wreckage was centralized the route
of the forest indicating that unlike the passenger aircraft it did not break up in midair
instead it remained structurally intact to during descent before crashing into the ground notably the planes vertical
tail structure used to provide directions ability was missing only a stump consisting of torn up metal rim
by now there was little doubt as to the identity of each plane two flights had since disappeared from radar their crews
falling radio silent and both failing to reach their final destinations in the week ending June 2002 the final bell of
the academic year rang out across schools in Russia signaling the start of the summer holidays for forty-five
students from the city of Vova in the country's West the sound of the Bell heralded a sense of nervous excitement
for recognition of their excellence in arts athletics or academics the students had been rewarded with a two-week
holiday to Spain to attend a festival organised by UNESCO the United Nations education science and cultural body the
accolades of those who had earned a spot on the exclusive trip varied 14 year old
Kirill deck diario was a prodigy artist his watercolor and oil paintings were featured in two public exhibitions
skilled tennis player 16 year old Karina loris Lena was accepted into the school
of the Olympic reserve her trainers for seeing a gold medal in her future passionate environmentalist 14 year old
soya feta Tova lectured on the subject of heavy metals as polluters at the small Academy of Sciences and a designed
an ecological clothing line made from garbage bags the father of eleven-year-old art or comet ah've
promised his son could attend the student trip to Spain if he earned high academic grades
Arthur Rex sold at school and even won first place at an international mathematics competition when his father
returned home from work one evening Arthur rushed to him with his report card in here then said
dad look I kept my word his father proudly responded good I promise you can go several of the students were the
offspring of affluent high-ranking Russian officials with wealth derived from their royal rich homeland for
others coming up with the money to fund to their overseas travel wasn't as simple 15 year old arson massugu Tov
opted to forego the trip proposing the money be spent on his father's important dissertation work instead arsons father
politely declined to the offer urging his son to go and enjoy his well-deserved holiday to Spain in the
weeks leading up to the trip the students eagerly practiced speaking Spanish and saved up their spending
money their itinerary included a visit to Port Aventura world a theme park featuring state-of-the-art roller
coasters and water slides along with a visit to cost the darada a strip of mediterranean coastline known for its
calm shallow waters by late June the students were counting down the remaining days until their overseas
adventure awaiting their arrival was the warm weather of southern Europe a welcome change from the cool to frigid
temperatures experienced in oofah fifteen-year-old dancer Sofia fedotov ah hoped the Spanish Sun and sea would ease
the severe back pain that had recently forced her to miss many classes at school
for some of the children this would be their first time traveling abroad 14 year old Adina chicagee mukha met off
was looking forward to the flights as he hoped to one day study aviation and become an astronaut in his spare time
Deena constructed model airplanes out of plastic bottles and toothpaste tubes using the batteries of old toys as
makeshift engines prior to leaving for Spain Deena wrote to friends expressing how thrilled he was to finally be taking
to the skies the group of students accompanied by four adult chaperones departed roofer Airport on Saturday June
29 2002 90 minutes later they landed in Russia's capital city of Moscow where they boarded a shuttle bus to domitor de
veau International Airport for their connecting flight to Spain after arriving to dama de Davao Airport the
group soon realized the travel agency responsible for organizing their trip had accidentally sent them to the wrong
Airport their flight was actually scheduled to depart from Sheremetyevo International Airport the two-hour drive
to the opposite side of the city unable to make it there in time the group missed the flight Wolffe abased bash
korean airlines was quick to come to the rescue of the stranded students arranging an urgent charter flight they
elected one of their trooper Lev 154 m-series airliners for the flight a medium-range narrow-body two passenger
aircraft designated flight code BTC 2 9 3 7 the Charter was set to depart from dama de Davao Airport on the evening of
Monday July 1 arriving to Barcelona's el prat International Airport on Spain's East Coast less than five hours later
as Bosch Korean Airlines rushed to organize a crew for the impromptu flight the students made the most of the delay
they spent Sunday June 30 sightseeing in Moscow visiting the colorful landmarks and monuments that defined as a
historical City and amassing a collection of photographs the show family and friends upon their return
home in two weeks time 52 year old Alexander gross was at home preparing to lay a stone path through his garden when
he received an urgent call from Bosch Korean Airlines they requested his presence at Domodedovo Airport to
captain the unscheduled charter flight BTC 2 937 to Spain the seasoned captain had flown for many international
airlines during his 30-year career winning numerous awards for his aviation achievements and earning more than
12,000 credited flight hours across Asia Africa and many parts of Europe yet Alexander didn't have much experience
with the flight route to Spain or the tupolev aircraft therefore the Charter presented him with
the opportunity to further develop his skills Alexander accepted the job and hastily
prepared to lay for Moscow his wife noticed he was unusually nervous that day even struggling to do up his tire
Bosch Korean Airlines classified Barcelona's el prat airport as an aerodrome in mountainous terrain as such
pilots making their initial flights to this hazardous destination were required to do so under the supervision of an
instructor for Alexander gross BTC - 937 would be his second so on piloting a flight to Barcelona meaning he was
required to be accompanied by a qualified instructor to oversee and evaluate his performance the task was
handed to 40 year old Allegra grigoriev the chief pilot of Bosch Korean Airlines
and to the deputy commander of the troop Aleph aircraft squadrons Oleg had years
of experience piloting for international airlines all over the world including Spain and had recently been crowned best
their transport employee due to his superiority a leg was effectively in charge of the cockpit assuming the
official role of pilot in command while captain Alexander gross was assigned piloting control Oleg took the seat
alongside the captain to conduct his assessments typically this seat was reserved for captain grosses first
officer or co-pilot 41 year old Marat it cool off but with Oleg grigoriev in his
chair Marat was considered off-duty and had no official function during the flight he would spend it's durations
seated directly behind his superiors observing procedures it was a worthwhile experience for Mora who was set to be
promoted to captain in due time regarded as a level-headed professional Paulette marette had recently received a
thank-you letter from the commander of the best Korean Airlines flight department acknowledging his flawless
actions during complicated flight conditions the three pilots were supported in the cockpit by a flight
navigator and flight engineer it was their job to ensure the plane remained on its designated flight path whilst
monitoring the aircraft systems and rectifying any faults that may arise back in the aircraft's cabin a team of
six flight attendants oversaw the passengers due to the sudden and unscheduled nature of the flight most of
the aircraft's 166 seats would remain empty only seven other tickets were sold last-minute to other travelers willing
or needing to depart for Spain immediately bringing the number of passengers onboard the aircraft to 56
the Russian student group accounted for 49 of them with luggage secured in the cargo hold and personal belongings
stowed in overhead compartments passengers took their seats pre-flight preparations were completed and air
traffic control gave the aircraft clearance to initiate take off the jet engines rumbled to life and the plane
was slowly taxied into position by 848 p.m. the trooper Lev began accelerating down the runway upon reaching the right
airspeed Captain Alexander gross pulled back the control column causing the nose
of the plane to tilt upwards and onwards into the endless night sky best Korean Airlines flight bt ce to 937 was
officially underway earlier that afternoon her cargo stopped American Boeing 757 jet airliner was completing a
standard intercontinental Freight assignment at the controls where pilots paul phillips and brent can't be oniy
the pair flew as a team for deutsche post korea company DHL worldwide Express flying was a major part of 47 year old
paul filler life the British national joined DHL in 1989 clocking upwards of eleven thousand
nine hundred in flight hours in turning the rank of captain as one of the company's most senior pilots Paul ran a
professional cockpit doing everything by the book a colleague of Paul stated as a pilot if
he picked up the plane from Paul and he said it was okay he knew it was okay he was meticulous but he also made you
enjoy your job if you looked at the roster and saw you were flying with Paul he knew you would have a good time
Paul's copilot was 34 year old Canadian brand can't be Oni who joined a DHL squadron in 1999 taking any opportunity
to jump into the cockpit Brandt had amassed over six and a half thousand hours of piloting experience including
18 months as an instructor passion and a dedication for his chosen career was acknowledged in a letter of commendation
from his employer honoring Brandt's outstanding piloting work at 11:50 a.m. Paul Phillips and grant Campione II
checked in at Bahrain Airport for a routine Friday sermon today I tells International Base in Brussels Belgium a
flight route the pair had taken many times before at 1:30 p.m. they entered the cockpit of their Boeing aircraft
designated flight code DHX 6 1 1 after departing from the Persian Gulf nation the pair flew westerly for five
hours and 40 minutes before landing for a scheduled stop over in the northern Italian town of Bergamo where their
aircraft was refueled and its cargo unloaded and restocked having already completed at the longest the leg of
their trip the remaining journey north with the brussels would only take a further 90 minutes at 9:06 p.m. the HL
flight DHX 61:1 took to the skies once more flown by first officer branch can't be Oni shortly before 10 p.m.
best Korean Airlines flight BTC 2 937 enter DHL cargo flight dhx 6 1 1 collided over southern Germany becoming
the worst civilian aircraft disaster the country had ever seen the catastrophic incident had claimed the lives of all 69
persons on board the trooper lev including the 45 school students from oofah and two therefore adult chaperones
the two pilots aboard the Boeing had also lost their lives there were no survivors the event would later come to
be named after the closest a major city to where the incident occurred the 2002 uber Ling and mid-air collision DHL paid
tribute to their two lost pilots Paul Phillips and Brant Campione II in a written statement penned by the company
Paul Phillips was remembered as a true gentleman without a vindictive bone in his body
his career led him to Bahrain International Airport where he had a chance encounter with a woman selling
raffle tickets named Amy Paul didn't win the raffle grand prize of a car but did
win the heart of Amy who later became his wife and a mother of their three children when he wasn't in the air Paul
lived a leisurely life on the ground tending to his vegetable garden or fishing in his boat
DHL statement also commemorated the life of happy-go-lucky Brant can't be oniy a
sports fanatic passionate about tennis in particular devoted to life in the same way he was devoted to flying brent
found amusement in the smallest of joys from a good meal to little treasures he'd find on the beach next to his home
was the dilapidated tennis court where Brentwood first players of higher skill level than his own enthusiastically
welcoming the challenge his positive energy drew in others including his wife Danine a friend remarked ever the
optimist the glass was always half-full with brand three days of official mourning were declared in Hoover with
flags flying at half-mast across the russian city at the domestic airport a message of sympathy from best korean
airlines was displayed alongside pictures of their deceased flight crew at the same time tributes were pouring
in for the 45 schoolchildren regarded as rufus best and brightest flowers covered
their school desks as grieving teachers collected pictures class work and report
cards lamenting the student short but impactful lives a photograph showed several of the female students dancing
in pink satin dresses to mark World War two Victory Day one deceased the student's report card displayed Rosa
fires perfect results parents and families were united in grief as they came to terms with the tragic news many
of them had presumed the children had arrived safely in Spain only to learn of the disaster over the radio
they wept bitter tears over the ill-fated circumstances that led to their children onto the doomed airliner
culminating from their missed flight days prior the mother of eleven-year-old bullet Big Love lamented to Russian
media if only they had flown on time nothing would have happened just days before her trip to Spain 12 year-old
Alena Chan Innova purchased all her textbooks in anticipation of starting the seventh grade later that year the
books remained wrapped and unread on her shelf her mother told reporters I don't
feel like a mother anymore I feel like I've lost my heart the sister of 14 year old Hilde rasilla Bhushan would never
receive the souvenir teddy bear he had promised to bring her back from Spain the music box given to 14 year-old
Veronica Stagg choked for her birthday held a few of her sentimental belongings across an old coin and a small silver
necklace these items now cherished by her suffering family Lali ahora Selena lost her two children in the disaster
daughter Karina aged 16 and son at Ruslan aged 15 the grieving mother asked what do I have to live for now
Alexander sorrow also lost his two children 13 year old daughter Veronica and 12 year old son of vladislav in an
even crueler twist his wife arena was one of the four adult chaperones who had volunteered to accompany the students to
Spain the disaster had claimed Alexander's entire family emergency visas were issued to the
families of victims to allow prompt travel to Germany they were asked to bring anything with them that would help
identify their children's remains including dental and medical records Bosch Korean Airlines ferried the
relatives abroad in one of their troop Aleph aircrafts circumstances that bore chilling similarities to the doomed fly
at nights prior upon arriving to Germany the relatives were transported to oving
him with many still holding on to the impossible hope that their children may have somehow survived the father of 11
year old Otto Chamitoff stated we still hoped that these children would run in appear from somewhere and probably every
parent believed in some miracle hope faded when the group reached the expensive and confronting crash site
although the bodies of the victims had since been recovered and taken away the wreckage still remained painting a grim
picture of what the passengers enjoy it in their final moments the imagery caused several mourners to
faint makeshift shrines made up of floral wreaths and candles were built around the debris and flowers brought from
gardens in Russia were planted throughout the German countryside some grieving relatives dug up handfuls of
the earth and picked up stalks of corn from the surrounding crop fields as a somber keepsake of their children's
temporary resting place after a prayer service an hour of silence commenced as mourners wandered through the
devastation burdened with the unanswered questions how and why one parent told the media we
have very many questions and I think is the duty of every parent to find out how
it happened inquiries into the cause of the fatal crash were fronted by the German Federal
Bureau of aircraft accidents investigation they were assisted by Rep natives from both Russia and the United
States as the incident involved planes built in their respective countries initial considerations as to how such a
rare catastrophe could occur centered around the presumption that one of the pilots must have somehow lost control
mid-flight and directed their plane into the other post-mortem examinations of the tupolev and Boeing crewmembers ruled
each person's cause of death as a direct result of the collision there were no indications that any suffered from
pre-existing afflictions physiological impairments or psychological illnesses that may have contributed to the crash
tests were conducted for the presence of alcohol medication or other drugs but produced negative results in all cases
the possibility that exhaustion played a part was ruled out as crew members had sufficient time to rest than to relax
prior to the flights the German meteorological service reported the weather on the evening of July 1 was
unremarkable characterized by scattered cloud coverage with slight to moderate rain five other aircrafts flew above
southern Germany that evening their crews reported seeing stars clearly indicating visibility was good however
they record a lack of moonlight around at the time of the collision this detail was confirmed by German military
geophysicists whose astronomical data revealed that although night had fallen the moon was in the waning phase below
the horizon and had not yet risen this meant the night sky was particularly dark limiting visibility from the
cockpit to less than 10 kilometers ahead has inquiries continued in Germany investigations were also underway in
Russia Italy and Switzerland countries that doomed flights had traversed during July 1 at the time of the collision both
planes were under the observation of Swiss based their navigation service provider called sky guide which was
tasked with supervising airspace over Lake Constance the multi-million dollar company operated from an area control
center located inside a tall windowed tower on the grounds of Zurich International Airport in the country's
northeast investigators spoke with the sky guide staff on duty the night of July 1
who reported an unusual occurrence at around a 9:30 p.m. an air traffic controller was observing a navigation
radar screen featuring a basic grid like display of Swiss airspace and it surrounds small blips indicated aircraft
positions in the sky along with their flight number designation altitude and approximate traveling speed the control
I noticed the blips of flights BTC 2 937 and Adi HX 6 1 1 were rapidly approaching the same location over Lake
Constance both soaring at 36,000 feet the controller presumed the situation was one of loss of separation wearing
aircrafts incidentally fly too close to one another these aviation near misses are more common than most realize they
very rarely end in disaster to remedy the loss of separation between flights BTC 2 937 and a thx 6 1 1 the controller
followed established procedures and radioed through to the trooper lapse cockpit ordering captain Alexander gross
to descend his aircraft by 1,000 feet no radio communications were initiated by air traffic control to the Boeing
aircraft the only requirement to secure a safe passage of both flights was simply for one plane to move out of the
way of the other strangely there was no response from the tupolev crew the controller repeated his demand this time
with more emphasis captain Alexander broses voice finally came through the radio clarifying the order to descend
which the controller confirmed the controller was under the impression the trooper left crew had followed through
with the descent and to the crisis had been averted it wasn't until the blips of flights Bayt AC to 937 and today I
checked 6 1 1 suddenly disappeared from navigation radar screens the sky guide staff realized something wasn't right
attempts to re-establish radio communications with the trooper left cockpit crew were met with silence are
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sym p li SAF a.com slash case file spy guide officials could offer no explanation as to why the two planes had
collided according to the company the trooper left was ordered to descend about two minutes before the crash
giving the airliner ample time to safely move out of the Boeing's flight path a representative from sky guard informed
the media quote the problem was that the Russian plane did not immediately respond for reasons that aren't entirely
clear these comments led to speculation as to whether the tupolev crews initially in action was to blame for the
tragedy and whether it was intentional or not Bosch Korean airlines were quick to come to the defense of their crew
insisting all staff on board were highly qualified and experienced in the Russian
Federation flight crews are awarded performance classes based on their qualifications into flight skill there
are four in total class one being the highest all the trooper left crew members were class one furthermore
captain Alexander gross was experienced in navigating difficult flight conditions that require two last-minute
maneuvers during one particularly problematic flight to Budapest unpredictable weather had him descending
onto an airstrip that had been flooded by an overflowing river he successfully brought the plane down safely receiving
applause from his relieved and grateful passengers the season the captain was known to abide by a single rule when
flying he refused to relax as there were 150 people behind his back depending on
him nevertheless Alexander's immediate inaction prior to the you billing and mid-air collision raised many questions
the theory that the Russian crew was at fault gained momentum with rumors spreading that they may not have fully
understood the English commands given by sky guides air traffic controller despite it being the de facto
international language of civil aviation wanting to dispel the accusations directed towards her husband Alexander's
Widow came forward to present a certificate he had been issued years prior acknowledging his extensive
knowledge and understanding of English flight language blame and criticism were further spotlighted on Russia when
aviation officials labeled tupolev aircrafts as careless Boeing airliners had made its name as one of the most
reliable aircrafts with a generally good safety record however Russia's aging domestic workhorse the tupolev had a
checkered history although a popular aircraft it had been involved in about 30 year disasters since its inception
months prior to the U billing and mid-air collision a tupolev exploded in midair and crashed into the black sea
killing 78 passengers and crew months before that the tupolev crashed in Siberia killing 143 people on board
additional crashes in China Namibia and the United Arab Emirates claimed the lives of a further 300 people experts
blamed poor maintenance safety violations and cost-cutting for the high accident rate yet
records showed the tupolev involved in the u billing and mid-air collision had received a technical inspection on june
28 2002 just two days before the fatal crash the plane was determined to being fine working order with no technical
defects and received the authorization to fly similar inspections were carried out on
the Boeing the last occurring just over two months prior to the crash it too was
given the all-clear the head of Bosch Korean Airlines stressed the tuple ever made all requirements set by the
International Civil Aviation Organization and dissipated accusations mounting against the Russian crew he
insisted to reporters there were no reasons to say that the pilots didn't handle the plane properly
Switzerland's president Kasper Villiger was scheduled to attend a public memorial service held in oofah to honor
the victims of the crash however he was forced to cancel plans when Russian authorities were unable to guarantee his
safety emotions were running high in Pride and her nationalistic Russia local anger was
directed towards the Swiss who had failed to send condolences immediately following the crash in another perceived
transgression Swiss officials and media had defied ethical standards by immediately placing the blame on the
Russian pilots and aircraft despite the ongoing investigation having drawn no such conclusions
hundreds of Russian citizens greeted the coffins carrying the remains of the 45 schoolchildren upon their arrival to
offer airport they were taken to Goss tini divorce square for a public memorial the usually vibrant Plaza
serving as a gathering spot for the heartbroken community to come together and grieve the German Deputy Foreign
Minister attended the service and told the crowd we will never forget our compatriots German people crying
together with Russians at the side of a charred wheat field he promised to erect a memorial at the
crash site to serve as an eternal remembrance after the service the coffins were
placed on the buses and two taken to a cemetery in southern offer portraits of each student were displayed in the
windows as mourners framed the procession route tossing flowers onto the road as the vehicles approached the
students were buried together their headstones placed in rows resembling their seating pattern on flight BTC 2
937 the local government organized the special fund of 28 million rubles for the families of the victims but it came
with the understanding that no amount of money could compensate for the immense loss condolences were offered on behalf
of russia's President Vladimir Putin who said your pain is immeasurable and your
loss irrecoverable no matter whose fault it finally will be we the adults are to
be blamed the way have not saved our children and that they left us as angels for heaven ongoing searches of the
extensive crash site resulted in the discovery of two distinct red colored devices the flight recorders of both
aircraft informally known as the black boxes engineered to withstand conditions arising from aircraft destruction they
facilitate the investigation of aviation accidents that consist of a single unit
made up of two individual devices one is the flight data recorder which preserves
the recent history of the flights internal electronic systems including control inputs and engine information
the other is the cockpit voice recorder which records the audio environment within including conversations between
crew members as experts began the intricate process of retrieving the data stored on the fly
recorders k pieces of the tupolev and Boeing were transported to a specialized storage hangar for further examination
efforts to determine how the collision transpired by reconstructing the aircraft's were hampered by the sheer
state of their destruction with many vital parts having been completely destroyed and never recovered
nevertheless the wreckage coupled with the flight recorder data would provide an invaluable resource in understanding
how the rare catastrophe transpired on the fifth day of the investigation examiner's collated the information
gathered from the wreckage with the data from the flight recorders and presented
their findings revealing the sequence of events that led to the u billing and mid-air collision on July 1 2002
following their intermediate landing in Italy DHL cargo flight d HX 6 1 1 was traveling north towards Belgium at 9:21
p.m. the plane was flying over the snow capped alpine region of southern Switzerland when captain paul phillips
initiated radio communications with air traffic control requesting clearance to climb to a higher altitude as the
thinner air above provided less resistance and preserved fuel he specifically requested to rise to 36,000
feet by this point the boeing was in sky guides jurisdiction and captain phillips
radio message reached the companies zurich based air control center where his request was granted
fifteen minutes later first officer Brandt can't be any left his seat to attempt the lavatory installed in a
cubicle at the rear of the cockpit leaving Paul Phillips alone at the controls 14 seconds later an alarm began
emanating from the control panel it was accompanied by a monotone automated voice repeating the words traffic
traffic the automated voice arose from the aircraft's inbuilt traffic collision avoidance system informally referred to
as T Cass the relatively new technology you listened in on the constant stream of radio signals radiating from
commercial aircrafts and calculated whether any were on a collision course if they were the system would issue a
warning and if necessary inform pilots of what action to take to avoid one another when the t caste issued this
course of action known as a resolution advisory the pilot had been trained to respond immediately and maneuver is
indicated unless they knew doing so would jeopardize the safe operation of the flyer both the tupolev and the
Boeing had T Cass installed experts understood that had the system worked as it was designed to the you bullying and
mid-air collision should never had occurred this raised the possibility that a might have malfunctioned or
issued an error 14 seconds after captain Paul Phillips was alerted by take ass of nearby
traffic the system issued a resolution advisory the automated voice directed the pilot to descend descend remaining
calm captain Phillips pushed the control column forwards tilting the plane downwards as per instruction the tea
cast then advised increased descent increased descent at this point grant campeón II had returned from the
lavatory into resumed his position at the controls upon hearing that take us alert Brent told the captain to increase
and the Boeing's rate of descent was escalated the pair were unable to make a visual contact of any nearby aircraft
due to the sheer darkness beyond the windshield captain Phillips attempted to establish
radio communications with Swiss air traffic control to determine who or what was in their proximity but his messages
went on he answered several kilometers away best Korean Airlines flight PTC to 937 was soaring
towards the Germany Switzerland border at a cruising altitude of 36,000 feet as the tupolev approached airspace over
lake constance it's tea casts issued an alert warning that another aircraft was within close proximity 7 seconds later
the crew received radio communications from Zurich based air traffic control ordering them to descent juda crossing
traffic the message prompted discussions between the crew members as they observed the night sky for the other
aircraft although no one verbally responded to the controller lingering accusations that captain Alexander cross
did not understand to the commands given to him in English were dispelled as instrument data indicated he followed
through with the descent suddenly he cast generated a resolution advisory commanding the pilot to instead climb
climb off duty first officer more at a pool of acknowledged the take ass telling the
others had says climb his unease was brushed aside by a leg of grigoriev the most senior member of the crew into the
pilot in command oleg indicated they should follow instructions provided by the air traffic
controller saying he is guiding us down Moret disagreed certain they should adhere to take ass and ascend debate
erupted in the cockpit between crew members as they disputed what course of action to take the confusion prompted
captain grass to halt the sin but then air traffic control radioed through a second message repeating their order to
expedite the same captain grass tentatively recited the order back to the controller who quickly replied yes
we have traffic in your two o'clock with this confirmation captain grass committed to the descent the tupolev
crew nervously observed the night sky in the two o'clock direction waiting to spot the approaching aircraft a leg of
grigoriev asked frantically where is it the panicked voice of more added cool-off responded he on the left side
the inbound aircraft was not in the two o'clock position as advised by air traffic control but on the opposite side
of the tupolev in the ten o'clock position the trooper left's flight navigator explained it's going to pass
beneath us esta casa su de nother resolution advisory instructing the pilot to increased climb increased climb
it was too late the trooper left was in steep descent above the Boeing where pilots Brent
Campione II and Captain Paul Phillips were obeying the orders of their takers suddenly the pair caught sight of the
trooper left right above them causing Brent to remark in shock traffic right there he desperately ordered captain
phillips to descend hard there was insufficient time for either aircraft to maneuver out of the other's way and at
9:35 p.m. they collided in the airspace over southern germany the boeing flew underneath the tupolev its rear vehicle
tail clipped the left wing of the passenger airliner before slicing through its fuselage and severing it in
half an explosive decompression expelled all oxygen within the cabin rendering all those on board unconscious within
seconds the airliner continued to break up in midair raining pieces of fractured metal
onto the town evolving and below the impact she had 80% of the Boeing's vertical tail leaving nothing more than
a stump and causing the aircraft to become aerodynamically unstable rolling about its longitudinal axis the Boeing
then lost use of the engines due to the higher lateral forces unable to control their aircraft Paul Phillips and Brent
Campione II enjoyed an agonizing three-minute descent as their plane plummeted to earth the findings
clarified that neither the aircraft crews nor a faulty traffic collision avoidance system were responsible for
the collision the take ass had worked just as it was designed to upon calculating the flights dhx
6 1 1 and bt c 2 937 were on a collision course the system issued prompt resolutions to rectify the problem
ordering the boeing to descend enter the trooper left to climb had the crews follow to these instructions the
collision would have been avoided however sky guard air traffic control issued the trooper left crew with
conflicting orders instructing them to descend instead and subsequently bringing the passenger plane down on top
of the bony skylight staff had initially informed investigators that orders were
given to the trooper lev two minutes before the collision this statement was deemed false when transcripts of radio
communications between the tupolev and sky guide revealed the first radioed order was given a mere 43 seconds before
impact an insufficient timeframe for them to adjust their altitude for safe passage still this didn't answer the
pressing question as to wire the air traffic controller provided the trooper left crew with misguided or
miscalculated instructions investigations narrowed in on the air traffic controller who gave the fatal
directions the controller's 10-year career history was scrupulously studied only to reveal a worker considered by
workmates and supervisors as competent and knowledgeable with a professional and cooperative attitude nothing in his
records indicated deficiencies in his skill or experience however in May of 2001 a year before the u billing and
mid-air collision the controller was involved in a similar loss of separation incident no one was harmed in that
instance but a subsequent investigation attributed the incident in part to the controller's error in judgment in
evaluating the space required to safely conduct an altitude crossing maneuver following this sky-god conducted a
30-minute debrief with the controller but the contents of this session were not documented and didn't lead the
company to form any serious concerns about the controller's ability it was considered an isolated incident in an
otherwise unblemished career on the morning following the u billing and mid-air collision investigators
collected blood and urine samples from the sky guide staff who were on duty the night prior including the controller in
question subsequent testing of these samples for drugs alcohol into medication produced negative results
confirming the controller was not under the influence of any substance that may have impacted their capability on the
night of July 1 the actions of the air traffic controller were released to the media who labeled him a mass murderer
for his own safety his name and identity were never released to the public hate mail flooded sky guides corporate
offices as the company refused to offer an explanation or apology for the crash Swiss authorities opened an
investigation to determine whether the controller was indeed responsible and whether there was enough evidence to
charge him with 71 cases of negligent manslaughter during an interview with German press shortly after the disaster
the controller admitted to his role in the catastrophe explaining quote on the night of the accident I was part of a
network of people computers monitoring into transmission devices and regulations all these parts must work
together seamlessly and with the odd error and they must be synchronized as an air traffic controller it is my task
in duty to prevent such accidents so many children lost their lives and so many hopes for the future were erased
when these comments went to print the air traffic controller was referred to simply as Peter Wren
although the job of a pilot is to get airline cargo or passengers to their destination it is the work conducted by
air traffic controllers that ensures the planes arrive safely their role is to monitor airspace from control towers on
the ground observing radar screens whilst providing direction and assistance to pilots via radio for the
safe efficient and orderly flow of air traffic as such air traffic control is regarded as one of the most mentally
challenging and stressful professions involving real-time decision-making based on changing flight plans
unexpected weather conditions unscheduled traffic and emergency situations for the most part it is the
often unrecognized the work performed by air traffic controllers that makes flying such a low-risk endeavor and one
of the safest modes of transportation each controller is carefully selected highly trained and to rigorously tested
before being granted with a license to conduct their traffic navigation in March 1994 Peter Nelson successfully
completed his training to become an air traffic controller and was granted his license by the Norwegian Civil Aviation
Administration Peter worked with in his home country of Denmark until 1995 before moving to Switzerland with his
wife Mehta they settled in the leafy suburb of cloten about ten kilometres north of Zurich where they raised three
children Mehta's 13-year old teenage son into the couple's younger children aged four and two
the Nielsen's home suburb overlooked zurich International Airport where Peter began working for sky guide in their
area control center by mid 2002 36 year old Peter Nielsen was highly competent at aviation management with nearly 10
years of experience under his belt that was a challenging and stressful career but Peter channeled the pressure he
faced at work into recreational fitness he loved to run and swim but his favourite sport was ice hockey every
Wednesday Peter would meet with a group of his work colleagues who had formed their own ice hockey team and together
they'd blow off steam by skating around the rink in the early hours of July 1 2002 Peter Nielsen arrived to work and
settled in for a quiet night but they the centralized the airspace over Switzerland was one of the busiest
crossroads in Europe yet the lady hours saw a dramatic reduction in the number of inbound and outbound flights with
only a few aircrafts moving through the sky at any given time this reduction was
due in part to an imposed curfew that forced the Zurich Airport to close their runways to incoming or outgoing flights
overnight later that evening when news reached sky guides area control center that two commercial airliners had
collided in midair within their jurisdiction staff were left shocked there were even more surprised to learn
the accident occurred whilst the flights were being monitored by seasoned and well-regarded air traffic controller
Peter Nelson when Peter learned he was under a criminal investigation in relation to
the crash he suffered a mental breakdown that required hospitalization and psychiatric
treatment he claimed that due to the immense trauma he had suffered over the incident he couldn't remember anything
about the moments leading up to the catastrophe investigations into his conduct continued for months as
authorities carefully pieced together what evidence they could to determine the extent of Peter Nelson's culpability
a year after the u billing and mid-air collision investigations were still underway to determine Peter Nelson's
role in the crash his mental state had since improved and after taking months off for treatment he finally returned to
work he had since retired from his air traffic controller position and had taken up an office job at Sky Guides
corporate office where he was involved in the development of air traffic projects
a vast containing a single white rose was on display at his former workstation in the area control center as a show of
support from his old colleagues Tuesday February 24 2004 marked one year and eight months since the you Burlingame
television it was approaching 5:45 p.m. in the Swiss town of cloten and getting dark outside as the remnants have
recently fallen snow slowly melted away Peter was at home in his street-level two-story pink washed suburban flat with
his wife Mehta and their young children Peter and Metta were lying on the sofa together watching television needing to
do some whining Mehta prepared the stand the Peter urged her to stay put and enjoyed the coziness eventually Mehta
dragged herself away to do housework at 5:51 p.m. Peter looked outside and noticed an unfamiliar man sitting alone
on a garden seat on their front terrace the stranger was unshaven appeared to be
aged in his 40s or 50s with a burly physique and dark hair with gray streaks he was dressed in black with a long coat
holding a brown envelope Peter told matter of the man outside before making his way to the patio to greet him as he
headed out Peters youngest daughter ran towards him but he shut the door behind him causing
the two-year-old to burst into tears Mehta led her daughter further into the house to comfort her the voices of her
husband and the man were barely audible from inside the house the meta could hear the stranger speaking in broken
German with an Eastern European accent a minute later she heard him share I am Russia a scream then erupted from
peda Mehta heard her husband yell don't kill me telling her children to stay put
Mehta raced outside and found Peter lying on the terrace covered in blood he looked up at her and pleaded call an
ambulance the disheveled older man stood over him a long knife in his hand to be continued
next week [Music] you

Case 106: Peter Nielsen (Part 1)

[Part 1 of 2] As night fell on July 1 2002, Owingen’s quiet streets were disrupted by a deep rumbling from above, prompting locals to assume an unforecast storm was fast approaching...

CREDITS Narration – Anonymous Host Researched and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile

RESOURCES For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-106-peter-nielsen-part-1

Brief Summary

The episode recounts the tragic Ueberlingen mid-air collision, examining the events and investigation surrounding the disaster that killed 71 people.

Key points

The Explosion at Lake Constance. Residents witness a terrifying explosion in the night sky, initially mistaking it for fireworks.
A Battlefield Emerges. The once vibrant landscape is transformed into a scene of devastation after the disaster.
Miracle Amidst Tragedy. Despite the disaster, no one on the ground was killed or injured, a surprising outcome.
The 2002 Überlingen Mid-Air Collision. A tragic collision claims the lives of all 69 people on board, including school students.
A Chance Encounter. Paul meets Amy at an airport, winning her heart instead of a raffle prize.
Grief Over Lost Lives. Tributes pour in for the 45 schoolchildren lost in the crash, marking their short lives.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

The once lush and vibrant rural landscape now resembled a battlefield.

Describing the aftermath of the tragedy.

6:03WatchFeb 4, 2019

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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