Qantas Flight 72
Imagine a commercial airliner with a mind of its own. It went against the pilot’s request and seemed determined to kill everyone on board. The unlikely scenario occurred on October 7, 2008, when Qantas Flight 72 circled toward Earth with 303 passengers and nine crew on board. The documentary Qantas Flight 72 recalls this traumatic event with pulsating intensity.
The plane broke down en route from Singapore to Perth, Australia. The autopilot disengaged and caused the plane to descend sharply. Captain Kevin Sullivan, a respected pilot with a lifelong love of aviation and valuable military flying experience, flew his aircraft to save everyone on board. Against all odds, he succeeded. Sullivan appears as the film’s central interview subject, and his description of the ill-fated flight is chilling for a few moments. Additional interviews with passengers and crew round out the exciting narrative.
The film also tells the horrific stories of dozens of passengers who were badly injured and details their inspiring struggle for survival. Granted, while they’re both happy to be alive, the lingering effects of the trauma — both physical and psychological — will stay with them for a while.
Anecdotes of heroism and daring rescue operations accumulate throughout the film. Oddly, however, Qantas did not allow any of its staff to speak about the experiences on camera, and avoided publicizing the incident, even though it was meant to celebrate the bravery and determination of its cabin crew. Captain Sullivan has not received any official recognition or recognition for his unparalleled courage and skill in the face of certain mortality.
Even more amazing is the fact that the airline made little effort to investigate the root cause of the incident. Aviation advocates – like fellow proponent Sully Sullenburger – claim that automation in the cockpit is a double-edged sword. While they don’t necessarily increase the likelihood of disaster, they introduce a whole new set of challenges that pilots and manufacturers didn’t anticipate.
