Georgia Hardstark

At about 5 p.m., the Grand Canaria Airport has been secured and reopened, and so flights are allowed to begin taking off for that 25-minute journey. Now, the two air traffic controllers are going to have to play a game of Tetris to move all these unexpected planes around to give them space to take off down that one small runway that they have.

At about 5 p.m., the Grand Canaria Airport has been secured and reopened, and so flights are allowed to begin taking off for that 25-minute journey. Now, the two air traffic controllers are going to have to play a game of Tetris to move all these unexpected planes around to give them space to take off down that one small runway that they have.

Then, at the same time, one of these other fucking bits of chance happens. A thick fog begins to roll in. I know. Fucking fog. The airport is 2,000 feet above sea level, which you know means it's prone to thick cloud cover at times. And there's another issue. The center lights on the runway aren't working. Crucial.

Then, at the same time, one of these other fucking bits of chance happens. A thick fog begins to roll in. I know. Fucking fog. The airport is 2,000 feet above sea level, which you know means it's prone to thick cloud cover at times. And there's another issue. The center lights on the runway aren't working. Crucial.

At this point, everyone has been stranded at Los Rodeos for about three hours. They're anxious to get into the air. In addition to this, the Dutch KLM crew is in danger of timing out, which basically means that everyone working that flight would have to stay a certain amount of hours at that airport before they're allowed to fly again. And there's not room for that on the island.

At this point, everyone has been stranded at Los Rodeos for about three hours. They're anxious to get into the air. In addition to this, the Dutch KLM crew is in danger of timing out, which basically means that everyone working that flight would have to stay a certain amount of hours at that airport before they're allowed to fly again. And there's not room for that on the island.

They're all fucking over it. They just kind of are in a hurry in a way they wouldn't be normally. And so because of this, maybe not everyone is thinking every step through. The air traffic controllers instruct the KLM flight to taxi to the end of the runway. And then they're supposed to wait for the Pan Am flight to follow behind it and get behind it to take off after it.

They're all fucking over it. They just kind of are in a hurry in a way they wouldn't be normally. And so because of this, maybe not everyone is thinking every step through. The air traffic controllers instruct the KLM flight to taxi to the end of the runway. And then they're supposed to wait for the Pan Am flight to follow behind it and get behind it to take off after it.

All the other planes at the airport are on the taxi or a holding area because these are the two big planes. But there's interference and the radio transmissions aren't clear. There's also the language barrier issue. All of the communications are being done in English, but the air traffic controllers and the KLM pilots don't have a standard aviation-centered knowledge of the language.

All the other planes at the airport are on the taxi or a holding area because these are the two big planes. But there's interference and the radio transmissions aren't clear. There's also the language barrier issue. All of the communications are being done in English, but the air traffic controllers and the KLM pilots don't have a standard aviation-centered knowledge of the language.

The air traffic controller's first language is Spanish. The KLM flight crew's first language is Dutch. And so the two groups are just not working with a standardized aviation English vocabulary, just the limited amount of English that they both happen to know. So obviously things are going to get mixed up.

The air traffic controller's first language is Spanish. The KLM flight crew's first language is Dutch. And so the two groups are just not working with a standardized aviation English vocabulary, just the limited amount of English that they both happen to know. So obviously things are going to get mixed up.

The Dutch-speaking pilots on the KLM flight taxi to the end of the runway, as they're supposed to, and then Captain Van Zanten says, okay, we are at takeoff. And then the air traffic controllers say, OK, standby for takeoff. I will call you. But because of the radio interference, only the OK is audible in the KLM cockpit. So no one had actually given the KLM flight clearance to take off.

The Dutch-speaking pilots on the KLM flight taxi to the end of the runway, as they're supposed to, and then Captain Van Zanten says, okay, we are at takeoff. And then the air traffic controllers say, OK, standby for takeoff. I will call you. But because of the radio interference, only the OK is audible in the KLM cockpit. So no one had actually given the KLM flight clearance to take off.

But Captain Van Zanten must have misunderstood as he initiates takeoff. He basically goes down the runway. They have to do a U-turn. And they're supposed to wait for the other flight to go down and go behind it. But it's still driving down the runway. Right. They're like basically facing each other. The transmissions are choppy.

But Captain Van Zanten must have misunderstood as he initiates takeoff. He basically goes down the runway. They have to do a U-turn. And they're supposed to wait for the other flight to go down and go behind it. But it's still driving down the runway. Right. They're like basically facing each other. The transmissions are choppy.

And in the Pan Am flight that's still taxiing down the runway, they don't hear everything, but they still say, quote, we're still taxiing down the runway. But this transmission overlaps with one from air traffic control. And in the KLM cockpit, they only hear high-pitched noise as their plane barrels directly at the Pan Am flight, which they can't see through that dense fog.

And in the Pan Am flight that's still taxiing down the runway, they don't hear everything, but they still say, quote, we're still taxiing down the runway. But this transmission overlaps with one from air traffic control. And in the KLM cockpit, they only hear high-pitched noise as their plane barrels directly at the Pan Am flight, which they can't see through that dense fog.

So it's just barreling towards this other plane. Yeah. While all this is going on, the passengers in first class on the Pan Am flight, they're kind of aware of what's going on. Joni remembers feeling nervous about the maneuvering that they had to do around the KLM flight. She remembers that her boyfriend joked, quote, don't worry, if they hit us, you won't feel a thing, end quote.

So it's just barreling towards this other plane. Yeah. While all this is going on, the passengers in first class on the Pan Am flight, they're kind of aware of what's going on. Joni remembers feeling nervous about the maneuvering that they had to do around the KLM flight. She remembers that her boyfriend joked, quote, don't worry, if they hit us, you won't feel a thing, end quote.