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{{Short description|Televised crash test experiment}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
|name = 2012 Boeing 727 crash experiment
| name = 2012 Boeing 727 crash experiment
|occurrence_type = Crash experiment
| occurrence_type = Crash experiment
|image = CHAMPION 727 (2323443982).jpg
| image = CHAMPION 727 (2323443982).jpg
|image_size = 350px
| image_size = 350px
|alt =
| alt =
|caption = The experiment aircraft while still in service with Champion Air
| caption = The experiment aircraft while still in service with [[Champion Air]]
|date = {{start date|2012|04|27}} 10:00
| date = {{start date|df=yes|2012|04|27}} 10:00
|type = Remote controlled deliberate crash into terrain / [[CFIT]]
| type = Remote controlled deliberate crash into terrain
|site = [[Laguna Salada (Mexico)|Laguna Salada, Mexico]] (Laguna Salada - salt lake)
| site = [[Laguna Salada (Mexico)|Laguna Salada, Mexico]] (Laguna Salada - salt lake)
|coordinates = {{Coord|32.36|-115.66|type:event_region:MX|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{Coord|32.36|-115.66|type:event_region:MX|display=inline,title}}


<!--These 17 entries for single-aircraft occurrence:------>
<!--These 17 entries for single-aircraft occurrence:------>| aircraft_type = [[Boeing 727-212 Advanced]]
⚫
| aircraft_name = Big Flo
|aircraft_type = [[Boeing 727]]
⚫
| operator = [[Warner Bros. Discovery]]
⚫
|aircraft_name = Big Flo
⚫
| tail_number = XB-MNP
⚫
|operator = [[Discovery Channel]]
⚫
| origin = [[General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport]]
⚫
|tail_number = XB-MNP
⚫
|origin = [[General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport]] (IATA: MXL, ICAO: MMML)
}}
}}


On April 27, 2012, a team of scientists staged an airplane crash near [[Mexicali]], Mexico. An unmanned [[Boeing 727|Boeing 727-200]], fitted with numerous cameras, crash-test dummies and other scientific instruments, was flown into the ground. The exercise was filmed for television.
On 27 April 2012, a multinational team of television studios staged an airplane crash near [[Mexicali]], Mexico. An unmanned [[Boeing 727|Boeing 727-200]], fitted with numerous cameras, [[Crash test dummy|crash test dummies]] and other scientific instruments, was flown into the ground. The exercise was filmed for television.


==Aircraft and test site==
==Aircraft and test site==
The aircraft used was a Boeing 727-200 purchased by the television production companies, registration ''XB-MNP''<ref name=ASN-2012-04-27>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20120427-0 "27 APR 2012"]. Aviation Safety Network. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref> (formerly N293AS).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N293AS | title=FAA - N293AS | publisher=FAA | accessdate=October 24, 2012}}</ref>
The aircraft used was a Boeing 727-200 purchased by the television production companies, registration ''XB-MNP''<ref name=ASN-2012-04-27>{{Cite web|last=Ranter|first=Harro|title=27 APR 2012|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20120427-0|access-date=2012-10-17|website=aviation-safety.net|publisher=Aviation Safety Network}}</ref> (formerly N293AS).<ref>{{cite web|title=N293AS|url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N293AS|accessdate=24 October 2012|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502065123/https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N293AS|url-status=dead}}</ref>


The site in Mexico was chosen because authorities in the United States would not allow the test to take place.<ref name=NYDN-2012-10-06>David Hinckley. [http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-10-06/news/34296685_1_plane-crash-tv-review-smash "TV Review: ‘Curiosity: Plane Crash’"]. ''New York Daily News'', October 6, 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref><ref name=MirrorUK-2012-10-12>Natalie Evans. [https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/the-plane-crash-channel-4-documentary-1374304 "The Plane Crash: Channel 4 documentary discovers where is the safest place to sit on an aeroplane"] ''The Mirror (London)'', 12 October 2012 (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>
The site in Mexico was chosen because authorities in the United States would not allow the test to take place.<ref name="NYDN-2012-10-06">{{Cite news|last=Hinckley|first=David|date=6 October 2012|title=TV Review: 'Curiosity: Plane Crash' - NY Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tv-review-curiosity-plane-crash-article-1.1175968|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412044056/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/tv-review-curiosity-plane-crash-article-1.1175968|archive-date=2015-04-12|access-date=2012-10-17|website=New York Daily News}}</ref><ref name="MirrorUK-2012-10-12">{{Cite news|last=Evans|first=Natalie|date=12 October 2012|title=The Plane Crash: Channel 4 documentary discovers where is the safest place to sit on an aeroplane|work=The Mirror|location=London|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/the-plane-crash-channel-4-documentary-1374304|access-date=2012-10-17}}</ref>
The aircraft's original owner was [[Singapore Airlines]]. The last United-States-based owner was Broken Wing LLC of Webster Groves, Missouri, who then exported it and transferred it to a Mexican production company. Broken Wing is also the company that planned and executed the experiment.<ref name="faa">{{cite web|url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N293AS|title=FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry|publisher=registry.faa.gov|accessdate=July 24, 2014}}</ref> The aircraft had been leased to [[Bob Dole]]'s 1996 presidential election campaign by the then-owner [[AvAtlantic]].<ref name="nydailynews">{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/discovery-high-impact-special-eyes-plane-crash-article-1.1172279|title=Discovery’s ‘Curiosity’ slams a jet into the desert floor to study the damage in a plane crash - NY Daily News|publisher=nydailynews.com|accessdate=July 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name="airliners">{{cite web|url=http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(AvAtlantic)/Boeing-727-212-Adv/0239334/&sid=4487aeef57089e6ce569580895e2835e|title=Photos: Boeing 727-212/Adv Aircraft Pictures &#124; Airliners.net|publisher=airliners.net|accessdate=July 24, 2014}}</ref>
The aircraft's original owner was [[Singapore Airlines]].<ref name="planelogger">{{Cite web|title=Registration Details For XB-MNP ((National Geographic)) 727-212|url=https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/XB-MNP/500025|access-date=2020-09-04|website=www.planelogger.com|publisher=PlaneLogger}}</ref> The last United-States-based owner was Broken Wing LLC of [[Webster Groves, Missouri]], who then exported it and transferred it to a Mexican production company. Broken Wing is also the company that planned and executed the experiment.<ref name="faa">{{cite web|title=FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry|url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N293AS|accessdate=24 July 2014|website=registry.faa.gov|publisher=Federal Aviation Administration|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502065123/https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N293AS|url-status=dead}}</ref> The aircraft had been leased to [[Bob Dole]]'s [[Bob Dole 1996 presidential campaign|1996 presidential election campaign]] by the then-owner [[AvAtlantic]].<ref name="nydailynews">{{cite news|last=Kaplan|first=Don|date=2 October 2012|title=Discovery's 'Curiosity' slams a jet into the desert floor to study the damage in a plane crash|work=New York Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/discovery-high-impact-special-eyes-plane-crash-article-1.1172279|accessdate=24 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="airliners">{{cite web|title=Photos: Boeing 727-212/Adv Aircraft Pictures|url=http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(AvAtlantic)/Boeing-727-212-Adv/0239334/&sid=4487aeef57089e6ce569580895e2835e|accessdate=24 July 2014|website=airliners.net}}</ref>


==Flight==
==Flight==
Several federal permits by the Mexican government were needed before the remote controlled flight and crash could be performed. In addition, the Mexican authorities stipulated that the aircraft had to be flown by humans during part of the flight, since it would be flying over a populated area.
Several federal permits by the Mexican government were needed before the remote controlled flight and crash could be performed. In addition, the Mexican authorities stipulated that the aircraft had to be flown by humans during part of the flight, since it would be flying over a populated area.


The flight was piloted by captain Jim Bob Slocum, then controlled remotely by Chip Shanle, a former United States Navy pilot who works at [[American Airlines]].<ref name=USAT-2012-10-04>Bart Jansen. [https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2012/10/01/inside-a-doomed-jetliner-tv-show-stages-727-crash/1606749/ "As this (intentional) 727 crash shows, you can survive"]. ''USA Today'', October 4, 2012.</ref>
The flight was piloted by captain Jim Bob Slocum, then controlled remotely by Chip Shanle, a former [[United States Navy]] pilot who works at [[American Airlines]].<ref name="USAT-2012-10-04">{{Cite news|last=Jansen|first=Bart|date=4 October 2012|title=As this (intentional) 727 crash shows, you can survive|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2012/10/01/inside-a-doomed-jetliner-tv-show-stages-727-crash/1606749/}}</ref>


The airplane took off from [[General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport]] in Mexicali, with the flight crew and a small group of passengers, as well as a number of crash dummies, and with a [[chase plane]] following close behind. As the flight progressed towards the [[Sonoran Desert]] of [[Baja California]] in [[Mexico]], its occupants parachuted to safety via the 727's ventral [[airstair]]. Slocum was the last one to leave the jet, four minutes before impact. Shanle then flew the jetliner by remote control, from the chase plane.<ref name=USAT-2012-10-04/><ref name=UKDM>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2204492/How-survive-plane-crash-Fly-economy-dramatic-Boeing-727-crash-reveals.html "It pays to fly economy: Dramatic Boeing 727 crash suggests that sitting in the cheap seats on a plane could save your life"]. Daily Mail (London), 17 September 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>{{deprecated inline|certain=yes|date=October 2019}}
The airplane took off from [[General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport]] in Mexicali, with three flight crew and three support jumpers, as well as a number of crash dummies, and with a [[chase plane]] [[Cessna Skymaster]] following close behind. As the flight progressed towards the [[Sonoran Desert]] of [[Baja California]] in [[Mexico]], its occupants parachuted to safety via the 727's ventral [[airstair]]. Slocum was the last one to leave the jet, three minutes before impact. Shanle then flew the jetliner by remote control, from the chase plane.<ref name=USAT-2012-10-04/>
[[File:Aftermath of The Boeing 727 Crash Test.jpg | thumb | right | Aftermath at the crash site. Note that the cockpit broke off]]

The jetliner hit the ground at {{convert|140|mph}}, with a descent rate of {{convert|1500|ft/min}}.<ref name=SliceOfMIT-2012-10-10>Amy Marcott. [http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2012/10/10/scientists-crash-a-plane-in-the-name-of-safety/ "Scientists Crash a Plane in the Name of Safety"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129040232/http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2012/10/10/scientists-crash-a-plane-in-the-name-of-safety/ |date=2013-01-29 }}. ''Slice of MIT'', October 10, 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref> Upon impact, the Boeing 727 broke up into several sections, the cockpit being torn off the fuselage.
The jetliner hit the ground at {{convert|140|mph|kn km/h}}, with a descent rate of {{convert|1500|ft/min}}.<ref name="SliceOfMIT-2012-10-10">{{Cite web|last=Marcott|first=Amy|date=10 October 2012|title=Scientists Crash a Plane in the Name of Safety|url=http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2012/10/10/scientists-crash-a-plane-in-the-name-of-safety/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129040232/http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2012/10/10/scientists-crash-a-plane-in-the-name-of-safety/|archive-date=2013-01-29|access-date=2012-10-17|website=Slice of MIT}}</ref> Upon impact, the Boeing 727 broke up into several sections, the main landing gear collapsing with the cockpit being torn off the fuselage.


The zone of the crash had been cordoned off by security teams, as well as Mexican police and military, for the safety of the public.<ref name=DCC-about/>
The zone of the crash had been cordoned off by security teams, as well as Mexican police and military, for the safety of the public.<ref name=DCC-about/>


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
The crash site received a full environmental cleanup and salvage operation, under the supervision of Mexican authorities.<ref name=DCC-about>Discovery Channel Canada, ''Curiosity'', [https://archive.is/20130115095708/http://www.discoverychannel.ca/Article.aspx?aid=46611 "ABOUT Curiosity: Plane Crash"] (accessed 2012-10-27)</ref>
The crash site received a full environmental cleanup and salvage operation, under the supervision of Mexican authorities.<ref name=DCC-about>Discovery Channel Canada, ''Curiosity'', [https://archive.today/20130115095708/http://www.discoverychannel.ca/Article.aspx?aid=46611 "ABOUT Curiosity: Plane Crash"] (accessed 2012-10-27)</ref>


[[File:2012_Boeing_727_Crash_Experiment.jpg|thumb|Large sections from the crashed plane stored alongside Hwy 5 in March 2016]]
[[File:2012 Boeing 727 Crash Experiment.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Large sections from the crashed plane stored alongside Hwy 5 in March 2016]]


Most of the large sections of the plane that survived the crash were moved to a field next to Federal Highway 5 south of Mexicali at {{coord|32|30|05|N|115|23|48|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:MX|display=inline}}, and were still there in December 2019.
Most of the large sections of the plane that survived the crash&nbsp;– including the majority of the fuselage, as well as the detached cockpit and nose section&nbsp;– were moved to a field next to [[Mexican Federal Highway 5|Federal Highway 5]] south of Mexicali at {{coord|32|30|05|N|115|23|48|W|type:landmark_scale:2000_region:MX|display=inline}}, and were still there in December 2022.<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5010517,-115.3972857,3a,37.5y,69.91h,91.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss6ezT-Ejg-mYZRv40rFnjQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu] "Google Maps" (accessed 2024-01-01)</ref>


==Study result==
==Study result==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2017}}
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2017}}

The conclusion for this test was that, in a case like this, passengers at the front of an aircraft would be the ones most at risk in a crash. Passengers seated closer to the airplane's wings would have suffered serious but survivable injuries such as broken ankles. The test dummies near the tail section were largely intact; so any passengers there would have likely walked away without serious injury. However, in other crashes, such as when the tail hits the ground first, as was the case with [[Asiana Airlines flight 214|a Boeing 777 that crashed just short of the runway at San Francisco]], the reverse might apply. The brace position was found to be protective against concussion and spinal injuries, but created additional loads on the legs that could result in fractured legs and/or ankles. Additionally, the aircraft's wiring and cosmetic panels were shown to have collapsed into the passenger compartment, creating debris hazards and obstacles to evacuation.
The conclusion for this test was that, in a case like this, passengers at the front of an aircraft would be the ones most at risk in a crash. Passengers seated closer to the airplane's wings would have suffered serious but survivable injuries such as broken ankles. The test dummies near the tail section were largely intact, so any passengers there would have likely walked away without serious injury. However, in other crashes, such as when the tail hits the ground first, as was the case with [[Asiana Airlines flight 214]], in which a [[Boeing 777-200ER]] crashed short of the runway at [[San Francisco International Airport]], the reverse might apply. The [[brace position]] was found to be protective against concussion and spinal injuries, but created additional loads on the legs that could result in fractured legs or ankles. Additionally, the aircraft's wiring and cosmetic panels were shown to have collapsed into the passenger compartment, creating debris hazards and obstacles to evacuation.


==Television program==
==Television program==
A television program about the experiment was produced by [[Discovery Channel]] (United States), [[Dragonfly Film and Television Productions]] (United Kingdom), [[Pro Sieben]] (Germany), and [[Channel 4]] (United Kingdom).<ref name=FlightGlobal-2012-04-30>David Kaminski-Morrow. [http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/video-boeing-727-deliberately-crashed-in-desert-for-tv-371267/ "VIDEO: Boeing 727 deliberately crashed in desert for TV"]. ''Flight International'', April 30, 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>
A television program about the experiment was produced by [[Discovery Channel]] (United States), [[Dragonfly Film and Television Productions]] (United Kingdom), [[Pro Sieben]] (Germany), and [[Channel 4]] (United Kingdom).<ref name=FlightGlobal-2012-04-30>David Kaminski-Morrow. [http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/video-boeing-727-deliberately-crashed-in-desert-for-tv-371267/ "VIDEO: Boeing 727 deliberately crashed in desert for TV"]. ''Flight International'', 30 April 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>


The crash was the subject of a Discovery Channel television series [[Curiosity (TV series)|''Curiosity'']] 2-hour episode "Plane Crash".<ref name=Discovery-2012-10-07-sched>Discovery Channel. [http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/daily.html?date=20121007.281 2012-10-07] TV schedule (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref><ref name=Curiosity-se2ep1>Discovery Channel, [[Curiosity (TV series)|''Curiosity'']] season 2 episode 1, "Plane Crash", airdate: 2012 October 7</ref> The episode was aired on October 7, 2012, and narrated by [[Josh Charles]].<ref name=Curiosity-se2ep1/><ref name=TIME-2012-10-07>Sorcha Pollak. [http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/07/discovery-channel-crashes-a-jet-plane-on-purpose/ "Discovery Channel Crashes a Jet Plane — on Purpose"]. ''Time'', October 7, 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>
The crash was the subject of a Discovery Channel television series [[Curiosity (TV series)|''Curiosity'']] 2-hour episode "Plane Crash".<ref name=Discovery-2012-10-07-sched>Discovery Channel. [http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/daily.html?date=20121007.281 2012-10-07] TV schedule (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref><ref name=Curiosity-se2ep1>Discovery Channel, [[Curiosity (TV series)|''Curiosity'']] season 2 episode 1, "Plane Crash", airdate: 2012 October 7</ref> The episode was aired on 7 October 2012, and narrated by [[Josh Charles]].<ref name=Curiosity-se2ep1/><ref name=TIME-2012-10-07>Sorcha Pollak. [https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/07/discovery-channel-crashes-a-jet-plane-on-purpose/ "Discovery Channel Crashes a Jet Plane — on Purpose"]. ''Time'', 7 October 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>


The 1-hour-35-minute episode "The Plane Crash" aired on Channel 4 in Britain on October 11, 2012.<ref name=Ch4-TPC>Channel 4. [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-plane-crash "The Plane Crash"] (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref><ref name=CH4sched-2012-10-11>Channel 4. [http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings/daily/2012/10/11 2012-10-11] TV schedule (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref> The program garnered criticism in Britain, as it was aired less than a [[fortnight]] after the [[Sita Air Flight 601]] air crash in Nepal.<ref name=TelegraphUK-2012-10-11>Caroline Shearing. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9601042/The-Plane-Crash-Channel-4-defends-latest-publicity-stunt.html "The Plane Crash: Channel 4 defends latest publicity stunt"]. ''The Telegraph (London)'', 11 October 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>
The 1-hour-35-minute episode "The Plane Crash" aired on Channel 4 in Britain on 11 October 2012.<ref name=Ch4-TPC>Channel 4. [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-plane-crash "The Plane Crash"] (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref><ref name=CH4sched-2012-10-11>Channel 4. [http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings/daily/2012/10/11 2012-10-11] TV schedule (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref> The program garnered criticism in Britain, as it was aired less than a [[fortnight]] after the [[Sita Air Flight 601]] air crash in Nepal.<ref name=TelegraphUK-2012-10-11>Caroline Shearing. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9601042/The-Plane-Crash-Channel-4-defends-latest-publicity-stunt.html "The Plane Crash: Channel 4 defends latest publicity stunt"]. ''The Telegraph (London)'', 11 October 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)</ref>


The 2-hour "Plane Crash" episode of ''Curiosity'' aired on [[Discovery Channel Canada]] on October 28, 2012<ref name=DCC-about/> and on [[Discovery Channel India]] on December 17, 2012.
The 2-hour "Plane Crash" episode of ''Curiosity'' aired on [[Discovery Channel Canada]] on 28 October 2012,<ref name=DCC-about/> and on [[Discovery Channel India]] on 17 December 2012.{{fact|date=November 2024}}


ProSieben planned to air the documentary special before the end of 2012 <ref name=FlugRevue-2012-05-03>{{de icon}} Sebastian Steinke, [http://www.flugrevue.de/de/luftfahrt/airlines/fernsehsender-lassen-unbemannte-boeing-727-bruchlanden.92990.htm "Fernsehsender lassen unbemannte Boeing 727 bruchlanden"], ''FlugRevue'', 3 May 2012 (accessed 2012-10-27)</ref> and the French channel [[France 5]] broadcast it on June 23, 2013.
ProSieben planned to air the documentary special before the end of 2012<ref name=FlugRevue-2012-05-03>{{in lang|de}} Sebastian Steinke, [https://archive.today/20130211033400/http://www.flugrevue.de/de/luftfahrt/airlines/fernsehsender-lassen-unbemannte-boeing-727-bruchlanden.92990.htm "Fernsehsender lassen unbemannte Boeing 727 bruchlanden"], ''FlugRevue'', 3 May 2012 (accessed 2012-10-27)</ref> and the French channel [[France 5]] broadcast it on 23 June 2013.{{fact|date=November 2024}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 68: Line 70:
==External links==
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121025122522/http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/discovery-channel-crashed-727.htm "Discovery Channel Crashes a Passenger Jet For a Science Documentary"], [https://web.archive.org/web/20121022160811/http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/plane-crash-pictures.htm pictures] Discovery Channel (USA)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121025122522/http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/discovery-channel-crashed-727.htm "Discovery Channel Crashes a Passenger Jet For a Science Documentary"], [https://web.archive.org/web/20121022160811/http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/plane-crash-pictures.htm pictures] Discovery Channel (USA)
* [https://archive.is/20130115095708/http://www.discoverychannel.ca/Article.aspx?aid=46611 "ABOUT Curiosity: Plane Crash"] Discovery Channel Canada
* [https://archive.today/20130115095708/http://www.discoverychannel.ca/Article.aspx?aid=46611 "ABOUT Curiosity: Plane Crash"] Discovery Channel Canada
* [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-plane-crash "The Plane Crash"] Channel 4 (UK)
* [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-plane-crash "The Plane Crash"] Channel 4 (UK)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150403105530/http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=N293AS History of N293AS]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150403105530/http://jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=N293AS History of N293AS]
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2437616/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_tt "Curosity" Plane Crash page on imdb.com]
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2437616/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_tt "Curiosity" Plane Crash page on imdb.com]


[[Category:2012 in aviation]] <!-- Boeing 727 -->
[[Category:2012 in aviation]] <!-- Boeing 727 -->
[[Category:Aviation safety]] <!-- air safety experiment -->
[[Category:Aviation safety]] <!-- air safety experiment -->
[[Category:Experiments]] <!-- experiment -->
[[Category:Experiments]] <!-- experiment -->
[[Category:Documentary television films]]
[[Category:American documentary television films]]
[[Category:Discovery Channel]] <!-- Discovery Channel television -->
[[Category:Discovery Channel]] <!-- Discovery Channel television -->
[[Category:ProSiebenSat.1 Media]] <!-- ProSieben television -->
[[Category:ProSiebenSat.1 Media]] <!-- ProSieben television -->
[[Category:Channel 4 television programmes]] <!-- Channel 4 television -->
[[Category:Channel 4 original programming]] <!-- Channel 4 television -->
[[Category:Boeing 727]]
[[Category:Boeing 727]]
[[Category:Aviation in Mexico]]
[[Category:Aviation in Mexico]]

Revision as of 03:03, 24 November 2024

2012 Boeing 727 crash experiment
The experiment aircraft while still in service with Champion Air
Crash experiment
Date27 April 2012 (2012-04-27) 10:00
SummaryRemote controlled deliberate crash into terrain
SiteLaguna Salada, Mexico (Laguna Salada - salt lake)
32°22′N 115°40′W / 32.36°N 115.66°W / 32.36; -115.66
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 727-212 Advanced
Aircraft nameBig Flo
OperatorWarner Bros. Discovery
RegistrationXB-MNP
Flight originGeneral Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport

On 27 April 2012, a multinational team of television studios staged an airplane crash near Mexicali, Mexico. An unmanned Boeing 727-200, fitted with numerous cameras, crash test dummies and other scientific instruments, was flown into the ground. The exercise was filmed for television.

Aircraft and test site

The aircraft used was a Boeing 727-200 purchased by the television production companies, registration XB-MNP[1] (formerly N293AS).[2]

The site in Mexico was chosen because authorities in the United States would not allow the test to take place.[3][4] The aircraft's original owner was Singapore Airlines.[5] The last United-States-based owner was Broken Wing LLC of Webster Groves, Missouri, who then exported it and transferred it to a Mexican production company. Broken Wing is also the company that planned and executed the experiment.[6] The aircraft had been leased to Bob Dole's 1996 presidential election campaign by the then-owner AvAtlantic.[7][8]

Flight

Several federal permits by the Mexican government were needed before the remote controlled flight and crash could be performed. In addition, the Mexican authorities stipulated that the aircraft had to be flown by humans during part of the flight, since it would be flying over a populated area.

The flight was piloted by captain Jim Bob Slocum, then controlled remotely by Chip Shanle, a former United States Navy pilot who works at American Airlines.[9]

The airplane took off from General Rodolfo Sánchez Taboada International Airport in Mexicali, with three flight crew and three support jumpers, as well as a number of crash dummies, and with a chase plane Cessna Skymaster following close behind. As the flight progressed towards the Sonoran Desert of Baja California in Mexico, its occupants parachuted to safety via the 727's ventral airstair. Slocum was the last one to leave the jet, three minutes before impact. Shanle then flew the jetliner by remote control, from the chase plane.[9]

Aftermath at the crash site. Note that the cockpit broke off

The jetliner hit the ground at 140 miles per hour (120 kn; 230 km/h), with a descent rate of 1,500 feet per minute (460 m/min).[10] Upon impact, the Boeing 727 broke up into several sections, the main landing gear collapsing with the cockpit being torn off the fuselage.

The zone of the crash had been cordoned off by security teams, as well as Mexican police and military, for the safety of the public.[11]

Aftermath

The crash site received a full environmental cleanup and salvage operation, under the supervision of Mexican authorities.[11]

Large sections from the crashed plane stored alongside Hwy 5 in March 2016

Most of the large sections of the plane that survived the crash – including the majority of the fuselage, as well as the detached cockpit and nose section – were moved to a field next to Federal Highway 5 south of Mexicali at 32°30′05″N 115°23′48″W / 32.50139°N 115.39667°W / 32.50139; -115.39667, and were still there in December 2022.[12]

Study result

The conclusion for this test was that, in a case like this, passengers at the front of an aircraft would be the ones most at risk in a crash. Passengers seated closer to the airplane's wings would have suffered serious but survivable injuries such as broken ankles. The test dummies near the tail section were largely intact, so any passengers there would have likely walked away without serious injury. However, in other crashes, such as when the tail hits the ground first, as was the case with Asiana Airlines flight 214, in which a Boeing 777-200ER crashed short of the runway at San Francisco International Airport, the reverse might apply. The brace position was found to be protective against concussion and spinal injuries, but created additional loads on the legs that could result in fractured legs or ankles. Additionally, the aircraft's wiring and cosmetic panels were shown to have collapsed into the passenger compartment, creating debris hazards and obstacles to evacuation.

Television program

A television program about the experiment was produced by Discovery Channel (United States), Dragonfly Film and Television Productions (United Kingdom), Pro Sieben (Germany), and Channel 4 (United Kingdom).[13]

The crash was the subject of a Discovery Channel television series Curiosity 2-hour episode "Plane Crash".[14][15] The episode was aired on 7 October 2012, and narrated by Josh Charles.[15][16]

The 1-hour-35-minute episode "The Plane Crash" aired on Channel 4 in Britain on 11 October 2012.[17][18] The program garnered criticism in Britain, as it was aired less than a fortnight after the Sita Air Flight 601 air crash in Nepal.[19]

The 2-hour "Plane Crash" episode of Curiosity aired on Discovery Channel Canada on 28 October 2012,[11] and on Discovery Channel India on 17 December 2012.[citation needed]

ProSieben planned to air the documentary special before the end of 2012[20] and the French channel France 5 broadcast it on 23 June 2013.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ranter, Harro. "27 APR 2012". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  2. ^ "N293AS". Federal Aviation Administration. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  3. ^ Hinckley, David (6 October 2012). "TV Review: 'Curiosity: Plane Crash' - NY Daily News". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  4. ^ Evans, Natalie (12 October 2012). "The Plane Crash: Channel 4 documentary discovers where is the safest place to sit on an aeroplane". The Mirror. London. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Registration Details For XB-MNP ((National Geographic)) 727-212". www.planelogger.com. PlaneLogger. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. ^ "FAA Registry - Aircraft - N-Number Inquiry". registry.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  7. ^ Kaplan, Don (2 October 2012). "Discovery's 'Curiosity' slams a jet into the desert floor to study the damage in a plane crash". New York Daily News. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  8. ^ "Photos: Boeing 727-212/Adv Aircraft Pictures". airliners.net. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  9. ^ a b Jansen, Bart (4 October 2012). "As this (intentional) 727 crash shows, you can survive". USA Today.
  10. ^ Marcott, Amy (10 October 2012). "Scientists Crash a Plane in the Name of Safety". Slice of MIT. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  11. ^ a b c Discovery Channel Canada, Curiosity, "ABOUT Curiosity: Plane Crash" (accessed 2012-10-27)
  12. ^ [1] "Google Maps" (accessed 2024-01-01)
  13. ^ David Kaminski-Morrow. "VIDEO: Boeing 727 deliberately crashed in desert for TV". Flight International, 30 April 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)
  14. ^ Discovery Channel. 2012-10-07 TV schedule (accessed 2012-10-17)
  15. ^ a b Discovery Channel, Curiosity season 2 episode 1, "Plane Crash", airdate: 2012 October 7
  16. ^ Sorcha Pollak. "Discovery Channel Crashes a Jet Plane — on Purpose". Time, 7 October 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)
  17. ^ Channel 4. "The Plane Crash" (accessed 2012-10-17)
  18. ^ Channel 4. 2012-10-11 TV schedule (accessed 2012-10-17)
  19. ^ Caroline Shearing. "The Plane Crash: Channel 4 defends latest publicity stunt". The Telegraph (London), 11 October 2012. (accessed 2012-10-17)
  20. ^ (in German) Sebastian Steinke, "Fernsehsender lassen unbemannte Boeing 727 bruchlanden", FlugRevue, 3 May 2012 (accessed 2012-10-27)
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