01x02 - Nightmare at 30.000 Feet

[bunniefuu]

Sir, I'm gonna ask your permission for an additional pat down.

You're clear.

Thank you.

-Oh.

-It's all right.

Enjoy your flight.

-No. No, it's you.

-Sorry.

-It's all you.

-Nah, go ahead.

Wait.

Justin Sanderson.

Is this you?

Didn't I see you debating on TV?

-Yeah.

-Well, then... then, this is yours.

Um... Okay, well, how about

in the name of civility,

I, uh, I get this for you.

-Oh, Justin, I'm honored.

-Okay.

Never met a magazine writer before.

Joe Beaumont.

-Oh, uh, Justin Sanderson.

-Ah.

Oh. You wouldn't mind...

Would you sign it for me?

Sure. Be happy to.

-To Joe. With an "E."

-Joe.

"Joe... with... an 'E.".

-Thank you. Be seeing you.

-Okay.

At this time, Northern Gold Star Airlines

would like to invite its Privileged Class passengers

to Flight 1015, now departing at 10:15,

to please board at Gate B15.

-Justin? -Honey.

So glad I got you before my flight took off.

Hi.

Are you okay?

I am so sorry about before.

I... I really didn't mean

to raise my voice like that.

I don't think this is a good idea.

I know. I just... I need the work.

Honey, you're not listening. You promised me.

No, I know. I... I am listening to you.

And I am keeping that promise.

-How?

-Well, because this assignment

will be the opposite of high stress.

You don't know that.

Because Tel Aviv is not Yemen, hon. It's...

Look. I saw some f*cked-up sh*t,

and... it shook me up.

-It would've shook anyone up, but...

-I know, honey.

Remember what Dr. Cravat says:

the past is the past.

Past is the past.

And that will help me get through the now.

That's right.

As will thinking about you.

Okay. We're good?

I love you.

Oh, one last thing.

I just noticed my flight number is 1015,

and it's October 15th.

And also, the departure time

was delayed from 9:30 to 10:15.

What are the odds of that?

Have a safe flight.

Hi. How are you?

Thanks.

Welcome aboard.

Good flight today?

Oh, yeah.

Very good. Welcome aboard.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, but only an infant can travel

in a seat with a parent.

Children two to 11 need their own seat.

I'm sure they'll discount the fare for you.

We're only two-thirds occupancy.

But you said first class is full.

Yeah. I would have to move you to the main cabin.

-Excuse me.

-Yes, but...

That's actually my seat there,

and they can have it if they need it.

-Yeah, that's fine. -Yeah.

-Is that okay? -Yeah.

Thank you. That's very nice of you.

-So is there a place I should sit?

-Yes. Main cabin should be pretty thin

on that side, towards the back.

Stretch out.

All right.

Flight attendants, prepare doors for departure.

Cross check.

At this time, on behalf of the crew

of Flight 1015 from Washington, DC, to Tel Aviv,

we'd like to welcome you on board and invite you

to take the safety information card out of the seat pocket

in front of you, and follow along

as we perform our safety demonstration.

As we prepare for takeoff,

we would like to remind you

to please remain in your seats

until the captain has turned off

the "fasten seat belt" sign,

indicating then that it is safe

to move about the cabin.

To get us on our way, make sure your seat is up,

all electronic devices are put away,

and your tray table is stowed.

All exits on this airplane are clearly marked.

Excuse me.

Take a moment to locate the nearest one.

Keep in mind, it may be behind you.

If you have a carry-on,

push it all the way under the seat in front of you.

Chapter One:

"The Mystery of Northern Gold Star Flight 1015."

The passengers were buckled up,

and the safety demonstration had started.

It was already raining outside

at Dulles International Airport,

and a large thunderstorm

was brewing over the Atlantic.

Little did the passengers of Flight 1015 know,

in less than an hour,

their plane would disappear from flight control radar,

never to be heard from again.

Oh, my God.

I'm Rodman Edwards, the host of "Enigmatique",

and I'm going to lead you through

the last moments of Flight 1015.

Past is past. Past is past.

Settling in for a 13-hour transatlantic flight

to a land rife with ancient mysteries is Justin Sanderson.

Mr. Sanderson's occupation

is to uncover unbiased truth.

But with an hour left before certain doom,

he must ask the right questions of the right people.

Landing at the truth this time

will require an unscheduled stopover...

in The Twilight Zone.

You're traveling through another dimension,

a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind.

It is the middle ground between light and shadow,

between science and superstition.

And it lies between the pit of one's fears

and the summit of one's knowledge.

You are now traveling through a dimension of imagination.

You've just crossed over into The Twilight Zone.

Chapter Two: "Ominous Signs."

There are other aviation mysteries

we've explored on this podcast:

the crash of Transeast Airlines Flight 22 out of Miami Beach,

or the anomaly of Global Airlines Flight 107 out of Buffalo.

Yet what makes Flight 1015 unique

is the number of unusual details

surrounding its disappearance...

-I'm Captain Donner.

- ...starting with Captain Donner.

We're pretty confident of a nice, smooth flight

over the pond and on to Tel Aviv...

Hey, did the pilot just say

his name was Captain Donner?

What?

Just... Never mind.

Sorry.

I'm sorry, this is gonna sound very weird, uh...

but do you think you could listen to this real quick?

Those were on your ears, bro.

Yeah. But... this podcast,

uh, says that this flight... like this flight...

is going to vanish into the ocean.

Yeah. So, if you wouldn't mind

just listening just for a sec...

-Hey, yo, I don't want to get lice.

-No, you...

Jesus.

Captain Donner noted to air traffic control

the presence of a flock of cormorants near Flight 1015.

In aviation circles, a dead bird is a harbinger

of bad things to come.

Shortly after takeoff,

as the plane maneuvered around a thunderstorm,

the flight crew reported

that a bird struck the engine at 10:21 p.m.

The past is past.

The past is past.

The past... is past.

The past... is past.

Past... is past.

Hi.

One sec.

No, no. Please.

Please.

-Would you? -I got you, all right.

Okay, uh...

Yep.

Hello. Sorry to bother you.

But... Um...

Is that a bird out there?

Uh, outside, before, in the... the engine?

Just... Just now, like...

Um, did we hit a bird?

Um...

-I wouldn't know. -Okay.

Do you think there's a way

we could maybe ask the pilot?

Um... I'd hate to trouble him right now.

Here's the thing, is that...

We're still flying and at an altitude

where there are no more birds.

No more birds? Okay.

-How do you know there's no birds?

-Sir?

-Sir?

-I mean...

-What? What?

-Sir, I need you to lower your tone.

-I'm not...

-We'll be starting in-flight service

in a minute, so if you'd like anything further,

please let me know.

Okay, I'll just... I'll, um... I'll shut up. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Thank you.

It was.

A bird.

Real headache coming out of Dulles.

I used to pilot for Northern Gold Star.

They let us catch rides on flights if there's room.

Yeah, this is a good flight crew.

Donner, the pilot. Nick and Tammy.

I worked with them a lot.

But the thing is, they don't know.

They'll never tell you what's really going on.

I don't fly anymore.

One too many mistakes I can't take back.

Yeah, that was a birdie.

Yeah.

So what do we really know about Flight 1015?

We know that the last words spoken by the pilot

to air traffic control were, "Good night, New York."

We also know that it disappeared at 11:15 p.m.

I'm running out of time.

What could have happened to cause

the flight to vanish without a trace?

Folks, this is the flight deck again

just to let everyone know the storm system up ahead's

developing a little bit faster than we anticipated.

We'll be maneuvering around it as best we can,

but we do expect to hit some rough patches.

Shouldn't be anything to worry about,

but we ask you to all remain in your seats if you can.

Thank you.

Chapter Three: "Every Detail Counts".

With a tragedy as enormous as Flight 1015,

it's devastating to think of the cost.

117 lives lost when the pilot signed off

from air traffic control

and the flight disappeared from

radar over the North Atlantic.

Without any forensic evidence,

we have to start looking for patterns,

looking for clues,

small signs that could tell us the bigger problem.

Most famous aviation mysteries

come from small beginnings:

a mechanical failure, or fire in one of the cabins,

leading the crew to panic and to bring the plane down.

The passengers would've looked

to the flight attendants

and known immediately that something was wrong.

We know that the cockpit

of this particular aircraft was equipped with cameras

that allowed the passengers to watch the flight crew

through multiple monitors.

If the pilot were doing something unusual,

it's likely that the whole cabin

would have noticed and reacted.

What seems more likely is the idea that it was something

truly unexpected and unique.

As the plane flew close to a thunderstorm,

the pilot would need to calmly communicate

with his fellow crew and keep

the flight under control.

Was there something on board

that could've disrupted

the plane's communications?

Hi.

Hello. Uh, I'm Justin.

I'm sorry, I... I know this isn't really my business,

but I just think you may need to turn that off.

Thank you for your input.

But, uh, you know we are Sikh, right?

Yeah. Absolutely.

Yeah, and equal to us all. So...

Okay, Justin.

Then leave us all alone.

Okay, I just... I feel like you do

need to turn that off, though.

-It's on airplane mode. It's on Wi-Fi.

-Are you gonna turn it off or, like...?

-Mr. Sanderson? -Yes?

I'm gonna need you to go back to your seat, please.

But these guys, they're not

turning it off, so I kind of figure...

I understand that you're concerned.

I need you to go back to your seat.

Now.

Okay.

What is he, the cricket police?

-Crazy.

-What's his problem?

Guy needs to sit down.

Without any forensic evidence to analyze,

we have to consider other records

left behind by Flight 1015.

This includes the passenger manifest.

And one infamous individual

at the front of the plane immediately stands out:

Russian citizen Igor Orlov.

Igor was in witness protection

and was taking Flight 1015 to Tel Aviv

in order to testify against the Russian mafia.

We know the Russian mob would do

anything in their power to prevent Orlov from testifying.

Is it possible that they targeted Flight 1015

in order to k*ll him?

Another detail might fill in the picture.

Also listed on the passenger

manifest is a US air marshal.

Was he on board the flight

in order to protect Igor Orlov?

Would he be able to tell us of any threats to the aircraft?

Excuse me.

-Hi. -I am very sorry

about everything from before, but, um...

...I really need to talk to the air marshal.

I don't know that there's one aboard this flight.

Uh, there is.

-Okay?

-You know that?

-Yeah. I do. -Okay.

Mr. Sanderson, I don't know

that there's an air marshal aboard this flight.

They don't notify the captain of

the presence of an air marshal.

They definitely don't tell the flight attendants.

Okay, yeah. No, I get it. I get it.

You get it?

I get it. Thank you.

Could you do me a huge favor and just... just sit?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you.

Okay.

Hi.

Mr. Popular.

-Look, I know you said you're a pilot.

-Mm-hmm.

-But you're an air marshal, aren't you?

-Told you, I'm a pilot.

Listen, I'm an investigative reporter, okay?

And I can be pretty sure that an air marshal

is gonna look a lot like a marshal in the air.

No. I'm not an air marshal.

What do you want me to tell you?

-I don't know.

-Uh, I'm... sorry to disappoint you, brother.

I'm just a pilot.

But I know air marshals,

and I know their job, Justin,

is to think like a t*rror1st.

Now, the best way to spot deceptive behavior...

Act like a deceptive person.

What's he doing?

I apologize, Mr. Orlov.

-My name is not Orlov.

-Okay, of course not, of course not.

Get the f*ck out of here!

Okay, okay.

Listen, I know you have many enemies

who will go to great lengths to destroy you.

You with Spartak Moscow?

Spartak. That is a Saint Petersburg crime family?

Russian Premier League.

We play for Grozny.

We're playing a friendly game against Spartak in Tel Aviv.

-Yeah, f*ck Moscow.

-f*ck Moscow, that's right. Yeah.

Sir, I'm gonna need you

to sit down and back away, please.

Mr. Sanderson, are you kidding me?

This Russian soccer league thing is total bullshit.

What are you talking about?

Mr. Sanderson...

-One of them is Igor Orlov, all right?

-Listen. Listen to me.

I've alerted the captain to your behavior.

-You need to check their IDs.

-Don't worry about it.

The Russian mafia wants to k*ll Igor Orlov.

Okay? They want...

-Calm down. -Jesus Christ.

Sit down, Mr. Orlov.

Sit down! Everybody.

Calm down.

Sit down, please. Sit down.

-Thank you.

-Yes, sir. Excuse me.

Right here.

You are threatening the safety of these passengers.

-I'm threatening the safety?

-Now, listen. I'm warning you.

Return to your seat.

Okay. I... If I were you,

I would check those guys' IDs,

I would check their bags, okay?

All right, I...

Okay.

Hi, folks. Sorry for the disturbance.

Sit back and enjoy yourselves, okay?

Thank you.

The last person of interest

is an investigative reporter

directly linked to the events of the flight.

Justin Sanderson.

If you've only heard one thing about Flight 1015,

it's probably the passenger Justin Sanderson.

Sir, return to your seat.

Video of the investigative journalist

causing a disturbance on that flight

was uploaded online moments

before the plane disappeared.

Here's a clip.

Check their IDs right now.

The Russian mafia wants to k*ll Igor Orlov.

-Pardon me?

-Okay? They want to...

Sir, sit down. Sir...

Sir, I'm gonna need you to take your seat, please.

We can't say for certain if this relates

to the pilot's ominous send-off,

"Good night, New York."

-I'm gonna need you to sit down.

-Can't do that.

-Now. Let's go. Back.

-Okay. All right.

Mr. Sanderson, I think you're having a psychotic break.

Just wait a second.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in about 14 minutes,

you will say the words, "Good night, New York."

Don't do it. Do not say it.

Why?

Because those are the last words

anyone will ever hear from this plane.

-If you thr*aten my plane one more time...

-Listen to me. -...I swear to God...

Mr. Sanderson, I'm placing you under arrest.

You're the air marshal?

You're being restrained because of

your threats against this aircraft.

I heard it.

I don't know what you're up to,

but podcasts don't predict the future.

Sorry, Justin.

We're not gonna disappear.

But we'll have people waiting for you

when we land that can help you.

Look...

I've had a mental breakdown before. Okay?

I know what it feels like,

I know what it is, and this isn't it.

This feels different, okay?

I am not caught up in the past here.

This is now, this is real,

and I have evidence to prove

that I know what's going on here.

Justin, being wrong is an easier scenario

for you to wrap your head around because it's reality,

and it's one you can recover from.

-I'm sorry, we have a situation.

-Okay.

Captain, what's the situation?

The mystery of Flight 1015 endures in our imagination

because we have so many pieces of the puzzle,

yet are left with no definite answer.

With minutes left until it would

vanish from radar at 11:15 p.m.,

it seems the passengers and crew

were completely unaware of what would happen next.

The plane was threading a needle,

perilously close to a thunderstorm,

carrying a unique set of passengers

for an unknown destination.

There's really only one question left.

Could anything have been done to prevent the tragedy?

Hey, buddy.

Hey.

I believe you.

I believe the sh*t you're saying.

You do? Why?

Because I'm a pilot. I live in the sky.

And right now we're up 30,000 feet

where no human was ever meant to be,

but we don't think about that anymore, do we?

No.

Just the fact that we're in this plane

means anything's possible.

That's right.

That's right. Thank you.

Thanks, Joe. Thanks for...

Thanks for believing me.

Look, Justin, magic exists where

we're not supposed to be.

Yes.

I know I'm right. I can feel it.

Okay, thank you.

Wait a second.

Joe?

Yeah?

You're a pilot.

Yeah.

I mean, you've flown a plane like this before.

Northern Gold Star 765.

You can land this plane safely.

You can turn us around and land us in Canada safely,

before we vanish.

-I... I can't get in there.

Before takeoff, every flight crew is issued

an override code to that keypad

to get in the flight deck.

I don't know that code.

I know it. It's 1015.

Did your podcast tell you that, too?

Yes. That's the answer.

When I get in there, I'm gonna drop the cabin pressure

and raise the temperature.

I'm gonna put everyone to sleep.

We don't want a panic situation on our hands.

Well, won't the oxygen masks drop down?

Yeah, sure, but I can handle that from in there.

It's perfect. They'll be putting their masks on,

they won't realize there's no oxygen flowing.

They'll be fast asleep.

You're gonna need this. Hide it.

When the coast is clear, I'll give you a signal.

You'll come and join me.

Listen to me. You're doing a good thing.

You are saving these souls.

-Anybody know?

-Who is this guy?

Greetings, passengers.

Oh, my God!

A little welcome from the flight deck.

This is your new pilot, Captain Beaumont.

The, uh, former flight crew...

What the f*ck?

Well, they've been incapacitated.

So allow me...

Allow me to wish you all

the very best for the remainder

of Northern Gold Star Flight 1015.

-Now, go.

Everybody, I need you to sit down.

Sit down and stay calm.

All right? Please, stay calm.

Coming through, coming through, coming through!

Time for everyone.... to relax.

I want to thank you, Justin.

You taught me something.

The past is the past.

And I can't get that back.

I'll never be the man I once was,

but you've given me the clarity of awareness

and the opportunity to find peace

and escape the past the only way possible.

And you will, too.

NGS 1015, this is Gander Oceanic Control.

You are clear for transfer.

Copy that.

Good night, New York.

♪ Fly me to the moon ♪

♪ Let me play among the stars ♪

Oh, sh*t. He's the pilot.

♪ Let me see what spring is like ♪

on Jupiter and Mars ♪

♪ In other words ♪

♪ Hold my hand ♪

♪ In other words ♪

♪ Baby, kiss me ♪

♪ Fill my heart with song ♪

♪ And let me sing forevermore ♪

♪ You are all I long for...♪

I'm here.

I was right.

"The Mystery of Flight 1015,

Part Two: The End of Civility."

The first installment in this bizarre story

was our most popular podcast to date.

And when we last left you,

we thought we had told the tale

of an unexplained mystery

so bizarre it would be left to historians to unravel.

Rescuers spent months

after the plane's disappearance

looking for debris, hoping to find signs of survivors.

The search would go on for months, but to no avail.

Until a cargo ship happened upon a near-barren atoll.

And incredibly, every passenger from Flight 1015

had survived, except one.

None of the survivors could explain it,

but Justin Sanderson was missing,

his whereabouts, still to this day, unknown.

Hey, buddy.

Hey.

Hey, where you going?

That's him.

That's him? Is that him?

Hey, I tried to save us.

Justin, you did this.

How could you do this?

What did you people do, huh?! Nothing!

What did you do?! Get away from me!

Get away!

-How could you do this, assh*le?!

-No! No!

In his final moments,

Justin Sanderson made the case

that he did everything he could to avert disaster.

But in the end, he was an investigative reporter

unwilling to investigate himself,

until it was too late.

Justin discovered

that the flight path to hell

is paved with good intentions,

and it passes directly...

...through The Twilight Zone.