THE GIMLI GLIDER BY: ALEJANDRO HALL

THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN MANITOBA, CANADA

THE PILOTS WERE PEARSON AND QUINTAL.

BEGINNING PROBLEMS

• There were mechanical problems with the brand new plane.
• Because of the mechanical problems, the pilots had to manually
• Calculate how much fuel was needed
• They calculated wrong!
• The plane ran out of fuel in midair.

MORE PROBLEMS

• When the airplane ran out of fuel, everything
• Went black!
• The pilots didnt have any control of the plane.
• Everything runs on hydraulics.
• They dropped the RAT (propeller) into the airstream.

Rat

• It has a mini propeller that spins to
• Generate energy in an emergency.
• The RAT generated just enough power
• For minimum use of controls.
• It was no longer black, but it had little power.

GLIDER!

• The pilots turned the 100 ton airplane into
• A huge glider.
• They found an abandoned runway to land on.
• They had one shot to land! And it was getting dark.
• They got closer and they realized.....

SURPRISE!

• A race was being held on the abandoned runway.
• The race was over, but the people there were tailgating.
• People were everywhere!
• Few people seemed to notice the dark silent airplane
• Coming in for a landing.

SCRAMBLING!

• People started scrambling to get out of the way.
• The airplane touched down, and the pilots had
• Little control of the airplane.
• Pearson stood on the brakes, it slowed down a little.
• They tried to slow the plane even more by crashing into a guard rail.

NO TIRES!

• Because of little electricity in the cockpit,
• The landing gear didn't open properly.
• The plane skidded down on its belly.
• When it stopped, there was a small fire.
• The racers came with their extinguishers.

STOP!

• The plane stopped right before
• Crashing into the racers.
• Lots of people didn't know what
• Happened until it was all over.
• It was the first recorded flight that ran out of fuel!

AFTERMATH

• Cost $1 million to repair
• 10 people had minor injuries
• Captain Quintal and Pearson
• Were initially blamed but because of
• Public outcry were not charged.