How Plane Crashes Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider

Insider November 6, 2025
Video Thumbnail
Insider Logo

Insider

@insider

About

What you want to know. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insider Insider on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insider Insider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisinsider Insider on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Insider/2708030621 Insider on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@insider If you have a permissions or licensing request, please connect with our partners at PARS International who will be able to provide you with an accurate quote for the overall usage rights that you’re interested in. A representative from PARS will contact you shortly after filling out this request form: https://www.parsintl.com/publications/insider/

Video Description

Captain Richard de Crespigny is the Qantas pilot who safely landed Qantas Flight 32 on November 4, 2010, after one of its engines exploded shortly after takeoff, tearing through vital systems and leaving hundreds of lives in his hands. A former Royal Australian Air Force pilot and senior captain on the Airbus A380, de Crespigny has since become one of the world’s leading voices on crisis leadership and aviation safety. When a plane begins to break apart in midair, survival depends on split-second decisions, mechanical precision, and the steady hand of the captain. But what actually happens in the cockpit when things go catastrophically wrong — and how do pilots train for the unimaginable? De Crespigny speaks to Business Insider about how he safely landed the plane and evacuated 440 passengers and 29 crew after an engine failure. He also explains how safe manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus are. Now retired from commercial flying, de Crespigny continues to advocate for safety and resilience in aviation. He hosts the podcast "Fly: The Elements of Resilience," in which he shares insights from decades in the sky. Read "He saved over 400 lives midair. Now, this former pilot warns AI could make pilots' jobs harder, especially during a crisis": https://bit.ly/4pSFwJj For more: Richard’s podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/33NHiXAqZxw8Lg9OChadgQ?si=c5cf70ce058a467d&nd=1&dlsi=17ff32bb686e4d54 Richard’s books: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/fly-9780670078738 Richard De Crespigny is commercially managed by The Fordham Company Contact - [email protected] 00:00 - Introduction 00:40 - The Explosion 02:29 - The Decision Tree 03:21 - The Mental Model 08:04 - The Training 10:09 - The Team 13:01 - The Passengers 16:28 - The Cause 18:24 - Drama on the Runway 22:37 - The Fallout 25:20 - The Future 32:43 - End Credits ------------------------------------------------------ #airdisasters #airdisaster #airplane #aviationsafety #AuthorizedAccount WATCH MORE AUTHORIZED ACCOUNT VIDEOS: How Prisoner Swap Negotiations Actually Work https://youtu.be/8Y4xt7tFfIg How Bomb Disposal Experts Actually Work https://youtu.be/DncAoMvjeyo How Witness Protection Actually Works https://youtu.be/76JwH9VBLpg Insider's mission is to inform and inspire. How Air Disasters Actually Work | Authorized Account | Insider Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com/ Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insider Insider on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insider Insider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisinsider Insider on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Insider/2708030621 Insider on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@insider

You May Also Like