An archival segment from 60 Minutes Australia recounts the harrowing 1989 flight of a NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft that flew directly into the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Hugo. The research plane, a Lockheed WP-3D Orion, encountered unexpected, extreme turbulence that severely damaged the aircraft and caused an engine to catch fire inside the eyewall. Despite facing near-fatal gravitational forces and system failures, the crew managed to stabilize the plane inside the calm eye of the storm and safely return to base, marking one of the most remarkable survival stories in aviation history.
- The rebroadcast documents the September 15, 1989, flight of NOAA 42, nicknamed “Kermit,” into Hurricane Hugo to collect meteorological data.
- As the aircraft entered the eyewall at 1,500 feet, it encountered sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and extreme updrafts and downdrafts.
- The severe turbulence subjected the plane to G-forces far exceeding its structural limits, causing a sensor failure and a fuel fire in the number one engine.
- With one engine lost and the aircraft rapidly losing altitude, the flight crew managed to steer the plane into the relative safety of the hurricane’s eye.
- A search and rescue plane was dispatched to guide the crippled aircraft, which eventually climbed out of the storm and landed safely in Barbados with no casualties.
Gemini said 60 Minutes is an American television news magazine that has been a staple of CBS News since its debut in 1968. Created by Don Hewitt, the program is renowned for its hard-hitting investigative journalism, high-profile interviews, and in-depth feature stories that have earned it a reputation as the gold standard of broadcast news for over half a century.
Official website: https://www.cbsnews.com/60-minutes//
Original video here.
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