[electronic pulsing]
[pulsing beeps]
[electronic pulsing continues]
♪
Sir, I'm gonna ask your permission
for an additional pat down.
[handheld metal detector beeps]
[handheld metal detector beeping]
You're clear.
Thank you.
Oh. Sorry.
WOMAN: Enjoy your flight.
[piano playing "Fly Me to the Moon"]
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.[chuckles]: 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.Joe.
With an "E."
"Joe... with...
an 'E.'"
JOE: Thank you.
Be seeing you.Okay.
WOMAN [over P.A.]: At this time, Northern Gold Star Airlines
would like to invite its Privileged Class passengers
to Flight 1015,[line ringing, thunder rumbling softly]
now departing at 10:15 to please board at Gate B15.
WOMAN [over phone]: 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 fucked-up shit,
and... it shook me up.
I mean, 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.
JUSTIN: Oh, one last thing.
I just noticed my flight number is 1015,
and it's October 15.
And also, the departure time was delayed from 9:30 to 10:15.
What are the odds of that?
[beeping]
Have a safe flight.
Hi. How are you?
♪
[audio continues faint and muffled]
Hey.
Welcome aboard.
Good flight today?Oh, yeah.
Very good. Welcome aboard.
Thank you.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT: 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.
MAN: But you said first class is full.
Yeah. I would have to move you to the main cabin.
JUSTIN: 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.
Uh, that side, toward the back. Stretch out.
All right.
♪
FLIGHT ATTENDANT Flight attendants, prepare doors for departure.
Cross check.
[electronic chime]
[passengers chattering quietly]
♪
[thunder rumbling softly]
[sighs]
[thunder rumbling]
FLIGHT ATTENDANT: At this time, on behalf of the crew
of Flight 1015 from Washington, D.C., 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.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT: 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.
[eerie music playing over headphones]
MALE NARRATOR [over headphones]: 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.
[thunder crashes, engine roaring]
I'm Rodman Edwards, the host of Enigmatique,
and I'm going to lead you through
the last moments of Flight 1015.
[whispering]: Past is past. Past is past.
♪
NARRATOR: 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.
[The Twilight Zonetheme playing]
NARRATOR: 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.
RODMAN [over headphones]: 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,
starting with Captain Donner.
DONNER [over intercom]: We're pretty confident of a nice, smooth flight
over the pond and on to Tel Aviv, so...
Hey, did the pilot just say his name was Captain Donner?
What?
Just... Never mind.
Sorry. [chuckles]
[thunder rumbling softly]
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 thisflight--
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. [scoffs]
RODMAN: 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.
[panting]
♪
[panting]
[water splashes]
[panting]
[quietly]: The past is past.
The past...
is past.
The past...
is past.
Past...
is past.
[clears throat]
[electronic chime]
Hi.
[quietly]: One second.
No, no. Please.
Please.
[repeated electronic chime]
Would you?I got you, all right.
Okay, uh...
Yep.
Hello. Sorry to bother you.
But... [chuckles]
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-I mean...
What? What?Sir, I need you to lower your tone.
I'm not...We'll be, 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.
[chuckles] I'm sorry. Thank you.
[thunder rumbling softly]
JOE: 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. [sighs]
Yeah.
[thunder rumbling]
[eerie music playing]
RODMAN: 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.
[quietly]: I'm running out of time.
What could have happened to cause the flight to vanish
without a trace?[electronic chime]
DONNER: Folks, this is the flight deck again
just to let everyone know this 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.
[thunder rumbling]
RODMAN: 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?
[quiet chatter]
[sportscast playing over video]
JUSTIN: 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.
JUSTIN: Are you gonna turn it off or, like...?TAMMY: 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...
Mr. Sanderson, I understand that you're concerned.
I need you to go back to your seat.
Now.
Okay.
OMESH: What is he, the cricket police?
TANVEERA: Crazy.
TAMMY: Guy needs to sit down.
[seat belt clicks]
RODMAN: 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 kill him?
Another detail might fill in the picture.
Also listed on the passenger manifest is a U.S. 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.
[chuckles] 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.
[sighs]
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.
[laughs]: I'm not an air marshal.
What-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 terrorist.
Now, the best way to spot deceptive behavior...
...act like a deceptive person.
[sighs softly]
♪
MAN [whispers]: What's he doing?
[people gasping]
[speaks Russian]
I apologize, Mr. Orlov.
My name is not Orlov.
JUSTIN: Okay, of course not, of course not.
Get the fuck out of here!Okay, okay.
JUSTIN: 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, fuck Moscow.Fuck Moscow, that's right. Yeah.
Mr. Sanderson-- 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...This guy, one of them
is Igor Orlov, all right?Listen. Listen to me.
TAMMY: I've alerted the captain to your behavior.
You need to check their I.D.s.Don't worry about it.
The Russian mafia wants to kill Igor Orlov.
Okay? They want...
[shouting in Russian]
[passengers and crew clamoring]
NICK: Calm down.
Jesus Christ.
DONNER: Sit down, Mr. Orlov.
Sit down! Everybody.
Calm down.[clamoring quiets]
Sit down, please.
Sit down.
Thank you.Yes, sir. Excuse me.
Right here.
You are threatening the safety of these passengers.
I'mthreatening the safety?
Now, listen. I'm warning you.
Return to your seat.
Okay. I... If I were you, I would check those guys' I.D.s,
I would check their bags, okay?
All right, I...
[passengers murmuring]
[quietly]: Okay.
Hi, folks. Sorry for the disturbance.
Sit back and enjoy yourselves, okay?
Thank you.
RODMAN: The last person of interest is an investigative reporter
directly linked to the events of the flight:
Justin Sanderson.
RODMAN: If you've only heard one thing about Flight 1015,
it's probably the passenger Justin Sanderson.
NICK [over intercom]: Sir, return to your seat.
RODMAN: Video of the investigative journalist
causing a disturbance on that flight
was uploaded online moments before the plane disappeared.
Here's a clip.
JUSTIN: Check their I.D.s right now.
The Russian mafia wants to kill Igor Orlov.
TAMMY: Pardon me?JUSTIN: Okay? They want to...
[Igor shouting in Russian]
NICK: Sir, sit down. Sir...
Sir, I'm gonna need you to take your seat, please.
RODMAN: We can't say for certain if this relates
to the pilot's ominous send-off, "Good night, New York."
DONNER: I'm gonna need you to sit down.I can't do that.
Now.
Let's go. Back.Okay. All right.
DONNER: 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 threaten my plane one more time,
I swear to God...Listen to me...
ALYSHA: Mr. Sanderson, I'm placing you under arrest.
You're the air marshal?
You're being restrained because of your threats
against this aircraft.
[thunder rumbling]
♪
ALYSHA: 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.
[sighs]
Captain, what's the situation?
[both talking quietly]
RODMAN: 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?
[sighs, sniffs]
Hey, buddy.
Hey.
I believe you.
I believe the shit 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.
[quiet chatter continues]
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.
[thunder rumbling softly]
JUSTIN: 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.
[clears throat]
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.
♪
[keypad beeps, lock clicks]
[passengers murmuring]
[panicked chatter]
[passengers gasping, panicked chatter continues]
WOMAN: Anybody know?
MAN: Who is this guy?
[electronic chime]
JOE [over intercom]: 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 fuck?
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.
TAMMY: Everybody, I need you to sit down.
Sit down and stay calm. All right? Please, stay calm.
Coming through, coming through, coming through!
[passengers clamoring]
[banging on door]
Time for everyone...
...to relax.
[audio continues distorted, chatter quiets]
♪
[heavy filtered breathing]
[alarm beeping]
[electronic chime]
JOE: 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.
WOMAN [over radio]: NGS 1015,
this is Gander Oceanic Control. You are clear for transfer.
Copy that.
[thunder rumbling]
Good night, New York.
♪ Fly me to the moon
♪ Let me play among the stars
Oh, shit. He's the pilot.
♪ And let me see what spring is like ♪
♪ On a-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
[distorted]: ♪ All I worship and adore...
[song fades, thunder rumbling]
[gasps]
[panting]
I'm here.
I was right.
[panting]
[grunting]
[panting]
RODMAN: "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?
[quiet murmuring]
That's him. Is that him?
Hey, I tried to save us.
[angry murmuring]
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, asshole?!No! No!
[angry clamoring]
[clamoring fades]
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.
♪
Captioning sponsored by CBS
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org