Mayday

Falling Fast (Ditch the Plane, Tuninter Flight 1153)

Aired Dec 16, 2009 · 1:00 PM ET · 45 min

On August 6, 2005, a Tuninter ATR-72 ran out of fuel and was forced to ditch in the sea near Palermo, Italy. Of the 39 people on board, 16 lost their lives. The mistake was simply a wrong fuel gauge that sent higher fuel readings than the actual ones.