Mayday (2013) s03e06 Episode Script
Mistaken Identity
MAN: (OVER P.
A.
) All hands man your battle stations.
VOICEOVER: July, 1988 .
.
a US Navy cruiser is battling Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf.
Suddenly, its radar picks up an mystery aircraft.
Is this plane friend or foe? They have seven minutes to decide.
As the aircraft draws ever closer, the pressure mounts.
And the captain is faced with a terrible choice - shoot it down or risk the lives of his own crew.
(SIREN BLARES) It's a routine short-haul flight but an Iranian passenger jet is heading into mortal danger.
He's opening fire with guns.
It's approaching a war zone in which a US Navy ship is engaged in combat.
The crew are on a state of high alert.
Anything that draws near is seen as a threat.
Air contact.
Still inbound.
Increasing speed and descending.
Range 11 miles.
.
.
approaching United States naval warship.
Closing and descending 1,000 feet.
Now you're in serious business.
You are standing into danger.
Wait a minute.
I could be dead.
Range 13 miles.
The aircraft is not responding to warnings.
Iran Air 655 seems oblivious to the danger.
(MISSILE APPROACHES) In 1988, Iran and Iraq have reached a stalemate in a savage eight-year conflict.
It's a war of attrition and both sides' oil exports are a target.
The United States has become the chief watchdog of the Persian Gulf.
Over 30 US warships protect neutral tankers.
Dawn, July 3.
After a month on routine patrol, the USS 'Vincennes' is heading towards port in Bahrain.
Her crew are due a few days rest and recuperation.
But while his men are looking forward to the July 4 break, Captain Will Rogers is already up.
He's received disturbing reports from US intelligence, warning him to expect trouble from Iranian forces over this holiday weekend.
(PHONE RINGS) Yeah? In the 'Vincennes' Combat Information Centre, the Watch Officer has received an urgent message from another ship in the US fleet that Iranian gunboats are harassing a Pakistani merchant vessel.
Skipper, you'd better come down.
Sounds like the 'Montgomery's got her nose in a beehive.
I'll be right there.
The frigate USS 'Elmer Montgomery' is north of the 'Vincennes', near the narrow Strait of Hormuz.
It's here that Iranian gunboats have been most active in attacking oil tankers as they exit the Persian Gulf.
Designed to protect an aircraft carrier group, the 'Vincennes' is a billion-dollar Aegis cruiser.
It's armed with Mk-26 missile launchers, harpoon anti-ship missiles, two five-inch guns and a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, which fires over 3,000 rounds a minute.
But what makes the ship so special is its high-tech radar.
The phased array SPY-1 can simultaneously search and track over 100 targets over 300 kilometres away.
To crew members, like Mike Zunino and Mark Nielsen, the 'Vincennes' is simply 'Star Wars' at sea.
MAN: I was very proud.
Just technically, it just felt like a strong, secure ship to be on and we felt invincible, in a way.
MARK: We had some of the most up-to-date weaponry and the radar and everything else.
There wasn't a whole lot that we couldn't do.
Inside the Combat Information Centre, Captain Rogers oversees a state-of-the-art computerised command-and-control system.
His large-screen displays give him an instant picture of the tactical situation.
Lieutenant Commander Vic Guillory is the Tactical Action Officer, responsible for surface warfare.
Vic, what have we got on visual? Got a cluster of Boghammars here, near the 'Montgomery'.
Another cluster may be closing on the merchant vessel.
Over a dozen Iranian Boghammar gunboats appear to be preparing to attack a merchant ship.
'Boghammars' are the generic name for the fast speedboats manned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, a fundamentalist paramilitary force.
We knew that they had rockets, we knew that they had machine guns, we knew that if they got within certain range they could, you know, literally fire off their rockets and cause grave danger.
In 1988, Iranian forces have been attacking up to 13 foreign tankers per month.
Their aim is to prevent Saddam Hussein from exporting Iraqi oil.
Captain Rogers sends his helicopter, call sign 'Ocean Lord', to investigate just what the gunboats are up to.
Roger that.
'Vincennes' out.
Vector in 'Ocean Lord'.
'Ocean Lord' is a Sikorsky Seahawk, a twin-engine helicopter designed for reconnaissance, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) Roger, 'Trinity Sword'.
We read you.
Vectoring toward 'Montgomery' now.
'Ocean Lord's pilot soon finds the gunboats.
They're not acting suspiciously.
But he flies too close to the Iranian craft.
The response is immediate - a burst of anti-aircraft fire.
Jesus! 'Trinity' to 'Lord'.
This is 'Ocean Lord', 25.
We are taking fire.
Executing evasion.
Clearing.
25.
This is 'Trinity Sword' actual.
Is anyone hurt? Confirm hostile fire.
Over.
'Trinity Sword', no injuries.
We confirm 8 to 10 rounds of air burst from the northernmost group of Iranian small craft.
Over.
'Ocean Lord', this is 'Trinity Sword' actual.
Return immediately to 'Vincennes' cover.
Close 'Ocean Lord's position at best speed, bearing 3-3-0.
Under the US Rules of Engagement, Captain Rogers is allowed to respond with force in self-defence.
Set General Quarters.
Officer of the Deck, set General Quarters.
(SIREN BLARES) The situation is escalating rapidly.
MAN: (OVER P.
A.
) General Quarters, General Quarters.
All hands man your battle stations.
NIELSON: When we went to General Quarters, all of the hatches had to be tightened down.
Everything had to be at a certain level of defence, in case something happened.
Once you get to that station, you're supposed toyou don your helmet and your gasmask.
Nobody's allowed to move around the ship.
You're to stay at your battle stations, doing your job.
Only six and a half minutes after Rogers calls General Quarters, the 'Vincennes' is ready for combat.
The crew have practised the drill many times but today, it's for real.
By chance, a navy media crew is on the bridge, filming, as the ship surges north at over 30 knots.
Captain Rogers is now heading for a lethal confrontation with the Iranian gunboats.
It will be the 'Vincennes's first time in action.
The outcome will be catastrophic.
July 3, 1988.
The USS 'Vincennes' powers north towards the Strait of Hormuz.
Another US ship has reported aggressive activity by Iranian gunboats.
Those boats have already fired on the 'Vincennes' helicopter.
Jesus! Captain Will Rogers III has been in the Gulf for just over a month but he's already established a reputation as a commander who is prepared to take robust action.
His ship is nicknamed the 'Robo Cruiser'.
Set General Quarters.
MAN: (OVER P.
A.
) All hands man your battle stations.
Meanwhile, some 87 kilometres away, at Iran's Bandar Abbas airport, Iran Air flight 655 is waiting to push back for a routine 28-minute hop across the Strait of Hormuz to Dubai.
37-year-old Mohsen Rezaian is the captain.
His brother, Hossein, knows he's dedicated to the job.
IR655 standing by for ATC clearance.
He was very enjoying what he was doing.
He really liked it.
He was logging so many hours.
Almost 10,000 hours of flight.
Request update on status of IR655 Captain Rezaian's flight is delayed.
It's 27 minutes behind schedule, due to a passenger with immigration problems.
The hold-up will soon confuse the crew of 'Vincennes', despite all their sophisticated technology.
On the bridge, a navy media crew continues to film as the 'Vincennes' closes within striking distance of the Iranian Boghammar gunboats.
Three degrees, 7-4-0-1-5.
Got a visual on a Boghammar.
Even though his helicopter has already been shot at, Captain Rogers only has the authority to open fire if he believes his ship is under direct threat.
In the Gulf haze, it's hard to see just what the gunboats are doing.
One appears to be going out to starboard and one's in the middle.
Starboard bow has the machine gun on it.
But Captain Rogers doesn't have to wait for the gunboats to open fire.
If they behave aggressively, that's reason enough for him to take the first shot.
Coming inbound fast.
The one at 3-5-0 is inbound.
MAN: As they turned and began to manoeuvre and close us at fairly high speed and on erratic courses, er, we asked permission to fire a warning shot.
This is 'Vincennes'.
Request permission to engage Boghammar group.
The Surface Commander for the Gulf is onboard his ship in Bahrain.
Captain Richard McKenna has no hesitation in granting permission.
The fact that the helicopter was shot at virtually required a response.
(OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) 'Vincennes', this is Gulf Sierra.
Take Boghammar group with guns.
The rules of engagement at that juncture were quite clear.
And so there was no question as to what was required at that juncture.
Say again.
Take Boghammar group with guns.
Over.
Gulf Sierra, this is 'Vincennes'.
Opening fire with guns.
Assumed hostile track 4-4-5-6.
'Vincennes' out.
You can fire for effect.
It's 9:43am.
A routine encounter in the Persian Gulf has become deadly serious.
The ship shakes.
I mean, it's a five-inch gun.
I mean, there's a lot of powder behind it to propel that projectile.
Oh, man.
He's right behind him.
This is the first time that the crew of the 'Vincennes' have ever seen action.
Combat was, you know that was the furthest thing, probably, from any of us, even though we were a combat ship.
It was one of those things.
It's like, "It'll never happen to us.
" But yet it did.
The gunboats are now shooting back but their fire is falling well short.
The 'Vincennes' and the 'Montgomery' take them on together.
The battle is fast-moving with frequent changes of course.
ROGERS: We were manoeuvring rapidly because, in the first place, my desire was to keep them at arm's length, if you will.
We were shifting targets as rapidly as we could and 'Montgomery', at the same time, was directed to engage small craft, which they did.
Verify me rounds to the tray.
The 'Vincennes' and the 'Montgomery' are now locked in a full-scale sea battle.
Anything that approaches the US ships will be assessed as a possible threat.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) Battery released.
10 rounds.
Weapons.
Lieutenant Commander Scott Lustig is the officer responsible for alerting the captain to potential airborne threats.
He's been tracking an aircraft that has suddenly changed course and is now heading towards the 'Vincennes'.
Iranian P-3.
Range 62 miles.
The plane has been identified as an Iranian P-3 Orion, a long-range maritime surveillance aircraft.
In a well-rehearsed procedure, the 'Vincennes' warns the P-3 on a military frequency that he's being tracked.
This is United States naval warship.
Requesting state your intentions.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) US warship.
This is Iranian papa-3.
Our intention is search mission.
We keep clear of your unit.
The pilot promises to keep his distance but Captain Rogers knows the P-3 is still watching him on radar.
He's concerned that it could call in an Iranian air strike.
This battle is becoming more dangerous by the minute.
I want rounds in the tray.
Get me a firing solution for that northernmost group of Boghammars.
Scott, keep me updated on the P-3.
Meanwhile, with all his passengers finally onboard, Captain Rezaian is ready to depart.
Confirm taxi bay five is open.
On 3 July, there are 10 civilian flights scheduled from Bandar Abbas but the Iranian Air Force also uses this airport.
US Intelligence has warned that the recent transfer of F-14 fighters here represents an increased threat.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) Have a nice flight.
655 clear for take off.
Captain Rezaian has no way of knowing that Iran Air 655 is heading directly towards a raging sea battle.
Within seconds of lift-off, the 'Vincennes' detects Flight 655.
Sophisticated as the radar is, it cannot determine the size or type of aircraft.
Identification Supervisor Anderson begins a routine to establish whether the aircraft is a friend or foe.
His first step is to use a system called 'IFF'.
NIELSON: All large aircraft have IFF.
They all have Identification Friend or Foe'.
Every aircraft has its own code and you're able to look up that code and say OK.
It does give you more information.
Anderson sets out to identify the IFF signal of this incoming track.
At the press of a button, an electronic pulse radiates into the atmosphere .
.
and aircraft transponders automatically bounce back an electronic reply, 'squawking' the signature modes and codes that reveal whether the aircraft is a friend or foe.
Modes one, two and four indicate military aircraft.
Iran Air 655 has squawked mode three.
Everybody has mode three.
So that alone doesn't identify a non-hostile aircraft.
It could be civilian, it could be military.
As a military aircraft could conceal its identity by squawking mode three, Anderson's next step is to consult a commercial air schedule.
He looks to see if there's a passenger flight due to depart from Bandar Abbas at this time.
But he finds nothing.
MAN: Unidentified Iranian aircraft on course 2-0-3, speed 303 knots, altitude 4,000 feet.
This is United States So the 'Vincennes' now tries to contact the plane directly on a military distress frequency.
You are approaching United States naval warship in international waters.
Request you state your intentions.
Over.
(SILENCE) But there's no response.
For all its state-of-the-art technology, the 'Vincennes' doesn't have a radio tuned to civil air traffic control frequencies Unidentified aircraft on course 2-0-6, speed .
.
so the only option left is for the ship to call the mystery aircraft on the civilian International Air Distress frequency.
You are approaching a United States naval warship.
Request you remain clear.
But there's still no answer from Flight 655.
With the incoming plane closing in on the 'Vincennes' at eight kilometres every minute, Anderson is now alarmed to discover its IFF signal appears to have changed.
The plane is squawking both Mode 3 and Mode 2 1100.
When Anderson consults his code list, he makes a disturbing discovery.
The 1100 suggests that this plane could be an Iranian F-14 fighter.
MAN: All stations, IDS.
I have a possible Mode 2 on Track 4-1-3-1, 1-1-0-0, which breaks as an F-14.
Possible Mode 2, breaking as an F-14.
I repeat, incoming Mode 2.
Anderson's words spread like wildfire throughout the CIC.
The aircraft is now labelled as an F-14 fighter on the tactical displays in front of Captain Rogers.
48 kilometres away, the Airbus, with its 290 passengers, climbs out over the Persian Gulf.
They have no idea that they've been misidentified and are flying into danger.
An Iranian passenger jet heading for Dubai is unknowingly flying directly towards a US warship engaged in battle in the Strait of Hormuz.
On board the USS 'Vincennes', Identification Supervisor Anderson thinks the airliner is an Iranian fighter jet.
.
.
which breaks as an F-14.
In the Combat Information Centre, Flight 655 is now labelled as a hostile F-14.
In the 1970s, the US sold 80 F-14s to their then ally, the Shah of Iran.
They are the most up-to-date fighter in the Iranian Air Force.
The 'Vincennes' crew think they're under attack.
My heartbeat was way up.
My blood pressure was way up.
It was likewow.
I mean, the adrenaline was just flowing.
Lieutenant Commander Scott Lustig is Captain William Rogers' Anti-Air-Warfare Coordinator.
With the incoming plane only 45 kilometres away, he seeks permission from headquarters to shoot it down if it comes too close.
.
.
my intention is to engage at 20 nautical miles if he does not turn away.
Do you concur? Over.
MAN: (ON RADIO) You should warn aircraft first, then take it under fire.
You start crossing 20 miles and that's an absolute threat to the ship.
You're out there in the middle of the ocean.
It's, erit's serious business.
The pressure on Captain Rogers is mounting but at this critical moment, just when he should be focusing on this new threat, his attention is drawn back to the battle with the gunboats.
MAN: We've got a foul bore down here.
Captain, we have a situation with mount 51.
In the midst of combat, the 'Vincenne's forward five-inch gun has jammed.
Right, a full rotor turn! Bridge, CIC, hard to port.
Steady ship's course, 280 degrees.
Maintain speed.
Steady 25 knots! (SIREN BLARES) Rogers is forced to turn his ship at high speed, swinging the cruiser's rear gun around to face the incoming fire.
The ship leans, so if anything was not tied down, it, of course, went everywhere.
It went sliding off up against the wall.
It turned sharp enough that if you were standing, you had to hold on to something to keep from falling over.
Bring F gun to bear now.
As Captain Rogers struggles to keep the gunboats engaged, Captain Rezaian is busy with the routines of climbing to cruising altitude.
Dubai 0-7-1-5.
MAN: (ON RADIO) Confirm you are squawking 6-7-6-0.
Affirmative.
Confirmation that his aircraft is transmitting the correct civilian IFF code, so that it can be easily identified on radar.
In the 'Vincennes' Combat Information Centre, Lieutenant William Mountford sees that the approaching plane is now squawking a Mode 3 IFF response.
He thinks it may not be a military aircraft after all.
Sir, possible comm error.
Captain Rogers acknowledges the warning, but he's still concerned by the plane's failure to respond.
The aircraft was warned.
It was warned a number of times.
It continued to close.
Time is a demon here.
If I have a long time to sort things things out, you're gonna take more time to look at this and more time to look at that.
As Flight 655 crosses the critical 37-kilometre threshold, the 'Vincennes' warns it once again to alter course or risk the consequences.
2-0-1 20 miles from you.
You are standing into danger and may be subject to United States defensive measures.
Request you remain clear of me.
Captain Rogers now has the authority to shoot the plane down.
Captain, do you wish to engage at 20 miles? Captain? Do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? I had difficulty at 20 miles.
I just did not want to shoot.
I could not believe that this was really happening to us.
Captain, do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? Negative.
Captain Rogers has delayed firing, hoping that the plane will finally respond to the 'Vincennes' warnings.
But what happens next destroys that faint hope.
Petty Officer Leach is the 'Vincennes' Tactical Information Coordinator.
He's responsible for ensuring that all air contacts are properly tracked.
What he reports now seems to remove any doubts.
This is a hostile aircraft.
Altitude declining! They see the plane diving towards them - a classic attack profile.
Now you're in real serious business, because anything can happen at that point, whether that aircraft might launch something at you.
It could be the aircraft itself.
15 miles.
That's pretty close and pretty serious.
Iranian aircraft on course 2-1-1, speed Track 4-1-3-1, approaching 13 nautical miles.
.
.
United States naval warship operating in international waters.
Wait a minute, I could be dead! The tension is just continually rising during this whole time.
Everybody was on edge.
everybody was like, "Oh, my God, what's gonna happen next?" .
.
subject to United States defence measures.
Inbound air contact, closing and descending.
1,000 feet per mile.
Range, 13 miles! Oh, my God, it's getting closer.
It's getting closer.
What's the captain gonna do? What's gonna happen? You know, what are they gonna do? Iran Air 655 now signs off with Bandar Abbas air traffic control.
MAN: (ON RADIO) Have a nice flight.
Thank you.
Good day.
God damn it, he's getting close.
Mark incoming boghammar, bearing 0-4-2 MAN: Air contact still inbound, increasing speed and descending.
Range, 11 miles.
Captain Rogers' worst fear is that the 'Vincennes' might face the the same fate as another ship, the USS 'Stark'.
A year earlier, an Iraqi fighter launched two Exocet missiles at it.
37 sailors were killed and the ship nearly lost.
An inquiry blamed the incident on failures in command.
The 'Stark' had not defended itself.
Its captain was reprimanded and allowed to resign from the Navy.
Captain, air contact still inbound, increasing speed and descending.
Range, 11 miles.
Captain Rogers isn't about to make the same mistake.
CAPTAIN ROGERS: Time is a demon here.
At some point in time you have to make the decision.
When the aircraft reached a little over 10 miles, at that point in time, I either make the decision then or I don't make it at all, because I reached minimum weapons range.
It's the moment of truth.
Captain Rogers turns his fire authorisation key.
(SIREN BLARES) Take order, track 4-1-3-1.
Do I have a take order on the contact? Yes, take.
Bird's away.
Rail's clear.
Iranian aircraft on course 2-0-9, speed 353 knots As the final warning goes out on a military air distress frequency, Rogers keeps his finger on the 'hold fire' button so he can destroy the missiles if the aircraft finally responds.
Estimate 10 seconds to intercept.
Oh, dead! Up on the bridge, the crew has confirmed the kill.
We had to have got it! That was a dead-on! (ALL CHATTER) The plane they believed was attacking them has been destroyed.
Captain Rogers thinks he has saved his ship from destruction.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Far from saving his crew, Rogers has just made a decision that will shock the world.
God damn it, he's getting close.
At the height of a naval battle with Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf, the USS 'Vincennes' has detected an incoming aircraft.
Take order, track 4-1-3-1 In the ship's Combat Information Centre, that plane has been misidentified as an Iranian F-14 fighter.
After the plane has failed to respond to warnings, Captain William Rogers has shot it down.
But Rogers has made a fatal mistake.
He's destroyed an Iranian passenger jet flying in an international air corridor.
290 passengers and crew are dead.
Iranian television broadcasts distressing footage of their bodies floating in the Gulf.
For Captain Rogers, the burden is heavy.
Whatever mistakes have been made, he bears the ultimate responsibility.
But for the victims' families, it's worse.
Captain Rezaian's elder brother, Hussein, tries to identify his remains in a temporary mortuary in Bandar Abbas.
I try not to imagine where I went to.
I try to forget it.
And, er, when I, er .
.
looked at those bodies, I just, um .
.
I just can't control myself.
I just try to think about something else, not, ernot to think of what I saw.
Captain Rezaian's body is never recovered.
Really, it shattered our family, especially his kids, his wife, My parents, they are still living, and, er .
.
and there is not a day that they don't talk about this .
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of what happened, why it should have happened.
There's an immediate international outcry.
The world wants to know how a cruiser with a state-of-the-art combat system could have mistaken a passenger airliner for an attacking Iranian fighter.
Captain, do you swear that the evidence you are giving in this matter, now an investigation The US Government appoints Rear Admiral William Fogarty to conduct an inquiry to find out what went wrong.
My first reaction was it was a tragedy.
The thing that stuck the most to me was, "You've got a lot of responsibility ahead of you, Fogarty, "and probably some sleepless nights.
" .
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and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do.
The inquiry is conducted in accord with the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The stakes are high.
Investigative journalist Roger Charles is a former Marine officer who's examined the story.
You're looking at a guy who's on top of the world.
He's the captain of a billion-dollar Aegis cruiser and now he's sitting at a table facing a possible court martial and, you know, even prison time.
Admiral Fogarty's team now scrutinises the actions of the 'Vincennes' crew in forensic detail.
When Flight 655 first appears on radar, the USS 'Vincennes' is in the midst of a battle with Iranian gunboats.
All aircraft within a radius of 100 kilometres are monitored to ensure they do not pose a threat.
So Identification Supervisor Anderson starts by checking his commercial air schedule to determine if this is a passenger flight.
But he's confused.
The schedule lists departures in local time, but Anderson is unsure whether that means the time in Bandar Abbas, or Bahrain time, which is used on the ship.
You have the almost 30-minute delay caused by the late departure of IRR 655, due to a passenger with a visa problem.
Then you have the 30-minute different time zone.
So he looks at it and he's seeing there's nobody within an hour scheduled to be over us.
The IFF system is supposed to distinguish friend from foe.
Admiral Fogarty knows it's critical to establish how the 'Vincennes' could have confused a commercial airliner squawking Mode 3 with a fighter emitting Mode 2.
And in your mind, that was not comm air? In my mind, sir, it was not a comm air.
And why? Because I had saw that Mode 2 squawk, sir.
The Mode 2 was the big indicator for you? Yes, sir.
From intelligence, Fogarty discovers that as Flight 655 prepares for take-off, an Iranian F-14 is also on the tarmac at Bandar Abbas.
It now appears that although Anderson rolls his ball tab to hook Flight 655 as it takes off, he leaves it hooked for almost 90 seconds.
So although the hook symbol moves towards the 'Vincennes', the system is still reading IFF signals from the airport at Bandar Abbas.
It's a human error caused by poor design on this hi-tech warship.
He left the ball tab on Bandar Abbas.
So what we believe happened - and I'm pretty sure this is exactly what happened - he picked up the Mode 2 of the Iranian fighter that was getting ready for take-off behind the Airbus.
The identification of an F-14 appears to confirm intelligence warning Captain Rogers to anticipate trouble over the July 4 weekend.
He now believes the aircraft is part of a coordinated strike on the 'Vincennes' from both sea and air Sir, possible comm air.
.
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so he places less weight on the warning that the incoming plane is possibly a commercial airliner.
FOGARTY: Do you recall Lieutenant Mountford saying, "Comm air, comm air?" I absolutely remember him telling me that and I think I raised my hand, or something to that effect, to indicate that I'd heard him.
You held up your decision to fire.
- Yes, sir.
- Why? I wanted every bit of information I could get.
IFF was an indicator, but I didn't care whether 1100 was an F-14 or that Fokker that flies around out there.
But at this point I thought, "They always talk to us.
" Iranian aircraft on course 2-1-1.
The 'Vincennes' transmits a total of 10 radio warnings.
Why does Flight 655 never respond? FOGARTY: What we do know for sure is the aircraft did not respond to the warnings.
He had to have something, he being the commanding officer, as proof that this was commercial air.
He never got that.
Unidentified Iranian aircraft on course 20 But the 'Vincennes' transmits seven warnings on a military frequency that Flight 655 cannot receive.
The Airbus did not even have a radio that was set or could accept the military air distress frequency.
I mean, it's just not something they had.
They had no need for it.
They were a commercial airplane.
The 'Vincennes' broadcasts only three warnings on the civil distress frequency but they don't clearly identify exactly who the ship is trying to contact.
At the height of a Naval battle with Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf, the USS 'Vincennes' has detected an incoming aircraft but that plane has been misidentified as an Iranian F-14 fighter.
Unidentified aircraft on course 2-1-0.
Speed, 350.
The 'Vincennes' radio talkers are citing the aircraft's ground speed .
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warship bearing 2-0-1, 20 miles from you.
You are standing into danger and may be subject to United States defensive measures.
.
.
but Captain Rezaian's instruments show airspeed, a relative measurement.
Flight 655's indicated airspeed could've been 50 knots slower than the 350-knot groundspeed cited by the 'Vincennes'.
So if the pilot hears that, well, who are they talking to? "They're notthey haven't identified us.
"They must be talking to maybe the P-3 "or maybe some other Iranian aircraft.
" Throughout its flight, Iran Air 655 transmits its squawk code, the unique label that tells radars what flight it is.
If the 'Vincennes' had called out that squawk code, Captain Rezaian could have known immediately they were talking to him.
But the US Navy does not require its radio operators to use this code when talking to civilian aircraft.
As Flight 655 nears his ship Captain, do you wish to engage at 20 miles? .
.
the pressure on Captain Rogers becomes intense.
Captain, do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? When you look at the time window that he had, he waited till the very last minute.
And it becomes a point of, "Am I going to shoot or am I not going to shoot, and wait?" In which case he would not be following his responsibilities to protect his ship and his crew.
The decisive factor in Captain Rogers' decision to fire are the reports he receives that the plane is descending towards him, apparently about to attack.
Altitude declining.
It's the crucial moment.
The enquiry team presses Tactical Information Coordinator Leech on his call.
OK.
Were you reporting descending elevations over the Net? Over the internal Net? Yes, sir.
So, in other words, when you saw that track, that aircraft start descending, you were reporting that up to TAO CO Gulf Whiskey.
Yes, sir.
Like an aircraft's black box, the 'Vincennes' computers have recorded all the data on the Combat Information Center screens.
Those records show that Iran Air 655 had never descended.
It was, in fact, ascending the whole time.
That was a revelation that, er, wewe had not anticipated.
Altitude declining.
Is it possible is it possible that somebody, although the data showed perhaps that it was going up, would say it's going down, descending? Fogarty sends a medical team, including a psychiatrist, to the 'Vincennes'.
They report that a condition called 'scenario fulfilment' could have played a part in the tragedy.
Had those in command on that day checked their monitors, they would have seen that Flight 655 was not diving in a classic attack profile, but was continuing its steady climb.
Yet no-one thought to do so.
Well, Scott, we have this disparity between what the data indicates happened and what the people said they saw at their various altitudes.
Any idea why? Well, sir, the disparity baffles me.
I've thought about this for many days now andI came to the realisation that this data, to me, doesn't mean anything, because I reacted to people I had operated with who were reliable .
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and when they reported at short range they had decreasing altitude, increasing speed, I had no reason to doubt them.
I had to make a split-second recommendation to the commanding officer and I did.
So Lieutenant Commander Lustig trusts his men's judgment and Captain Rogers trusts Lieutenant Commander Lustig's.
My confidence in Lieutenant Commander Lustig confirmed to me that the aircraft was, in fact, a threat.
At nine miles, I felt I could no longer delay defensive action.
I granted firing permission.
When I looked at the time line that he had to make a decision and the information he was given upon which to make that decision, it was my feeling - to this day I still feel the same way - that he made the right decision with the main thing in his mind, "I don't want my ship to get hit.
" (SIREN WAILS) Take order.
Track 4-1-3-1.
The 'Vincennes' sophisticated Combat Information System gives its crew accurate information.
But their fear has created a threat where none exists.
After a month, Admiral Fogarty's investigation is over.
He finds that the downing of Iran Air 655 was not the result of any negligent or culpable conduct by any US Naval personnel.
"Captain Rogers acted in a prudent manner, "given the information available to him "and the short time frame in which he had to make his critical decision.
" Fogarty says Iran must share the responsibility for hazarding one of their civilian airliners in close proximity to hostilities.
The US government publishes an edited version of Admiral Fogarty's inquiry, but it has concealed one key fact from the world.
That fact will cast a whole new light on the tragedy of Iran Air Flight 655.
In August 1988, a detailed inquiry by Admiral William Fogarty into the shooting down of Iran Air 655 concludes that the captain and crew of the USS 'Vincennes' acted properly in the face of what they believed was a threat to their ship.
But investigative journalist Roger Charles is not convinced.
He reads a copy of the Fogarty inquiry and wonders why it contains no map showing the 'Vincennes' position.
I knew the fact that there was no such chart in the Fogarty report again was a signal, and a curious signal to me, "Why is it not there?" Skipper, you'd better come down.
Sounds like the 'Montgomery's got her nose in a beehive.
I'll be right there.
When Captain Rogers first hears that Iranian gunboats are harassing merchant shipping the 'Vincennes' is well south of the 'Montgomery' and destined for port in Bahrain.
Gulf Sierra, this is 'Vincennes'.
Request permission to support USS 'Montgomery' against surface contacts.
Over.
Rogers asks Captain Richard McKenna, his Surface Commander, for permission to turn north to support the 'Montgomery'.
But McKenna only authorises him to send his helicopter to investigate.
Roger that.
'Vincennes' out.
Vector in 'Ocean Lord'.
But Captain McKenna is later startled to discover that the 'Vincennes' has turned around and has closed on the 'Montgomery's position.
He orders him to leave the helicopter in place and turn back immediately.
My own personal opinion is it really did feel that they were looking for action when they went to see the 'Elmer Montgomery'.
Um, my own feeling is that the situation was not out of control.
It was really my call and yet, even though they were assigned another station, they took it upon themselves to be there.
And, um, to that extent, I feel that, you know, I mean, that's where the general feeling, not just my own, comes that maybe they were looking for trouble.
Jesus! 20 to 'Lord'.
This is 'Ocean Lord' 25.
We are taking fire.
But once the Iranian gunboats fired on the 'Vincennes' helicopter, the situation changed.
Close 'Ocean Lord's position The rules of engagement now allowed Captain Rogers to respond with force.
He's now authorised to head off in hot pursuit of the gunboats.
But where does that lead him? In 1990, Roger Charles obtains a copy of a restricted report on the destruction of Iran Air 655 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
It gives the 'Vincennes' coordinates.
When Charles plots them on a chart, he makes a startling discovery.
At the time of the shoot down, the 'Vincennes' is over four kilometres inside Iranian territorial waters.
By chasing the gunboats back into Iranian territory, Rogers inadvertently places his ship directly in the flight path of Iran Air 655.
Hold the ship.
We're crossing the Iranian declared war zone line.
If Rogers had not taken the 'Vincennes' up to attack the gunboats there would have been no shoot-down of IR655.
I mean, that's clear.
There would have been no ongoing surface action.
Rogers would have had his radar screen set for the air side of things.
The focus would have only been on the air picture.
They would have had plenty of time to make a proper determination that this was a commercial airliner.
Despite the tragedy, the crew of the 'Vincennes' receive a heroes' welcome on their return to port in San Diego.
Captain, do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? Lieutenant Commander Scott Lustig is awarded a Navy commendation medal for his ability to maintain his poise and confidence under fire.
Take order.
Track 4-1-3-1.
Captain Rogers receives the Legion of Merit for his performance as Commanding Officer of the 'Vincennes'.
Both men have since retired from the Navy.
Every year, the families of those who died on Iran Air 655 commemorate their loss in the Persian Gulf.
For Hossein Rezaian, the brother of Flight 655's captain, time has not healed the wounds.
I still feel the same way, although I try to keep myself busy, not to think about it, because still it's (CLEARS THROAT) .
.
I mean, it's an unforgettablehuman tragedy.
Even after 17 years passed, the horrors of what went on in that .
.
in that day, you know, still lingers on in everybody's life.
In a world where technology grows ever more sophisticated, fear, the most basic of human instincts, can create the greatest tragedies.
A.
) All hands man your battle stations.
VOICEOVER: July, 1988 .
.
a US Navy cruiser is battling Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf.
Suddenly, its radar picks up an mystery aircraft.
Is this plane friend or foe? They have seven minutes to decide.
As the aircraft draws ever closer, the pressure mounts.
And the captain is faced with a terrible choice - shoot it down or risk the lives of his own crew.
(SIREN BLARES) It's a routine short-haul flight but an Iranian passenger jet is heading into mortal danger.
He's opening fire with guns.
It's approaching a war zone in which a US Navy ship is engaged in combat.
The crew are on a state of high alert.
Anything that draws near is seen as a threat.
Air contact.
Still inbound.
Increasing speed and descending.
Range 11 miles.
.
.
approaching United States naval warship.
Closing and descending 1,000 feet.
Now you're in serious business.
You are standing into danger.
Wait a minute.
I could be dead.
Range 13 miles.
The aircraft is not responding to warnings.
Iran Air 655 seems oblivious to the danger.
(MISSILE APPROACHES) In 1988, Iran and Iraq have reached a stalemate in a savage eight-year conflict.
It's a war of attrition and both sides' oil exports are a target.
The United States has become the chief watchdog of the Persian Gulf.
Over 30 US warships protect neutral tankers.
Dawn, July 3.
After a month on routine patrol, the USS 'Vincennes' is heading towards port in Bahrain.
Her crew are due a few days rest and recuperation.
But while his men are looking forward to the July 4 break, Captain Will Rogers is already up.
He's received disturbing reports from US intelligence, warning him to expect trouble from Iranian forces over this holiday weekend.
(PHONE RINGS) Yeah? In the 'Vincennes' Combat Information Centre, the Watch Officer has received an urgent message from another ship in the US fleet that Iranian gunboats are harassing a Pakistani merchant vessel.
Skipper, you'd better come down.
Sounds like the 'Montgomery's got her nose in a beehive.
I'll be right there.
The frigate USS 'Elmer Montgomery' is north of the 'Vincennes', near the narrow Strait of Hormuz.
It's here that Iranian gunboats have been most active in attacking oil tankers as they exit the Persian Gulf.
Designed to protect an aircraft carrier group, the 'Vincennes' is a billion-dollar Aegis cruiser.
It's armed with Mk-26 missile launchers, harpoon anti-ship missiles, two five-inch guns and a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, which fires over 3,000 rounds a minute.
But what makes the ship so special is its high-tech radar.
The phased array SPY-1 can simultaneously search and track over 100 targets over 300 kilometres away.
To crew members, like Mike Zunino and Mark Nielsen, the 'Vincennes' is simply 'Star Wars' at sea.
MAN: I was very proud.
Just technically, it just felt like a strong, secure ship to be on and we felt invincible, in a way.
MARK: We had some of the most up-to-date weaponry and the radar and everything else.
There wasn't a whole lot that we couldn't do.
Inside the Combat Information Centre, Captain Rogers oversees a state-of-the-art computerised command-and-control system.
His large-screen displays give him an instant picture of the tactical situation.
Lieutenant Commander Vic Guillory is the Tactical Action Officer, responsible for surface warfare.
Vic, what have we got on visual? Got a cluster of Boghammars here, near the 'Montgomery'.
Another cluster may be closing on the merchant vessel.
Over a dozen Iranian Boghammar gunboats appear to be preparing to attack a merchant ship.
'Boghammars' are the generic name for the fast speedboats manned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, a fundamentalist paramilitary force.
We knew that they had rockets, we knew that they had machine guns, we knew that if they got within certain range they could, you know, literally fire off their rockets and cause grave danger.
In 1988, Iranian forces have been attacking up to 13 foreign tankers per month.
Their aim is to prevent Saddam Hussein from exporting Iraqi oil.
Captain Rogers sends his helicopter, call sign 'Ocean Lord', to investigate just what the gunboats are up to.
Roger that.
'Vincennes' out.
Vector in 'Ocean Lord'.
'Ocean Lord' is a Sikorsky Seahawk, a twin-engine helicopter designed for reconnaissance, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) Roger, 'Trinity Sword'.
We read you.
Vectoring toward 'Montgomery' now.
'Ocean Lord's pilot soon finds the gunboats.
They're not acting suspiciously.
But he flies too close to the Iranian craft.
The response is immediate - a burst of anti-aircraft fire.
Jesus! 'Trinity' to 'Lord'.
This is 'Ocean Lord', 25.
We are taking fire.
Executing evasion.
Clearing.
25.
This is 'Trinity Sword' actual.
Is anyone hurt? Confirm hostile fire.
Over.
'Trinity Sword', no injuries.
We confirm 8 to 10 rounds of air burst from the northernmost group of Iranian small craft.
Over.
'Ocean Lord', this is 'Trinity Sword' actual.
Return immediately to 'Vincennes' cover.
Close 'Ocean Lord's position at best speed, bearing 3-3-0.
Under the US Rules of Engagement, Captain Rogers is allowed to respond with force in self-defence.
Set General Quarters.
Officer of the Deck, set General Quarters.
(SIREN BLARES) The situation is escalating rapidly.
MAN: (OVER P.
A.
) General Quarters, General Quarters.
All hands man your battle stations.
NIELSON: When we went to General Quarters, all of the hatches had to be tightened down.
Everything had to be at a certain level of defence, in case something happened.
Once you get to that station, you're supposed toyou don your helmet and your gasmask.
Nobody's allowed to move around the ship.
You're to stay at your battle stations, doing your job.
Only six and a half minutes after Rogers calls General Quarters, the 'Vincennes' is ready for combat.
The crew have practised the drill many times but today, it's for real.
By chance, a navy media crew is on the bridge, filming, as the ship surges north at over 30 knots.
Captain Rogers is now heading for a lethal confrontation with the Iranian gunboats.
It will be the 'Vincennes's first time in action.
The outcome will be catastrophic.
July 3, 1988.
The USS 'Vincennes' powers north towards the Strait of Hormuz.
Another US ship has reported aggressive activity by Iranian gunboats.
Those boats have already fired on the 'Vincennes' helicopter.
Jesus! Captain Will Rogers III has been in the Gulf for just over a month but he's already established a reputation as a commander who is prepared to take robust action.
His ship is nicknamed the 'Robo Cruiser'.
Set General Quarters.
MAN: (OVER P.
A.
) All hands man your battle stations.
Meanwhile, some 87 kilometres away, at Iran's Bandar Abbas airport, Iran Air flight 655 is waiting to push back for a routine 28-minute hop across the Strait of Hormuz to Dubai.
37-year-old Mohsen Rezaian is the captain.
His brother, Hossein, knows he's dedicated to the job.
IR655 standing by for ATC clearance.
He was very enjoying what he was doing.
He really liked it.
He was logging so many hours.
Almost 10,000 hours of flight.
Request update on status of IR655 Captain Rezaian's flight is delayed.
It's 27 minutes behind schedule, due to a passenger with immigration problems.
The hold-up will soon confuse the crew of 'Vincennes', despite all their sophisticated technology.
On the bridge, a navy media crew continues to film as the 'Vincennes' closes within striking distance of the Iranian Boghammar gunboats.
Three degrees, 7-4-0-1-5.
Got a visual on a Boghammar.
Even though his helicopter has already been shot at, Captain Rogers only has the authority to open fire if he believes his ship is under direct threat.
In the Gulf haze, it's hard to see just what the gunboats are doing.
One appears to be going out to starboard and one's in the middle.
Starboard bow has the machine gun on it.
But Captain Rogers doesn't have to wait for the gunboats to open fire.
If they behave aggressively, that's reason enough for him to take the first shot.
Coming inbound fast.
The one at 3-5-0 is inbound.
MAN: As they turned and began to manoeuvre and close us at fairly high speed and on erratic courses, er, we asked permission to fire a warning shot.
This is 'Vincennes'.
Request permission to engage Boghammar group.
The Surface Commander for the Gulf is onboard his ship in Bahrain.
Captain Richard McKenna has no hesitation in granting permission.
The fact that the helicopter was shot at virtually required a response.
(OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) 'Vincennes', this is Gulf Sierra.
Take Boghammar group with guns.
The rules of engagement at that juncture were quite clear.
And so there was no question as to what was required at that juncture.
Say again.
Take Boghammar group with guns.
Over.
Gulf Sierra, this is 'Vincennes'.
Opening fire with guns.
Assumed hostile track 4-4-5-6.
'Vincennes' out.
You can fire for effect.
It's 9:43am.
A routine encounter in the Persian Gulf has become deadly serious.
The ship shakes.
I mean, it's a five-inch gun.
I mean, there's a lot of powder behind it to propel that projectile.
Oh, man.
He's right behind him.
This is the first time that the crew of the 'Vincennes' have ever seen action.
Combat was, you know that was the furthest thing, probably, from any of us, even though we were a combat ship.
It was one of those things.
It's like, "It'll never happen to us.
" But yet it did.
The gunboats are now shooting back but their fire is falling well short.
The 'Vincennes' and the 'Montgomery' take them on together.
The battle is fast-moving with frequent changes of course.
ROGERS: We were manoeuvring rapidly because, in the first place, my desire was to keep them at arm's length, if you will.
We were shifting targets as rapidly as we could and 'Montgomery', at the same time, was directed to engage small craft, which they did.
Verify me rounds to the tray.
The 'Vincennes' and the 'Montgomery' are now locked in a full-scale sea battle.
Anything that approaches the US ships will be assessed as a possible threat.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) Battery released.
10 rounds.
Weapons.
Lieutenant Commander Scott Lustig is the officer responsible for alerting the captain to potential airborne threats.
He's been tracking an aircraft that has suddenly changed course and is now heading towards the 'Vincennes'.
Iranian P-3.
Range 62 miles.
The plane has been identified as an Iranian P-3 Orion, a long-range maritime surveillance aircraft.
In a well-rehearsed procedure, the 'Vincennes' warns the P-3 on a military frequency that he's being tracked.
This is United States naval warship.
Requesting state your intentions.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) US warship.
This is Iranian papa-3.
Our intention is search mission.
We keep clear of your unit.
The pilot promises to keep his distance but Captain Rogers knows the P-3 is still watching him on radar.
He's concerned that it could call in an Iranian air strike.
This battle is becoming more dangerous by the minute.
I want rounds in the tray.
Get me a firing solution for that northernmost group of Boghammars.
Scott, keep me updated on the P-3.
Meanwhile, with all his passengers finally onboard, Captain Rezaian is ready to depart.
Confirm taxi bay five is open.
On 3 July, there are 10 civilian flights scheduled from Bandar Abbas but the Iranian Air Force also uses this airport.
US Intelligence has warned that the recent transfer of F-14 fighters here represents an increased threat.
MAN: (OVER TWO-WAY RADIO) Have a nice flight.
655 clear for take off.
Captain Rezaian has no way of knowing that Iran Air 655 is heading directly towards a raging sea battle.
Within seconds of lift-off, the 'Vincennes' detects Flight 655.
Sophisticated as the radar is, it cannot determine the size or type of aircraft.
Identification Supervisor Anderson begins a routine to establish whether the aircraft is a friend or foe.
His first step is to use a system called 'IFF'.
NIELSON: All large aircraft have IFF.
They all have Identification Friend or Foe'.
Every aircraft has its own code and you're able to look up that code and say OK.
It does give you more information.
Anderson sets out to identify the IFF signal of this incoming track.
At the press of a button, an electronic pulse radiates into the atmosphere .
.
and aircraft transponders automatically bounce back an electronic reply, 'squawking' the signature modes and codes that reveal whether the aircraft is a friend or foe.
Modes one, two and four indicate military aircraft.
Iran Air 655 has squawked mode three.
Everybody has mode three.
So that alone doesn't identify a non-hostile aircraft.
It could be civilian, it could be military.
As a military aircraft could conceal its identity by squawking mode three, Anderson's next step is to consult a commercial air schedule.
He looks to see if there's a passenger flight due to depart from Bandar Abbas at this time.
But he finds nothing.
MAN: Unidentified Iranian aircraft on course 2-0-3, speed 303 knots, altitude 4,000 feet.
This is United States So the 'Vincennes' now tries to contact the plane directly on a military distress frequency.
You are approaching United States naval warship in international waters.
Request you state your intentions.
Over.
(SILENCE) But there's no response.
For all its state-of-the-art technology, the 'Vincennes' doesn't have a radio tuned to civil air traffic control frequencies Unidentified aircraft on course 2-0-6, speed .
.
so the only option left is for the ship to call the mystery aircraft on the civilian International Air Distress frequency.
You are approaching a United States naval warship.
Request you remain clear.
But there's still no answer from Flight 655.
With the incoming plane closing in on the 'Vincennes' at eight kilometres every minute, Anderson is now alarmed to discover its IFF signal appears to have changed.
The plane is squawking both Mode 3 and Mode 2 1100.
When Anderson consults his code list, he makes a disturbing discovery.
The 1100 suggests that this plane could be an Iranian F-14 fighter.
MAN: All stations, IDS.
I have a possible Mode 2 on Track 4-1-3-1, 1-1-0-0, which breaks as an F-14.
Possible Mode 2, breaking as an F-14.
I repeat, incoming Mode 2.
Anderson's words spread like wildfire throughout the CIC.
The aircraft is now labelled as an F-14 fighter on the tactical displays in front of Captain Rogers.
48 kilometres away, the Airbus, with its 290 passengers, climbs out over the Persian Gulf.
They have no idea that they've been misidentified and are flying into danger.
An Iranian passenger jet heading for Dubai is unknowingly flying directly towards a US warship engaged in battle in the Strait of Hormuz.
On board the USS 'Vincennes', Identification Supervisor Anderson thinks the airliner is an Iranian fighter jet.
.
.
which breaks as an F-14.
In the Combat Information Centre, Flight 655 is now labelled as a hostile F-14.
In the 1970s, the US sold 80 F-14s to their then ally, the Shah of Iran.
They are the most up-to-date fighter in the Iranian Air Force.
The 'Vincennes' crew think they're under attack.
My heartbeat was way up.
My blood pressure was way up.
It was likewow.
I mean, the adrenaline was just flowing.
Lieutenant Commander Scott Lustig is Captain William Rogers' Anti-Air-Warfare Coordinator.
With the incoming plane only 45 kilometres away, he seeks permission from headquarters to shoot it down if it comes too close.
.
.
my intention is to engage at 20 nautical miles if he does not turn away.
Do you concur? Over.
MAN: (ON RADIO) You should warn aircraft first, then take it under fire.
You start crossing 20 miles and that's an absolute threat to the ship.
You're out there in the middle of the ocean.
It's, erit's serious business.
The pressure on Captain Rogers is mounting but at this critical moment, just when he should be focusing on this new threat, his attention is drawn back to the battle with the gunboats.
MAN: We've got a foul bore down here.
Captain, we have a situation with mount 51.
In the midst of combat, the 'Vincenne's forward five-inch gun has jammed.
Right, a full rotor turn! Bridge, CIC, hard to port.
Steady ship's course, 280 degrees.
Maintain speed.
Steady 25 knots! (SIREN BLARES) Rogers is forced to turn his ship at high speed, swinging the cruiser's rear gun around to face the incoming fire.
The ship leans, so if anything was not tied down, it, of course, went everywhere.
It went sliding off up against the wall.
It turned sharp enough that if you were standing, you had to hold on to something to keep from falling over.
Bring F gun to bear now.
As Captain Rogers struggles to keep the gunboats engaged, Captain Rezaian is busy with the routines of climbing to cruising altitude.
Dubai 0-7-1-5.
MAN: (ON RADIO) Confirm you are squawking 6-7-6-0.
Affirmative.
Confirmation that his aircraft is transmitting the correct civilian IFF code, so that it can be easily identified on radar.
In the 'Vincennes' Combat Information Centre, Lieutenant William Mountford sees that the approaching plane is now squawking a Mode 3 IFF response.
He thinks it may not be a military aircraft after all.
Sir, possible comm error.
Captain Rogers acknowledges the warning, but he's still concerned by the plane's failure to respond.
The aircraft was warned.
It was warned a number of times.
It continued to close.
Time is a demon here.
If I have a long time to sort things things out, you're gonna take more time to look at this and more time to look at that.
As Flight 655 crosses the critical 37-kilometre threshold, the 'Vincennes' warns it once again to alter course or risk the consequences.
2-0-1 20 miles from you.
You are standing into danger and may be subject to United States defensive measures.
Request you remain clear of me.
Captain Rogers now has the authority to shoot the plane down.
Captain, do you wish to engage at 20 miles? Captain? Do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? I had difficulty at 20 miles.
I just did not want to shoot.
I could not believe that this was really happening to us.
Captain, do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? Negative.
Captain Rogers has delayed firing, hoping that the plane will finally respond to the 'Vincennes' warnings.
But what happens next destroys that faint hope.
Petty Officer Leach is the 'Vincennes' Tactical Information Coordinator.
He's responsible for ensuring that all air contacts are properly tracked.
What he reports now seems to remove any doubts.
This is a hostile aircraft.
Altitude declining! They see the plane diving towards them - a classic attack profile.
Now you're in real serious business, because anything can happen at that point, whether that aircraft might launch something at you.
It could be the aircraft itself.
15 miles.
That's pretty close and pretty serious.
Iranian aircraft on course 2-1-1, speed Track 4-1-3-1, approaching 13 nautical miles.
.
.
United States naval warship operating in international waters.
Wait a minute, I could be dead! The tension is just continually rising during this whole time.
Everybody was on edge.
everybody was like, "Oh, my God, what's gonna happen next?" .
.
subject to United States defence measures.
Inbound air contact, closing and descending.
1,000 feet per mile.
Range, 13 miles! Oh, my God, it's getting closer.
It's getting closer.
What's the captain gonna do? What's gonna happen? You know, what are they gonna do? Iran Air 655 now signs off with Bandar Abbas air traffic control.
MAN: (ON RADIO) Have a nice flight.
Thank you.
Good day.
God damn it, he's getting close.
Mark incoming boghammar, bearing 0-4-2 MAN: Air contact still inbound, increasing speed and descending.
Range, 11 miles.
Captain Rogers' worst fear is that the 'Vincennes' might face the the same fate as another ship, the USS 'Stark'.
A year earlier, an Iraqi fighter launched two Exocet missiles at it.
37 sailors were killed and the ship nearly lost.
An inquiry blamed the incident on failures in command.
The 'Stark' had not defended itself.
Its captain was reprimanded and allowed to resign from the Navy.
Captain, air contact still inbound, increasing speed and descending.
Range, 11 miles.
Captain Rogers isn't about to make the same mistake.
CAPTAIN ROGERS: Time is a demon here.
At some point in time you have to make the decision.
When the aircraft reached a little over 10 miles, at that point in time, I either make the decision then or I don't make it at all, because I reached minimum weapons range.
It's the moment of truth.
Captain Rogers turns his fire authorisation key.
(SIREN BLARES) Take order, track 4-1-3-1.
Do I have a take order on the contact? Yes, take.
Bird's away.
Rail's clear.
Iranian aircraft on course 2-0-9, speed 353 knots As the final warning goes out on a military air distress frequency, Rogers keeps his finger on the 'hold fire' button so he can destroy the missiles if the aircraft finally responds.
Estimate 10 seconds to intercept.
Oh, dead! Up on the bridge, the crew has confirmed the kill.
We had to have got it! That was a dead-on! (ALL CHATTER) The plane they believed was attacking them has been destroyed.
Captain Rogers thinks he has saved his ship from destruction.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Far from saving his crew, Rogers has just made a decision that will shock the world.
God damn it, he's getting close.
At the height of a naval battle with Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf, the USS 'Vincennes' has detected an incoming aircraft.
Take order, track 4-1-3-1 In the ship's Combat Information Centre, that plane has been misidentified as an Iranian F-14 fighter.
After the plane has failed to respond to warnings, Captain William Rogers has shot it down.
But Rogers has made a fatal mistake.
He's destroyed an Iranian passenger jet flying in an international air corridor.
290 passengers and crew are dead.
Iranian television broadcasts distressing footage of their bodies floating in the Gulf.
For Captain Rogers, the burden is heavy.
Whatever mistakes have been made, he bears the ultimate responsibility.
But for the victims' families, it's worse.
Captain Rezaian's elder brother, Hussein, tries to identify his remains in a temporary mortuary in Bandar Abbas.
I try not to imagine where I went to.
I try to forget it.
And, er, when I, er .
.
looked at those bodies, I just, um .
.
I just can't control myself.
I just try to think about something else, not, ernot to think of what I saw.
Captain Rezaian's body is never recovered.
Really, it shattered our family, especially his kids, his wife, My parents, they are still living, and, er .
.
and there is not a day that they don't talk about this .
.
of what happened, why it should have happened.
There's an immediate international outcry.
The world wants to know how a cruiser with a state-of-the-art combat system could have mistaken a passenger airliner for an attacking Iranian fighter.
Captain, do you swear that the evidence you are giving in this matter, now an investigation The US Government appoints Rear Admiral William Fogarty to conduct an inquiry to find out what went wrong.
My first reaction was it was a tragedy.
The thing that stuck the most to me was, "You've got a lot of responsibility ahead of you, Fogarty, "and probably some sleepless nights.
" .
.
and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do.
The inquiry is conducted in accord with the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The stakes are high.
Investigative journalist Roger Charles is a former Marine officer who's examined the story.
You're looking at a guy who's on top of the world.
He's the captain of a billion-dollar Aegis cruiser and now he's sitting at a table facing a possible court martial and, you know, even prison time.
Admiral Fogarty's team now scrutinises the actions of the 'Vincennes' crew in forensic detail.
When Flight 655 first appears on radar, the USS 'Vincennes' is in the midst of a battle with Iranian gunboats.
All aircraft within a radius of 100 kilometres are monitored to ensure they do not pose a threat.
So Identification Supervisor Anderson starts by checking his commercial air schedule to determine if this is a passenger flight.
But he's confused.
The schedule lists departures in local time, but Anderson is unsure whether that means the time in Bandar Abbas, or Bahrain time, which is used on the ship.
You have the almost 30-minute delay caused by the late departure of IRR 655, due to a passenger with a visa problem.
Then you have the 30-minute different time zone.
So he looks at it and he's seeing there's nobody within an hour scheduled to be over us.
The IFF system is supposed to distinguish friend from foe.
Admiral Fogarty knows it's critical to establish how the 'Vincennes' could have confused a commercial airliner squawking Mode 3 with a fighter emitting Mode 2.
And in your mind, that was not comm air? In my mind, sir, it was not a comm air.
And why? Because I had saw that Mode 2 squawk, sir.
The Mode 2 was the big indicator for you? Yes, sir.
From intelligence, Fogarty discovers that as Flight 655 prepares for take-off, an Iranian F-14 is also on the tarmac at Bandar Abbas.
It now appears that although Anderson rolls his ball tab to hook Flight 655 as it takes off, he leaves it hooked for almost 90 seconds.
So although the hook symbol moves towards the 'Vincennes', the system is still reading IFF signals from the airport at Bandar Abbas.
It's a human error caused by poor design on this hi-tech warship.
He left the ball tab on Bandar Abbas.
So what we believe happened - and I'm pretty sure this is exactly what happened - he picked up the Mode 2 of the Iranian fighter that was getting ready for take-off behind the Airbus.
The identification of an F-14 appears to confirm intelligence warning Captain Rogers to anticipate trouble over the July 4 weekend.
He now believes the aircraft is part of a coordinated strike on the 'Vincennes' from both sea and air Sir, possible comm air.
.
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so he places less weight on the warning that the incoming plane is possibly a commercial airliner.
FOGARTY: Do you recall Lieutenant Mountford saying, "Comm air, comm air?" I absolutely remember him telling me that and I think I raised my hand, or something to that effect, to indicate that I'd heard him.
You held up your decision to fire.
- Yes, sir.
- Why? I wanted every bit of information I could get.
IFF was an indicator, but I didn't care whether 1100 was an F-14 or that Fokker that flies around out there.
But at this point I thought, "They always talk to us.
" Iranian aircraft on course 2-1-1.
The 'Vincennes' transmits a total of 10 radio warnings.
Why does Flight 655 never respond? FOGARTY: What we do know for sure is the aircraft did not respond to the warnings.
He had to have something, he being the commanding officer, as proof that this was commercial air.
He never got that.
Unidentified Iranian aircraft on course 20 But the 'Vincennes' transmits seven warnings on a military frequency that Flight 655 cannot receive.
The Airbus did not even have a radio that was set or could accept the military air distress frequency.
I mean, it's just not something they had.
They had no need for it.
They were a commercial airplane.
The 'Vincennes' broadcasts only three warnings on the civil distress frequency but they don't clearly identify exactly who the ship is trying to contact.
At the height of a Naval battle with Iranian gunboats in the Persian Gulf, the USS 'Vincennes' has detected an incoming aircraft but that plane has been misidentified as an Iranian F-14 fighter.
Unidentified aircraft on course 2-1-0.
Speed, 350.
The 'Vincennes' radio talkers are citing the aircraft's ground speed .
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warship bearing 2-0-1, 20 miles from you.
You are standing into danger and may be subject to United States defensive measures.
.
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but Captain Rezaian's instruments show airspeed, a relative measurement.
Flight 655's indicated airspeed could've been 50 knots slower than the 350-knot groundspeed cited by the 'Vincennes'.
So if the pilot hears that, well, who are they talking to? "They're notthey haven't identified us.
"They must be talking to maybe the P-3 "or maybe some other Iranian aircraft.
" Throughout its flight, Iran Air 655 transmits its squawk code, the unique label that tells radars what flight it is.
If the 'Vincennes' had called out that squawk code, Captain Rezaian could have known immediately they were talking to him.
But the US Navy does not require its radio operators to use this code when talking to civilian aircraft.
As Flight 655 nears his ship Captain, do you wish to engage at 20 miles? .
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the pressure on Captain Rogers becomes intense.
Captain, do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? When you look at the time window that he had, he waited till the very last minute.
And it becomes a point of, "Am I going to shoot or am I not going to shoot, and wait?" In which case he would not be following his responsibilities to protect his ship and his crew.
The decisive factor in Captain Rogers' decision to fire are the reports he receives that the plane is descending towards him, apparently about to attack.
Altitude declining.
It's the crucial moment.
The enquiry team presses Tactical Information Coordinator Leech on his call.
OK.
Were you reporting descending elevations over the Net? Over the internal Net? Yes, sir.
So, in other words, when you saw that track, that aircraft start descending, you were reporting that up to TAO CO Gulf Whiskey.
Yes, sir.
Like an aircraft's black box, the 'Vincennes' computers have recorded all the data on the Combat Information Center screens.
Those records show that Iran Air 655 had never descended.
It was, in fact, ascending the whole time.
That was a revelation that, er, wewe had not anticipated.
Altitude declining.
Is it possible is it possible that somebody, although the data showed perhaps that it was going up, would say it's going down, descending? Fogarty sends a medical team, including a psychiatrist, to the 'Vincennes'.
They report that a condition called 'scenario fulfilment' could have played a part in the tragedy.
Had those in command on that day checked their monitors, they would have seen that Flight 655 was not diving in a classic attack profile, but was continuing its steady climb.
Yet no-one thought to do so.
Well, Scott, we have this disparity between what the data indicates happened and what the people said they saw at their various altitudes.
Any idea why? Well, sir, the disparity baffles me.
I've thought about this for many days now andI came to the realisation that this data, to me, doesn't mean anything, because I reacted to people I had operated with who were reliable .
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and when they reported at short range they had decreasing altitude, increasing speed, I had no reason to doubt them.
I had to make a split-second recommendation to the commanding officer and I did.
So Lieutenant Commander Lustig trusts his men's judgment and Captain Rogers trusts Lieutenant Commander Lustig's.
My confidence in Lieutenant Commander Lustig confirmed to me that the aircraft was, in fact, a threat.
At nine miles, I felt I could no longer delay defensive action.
I granted firing permission.
When I looked at the time line that he had to make a decision and the information he was given upon which to make that decision, it was my feeling - to this day I still feel the same way - that he made the right decision with the main thing in his mind, "I don't want my ship to get hit.
" (SIREN WAILS) Take order.
Track 4-1-3-1.
The 'Vincennes' sophisticated Combat Information System gives its crew accurate information.
But their fear has created a threat where none exists.
After a month, Admiral Fogarty's investigation is over.
He finds that the downing of Iran Air 655 was not the result of any negligent or culpable conduct by any US Naval personnel.
"Captain Rogers acted in a prudent manner, "given the information available to him "and the short time frame in which he had to make his critical decision.
" Fogarty says Iran must share the responsibility for hazarding one of their civilian airliners in close proximity to hostilities.
The US government publishes an edited version of Admiral Fogarty's inquiry, but it has concealed one key fact from the world.
That fact will cast a whole new light on the tragedy of Iran Air Flight 655.
In August 1988, a detailed inquiry by Admiral William Fogarty into the shooting down of Iran Air 655 concludes that the captain and crew of the USS 'Vincennes' acted properly in the face of what they believed was a threat to their ship.
But investigative journalist Roger Charles is not convinced.
He reads a copy of the Fogarty inquiry and wonders why it contains no map showing the 'Vincennes' position.
I knew the fact that there was no such chart in the Fogarty report again was a signal, and a curious signal to me, "Why is it not there?" Skipper, you'd better come down.
Sounds like the 'Montgomery's got her nose in a beehive.
I'll be right there.
When Captain Rogers first hears that Iranian gunboats are harassing merchant shipping the 'Vincennes' is well south of the 'Montgomery' and destined for port in Bahrain.
Gulf Sierra, this is 'Vincennes'.
Request permission to support USS 'Montgomery' against surface contacts.
Over.
Rogers asks Captain Richard McKenna, his Surface Commander, for permission to turn north to support the 'Montgomery'.
But McKenna only authorises him to send his helicopter to investigate.
Roger that.
'Vincennes' out.
Vector in 'Ocean Lord'.
But Captain McKenna is later startled to discover that the 'Vincennes' has turned around and has closed on the 'Montgomery's position.
He orders him to leave the helicopter in place and turn back immediately.
My own personal opinion is it really did feel that they were looking for action when they went to see the 'Elmer Montgomery'.
Um, my own feeling is that the situation was not out of control.
It was really my call and yet, even though they were assigned another station, they took it upon themselves to be there.
And, um, to that extent, I feel that, you know, I mean, that's where the general feeling, not just my own, comes that maybe they were looking for trouble.
Jesus! 20 to 'Lord'.
This is 'Ocean Lord' 25.
We are taking fire.
But once the Iranian gunboats fired on the 'Vincennes' helicopter, the situation changed.
Close 'Ocean Lord's position The rules of engagement now allowed Captain Rogers to respond with force.
He's now authorised to head off in hot pursuit of the gunboats.
But where does that lead him? In 1990, Roger Charles obtains a copy of a restricted report on the destruction of Iran Air 655 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
It gives the 'Vincennes' coordinates.
When Charles plots them on a chart, he makes a startling discovery.
At the time of the shoot down, the 'Vincennes' is over four kilometres inside Iranian territorial waters.
By chasing the gunboats back into Iranian territory, Rogers inadvertently places his ship directly in the flight path of Iran Air 655.
Hold the ship.
We're crossing the Iranian declared war zone line.
If Rogers had not taken the 'Vincennes' up to attack the gunboats there would have been no shoot-down of IR655.
I mean, that's clear.
There would have been no ongoing surface action.
Rogers would have had his radar screen set for the air side of things.
The focus would have only been on the air picture.
They would have had plenty of time to make a proper determination that this was a commercial airliner.
Despite the tragedy, the crew of the 'Vincennes' receive a heroes' welcome on their return to port in San Diego.
Captain, do you wish to engage the target at 20 miles? Lieutenant Commander Scott Lustig is awarded a Navy commendation medal for his ability to maintain his poise and confidence under fire.
Take order.
Track 4-1-3-1.
Captain Rogers receives the Legion of Merit for his performance as Commanding Officer of the 'Vincennes'.
Both men have since retired from the Navy.
Every year, the families of those who died on Iran Air 655 commemorate their loss in the Persian Gulf.
For Hossein Rezaian, the brother of Flight 655's captain, time has not healed the wounds.
I still feel the same way, although I try to keep myself busy, not to think about it, because still it's (CLEARS THROAT) .
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I mean, it's an unforgettablehuman tragedy.
Even after 17 years passed, the horrors of what went on in that .
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in that day, you know, still lingers on in everybody's life.
In a world where technology grows ever more sophisticated, fear, the most basic of human instincts, can create the greatest tragedies.