Part 5/9:
As the fire raged on, it compromised vital aircraft systems, sparking a further decline in cockpit instrumentation. The pilots struggled to maintain control of the aircraft, and failure to adhere to standard operating procedures deepened the crisis.
Moments turned into critical minutes, with alarms blaring and the aircraft losing more systems. The MD-82's controls were increasingly unresponsive, and as they attempted to manage the aircraft’s descent, a critical failure in the landing gear indicator lights added to the severity of the situation.