Part 6/9:
Yet the descent trajectory was bleak. Despite their best efforts to glide the aircraft, it became clear they would not reach Winnipeg. By this time, Captain Pearson had to find an alternative landing strip, identifying Gimli, a decommissioned military airbase nearby. Remarkably, the airbase had transformed into a public airport, and unbeknownst to the flight crew, it was also hosting a race day on one of its runways.