A Fireflash aircraft crashes into the ocean, with the loss of all hands (not least because the position given by the flight crew is considerably inaccurate): the entire fleet is grounded, but repeated tests fail to identify the cause of the accident. Determined to track the problem, a test flight is made and an identical problem occurs. This time, International Rescue are on the scene and cut the massive engines away from the craft, allowing it to rise to the surface.
Continued, thorough tests fail to locate the problem and International Rescue are called to assist on a second test flight. With ace, veteran Fireflash pilot, Captain Hansen (from "Trapped In The Sky") as pilot and the highly-trained Scott Tracy as co-pilot (and with Thunderbird 2 flying alongside), the flight begins as normal. The same critical failures then occur, however this time Gordon Tracy is able to enter Fireflash's wing compartment and attempt repairs. There, he discovers the terrifying truth about the Fireflash crashes...
Tropes in this episode:
- Almost Out of Oxygen: International Rescue think they have until the Fireflash crew run out of air to complete their rescue. In an interesting aversion, the real danger comes from seawater shorting out the plane's electronics, causing a fire to break out.
- A Day in the Limelight: Thunderbird 5 has a much bigger role in this episode than usual, since it is used to keep track of the Fireflash test flights.
- Averted Trope for poor John, who is relieved of duty on Thunderbird 5 so that he doesn't get any more screentime than usual.
- A Million Is a Statistic: This episode has a pretty high body count when you consider the first Fireflash (with hundreds of unseen people on board) goes down without IR around to help. IR does go out of its way to save the two pilots aboard the second one.
- Bus Full of Innocents: A fully-loaded Fireflash airliner disappears. Strangely averted in that International Rescue do nothing to help, despite knowing where it is and that the search-and-rescue team are looking in the wrong place, and all aboard are lost.
- Chekhov's Boomerang: A very big full circle example. After saving the original Fireflash along with all passengers and crew in "Trapped In The Sky", sadly in this episode, International Rescue were not around to save any of the 600 lives from the first Fireflash. However they saved the solitary 2 crew members from the second Fireflash, before its destruction, then saved the third Fireflash and solitary crew as well and finally solving the mystery of the recurring Fireflash disasters at the same time.
- Combat Pragmatist: Gordon tricks the saboteur into trying to parachute out of the Fireflash, then shoots him in the back.
- Coming in Hot: We get to see the whole sequence of events as the test pilots are forced to perform an emergency landing of the second Fireflash. Everyone notes the extraordinary skill of the pilots in somehow bringing the jet airliner to rest in one piece on the ocean's surface, especially in the absence of electrical power.
- Continuity Nod: The episode constantly references the series premiere, Trapped in the Sky. Several characters from that episode return.
- Cool Plane: Fireflash, as described on the main page. The plane so cool, it's the only vehicle to be the focus of two episodes.
- Dramatic TV Shut-Off: Played with at the end. When International Rescue are watching their triumph on the TV news, the television suddenly cuts out at the most interesting moment. Grandma enters apologetically, saying the fuse blew; and Scott says that Gordon will be able to fix it, just as he saved the Fireflash, simply by joining two wires together.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: When the Tracys are watching their triumph on the news, the television suddenly cuts out, and Grandma enters apologetically. After Gordon complains about having to do another fixing job (following the Fireflash rescue), the rest of the Tracy brothers laugh at Gordon's situation.Grandma: Oh dear, I am sorry. Tintin and I were putting the apple pie in the oven, and the darn fuse blew.Scott: Well, I'm sure Gordon will fix that. Remember what he said, after the Fireflash episode? Just like fixing a fuse.Gordon: Here I go again!(Everyone laughs)
- Here We Go Again!: Invoked by Gordon when he is persuaded to fix a fuse in the oven, after Scott echoes an (unseen) remark that the Fireflash rescue was "just like fixing a fuse".
- I Owe You My Life: Captain Hansen, pilot of the third Fireflash, was the pilot of Fireflash's maiden flight in Trapped in the Sky, and is honored to have Scott aboard.note
- Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here: Probably the impression of the farmer when Scott suddenly lands on his farm in Thunderbird 1, as a convenient place to set up his mobile control, to scan the area for the missing Fireflash.
- Sequel Episode: To "Trapped In The Sky".
- Take a Third Option: In the climax, the third Fireflash (with Scott and Gordon on board) is about to crash into the ocean and Gordon realizes there is no time to properly fix the cut cable of the Elevator Power Unit. His solution? Simply hold the two ends together with his bare hands. It works.
- The Unfavorite: This episode makes it pretty clear Gerry Anderson didn't like John: Thunderbird 5 for once gets to do something other than relay the mission of the week and this Day in the Limelight for the space station coincides with Alan being on duty relieving John.
- Vehicular Sabotage: What happens to several Fireflash aircraft.
