Swissair Flight 111
The pilots put on their oxygen masks. At 21:16, the plane was allowed to descend to 10000 feet of altitude. During the descent down to 10000, they were allowed to go down to 3000 feet. The plane was then told to turn so it could land on Runway 06 at Halifax. Air traffic control in Halifax told the crew they were 30 nautical miles (35 miles) away from the airport. The plane had an altitude of 21,000 feet. The crew asked for more distance, so the plane could descend safely. The crew was told to go towards St. Margaret's Bay. This was south of the plane. Air traffic control told them to do this because it gave them more distance to descend. It also let them drop extra fuel into the ocean, so the plane did not weigh as much.