Spoilers are ahead for Yellowjackets season 1.From its very first episode, Yellowjackets had viewers wondering what, exactly, caused the plane crash that leaves the New Jersey high school girls’ soccer team stranded in the Canadian wilderness. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets features two timelines — one that traces the teenagers’ struggle to survive in the wake of the 1996 crash and one that follows the adult survivors in the present. Thanks in large part to Yellowjackets‘ cast of characters, the Emmy-nominated thriller has earned near-universal acclaim over the course of its first two seasons. Still, there are many pressing ongoing mysteries.
While the reason for the plane crash certainly looms large over the past timeline, the foundational mystery is quickly eclipsed by the teenagers’ harrowing experiences in the woods. Lottie (Courtney Eaton), for example, starts to have visions after running out of her medication, prompting other survivors to fall in line with her superstitions. Clearly, Lottie is right about one thing: there’s something strange about the wilderness. In the present, the adult survivors, led by Shauna (Melanie Lynskey), are haunted by their pasts. Even though the plane crash defines Yellowjackets‘ characters, the show still hasn’t quite revealed why it happened.
Yellowjackets Suggests Pilot Error Caused The Plane To Crash
The Private Plane Takes A More Northerly Route To Avoid A Storm
So far, Yellowjackets has somewhat dismissed the mystery of what caused the plane crash. At the beginning of the series, the New Jersey-based soccer team, known as the Yellowjackets, earn a spot in a national tournament being held in Seattle, Washington. Lottie Matthews, one of the players, reveals that her father has chartered a private plane for the entire Wiskayok High School Yellowjackets team. Flight 2525 carries not just the players, but their coaches as well. Before takeoff, a pilot informs the Yellowjackets that the plane will take a more northerly route than usual to avoid a mounting storm.
Unfortunately, the diversion isn’t enough to prevent a tragic plane crash. While Flight 2525 is high above the Canadian wilderness, the pilots lose control of the plane. It’s not exactly clear what caused the pilots’ error, but it is apparent that any attempts to regain control were futile. The plane breaks into several sections, killing a player; the team’s head coach; the two pilots, Robert and Fred; and the private plane’s flight attendant, Janet. However, given the harrowing ending of Yellowjackets season 1, things only get worse after the initial crash. For now, the plane crash appears to be accidental.
…viewers have no reason to think Misty tampered with the plane before the crash.
After the crash, Misty Quigley (Samantha Hanratty), the team’s somewhat-unstable equipment manager, discovers the plane’s Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). Instead of reporting her life-saving find to the group, Misty rips the power cable out of the transmitter, completely destroying any chance of the ELT being used to locate and rescue the stranded team. Since Misty is a surprisingly skilled medic, it seems like she messed with the ELT because she was enjoying her sudden surge in popularity. However, ahead of Yellowjackets season 3, viewers have no reason to think Misty tampered with the plane before the crash.
Yellowjackets’ Plane Crash Was Inspired By The 1972 Andes Mountain Incident
The Showtime Thriller Also Takes Inspiration From The Classic Novel “Lord Of The Flies”
Although Yellowjackets isn’t based on a true story, the show definitely takes inspiration from the real-life crash of Flight 571 in the Andes Mountains in 1972. Notably, Flight 571 was carrying the members of a Uruguayan rugby team, some of whom were forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive the harsh, wintry conditions in the mountains. Similarly, the plane carrying the rugby team crashed in the Andes due to a combination of bad weather and an inexperienced pilot. This seems similar to why the plane crashed in Yellowjackets, though the chartered pilots were probably more experienced fliers.
…the adult survivors in
Yellowjackets
have to navigate similar accusations, judgment, and trauma.
Ultimately, the cause of Yellowjackets‘ plane crash may not matter as much as the fallout. While the real-life rugby team’s survivors weathered the elements for 72 days, the fictional girls’ soccer team survives in the Canadian wilderness for a staggering 19 months. This certainly had a major impact on the young women, who were forced to scavenge and, like the rugby team, resort to cannibalism. There’s no denying that the cannibalism element is the most sensationalized part of the rugby team’s story. Similarly, the adult survivors in Yellowjackets have to navigate similar accusations, judgment, and trauma.
Another crucial source of inspiration for Yellowjackets is William Golding’s classic 1954 novel Lord of the Flies. In the book, a group of young boys are stranded on an uninhabited island after a wartime evacuation via plane goes south. Like Yellowjackets, Lord of the Flies delves into what happens when a group of young people are pushed to their limits — and also forced to govern themselves. One character even has imaginary conversations with an entity dubbed “Lord of the Flies,” which has a passing resemblance to the soccer team’s Antler Queen.
Other Theories Linked To Yellowjackets’ Plane Crash
Some Fan Theories Suggest The Wilderness Caused The Pilots’ Instruments To Fail
Aside from the likely pilots’ error, there are other popular fan theories surrounding why the plane crashed in Yellowjackets. In a later episode, adult Shauna searches herself online, and an article that pops up suggests that the survivors’ parents filed a wrongful death suit with the plane’s manufacturer. Of course, just because the settlement went that way, it isn’t concrete proof of a mechanical problem. One of the leading wild Yellowjackets theories suggests the malevolent force known as the Darkness is a truly supernatural entity that lives in the Wilderness. If Yellowjackets goes there, the Wilderness itself could have caused the crash.
However, fans have long posited that the site of the plane crash is rife with mineral deposits. Not only could this high concentration of minerals explain the red-orange river water and the teens’ unhinged behavior, but something like iron could account for an issue with the planes’ instruments. Although the show mentions a storm on the horizon, the skies look pretty clear when the plane goes down. Again, pilot error is still a strong possibility without any obvious external factors. For now, it remains to be seen if the Yellowjackets‘ plane crash is anything more than a plot device.
