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Air Crash Investigation

Tuesday 18:00 CAT

Air Crash Investigation

Tuesday 18:00 CAT

Trailer

Season 25

00:30

Next trasmissions on tv

Tuesday 14 April at 11:00 CAT
Eleven Deadly Seconds (Season 23)
Tuesday 14 April at 18:00 CAT
Fight for Survival (Season 23)
Wednesday 15 April at 11:00 CAT
Fight for Survival (Season 23)

Synopsis

Every time a plane crashes, the world takes notice. And so do the experts whose job it is to figure out what happened. Air Crash Investigation uncovers the truth behind the most legendary aviation disasters, and every episode features eyewitness accounts, captivating reenactments, state-of-the-art CGI, and interviews with the investigators who ultimately determined what went wrong. Unraveling the complex mystery is a painstaking process that takes months—and sometimes years—of detective work.

Episodes

Deadly Charter
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Facing heavy snow and a tight curfew—and with a demanding passenger in the cockpit—the pilots of a chartered private jet are determined to land at Aspen’s notoriously tricky single-runway airport. But when Gulfstream III emerges from the clouds, it misses the runway and crashes—instantly claiming the lives of all 18 people on board.
Norwegian Nightmare
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Moments after taking off from the Norwegian island of Værøy, a turboprop plunges into the North Atlantic. Investigators discover damage to a critical steering component. And when they learn another flight nearly met the same fate at the notoriously tricky airport, they diagnose a perfect storm of controversial decisions that put lives at risk.
A Perfect Storm
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An out-of-control turboprop breaks apart while trying to land at Düsseldorf airport, instantly killing everyone on board. German investigators locate every piece of the wreckage within the crash site, and after painstakingly reconstructing the fuselage, uncover evidence of a one-in-a-million failure that should never have brought down the plane.
Crash Landing
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When their landing gear fails to drop, the pilots of a New Zealand turboprop pull off a remarkable wheels-up landing that spares the lives of everyone on board—and results in minimal damage to the aircraft. And when investigators start digging into what went wrong, they uncover a systemic issue that’s endangering passengers worldwide.
Next Showing
Sunday 19 April at 13:30 CAT
On National Geographic
Peril Over Pakistan
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Controllers in Islamabad watch in horror as Airblue Flight 202 bypasses the airport and plows into the Himalayan foothills. Investigators determine the pilots knew they were in danger and took steps to avoid the mountains. They also discover that a confused and controlling captain sidelined his first officer—just when he needed him most.
Next Showing
Sunday 19 April at 14:20 CAT
On National Geographic
Deadly Cover Up
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Overwhelmed by a cascade of conflicting error messages, Aeroperú Flight 603 plunges into the Pacific, instantly killing everyone on board. A Navy expedition to the sea floor successfully retrieves the plane’s black boxes—and a single image of the wreckage reveals a minor maintenance glitch with deadly repercussions.
Next Showing
Sunday 19 April at 16:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Monday 20 April at 03:10 CAT
On National Geographic
Divided in Crisis
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A Boeing 737 crashes just moments after lifting off from an Algerian desert airport. For investigators, it’s clear the left engine exploded after liftoff—and that a fatigue crack eventually explains why. What’s less obvious is why an experienced crew of the state-owned national carrier was unable to keep their plane in the sky.
Next Showing
Sunday 19 April at 16:50 CAT
On National Geographic
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Monday 20 April at 04:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Moments from Touchdown
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While a passenger live streams the final approach to a Nepali airport, Yeti Airlines Flight 691 falls from the sky. At the crash site, investigators find a scene of utter annihilation. And as they dig deeper, they’re stunned to uncover overloaded pilots and a fatal case of mistaken identity.
Monsoon Approach
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During monsoon season—at a treacherous tabletop runway in India—the crew of Flight 1344 run out of tarmac, and their Boeing 737-800 plunges into a gorge. At first, investigators suspect a problem with the braking system. But the CVR reveals a shocking malfunction of an entirely different nature.
Next Showing
Sunday 19 April at 17:40 CAT
On National Geographic
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Monday 20 April at 04:50 CAT
On National Geographic
Mixed Measures
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Shortly after taking off from Shanghai, Korean Air Flight 6316 disappears from radar and slams into a residential neighborhood. Investigators from China, South Korea, and the US join forces. And it’s only when they reconstruct the flight in a simulator that the mystery begins to unravel—and they come to a startling conclusion.
Next Showing
Sunday 19 April at 15:10 CAT
On National Geographic

Pacific Ditching
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The pilots of a crashed cargo jet believe they lost both engines. But when the wreckage emerges from the Pacific, the evidence tells another story.
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Tuesday 21 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
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Wednesday 22 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Running on Empty
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An Air Tahoma cargo plane is within sight of a Cincinnati runway when both engines flame out and the turboprop crashes into a golf course.
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Wednesday 22 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
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Thursday 23 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Power Struggle
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In Indonesia—the deadliest aviation market in the world—a Boeing 737 spirals out of the sky and nosedives into the Java Sea.
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Thursday 23 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
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Friday 24 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Second Thoughts
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Amid heavy fog and a rushed approach, Luxair Flight 50 falls out of the sky just a few miles short of Luxembourg airport.
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Friday 24 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
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Monday 27 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Powerless Plunge
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Just moments after takeoff, a Loganair cargo flight from Edinburgh loses both engines and crashes into the icy North Sea.
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Monday 27 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
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Tuesday 28 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Cabin Chaos
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After a Chinese airplane lands at a top-secret US Air Force base, the search is on for the cause of a deadly rollercoaster ride in the sky.
Next Showing
Tuesday 28 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
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Wednesday 29 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Deadly Climb
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It’s 1985—the deadliest year in civilian aviation—and a DC-9 commuter plane crashes just seconds after takeoff from Milwaukee.
Next Showing
Wednesday 29 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Firebomber Down
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A C-130 firebomber crashes while battling an epic Australian wildfire. And ATSB investigators must determine the cause—within an active fire zone.
Collision Catastrophe
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German investigators are stumped when two planes collide while flying in the skies over southern Germany.
Fatal Test Flight
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When a cargo plane test flight ends in disaster, investigators uncover a series of failures that doomed the DC-8 before it got off the ground.
No Exit
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Following a catastrophic runway collision at LAX, passengers on USAIR Flight 1493 struggle to escape the burning plane.
Next Showing
Thursday 16 April at 20:30 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Friday 17 April at 01:30 CAT
On National Geographic

Terror Over the Pacific
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A massive explosion tears a hole in a 747 over Hawaii, and the trail of clues ultimately leads investigators to a catastrophic short circuit.
Disaster at Dutch Harbor
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While landing at a notoriously tricky Alaskan island airport, the pilots of a twin turboprop can’t stop their plane.
Deadly Departure
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After a DC-8 cargo plane with only three working engines crashes on takeoff in Kansas City, investigators uncover a flaw in the pilots’ training.
Without Warning
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Investigators must turn to 3D technology to determine why two float planes carrying tourists collided above a spectacular Alaskan waterfall.
Eleven Deadly Seconds
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Solving the crash of China Airlines Flight 676 hinges on 11 baffling seconds when neither pilot controls the airplane.
Next Showing
Tuesday 14 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Fight for Survival
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With flames emerging through the cockpit floor, the pilots of Pilgrim Airlines 458 manage a heroic landing on a frozen Rhode Island reservoir.
Next Showing
Tuesday 14 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Wednesday 15 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Pitch Battle
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After Colgan Air 9446 crashes off Cape Cod, investigators must determine what brought down a widely-used commuter aircraft in under three minutes.
Next Showing
Wednesday 15 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Thursday 16 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Under Fire
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Three hundred people are killed in one of the deadliest aviation accidents of all time after a fire breaks out on board Saudia Flight 163.
Next Showing
Thursday 16 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Friday 17 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Lost Star Footballer
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With rising young football star Emiliano Sala on board, a chartered Piper Malibu suddenly disappears from radar over the English Channel.
Next Showing
Friday 17 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Monday 20 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Deadly Directive
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When Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes shortly after takeoff, the catastrophe leads to the grounding of the entire Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet.
Next Showing
Monday 20 April at 18:00 CAT
On National Geographic
Next Showing
Tuesday 21 April at 11:00 CAT
On National Geographic

Deadly Exchange
+
Corporate Airlines 5966 crashes mysteriously in Missouri, but investigators uncover a conversation in the cockpit that set the tone for disaster.
Mixed Signals
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Careening into a mountaintop just minutes from the runway, an American charter flight becomes the worst aviation disaster in Portuguese history.
Pressure Point
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Slamming into a mountain, Japan Airlines 123 becomes the deadliest single aircraft accident in history, and threatens to ground 747s worldwide.
Power Play
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After losing both engines, a turboprop crashes in Papua New Guinea and investigators soon uncover a deadly flaw in an aircraft used around the world.
Control Catastrophe
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A Kazakh crew manage to land an uncontrollable aircraft and investigators must determine how a freshly-serviced plane was released with a fatal flaw.
Cockpit Catastrophe
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When the cockpit window of Sichuan Airlines 8633 explodes, the crew somehow battles gale-force winds and oxygen deprivation to safely land the plane.
Dream Flight Disaster
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When a UK billionaire and his family die in an Australian seaplane crash, investigators uncover a minor maintenance issue with deadly consequences.
Deadly Deception
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The plan to save a Bulgarian airliner hinges on convincing the violent hijackers that their demands have been met before the plane runs out of fuel.
Delivery to Disaster
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An Amazon cargo plane nosedives into a swamp outside Houston, the evidence eventually leads investigators to a pilot with a long history of failures.
Mystery Over the Mediterranean
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Evidence from the disappearance of EgyptAir Flight 804 leads investigators to theorize different causes for the plane’s spiral into the Mediterranean.

Holding Pattern
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Flydubai Flight 981 nosedives into the runway at Russia’s Rostov airport. And investigators uncover one of the most lethal traps in aviation.
Peril Over Portugal
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A Martinair flight crashes in Portugal amid thunderstorms and heavy rain, and when investigators piece together the evidence the mystery only deepens.
Stealth Bomber Down
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When a two-billion-dollar Stealth Bomber crashes in Guam, it’s up to the US Air Force to investigate the most expensive aviation accident of all time.
Double Trouble
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Rocked by an explosion that rips both right wing engines off the wing, the pilots of Transair 671 manage a miraculous landing at a French military airfield.
Pacific Plunge
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When Alaska Airlines Flight 261 suddenly nosedives into the Pacific, investigators uncover a critical maintenance issue with deadly implications.
Terror Over Michigan
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After a Boeing 727’s near-fatal nosedive over Michigan, investigators risk their own lives to determine why TWA Flight 841 fell out of the sky.
Tree Strike Terror
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Facing a severe thunderstorm and a control tower shutdown, American Airlines 1572 suffers double-engine failure on final approach into Windsor Locks Airport in Connecticut.
Pitch Black
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An Illinois turboprop crashes in bad weather, and investigators eventually uncover a fatal assumption and deadly decision.
Turboprop Terror
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After a turboprop crashes in North Carolina, investigators resort to a risky test flight—and uncover an industry-wide safety problem.
Loss of a Legend
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When basketball legend Kobe Bryant is killed in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles, investigators look for clues amid a global outpouring of grief.

North Sea Nightmare
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A turboprop narrowly averts disaster after a lightning strike over the North Sea. Investigators uncover an unusual feature in the plane that plays a key role in this calamity.
Playing Catch Up
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A private jet slams into an Ohio apartment building, and the NTSB eventually uncovers an erratic descent, a puzzling delay, and a tragic perfect storm.
Tragic Takeoffs
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An early-morning flight from Lexington, Kentucky ends in disaster when a twin-engine jet careens off the tarmac.
Grounded: Boeing Max 8
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Indonesian investigators must determine why a Boeing 737 Max8-one of the best-selling new airplanes on Earth-plunged into the Java Sea.
Cabin Catastrophe
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A mid-air explosion rocks Southwest Airlines 1380. While pilots struggle to regain control, flight attendants make a horrifying discovery.
Meltdown Over Kathmandu
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Landing at one of the world's most challenging airports, a passenger plane comes in like a fighter jet, skids off the runway, and bursts into flames.
Mission Disaster
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After losing two engines near enemy territory, US Air Force pilots abort their refuelling mission and attempt to land their damaged plane.
Caught In A Jam
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A commuter turboprop slams into the side of a hill in New Zealand, and the search for answers inevitably leads to the cockpit.
Seconds from Touchdown
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Facing a cascade of failures and an engine fire, a turboprop is just seconds from the tarmac in Montreal when it flips over and crashes to the ground.
Deadly Delivery
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When a cargo plane crashes in Alabama, investigators must take an unusual approach to determine what happened on board UPS Flight 1354.

Kathmandu Descent
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A Pakistani airliner crashes in the Himalayas. And when their most vital piece of evidence fails to deliver, investigators scramble to find answers.
Impossible Pitch
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A cargo jet plummets to earth in the Swedish Arctic. And as investigators pore over the evidence, a terrifying picture of chaos and confusion emerges.
Explosive Touchdown
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After a routine landing, a Taiwanese commuter plane is rocked by a massive explosion, but investigators find no evidence of a bomb on board.
Taxiway Turmoil
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Blanketed by confusion and heavy fog, a DC-9 ends up at the wrong end of an active runway in Detroit, and directly in the path of an oncoming 727.
Runway Breakup
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Landing on a Caribbean island in a severe tropical storm, a Colombian airliner crashes short of the runway. Investigators need to find out why.
Icy Descent
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En route to Comodora, SOL Airlines Flight 5428 nosedives into a remote desert, instantly killing everyone on board. Argentinian investigators scour the scattered and scorched debris and find nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until a microscopic filament provides the first tangible clue.
Atlantic Ditching
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A helicopter carrying offshore oil workers crashes into the ocean off the coast of Newfoundland and a far-reaching investigation reveals a fatal flaw.
No Warning
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A turboprop crashes into an Indonesian mountain, and while three systems could have prevented it, investigators must figure out why none of them did.
Cockpit Killer
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When an African airliner mysteriously crashes, Namibian investigators rule out a host of possible causes before reaching a chilling conclusion.
Stormy Cockpit
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A brand-new 737 falls from the sky over West Africa during a major storm, but investigators eventually discover weather had nothing to do with it.

Deadly Descent
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En route from Indonesia to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 is high over the South China Sea when both of the plane's engines fail, turning the Airbus A-330 into a 200-ton glider.
Death Race
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Flying just a few hundred feet above the desert, six single-engine WW2 fighter planes get into position for the highlight event of the Reno Air Races, with 30,000 spectators watching from below.
Fatal Approach
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En route from Amsterdam to Cardiff the crew of KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 report an engine problem and head back to the airport. But just as they're about to touch down, the aircraft crashes.
Borderline Tactics
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An American cargo plane attempts a difficult landing at the US naval station at Guantanamo Bay. With the runway just a few meters from the armed border, the maneuver requires avoiding Cuban airspace.
Deadly Pitch
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En route to the Dominican Republic with more than 87,000 lbs of denim, Fine Air Cargo Flight 101 takes off from Miami. But moments later, the plane crashes to the ground and plows into a building.
Fatal Climb
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Minutes after taking off from Bucharest, Tarom Flight 371 banks sharply to the left, veers off course, and nosedives into a farmer's field. It's the deadliest air disaster in the country's history.
Runway Runoff
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Continental Airlines Flight 1404 is speeding down the runway at Denver International Airport when the aircraft suddenly careens off the runway, crashes, and bursts into flame.
Lethal Limits
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En route from Moscow to Perm, Russia, Aeroflot Nord Flight 821 is on its final approach when the plane nosedives and crashes onto the trans-Siberian railway. All that's left is charred wreckage.
Football Tragedy
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With Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team on board, LaMia Flight 2933 is on its final approach to Medellin, Columbia when the crew suddenly declares a fuel emergency.
Slam Dunk
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En route from Washington, D.C. to Columbus, Ohio, United Express Flight 6291 is on its final approach when the high-performance twin turboprop crashes just a mile from the runway.

Nuts And Bolts
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Moments after taking off from a California airport, an American cargo plane needs to make an emergency landing. The crippled plane crashes into an automobile salvage yard one mile east of the airport.
Blown Away
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After circling above the Taiwan Strait to wait out a passing cyclone, TransAsia Flight 222 crashes on the Taiwanese resort island of Penghu.
Deadly Distraction
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En route to Salt Lake City, Delta Airlines Flight 1141 crashes just moments after lifting off from Dallas-Fort Worth airport and erupts into flames.
Deadly Airspace
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A commercial airliner goes down over a warzone in eastern Ukraine. The evidence indicates the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.
Deadly Display
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On a high-stakes demonstration flight in Indonesia, a Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet slams into a mountain killing everyone on board.
Deadly Mission
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In California's Mojave Desert, Virgin Galactic test pilots are at the controls of a revolutionary aircraft designed for sub-orbital flight.
Free Fall
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En route from Singapore to Perth, Qantas Airways Flight 72 takes a sudden nosedive over the Indian Ocean. Sudden G-forces are so violent passengers are lifted out of their seats.
Deadly Inclination
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On its final approach to Zurich, Alitalia Flight 404 plows into a forested hillside killing everyone on board.
Deadly Go Round
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Just minutes from touching down, China Airlines Flight 140 falls out of the sky at Japan's Nagoya Airport.
Dead of Winter
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En route to Boise, Idaho, Continental Airlines Flight 1713 is delayed on the tarmac in Denver where controllers struggle to keep departures on schedule amid heavy snow.

Killer Attitude
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After a routine one-hour flight from Minneapolis, Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 crashes in northern Minnesota, killing everyone on board. Investigators face intense pressure to find the cause. The cockpit voice recorder raises disturbing questions about an inexperienced pilot. But as investigators dig deeper, they uncover a troubling pattern of abuse that led to a breakdown in human cooperation.
Deadly Myth
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When a commuter flight to Detroit ends in a harrowing death spiral, it's up to investigators to determine the cause and prevent it from ever happening again. They sort through the shattered wreckage in search of clues, and a close analysis of the flight data eventually leads them to a stunning realization-What doomed Flight 3272 is a danger the industry has known about for years.
Turning Point
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Headed for South Korea's Gimhae International Airport, a Boeing 767 crashes into a hillside several miles from the runway. As the nation mourns its worst-ever air disaster, investigators face puzzling evidence: The surviving captain of Air China Flight 129 claims that everything on board was normal, but air traffic controllers testify that the crew's radio communications were anything but.
Explosive Proof
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Just minutes after taking off from New York's JFK Airport, TWA Flight 800 is ripped apart by a massive explosion. With a possible terror attack on their hands, the FBI joins investigators from the NTSB in an urgent search for answers but the investigation into TWA Flight 800 will eventually put them against one another, and will turn into one of the longest, most costly and challenging ever conducted.
Lethal Turn
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Amid thick smoke from a forest fire, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 approaches the Medan airport on the island of Sumatra. But just minutes from the runway-and fatally off course-the Airbus A-300 crashes in the jungle. Claiming the lives of all 234 people on board, it's the country's worst-ever aviation disaster. And investigators are baffled when they realize the plane was flying away from the airport when it crashed.
Storming Out
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On its final approach to Charlotte, North Carolina, USAir Flight 1016 is suddenly engulfed in rain so intense it obstructs the view from the cockpit. The pilots abort the landing to execute a go-around, but as they do the plane falls out of the sky and crashes. Of the 52 passengers on board, 37 are dead. Somehow the pilots survive and insist severe weather is to blame. But for investigators, that's only part of the story.
Caught On Tape
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The dashcam of a passing car captures stunning footage of the final moments of TransAsia Flight 235 as it banks steeply to the left, clips an elevated highway, and nosedives into Taipei's Keelung River. Investigators at Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council face a barrage of questions. But it seems that the more clues they uncover, the greater the mystery.
Terror Over Egypt
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Twenty minutes after leaving the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh, a plane carrying Russian tourists falls out of the sky. Charred remains in the Sinai Desert are all that's left of Metrojet 9268, and an international team of investigators gathers near the crash zone. At first, a terrorist group affiliated with the Islamic State claims they shot down the plane as retaliation for Russian military attacks in Syria. But it will take clever detective work to figure out what really happened.
Deadly Discussions
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Just as LAPA Flight 3142 lifts off from a single runway airport in Buenos Aires, the 737 starts shaking violently, and moments later it crashes back to the ground. Hurtling forward at 160 knots, the plane careens past the airport perimeter, crosses a busy highway, and bursts into flames. The disaster leaves an entire nation stunned, but nothing prepares Argentinians for the staggering blunder that caused it.
The Lost Plane
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Bound for Kathmandu, Thai Airways Flight 311 is flying just above the peaks of the Himalayas when it slams into a remote rock face at 11,000 feet. The crash site is nowhere near the plane's original flight path, and there is no ATC radar to tell investigators where it might be. After a painstaking search, they discover the aircraft crashed in the mountains north of Kathmandu-a place of treacherous peaks where it never should have been. The crucial question is how did it end up there?

Deadly Silence
+
En route to Dallas from Orlando, a private Learjet carrying pro golf legend Payne Stewart goes rogue. Air traffic controllers are unable to reach the crew.
9/11: The Pentagon Attack
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11 September 2001 - shortly after taking off from Washington DC, hijackers storm the cockpit of American Airlines Flight 77 and fly the plane into the Pentagon.
9/11: The Pentagon Attack
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It is September 11th, 2001, and shortly after taking off from Washington DC, hijackers storm the cockpit of American Airlines Flight 77 and fly the plane into the Pentagon. The symbol of US military might is in flames. Meanwhile in New York City, jetliners have struck the two towers of the World Trade Center. The country is under attack, nearly 3,000 people are dead, and the FBI launches the largest investigation in American history.
Disaster At Tenerife
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Pan Am Flight 1736 is on the runway at Tenerife Airport, obscured by heavy fog, when KLM Flight 4805 careens towards it, killing 583 people.
Deadly Detail
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As China Airlines Flight 120 touches down in Okinawa, Japan, it erupts in flames. There are no injuries, but troubling questions are raised.
Deadly Detour
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Proteus Airlines Flight 706 deviates from the flight path to go on a sightseeing detour. But just as they're completing a 360 around the ship, the plane suddenly explodes.
Dangerous Approach
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Shuttling passengers from Denver to Durango, Continental Express Flight 2286 crashes in the frozen wilderness just a few miles from the runway.
Murder In The Skies
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German wings Flight to Dusseldorf is flying towards the French Alps and losing altitude at an alarming rate. Investigators are faced with a sinister explanation so dark it's almost beyond belief.
River Runway
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Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 flies straight into the eye of a massive storm. The Boeing 737 is rocked with turbulence so violent the pilots nearly lose control of their plane.
Deadly Solution
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AirAsia Flight 8501 disappears from radar above the Java Sea, searchers confirm the worst. An international team of investigators joins local experts in Jakarta to determine what went wrong.
Afghan Nightmare
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Boeing 747, National Airlines Flight 102 takes off from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan with military cargo. But within seconds, the suddenly uncontrollable plane stalls and crashes to the ground.

Fatal Transmission
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19 November 1996 - a fiery collision between United Express 5925 and a small private plane leaves investigators stumped until they learn that a missing pilot may have played an unwitting role in the tragedy.
Terror In San Francisco
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6 July 2013 - Asiana Airlines Flight 214 Boeing 777 slams into a seawall at San Francisco Airport and investigators suspect a startling mistake.
High Rise Catastrophe
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In 1992, Flight 1862 from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv suffered a catastrophic crash. Investigators discover a lethal problem threatening every 747.
Fatal Delivery
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Shortly after taking off, a fire breaks out on UPS Flight 6. As smoke fills the cockpit, getting the plane safely back is a race against time.
Deadly Mission
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A UN DC-6 transport plane is flying a top-secret mission over central Africa with UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld on board - the plane mysteriously crashes less than ten miles from the runway.
Edge of Disaster
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10 October 2006 - Atlantic Airways Flight 670 is shuttling a group of oil company employees to work. On a routine stop on the Norwegian island of Stord, the plane careens off the runway.
Deadly Delay
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20 August 2008 - just moments after taking off from Madrid Flight 5022 banks to the right, slams into a creek and bursts into flames. With 154 dead, it is Spain's worst aviation disaster in decades.
Fatal Focus
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7 March 2007 - after a short flight from Jakarta, Flight 200 hits the ground in Yogyakarta, bounces twice before careening off the end of the runway killing 21 people.
Steep Impact
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5 April 1991 - Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 crashed in Georgia and killing a NASA astronaut, a former U.S. senator, and 21 others.
Carnage In Sao Paulo
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31 October 1996 - just seconds after taking off from Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, flight 402 slams into a residential neighborhood and bursts into flames killing all 95 people on board.

Total Engine Failure
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When British Midland Flight 92 has an engine fire, the pilots try to make a landing, but the second engine fails before they can get to safety.
Niki Lauda: Tragedy In The Air
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Airline owner Niki Lauda joins forces with investigators to determine why Lauda Air Flight 004 fell into a steep dive and crashed
Vanishing Act
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Investigators face a baffling mystery when Varig Flight 254 crash-lands in a remote jungle nearly 700 miles off course.
Sideswiped
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Flight 201 takes off for a one-hour flight to Colombia and then disappears from radar while flying over one of the most remote jungles on Earth.
Death At Narita
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When FedEx Flight 80 bounces off the runway and bursts into flames, the catastrophe recalls an identical crash more than a decade earlier.
The Death of JFK Jr.
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The celebrity son of JFK disappeared along with his plane in 1999. Invstigators soon found the wreckage, but what brought the aircraft down?
Concorde - Up In Flames
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A Concorde crashes moments after take off and three mysterious items are found on the runway. How is this collection of clues connected?
Inner City Carnage
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A Learjet 45 carrying Mexico's interior minister slams into Mexico City's financial district, killing everyone on board and seven on the ground.
3rd Time Unlucky
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After controllers at Ireland's Cork Airport clear the Manx2 Flight 7100 for landing, it goes into a severe roll and crashes into the runway.
Death In The Arctic
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First Air Flight 6560 slammed into a hillside near Resolute Bay, one of the most remote airports in the world.
What Happened To Malayasian 370?
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Leading aviation experts are confronted with a shocking theory as they investigate one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time.

Fight To The Death
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18 June 1972 - British European Airways (BEA) Flight 548 Hawker Siddeley Trident I: investigators are challenegd when the plane crashes just moments after taking off from London's Heathrow Airport.
Speed Trap
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6 June 1971 - military investigators join forces with the NTSB to uncover the truth when a Marine Corps F-4 Phantom collides with a Hughes Airwest DC-9.
Lost In Translation
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10 July 2000 - shortly after taking off from Zurich Airport, Crossair Flight 498 banks sharply to the right and spirals to the ground, killing everyone on board.
Disaster On The Potomac
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13 January 1982 - moments after taking off from Washington National Airport, Air Florida Flight 90 plunges into the frozen Potomac River and sinks below the ice.
Queens Catastrophe
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When American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into Queens, New York after 9/11, it was considered an act of terror - until evidence proved otherwise.
Into The Eye of The Storm
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Investigators must figure out why a crew of skilled hurricane hunters were nearly killed after an engine fire crippled their aircraft mid-flight.
Massacre Over The Mediterranean
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27 June 1980 - when a flight from Italy explodes over the Mediterranean Sea, it takes 30 years to determine whether it was shot down or blown up by terrorists.
Deadly Test
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Above France, a highly trained crew puts a commercial airliner to the test. But as they prepare to land, the captain suddenly loses control.
Terror In Paradise
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When a flight to Tahiti crashes and kills everyone on board, investigators uncover an unexpected explanation for the crash.
Qantas 32: Titanic In The Sky
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It's up to investigators to figure out why the engine of of Qantas Flight 32 exploded and whether every other A380 is at risk.

Fight For Control
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Disaster seemed certain when an internal US flight lost a propeller 19 000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. Could the pilots safely land the plane?
Fire In The Hold
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Revealing how 110 people lost their lives when a fire on board an aging DC-9 caused it to plummet into the Florida Everglades in 1996.
Typhoon Takeoff
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Following a fatal crash in treacherous conditions at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek airport, investigators make a shocking discovery on the runway.
Pushed To The Limit
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Following a fatal crash 35,000 feet above the jungles of Indonesia, investigators make a disturbing discovery.
Blind Landing
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In 2005, TANS Peru Flight 204 crashed into the Amazonian jungle, leaving a trail of bodies and wreckage scattered across the rainforest.
Grand Canyon Disaster
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When a collision sends two planes crashing into the Grand Canyon, investigators find a problem that threatens the safety of the aviation system.
America's Deadliest
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Revealing how 273 people were killed when American Airlines Flight 191 lost its left engine in the deadliest aviation accident in US history.
Fatal Fixation
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After United Airlines Flight 173 crashed and killed ten people, investigators discover how a landing gear problem could have caused the accident.
Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster
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In 2011, a Soviet-built Yak-42D plane carrying one of Russia's biggest hockey teams crashed into the River Volga – leaving only one survivor.
Death of The President
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When Polish President Lech Kaczynski is killed in a plane crash, investigators discover that this was not simply a pilot error.
Heading To Disaster
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When tower controllers ask Flight 409 to head to a new heading, the pilots acknowledge the change. Moments later, the plane crashes into the sea.
28 Seconds To Survive
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When an alarm warns the pilots of Flight 518 that they are dangerously close to the ground, the aircraft suddenly smashes into a mountain.
Air France 447: Vanished
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Exploring how aviation safety improves one crash at a time, Air Crash Investigation looks into legendary aviation disasters.

Disaster Runway
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Find out how fears over Congonhas Airport’s infamous hilltop landing strip led to the fatal crash of TAM Airlines Flight 3054 in July 2007.
The Plane That Flew Too High
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160 people lost their lives when West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 came down in 2005, leading to the eventual bankruptcy of the troubled airline.
Split Decision
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The Arrow Air Flight 1285 tragedy was Canada's deadliest plane crash. Investigators blamed ice on the wings - but a minority report disagreed.
Breakup Over Texas
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Continental Express Flight 2574 came down in 1991, following a massive mid-air explosion. Could a piece of faulty paperwork explain the crash?
Munich Air Disaster
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The 1958 Munich crash was the darkest day in Manchester United's history. Pilot James Thain was initially blamed - and never flew again.
Turning Point
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Only the quick-thinking of Captain Frank Geib saved Northwest Airlines Flight 85 from disaster in 2002. What exactly went wrong?
Bad Attitude
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The crash of a Korean cargo plane outside London baffled investigators. Was the first officer more concerned with saving face than the plane?
Hiding In Plane Sight
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144 people lost their lives when two planes collided near San Diego in what was the biggest airline disaster in US history. How did it happen?
Desert Inferno
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Following take-off from Jeddah's desert airport, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 burst into flames and crashed to the ground – killing all on board.
I'm The Problem
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With 43 people dead, investigators try to determine what happened to PSA Flight 1771 after the pilots reported hearing gunshots from the cabin.
Nowhere To Land
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Tragedy seemed inevitable when a brand-new Boeing 737 lost power near New Orleans in 1988. Find out how the pilots succesfully averted disaster.
The Invisible Plane
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Revealing the crucial changes made to Milan's Linate Airport following a tragic collision in extreme weather conditions in October 2001.
Sioux City Fireball
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When engines failed, pilots of United Airlines Flight 232 tried to land at Sioux City, but the aircraft exploded, killing half of those on board.

Cockpit Failure
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A Crossair flight is on approach to Zurich, where snow has reduced visibility. The plane clips the treetops and plunges down, killing 24 people.
The Heathrow Enigma
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Only the quick-witted actions of the pilot averted disaster when a plane flopped into Heathrow. Why did the engines fail in the first place?
Pilot Betrayed
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After bursting into flames on take-off, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 fell from the sky in 1991. Miraculously, everyone on board survived.
Dead Tired
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In the worst US crash in over seven years, a Buffalo-bound flight stalled and plummeted into a suburban home in 2009. What went wrong?
Hudson River Runway
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The remarkable story of the New York flight which crash landed in the middle of the city, having struck a flock of birds on take-off.
Who's In Control?
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Investigators pour through the wreckage to determine what brought down Turkish Airlines Flight #1951.

Panic On The Runway
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British Airtours Flight #28 is taking off from Manchester Airport for the Greek Island of Corfu. As the aircraft is accelerating, a loud thud emanates from the fuselage, and the pilots abandon takeoff. They believe a tire has blown, but passengers on the left side of the plane see the real problem one of the engines is on fire. Soon, thick black smoke fills the cabin, panicked passengers struggle to escape, and just minutes later, the aircraft is completely ravaged by fire. 55 people die.
Cockpit Chaos
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Captain John Maus pulls back on his control column, but the plane barely manages to get off the ground before it hits a light pole, slams into a building, and disintegrates on a highway. This is the second-deadliest airplane disaster in US history...But can investigators determine what went wrong?
Pilot Vs Plane
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The Airbus A-320, the world's most sophisticated passenger jet takes off for its maiden passenger flight and first-ever public demonstration. The plane is headed for the Habsheim Airshow where the pilots are planning a breathtaking, low-altitude fly-over. But after getting into position over the tiny airfield the exhibition turns to disaster. The plane plows into a forest and is consumed by flames. It is a horrible tragedy, and a public relations nightmare for Airbus.
Cleared For Disaster
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US Air Flight #1493 is on its final approach. The pilots configure the 737 for landing and although they repeatedly radio the tower for instructions, their calls go unanswered. They finally get clearance just moments before landing, but within seconds of touching down, the aircraft erupts in flames and crashes into an abandoned building. Rescue workers rush to the scene, and as survivors emerge from the inferno, firefighters make a horrifying discovery...
Target Is Destroyed
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Korean Air Lines Flight #007 is high above the Sea of Japan with 269 people on board. Hoping to save fuel during the last leg of its marathon flight from New York to Seoul, it requests permission to fly at a higher altitude. When the aircraft reaches its new altitude, however, it is rocked by rapid decompression, spirals out of control and crashes into the sea. An international controversy erupts, and within days, Soviet officials admit to shooting down the passenger plane.
Cold Case
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Air Ontario Flight #1363 prepares for takeoff; already behind schedule, the pilots fear the heavy snowfall will further delay their departure. The jet reaches takeoff speed but struggles to get airborne, and although it clears the trees at the end of the runway, starts shaking violently and less than a minute later crashes into the woods. It takes months for investigators to determine what went wrong. And tragically, their findings come too late to prevent an icy killer from striking again.
Doomed To Fail
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An Airbus A320, the aircraft is the worlds first to rely mainly on computerized commands to control it, high winds and poor winter weather mean the pilots must take over the controls to land on another runway. Slightly off course, a controller guides the pilots as they prepare to make a visual landing. But as they descend through the clouds, the aircraft suddenly rips through the treetops below and slams into the side of a mountain.
Miami Mystery
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Destined for the Bahamas, Chalks Ocean Airways Flight #101 is preparing for takeoff in the waters off Miami Beach, Florida. Part plane, part speedboat, the twin turbo-prop taxis through one of the worlds busiest ports, and after a smooth takeoff, climbs towards the clouds. A minute later, however, just as the plane is climbing through 500 feet, it is suddenly rocked by an explosion and, from the beach, a tourist films the aircrafts catastrophic plunge into the ocean.

Shattered In Seconds
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Twenty minutes after taking off from Taipei, Taiwan a China Airlines 747 suddenly disappears from radar. A massive rescue mission is launched, but all 225 passengers and crew are dead. After ruling out both a bomb and a gas tank explosion, investigators are stumped. They examine hundreds of pieces of wreckage until they discover a single piece of the hull that solves the riddle. Tragically, the crash of Flight 611 began with a problem that began twenty-two years earlier.
Lockerbie
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Shortly after taking off from Heathrow Airport, Pan Am Flight 103 suddenly explodes in the skies above Lockerbie, Scotland. As the wreckage rains down on the small town below, homes are vaporized and fires break out across the countryside. All 259 people on board are killed. Eleven more in the tiny town also die. The wreckage is scattered over 2,000 square kilometers, and when investigators find proof the aircraft was the victim of a bomb, the area becomes the largest crime scene in the world.
Silent Killer
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On a charter trip from Oslo to Hamburg, Partnair Flight 94 is cruising at 22,000 feet -- when it suddenly begins diving toward the sea. The aging propeller plane crashes into the water. All 55 people on board are killed. It is the biggest airline disaster in Norwegian history. As investigators piece together what happened, they uncover a problem so serious, it sends shock waves through the industry. How had a single bolt caused the plane to fall out of the sky?
Crash Course
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November 12th, 1996 - Shortly after take off from New Delhi, Saudi Airways Flight 763 levels off at 14,000 feet. As the crew waits for clearance to climb to their cruising altitude, the plane is hit by a Kazakhstan Airlines jet. The collision cripples both planes. They spiral violently to the ground, killing all 349 people on board. It's the worst mid-air collision in the history of aviation.
Operation Babylift
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In the final days of the Vietnam War, US President Ford orders an urgent mission of mercy called 'Operation Babylift'. Its goal: to rescue Vietnamese orphans from the chaos of the war and take them back to the safety of the US. Nearly 250 Vietnamese babies and children are loaded onto an Air Force C5A Galaxy, one of the world's largest planes. But after a steep and rapid ascent to get out of missile range, the aircraft's cargo door is violently blown off and the plane crashes to the ground.
Ditch The Plane
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Tuninter Flight 1153 is high above the Mediterranean when suddenly, its right engine fails. As the pilots begin an emergency descent, their situation gets much worse. Their second engine also stops working -- the plane begins falling towards the sea. Despite numerous attempts, the crew can't restart their engines. They make a desperate choice - to attempt a landing at sea. Fourteen of the 34 passengers are killed. Investigators discover a shocking mistake.
The Plane That Vanished
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January 1st, 2007 - After taking off from Indonesia's Suribaya airport, Adam Air Flight 574 settles in for the two-hour trip to Manado. The Boeing 737 is loaded with New Year's travelers taking advantage of the country's recent discount travel boom. But somewhere over the Java Sea, the plane hits turbulence, and air traffic controllers notice the jet is hundreds of miles off course and headed for a major storm.
Frozen In Flight
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October 31, 1994 - It's a frigid Halloween night in the skies above Chicago. Bad weather is delaying dozens of flights, including American Eagle 41-84. Suddenly - the plane spins wildly out of control. The pilots fight desperately to right their plane - but can't. It smashes into a cornfield. All 68 people on board are killed instantly. Investigators eventually discover the cause is a rare weather phenomena - and a fatal design flaw.

Pitch Problems
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Accidents caused by pitch problems are so destructive that survival is nearly impossible and few clues are left behind for investigators to examine.
Fight to the Finish
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Pushed to the limit, three flight crews in jeopardy overcome impossible odds to land their aircraft.
Bad Data
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Whether caused by insects, violent storms, or human error, bad data can be deadly for the sophisticated flight computers that keep planes in the sky.
Landing Hazards
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From heavy rain to strong wind, three harrowing aviation disasters reveal what a serious threat poor weather can be to a safe landing.
Training Ignored
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Investigators hunt for answers when the pilots of three aircraft skip protocols, ignore their training, and crash.
Reckless Approaches
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A crew argues—with no runway in sight. A captain ignores a critical signal. And, an exhausted pilot picks a catastrophic time to try a new approach.

War Zone
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Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory are among the many risks that pilots face in war zones around the world.
Slammed To The Ground
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By the time the crew of Delta Airlines Flight 191 reached the threshold of Dallas Fort Worth Airport, they'd already diverted around 2 separate storms. They see rain and lightning up ahead, but fly on. Inside the storm, their plane is hit by powerful winds that slam the plane to the ground. 136 people die. The crash helps scientists overcome a notorious danger to airplanes, the microburst.
Miracle Flight
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It's a calm summer evening, when an inexplicable failure strikes, causing the loss of two engines.
Time Critical
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In a rush to complete their flights, three different flight crews skip key procedures, ignore signs of danger, and make deadly decisions.
Ticking Time Bomb
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From corrosion and metal fatigue to faulty repairs, three doomed airlines are brought down by gradually deteriorating parts.
Behind Closed Doors
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An explosion rips a gaping hole in the cabin of a brand-new DC-10. Investigators discover a serious problem with the design of the planes rear cargo door, and recommend ways to fix it. Two years later, another DC-10 takes off on a routine flight only to suffer the exact same problem, with deadly consequences. The accident could have and should have been prevented. But why wasn't it?
Mystery Fire
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November 27, 1987. A 747 Combi is on a routine flight toward South Africa when the cabin begins filling with smoke. Passengers struggle to breathe as crew members attempt to fight a fire in the cargo hold. After the plane disappears in the Indian Ocean, an unprecedented recovery operation is launched to locate and raise the wreckage from the ocean floor. Rumours swirl. Did illegal weapons bring down Flight 295?
Accidents in the Air
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From pilot error to meltdowns within air traffic control, investigators dig deep into three mid-air collisions that seem to defy logic.
Impossible Landings
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With zero margin for error, three catastrophes are narrowly averted by pilots who manage to land their damaged planes—against all odds.
Dead Weight
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A small commuter plane begins a short flight when disaster strikes. Moments after takeoff, the nose of the aircraft pitches up dramatically. The plane is just 350 meters in the air when it stalls, rolls to the left, and plummets to the ground. It slams into a packed hangar, killing everyone on board. Combing through the wreckage, investigators find a single clue that leads them to uncover a string of errors and faulty assumptions that have been putting millions of passengers at risk for years.
Southern Storm
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Ten minutes into Flight 242 the flight the crew notices a menacing storm in their path. The hail is so severe that it cracks the cockpit windshield, and visibility is nonexistent. They're now trying to glide to a safe landing. They decide to put the DC-9 down on a nearby highway. It clips a tree with its left wing, breaks up and bursts into flames. An inferno erupts. The flight crew, 62 passengers, and 8 people on the ground are killed. Astoundingly, 21 people on board survive.
Trained to Fail
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Pilots are prepared to cope with a range of emergency scenarios, but failures in training can lead to catastrophe in the cockpit.
Deadly Data
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With hidden flaws buried in their navigation systems, three planes suffer catastrophic computer errors that force investigators to dig deep for clues.
Explosive Evidence
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Innocent lives are lost when civilian planes inadvertently become targets, but each incident teaches us vital lessons about how to better protect commercial airliners from the heat of war. Charred wreckage in the Sinai Desert is all that's left of a Russian passenger plane. A Korean 747 plunges into the sea and Soviet officials soon admit to shooting it down. And, when a commercial airliner is blown out of Ukrainian airspace, investigators face geo-political roadblocks at every turn.
Poor Piloting
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Facing fatigue, fog, and inadequate training, the crews of three doomed aircraft make catastrophic blunders that lead to full-scale disaster.
The Plane That Wouldn't Talk
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A pilot ignores vital information given by a junior crew member before smashing into the ocean.
Fatal Distraction
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Eastern Airlines Flight 401 slams into the remote swampland of the Florida Everglades. Miraculously 77 people survive the initial crash. Investigators determine that the plane was mechanically sound, and that its auto pilot was working. So why had the state of the art jetliner fallen from the sky? The clues would lead investigators to a very troubling cause.
Dangerous Winds
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Three planes fall prey to deadly winds, and it’s up to investigators to find out why.
Sabotage
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From delusional hijackers to suicidal pilots, three flights fall victim to astonishing acts of sabotage.
Phantom Strike
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A newly built business jet takes off from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil with seven people on board. Meanwhile, a passenger jet carrying 154 people takes off from Manaus in northern Brazil. The business jet never receives confirmation to lower its altitude according to the flight plan. From this point on the two planes are on a collision course. Both jets are clipped at the wing. The smaller jet miraculously lands with no injuries but the passenger jet nosedives into the Amazon rainforest.

Dead of Night
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Confused, flying blind and lost in the dark, three crews lose site of the horizon and fall into the same deadly trap.
Miracle Escape
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2 August 2005 - in a raging thunderstorm after a difficult landing, Air France 358 skids off the runway in Toronto. As it crashes, the left engine catches fire.
Engine Gone
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Three crews experience the same devastating event, but with radically different outcomes when an engine falls off their commercial airplane.
Falling From The Sky
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24 June 1982 - on a summer night the engines of BA flight 009 catch fire. Without power the plane begins falling from the sky. The captain faces a difficult choice.
Fire Fight
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In June of 1983, a small mechanical problem in the back of an Air Canada DC-9 quickly turned into an all-out emergency 10 kilometers in the air. The aircraft was travelling to Toronto from Dallas when passengers noticed smoke coming from the rear washroom. As the smoke grows thicker, the crew has no choice but attempt to land the plane. For fifteen hellish minutes, passengers and crew struggle to deal with the thick toxic smoke. When the plane finally hits the runway in Cincinnati, all on board struggle to exit the burning plane as quickly as possible. Ninety seconds after touching the ground, the plane is engulfed in a ball of fire. Twenty-three...
Fire Fight
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In June, 1983, a small mechanical problem in the back of a Canadian aircraft quickly led to an all-out emergency. Thick, toxic smoke filled the plane before it burst into flames, killing 23 people.
Lethal Choices
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Faced with a mid-air crisis, pilots must make life-and-death decisions, but the wrong approach can trigger a far more serious problem.
Risky Runways
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In Sao Paolo, the Himalayas, and on the Norwegian coast, three flight crews are pushed to the limit by the toughest landings on earth.
Missed Approach
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6 August 1997 - Korean Air flight 801 departed from Seoul, Korea. It had been cleared to land at AB Won Guam Airport when it crashed about three miles south-west of the airport
Landings Gone Wrong
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Relying on instinct rather than the rule book, three flights end in tragedy when crews improvise on their final approach.
Hidden Danger
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A Boeing 737 jet spins out of control on its descent, and ten seconds later all 20 passengers are dead.
Frozen Wings
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Three planes are brought down by ice, and it's up to investigators to determine how modern aircraft could possibly end up with frozen wings.
Panic Over The Pacific
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February 19, 1985. China Airlines Flight 006 is nearing the California coastline when disaster strikes. A series of small problems beginning with the failure of the jets fourth engine snowballs into an all-out emergency. The plane stalls, and begins tumbling toward the Pacific Ocean. As it twists and turns, the strong G-forces make the ride hellish for the crew and passengers who are pinned to their seats. The wings buckle, the doors to the landing gear are ripped off, and parts of the tail break away. Precious hydraulic fuel essential for landing is lost. Spinning wildly in thick clouds, the crew cant tell up from down. In just two minutes the...
Runway Collisions
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Three catastrophic runway collisions raise the same pressing question: How could two planes end up on the same runway at the same time?
Out of Sight
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The collision of an Aeromexico DC-9 and a private Piper Cherokee near LA's busy airport, results in the loss of over 80 lives - authorities must change the way planes are tracked.
Inbound
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April, 1996 - a military jet carrying a high-level US trade delegation crashes in the hills near Croatia's Dubrovnik airport killing all on board.
Cockpit Breakdown
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Illustrating the deadly consequences of a mismatched crew, three flights end in tragedy, leaving investigators to unravel what went wrong.
Splash Down
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Three last-resort water landings-all handled differently-yet each one crucial to improving the outcomes of ditching on open water.
Desperate Dive
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3 January 2004 - moments after taking off from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh Airport, a Boeing 737 crashes into the Red Sea. The plane's black boxes reveal the horrifying final moments.
Ghost Plane
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When Athens air traffic control fails to make contact with Helios Airways Flight 522 from Cyprus, two F-16 fighters are despatched - they watch helplessly as the jet crashes into a mountain.
Northern Extremes
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Faced with the extreme conditions of the far North, three flights fall out of the sky leaving investigators to uncover the cause.

Hanging By A Thread
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Aloha Flight 243 - April, 1988 A short island hop from Maui to Honolulu quickly turns into a nightmare for the crew and passengers aboard Flight 243. Shortly after take off, a loud bang is heard. A huge chunk of the plane's roof and walls is missing, right down to the passengers' feet. They are flying in a convertible! Against all the odds, the plane gets down safely. But why did this happen?
Heat of The Moment
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Failsafes are built into every aspect of aviation, but in the heat of the moment pilots can make fateful decisions that lead to tragedy.
Attack Over Baghdad
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November 22, 2003 - It was supposed to be a routine "mail drop" for the DHL cargo plane in Baghdad, Iraq. With a war raging below, the three civilian pilots aboard the DHL Airbus 300 are simply trying to complete a routine delivery of soldiers letters. Meanwhile, on the ground, a French journalist is horrified to realize that the Iraqi terrorist she is interviewing just ordered ground-to-air missiles aimed at an aircraft. She watches in shock as the DHL plane becomes the first civilian plane to be struck with a surface-to-air missile since the war in Iraq began. The planes left wing is engulfed in flames and its steering system is completely destroyed...
Instrument Confusion
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Safe flying requires precision, and when critical instruments in the cockpit can't be trusted, the consequences can be fatal.
Out of Control
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Twelve minutes after takeoff on August 12, 1985, a thunderous bang echoes through JAL flight 123. The pilots are stunned to realize that the steering system is completely unresponsive. Crippled by the low oxygen levels, they struggle to control a plane that lunges wildly through the sky, headed directly into the mountains around Mt. Fuji (Japans largest mountain). After 30 minutes of wrestling with the wind, the pilots remain helpless as the plane crashes into the side of Mt. Osutaka. An American spots the smoking wreckage and initiates a rescue operation. Tragically, it is called off by Japanese authorities who believe that no one survived the...
Vip On Board
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Airplane crashes involving high-profile passengers make international headlines, placing investigators under tremendous pressure to come up with answers.
Suicide Attack
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On April 7, 1994, FedEx flight 705 is just finishing its climb out of Memphis, U.S. when an off-duty FedEx flight engineer suddenly storms the cockpit. Bashing in the crew members skulls with a hammer and armed with a spear gun, the crazed attacker seems intent on killing the crew and taking over the plane. The stunned co-pilot, with his skull fractured and right arm paralyzed, must fight the attacker using his only remaining weaponthe plane itself. To throw the hijacker off balance, the pilot hurls the heavy cargo plane into risky but cunning aerobatic maneuvers, traveling at speeds so high they dont even register on the planes gauge! Yet so...
Lapse In Security
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Traced to a breakdown of vital safety measures, three horrific disasters provoke fundamental changes to airport security procedures around the world.
Bomb On Board
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On December 11, 1994, an international terrorist sneaks bomb ingredients past airport security and assembles them inside the bathroom of PAL flight 434. He calculates to make sure that his seat lies directly over the planes fuel tank, and plants the bomb under his seat before disembarking at a stopover in the Philippines. The plane takes off a second time and is headed toward Tokyo when an explosion jolts the plane, creating panicked chaos as the blast kills one, injures ten, and leaves a gaping hole in the planes floor. Not knowing the extent of the damage, 292 terrified passengers pin their hopes of survival on their captain, who expertly manipulates...
Mountain Impact
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Following three horrifying crashes, investigators uncover fatal flaws in the very operations designed to prevent aircraft from flying into mountains.
Mistaken Identity
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During a sea battle, a military radar operator stationed on a war ship equipped with a highly sophisticated weapons system, mistakenly identifies an approaching civilian aircraft as a hostile F-14. The plane is shot down and all 290 people on board are killed. The ensuing investigation shows how fear led to a chain of errors, and a catastrophic blunder. LONG or PAGE DESCRIPTION ALSO APPROVED July 3, 1988 - Captain Will Rogers III of the USS Vincennes is stationed in the Persian Gulf. His ship carries one of the smartest weapons system ever designed: the billion dollar Aegis system, which can track every aircraft and missile within 200 miles up...
Survivors
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From the wreckage of three airplane crashes, survivors emerge to tell harrowing tales and provide critical data about what to do in an emergency.
Helicopter Down
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To tap the precious oil reserves in the North Sea, workers must travel hundreds of kilometres by helicopter over treacherous waters to reach their remote drilling platforms. The region is notorious for its turbulent weather, so the pilots of Super Puma helicopter are not surprised when a storm develops during a routine worker transport on January 19, 1995. Already pelted with icy rain, the pilots are struggling to navigate their way through the blinding storm when the unthinkable happens: their helicopter is struck by lightning. The controls shudder and fail, and the pilots are finally forced to ditch into the icy water . They hit the stormy sea...
Death From Above
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Mid-air tragedies are particularly horrifying when they occur over a community, and rain terror on the people below.
Egyptair 990
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October 31, 1999- The night sky is calm when the captain leaves his copilot in command of the Boeing 767 during a bathroom break on the long flight from New York to Cairo. The copilot is alone in the cockpit as the plane suddenly begins to dive , so fast that it creates weightlessness within the passengers cabin. The floating captain claws his way back to his seat in the cockpit, and grapples with the steering system to force the plane back up from 4,800 metres to 7,300 metres. But the aircraft soon plunges into yet another dive, this one irreversible. At 1:52 a.m., Egypt Air flight 990 disappears from radar, vanishing into the Atlantic around...
Courage In The Cockpit
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Devastating failures in the air put pilots to the test, and shine a light on three astonishing feats of flying.
Maintenance Mistakes
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A trio of crashes reveal that when the nuts and bolts of maintenance go unchecked, it can spell catastrophe.
Kid In The Cockpit
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Newly equipped with a fleet of Airbus jets, the Russian company Aeroflot inaugurates a new nonstop route from Moscow to Hong Kong. A little over a year later on March 22, 1994 the elite reserve captain of the now routine flight is also a proud father, inviting his son and daughter to visit the cockpit and even allowing the children a few minutes in the captains seat. " May I turn this?" asks the boy. Moments later, the plane is tilting at a deadly 45 degree angle, and being thrown into a corkscrew dive. The plane is flying so fast that the force of gravity inside the plane first doubles, then quadruples, making it impossible for the captain to...
Greek Ferry Disaster
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Outside the small Greek island of Paros, a landmark rock formation called the Gates of Paros towers above the sea, topped with a navigation light. Ships normally travel at least 740 metres left of the rocks, but on the night of September 26, 2000, the Samina Express speeds directly toward the treacherous rocks. The boat grinds against the jagged rocks, gouging open the side of the ship. As the ferry sinks in the midst of a raging storm, frantic passengers scramble to find life jackets and emergency rafts on the under-equipped boat. Many of the 533 who were on board are left thrashing in the two-metre waves, fighting to be rescued by local fishing...
Take Off Tragedies
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Three flights ending in tragedy, prove that minor missteps during takeoff can have disastrous consequences.
Train Collision
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February 8, 1986 Four kilometers before the double track narrows to a single railway outside the town of Hinton, Alberta, Canada, a 12 million-kilogram, 2 kilometer-long freight train on the upper track approaches a yellow caution light alerting it to slow down. Meanwhile, a Super Continental passenger train on the single railway speeds toward the same intersection from the opposite direction with permission to continue onto the lower track. Ignoring warnings, the freight train races by the yellow lights and picks up speed to 96 kph as it flies past red lights telling it to stop before it reaches the shared railway. The freight train slams through...
Runaway Train
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Before a Southern Pacific Railroad freight train leaves the station on May 12, 1989, workers load the cars with some 2700 tonnes more weight that the conductor expects. The conductor is never informed of the increase, and becomes aware of the uncontrollable weight of his train only while speeding down a mountain outside San Bernadino, U.S. Overloaded and with half his brakes inoperable, the conductor is unable to stop the train from derailing at the base of the mountain and roaring into the small town. The train ploughs through a quaint residential street, demolishing seven homes, and killing both residents and drivers. The town struggles to come...
African Hijack
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On November 23, 1996, three men storm the cockpit of Ethiopian Airlines flight 961. The men shout that they are hijacking the plane and have a bomb. Armed with an axe and a fire extinguisher, they beat the copilot, and then demand that the pilot chart a course for Australia. The pilot tries to explain that the plane doesnt have enough fuel to travel that far, but when he cant convince them of the truth, he decides to trick them instead. Rather than flying east across the Indian Ocean, he flies south along the African coast, hoping to stay close to land and any airport along the way. But soon, the fuel supply dwindles, both engines lose power,...
Falling From The Sky
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Headline News
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Three devastating crashes make front page news around the globe, and the media frenzy puts intense pressure on investigators to uncover the true cause of these deadly disasters.
Blowout
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Within minutes of take off, the crew and passengers aboard British Airways Flight 111, know something is terribly wrong. A loud bang is heard from the cockpit. The windshield has popped off and the captain has been sucked out through the opening. His body is plastered to the side of the plane and the plane is diving quickly. The co-pilot is in a desperate situation, he's never flown the plane before, the sound of the wind is deafening and he can't hear the replies from air traffic controllers who are trying to help him gain control of the plane. Against all odds, the co-pilot successfully lands the plane and miraculously the captain survives....
Rookie Errors
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The simplest mistakes are at the heart of some of the worst airline accidents, and while commercial pilots undergo hours of training and testing, even experienced pilots can make deadly rookie errors.
Wounded Bird
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On August 21, 1995, Flight ASA 529 took off from Atlanta, Georgia, headed for Gulfport, Mississippi. Shortly after take-off there was a loud thud, followed by a continual thumping noise. The 26 Passengers on board could see that one of the four propeller blades was now just a stub and the mangled mass of the engine was glued to the left wing. The plane was now effectively flying on one wing! The flight crew desperately tried to keep the plane airborne, but was forced to make a crash landing. Miraculously, all the passengers and crew survived the crash. But within seconds, a raging fire broke out, forcing the passengers to run through searing flames....
Collision Course
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Facing deadly tragedies that could have been avoided, investigators comb through the wreckage of three separate midair collisions in a race to prevent another fatal impact.
Hijacked
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In Algiers on Christmas Eve in 1994, an Air France Airbus carrying 239 people was hijacked by four Algerian terrorists just before take off. They demanded the release from prison of Muslim leaders held by the Algerian authorities. 63 passengers were released, but the Algerian politicians refused to meet the hijackers' demands. In retaliation, the hijackers killed a passenger and dumped the body. The Algerians leadership was unmoved. A second passenger was killed and then a third. As a result of pressure exerted by the French government, the plane took off for Marseilles. 39 hours have passed. Once in Marseilles, the French authorities conducted...
Engines Out
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When an aircraft loses total engine power, a pilot's training can make all the difference in the world, but it's still up to investigators to determine what went wrong.
Mid-Air Collision
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A party of Russian school children is on board a Tupolev 154 on its way to a holiday in Spain. A DHL courier plane is flying from Italy to Belgium. Their paths cross on the German/Swiss border. Back at the traffic control room, a lone controller is left to supervise two screens a meter apart. The planes head toward each other and pilots radio the controller. Unfortunately, he is at the other screen and doesn't hear them until it's too late. The two planes descend into each other and 71 people die, most of them children. The TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) could have saved them - what went wrong?
Fuel Trouble
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Three mysterious accidents send investigators hunting for clues. In the end, all three trails lead back to the same source-the fuel tank.
Crash On The Mountain
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American Airlines Flight 965 from Miami, USA to Cali, Colombia is one of the many delayed flights during the peak holiday season. In an effort to recover lost time, the pilots push the Boeing 757 full speed to the last. Flown by two experienced pilots, the passenger jet is equipped with every computerized navigation aid. The system goes awry just as the pilots intend to land. Rushing a landing, they find themselves disoriented and headed into a mountainside. As they struggle to pull the plane back into a climb, it stalls. Four survivors, the air traffic control in Cali and one flight recorder serve as guides for investigators to reconstruct the...
Perilous Payload
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Three planes fatally out of balance force investigators to question every calculation. It's a flight risk preventable, and yet repeated disasters reconfirm the need for critical backup systems.
Deadly Delay
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A layer of fog blankets New York City causing flight delays up to three hours long. As air traffic controllers at JFK manage numerous planes in the face of a coming storm, Avianca Flight 052 with 158 crew and passengers has been circling the sky for over 77 minutes running down to the last few dregs of fuel. Despite urgent messages from the crew, the air traffic control tower has not given the plane permission to land. At last, clearance is given, but it's too late. The plane crashes into a Long Island hillside killing 73 people. What the ensuing investigation uncovers leaves many wondering if the crash could have even been avoided.
Runway In Sight
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If pilots aren't prepared when the runway is in sight, a landing can quickly become a tragedy. On its final approach, an Indonesian passenger jet smashes down at a catastrophically high speed.
Deadly Confusion
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Spatial disorientation is one of the leading causes of all air accidents. Even the most experienced pilots are susceptible to its subtle yet deadly effects.
Radio Silence
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Radio silence between pilots and air traffic controllers can mean many different things, but only the physical evidence can reveal the true story. Three cases send investigators hunting for answers.
Design Flaws
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Drawing the attention of the entire world, three fatal design flaws put air crash investigators in a storm of controversy.

Communication Breakdown
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Some of the deadliest air crashes in history have been caused by simple misunderstandings, and it's a tiny error in the cockpit that brought tragedy to Quincy Airport in Illinois.
Air Crash Investigation 1, Unlocking Disaster
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Unlocking Disaster Just out of Honolulu the cargo door of United Airlines Flight 811 opens , ripping a huge hole in the 747 taking out five rows of seats -and nine passengers - with it. Mayday investigates how delays in fixing known design faults can have tragic consequences.
System Breakdown
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Communication Breakdown
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Some of the deadliest air crashes in history have been caused by simple misunderstandings, and it's a tiny error in the cockpit that brought tragedy to Quincy Airport in Illinois.
Cruel Skies
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Bad Attitude
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When BEA Flight 548 crashes just moments after takeoff, investigators unravel a tragic combination of human factors centered around the captain.
Air Crash Investigation 1, Racing The Storm
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Flight 1420, an American Airlines MD-82, leaves Dallas-Fort Worth for Little Rock two hours late due to thunderstorms. To keep the airline schedules on track, the American Airlines dispatcher tells the crew to "expedite their arrival" to beat the storms to the Little Rock airfield. It's a short hop and radar weather data shows a clear corridor, or a "bowling alley," as the dispatcher calls it, through which Flight 1420 should be able to fly to its destination. Captain Richard Buschmann and co-pilot Michael Origel prepare to beat the storm. One hundred miles from Little Rock, as 1420 begins its descent, severe thunderstorms close in on the airfield,...
Bad Attitude
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When BEA Flight 548 crashes just moments after takeoff, investigators unravel a tragic combination of human factors centered around the captain.
Air Crash Investigation 1, Fire On Board
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The pilot of Swissair Flight 111 smells smoke in the cockpit less than an hour after take-off. It's a race against time to dump fuel and land. Minutes later fire and complete electrical failure cause the MD11 to crash into the Atlantic killing all 229 passengers and crew on board. Mayday searches for the cause of the fire and asks why it spread so destructively so quickly.
Hero Pilots
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An airliner is crippled after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, and the courageous captain pulls off an amphibious landing in the Hudson River.
Hero Pilots
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An airliner is crippled after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, and the courageous captain pulls off an amphibious landing in the Hudson River.
Plane Versus Pilot
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During a routine test flight, one of the world's most advanced planes nosedives into the Mediterranean.
Air Crash Investigation 1, Cutting Corners
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Shortly after Air Alaska Flight 261 takes off from Puerto Vallarta, the horizontal stabilizer - which controls the angle of the plane in flight - malfunctions. The pilots struggle to control the nose-diving plane but it rolls and dives into the ocean. The eighty-eight passengers and crew on board die. Mayday tells the story of how maintenance errors lead to a fatal crash.
Plane Versus Pilot
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During a routine test flight, one of the world's most advanced planes nosedives into the Mediterranean.
Explosive Evidence
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Innocent lives are lost when civilian planes inadvertently become targets, but each incident teaches us vital lessons about how to better protect commercial airliners from the heat of war.
Explosive Evidence
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Innocent lives are lost when civilian planes inadvertently become targets, but each incident teaches us vital lessons about how to better protect commercial airliners from the heat of war.
Air Crash Investigation 1, Flying Blind
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As Aeroperu Flight 603 takes off from Lima at night its airspeed and altitude indicators seem to be malfunctioning.The flight crew is flying blind and headed for disaster. The Air Traffic Control tower is getting false readings from the plane's computer. The 757 crashes into the Pacific, killing all 70 on board. Mayday traces the cause of the computer malfunction and charts its tragic consequences.
Killer in the Cockpit?
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A 737 cruising above an Indonesian jungle suddenly plummets from the sky. An Airbus A-320 crashes into the French Alps. And, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 vanishes over the South China Sea, and remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time.
Air Crash Investigation 1, Flying On Empty
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On a warm evening an Airbus A-330 passenger jet operated by an experienced Air Transat flight crew leaves Toronto for Lisbon, Portugal. This flight will never arrive at its destination. To large commercial jets, running out of fuel is a critical problem. When it occurs 85 nautical miles from the nearest land, it can end in catastrophe. Flying on Empty reveals how such a situation can arise, despite the safeguards modern airliners have to prevent them from running out of fuel.
Killer in the Cockpit?
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A 737 cruising above an Indonesian jungle suddenly plummets from the sky. An Airbus A-320 crashes into the French Alps. And, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 vanishes over the South China Sea, and remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time.
Missing Pieces
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Three horrifying accidents capture the world's attention, and in order to solve these deadly mysteries, hero investigators are pushed to the limit to uncover the hidden clues.
Missing Pieces
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Three horrifying accidents capture the world's attention, and in order to solve these deadly mysteries, hero investigators are pushed to the limit to uncover the hidden clues.
Controversial Crashes
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Safety in the sky depends on the outcome of air crash investigations. But sometimes investigators disagree, and the pressure intensifies when the victims are famous.
Controversial Crashes
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Safety in the sky depends on the outcome of air crash investigations. But sometimes investigators disagree, and the pressure intensifies when the victims are famous.
Deadly Distractions
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In 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration established the sterile cockpit rule requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight.
Deadly Distractions
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In 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration established the sterile cockpit rule requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight.
Fire On Board
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One of aviation's worst nightmares, a fire on board can have disastrous consequences. And though these epic tragedies have exacted a terrible human cost, they've also lead the way towards safer skies.
Fire On Board
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One of aviation's worst nightmares, a fire on board can have disastrous consequences. And though these epic tragedies have exacted a terrible human cost, they've also lead the way towards safer skies.

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AIR CRASH INVESTIGATION 25