A landing goes wrong when Delta Airlines Flight 191 is hit by an invisible force.

Episode 1

A pilot heads for a decommissioned air force base when the 767 he is flying runs out of fuel.

Episode 2

A flaw on the infamous DC-10 airline causing two midair crashes in the early 70's.

Episode 3

A recovery operation is launched to find out if a 747 was carrying illegal weapons.

Episode 4

Just after take-off, Air Midwest Flight 5481 plummets to the ground, killing all on board.

Episode 5

In 1977,  Southern Airways Flight 242 finds itself in a violent storm. When both engines fail, the pilots must land their plane on a rural Georgia highway.

Episode 6

Air India Flight 182 crashes into the sea after an explosion. Was it a tragic accident or an act of terrorism?

Episode 7

Conflicting alarms confuse pilots of Birgenair Flight 301 before it crashes into the ocean.

Episode 8

Pilots try to determine why both landing-gear lights do not function on an L-1011.

Episode 9

A Legacy business jet collides with a Boeing 737 in mid-air over the Amazon Rain Forest.

Episode 10

Stephen Bogaert

Catastrophic incidents in aviation history are meticulously reenacted, providing insight into what went wrong and if the crashes and near-disasters could have been prevented. Accounts from survivors combine with cockpit recordings and computer images to weave the gripping tales, and expert testimony reveals the hows and whys behind the events, some of which have resulted in important changes to aviation safety and regulations.

Canada

André Barro

Bernard Vaillot

Air Disasters

Smithsonian Channel

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Follow the operations of Jamie Davis Motor Truck, a heavy vehicle rescue and recovery towing company based in Hope, British Columbia focusing on the hardships of operating along the highways of the BC Interior, especially the Coquihalla Highway, which is notorious for rapidly changing weather.

Highway Thru Hell

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From roots in the Deep South to the slums of New Jersey, "Who Do You Think You Are?" follows the journeys of some of the most well-known names in American popular culture. Watch as celebrities discover unknown details about themselves and their families while researching their ancestry with the help of historians and genealogical experts.

Who Do You Think You Are?

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Viewers go deep into an Alaskan winter to meet six tough and resilient residents as they try to stay one step ahead of storms and man-eating beasts to make it through to spring. The closest neighbor to Sue Aikens is more than 300 miles away. Eric Salitan subsists solely on what he hunts and forages. Chip and Agnes Hailstone catch fish for currency in bartering for supplies, and Andy and Kate Bassich use their pack of sled dogs for transportation.

Life Below Zero

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This stylish mix of documentary and historical epic chronicles the reign of Commodus, the emperor whose rule marked the beginning of Rome's fall.

Roman Empire

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Dicle finds herself in an agency when she comes to Istanbul dreaming of becoming a filmmaker. There’s only place for stars, ego wars, greed, fame, money, hope and disappointment here. As Dicle struggles to exist in this glamorous world without losing her way... Her broken family ties start to bleed again. Her father who abandoned them before she was born is now one of the sharks of the industry and they are working in the same agency. And the magical lights of cinema start to shed light on Dicle’s first love.

The Agency

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Psychic medium Amy Allan and former NYPD homicide detective Steve DiSchiavi investigate locations that are reported to be haunted.

The Dead Files

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A British medical documentary set in King's College Hospital. 91 cameras filmed round the clock for 28 days, 24 hours a day in A&E it offers unprecedented access to one of Britain's busiest A&E departments.

24 Hours in A&E

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Meet modern-day treasure hunter Drew Pritchard. With demanding customers, high turnover, and one of the biggest decorative salvage yards in the UK, Drew is constantly on the road, crisscrossing the country in search of derelict gems and forgotten remnants. Drew loves the thrill of the hunt and while he gets his hands dirty in the country's architectural backwaters, his crack team of restorers is back at the shop giving old and rare finds a new lease on life.

Salvage Hunters

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True stories of people whose lives have spiraled out of control... Families are different, and life within them unfolds in different ways. Even with the best intentions, parents sometimes lose control of their children's upbringing, and disaster strikes. Other times, all it takes is for them to fall in with the wrong crowd, and suddenly the whole family's life becomes hell!

Family affairs

A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.

How the Universe Works

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The epic story of post-Civil War America, focusing on Cullen Bohannon, a Confederate soldier who sets out to exact revenge on the Union soldiers who killed his wife. His journey takes him west to Hell on Wheels, a dangerous, raucous, lawless melting pot of a town that travels with and services the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, an engineering feat unprecedented for its time.

Hell on Wheels

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The adventures of seven fish-tailed kids- Molly, Gil, Oona, Deema, Nonny, Goby, and Zooli!

Bubble Guppies

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Season 1

Chalk's Ocean Airways flight 101 crashes just after take-off from Watson Island in Miami.

Korean Airlines Flight 007 is shot down by a fighter jet when it enters Soviet airspace.

The importance of weather forecasting to the aviation industry.

In August, 1985, an airplane's engine catches fire as it accelerates.

Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes shortly after take-off in Detroit.

A design flaw on the Fokker F28 causes two similar plane crashes in Ontario and New York.

Air France Flight 296 fails to regain altitude after performing a flyby during an air show.

Five aviation disasters and the changes they have forced air-traffic controllers to make.

An Air Inter flight crashes into the Vosges Mountains while attempting to land.

An air traffic controller's mistake causes two planes to collide on the runway.

The West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crash ultimately leads to bankruptcy of the troubled airline.

Episode 11

AM Airlines Flight 3054 slides off a runway and crashes into a warehouse next to a petrol station.

Episode 12

Season 2

In 1978, passengers and seven people on the ground die when a PSA flight crashed into a Cessna.

Manchester United football team's plane crashes while returning from Yugoslavia, killing 23 aboard.

Moments before a Pacific Southwest flight crashes in California, gunshots are heard in the cabin.

United Airlines Flight 232 crashes into Sioux City's runway in 1989.

A Northwest Airlines flight above the Bering Sea must make an emergency landing in Anchorage.

Continental Express Flight 2574 suffers wing damage and goes into a dive falling out of the sky.

A burst tire creates an in-flight fire on flight 2120 which causes passengers and crew to perish.

Moments after take-off, SAS Flight 686 collides with a Cessna on the runway.

A Korean Air Cargo flight crashes in a field moments after takeoff from England's Stansted Airport.

Arrow Air Flight 1285 with 248 American soldiers on board crashes after refueling in Newfoundland.

An emergency landing during a violent storm kills the engines of a 737.

Season 3

The emergency landing of a Reeve Aleutian Airlines plane over the Pacific Ocean.

A plane crash into the alligator-infested Florida Everglades.

As a typhoon bears down on Taiwan, Singapore Airlines Flight 006 hurtles down the runway through high winds and rain. But before it even leaves the ground, the 747 erupts in a fireball, fed by thousands of gallons of fuel, killing almost half of the passengers. Buckle up as we piece together the details of this air disaster. The shocking investigation may make you rethink where you sit the next time you board a plane.

It's a clear and calm December day in 1997 when a Boeing 737 suddenly plummets from the sky into an Indonesian jungle at supersonic speed. All 104 aboard are killed on impact, their bodies lost in the muddy Musi River. Evidence points to a serious mechanical failure, but when the full story of SilkAir Flight 185 is finally revealed, the cause is far more troubling than anyone could have imagined.

Just three miles from its destination and assaulted by severe weather, TANS Peru Flight 204, crashes in Peru's Amazon jungle, leaving a one-mile-long trail of luggage, bodies, and torn aircraft. But the cause for this air disaster proves even more mysterious when it's discovered that the crash site has been scavenged by looters. Join the 312-day investigation, as examiners use all of their creativity to determine why this Boeing 737 fell from the sky, taking the lives of nearly half of those aboard.

Two commercial airliners go missing over the Arizona desert, and are later found in pieces, scattered along the Grand Canyon floor. It's 1956, and air disaster examiner Jack Parshall is pressed for answers. There are no black boxes or any of the advanced technology used by modern day investigators. And all he has to go on are plane fragments and his own expertise. See how Parshall and his team of experts literally pieced the accident together, and how their findings helped transform air travel as we currently know it.

It was the deadliest aviation disaster in U.S. history of its time. The 1979 crash of American Airlines Flight 191 terrified a nation and nearly put the DC-10 out of commission forever. Relive the horrific crash at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport that claimed 273 lives, and see how investigators, under intense pressure from the FAA, the media, and airline companies across the globe, finally identified the cause.

Just minutes before touching down in Portland International Airport, all four engines of a DC-8 mysteriously flame out. With the aircraft dropping 3,000 feet per minute, the pilots realize they have no option but to crash land in the middle of a major American city. Witness the harrowing emergency landing of United Airlines Flight 173 in Portland, Oregon, and uncover the shocking reasons for its massive engine failure.

A Russian passenger jet crashes into the Volga River, killing almost everyone on board. The incident turns into a national tragedy when rescuers discover the plane carried some of the country's most famous athletes, the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team. What caused one of the worst disasters in sports history? Was it the crew's fault or would the blame be cast on an aviation industry that isn't up to European and American standards? Investigators are under extreme pressure to find out. The reason is almost too simple to believe.

It was an air disaster that crippled a country, heightened tensions between two nations, and ignited conspiracy theories worldwide. On April 10, 2010, Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M, carrying Poland's president, Lech Kaczynski, crashed on Russian soil, killing everyone aboard. Russian experts pinned the blame on the pilots, but Poland's Interior Minister examined the evidence and reached a far different conclusion. Experience the tragedy that shocked the world and follow the investigation that remains steeped in controversy.

Five minutes into Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409, something goes wrong. The pilots lose control of their aircraft, and before they can regain command, they begin an unstoppable descent into the Mediterranean Sea. All 90 aboard are dead and experts are scrambling for answers. There was a storm, but was it big enough to take down a 737? Or was there a more ominous explanation? Experience the terrifying disaster of January 25, 2010, and follow the investigation that led to a finding so controversial, some still refuse to believe it.

Santa Barbara Airlines Flight 518 is about to embark on a difficult, but common, trip from Merida, Venezuela to Caracas. Minutes after leaving the ground, all aboard are killed when the aircraft crashes into a mountaintop, miles off course. What happened? Relive this devastating 2008 air disaster and witness the demanding recovery mission at an altitude of 14,000 feet. Then join the investigation as experts comb through evidence and discover a lethal combination of bad equipment and bad decisions.

On June 1, 2009, a modern Airbus A330, traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, vanished somewhere over the Atlantic. The families of the 228 presumed victims demanded answers, but would have to wait two years to get them. This is the story of Air France Flight 447, which came to rest 13,000 feet below the ocean's surface in an area deeper than the resting place of the Titanic. The effort to find and reach the aircraft was a miracle. And what investigators discovered in the wreckage would send shockwaves throughout the aviation industry.

Episode 13

Season 4

Can a generation gap actually cause a catastrophic air disaster? Witness the story of BEA Flight 548, a scheduled passenger flight from London Heathrow to Brussels, which crashed in June of 1972 shortly after take-off near the town of Staines, England. All 118 people on board were killed. The accident became known as the Staines air disaster and, as of 2018, remains the deadliest air accident to take place in the United Kingdom and also marks the highest death toll involving a Hawker Siddeley Trident.

On June 6, 1971, Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a Douglas DC-9-31, enroute from Los Angeles, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah, collided in mid-air with a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, of the U.S. Marine Corps, over the San Gabriel Mountains, near Duarte, California. The F-4 pilot and all 49 passengers and crew on board the civilian airliner died; the Radar Intercept Officer of the F-4 survived. Join the NTSB and military experts as they work together to uncover how a fighter jet could collide with a civilian airliner.

In January 2000, Crossair Flight 498, a Saab 340 commuter flight from Zurich, Switzerland, to Dresden, Germany, crashed two minutes after takeoff in the Swiss municipality of Niederhasli. The seven passengers and three crew members aboard the aircraft all died on impact. It was the first fatal crash for the Swiss regional airline Crossair in its 25-year history.

On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-222, crashed into the 14th Street Bridge and plunged through the ice into the Potomac River just two miles from the White House. The death toll reached 74, including four motorists on the bridge, forever changing airport procedure during inclement weather.

On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, enroute from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Dominican Republic, crashed shortly after takeoff into the Belle Harbor neighborhood of Queens. All 260 people aboard the plane (251 passengers and 9 crew members), as well as 5 bystanders on the ground, were killed. It's the second-deadliest aviation accident involving an Airbus A300 (after Iran Air Flight 655), and the second-deadliest aviation accident to occur on U.S. soil (after American Airlines Flight 191).

In September of 1989, NOAA 42 “Kermit” flew a research mission into Hurricane Hugo, east of Barbados. On approach, there was a temporary outage of the lower fuselage radar, blinding the crew as to the structure and strength of the storm. Follow the crew through it's hair-raising ordeal as they monitor the landmark hurricane, while flying a plane in turbulence so severe, it puts the mission in jeopardy.

In June of 1980, Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 that left Guglielmo Marconi airport in Bologna, Italy traveling to Palermo, Sicily, and was in its final descent before crashing into the Tyrhennian Sea near the island of Ustica. All 77 passengers and 4 crew lost their lives in the crash, the cause of which is still debated to this day.

In November of 2008, XL Airways Germany Flight 888T crashed at high speed into the Mediterranean Sea killing all 7 on board. The Airbus A320-232 was a flight test (or "acceptance flight") which took place immediately following light maintenance and repainting done in preparation for its transfer from XL Airways Germany, which had been leasing it, to Air New Zealand, the owner.

Did you know 80% of all air accidents are survivable? See how the aviation industry is working to raise that number as survival stories, including the "Miracle on the Hudson", are recalled.

In August 2007, what should have been a seven-minute island-hop from Moorea to Tahiti, in French Polynesia, ended in disaster. According to eyewitnesses, Air Moorea Flight 1121, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, was climbing through 400 feet when it suddenly nosed down and dove into the ocean killing all 20 on board.

The world's largest commercial airliner is coming apart in midair. Fortunately, the pilots are keeping it all together. The story of Qantas Flight 32, a 2010 passenger flight from London to Sydney, Australia. After taking off from Singapore's Changi Airport for the second leg of its flight, an engine exploded, forcing the crew to return to Changi Airport and attempt an emergency landing.

Season 5

The 1988 flight of Aloha Airlines Flight 243, which saw the top of its fuselage torn off due to an explosive decompression, is recalled.

A surface-to-air missile cripples a cargo plane just after it leaves Baghdad International Airport.

Japan Airlines Flight 123, the worst single-plane crash in history and the simple error made years earlier that caused it.

FedEx employees fend off an attack by a coworker.

A mid-flight bombing aboard Philippine Airlines Flight 434 forces its pilots to attempt a daring landing at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan.

A Navy cruiser in the Persian Gulf must determine if an incoming plane is friend or foe.

The 1995 crash of a Super Puma helicopter in the North Sea while ferrying workers to an oil platform is recounted.

The worst plane crash in Egypt's history becomes one the most controversial when the investigation focuses on one pilot's intentions.

A pilot allows his teen son to fly the plane; tragedy results.

The story of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, which was hijacked while on a routine trip to the Ivory Coast. The hijackers demanded to be taken to Australia, but there was one problem: the plane didn't have enough fuel to make the trip.

Season 6

An August 2005 incident in which an Airbus A340 skidded off a runway, endangering the lives of more than 300 people on board, is investigated.

A passenger jet tries to make it to land when it runs into trouble over the Indian Ocean.

A smoke-filled DC-10 makes an emergency landing in Cincinnati and, 90 seconds later, bursts into flames.

The 1997 crash of Korean Air Flight 801, which occurred when the crew attempted an instrument landing during a heavy rain storm, is recalled.

Two deadly Boeing 737 crashes during the 1990s are investigated.

The story of China Airlines Flight 006, which almost crashed into the Pacific Ocean after experiencing engine trouble. The investigation of the incident detailed how jet lag and lack of sleep can impact pilots.

The investigation into a midair collision over Cerritos, Cal., leads to improvements in how planes are monitored.

The 1996 crash in Croatia of USAF IFO-21, an executive transport aircraft carrying Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and 34 others, is examined.

An examination of the crash over the Red Sea in January 2004.

The case of Helios Airways 737, in which a passenger flight circling Athens fails to respond to air-traffic controllers.

Season 7

One of the worst crashes in British history has a stunning cause that changed aviation safety forever.

What caused a 767 to break apart in mid-air? A world-famous race car driver discovers a surprising answer.

After a terrifying crash, survivors face a new challenge: surviving the remote Brazilian jungle.

Relive the crash of Copa Airlines Flight 201 and the harrowing investigation in one of the world's most remote jungles.

See if two MD-11 planes crashes, nearly 12 years apart, were both the result of pilot error or a flaw in the aircraft itself.

Relive one of the most shocking air disasters in American history as we revisit the 1999 crash that killed JFK Jr.

Follow investigators as they use the few remaining pieces of a fiery crash to explain a Concorde's doomed flight.

Mexico's war with drug cartels appears to reach a terrifying new level when a special government charter carrying the president's right-hand man plummets to Earth. There's speculation that this plane crash was no accident but an assassination. The investigation takes a startling new turn after the cockpit voice recorder is recovered. Revisit the night when Mexico City's financial district became an inferno and follow examiners from the crash scene investigation to the shocking conclusion that changed everything.

When a commuter turboprop plane crashes at an Irish airport, investigators uncover a startling gap in aviation safety.

An investigation of a charter plane that moves off course and goes down in Canada's far north.

Season 8

In 1996, at Quincy Regional Airport in Illinois, United Express Flight 5925, a Beechcraft 1900 twin turboprop, collided on landing with another Beechcraft, a private King Air, that was taking off from an intersecting runway. Why did the fiery collision turn to tragedy, causing all twelve on board the 1900 and two on board the King Air, to perish when they were unable to escape the burning aircraft?

On July 6, 2013, when Asiana Flight 214 crashed after striking the seawall short of the runway on final approach into San Francisco, it shook the world and the investigation proved to be just as dramatic. It was the first crash of a Boeing 777 that resulted in fatalities since that aircraft model entered into service in 1995.

In October 1992, El Al Flight 1862, a cargo jet heading from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv suddenly begins rolling violently just seven minutes after takeoff. The pilots struggle to turn the crippled plane back towards the airport, but minutes before landing, another sudden roll sends the aircraft plummeting to Earth and straight into a high-rise apartment complex. 43 die in the crash and a nation demands answers. Investigators search for a cause of the Netherlands' worst ever airline disaster. What they find is a potentially lethal problem threatening every 747 in the sky.

What caused Garuda Flight 200 to slam to the ground and careen off the runway in Yogyakarta, Indonesia? Was it a powerful downdraft? Was there something wrong with the wing flaps? Or did a baffling decision by the pilot lead to the death of 21 people? Join us as we investigate the crash of March 7, 2007, through actual video captured at the scene and testimony from a heroic passenger who survived the disaster. Then see how the investigation led the troubled airline to overhaul its training and safety protocols.

In September 2010, shortly after taking off from Dubai, UPS Flight 6 catches fire. With flames spreading throughout the main deck, the pilots make a desperate attempt to return to the airport for an emergency landing. But critical systems are failing, the pilot has collapsed, smoke is filling the cockpit, and the first officer cannot see his instruments. The only way to land is to improvise an emergency procedure, but shaky communications with controllers and poor visibility inside and outside the plane will make for a nearly impossible landing.

Not far from Congonhas Airport, a Sao Paulo neighborhood is in flames. It's a scene of devastation caused by TAM Airlines Flight 3054, a plane that crashed just seconds after takeoff in July 2007. With a shocked nation watching, investigators from the Brazilian Air Force join forces with the National Transportation Safety Board to learn what happened. After combing through more than a hundred parameters in search of a lead, they determine a series of malfunctions caused the accident, coupled with a mechanical failure so rare that pilots had received no training for it.

Just seconds after taking off from Madrid International Airport, Spanair Flight 5022 rolls to the right and slams into a riverbank beside the runway. In spite of the massive rescue effort, only 18 of the 172 people on board survive. Spain quickly recruits an international team of experts to investigate this puzzling disaster. How could a sophisticated jet, manned by an experienced crew, crash on takeoff? A long preflight delay, an airline in financial trouble, and a blazing August afternoon in 2008 may help provide the answer.

The 1991 crash of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 to Brunswick, Georgia claims the lives of a NASA astronaut and a former U.S. senator and becomes an international media sensation. Commuter planes like this twin-turboprop aircraft aren't required to carry flight recorders, so investigators must rely on physical evidence to find the cause of the disaster. The strange angle of one of the propeller blades seems to offer an explanation, but in order to prove the detectives' theory, they'll need to take a huge and potentially lethal gamble.

A routine landing in October 2006 on the Norwegian island of Stord turns fatal for Atlantic Airways Flight 670 when the commuter plane skids out of control, off the runway, and down a steep cliff. With several exits blocked, and the plane engulfed in flames, 16 people onboard scramble to escape. Revisit the harrowing crash, and follow investigators as they search for possible causes for the disaster, from a slight tailwind to a wet runway to a hidden flaw in the plane's design.

It's 1961. Air traffic controllers and local dignitaries in Ndola, Africa await the arrival of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, flying in on a top-secret peace mission. But the plane never arrives, and is found the next morning crashed and burning just a few miles from the airport. For decades, conspiracy theories have suggested that the plane was shot down. Now, startling new claims from a former U.S. intelligence officer have triggered a new investigation to get to the bottom of this controversial, decades-long aviation mystery.

Season 9

A private Learjet carrying golf legend and reigning U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart takes off from Orlando heading for Dallas in 1999. But within minutes, air traffic control loses contact with the aircraft. The situation grows more urgent when the plane begins an unplanned trajectory across the Midwest. Air Force F-16 fighter planes scramble to intercept the Learjet, only to discover that the pilots and passengers are dead. The only question is why it happened.

A Boeing 757 takes off from Washington Dulles International Airport en route to Los Angeles. In minutes, hijackers storm the cockpit and turn the plane back toward the nation's capital and straight into the Pentagon. A total of 189 people are dead, the fuselage has been vaporized, and investigators are under tremendous pressure to determine how this could have happened. Witness the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 and the ways in which the 9/11 attacks brought immediate and profound changes to commercial aviation throughout the world.

Nearly half a century later, it remains history's deadliest air crash. The 1977 collision of two jumbo jets at a tiny airport in the Canary Islands horrified the world and sent investigators scrambling to understand what happened. Witness the runway disaster that claimed the lives of 583 passengers and crew. Then watch as examiners from Spain, the Netherlands, and the U.S. sift through the wreckage, the tower transcripts, and one pilot's flight log to untangle the chain of events that led to this catastrophic accident.

The chances of a catastrophic event happening after a plane parks are nearly nonexistent, which is why the incident aboard China Airlines Flight 120 in August 2007 was so baffling to investigators. The plane's engines were switched off. The passengers were lining up to debark. Then within seconds, the aircraft was engulfed in flames. What caused the sudden inferno that sent panicked passengers scrambling for their lives? Discover the tiny failure that endangered not only this flight and its passengers, but air travelers around the world.

A short hop from Lyon, France to Brittany in 1998 is extended when pilots of Proteus Airlines Flight 706, a Beechcraft 1900D, decide to give passengers a bird's-eye view of a legendary French ocean liner nearby. Suddenly, the commuter plane explodes in midair and spirals into Quiberon Bay, tragically ending 15 lives. Despite hundreds of eyewitnesses, no one seems to know what brought down the twin-engine Beechcraft. Follow the unimaginable chain of events that led to this crash and discover its impact on innovations in airline safety.

Continental Express Flight 2286, a Trans-Colorado Airlines commuter plane, flies over the Rocky Mountains heading to Durango-La Plata County Airport in 1988. Five miles from touchdown, something goes terribly wrong. There's no sign of the runway and before both pilots can react, the aircraft crashes in the frozen wilderness. Nine of the 17 people on board are killed, and investigators are left scrambling for answers. One survivor's testimony troubles the examiners, but it's an unexpected phone call that points to a shocking discovery.

It's a routine takeoff on an ordinary morning in 2015 when Germanwings Flight 9525 leaves Barcelona for Dusseldorf. But something goes horribly wrong over the French Alps. The plane begins rapidly descending and air traffic control gets no response from the cockpit. Everyone's worst fears are realized when the plane is found smashed to pieces in the mountains. All passengers and crew aboard are dead. As the investigation unfolds, grief soon turns to horror when black box data points to a possibility so dark, it's almost beyond belief.

During Indonesia's unpredictable rainy season, a Boeing 737 suddenly finds itself in the middle of a violent storm in January 2002. The white-knuckle ride gets much worse when the plane loses both engines and then its electrical power. After two failed attempts to restart the crippled aircraft, the pilots are left with only one perilous option. Witness the crash of Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 and the desperate water landing with no engines, no assistance, and no electronic guidance.

Just days after Christmas in 2014, an Airbus A320 en route to Singapore disappears over the Java Sea. A massive search confirms the worst: the plane has crashed, killing all 162 on board. Speculation runs wild about what could have brought the airliner down, and an international team of experts comes together to help determine what caused AirAsia Flight 8501 to plummet from the sky. Discover how a mysterious action by the captain set off a deadly sequence of events that ultimately doomed the aircraft.

It's April 2013. A 747 cargo plane leaves Afghanistan's largest airfield with 207,000 pounds of military equipment. Within seconds of takeoff, the pilots lose control of the aircraft. The nose won't drop, and in an instant, the plane stalls and crashes to the ground. The accident is caught on camera, leading investigators to what seems like an obvious conclusion, until further research indicates there must be more to the story. Discover how the crash of National Airlines Flight 102 became Bagram Airfield's worst ever civilian aviation accident.

Season 10

After a long delay on a hot July evening in 1996, TWA Flight 800 leaves John F. Kennedy Airport carrying 230 passengers and crew en route to Paris. Minutes after takeoff, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet suddenly explodes without warning, killing everyone aboard. Was it a bomb? A missile? A design flaw? To find the answer, the NTSB must attempt the unthinkable: rebuild the entire plane, piece by shattered piece.

On a commuter flight from Minneapolis to Hibbing in 1993, Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 descends into the clouds on a cold Minnesota night. Suddenly, the pilots of the twin-engine turboprop find themselves ricocheting off the treetops, crashing violently into a hillside. Investigators face intense pressure to find the cause of the crash that killed all 18 people on board. Initial concerns center around the inexperienced first officer, but further digging reveals a darker issue, one that surfaced months before the plane ever left the ground.

A blackened scar on a frozen field near Detroit marks the fatal impact zone of Flight 3272. The sudden loss of 29 lives leaves families in anguish and investigators perplexed. In search of answers, the NTSB turns to the FAA only to discover that federal regulators themselves may be part of the problem. Witness the stunning 1997 crash of this small commuter aircraft and discover how outdated ideas put pilots and passengers at risk.

Air China Flight 129 prepares to land at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea when a direction from air traffic control to change its approach sets off a series of tragic events that claim the lives of 129 people on board. What happened in those final moments between the captain and his crew? And could a few critical seconds have made the difference between life and death? Discover what caused the worst air disaster in South Korean history and find out the key recommendations made to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

A routine flight from Jakarta to Medan, Indonesia encounters a very non-routine obstacle: forest fires that are sending a thick blanket of smoke across all of Southeast Asia. But it was a series of avoidable human errors, not a natural disaster, that doomed Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 on September 26, 1997. Discover how an air traffic controller's number mix-up, an incorrect altitude setting, and a wrong turn claimed 234 lives, resulting in the deadliest plane crash in Indonesian history.

It was supposed to be a routine 50-minute hop from Columbia, SC to Charlotte, NC for USAir Flight 1016. But in an instant, a beautiful summer day gave way to one of the most powerful microbursts on record, sending the DC-9 crashing to Earth and killing 37 of the 52 passengers on board. While the storm was intense, investigators are not convinced weather alone caused the disaster. Revisit the harrowing crash and discover how the plane's extreme changes in speed, direction, and altitude created fatal confusion in the cockpit.

It was a state-of-the-art commuter plane making a simple one-hour flight from Taipei to a Taiwanese island off the coast of China. But within minutes of takeoff, TransAsia Flight 235 plunged into the Keelung River, killing all but 15 people on board. To determine the cause of the crash, investigators examine stunning footage captured by the dashcam of a passing car and uncover shocking evidence about the captain and even the airline itself.

An Airbus A321 carrying Russian tourists back from Egypt in 2015 suddenly disappears from radar minutes after takeoff. Air Force jets locate the charred wreckage in the Sinai Desert. There are no survivors. How did this modern airplane just fall from the sky? Follow Egyptian investigators and their Russian counterparts as they work through political tensions and wild rumors to discover the truth behind the crash of Metrojet Flight 9268.

A 737 leaving Buenos Aires fails to lift off in August 1999, hurtling past the airport and crashing into a nearby industrial gas plant. Investigators from Argentina collaborate with the NTSB to determine what kept the plane from taking flight. What they discover points to a stunning conclusion that impacts the Argentinean airline industry. Revisit the tragedy of LAPA Flight 3142 and discover why an experienced crew failed to execute a basic takeoff procedure.

An Airbus A310 is minutes from reaching Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport when it disappears in the Himalayas. Two days later, the wreckage is found. None of the 113 people onboard have survived. Witness the flight's final moments, investigate the cause of the crash, and discover how the disaster underscored the need for more advanced air traffic control technology at the mountainous Nepali airport and the critical importance of teamwork among pilots.

Season 11

Emery Worldwide Flight 17 leaves Sacramento Mather Airport in February 2000 while carrying a load of freight containers. Upon takeoff, the aircraft dives repeatedly and banks to the left. The pilots attempt to regain control of the crippled plane and return to the airport, but the DC-8 crashes a mile from the runway, killing all three crewmembers. Investigators suspect the cargo was loaded improperly, until a much more troubling cause is discovered upon closer examination.

The landing of a TransAsia commuter flight in bad weather goes horribly wrong in July 2014. The plane crashes less than a mile from Magong Airport in the Penghu archipelago, a popular Taiwanese vacation spot. The media quickly claims the storm caused the disaster, but investigators aren't so certain. When another TransAsia crash occurs just seven months later, their suspicions are confirmed: there is a systemic problem with the airline, and if it isn't corrected soon, the lives of more passengers and crew members will be at risk.

A Boeing 727 leaving Dallas for Salt Lake City on August 31, 1988 crashes just moments after takeoff, killing 14 of the 108 passengers and crew on board. The NTSB is fast to arrive on the scene, but finding the answers to what went wrong won't come nearly as quickly. Revisit the disaster of Delta Airlines Flight 1141, recounted by one of its fortunate survivors, and follow the inquiry, which uncovers a fatal error made during takeoff.

A commercial airliner whisks 283 passengers from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on a flight path that will take them over a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. Mid-flight, the aircraft suddenly breaks up and crashes to Earth, killing all aboard. Signs point to a surface-to-air missile strike, but with the wreckage resting in the heart of a war zone, finding evidence proves challenging. See how investigators, against all odds, were able to literally piece together the story of what caused the 2014 crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

The state-of-the-art Russian aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100 takes flight on what's meant to be a tight, 30-minute loop over Indonesia to impress potential buyers and journalists. But the trip turns catastrophic after pilots lose their way in the clouds and veer straight into a mountain at 240 mph. Just reaching the wreckage will be one of the most challenging salvage operations Indonesian investigators have ever faced. Finding an explanation for the crash will prove just as troubling.

In the skies above the Mojave Desert, Virgin Galactic's commercial spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo, accelerates toward the outer reaches of Earth's atmosphere, guided by test pilots. Suddenly, the aircraft breaks apart and falls from the sky, killing the flight's co-pilot. With the future of space tourism in jeopardy, NTSB investigators must determine exactly what caused the test flight to go so horribly wrong.

Qantas Airways Flight 72 cruises at 37,000 feet to Perth, Australia from Singapore. Suddenly, the highly automated A-330 fires off a series of contradictory warnings and repeatedly nosedives toward the Indian Ocean. Thanks to the heroic flying of a former fighter pilot, the accident does not end in all-out disaster, but the danger is far from over. With almost 600 A-330s in service around the globe, investigators must find out what went wrong before calamity strikes again.

A DC-9 lines up for a nighttime landing at Zurich's Kloten Airport. Although the pilots can't see the runway, their navigation instruments indicate the plane is locked onto the proper signal from the airport. But the equipment is wrong. The plane is actually flying more than a thousand feet lower than it should. Discover the series of errors that caused Alitalia Flight 404 to plow into the ground six miles short of its destination.

China Airlines Flight 140 is less than three minutes from touching down at Japan's Nagoya Airport. Suddenly, the highly automated A300 gains speed and won't respond to the pilots' nose-dive commands. After an aborted landing and attempted go-around, the aircraft stalls and crashes into the ground, killing 264 passengers and crew. With so many A300s in service around the world, investigators must determine what happened before a similar accident occurs.

As Denver air traffic controllers struggle to keep departures on schedule amid heavy snow in 1987, a DC-9 is delayed on the tarmac. When the crew is finally cleared for takeoff, the plane gets only 20 feet off the ground before banking sharply and slamming back down, killing 28 of the 82 people on board. Follow investigators as they uncover why Continental Airlines Flight 1713 crashed in bad weather while others safely took off. The discovery will change commercial flight, and the teams flying these aircraft, forever.

Season 12

See what happens when an airbus A330 loses power to both its engines over the South China Sea.

When a modified WWII fighter plane crashes into the crowd at a Nevada air show, investigators struggle to find the cause.

A false warning in the cockpit triggers a series of pilot errors, sending a commuter plane crashing by the runway of an Amsterdam airport.

When a DC-8 cargo jet crashes on approach to a U.S. naval base in Guantanamo, investigators wonder if Cuba played a role.

Discover why a cargo plane, operating as Fine Fir Flight 101, lost control after takeoff and plowed through a Miami highway in August 1997.

A commercial airliner crashes minutes after taking off from an airport in Bucharest causing suspicions to rise.