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Watch S4, EP7: Catastrophe at O'Hare with Fubo for $0 Today

TV14Air Disasters45mSmithsonian Channel

On 25 May 1979, the number-one engine on American Airlines Flight 191 detaches moments after taking off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The aircraft banks to the left and crashes into an open field, killing all 271 people on board.

On 25 May 1979, the number-one engine on American Airlines Flight 191 detaches moments after taking off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The aircraft banks to the left and crashes into an open field, killing all 271 people on board.

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Air Disasters

S2, EP501 "Pacific Ditching"

Just after takeoff from Honolulu, TransAir Flight 810 loses power and ditches in the Pacific. Both pilots survive, blaming dual engine failure-but when the Boeing 737 is recovered, the wreckage reveals a different cause behind t.

Air Disasters

S20, EP7 "Runway in Sight"

If pilots aren't prepared when the runway is in sight, a landing can quickly become a tragedy.

Air Disasters

S17, EP1 "Holding Pattern"

Flydubai Flight 981 enters a rapid descent and crashes nose-first at Rostov-on-Don Airport in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, after aborting its second landing attempt in poor weather conditions.

Air Disasters

S20, EP18 "Courage in the Cockpit"

Devastating failures in the air put pilots to the test and shine a light on three feats of flying.

Air Disasters

S21, EP6 "Falling Fast"

Investigators discover a shocking mistake when pilots must ditch their plane in the Mediterranean, killing 14 of the 34 passengers.

Air Disasters

S21, EP5 "Operation Babylift"

A United States Air Force transport aircraft conducting the inaugural flight of Operation Babylift suffers an explosive decompression when the rear cargo door fails and crashes into a paddy field while attempting an emergency landing.

Air Disasters

S21, EP4 "Sight Unseen"

Saudi Airways and Kazakhstan Airlines jets hit each other at 14,000 feet sending both planes spiraling to the ground.

Statistically, traveling by airplane is safer than driving and other forms of transportation, but when something goes wrong during a flight, it can be catastrophic with potentially hundreds of lives at stake. This series examines some of the world's worst air disasters, using official reports, transcripts and interviews with people involved to tell the stories of midair mishaps and discover what went wrong in each case. Episodes include a discussion of how the weather affects flights -- including stories of aviation disasters and near-misses -- and a New Year's Eve flight that fell from the sky into the Florida Everglades.
Starring: Andrew Gillies, Clinton Lee Pontes, David Storch, Godfrey Giocada, Ho "Oyster" Chow, James Chung, Jim Annan, Jimi Shlag, Johnathan Sousa, Jonathan Aris, Jonathan Shatzky, Michael Goldlist, Peter Pasyk, Samy Osman, Thom Marriott
Original Air Date: May 15, 2011
Genres: DocuseriesTV Series
Rating: TV14
Playback: HD
19 seasons available on demand
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