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TV14HDAir Disasters1hSmithsonian 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

S4, EP7 "Catastrophe at O'Hare"

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.

Air Disasters

S1, EP2 "Gimli Glider"

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

Air Disasters

S18, EP14 "A Wounded Bird"

A blade on the left-side propeller of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight breaks off; the imbalance of the rotating propeller causes the engine to partly tear itself from its mounting.

Air Disasters

S19, EP1 "Deadly Exchange"

When a commuter flight crashes mysteriously just a mile from a Missouri runway, investigators turn their attention to the final seconds in the cockpit.

Air Disasters

S25, EP1 "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 it.

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: Frank Nakashima, Jim Annan, Jimi Shlag, Jon De Leon, Jonathan Aris, Kordo Doski, Kris Saric, Peter Nelson, Peter Pasyk, Robert B. Kennedy, Rowan Vickers, Ryan Hollyman, Shauna Bradley, Thom Marriott, Tufford Kennedy
Original Air Date: May 15, 2011
Genres: DocuseriesTV Series
Rating: TV14
Playback: HD
24 seasons available on demand
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