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TV14HDAir Disasters1hSmithsonian Channel

On 26 May 1991, the thrust reverser on the number one engine of Lauda Air Flight 004 deploys in flight without being commanded, causing the aircraft to spiral out of control, disintegrate, and crash about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok.

On 26 May 1991, the thrust reverser on the number one engine of Lauda Air Flight 004 deploys in flight without being commanded, causing the aircraft to spiral out of control, disintegrate, and crash about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok.

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Air Disasters

S4, EP8 "Focused on Failure"

On 28 December 1978, the crew of United Airlines Flight 173 are preoccupied with a landing gear problem as the aircraft circles in a holding pattern in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon; it runs out of fuel and crashes in a sparsely populated area.

Air Disasters

S8, EP6 "The Death of JFK Jr."

When John F. Kennedy Jr.'s Piper Saratoga crashed in 1999, the NTSB faces big pressure to find the wreckage and the cause.

Air Disasters

S20, EP25 "Landings Gone Wrong"

Relying on instinct rather than the rule book, three flights end in tragedy when crews improvise on their final approach.

Air Disasters

S20, EP3 "Collision Course"

A passenger ferry sinks after crashing into rocks off the coast of a Greek island, killing 82; it leads to a shocking investigation.

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.

Air Disasters

S21, EP1 "Scratching the Surface"

After taking off from Taiwan, a China Airlines 747 suddenly disappears from radar and crashes, killing 225 people.

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, Dom Fiore, Eric Craig, Hannah Cheesman, Ho "Oyster" Chow, Jack Grinhaus, Jim Annan, Jonathan Aris, Kordo Doski, Patrick Galligan, Samy Osman, Shauna Bradley, Tim Funnel, Toby Proctor, Tyler McMaster
Original Air Date: May 15, 2011
Genres: DocuseriesTV Series
Rating: TV14
Playback: HD
20 seasons available on demand
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