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A look at several air disasters that involved small components that failed; accidents caused by minor defects or errors; how the follow-up investigations led to changes that have made flying safer.
A look at several air disasters that involved small components that failed; accidents caused by minor defects or errors; how the follow-up investigations led to changes that have made flying safer.
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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
S12, EP7 "Free Fall"A computer glitch causes a highly automated Qantas Airways flight to nearly fall out of the sky; Australian investigators must find the cause before it happens again.
Air Disasters
"Sabotage"From delusional hijackers to suicidal pilots, three flights fall victim to astonishing acts of sabotage.
Air Disasters
S9, EP10 "Deadly Mission"A new investigation sheds light on the controversial 1961 plane crash that killed U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.
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.
More aviation shows
See allAir Disasters
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.
Ice Airport Alaska
A chronicle of the daily challenges of the airport staff who manage to keep the facility open, freight flowing and passengers flying all despite weather that regularly dips to -36 degrees and wind speeds that typically exceed 100 mph.
Mighty Planes
Discovery's popular "Mighty" franchise ("Mighty Ships") continues with "Mighty Planes," which takes to the skies and explores the most impressive aircraft in the world. Each episode highlights one incredible plane, from the world's only flying eye hospital to the largest passenger jet ever built, as it takes on a high-stakes mission from beginning to end. "Mighty Planes" brings viewers unprecedented access to the planet's most impressive aircraft with in-depth looks at the science of aviation and the lives of the people responsible for making it all happen.
Air Crash Investigation Special Report
A look at some of the most catastrophic aviation incidents in history that have led to safer systems being developed.