Air Disasters Logo

Watch S21, EP5: Operation Babylift with Fubo for $0 Today

TVGHDAir Disasters1hSmithsonian Channel

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.

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.

How to watch

Available on demand

More episodes

Air Disasters

S2, EP12 "Deadly Reputation"

On July 17, 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054 slides off runway 35L at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, and crashes at high speed into a warehouse adjacent to a petrol station killing nearly 200 people.

Air Disasters

S18, EP3 "Pilot Betrayed"

Following the story of the Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 and Captain Rasmussen.

Air Disasters

S18, EP16 "Deadly Crossroads"

A look at the string of events that caused a midair collision in 2002 over the skies of southern Germany; a Bashkirian Airlines Flight collides with a DHL Flight in German airspace near Überlingen.

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

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: Andrew Gillies, Bill Lake, Brad Borbridge, Brandon Coffey, Caden Douglas, David Guthrie, Frank Nakashima, Hannah Cheesman, Jean-Michel Le Gal, Jonathan Aris, Noah Davis, Peter Nelson, Rowan Vickers, Ryan Hollyman, Tyler McMaster
Original Air Date: May 15, 2011
Genres: DocuseriesTV Series
Rating: TV14
Playback: HD
21 seasons available on demand
Available on

More history shows

See all

Drain the Oceans

Maritime mysteries -- old and new -- come to life in this series, combining scientific data and digital re-creations to reveal shipwrecks, treasures, and sunken cities on the bottom of lakes, seas and oceans around the world. Innovative technology allows viewers to see what lies on the floors of large bodies of water such as the Gulf of Mexico, the Nile, the Indian Ocean, the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean as if they had been drained. Then, in a quest to explain natural wonders and man-made catastrophes, stories tell of how vessels sank, what ancient geological formations reveal about life on Earth, where Nazi secrets now reside, and why so many continue to search for the legendary city of Atlantis.

Air Warriors

"Air Warrriors" puts the spotlight on some of the airplanes that have been used by American forces in combat battles through the years. The program profiles the dedicated pilots and other team members who fly and maintain the aircraft. Rarely seen combat footage and pilots' stories help bring to life the journeys that have been taken by the flying machines, which include a plane-chopper hybrid that saves lives and an attack helicopter that is called the Black Death by America's enemies.

Strangest Things

Uncovering secrets of the most remarkable and mysterious objects on Earth that are currently hidden away in museums, laboratories and storage rooms around the world.

Legends & Lies: The Real West

Fox News mainstay Bill O'Reilly jumps behind the camera, serving as executive producer of this series that explores stories behind some of the most famous -- and infamous -- figures of the Old West. Each episode delves into the life of one such individual, using new interviews, archival photos and forensic science to paint a complete picture of the person. Direct descendants and historians are among the interviewees who shed light on the lives of such figures as Jesse James, Davy Crockett, Doc Holliday and "Wild" Bill Hickok. The 10-episode series is a companion to O'Reilly's book of the same name.

Explore {{ type }} on Fubo

Action

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

Family

Home/Cooking

Horror

Music

Nature

News/Talk

Reality

Romance

Science Fiction

Sports