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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.

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Air Disasters

S12, EP9 "Deadly Go Round"

When an A300 stalls and crashes just before landing in Japan, fears arise about the plane's complex automated systems.

Air Disasters

S8, EP2 "Testing the Limits"

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.

Air Disasters

S2, EP4 "Panic on the Runway"

On August 22nd, 1985, 55 people died aboard British Airtours flight 28M when its engine catches fire as it accelerates.

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

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: Courtenay Stevens, Craig Eldridge, Daniel Giverin, David Guthrie, Edgar George, Jim Annan, Jonathan Aris, Kameron Louangxay, Kevin Bundy, Peter Nelson, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Rowan Vickers, Samy Osman, Steven Gallagher, Toby Proctor
Original Air Date: May 15, 2011
Genres: DocuseriesTV Series
Rating: TV14
Playback: HD
19 seasons available on demand
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