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TV14HDAir Disasters1hSmithsonian Channel

Experts investigate an unfortunate string of events that caused the freshly serviced Air Astana Flight 1388 to become completely uncontrollable.

Experts investigate an unfortunate string of events that caused the freshly serviced Air Astana Flight 1388 to become completely uncontrollable.

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Air Disasters

S18, EP1 "Cockpit Failure"

Bad weather and a series of errors lead to the 2001 crash of a plane on its approach to Zurich Airport.

Air Disasters

S20, EP4 "Engines Out"

When an aircraft loses total engine power, a pilot's training can make all the difference in the world, but it's still up to investigators to determine what went wrong.

Air Disasters

S3, EP8 "The Invisible Plane"

SAS Flight 686 takes off from Milan's Linate Airport and moments later collides with a Cessna on the runway.

Air Disasters

S1, EP6 "Southern Storm"

Pilots of Southern Airways Flight 242 must try to land on a Georgia highway after the engines die and the windshield shatters.

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, EP3 "Blown Apart"

Partnair Flight 394 loses control, breaks up in mid-air and crashes into the North Sea; the aircraft's vertical stabilizer vibrates loose during flight due to excessive wear on substandard bolts, sleeves and pins that have been illegally sold.

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: Curtis Caravaggio, Damir Andrei, Dorothy Atabong, Edsson Morales, James Chung, Jeff Sinasac, Jim Annan, Jonathan Aris, Martin Sims, Nicola Corriea-Damude, Peter Nelson, Richard Tse, Samy Osman, Steven Gallagher, Tre Smith
Original Air Date: May 15, 2011
Genres: DocuseriesTV Series
Rating: TV14
Playback: HD
20 seasons available on demand
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