Air Disasters

Air Disasters - Smithsonian Channel

TV14

Documentary

Aviation

Examining 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.

Upcoming TV Airings

The airings below are based on a generic national schedule. Times and dates can vary by TV provider.

Wednesday, April 16

Icy Descent

Season 15 • Episode 6

After experiencing icing conditions, a turboprop slams into an Argentine desert.

Wednesday, April 16

Fatal Climb

Season 13 • Episode 6

A commercial airliner crashes minutes after taking off from an airport in Bucharest.

Wednesday, April 16

Death Race

Season 13 • Episode 2

A modified WWII fighter plane crashes into the crowd at a Nevada air show.

Wednesday, April 16

High Rise Catastrophe

Season 9 • Episode 3

A large cargo jet slices into an apartment complex in Amsterdam and reveals a lethal problem.

Wednesday, April 16

Ghost Plane

Season 7 • Episode 10

Investigators try to solve the mystery of a plane whose captain and co-pilot are missing.

Wednesday, April 16

Falling From the Sky

Season 7 • Episode 2

A British Airways flight to Australia in 1982 crashes into the Indian Ocean.

Wednesday, April 16

Behind Closed Doors

Season 1 • Episode 3

A flaw on the infamous DC-10 airline causing two midair crashes in the early 70's.

Wednesday, April 16

Pilot vs. Plane

Season 2 • Episode 7

Air France Flight 296 fails to regain altitude after performing a fly-by during an air show.

Wednesday, April 16

Explosive Evidence

Season 1 • Episode 7

A bomb explodes on Air India Flight 182 en route from Canada to India.

Wednesday, April 16

Grand Canyon

Season 4 • Episode 6

The 1956 midair collision between two commercial planes over the Grand Canyon.

Wednesday, April 16

Death of the President

Season 4 • Episode 10

The air disaster that claimed the President of Poland's life, Lech Kaczynski.

Wednesday, April 16

Deadly Mission

Season 9 • Episode 10

An investigation sheds light on the plane crash that killed U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.

Wednesday, April 16

Sabotage

Season 5 • Episode 13

From delusional hijackers to suicidal pilots, three flights fall victim to acts of sabotage.

Thursday, April 17

Double Trouble

Season 17 • Episode 4

A plan suffers an in-flight separation of its two right engines while en route to Kano, Nigeria.

Thursday, April 17

Borderline Tactics

Season 13 • Episode 4

A DC-8 cargo jet crashes on approach to a U.S. naval base in Guantanamo.

Thursday, April 17

Getting Out Alive

Season 5 • Episode 9

Air accident survival stories; keeping passengers and crews alive when disaster strikes.

Thursday, April 17

Power Play

Season 19 • Episode 4

A turboprop loses engine power and crashes; investigators discover a fatal defect.

Thursday, April 17

Mystery Over the Mediterranean

Season 19 • Episode 10

Thursday, April 17

Deadly Detour

Season 10 • Episode 5

A commuter flight over France makes a sight-seeing detour that sets off a deadly chain of events.

Friday, April 18

What Happened To Malaysian 370?

Season 8 • Episode 11

Leading aviation experts investigate one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time.

Friday, April 18

Cockpit Killer

Season 15 • Episode 9

Investigators have to figure out the cause of an African airliner's mysterious crash.

Friday, April 18

Turning Point

Season 3 • Episode 5

A Northwest Airlines flight above the Bering Sea must make an emergency landing in Anchorage.

Friday, April 18

Cleared for Disaster

Season 2 • Episode 10

An air traffic controller's mistake causes two planes to collide on the runway.

Friday, April 18

Fuel Trouble

Season 20 • Episode 5

Friday, April 18

Perilous Payload

Season 20 • Episode 6

Three planes fatally out of balance force investigators to question every calculation.

Saturday, April 19

Deadly Myth

Season 11 • Episode 3

After a commuter flight crashes, it's up to investigators to determine the cause.

Saturday, April 19

Edge of Disaster

Season 9 • Episode 9

Atlantic Airways Flight 670 careened off the runway and became engulfed in flames.

Saturday, April 19

Runway in Sight

Season 20 • Episode 7

If pilots aren't prepared when the runway is in sight, a landing can quickly become a tragedy.

Saturday, April 19

Holding Pattern

Season 17 • Episode 1

A plane enters a rapid descent and crashes nose-first at Rostov-on-Don Airport in Russia.

Saturday, April 19

Courage in the Cockpit

Season 20 • Episode 18

Devastating failures in the air put pilots to the test and shine a light on three feats of flying.

Saturday, April 19

System Breakdown

Season 2 • Episode 8

Five aviation disasters and the changes they have forced air-traffic controllers to make.

Monday, April 21

Vanished

Season 4 • Episode 13

On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight 447 stalls and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean.

Monday, April 21

Mistaken Identity

Season 6 • Episode 1

The captain of a Navy cruiser must quickly determine if an approaching plane is friendly.

Monday, April 21

Helicopter Down

Season 6 • Episode 7

A helicopter carrying oil workers to an offshore drilling platform crashes.

Monday, April 21

Fatal Delivery

Season 9 • Episode 5

The two-man crew of a UPS cargo jet must attempt an emergency landing.

Monday, April 21

Scratching the Surface

Season 21 • Episode 1

A China Airlines 747 suddenly disappears from radar and crashes, killing 225 people.

Monday, April 21

Unlocking Disaster

Season 18 • Episode 7

Monday, April 21

Hidden Danger

Season 7 • Episode 5

A Boeing 737 rolls into a dive and crashes within eight seconds, killing all 25 people on board.

Monday, April 21

Delivery to Disaster

Season 19 • Episode 9

Monday, April 21

Murder in the Skies

Season 10 • Episode 7

Following a crash, investigators make a shocking discovery about a co-pilot's mental health.

Monday, April 21

The Final Push

Season 8 • Episode 5

Investigators try to find the cause of two similar air crashes that happened nearly 12 years apart.

Monday, April 21

Seconds From Touchdown

Season 16 • Episode 9

A turboprop is just seconds from landing when it flips over and crashes.

Monday, April 21

Blown Away

Season 12 • Episode 2

The investigation into the 2014 crash of a TransAsia flight uncovers a systemic problem.

Monday, April 21

Tragedy on the Potomac

Season 5 • Episode 4

Air Florida Flight 90 stalls, strikes a road bridge and crashes into the Potomac River.

Monday, April 21

Explosive Touchdown

Season 15 • Episode 3

Determining why a Taiwanese commuter plane is rocked by a massive explosion after touch down.

Monday, April 21

Deadly Data

Season 5 • Episode 16

With hidden flaws buried in their navigation systems, three planes suffer tragic computer errors.

Monday, April 21

Fire Fight

Season 7 • Episode 3

A mechanical problem aboard an Air Canada plane turns into an all-out emergency.

Monday, April 21

Runaway Train

Season 18 • Episode 19

A runaway train derails into a neighborhood killing several people.

Monday, April 21

Titanic in the Sky

Season 5 • Episode 11

An emergency landing is forced by pilots after an engine explodes.

Tuesday, April 22

I'm the Problem

Season 3 • Episode 3

Moments before a Pacific Southwest flight crashes in California, gunshots are heard in the cabin.

Tuesday, April 22

Tragic Takeoff

Season 16 • Episode 3

Investigators must determine why a twin-engine jet failed to take off.

Tuesday, April 22

Lockerbie Disaster

Season 21 • Episode 2

The tragic circumstances surrounding the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 by terrorists.

Tuesday, April 22

Testing the Limits

Season 8 • Episode 2

The first-ever 767 plane crash in history: Lauda Air Flight 004.

Tuesday, April 22

Panic on the Runway

Season 2 • Episode 4

In August, 1985, an airplane's engine catches fire as it accelerates.

Tuesday, April 22

The Lost Plane

Season 11 • Episode 10

Investigators struggle to understand the crash of Thai Airways Flight 311.

Wednesday, April 23

Atlantic Ditching

Season 15 • Episode 7

A helicopter carrying offshore drilling workers crashes into the ocean, leading to an investigation.

Wednesday, April 23

Flying Blind

Season 18 • Episode 10

A crew makes an error while cleaning a Boeing 757, causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean.

Wednesday, April 23

Stealth Bomber Down

Season 17 • Episode 3

When a USAF stealth bomber crashes after takeoff, investigators search for a reason.

Wednesday, April 23

Death and Denial

Season 6 • Episode 8

In 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 217 people on board.

Wednesday, April 23

Alarming Silence

Season 2 • Episode 5

Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes shortly after take-off in Detroit.

Wednesday, April 23

Flying on Empty

Season 18 • Episode 12

When Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel, its pilots desperately try to keep it in the air.

Wednesday, April 23

Headline News

Season 20 • Episode 1

Three devastating crashes make front-page news around the globe.

Wednesday, April 23

Time of War

Season 5 • Episode 20

Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory are among the many risks that pilots face.

Wednesday, April 23

Cruel Skies

Season 2 • Episode 3

The importance of weather forecasting to the aviation industry.

Wednesday, April 23

Deadly Disturbance

Season 14 • Episode 9

How routine flights can turn catastrophic in mere seconds when the pilots become distracted.

Wednesday, April 23

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 23

Playing Catch Up

Season 16 • Episode 2

A private jet slams into an Ohio apartment building just a couple of miles from the runway.

Wednesday, April 23

Splash Down

Season 20 • Episode 29

Three last-resort water landings-all handled differently yet each one crucial.

Thursday, April 24

Impossible Landing

Season 3 • Episode 4

United Airlines Flight 232 crashes into Sioux City's runway in 1989.

Thursday, April 24

Slam Dunk

Season 13 • Episode 10

A quick trip from Washington D.C. to Ohio in 1994 turns deadly.

Thursday, April 24

Killer Attitude

Season 11 • Episode 2

The pairing of a domineering pilot and an inexperienced first officer has deadly consequences.

Thursday, April 24

Deadly Go Round

Season 12 • Episode 9

After a plane crashes just before landing in Japan, fears arise about its complex automated systems.

Thursday, April 24

Cockpit Breakdown

Season 20 • Episode 28

Three flights end in tragedy after miscommunication mix-ups and personality clases.

Friday, April 25

Deadly Display

Season 12 • Episode 5

A high-stakes demonstration flight turns catastrophic when a Russian jet slams into a mountain.

Friday, April 25

Fanning the Flames

Season 1 • Episode 4

A recovery operation is launched to find out if a 747 was carrying illegal weapons.

Friday, April 25

Sideswiped

Season 8 • Episode 4

A Boeing 737 leaving Panama City crashes into one of the most remote jungles on the planet.

Friday, April 25

Imperfect Pitch

Season 5 • Episode 8

A passenger plane plunges into the sea during an in-flight test.

Friday, April 25

No Control

Season 14 • Episode 4

Three crashes occur as pilots battle against their sophisticated aircraft.

Friday, April 25

Mayday Munich

Season 3 • Episode 2

Manchester United football team's plane crashes while returning from Yugoslavia, killing 23 aboard.

Saturday, April 26

Focused on Failure

Season 4 • Episode 8

United Airlines Flight 173 runs out of fuel and crashes in a sparsely populated area.

Saturday, April 26

Lost in Translation

Season 5 • Episode 3

The crash of a small commuter jet in Switzerland has plenty of clues but not enough answers.

Saturday, April 26

Risky Runways

Season 20 • Episode 24

The toughest landings on earth pushed three fight crews to the limit.

Saturday, April 26

Nowhere to Land

Season 3 • Episode 11

An emergency landing during a violent storm kills the engines of a 737.

Saturday, April 26

Deadly Reputation

Season 2 • Episode 12

TAM Airlines Flight 3054 slides off a runway and crashes into a warehouse next to a petrol station.

Saturday, April 26

Kid in the Cockpit

Season 6 • Episode 9

A pilot's decision to let his 15-year-old son fly has disastrous consequences.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Monday, April 28

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Tuesday, April 29

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Tuesday, April 29

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Tuesday, April 29

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Tuesday, April 29

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Tuesday, April 29

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Tuesday, April 29

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Wednesday, April 30

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Thursday, May 1

Trained to Fail

Season 5 • Episode 17

Pilots are prepared to cope with a range of emergency scenarios.

Thursday, May 1

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Thursday, May 1

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Thursday, May 1

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Thursday, May 1

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Saturday, May 3

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Saturday, May 3

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Saturday, May 3

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Saturday, May 3

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Saturday, May 3

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

Saturday, May 3

Deadly Delay

Season 9 • Episode 7

Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

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