Air Disasters

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

January 2008. British Airways Flight 38 is about to land at Heathrow Airport when calamity strikes. The Boeing 777, one of the safest planes in the airline industry, suffers double engine failure, and with only seconds until the aircraft hits the ground, Captain Peter Burkill must attempt a highly risky move to save the lives of the 152 people on board. Witness the remarkable emergency landing the follow investigators as they solve the mystery behind the crash, using unrelenting diligence and a little inspiration from Sherlock Holmes.

A Scandinavian Airlines flight plummets from the winter sky moments after takeoff, and a seasoned pilot's career comes to an end after the culprits of the disaster are identified.

Follow the tragic crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, NJ, into a house in Buffalo, NY, a case that confounded both forensic anthropology students and investigators.

A comprehensive look at the famous “Miracle on the Hudson” emergency landing in January 2009, and the investigation that followed.

When Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 drops out of the sky on its final approach to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, investigators work to determine if the cause is due to plane or pilot error.

When United Flight 811's cargo door blows off at a high altitude over the Pacific Ocean, the crew acts to bring the packed aircraft down safely, and one victim's family searches for answers.

The violent crash landing of American Airlines Flight 1420 in Arkansas claims 11 lives, exposing an industry-wide scandal and triggering an investigation into severe weather and pilot error.

Expert investigators work tirelessly to understand the mysterious 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111 after a cockpit fire led to the deaths of 229 people.

The 2000 crash of an Alaska Airlines plane just off the California coast leads to a disturbing discovery about the company's cost-cutting procedures.

The pilots of Air Transat Flight 236 find themselves gliding without power high above the Atlantic, and investigators must figure out how a state-of-the-art airbus could run out of fuel.

The crew of British Airways 5390 springs into action after explosive decompression pulls the pilot out the window, and investigators use a novel psychological tactic to determine the cause.

A blade on the left-side propeller of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight breaks off; the imbalance of the rotating propeller causes the engine to partly tear itself from its mounting.

In 1994, Air France flight 8969 is hijacked by extremists during the Algerian Civil War, prompting Major Denis Favier to devise impromptu counterterror measures to save the hostages onboard.

Aeroperú Flight 603 experiences an erratic descent into the Pacific Ocean, and a team of investigators discover the small but critical oversight that caused the fatal landing.

In 2002, Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 collided with DHL Flight 611 over Überlingen, Germany, in an air traffic controller error, resulting in 71 deaths from both flights.

Relive the 1995 disaster of American Airlines Flight 965, in which a Boeing 757 veered off course and crashed into a 9,000-foot mountain on its final approach to Cali, Colombia.

Avianca Flight 52 is delayed numerous times by bad weather en route and is dangerously low on fuel as it attempts a landing at New York City.

A freight train carrying an excess of cargo loses its brakes while descending a mountain causing it to gain speed and derail into a neighborhood killing several people.

A Greek ferry, the Express Samina, is pushed off course by strong waves and crashes into a rock formation, causing 80 passengers to lose their lives in the freezing water as they wait for rescue.

Two trains collide near the town of Hinton in Alberta, Canada, and the event becomes known as one of the deadliest accidents -- and greatest mysteries -- in Canadian railway history.

Several airplane disasters resulting from seemingly minor flaws, like faulty windows and doors or poorly maintained building materials, are examined.

Maintenance oversights and shortsighted cost-cutting measures can lead to disaster, as evidenced by the tragic fates of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Japan Airlines Flight 123 and more.

Experts document aviation tragedies that show how safety is a delicate balance between automated systems and pilot training, often meaning the difference between survival and disaster.