Air Crash Investigation

American Airlines flight 1420 crashed upon landing in Little Rock, AR (USA) in the middle of a severe thunderstorm in 1999.

On 24 Feb 1989, a big section of United Airlines flight 811 aircraft body tears off at high altitude over the Pacific Ocean, resulting in loss of many lives. A relentless, parallel private investigation uncovers the real cause of incident.

AeroPeru flight 603 crashed on a routine flight from Lima to Santiago in 1996, due to a severe failure with the flight instruments.

On 24th August 2001, Air Transat flight 236 runs out of fuel en route from Toronto to Lisbon, flying at 39,000 ft over the Atlantic Ocean. With heavy heart, the flight crew prepares the panicking passengers for emergency water landing.

In January 2000, Alaska Airlines flight 261 crashed off the Californian coastline with no survivors due to, as the title implies, improper maintenance.

On 2nd September 1998, a fire broke out aboard SwissAir flight 111 flying at 33,000 ft over the Atlantic Ocean en route from New York to Geneva, resulting in a crash. Of the 229 people on board, none survived.

On the snowy night of November 24th, 2001, Crossair Flight LX 3597 - an Avro RJ100 regional airliner en route from Berlin - aborts its ILS landing at Zurich Airport and crashes into a wooded hillside, 4km short of the runway.

In January 2008, British Airways Flight 38, en route from Beijing, loses power to both engines on approach to London's Heathrow Airport, and crash-lands several feet from the runway.

On December 27th 1991, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 loses power to both tail-mounted engines minutes after take-off from Stockholm Arlanda airport in Stockholm Sweden, and crashes in a snow-covered field 15 kilometers from the airport.

On a snowy February 12th, 2009, Continental Connection Flight 3407 - a Bombardier DHC8 - abruptly dropped from the sky, crashing into a house in Buffalo, NY, five miles short of runway 23 at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

An Airbus A320, US Airways Flight 1549, loses thrust soon after takeoff. The pilot has no choice but take a one-in-a-thousand chance, and manages to land into the Hudson River without a single fatality.

Turkish Airlines flight 1951 stalled and crashed just short of the runway at Schiphol. The investigators discover a technical failure but it turns out that human factor was to blame afterall.

TAM Airlines Flight 3054, an Airbus A320 touches down on the known deadly runway 35L of Congonhas-São Paulo Airport in Brazil. Flight 3054 is unable to stop, and slides into a warehouse and gas station, killing 199 people.

When a packed passenger jet, known for its safety, suddenly plummets to Earth from over 30,000 feet, a small Venezuelan investigative team searches for answers.

Arrow Flight 1285, carrying 256 people including U.S. service personnel, stalled and crashed minutes after take-off from Gander, Newfoundland on December 12th, 1985.

Investigate the 1991 crash of commuter plane Continental Express Flight 2574, and see how good intentions went terribly wrong.

Revisit the 1958 plane crash that destroyed Manchester United's soccer team and left a pilot's reputation in tatters.

On 9 Oct 2002, NWA flight-85 suffered a rudder malfunction flying at 35000ft over Bering Sea, making the plane barely controllable. Investigators are clueless till date as to what lead to failure of PCM, which caused the rudder malfunction

On 22 December 1999, Korean Air Cargo flight 8509 departs Stansted Airport, London bound for Milan, but less than a minute after it takes off, the plane crashes and kills all four crew members on board. Air accident investigators have to find out if the plane or crew error is to blame for the disaster.

A Boeing 727, on approach to Lindbergh Field, collides with a Cessna 172 over a residential area in San Diego causing both planes to crash and scattering body parts across a neighborhood.

Aviation investigators try to determine what caused a mid-air fire on Nigeria Airways flight 2120, chartered by Canadian airline Nationair, that on 11 July 1991 ultimately caused the death of all 247 passengers and 14 crew on board, the biggest loss of life for any Canadian airline and the worst disaster involving a DC-8.

See how one man's rage led to two minutes of terror for 42 passengers and crew aboard PSA Flight 1771.

On 24 May 1988, the pilots of TACA Airlines flight 110 achieve one of the most remarkable deadstick landings in commercial aviation history. Investigators have to determine why the engines of a brand new Boeing 737-300 failed in mid-flight.

Shocking discoveries come to light after two planes collide on the runway at one of Europe's busiest airports.

Meet the survivors of 1989's United Airlines Flight 232 and learn the remarkable story of their emergency crash landing.

When a propeller departs the engine and causes major damage on Reeve Aleutian Airways flight 8, the experienced crew races to save the airplane and its passengers.

When mysterious cargo boxes ignite on ValuJet flight 592, they bring the whole plane down within a short time. The investigator struggle to find out what kind of cargo could possibly cause such fierce fire to bring a whole plane down.

The investigators wonder how an airliner in our modern world full of fail-safe features can crash on takeoff with nobody realizing that the pilots have made a horrible mistake.

When SilkAir flight 185 plunges 35,000 feet into the Musi River in Indonesia, the NTSB has a theory that the Indonesian authorities are not eager to accept.

Pilot arrogance and macho attitude were the official blame of the crash of TANS Perú flight 204 in severe weather.

A mid-air collision of two passenger planes over the Grand Canyon shocks 1956 America. Conclusions reached by investigators of this accident will change aviation forever.

When American Airlines flight 191 loses its engine and subsequently crashes into a hangar at Chicago O'Hare airport, the investigators shift the blame from a broken bolt to the airlines' unsafe cost-cutting measures.

When everybody thinks that human error bringing down a modern airliner is no longer possible, the captain of UA173 proves them all wrong.

Contrary to popular belief, the famous Russian hockey team was not killed by a drunken crew. But could just one of the officers on deck with a medical deficiency have caused this disaster? Investigators dig deep.

The Polish political delegation, including the president, headed to Russia crashes during an approach to landing in Smolensk. Conspiracy theories fly rampant. But could it have been the politicians' self-importance that killed them all?

Ethiopian flight 409's crash could not be attributed to any common reason, mechanical, weather-related or even terrorism. However, the most common and most overlooked reason is lurking in the shadows, quiet and deadly as always.

The ATR twin-turboprop aircraft flying 43 passengers on Santa Bárbara Airlines flight 518, a perfectly good aircraft crashed in the Venezuelan mountains. Series of pilot errors and arrogance are to blame for this preventable tragedy.

Air France flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean for no good reason. Could it be that the automation systems developed to save lives are the blinding cause of destroying lives in the wrong hands of inexperienced pilots?

British Airways flight 548 crashes shortly after take off from London Heathrow airport in 1972. Piecing the clues together one by one, the investigation reveals shocking truth.

An unfortunate mid-air collision in 1971 brings sweeping changes to the ATC system in the USA.

Crossair flight 498 crashes shortly after take-off from Zurich. The airplane was in good condition and the pilots had adequate training. Or did they? The investigation takes a dramatic turn when the cockpit voice recorder is retrieved.

After Air Florida flight 90 crashes on take-off from Washington D.C., it is not easy to find the cause of the accident. It turns out eventually that this was no accident but simple and deadly oversight.

A plane crash (American Airlines flight 587) in New York just two months after 9/11.

Hugo, a category 5 hurricane, threatens to rip a plane apart.

When Itavia flight 870 goes missing over the Mediterranean sea, a conspiracy theory of a missile strike surfaces. Was the plane shot down by a Libyan fighter jet?

During an in-flight test for XL Airways Germany Airbus A320, the aircraft suddenly pitches up, loses lift, then crashes into the sea.

A popular Twin Otter aircraft crashes shortly after take-off in Tahiti. A bad maintenance decision and a series of other factors combined together create just the right recipe for disaster.

An emergency landing is forced by pilots after an engine explodes. [ Airbus A380 Airliner ]

A special showing how people survived certain air crashes and how airline crews are trained to facilitate survival of the passengers.

Copa Airlines Flight 201 disappears over Panama. Investigators are trying to piece the puzzle together to determine whether it was a mid-air collision, missile strike, bombing attempt or simply an unlucky chain of mistakes.

Lauda air 004 was a767 which broke up in mid air after taking off from Thailand to Vienna Austria .

Varig Flight 254 was a 737 on its way to Belem, Brazil from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Due to pilot error, it ran out of fuel and crashed into the Amazon jungle.

Drama recreation of the Kegworth air disaster on 8 January 1989 when British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737-400, crashed onto the embankment of the M1 motorway near Kegworth, UK. Of the 126 people aboard, 47 died and 74, sustained serious injuries.

While the cargo jet was attempting a landing at Narita Airport in Japan, in gusty winds, it bounced and landed inverted and burning.

A VIP case involving the disappearance of an airplane piloted by JFK Jr. The investigators work under tremendous public pressure looking for answers, just to discover the most obvious and most common explanation for the unfortunate crash.

The 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde into a Paris hotel is investigated.

When a government Lear 45 crashes in the heart of Mexico City, the NTSB investigators are rushed by the Mexican president to determine whether the cause of the crash was a cartel bomb, mechanical failure or simply a rookie pilot mistake.

In February 2011, Manx Flight 7100 from Belfast crashes at Cork Airport, Ireland during a third attempt at landing in dense fog.

Revisit the remarkable story of First Air Flight 6560, involving a mysterious crash and an unbelievable rescue effort.

Catalogues all the possible credible theories for the disappearance of this flight. As of now (February 2016), no-one still knows exactly what happened, the plane is still yet to be found 23 months after it disappeared.

A fiery collision between United Express 5925 and a small private plane leaves investigators stumped until they learn that a mysterious missing pilot may have played an unwitting role in the tragedy.

Asiana flight no.214 crashes on approach to San Francisco.

Follow the investigation of the controversial crash of an El Al 747 into a high-rise Amsterdam apartment complex.

Fire breaks out on a 747 operated by UPS shortly after take-off from Dubai International.

On 18 September 1961, a United Nations DC-6 crashes en route to Ndola Airport in Zambia. Then UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld is killed in the crash.

Flight 670 overruns the runway on landing at Stord Airport and careers down a steep embankment killing 4 passengers.

Revisit the 2008 crash of a MD-82 aircraft as it happened, and the chain of events that led to the disaster.

Investigate the crash of Garuda Flight 200, which hit the runway 100 mph too fast, claiming the lives of 21 people.

On 5 April 1991, Atlantic Southeast Flight 2311 crashes on approach to Glynco Jetport. All 23 people on board perish in the accident.

On October 31, 1996, TAM Airlines Flight 402 crashed into a suburb in São Paulo, killing all 95 people on board and 4 on the ground. The cause of the crash was due to a failure with the Fokker 100's thrust reverser on its right engine.

When a private Learjet crashes in South Dakota, USA, with star golfer Payne Stewart, investigators are under pressure to figure out how the plane strayed so far off course before crashing.

See how the Pentagon attack on 9/11 was carried out and how it permanently altered air travel today.

Join us as we examine the 1977 crash at Los Rodeos Airport that killed 583 people and the shocking reasons behind it.

China Airlines Flight 120 catches fire after the plane has landed, parked and had its engines switched off. An evacuation follows. The pilots must escape from a cockpit window. The blaze all but destroys the aircraft.

Enroute Flight 706 from Lyon to Lorient is knocked out of the sky over Baie de Quiberon France.

Disaster strikes on way to Durango - La Plata Colorado for commuters.

On an ordinary day Germanwings flight 9525 has an outcome beyond belief in March 2015 on the French Alps.

After losing both engines and all electrical power in a violent storm, the pilots of Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 manage a remarkable emergency landing.

The captain of Air Asia Flight 8501 overrides the computers instructions and his impromptu fix leads to a deadly stall over the Java Sea.

A 747 cargo plane crashes seconds after taking off from a U.S. airfield in Afghanistan, and an overlooked piece of evidence eventually tells investigators they were wrong about the cause.

Investigators are surprised to hear what went on in a frosty cockpit between a green first officer and a cocky captain, when Northwest Airlink 5719 flew into Minnesota on a cold winter's night.

When Comair Flight 3272 spirals into the ground investigators from the NTSB are forced to confront a longstanding belief amongst pilots that may have lead to this fatal crash.

Air China Flight 129 was approaching Busan airport on the South Korean Coast. What happened in those last few minutes that caused a Boeing 767 to crash into a mountainside killing all but the pilot and 37 passengers?

Just minutes after taking off from NYC JFK Airport, TWA Flight 800 is ripped apart by a massive explosion. With a possible terror attack on their hands, the FBI joins investigators from the NTSB

Amid thick smoke from a forest fire, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 approached the airport on the island of Sumatra. But just minutes from the runway the Airbus A300 crashed, claiming the lives of all 234 people on board.

When USAir Flight 1016 fell out of the sky above North Carolina during a storm most passengers on board perished. The weather was to blame. But for investigators that was only part of the story.

Revisit the infamous crash of TransAsia Flight 235 in Taiwan, captured on video, and follow the race to find the cause.

On 31 October 2015, Metrojet Flight 9268 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Sinai Peninsula during a routine chartered flight from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport to Pulkovo Airport, killing all 224 people on board.

LAPA Flight 3142 encounters a serious problem while taking off from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The resulting investigation reveals a shocking cause.

Thai Airways International Flight 311 is on final approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, in poor weather conditions when things go horribly wrong.

Emery Worldwide cargo flight 17 crashes soon after takeoff in Sacramento, California.

Trans Asia 222 crashes into buildings during approach to land in bad weather at Magong Airport, Penghu Island, Taiwan, on 23 July 2014.

A Boeing 727, crashes while taking off from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on August 31 1988.

A commercial airliner goes down in eastern Ukraine, and the evidence indicates that it was shot down.

A Russian-made Superjet slams into an infamous mountain, while on a demonstration flight in Indonesia.

In the Mojave Desert, Virgin Galactic test pilots are at the controls of a revolutionary aircraft. But as the spaceship accelerates toward the outer reaches of Earth's atmosphere, it breaks apart and falls from the sky.

Qantas Airways flight 72 nearly falls out of the sky, resulting in investigators searching for the threatening flaw

Swiss investigators must determine how a seasoned Alitalia crew flew their DC-9 into the ground just a few miles short of a Zurich runway.

China Airlines Flight 140 falls out of the sky at Japan's Nagoya Airport and what investigators discover only deepens the mystery.

After being delayed on the Denver tarmac due to heavy snow, Continental Airlines 1713 was eventually cleared for take-off. Barely lifting off the ground, the DC-9 abruptly banked and crashed, killing 28 people and leaving a lasting legacy.

This special looked at how failures in communication lead to disasters. United Express Flight 5925, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152, and the Tenerife airport disaster are the incidents that are focused on.

This special looked at how pilots' aggressive or unprofessional behavior can cause deadly accidents.

This is a special looking at how pilots safely land their aircraft in emergency situations. We look at the incidents that occurred on US Airways Flight 1549, TACA Flight 110, and a Gimli Glider.

A special looking at how automation in the cockpit causes deadly misunderstandings. We focus on Air France Flight 296, XL Airways Germany Flight 888T, and Air France Flight 447.

This special looks at terrorist acts, including bombings and shoot-downs on flights Metrojet Flight 9268, Korean Air Lines Flight 007, and Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

A special looking at pilots' carefully planned strategies in deliberately crashing aircraft. These incidents happened on SilkAir Flight 185, Germanwings Flight 9525, and Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

Three horrifying accidents capture the world's attention; a commercial jet plunges into the Florida's Everglades; a Boeing 777 crash lands at Heathrow Airport; a crash shatters a Scottish villages becoming the largest crime scene in the world.

This special looked at disasters where multiple investigations don't agree on the cause of these accidents.

This special looked at how pilots' deviation from cockpit duties lead to crashes and involved Delta Air Lines Flight 1141,Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, and 2012 Mount Salak Sukhoi Superjet crash.

A special looking at disasters caused by fires, either on the ground or in the air, and involving British Airtours Flight 28M, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120, and UPS Airlines Flight 6.

A skilled captain manages to save his crippled aircraft and everyone on board, and then it's up to investigators to track down the microscopic culprit.

At a Nevada air show, a modified WW2 fighter plane nosedives into the crowd. It's one of the worst air race crashes of all time, and investigators call on the pilot's close friend to help determine what went wrong.

When a commuter plane crashes at Amsterdam airport, investigators determine that a minor circuitry problem sparked a cascading series of fatal errors.

Experts uncover something startling that threatens cargo pilots worldwide when they investigate the crash of a US plane at Guantanamo Bay

A cargo plane crashes just moments after taking off from Miami, and it will take an anonymous tip to determine what went wrong.

A Romanian airliner crashes just minutes after taking off from Bucharest, and it's up to the FBI to determine if it was an accident or an act of murder.

Investigators are determined to find out why a Boeing 737 veered off the runway in Denver.

A Russian commercial flight ends in a fatal nosedive, and what investigators eventually uncover leads to a call to overhaul the country's aviation system.

The underdog heroes of Brazilian soccer are heading to play the game of a lifetime, but with the runway in sight, their dream turns into a nightmare.

The charred wreckage of a turboprop leaves little for investigators to work with. That is, until the cockpit voice recorder reveals the smoking gun.

On 10 Jun 1990, a windshield of BA flight 5390 blows out, partially ejecting the captain out of the plane in process. In cockpit, 3 brave crew are clinging to his legs, determined to not let him fall, while the FO is left alone at controls

Can a damaged engine bring down a modern multi-engine aircraft? The story of Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight 529.

Air France Flight 8969 has been hijacked. How can the authorities deal with the hijackers and save all passengers on-board?

A DHL cargo plane collides with a Russian passenger jet over southern Germany in 2002.

Another proof that a series of small mishaps can amount to one deadly crash. Pilot errors, inoperative ground equipment and arrogance pile on one after another and end in a tragic disaster.

Can a plane fall out of the sky without a single technical problem on-board? Yet another story of communications break-down resulting in a tragic loss of life.

A Pakistani airliner crashes in the Himalayas. And when their most vital piece of evidence fails to deliver, investigators scramble to find answers.

A cargo jet plummets to earth in the Swedish Arctic. And as investigators pore over the evidence, a terrifying picture of chaos and confusion emerges.

After a routine landing, a Taiwanese commuter plane is rocked by a massive explosion, but investigators find no evidence of a bomb on board.

Blanketed by confusion and heavy fog, a DC-9 ends up at the wrong end of an active runway in Detroit, and directly in the path of an oncoming 727.

Landing on a Caribbean island in a severe thunder storm, a Colombian airliner crashes short of the runway. Investigators need to find out why.

Investigators are stumped when a turboprop slams into an Argentine desert, and it's a microscopic filament that provides the first tangible clue.

A helicopter carrying offshore oil workers crashes into the ocean off the coast of Newfoundland and a far-reaching investigation reveals a fatal flaw.

Investigators are stumped when a turboprop crashes into an Indonesian mountaintop.

When an African airliner mysteriously crashes, Namibian investigators rule out a host of possible causes before reaching a chilling conclusion.

A brand-new 737 falls from the sky over West Africa during a major storm, but investigators eventually discover weather had nothing to do with it.

On 15 December 2014, Loganair Flight 6780 starts an uncontrolled descent while on approach to Sumburgh Airport in Scotland. The pilots regain control and make an emergency landing at Aberdeen, with no fatalities. After a lightning strike, the pilots wrongly assumed that the autopilot had disengaged and tried to climb, while the autopilot was pushing the nose down. This conflict caused the autopilot to set the aircraft into a dive.

On 10 November 2015, Execuflight Flight 1526 enters an aerodynamic stall and crashes into an apartment building and an embankment during final approach to Akron Fulton International Airport in Akron, Ohio. Both crew members and all seven passengers on board are killed in the crash.

On 27 August 2006, Comair Flight 5191, operating for Delta Connection, crashes into a wooded area while taking off from Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky, killing 49 of the 50 people on board. The pilots lost their awareness and inadvertently taxied onto the wrong runway.

On 29 October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 enters a nosedive and crashes into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on a flight to Pangkal Pinang. All 181 passengers and 8 crew members on board are killed in the crash.

On 17 April 2018, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 makes an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport after its left engine explodes. A passenger dies after being partially ejected from the aircraft. The engine failure was caused by a fatigue crack in a fan blade.

On 12 March 2018, US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 skids off the runway, travels through the airport perimeter fence, and crashes into a football field during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. 51 of the 71 people on board are killed in the accident.

On 22 February 1991, a military aerial refueling aircraft loses both engines from under the left wing while on a combat mission in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, causing serious flight control problems and forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. The incident was attributed to severe turbulence.

On 9 June 1995, Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 suffers a landing gear malfunction during final approach to Palmerston North Airport in New Zealand. The aircraft descends until it crashes into hilly terrain as the pilots try to resolve the problem. 4 of the 21 people on board are killed.

On 18 June 1998, Propair Flight 420 crashes while attempting to conduct an emergency landing at Montréal-Mirabel International Airport after an in-flight fire causes its left wing to fail, killing all 11 people on board. It was later determined that the aircraft's left brakes overheated during takeoff.

On 14 August 2013, UPS Airlines Flight 1354 clips the tops of trees and crashes into a hillside about one nautical mile short of the runway during final approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. Both crew members on board are killed in the crash.

On 19th March 2016, Flydubai flight 981 nosedives into the runway at Russia's Rostov-On-Don International Airport. The investigators uncover one of the most lethal traps in aviation.

On 21st December 1992, a Martinair flight crashes in Portugal amid thunderstorms and heavy rain. When investigators piece together the evidence, the mystery only deepens further.

The most expensive aviation accident of all time occurs on 23 February 2008, when a B2 Stealth bomber crashes on takeoff from Guam Airforce Base. The Air Force investigates the 2 billion dollar crash for the cause.

On March 31, 1992, over France, a Transair Boeing 707, Flight 671, experienced a two engine separation on the right wing. Despite the damage, the five crew managed a safe landing, but the aircraft was a write off.

On 31st January 2000, Alaska Airlines flight 261 started pitching down, rolled and shortly nose-dived into the Pacific Ocean. Investigators discover a sad trail of poor maintenance, shortcuts and lack of attention to detail.

On 5th April 1979, a Boeing 727 begins an uncommanded roll to the right, along with loss of hydraulic fluid, which almost results in a catastrophe. To solve the mystery, the investigators recreate all the steps in an actual test flight.

On 12th November 1995, facing a thunderstorm and a control tower shutdown, American Airlines flight 1572 suffers double-engine failure on final approach into Windsor Locks Airport in Connecticut.

An Illinois turboprop crashes in bad weather, and investigators eventually uncover a fatal assumption and deadly decision.

After a turboprop crashes in North Carolina, investigators resort to a risky test flight-and uncover an industry-wide safety problem.

On 26th January 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in the city of Calabasas while en route from Santa Ana to Camarillo, California. Among the eight passengers were 5-time NBA champion, the legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter.

On 19 October 2004, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, operating for AmericanConnection, crashes short of the runway while on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport in Missouri, killing 13 of the 15 people on board.

On 8 February 1989, Independent Air Flight 1851 crashes into the Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 occupants.

On 12th Aug 1985, flying from Tokyo to Osaka, Japan Airlines flight 123 got uncontrollable after suffering explosive depressurization with complete hydraulics failure and became the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history.

On 13 October 2011, Airlines PNG Flight 1600 loses engine power and crash-lands in a densely forested area near the Gogol River in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. Only 4 of the 32 passengers and crew members survive the crash.

On 11 Nov 2018, Air Astana flight1388 becomes almost uncontrollable soon after takeoff from Portugal. After a long battle for control, the tired pilots give up and ask the air traffic controller to provide directions for ditching the plane

On 14 May 2018, Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 makes an emergency landing at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport after suffering an explosion decompression. The co-pilot was partially sucked out, but all 128 people on board survive.

On 31 December 2017, a light aircraft configured as a float-plane veers off course and crashes near Sydney, Australia, shortly after take-off. All 6 people on board, including the UK billionaire Richard Cousins, are killed.

Bulgarian Airlines Flight 013 is hijacked. The crew and authorities devise a daring scheme to get the violent hijackers to believe that their demands have been met, before the aircraft runs out of fuel.

An Amazon cargo plane dives into a swamp outside of Houston, USA. The collected evidence eventually leads investigators to a pilot with a long history of failures and errors.

Evidence from the disappearance of EgyptAir Flight 804 leads investigators to theorize different causes for the plane's spiral into the Mediterranean.

A massive explosion tears a hole in a 747 over Hawaii, and the trail of clues ultimately leads investigators to a catastrophic short circuit.

While landing at a notoriously tricky Alaskan island airport, the pilots of a twin turboprop can't stop their plane.

After a DC-8 cargo plane with only three working engines crashes on takeoff in Kansas City, investigators uncover a flaw in the pilots' training.

Investigators must turn to 3D technology to determine why two float planes carrying tourists collided above a spectacular Alaskan waterfall.

Solving the crash of China Airlines Flight 676 hinges on 11 baffling seconds when neither pilot controls the airplane.

On 21st February 1982, flying at 4000 ft, the pilots of Pilgrim Airlines flight 458 had to make a tough choice: Either get burnt alive trying to steer the plane to safety, else move away from cockpit fire and certainly die in a crash.

After Colgan Air 9446 crashes off Cape Cod, investigators must determine what brought down a widely-used commuter aircraft in under three minutes.

On 19th August 1980, returning from Pakistan, Saudia flight 163 caught fire mid-air. The captain kept calm in emergency and safely landed the plane at Riyadh Airport. Yet, no one on board survived. How is this possible?

With rising young football star Emiliano Sala on board, a chartered Piper Malibu suddenly disappears from radar over the English Channel.

When Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes shortly after takeoff, the catastrophe leads to the grounding of the entire Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet.

The pilots of a crashed cargo jet believe they lost both engines. But when the wreckage emerges from the Pacific, the evidence tells another story.

An Air Tahoma cargo plane is within sight of a Cincinnati runway when both engines flame out and the turboprop crashes into a golf course.

In Indonesia-the deadliest aviation market in the world-a Boeing 737 spirals out of the sky and nosedives into the Java Sea.

Amid heavy fog and a rushed approach, Luxair Flight 50 falls out of the sky just a few miles short of Luxembourg airport.

Just moments after takeoff, a Loganair cargo flight from Edinburgh loses both engines and crashes into the icy North Sea.

After a Chinese airplane lands at a top-secret US Air Force base, the search is on for the cause of a deadly rollercoaster ride in the sky.

It's 1985 - the deadliest year in civilian aviation - and a DC-9 commuter plane crashes just seconds after takeoff from Milwaukee.

A C-130 firebomber crashes while battling an epic Australian wildfire. And ATSB investigators must determine the cause-within an active fire zone.

German investigators are stumped when two planes collide while flying in the skies over southern Germany.

When a cargo plane test flight ends in disaster, investigators uncover a series of failures that doomed the DC-8 before it got off the ground.

USAir Flight 1493 collides with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 on the runway at LAX, killing 35 people. An air traffic controller mistakenly cleared Flight 1493 to land on a runway where the SkyWest aircraft was waiting to take off.

On 29 March 2001, a chartered business jet operated by Avjet crashes into a hillside while on final approach to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado, killing all 18 people on board. The cause of the accident was the pilots' premature descent below the minimum descent altitude.

Moments after taking off from the Norwegian island of Værøy, a turboprop plunges into the North Atlantic. Investigators discover broken component, and a perfect storm of controversial decisions that put lives at risk.

On Feb 8, 1988, Nürnberger Flugdienst Flight 108 broke apart mid-air and crashed near Kettwig, Germany, approaching Düsseldorf Airport, killing all 21 aboard. Lightning struck, causing electrical failure and pilot spatial disorientation.

On June 18, 2007, Eagle Airways Flight 2300's landing gear fails to extend approaching Wellington. Pilots divert and perform a belly landing at Blenheim, saving all 17 aboard. A fatigue crack in the hydraulic actuator caused the failure.

On July 28, 2010, Airblue Flight 202 crashed into the Margalla Hills during a landing attempt at Benazir Bhutto International Airport in bad weather, killing all 152 aboard. Pilot errors and unprofessionalism caused the crash.

Aeroperú Flight 603 crashed into the Pacific Ocean on 2 October 1996, killing all 70 aboard. The crew received false speed and altitude readings due to duct tape left on static ports after maintenance, causing them to descend too far.

On March 6, 2003, Air Algérie Flight 6289's left engine failed during takeoff from Tamanrasset, Algeria. The plane stalled and crashed in the desert near the Trans-Sahara Highway, killing 102 of 103 people aboard.

On 15 January 2023, Yeti Airlines Flight 691 stalls and crashes into a gorge near the Seti Gandaki River during final approach to Pokhara International Airport, killing all 72 aboard. Pilots accidentally feathered the propellers.

On August 7, 2020, Air India Express Flight 1344 overran the runway at Kozhikode International Airport in poor weather and plunged into a gorge, killing 21 of 190 people aboard. The captain landed too far down the runway.

On 15 April 1999, Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316 crashed into an industrial zone after takeoff from Shanghai, China, killing all 3 crew members and 5 people on the ground. The pilots lost altitude awareness and made abrupt control inputs.

Enter the cockpit of RIA Flight 593, where pilots battle an uncooperative plane, gravity, and a teen at the wheel.

An Airbus A300 flying for DHL is struck by a ground-to-air missile on the left wing tip, shortly after take-off from Baghdad. With damage that included loss of all hydraulics, the aircraft crew struggles to land safely.

Japan Airlines flight 123 veers out of control and crashes in the mountains, becoming the worst air disaster involving a single aircraft in 1985.

Three Fedex crew members must fight off a cockpit attack from another employee in mid-flight.

A bomb exploded on Philippine Airlines flight 434, killing one passenger and disabling several vital systems on board in 1994.

US Navy cruiser spots an airplane approaching them on a radar. Numerous attempts to contact the aircraft go unanswered. Is it a friend or a foe? The Navy commander must make a decision whether or not to shoot down the approaching airplane.

The roof tears off of Aloha Airlines 243, a Boeing 737, at 24,000 feet.

Was it a mechanical failure or a suicidal pilot that doomed Egypt Air Flight 990? Years later, the dispute continues.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961: the pilot is forced to ditch his plane into the ocean after being hijacked and running out of fuel.

A helicopter full of oil-rig workers is struck by lightning and goes down in the violent weather of the cold North Sea. How big of a role did the weather play that day?

San Bernardino Freight Train Disaster

On 26 September 2000, waves push the MS Express Samina off course, causing it to hit a group of rocks off Paros and sink, killing 80 people. The ferry was on autopilot with the crew not monitoring the ship's course. Instead, they were watching an association football match.

An Air France airliner overruns the runway while attempting to land at Toronto in bad weather. The plane ends up in a small ravine and starts burning, but all the passengers are quickly and safely evacuated.

While en route from Malaysia to Australia, all four engines off a British Airways 747 fail. Now the crew must divert to Indonesia. Will they make it? And why did the engines fail and left British Airways Flight 9 "Falling from the Sky?"

Fire breaks out on Air Canada flight 797 at 35,000 feet. Can the crew get the wheels on the ground before the fire consumes the plane?

Korean Air Flight 801 crashed on a go-around after a missed approach in Guam in 1997. Pilot error and in-op ground equipment played the biggest role in this disaster.

The crashes of United Airlines flight 585 and USAir flight 427 confound investigators for 10 years until they catch a lucky break, which allows them to solve the long overdue puzzle.

A China Airlines passenger jet goes out of control over the Pacific Ocean on a flight to Los Angeles. The extreme forces cause extensive damage to the aircraft, but the pilots regain control and safely land the 747 at San Francisco.

A badly damaged Aeroméxico DC-9 crashes into a residential neighborhood of Cerritos, California, after being hit by a privately owned Piper light aircraft not seen by the air traffic controller.

In 1996, a USAF plane carrying US Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown crashes into a mountain while attempting an instrument approach to a war-torn Dubrovnik Airport in southern Croatia.

What brought Flash Flight 604 down? Was it turbulence, technical problem, lightning strike? Or simply the most dreaded factor of them all, the human factor?

Air traffic controllers lose contact to a Cypriot airliner flying towards Athens, Greece. Two F-16s are scrambled to investigate, but the plane soon crashes into a mountain.

It's called a microburst, but the havoc it wreaked on Delta Airlines Flight 191 was anything but minuscule.

It's one of the most alarming disasters in the history of aviation, not just because of the crash, but why it happened.

Relive the incredible story of a pilot forced to glide an engineless 767 to safety, from over 26,000 feet in the air.

See how two unrelated failures combined to create a fatal catastrophe, and changed the history of small plane travel.

To find the cause of the crash of Flight 295, they had to dig deep...3 miles deep to the floor of the Indian Ocean.

Torrential rain. Baseball-sized hail. Why did Flight 242 enter this severe storm, and what caused its engines to fail?

A terrorist's bomb blew up Air India Flight 182, but the biggest crime was that it all could have been prevented.

There are many factors affecting an aircraft in flight. Any one of them can bring the plane down. But as the investigation reveals yet again, the most common one is the human factor.

The Eastern Airlines flight 401 crash: the deadliest disaster in U.S. civil aviation history.

A business jet on a delivery flight from Brazil to the US is shaken by a massive hit over the Amazon rainforest. The pilots manage to land the damaged aircraft, but they soon find out that they had a mid-air collision with a passenger jet.

This special looked at accidents and incidents where pressurization failure or explosive decompression played a part.

This special looked at accidents caused by seemingly minor defects or errors.

Accidents and incidents where problems with the interface between crew members and onboard avionics were a factor, and the causes of those problems.

A FedEx flight from Memphis makes an emergency return when the crew is attacked. The investigation reveals a troubled pilot and serious flaws in management.

A passenger train and an enormous freight train collide head-on near Hinton, Alberta (Canada) in 1986.

25 May 2002: China Airlines Flight 611, a Boeing 747, broke up in mid-air and crashed into the sea of Formosa Strait, just 20 minutes after taking off from Taipei.

A depiction of the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the intense investigation that followed.

A long and arduous journey of the investigation from the crash backward in time to find the root cause of the crash of Partnair flight 394 to be nothing more than human greed.

One of the most horrifying mid-air collisions in history happened over India in 1996. Finding the chain of mishaps and unfortunate events is not easy for the investigators.

An American C-5 Galaxy is flying orphaned Vietnamese babies out of Saigon into safety when things go horribly wrong at 23,000 feet. The investigation uncovers some shady practices and also the heroism of the crew trying to save every life.

The aircraft, TS-LBB, took off from Bari, Italy, as Flight 1153 at 2:32 p.m. local time, on its return leg to Djerba, Tunisia. At about 3:15 p.m., the pilot alerted the Palermo Punta Raisi airport to technical problems and requested permission for an emergency landing.

When a Boeing 737 flies into a storm and crashes into the sea, the investigators cannot believe what actually brought down this very sophisticated aircraft.

Depicts the crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 near Roselawn, IN, an ATR-72 that got caught in icing conditions, and the subsequent investigation.

Plane crashes caused by communication breakdowns expose the changes that need to be made to our overburdened air traffic control system.

Aviation disasters caused by storms are detailed along with the efforts of the FAA to ensure the safety of passengers and crew during inclement weather.

When a survivable emergency on a grounded plane turns deadly, investigators examine what caused the disaster.

Exploring the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, immediately after takeoff at Detroit Metro Airport on August 16, 1987.

First ever crash of the Airbus A320 on June 26, 1988 in Habsheim, France. Air France flight 296.

The 1991 collision of two planes mistakenly sharing one runway raises concerns about over-crowded airports and overburdened traffic controllers.

In 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 accidentally enters the Soviet airspace on a flight from the United States to South Korea. The Soviet interceptors shoot down the passenger jet.

See how icy conditions, a communication breakdown, and an airline's focus on the bottom line led to disaster - twice.

A 1992 crash in France's Vosges Mountains is examined, detailing the difficulties in finding the downed plane and then finding reasons for the accident.

A Grumman Mallard seaplane operated by Chalk's Ocean Arways (Flight 101) crashes into the sea shortly after takeoff, becoming the first fatal accident of the operator's 90 years in service.