Air Disasters

Season 17

Harrowing stories of tragedy and triumph are brought to life through official reports, transcripts and interviews with the pilots, air traffic controllers and lucky survivors of history's most terrifying crashes. Widely considered to be the safest form of travel, air transportation is still in its infancy and when midair calamity strikes, the results are often catastrophic. From the cockpit to the cabin, from the control room to the crash scene, we uncover just what went wrong.

Where to Watch Season 17

10 Episodes

Holding Pattern
E1
Holding PatternDiscover the surprising reason why a Boeing 737 took a deadly nosedive after circling the runway for two hours.
Peril Over Portugal
E2
Peril Over PortugalAll signs point to bad weather causing the crash of Martinair Flight 495... until investigators make an intriguing discovery.
Stealth Bomber Down
E3
Stealth Bomber DownDiscover the cause of history's most expensive aviation accident: the 2008 crash of the B-2 bomber Spirit of Kansas.
Double Trouble
E4
Double TroubleAn emergency over the French Alps leads to a miraculous landing, followed by the discovery of a small but deadly flaw.
Pacific Plunge
E5
Pacific PlungeHeroic flying isn't enough to overcome neglectful maintenance in the tragic accident of Alaska Airlines Flight 261.
Terror Over Michigan
E6
Terror Over MichiganInvestigators must pull off a risky test flight to see if the pilots of a heroic emergency landing are hiding a secret.
Tree Strike Terror
E7
Tree Strike TerrorWhen a tree-strike takes out both engines of an MD-83, the crew must find a way to land a 60-ton plane with no power.
Pitch Black
E8
Pitch BlackWhen an Illinois turboprop crashes after losing battery power, investigators uncover a series of errors made by the pilots.
Turboprop Terror
E9
Turboprop TerrorWhen a turboprop stalls and crashes into a North Carolina forest, investigators resort to a risky test flight-and uncover an industry-wide safety problem.
Kobe Bryant
E10
Kobe BryantWhen basketball legend Kobe Bryant is killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, investigators examine the data, the wreckage, and the pilot's actions for clues.