Air Disasters

Just twenty minutes from touching down in Hong Kong from Indonesia, a sudden engine malfunction transforms an airbus A330 into a 200-ton glider. The plane appears destined to ditch into the South China Sea unless the captain can come up with a better plan. Miraculously, he does. Witness the emergency landing of Cathay Pacific Flight 780, and hear from the pilots and crew who somehow found a way to beat the odds and save the lives of all 322 people on board.

Legendary pilot Jimmy Leeward is determined to make news at the 2011 Reno Air Races by pushing his World War II fighter to a world-breaking speed of 500 MPH. He succeeds, but at a tragic cost. Mid-race, Leeward loses control of his plane and crashes, killing himself and ten air show spectators. Witness the shocking crash and aftermath captured on video, then follow the 11-month investigation, which revealed a careless interpretation of the race rules that would lead to changes, demanding better flight testing of highly modified aircraft.

Moments after takeoff from Amsterdam, pilots of a KLM dual turboprop report an engine problem and head back to the airport. But seconds before touchdown, the plane banks sharply and crashes into a field next to the runway. Investigators face intense pressure to find out what happened, but answers are hard to come by. Careful examination of the evidence only deepens the mystery, until data recorder findings and research into the pilots' training records point examiners towards the reason for the disaster.

Firefighters preparing for a practice drill at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay are interrupted by an explosion. They look up to discover an American cargo plane in flames near the Cuban border. Remarkably, the three-man crew is still alive, but barely. When investigators study the duty rosters and log books for the 72 hours leading up to the accident, they uncover a culprit that threatens the lives of cargo pilots everywhere.

Seconds after takeoff, a cargo plane transporting 87,000 pounds of denim pitches up before slamming to the ground, careening across a freeway, and plowing into a building. Hundreds of people in the city of Miami witness the catastrophe, but none of the accounts help investigators determine whether the DC-8's erratic path was the result of mechanical failure, pilot error, or both. Witness the fiery crash and follow the complex inquiry that reveals a cascading series of events, including a cover-up, that ultimately dooms a cargo airline.

How could a state-of-the-art airbus A-310, flown by two excellent pilots, crash less than two minutes after takeoff? Romanian investigators call in the FBI to determine if the crash of Tarom Flight 371 was a terrorist act, but the cockpit recording reveals the true reason for the disaster. Follow the tragic accident, from takeoff to its nosedive into a field just two miles from the airport, and see how zero visibility, a malfunctioning throttle, and a tragedy in the cockpit doomed the commercial jet.

Continental Airlines Flight 1404 is prepped for departure from Denver facing a moderate breeze and light wintery conditions. The Boeing 737 is bound for Houston, but before takeoff, the aircraft suddenly careens off the runway, crashes, and bursts into flame. Miraculously, all 115 aboard survive, but investigators worry about a similar accident happening again. The 737 is the best-selling commercial jetliner in history, and if there's a flaw in the design of the plane, the next crash could be imminent.

A Boeing 737 approaches the city of Perm en route from Moscow. Throughout the trip, an asymmetrical thrust from the plane's twin engines has made flying difficult, but things are about to get much worse. The aircraft suddenly nosedives before slamming directly onto the Trans-Siberian Railway, killing all 88 people aboard. Russian and U.S. investigators work together to determine what caused the crash. At first, they suspect a design flaw in the aircraft's rudder, but after digging deeper they discover the real problem was the two pilots in the cockpit.

LaMia Flight 2933, carrying Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team, is approaching Medellin, Colombia to play for the prestigious Copa Sudamericana championship when its crew suddenly declares a fuel emergency. Before air traffic control can clear a path, the plane loses power and crashes to the ground, killing all but seven passengers. Investigators discover no leaks and are mystified over how the experienced pilots could fly a plane with an insufficient amount of fuel. As they pore over the evidence, they ultimately uncover a deadly gamble.

At the end of a quick trip from Washington, D.C. to Columbus, Ohio, the captain of United Express Flight 6291 grows concerned over reports of icy rain ahead. He opts for a risky "slam dunk" landing, a maneuver where a plane descends rapidly to the runway to avoid bad weather, but something goes wrong. The plane crashes into a warehouse just a mile from the airport. The badly burned wreckage leaves little for investigators to work with, but when they examine the cockpit recording they make a stunning discovery.