Air Disasters — Season 2
The disaster is only the beginning of the story.
About this season
Catastrophic incidents in aviation history are meticulously reenacted, providing insight into what went wrong and if the crashes and near-disasters could have been prevented. Accounts from survivors combine with cockpit recordings and computer images to weave the gripping tales, and expert testimony reveals the hows and whys behind the events, some of which have resulted in important changes to aviation safety and regulations.
Episodes (12)
1. Cracks in the System
Aired 17 June 2012 • 45 min
Chalk's Ocean Airways flight 101 crashes just after take-off from Watson Island in Miami.
2. Target is Destroyed
Aired 24 June 2012 • 45 min
Korean Airlines Flight 007 is shot down by a fighter jet when it enters Soviet airspace.
3. Cruel Skies
Aired 1 July 2012 • 45 min
The importance of weather forecasting to the aviation industry.
4. Panic on the Runway
Aired 8 July 2012 • 45 min
In August, 1985, an airplane's engine catches fire as it accelerates.
5. Alarming Silence
Aired 15 July 2012 • 45 min
Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes shortly after take-off in Detroit.
6. Cold Case
Aired 22 July 2012 • 45 min
A design flaw on the Fokker F28 causes two similar plane crashes in Ontario and New York.
7. Pilot vs. Plane
Aired 29 July 2012 • 45 min
Air France Flight 296 fails to regain altitude after performing a flyby during an air show.
8. System Breakdown
Aired 5 August 2012 • 45 min
Five aviation disasters and the changes they have forced air-traffic controllers to make.
9. The Final Blow
Aired 12 August 2012 • 45 min
An Air Inter flight crashes into the Vosges Mountains while attempting to land.
10. Cleared for Disaster
Aired 19 August 2012 • 45 min
An air traffic controller's mistake causes two planes to collide on the runway.
11. The Plane That Flew Too High
Aired 26 August 2012 • 45 min
The West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crash ultimately leads to bankruptcy of the troubled airline.
12. Deadly Reputation
Aired 2 September 2012 • 45 min
AM Airlines Flight 3054 slides off a runway and crashes into a warehouse next to a petrol station.