Episode Guide
Season 18
Episode Guide
Cockpit Failure
S18
E1
Bad weather and a series of errors lead to the 2001 crash of a plane on its approach to Zurich Airport.
The Heathrow Enigma
S18
E2
When a reliably safe Boeing 777 crashes on approach to Heathrow Airport, investigators race to uncover the reason before disaster strikes again.
Pilot Betrayed
S18
E3
When a DC-9 loses both engines just after takeoff, a seasoned pilot desperately attempts to land his plane and save the lives of his passengers and crew.
Dead Tired
S18
E4
The 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in Buffalo shocks the world and leads to one of the NTSB's most important investigations.
Hudson River Runway
S18
E5
A comprehensive look at the famous "Miracle on the Hudson" emergency landing in January 2009, and the investigation that followed.
Who's in Control?
S18
E6
When a Boeing 737 stalls and crashes during its approach into Amsterdam, investigators determine if the accident was caused by the plane or the pilots.
Unlocking Disaster
S18
E7
A 747's cargo door opens at 23,000 feet, causing an explosive decompression that ejects nine passengers from the plane.
Racing the Storm
S18
E8
An MD-82 crash lands in Arkansas during a severe thunderstorm, but investigators believe weather was not the main reason for the accident.
Fire on Board
S18
E9
A Swissair passenger jet catches fire midflight and crashes into the Atlantic, leading to one of the largest investigations in aviation history.
Flying Blind
S18
E10
A cleaning crew makes a careless error while cleaning a 757, affecting the plane's computer system and causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean.
Cutting Corners
S18
E11
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.
Flying on Empty
S18
E12
When Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel over the Atlantic, its pilots desperately try to keep their Airbus A330 in the air until they reach land.
Blow Out
S18
E13
The captain of British Airways Flight 5390 is sucked out of the aircraft when the cockpit windscreen breaks, leading to a harrowing emergency landing.
A Wounded Bird
S18
E14
Pilots of a turboprop make a successful emergency landing after an engine explodes, but the ensuing fire turns out to be the greater danger.
The Killing Machine
S18
E15
An inside look at the terrorist hijacking of an Air France Airbus A300 in Algeria on Christmas Eve 1994 and the daring plan to save the plane full of hostages.
Deadly Crossroads
S18
E16
A look at the string of events that caused a midair collision in 2002 over the skies of southern Germany, a disaster that claimed the lives of nearly 50 students.
Lost
S18
E17
Investigators struggle to determine why a 757 strayed off course during its final approach to a Colombia airport and crashed into a mountain.
Missing Over New York
S18
E18
A terrible storm, long holding patterns, and linguistic confusion lead to a Boeing 707 crash on Long Island and a controversial NTSB investigation.
Runaway Train
S18
E19
In 1989, twin disasters rock a small California town: a massive train derailment, followed by a gas line explosion 13 days later.
Collision Course
S18
E20
A passenger ferry sinks after crashing into rocks off the coast of a Greek island, killing 82, and leading to a shocking investigation.
Head on Collision
S18
E21
A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train in the Rocky Mountains leads to an investigation that shocks the Canadian railroad industry.
Ripped Apart
S18
E22
A look at plane catastrophes caused by explosive decompression and loss of air pressure and how lessons from past disasters have made flying safer today.
Fatal Flaw
S18
E23
A look at several air disasters that involved small components that failed, and how the follow-up investigations led to changes that have made flying safer.
Who's Flying the Plane
S18
E24
A look at disasters and near-disasters caused by miscommunications between pilots and their highly automated, on-board computer systems.