Season 3
Air Disasters
Episodes
Blind Spot
On Sep 25, 1978 — PSA Flight 182 (Boeing 727): On a clear San Diego morning, a jet on approach collides with a small Cessna over a residential neighborhood, at the time the deadliest air disaster in U.S. history.
Mayday Munich
On Feb 6, 1958 — British European Airways Flight 609 (Airspeed Ambassador): A charter carrying the Manchester United football team crashes on takeoff from a snowy Munich airfield after a refueling stop, shaking the sporting world.
I'm the Problem
On Dec 7, 1987 — PSA Flight 1771 (BAe 146): A California commuter flight plunges from cruise altitude after gunshots are heard in the cabin, turning a crash investigation into a criminal one.
Impossible Landing
On Jul 19, 1989 — United Airlines Flight 232 (DC-10): After a catastrophic engine failure cripples their flight controls, the crew attempts a landing at Sioux City that no pilot had ever trained for.
Turning Point
On Oct 9, 2002 — Northwest Airlines Flight 85 (Boeing 747): High over the Bering Sea, a jumbo jet suddenly rolls hard on its own, forcing the crew into a wrestling match with their own aircraft en route to an emergency landing in Anchorage.
Breakup Over Texas
On Sep 11, 1991 — Continental Express Flight 2574 (Embraer 120): A commuter turboprop suddenly pitches over and breaks apart in the sky near Eagle Lake, Texas, leaving investigators a field of scattered clues.
Under Pressure
On Jul 11, 1991 — Nationair Flight 2120 (DC-8): Moments after takeoff from Jeddah, a charter carrying pilgrims home to Nigeria develops an onboard fire traced to the first seconds of its takeoff roll.
The Invisible Plane
On Oct 8, 2001 — SAS Flight 686 (MD-87): Accelerating for takeoff in dense fog at Milan's Linate Airport, an airliner collides with a small jet on the runway, exposing how both came to share the same strip of pavement.
Bad Attitude
On Dec 22, 1999 — Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 (Boeing 747): A freighter crashes into a field moments after a night takeoff from London Stansted, drawing investigators into the cockpit's final minute.
Split Decision
On Dec 12, 1985 — Arrow Air Flight 1285 (DC-8): A charter returning U.S. soldiers home for the holidays crashes seconds after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland — a disaster whose cause is debated to this day.
Nowhere to Land
On May 24, 1988 — TACA Flight 110 (Boeing 737): Descending through a violent storm near New Orleans, a jet loses both engines, leaving the crew searching for anywhere flat enough to put it down.
