Season 6
Air Disasters
Épisodes
Hanging by a Thread
On Apr 28, 1988 — Aloha Airlines Flight 243 (Boeing 737): On a short Hawaiian island hop, a large section of the cabin roof suddenly tears away at 24,000 feet, leaving passengers exposed to the open sky.
Attack Over Baghdad
On Nov 22, 2003 — DHL cargo flight (Airbus A300): Climbing out of Baghdad with mail from U.S. soldiers, a freighter is struck by a surface-to-air missile, and the crew must attempt a landing no one had ever pulled off.
Out of Control
On Aug 12, 1985 — Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Boeing 747SR): Minutes into a packed evening flight from Tokyo to Osaka, a loud bang cripples the jet's controls — the beginning of the worst single-aircraft disaster in history.
Fight for Your Life
On Apr 7, 1994 — FedEx Flight 705 (DC-10): Shortly after leaving Memphis, a cargo crew is ambushed mid-flight by a fellow employee, and the struggle for the controls pushes the jet to its limits.
Bomb on Board
On Dec 11, 1994 — Philippine Airlines Flight 434 (Boeing 747): A bomb explodes beneath a passenger's seat over the Pacific, forcing the pilots to attempt a daring emergency landing at Okinawa.
Mistaken Identity
On Jul 3, 1988 — Iran Air Flight 655 (Airbus A300): During heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, a U.S. Navy cruiser must decide in minutes whether an approaching aircraft is friend or foe — with tragic consequences.
Helicopter Down
On Jan 19, 1995 — Bristow Flight 56C (Super Puma): Ferrying workers to a North Sea oil platform in foul weather, a helicopter crew is suddenly forced down into some of the world's most unforgiving waters.
Death and Denial
On Oct 31, 1999 — EgyptAir Flight 990 (Boeing 767): A red-eye from New York to Cairo plunges into the Atlantic off Nantucket, and the investigation becomes one of the most controversial in aviation history.
Kid in the Cockpit
On Mar 23, 1994 — Aeroflot Flight 593 (Airbus A310): On an overnight flight to Hong Kong, a captain invites his children to visit the cockpit high over Siberia, setting off a chain of events the crew can't undo.
Ocean Landing
On Nov 23, 1996 — Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 (Boeing 767): Hijackers demand a flight to Australia, but the jet doesn't carry enough fuel — leading to a desperate ditching attempt off the Comoros Islands, caught on camera.
