Mayday, known as Air Crash Investigation(s) outside of the United States and Canada and also known as Mayday: Air Disaster (The Weather Channel) or Air Disasters (Smithsonian Channel) in the United States, is a Canadian documentary television series produced by Cineflix that recounts air crashes, near-crashes, fires, hijackings, bombings, and other mainly flight-related disasters and crises. It reveals the events that led to each crisis or disaster, their causes as determined by the official investigating body or bodies, and the measures they recommended to prevent a similar incident from happening again. The programs use re-enactments, interviews, eyewitness testimony, computer-generated imagery, cockpit voice recordings, and official reports to reconstruct the sequences of events.
As of 12 December 2023,[update] 270 episodes of Mayday have aired.[n 1] This includes five Science of Disaster specials, each examining multiple crashes with similar causes. For broadcasters that do not use the series name Mayday, three Season 3 episodes were labelled as Crash Scene Investigation spin-offs, examining marine or rail disasters.
A sub-series labelled The Accident Files begain airing in 2018 and, as of 2023, has aired five seasons consisting of ten episodes per series. This sub-series consists entirely of summarized versions of air disasters previously investigated in the primary Mayday series, but combined based on similarities between the incidents, such as fires or pilot error. Each episode covers three accidents and 15 minutes is dedicated to each of the disasters that are covered.
Series overview
| Seasons[1] | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 September 2003 | 22 October 2003 | |
| 2 | 6 | 23 January 2005 | 27 February 2005 | |
| 3 | 13 | 14 September 2005 | 7 December 2005 | |
| 4 | 10 | 15 April 2007 | 17 June 2007 | |
| 5 | 10 | 9 April 2008 | 11 June 2008 | |
| 6 | 3 | 16 December 2007 | 2 March 2008 | |
| 7 | 8 | 4 November 2009 | 17 December 2009 | |
| 8 | 2 | 10 June 2009 | 17 June 2009 | |
| 9 | 8 | 8 September 2010 | 27 October 2010 | |
| 10 | 6 | 27 February 2011 | 28 March 2011 | |
| 11 | 13 | 12 August 2011 | 13 April 2012 | |
| 12 | 13 | 3 August 2012 | 15 April 2013 | |
| 13 | 11 | 16 December 2013 | 9 May 2014 | |
| 14 | 11 | 5 January 2015 | 2 March 2015 | |
| 15 | 10 | 4 January 2016 | 17 February 2016 | |
| 16 | 10 | 7 June 2016 | 13 February 2017 | |
| 17 | 10 | 20 February 2017 | 3 October 2017 | |
| 18 | 10 | 13 February 2018 | 4 July 2018 | |
| 19 | 10 | 2 January 2019 | 11 March 2019 | |
| 20 | 10 | 9 January 2020 | 12 March 2020 | |
| 21 | 10 | 4 April 2021 | 6 June 2021 | |
| 22 | 10 | 3 January 2022 | 12 February 2022 | |
| 23 | 10 | 3 January 2023 | 7 March 2023 | |
| 24 | 10 | 11 February 2024 | 14 April 2024 | |
Episodes
Note: Episodes are ordered by their production number, not by their original air date.
Season 1 (2003)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Unlocking Disaster" | United Airlines Flight 811 | 10 September 2003 | |
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On 24 February 1989, part of the right-side fuselage of United Airlines Flight 811 rips off, ejecting nine people from the aircraft and causing explosive decompression. The flight later lands safely at Honolulu without any more loss of life. It was later determined that an electrical short circuit caused the cargo door to open. Note: This accident is covered again in the Season 24 episode 'Terror Over The Pacific'. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-100 | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Racing the Storm" | American Airlines Flight 1420 | 3 September 2003 | |
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On 1 June 1999, American Airlines Flight 1420 tries to land at the Little Rock National Airport during a storm, but overruns the runway, killing 11 people. The crash was caused by the crew not arming the spoilers during their pre-landing checks. Note: Stephen Bogaert, the narrator for the Canadian version, also played First Officer Origel. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Fire on Board" | Swissair Flight 111 | 22 October 2003 | |
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On 2 September 1998, a fire breaks out on Swissair Flight 111 while in flight, damaging vital systems and causing the aircraft to crash into the Atlantic Ocean off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, with no survivors. The fire was caused by faulty wiring in the on-board first-class and business-class entertainment systems. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Flying Blind" | Aeroperú Flight 603 | 17 September 2003 | |
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On 2 October 1996, shortly after take off, the crew of Aeroperú Flight 603 are confused by false speed and altitude readings and contradictory warnings from the aircraft's air data system. In preparation for an emergency landing, the crew descend the aircraft, but unknowingly descend too far by relying on the false readings. The Boeing 757 crashes into the Pacific Ocean, killing everyone on board. The false readings and contradictory warnings were caused by duct tape over the static ports, which was used to protect the ports during maintenance, but was not removed afterwards. Type of aircraft: Boeing 757-200 | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Cutting Corners" | Alaska Airlines Flight 261 | 15 October 2003 | |
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On 31 January 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261's trimmable horizontal stabilizer jams and breaks from its control system. The aircraft dives inverted into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 88 on board. The stabilizer failed due to an improperly maintained jackscrew assembly. Note: This crash is covered again in the Season 22 episode 'Pacific Plunge'. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Flying on Empty" | Air Transat Flight 236 | 8 October 2003 | |
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On 24 August 2001, Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The pilots glide the aircraft to a safe landing at a naval base in the Azores. Improper maintenance work allowed a hydraulic line and a fuel line to rub together, resulting in a subsequent fuel line fracture and a leak. Type of aircraft: Airbus A330-200 | |||||
Season 2 (2005)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Blow Out" | British Airways Flight 5390 | 23 January 2005 | |
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On 10 June 1990, a cockpit window on British Airways Flight 5390 blows out, partially ejecting and injuring the captain through the hole. A member of the cabin crew clings to his legs as the co-pilot completes an emergency landing without any deaths. The captain is found to be still alive after being outside the cockpit for 21 minutes. The blowout was caused by a maintenance worker installing incorrectly sized bolts during maintenance work. Type of aircraft: BAC 1-11 528FL | |||||
| 8 | 2 | "A Wounded Bird" | Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 | 30 January 2005 | |
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On 21 August 1995, a blade on the left-side propeller of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 breaks off. The imbalance of the rotating propeller causes the engine to partly tear itself from its mounting, creating excessive drag. The aircraft rapidly loses altitude and crashes, killing nine people. Chlorine deposits in the blade led to the development of corrosion pits and fatigue cracks, causing it to weaken and break. Type of aircraft: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | |||||
| 9 | 3 | "The Killing Machine" | Air France Flight 8969 | 6 February 2005 | |
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On 24 December 1994, Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Algiers Airport. The four terrorists demand the aircraft be allowed to depart for Paris so they can blow up the aircraft over the Eiffel Tower, but the Algerian Army blocks the aircraft with vehicles and refuse to allow it to take off. Unable to carry out their plans, the terrorists kill three passengers over the next two days. The aircraft is then cleared to take off, but the crew diverts to Marseille Provence Airport. The hostage rescue team of the French Gendarmerie storms the aircraft, and after a gun battle in the cabin, the hijackers are killed, while everyone else survives. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B2 | |||||
| 10 | 4 | "Deadly Crossroads" | 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision | 13 February 2005 | |
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On 1 July 2002, BAL Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 collides with DHL International Aviation ME Flight 611 in German airspace near Überlingen, killing all 71 people on board the two aircraft. The crew of Flight 611 followed the on-board traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) instructions to initiate a descent. However, the crew of Flight 2937 followed the instructions of the air traffic controller instead of their TCAS and initiated a descent as well. Only one air traffic controller was on duty (covering two boards) for that block of airspace at the time of the collision—his co-worker was on his coffee break. Type of aircraft: Flight 2937: Tupolev Tu-154M; Flight 611: Boeing 757-200PF | |||||
| 11 | 5 | "Lost" | American Airlines Flight 965 | 20 February 2005 | |
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On 20 December 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 is en route to Cali, Colombia. The crew are asked if they would like to perform a straight-in approach to Cali. The pilots accept the offer, but as they are making the necessary changes, they inadvertently delete the waypoints from the flight plan in their flight management system, causing them to lose certainty of their exact position. Their mistakes cause the aircraft to fly into a mountain near Buga. Only four passengers and a dog survive. Type of aircraft: Boeing 757-200 | |||||
| 12 | 6 | "Missing over New York" | Avianca Flight 052 | 27 February 2005 | |
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On 25 January 1990, Avianca Flight 052 is delayed numerous times by bad weather en route and is dangerously low on fuel as it attempts a landing at New York City. Wind shear forces the crew to abort the approach just one mile from the runway. They initiate a go-around, but are directed back into a holding pattern by air traffic controllers who are unaware of the low fuel situation. The Boeing 707 then runs out of fuel, causing it to crash on Long Island. Type of aircraft: Boeing 707-320B | |||||
Season 3 (2005)
Note: This is the first season produced in high definition.[1]
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Hanging by a Thread" | Aloha Airlines Flight 243 | 14 September 2005 | |
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On 28 April 1988, the upper half of the front fuselage of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 tears off, blowing out a flight attendant. The aircraft subsequently lands safely at Kahului, Hawaii. The fuselage failed from corrosion damage and improperly-repaired fatigue cracks. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 14 | 2 | "Attack over Baghdad" | 2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident | 21 September 2005 | |
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On 22 November 2003, a 9K34 Strela-3 man-portable air-defense system is launched at a DHL Airbus A300, exploding the left wing and causing a massive loss of hydraulic fluid which immobilizes the flight control surfaces. The crew flies the aircraft by changing the engines' thrust for control and make a safe landing 16 minutes later. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B4-200F | |||||
| 15 | 3 | "Out of Control" | Japan Air Lines Flight 123 | 28 September 2005 | |
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On 12 August 1985, the aft pressure bulkhead bursts on a Boeing 747SR operating as Japan Airlines Flight 123, destroying the vertical stabilizer and severing all four of the aircraft's hydraulic systems. The crew keep the aircraft flying for 32 minutes until it clips Mount Takamagahara and crashes, killing all but four of the 524 people on board. The accident was caused by a faulty repair to the bulkhead after a much-earlier tailstrike incident. Note: This crash is covered again in the Season 23 episode 'Pressure Point'. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747SR | |||||
| 16 | 4 | "Fight for Your Life" | Federal Express Flight 705 | 5 October 2005 | |
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On 7 April 1994, Auburn Calloway, a disgruntled employee, attempts to hijack a DC-10 operating as Federal Express Flight 705 armed with hammers and a speargun. Despite sustaining serious injuries from Calloway's assault, the crew successfully subdues him with a combination of their own strength and using the DC-10 to carry out multiple aerial manoeuvres, and returns the aircraft safely to Memphis International Airport. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30F | |||||
| 17 | 5 | "Bomb on Board" | Philippine Airlines Flight 434 | 12 October 2005 | |
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On 11 December 1994, a bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434 on the second leg of a service from Manila to Tokyo via Cebu City, killing a passenger, injuring many people and damaging some of the aircraft's control systems. The crew successfully lands the aircraft at Naha Airport in Okinawa. Subsequent investigation determined that Ramzi Yousef, a terrorist, smuggled the bomb aboard the aircraft on the first leg of its flight. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 18 | 6 | "Mistaken Identity" | Iran Air Flight 655 | 19 October 2005 | |
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On 3 July 1988, during the Iran–Iraq War, the USS Vincennes launches missiles which bring down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 people on board. The crew of the Vincennes claimed that they mistook the airliner for an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter, but Iran believes that the U.S. deliberately shot it down. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B2-200 | |||||
| 19 | 7 | "Helicopter Down" | Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C | 26 October 2005 | |
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On 19 January 1995, lightning damages the tail rotor of Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C, forcing the crew to perform an emergency autorotation to a ditching in the sea. Despite the rough sea conditions, the 16 oil rig workers and 2 pilots are rescued by a nearby ship. Type of aircraft: Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma | |||||
| 20 | 8 | "Death and Denial" | EgyptAir Flight 990 | 2 November 2005 | |
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On 31 October 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying from New York City to Cairo, killing all 217 people on board. The cause of the crash is disputed: the Egyptian government claims that the crash was caused by a mechanical failure with the elevators, but the U.S. government claims the aircraft was deliberately crashed by the Relief First Officer Gameel Al-Batouti. Type of aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER | |||||
| 21 | 9 | "Runaway Train" | San Bernardino train disaster (SP 7551 East) | 30 November 2005 | |
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On 12 May 1989, a 69-car freight train goes out of control while descending from California's Cajon Pass. It derails in a residential neighbourhood of San Bernardino after reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Two residents and two train crew members are killed in the initial crash. More than a week later, an underground gasoline pipeline, damaged by earth-moving equipment during the post-crash clean-up, ruptures and sparks a fire that kills another two people. Clerks in Mojave had greatly underestimated the train's weight, and it had been assembled without enough locomotives to provide adequate braking. Additionally, several of the engines' brakes were completely inoperative, but this information was not passed on to the crews. Note: This episode is labeled as a Crash Scene Investigation spin-off. Type of train: Southern Pacific freight train (EMD SD40T-2 and EMD SD45T-2 locomotives), Sixty-nine freight cars pulled by six locomotives | |||||
| 22 | 10 | "Kid in the Cockpit" | Aeroflot Flight 593 | 9 November 2005 | |
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On 23 March 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 stalls and crashes while en route to British Hong Kong, killing all 75 people on board. The pilot's 15-year-old son accidentally disabled the autopilot while in the captain's seat, causing the aircraft to bank heavily to the right, inducing the stall. Type of aircraft: Airbus A310-300 | |||||
| 23 | 11 | "Collision Course" | The MS Express Samina sinking | 23 November 2005 | |
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On 26 September 2000, waves push the MS Express Samina off course, causing it to hit a group of rocks off Paros and sink, killing 81 people. (The episode incorrectly states 80 people have died.) Subsequent investigation showed that the ferry was on autopilot, with the crew not monitoring the ship's course. They were instead watching a soccer match. Note: This episode is labeled as a Crash Scene Investigation spin-off. Type of ship: Passenger ferry (MS Express Samina) | |||||
| 24 | 12 | "Head On Collision" | Hinton train collision | 16 November 2005 | |
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On 8 February 1986, a Via Rail passenger train and a 118-car Canadian National Railway freight train collide after the freight train crew fail to stop at a red railway signal on a section of a passing loop, killing 23 people. An inquiry concluded that a "railroader culture", which prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety, had resulted in a tired and sick crew of three, including an engineer at extreme risk of a stroke or heart attack, to either fall asleep or be otherwise incapacitated, failing to stop the freight train. Note: This episode is labeled as a Crash Scene Investigation spin-off. Type of train: Via Rail passenger train (FP9A and F9B locomotives); 118-car Canadian National freight train (one EMD GP38-2 and two EMD SD40 locomotives) | |||||
| 25 | 13 | "Ocean Landing" | Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 | 7 December 2005 | |
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On 23 November 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is forced to ditch after running out of fuel. The aircraft breaks up as the wings hit the water, killing 125 people. The aircraft had been hijacked and ran out of fuel because the hijackers did not believe the pilot's insistence that there was not enough fuel aboard to make it to the hijackers' planned destination, Australia. Type of aircraft: Boeing 767-200ER | |||||
Season 4 (2007)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1 | "Desperate Escape" | Air France Flight 358 | 15 April 2007 | |
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On 2 August 2005, Air France Flight 358 overruns the runway, travels through the airport perimeter fence and plunges down a small ravine while attempting to land in a storm. All 309 passengers and crew survive. The causes of the crash were the aircraft deviating above the required approach path for its landing, touching down too far along the runway and the crew deploying the thrust reversers too slowly. Type of aircraft: Airbus A340-300 | |||||
| 27 | 2 | "Falling from the Sky" | British Airways Flight 009 | 22 April 2007 | |
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On 24 June 1982, British Airways Flight 009 experiences St. Elmo's fire en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Perth, Australia. A few minutes later, all four engines flame out. After descending, the crew successfully restarts the engines and lands safely. The St. Elmo's fire and engine flame-outs were caused by volcanic ash spewed by Galunggung in Indonesia during a major eruption. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 28 | 3 | "Fire Fight" | Air Canada Flight 797 | 29 April 2007 | |
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On 2 June 1983, a fire breaks out on Air Canada Flight 797's toilet. An emergency landing is made in Cincinnati, but the aircraft is engulfed by flames on the runway due to a flashover caused by the opening of the aircraft's doors after the landing, killing 23 people, including musician Stan Rogers. The origin of the fire could not be determined as a result of the flashover. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | |||||
| 29 | 4 | "Final Approach" | Korean Air Flight 801 | 6 May 2007 | |
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On 6 August 1997, during final approach for a night landing in Guam, Korean Air Flight 801 crashes into a hill while attempting a missed approach, killing 228 people. The causes were pilot error and the instrument landing system at Guam airport being temporarily out of service for maintenance work. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-300 | |||||
| 30 | 5 | "Hidden Danger" | United Airlines Flight 585, USAir Flight 427, and Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 | 13 May 2007 | |
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On 3 March 1991, a Boeing 737 operating as United Airlines Flight 585 suddenly rolls into a dive and crashes within eight seconds, killing all 25 people on board. On 8 September 1994, USAir Flight 427 also rolls and crashes within thirty seconds, killing all 132 people on board. On 9 June 1996, Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 also rolls unexpectedly in similar circumstances, but the crew successfully regains control of the aircraft and lands safely. The cause of all three incidents was a design flaw with the rudder's control system which allowed the rudder to suddenly and unexpectedly go to full deflection and jam due to thermal shock of the hydraulic control valve. Type of aircraft: Flight 585: Boeing 737-200; Flight 427: Boeing 737-300; Flight 517: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 31 | 6 | "Panic over the Pacific" | China Airlines Flight 006 | 20 May 2007 | |
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On 19 February 1985, China Airlines Flight 006's number four (right-side outer) engine flames out. As the crew tries to restart the engine, the Boeing 747SP enters a dive. The crew successfully regains control, restarts the engine and lands safely at San Francisco International Airport. The incident was caused by pilot error. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747SP | |||||
| 32 | 7 | "Out of Sight" | Aeroméxico Flight 498 | 27 May 2007 | |
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On 31 August 1986, Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a light aircraft over Cerritos, California, causing both to go out of control and crash, killing 82 people. The accident was caused by neither pilot making visual contact with the other aircraft and a lack of automated collision warning systems. The crash inspires the creation of the traffic collision avoidance system. Type of aircraft: Flight 498: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; light aircraft: Piper PA-28-181 Archer | |||||
| 33 | 8 | "Fog of War" | 1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash | 3 June 2007 | |
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On 3 April 1996, United States Air Force Flight 21 veers off course and flies into a mountain while attempting to land at Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia in heavy fog, killing all 35 people on board, including the U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. The non-precision approach procedure the crew needed to follow required the use of two automatic direction finders, but the aircraft was only fitted with one. Type of aircraft: Boeing CT-43 | |||||
| 34 | 9 | "Vertigo" | Flash Airlines Flight 604 | 10 June 2007 | |
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On 3 January 2004, Flash Airlines Flight 604 banks to the right just after takeoff and crashes into the Red Sea, killing all 148 people on board. The cause of this disaster is disputed, but suggested to be spatial disorientation on the part of the flight crew. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
| 35 | 10 | "Ghost Plane" | Helios Airways Flight 522 | 17 June 2007 | |
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On 14 August 2005, air traffic controllers lose radio contact with Helios Airways Flight 522. Two fighters from the Hellenic Air Force intercept and investigate the flight and find all but one person on board not moving. A few moments later, the aircraft runs out of fuel and crashes, killing all 121 people on board. An incorrect cabin pressurization setting had caused everyone on board to succumb to hypoxia. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
Season 5 (2008)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1 | "Invisible Killer" | Delta Air Lines Flight 191 | 7 May 2008 | |
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On 2 August 1985, Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crash-lands while on approach to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 8 of the 11 crew members, 128 of the 152 passengers on board, and one person on the ground. This accident was one of the few commercial air crashes in which the meteorological phenomenon known as a microburst was a direct contributing factor. Type of aircraft: Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar | |||||
| 37 | 2 | "Gimli Glider" | Air Canada Flight 143 | 14 May 2008 | |
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On 23 July 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 runs out of fuel at 41,000 feet (12,500m) altitude, about halfway through its flight from Montreal to Edmonton. The crew is able to glide the aircraft safely to an emergency landing at Gimli Industrial Park Airport, a former airbase at Gimli, Manitoba. An unserviceable fuel gauge and an error in converting between metric and imperial units caused the aircraft to be loaded with insufficient fuel prior to the flight. Type of aircraft: Boeing 767-200 | |||||
| 38 | 3 | "Behind Closed Doors" | American Airlines Flight 96 and Turkish Airlines Flight 981 | 16 April 2008[2] | |
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On 12 June 1972, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating as American Airlines Flight 96 suffers an explosive decompression after a cargo door in the lower rear fuselage bursts open. The crew makes an emergency landing at Detroit without any loss of life. Nearly two years later, on 3 March 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes near Senlis after suffering a similar sequence of events during a flight from Paris to London, killing all 346 people on board. A design flaw with the DC-10's cargo door locking mechanism was not rectified after the first accident, and the second DC-10's door opened during flight, causing the crash. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 (both aircraft) | |||||
| 39 | 4 | "Fanning the Flames" | South African Airways Flight 295 | 21 May 2008 | |
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On 28 November 1987, a fire breaks out on South African Airways Flight 295 in the rear main cargo area as it is flying high above the Indian Ocean. The Boeing 747 combined passenger/cargo aircraft (Combi) crashes with no survivors. The exact cause of the fire is undetermined. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200 Combi | |||||
| 40 | 5 | "Dead Weight" | Air Midwest Flight 5481 | 30 April 2008[2] | |
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On 8 January 2003, Air Midwest Flight 5481 crashes into an aircraft hangar at Charlotte Douglas International Airport seconds after takeoff on a flight to Greenville. All 21 people on board die. Investigation showed that the pilots' controls had been improperly adjusted during maintenance, and that the aircraft was overloaded due to outdated formulae for calculation of passenger weights. Type of aircraft: Beechcraft 1900D | |||||
| 41 | 6 | "Southern Storm" | Southern Airways Flight 242 | 23 April 2008[2] | |
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On 4 April 1977, Southern Airways Flight 242, a flight from Huntsville, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, flies through a severe thunderstorm and is hit by large hailstones. After both engines fail, the aircraft makes an emergency landing on a highway in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia. However, it collides with a gas station and explodes, killing 63 people on board and nine on the ground. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | |||||
| 42 | 7 | "Air India: Explosive Evidence" | Air India Flight 182 | 9 April 2008[2] | |
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On 23 June 1985, Air India Flight 182 explodes in mid-air over the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew members on board. The investigation traced the cause of the explosion to be a bomb from the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 43 | 8 | "Mixed Signals" | Birgenair Flight 301 | 4 June 2008 | |
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On 6 February 1996, Birgenair Flight 301 is scheduled to fly from Puerto Plata to Frankfurt. On takeoff, the captain finds that his airspeed indicator is not reading properly, though the co-pilot's indicator is showing the correct speed. The pilots become confused and believe that both indicators are malfunctioning, resulting in the aircraft stalling and crashing into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 189 people on board. Type of aircraft: Boeing 757-200 | |||||
| 44 | 9 | "Fatal Distraction" | Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 | 28 May 2008 | |
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On 29 December 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 is on a flight to Miami International Airport. While making preparations to land, the crew are distracted by a faulty landing gear indicator light and accidentally disengage the autopilot while trying to resolve the problem. Flying at night, the crew fail to notice their descent until only seconds before crashing into the Everglades. Out of the 176 people on board, 101 are killed. Type of aircraft: Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar | |||||
| 45 | 10 | "Phantom Strike" | Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 | 11 June 2008 | |
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On 29 September 2006, Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 collides with a brand new business jet on its delivery flight over the Amazon. The Legacy manages to make a safe landing at an airbase, but the Gol jet crashes with no survivors. Air traffic controllers had cleared both aircraft to fly at the same altitude in opposite directions, and the Legacy's transponder was switched off, making both aircraft's traffic collision avoidance systems useless in preventing the collision. Type of aircraft: Flight 1907: Boeing 737-800; business jet: Embraer Legacy 600 | |||||
Season 6 (2007–08) Special
Season 6 of Mayday is the first Science of Disaster season, consisting of three episodes. With the exception of BOAC Flight 781, all the incidents described in these episodes are summarised versions taken from their respective full episodes from the previous five seasons.
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "Ripped Apart" | BOAC Flight 781 South African Airways Flight 201 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 British Airways Flight 5390 United Airlines Flight 811 Helios Airways Flight 522 | 16 December 2007 | |
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This special looked at accidents and incidents where pressurization failure or explosive decompression played a part. Types of aircraft: Flights 781 and 201: de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1; Flight 243: Boeing 737-200; Flight 5390: BAC 1-11 528FL; Flight 811: Boeing 747-100; Flight 522: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
| 47 | 2 | "Fatal Flaw" | Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Japan Air Lines Flight 123 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 Swissair Flight 111 United Airlines Flight 585 USAir Flight 427 Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 | 16 December 2007 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by seemingly minor defects or errors. Types of aircraft: Flight 261: McDonnell Douglas MD-83; Flight 123: Boeing 747SR; Flight 529: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia; Flight 111: McDonnell Douglas MD-11; Flight 585: Boeing 737-200; Flight 427: Boeing 737-300; Flight 517: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 48 | 3 | "Who's Flying the Plane?" | Aeroperú Flight 603 China Airlines Flight 006 Aeroflot Flight 593 Flash Airlines Flight 604 Air Transat Flight 236 | 2 March 2008 | |
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This special looked at accidents and incidents where problems with the interface between crew members and on-board avionics were a factor and the causes of those problems. Types of aircraft: Flight 603: Boeing 757-200; Flight 006: Boeing 747SP; Flight 593: Airbus A310-300; Flight 604: Boeing 737-300; Flight 236: Airbus A330-200 | |||||
Season 7 (2009)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1 | "Scratching the Surface" | China Airlines Flight 611 | 18 November 2009 | |
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On 25 May 2002, China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Taiwan Strait 20 minutes after taking off from Taipei, killing all 225 people on board. A faulty repair to the lower rear skin of the aircraft following a tailstrike more than 20 years earlier had caused the entire tail section to weaken and fail. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 50 | 2 | "Lockerbie Disaster" | Pan Am Flight 103 | 4 November 2009 | |
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On 21 December 1988, a bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 103, causing the aircraft to disintegrate in mid-air and the wreckage of the aircraft to crash into the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-100 | |||||
| 51 | 3 | "Blown Apart" | Partnair Flight 394 | 25 November 2009 | |
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On 8 September 1989, Partnair Flight 394 loses control, breaks up in mid-air, and crashes into the North Sea, killing all 55 people on board. The aircraft's vertical stabilizer had vibrated loose during flight due to excessive wear on sub-standard bolts, sleeves, and pins that had been illegally sold as "aircraft-grade." Type of aircraft: Convair CV-580 | |||||
| 52 | 4 | "Sight Unseen" | 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision | 11 November 2009 | |
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On 12 November 1996, Saudia Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 collide in mid-air near New Delhi, India, killing all 349 people on both aircraft. The world's deadliest mid-air collision and the overall third-deadliest aircraft accident, the crash was caused by the crew members on the Kazakhstan Airlines aircraft failing to maintain the altitude assigned by air traffic control. Type of aircraft: Flight 763: Boeing 747-100B; Flight 1907: Ilyushin Il-76 | |||||
| 53 | 5 | "Operation Babylift" | 1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident | 2 December 2009 | |
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On 4 April 1975, a United States Air Force transport aircraft conducting the inaugural flight of Operation Babylift suffers an explosive decompression when the rear cargo door fails and crashes into a paddy field while attempting an emergency landing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. The investigation found that parts had been removed from the rear cargo doors and improperly replaced. Type of aircraft: Lockheed C-5A Galaxy | |||||
| 54 | 6 | "Falling Fast" | Tuninter Flight 1153 | 9 December 2009 | |
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On 6 August 2005, Tuninter Flight 1153 runs out of fuel and ditches into the Mediterranean Sea, killing 16 people. An incorrect type of fuel gauge had been installed, misleading the crew about how much fuel was on board. Type of aircraft: ATR 72-200 | |||||
| 55 | 7 | "Flight 574: Lost" | Adam Air Flight 574 | 16 December 2009 | |
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On 1 January 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 crashes into the Makassar Strait in Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board. The crew inadvertently disengaged the autopilot while trying to fix a problem with the aircraft's inertial reference system, causing it to roll into an uncontrolled dive and break up during flight. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-400 | |||||
| 56 | 8 | "Frozen in Flight" | American Eagle Flight 4184 | 16 December 2009 | |
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On 31 October 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184 loses control and crashes into a field while circling to land at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 68 people on board. The crash was caused by ice developing on the wings in a manner that the on-board deicing system could not remove. Type of aircraft: ATR 72-200 | |||||
Season 8 (2009) Special
Season 8 of Mayday is the second Science of Disaster season, consisting of two episodes.
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 1 | "System Breakdown" | 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision Aeroméxico Flight 498 Avianca Flight 052 Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision | 10 June 2009 | |
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This special looked at the role of air traffic controllers in the airline industry and examines the Next Generation Air Transportation System, a new technology meant to eliminate mid-air collisions by reducing overall dependence on radar and radio, as well as delegating some of the air traffic controllers' tasks to computers on board each aircraft. Types of aircraft: Grand Canyon collision: Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation and Douglas DC-7; Cerritos collision: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 and Piper PA-28-181 Archer; Flight 052: Boeing 707-320B; Gol Transportes Aéreos collision: Boeing 737-800 and Embraer Legacy 600; Überlingen collision: Tupolev Tu-154M and Boeing 757-200PF | |||||
| 58 | 2 | "Cruel Skies" | Southern Airways Flight 242 Delta Air Lines Flight 191 American Airlines Flight 1420 British Airways Flight 009 | 17 June 2009 | |
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This special looked at the role of bad weather in aviation disasters and examines the U.S. Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, Missouri, to see how information on weather is transmitted to pilots in the sky. Types of aircraft: Flight 242: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; Flight 191: Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar; Flight 1420: McDonnell Douglas MD-82; Flight 009: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
Season 9 (2010)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 1 | "Panic on the Runway" | 1985 Manchester Airport disaster | 1 March 2010 | |
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On 22 August 1985, an engine of British Airtours Flight 28M fails during takeoff, puncturing a hole in the wing fuel tank and starting a fire. The crew successfully abandons the takeoff and stops the aircraft on the runway, but the fire spreads to the cabin. Out of the 137 occupants onboard the flight, 55 people die before they can evacuate, mainly due to inhaling toxic smoke. The investigation found that a defective engine fuel injector failed and ruptured the fuel tank. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 60 | 2 | "Alarming Silence" | Northwest Airlines Flight 255 | 15 March 2010 | |
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On 16 August 1987, shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 stalls and crashes just beyond the runway, killing all but 1 of the 155 people on board and 2 people on the ground. Subsequent investigation showed that the pilots failed to configure the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff. It was also discovered that the aural takeoff warning did not sound, but for unknown reasons. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | |||||
| 61 | 3 | "Pilot vs. Plane" | Air France Flight 296Q | 8 March 2010 | |
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On 26 June 1988, Air France Flight 296Q fails to climb and crashes into trees after performing a flyby during an airshow at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport, killing three people. The cause of the crash is disputed: the investigation blamed the pilot, but the captain himself claims that the cause was a problem with the fly-by-wire computer. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-100 | |||||
| 62 | 4 | "Cleared for Disaster" | 1991 Los Angeles airport runway collision | 22 March 2010 | |
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On 1 February 1991, USAir Flight 1493 collides with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport, killing 35 people. An air traffic controller mistakenly assigned Flight 1493 to land on a runway where the SkyWest Airlines aircraft was waiting to take off. Type of aircraft: Flight 1493: Boeing 737-300; Flight 5569: Fairchild Metro III | |||||
| 63 | 5 | "Target Is Destroyed" | Korean Air Lines Flight 007 | 29 March 2010 | |
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In the early hours of 1 September 1983, during the Cold War, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 is shot down after violating Soviet Union airspace, killing all 269 people on board. The crew did not set the autopilot to the correct mode following takeoff, which caused the aircraft to stray off course. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 64 | 6 | "Cold Case" | Air Ontario Flight 1363 and USAir Flight 405 | 12 April 2010 | |
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On 10 March 1989, Air Ontario Flight 1363 crashes just after takeoff in snowy weather, killing 24 people. Three years later, on 22 March 1992, USAir Flight 405 also crashes just after takeoff in similar conditions to Flight 1363, killing 27 people. The cause of both crashes was ice on the wings, which significantly reduced lift. Type of aircraft: Flight 1363: Fokker F28-1000; Flight 405: Fokker F28-4000 | |||||
| 65 | 7 | "The Final Blow" | Air Inter Flight 148 | 5 April 2010 | |
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On 20 January 1992, Air Inter Flight 148 flies into a mountain while circling to land at Strasbourg Airport, killing 87 people. An error made in programming the aircraft's autopilot, combined with a sudden wind change, caused it to descend more rapidly than expected. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-100 | |||||
| 66 | 8 | "Cracks in the System" | Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 | 19 April 2010 | |
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On 19 December 2005, just seconds after takeoff from Miami, Florida, the right wing of Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 breaks off, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea, killing all 20 people on board. The cause of the crash was an improper repair of a fatigue crack in the wing. Type of aircraft: Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard | |||||
Season 10 (2011)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1 | "Cockpit Failure" | Crossair Flight 3597 | 12 March 2011 | |
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On 24 November 2001, Crossair Flight 3597 crashes into a hill during final approach to Zürich, killing 24 of the 33 passengers and crew members on board. The cause of the crash was the pilot descending the aircraft below the minimum safe altitude for the approach.[3] Type of aircraft: British Aerospace 146 | |||||
| 68 | 2 | "The Heathrow Enigma" | British Airways Flight 38 | 7 March 2011 | |
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On 17 January 2008, British Airways Flight 38 is on its final approach to land, but when the autothrottles command increased thrust from the engines, the engines fail to respond. The captain raises one notch of flaps to give the aircraft a few more feet of flying distance; it crash-lands just short of the runway without any fatalities. The fuel flow to both engines was restricted because of ice crystals causing a blockage in the fuel-oil heat exchangers. Type of aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
| 69 | 3 | "Pilot Betrayed" | Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 | 28 March 2011 | |
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On 27 December 1991, Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 crash-lands without loss of life in Gottröra moments after taking off due to both engines failing. Clear ice from the tops of the wings had been sucked into both engines, causing internal damage. An automatic system (of which the pilots were unaware) to increase the engines' thrust contributed to their failure. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-81 (referred to in the episode as a McDonnell Douglas DC-9) | |||||
| 70 | 4 | "Dead Tired" | Colgan Air Flight 3407 | 21 March 2011 | |
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On 12 February 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 stalls at low altitude and dives into a residential area near Buffalo, New York. All 49 people on board the aircraft and one person on the ground are killed. Several critical errors made by the flight crew might have been the result of their fatigue. Type of aircraft: Bombardier Q400 | |||||
| 71 | 5 | "Hudson River Runway" | US Airways Flight 1549 | 14 March 2011 | |
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On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 suffers a bird strike with a flock of Canada geese after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City, causing both engines to fail. Less than two minutes later, the pilots successfully ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River. All on board survive. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
| 72 | 6 | "Who's in Control?" | Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 | 28 February 2011 | |
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On 25 February 2009, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 stalls and crashes 1.5 kilometres from the runway while approaching Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Nine people, including the three cockpit crew members, are killed. A faulty radar altimeter permitted premature reduction of the engines' thrust, and the flight crew failed to notice the resulting drop in airspeed until it was too late. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-800 | |||||
Season 11 (2011–12)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | 1 | "Deadly Reputation" | TAM Airlines Flight 3054 | 12 August 2011 | |
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On 17 July 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054 careens off runway 35L at Brazil's Congonhas Airport and crashes at high speed into a warehouse adjacent to a filling station, killing all 187 people on board the aircraft and 12 people on the ground. Incorrect engine throttle settings upon landing caused one engine to reverse thrust while the other increased power, causing the aircraft to lose control. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
| 74 | 2 | "The Plane That Flew Too High" | West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 | 19 August 2011 | |
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On 16 August 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 deep-stalls while cruising and crashes in rural Venezuela during a thunderstorm. Investigators determined that the pilots misinterpreted the stall as an engine failure and took no recovery action until it was too late. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | |||||
| 75 | 3 | "Split Decision" | Arrow Air Flight 1285R | 26 August 2011 | |
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On 12 December 1985, Arrow Air Flight 1285R, carrying troops of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, stalls and crashes just seconds after taking off from Gander International Airport in Canada, killing all 256 people on board. The cause of the crash remains disputed: the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB) concluded that ice on the wings, combined with miscalculated weight, was the cause, but a minority report claims an on-board explosion. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-63CF | |||||
| 76 | 4 | "Breakup over Texas" | Continental Express Flight 2574 | 29 December 2011 | |
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On 11 September 1991, Continental Express Flight 2574 tips into a dive and crashes into a field while nearing the end of a flight from Laredo, Texas, to Houston. All 14 people on board are killed. Improper maintenance allowed a section of the horizontal stabilizer to break loose during flight, after which the pilots had no control. Type of aircraft: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | |||||
| 77 | 5 | "Munich Air Disaster" | Munich air disaster | 29 December 2011 | |
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On 6 February 1958, British European Airways Flight 609, carrying members of the famed Manchester United soccer team, club officials and journalists, crashes into a house about 300 metres from the end of the runway in Munich after it fails to become airborne, killing 23 of the 44 people on board. The cause of the crash was slush on the runway, which slowed the aircraft down and prevented it from reaching takeoff speed. Type of aircraft: Airspeed Ambassador | |||||
| 78 | 6 | "Turning Point" | Northwest Airlines Flight 85 | 29 December 2011 | |
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On 9 October 2002, the lower rudder segment of Northwest Airlines Flight 85 suddenly deflects to the left. The pilots divert the aircraft to a successful emergency landing at Anchorage, Alaska, by using engine thrust for control. The incident was attributed to a malfunction of the rudder's hydraulic control module. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-400 | |||||
| 79 | 7 | "Bad Attitude" | Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 | 20 January 2012 | |
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On 22 December 1999, Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 crashes into a field at night about 55 seconds after taking off from London Stansted Airport on a flight to Milan, Italy, killing all four crew members on board. The causes of the crash were the captain following the indications of a malfunctioning attitude indicator and lack of communication amongst the crew members. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200F | |||||
| 80 | 8 | "Blind Spot" | Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 | 27 January 2012 | |
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On 25 September 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 collides with a light aircraft while approaching San Diego International Airport and crashes in a residential area in California. All 137 people on the two aircraft and 7 people on the ground are killed. Type of aircraft: Flight 182: Boeing 727-200; light aircraft: Cessna 172 | |||||
| 81 | 9 | "Under Pressure" | Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 | 3 February 2012 | |
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On 11 July 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 is taking off from King Abdulaziz International Airport with 247 Hajj pilgrims and 14 crew on board. Two under-inflated tires burst during the takeoff, starting a fire on the landing gear. The crew is unaware of the fire and retracts the gear after takeoff, causing the fire to spread. Encountering problems, the crew tries to return the aircraft to the airport, but it breaks up and crashes about 3 kilometres from the runway, with no survivors. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-61 | |||||
| 82 | 10 | "I'm the Problem" | Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 | 10 February 2012 | |
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On 7 December 1987, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashes at the speed of sound on a mountainside in rural San Luis Obispo County, California. All 43 people on board are killed. Investigators found that passenger David Burke, a former USAir employee, took a gun on board the aircraft and shot the pilots in a murder-suicide plot to kill his former supervisor (who was also a passenger on board) after being fired from his job days earlier. Type of aircraft: British Aerospace 146 | |||||
| 83 | 11 | "Nowhere to Land" | TACA Flight 110 | 9 March 2012 | |
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On 24 May 1988, TACA Flight 110 flies through a thunderstorm and both engines flame out. The captain manages to make a deadstick landing on a narrow grass levee in the Michoud area of eastern New Orleans, saving the lives of everyone on board. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
| 84 | 12 | "The Invisible Plane" | 2001 Linate Airport runway collision | 23 March 2012 | |
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On 8 October 2001, Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 686 is taking off at Milan's Linate Airport in thick fog. On the runway, it collides with an Air Evex business jet bound for Paris, France. Flight 686 suffers major damage and crashes into a nearby building shortly afterwards. All 114 people on board the two aircraft are killed, along with 4 on the ground. The business jet's crew had made a wrong turn while taxiing in the fog and inadvertently taxied onto the runway. Type of aircraft: Flight 686: McDonnell Douglas MD-87 (referred to in the episode as a Boeing MD-87); business jet: Cessna Citation CJ2 | |||||
| 85 | 13 | "Impossible Landing" | United Airlines Flight 232 | 13 April 2012 | |
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On 19 July 1989, the tail-mounted number-two engine of United Airlines Flight 232 explodes, damaging all of the aircraft's hydraulic systems and leaving the flight controls unusable. By varying engine thrust, the pilots manage to crash-land the aircraft at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Iowa, saving the lives of 184 of the 296 people onboard. Subsequent investigation traced the engine failure to a fatigue crack in the fan hub stemming from a defect introduced before the disk was even made (when the original titanium ingot used to make it was formed). Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 | |||||
Season 12 (2012–13)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | 1 | "Fight for Control" | Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 | 3 August 2012 | |
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On 8 June 1983, Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8's number-four propeller separates, tearing a gash on the aircraft's underside, jamming the flight controls and causing a rapid decompression. The pilots manage to land the aircraft safely at Anchorage, Alaska. The propeller fell into the sea, and since it was never recovered, the cause of the accident has not been determined. Type of aircraft: Lockheed L-188 Electra | |||||
| 87 | 2 | "Fire in the Hold" | ValuJet Flight 592 | 10 August 2012 | |
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On 11 May 1996, 10 minutes after takeoff, ValuJet Airlines Flight 592 starts filling with smoke after a fire breaks out in the main cargo bay as it is flying over Miami. The aircraft crashes into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board. The cause of the fire was later determined to be an accidental triggering of a chemical oxygen generator illegally shipped as non-hazardous cargo. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | |||||
| 88 | 3 | "Caution to the Wind" | Singapore Airlines Flight 006 | 17 August 2012 | |
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On 31 October 2000, Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collides with construction equipment at Chiang Kai Shek airport in Taipei while attempting to take off on the wrong runway in a typhoon, killing 83 of the 179 people on board. Investigators concluded that the crash was caused by pilot error. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-400 | |||||
| 89 | 4 | "Pushed to the Limit" | SilkAir Flight 185 | 24 August 2012 | |
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On 19 December 1997, while en route to Singapore, SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River in Indonesia after abruptly diving from its cruise altitude, killing all 104 passengers and crew members on board. The cause of the crash was disputed: a U.S. investigation concluded that it was an act of murder–suicide by the captain; however, the Indonesian investigators were undetermined. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
| 90 | 5 | "Blind Landing" | TANS Perú Flight 204 | 31 August 2012 | |
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On 23 August 2005, TANS Perú Flight 204 crashes into a muddy swamp while attempting to land at Pucallpa Airport, Peru, in a thunderstorm, killing 40 of the 98 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots not following visual flight rules while the aircraft was being pushed by a downdraft. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200 Advanced | |||||
| 91 | 6 | "Grand Canyon Disaster" | 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision | 24 January 2013 | |
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On 30 June 1956, United Airlines Flight 718 and Trans World Airlines Flight 2 collide in mid-air over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, killing all 128 people on both aircraft. At the time, it was the deadliest-ever aviation accident, and would lead to major changes in the regulation of flight operations over the United States. Note: This accident was previously featured as a special in the episode "System Breakdown" (S08E01). And Stephen Bogaert, the narrator for the Canadian version, also played Captain Gandy. Type of aircraft: Flight 718: Douglas DC-7; Flight 2: Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation | |||||
| 92 | 7 | "Catastrophe at O'Hare" | American Airlines Flight 191 | 25 February 2013 | |
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On 25 May 1979, the number-one engine on American Airlines Flight 191 detaches moments after taking off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The aircraft banks to the left and crashes into an open field, killing all 271 people on board and 2 people on the ground. One of the mounting points in the pylon attaching the engine to the wing had suffered damage caused by faulty maintenance procedures. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 | |||||
| 93 | 8 | "Focused on Failure" | United Airlines Flight 173 | 11 March 2013 | |
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On 28 December 1978, the crew of United Airlines Flight 173 are preoccupied with a landing gear problem as the aircraft circles in a holding pattern in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon. It runs out of fuel and crashes in a sparsely populated area, killing 10 of the 189 people on board. The pilot failed to acknowledge the warnings of the remaining crew regarding the aircraft's fuel state, while the remaining crew failed to adequately communicate the situation. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-61 | |||||
| 94 | 9 | "Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster" | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash | 4 March 2013 | |
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On 7 September 2011, YAK-Service Flight 9633, carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team, crashes shortly after takeoff at Yaroslavl, Russia, killing all but one of the 45 occupants. The investigation found that the pilots were not properly trained on the aircraft type and mishandled it during takeoff. Type of aircraft: Yakovlev Yak-42D | |||||
| 95 | 10 | "Death of the President" | Smolensk air disaster | 27 January 2013 | |
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On 10 April 2010, Polish Air Force Flight 101, carrying the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński, his wife Maria Kaczyńska and other top officials, crashes in a wooded area while on final approach to Smolensk North Airport in heavy fog and low visibility. All 96 passengers and crew members on board are killed. Type of aircraft: Tupolev Tu-154M | |||||
| 96 | 11 | "Heading to Disaster" | Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 | 25 March 2013 | |
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On 25 January 2010, shortly after takeoff from Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport during a thunderstorm, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 plunges into the Mediterranean Sea while on a flight to Addis Ababa, killing all 90 people on board. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-800 | |||||
| 97 | 12 | "28 Seconds to Survive" | Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 | 1 April 2013 | |
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On 21 February 2008, Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 strays off course and flies into the side of a mountain shortly after takeoff, killing all 46 people on board. Investigators determined that the aircraft took off with inoperative navigation equipment due to the pilots' failure to do their pre-flight checklist. Type of aircraft: ATR 42-300 | |||||
| 98 | 13 | "Air France 447: Vanished" | Air France Flight 447 | 15 April 2013 | |
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On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight 447 stalls and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying through a thunderstorm, killing all 228 people on board. The causes of the crash were incorrect airspeed readings due to ice blocking the aircraft's pitot tubes and inappropriate control inputs by the crew. Type of aircraft: Airbus A330-200 | |||||
Season 13 (2013–14)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 1 | "Fight to the Death" | British European Airways Flight 548 | 16 December 2013 | |
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On 18 June 1972, British European Airways Flight 548 stalls and crashes in a field near Staines shortly after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport, killing all 118 people on board. The crash was attributed to the pilot retracting the aircraft's droops at too low an airspeed and failing to recognize the stall warnings. Type of aircraft: Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C | |||||
| 100[4] | 2 | "Speed Trap" | Hughes Airwest Flight 706 | 30 December 2013 | |
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On 6 June 1971, Hughes Airwest Flight 706 collides with a United States Marine Corps (USMC) fighter jet above the San Gabriel Mountains. A total of 50 people from the two aircraft are killed, with the backseat crewman of the USMC aircraft the only survivor. Type of aircraft: Flight 706: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31; USMC jet: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II | |||||
| 101 | 3 | "Lost in Translation" | Crossair Flight 498 | 13 January 2014 | |
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On 10 January 2000, Crossair Flight 498 crashes just two minutes after takeoff from Zürich, Switzerland, while heading for Dresden, Germany, killing all 10 people on board. The investigation found that the pilots had suffered spatial disorientation. Type of aircraft: Saab 340B | |||||
| 102 | 4 | "Disaster on the Potomac" | Air Florida Flight 90 | 23 December 2013 | |
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On 13 January 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 stalls at 300 feet altitude, strikes a road bridge and crashes into the Potomac River, killing 78 people. The causes were ice on the wings and the pilots' failure to turn on the engines' anti-freeze system, causing erroneous engine instrument readings. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 103 | 5 | "Queens Catastrophe" | American Airlines Flight 587 | 6 January 2014 | |
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On 12 November 2001, just two months after the September 11 attacks, American Airlines Flight 587 spirals out of control shortly after taking off from John F. Kennedy Airport and crashes into Queens, killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground. It was later determined that aggressive rudder use by the first officer in response to wake turbulence from a Boeing 747-400 that had taken off minutes earlier had caused the vertical stabilizer to detach from the aircraft. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300-600 | |||||
| 104 | 6 | "Into the Eye of the Storm" | Hurricane hunters NOAA42 incident | 10 February 2014 | |
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On 15 September 1989, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft tasked with intercepting Hurricane Hugo over the Caribbean islands is jolted by strong winds, causing an engine to catch fire and fail. The pilots of the aircraft manage to make a safe emergency landing. Type of aircraft: Lockheed WP-3D Orion | |||||
| 105 | 7 | "Massacre over the Mediterranean" | Itavia Flight 870 | 20 January 2014 | |
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On 27 June 1980, Itavia Flight 870 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea near the island of Ustica, Italy. All 81 people on board are killed. The top Italian criminal court eventually ruled on 23 January 2013 that a missile strike brought down the aircraft,[5] but controversy remains; some experts dispute this conclusion, arguing that an on-board bomb in the rear toilet was the cause. No definitive accident report was published. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 | |||||
| 106 | 8 | "Imperfect Pitch" | XL Airways Germany Flight 888T | 3 February 2014 | |
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On 27 November 2008, an aircraft on a post-maintenance test flight operating as XL Airways Germany Flight 888T stalls and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of France, killing all seven people on board. Improper maintenance work allowed water to enter the aircraft's angle of attack (AOA) sensors; the water then froze during flight, and the sensors stopped working. When the crew tried to test the stall warning system during flight, the aircraft stalled. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
| 107 | 9 | "Terror in Paradise" | Air Moorea Flight 1121 | 27 January 2014 | |
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On 9 August 2007, Air Moorea Flight 1121 crashes shortly after taking off from Moorea Airport in French Polynesia, killing all 19 passengers and the pilot. A badly worn elevator control cable had failed completely in flight. As the force on the elevators changes with flap retraction, the cable broke after being overloaded. The situation was aggravated by the aircraft being repeatedly buffeted by jet blast from larger aircraft while parked, stressing the cables further. Type of aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | |||||
| 108 | 10 | "Titanic in the Sky" | Qantas Flight 32 | 17 February 2014 | |
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On 4 November 2010, shortly after takeoff from Singapore, the number-two engine on Qantas Flight 32 partially disintegrates, causing serious damage to its left wing. The crew members overcome a number of resulting failures and make a safe emergency landing back at Singapore with no injuries among the 469 passengers and crew members. Investigators traced the engine failure to a manufacturing fault in an oil pipe. Note: This is the 100th aircraft case investigated on Mayday. Type of aircraft: Airbus A380-800 | |||||
| 109 | 11 | "Getting out Alive" | Asiana Airlines Flight 214 Air France Flight 358 Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 Air Canada Flight 797 US Airways Flight 1549 | 9 May 2014 | |
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This special looked at how people survive aviation accidents, in part with demonstrations at the Czech Airlines Training Centre. Types of aircraft: Flight 214: Boeing 777-200ER; Flight 358: Airbus A340-300; Flight 8: Lockheed L-188 Electra; Flight 797: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; Flight 1549: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
Season 14 (2015)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 1 | "Choosing Sides" | Kegworth air disaster | 5 January 2015 | |
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On 8 January 1989, British Midland Airways Flight 092 crashes onto the embankment of the M1 motorway near Kegworth, Leicestershire, UK. The aircraft was attempting to conduct an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport after one of its engines had failed. 47 of the 126 people on board died. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-400 | |||||
| 111 | 2 | "Niki Lauda: Testing the Limits" | Lauda Air Flight 004 | 12 January 2015 | |
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On 26 May 1991, the thrust reverser on the number one engine of Lauda Air Flight 004 deploys in flight without being commanded, causing the aircraft to spiral out of control, disintegrate, and crash about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok, with no survivors. Investigators later determined the cause of the false deployment to be a malfunction of an electronically-controlled hydraulic valve. Type of aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER | |||||
| 112 | 3 | "Vanishing Act" | Varig Flight 254 | 10 February 2015 | |
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On 3 September 1989, the pilots of Varig Flight 254 enter an incorrect compass heading into their instruments before takeoff. Flying on autopilot once airborne, the aircraft heads west instead of north-northeast towards its destination. After some time, it is over a remote area of the Amazon jungle. The aircraft eventually runs out of fuel, and the pilot makes a belly landing in the jungle, during which the aircraft breaks up, killing 12 people. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 113 | 4 | "Sideswiped" | Copa Airlines Flight 201 | 2 March 2015 | |
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On 6 June 1992, Copa Airlines Flight 201 enters a high-speed dive, breaks up in mid-air, and crashes into the Darién Gap 29 minutes after taking off from Tocumen International Airport, killing all 47 people on board. The incident was caused by faulty instrument readings, confusion among the pilots, and insufficient training. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200 Advanced | |||||
| 114 | 5 | "The Final Push" | FedEx Express Flight 14 and FedEx Express Flight 80 | 16 February 2015 | |
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On 31 July 1997, FedEx Express Flight 14 bounces, rolls to the right and crashes on landing at Newark Liberty International Airport. All five of the people on board survive. On 23 March 2009, FedEx Express Flight 80 also bounces and crashes on landing at Narita International Airport, Japan, in similar circumstances to that of Flight 14, killing both of the pilots. Note: This episode mainly focuses on Fedex Express Flight 80, the second crash. Type of aircraft: Flight 14: McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (referred to in the episode as a Boeing MD-11); Flight 80: McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (freighter conversion) | |||||
| 115 | 6 | "The Death of JFK Jr." | 1999 Martha's Vineyard plane crash | 20 January 2015 | |
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On 16 July 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. dies when the Piper Saratoga light aircraft he is piloting crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in hazy conditions. His wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, are on board and are also killed. The NTSB concluded that the crash was caused by spatial disorientation resulting in pilot error. Type of aircraft: Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga II | |||||
| 116 | 7 | "Concorde - Up in Flames" | Air France Flight 4590 | 13 January 2015 | |
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On 25 July 2000, a Concorde operating as Air France Flight 4590 stalls and crashes into a hotel in Gonesse shortly after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle Airport, killing all of the 109 people on board and 4 on the ground. The aircraft had struck foreign debris left on the runway from a Continental Airlines DC-10, rupturing and igniting one of its fuel tanks and causing the left engines to fail. Type of aircraft: Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde | |||||
| 117 | 8 | "Accident or Assassination" | 2008 Mexico City Learjet crash | 17 February 2015 | |
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On 4 November 2008, an official Mexican Interior Ministry Learjet 45 crashes in rush-hour traffic in central Mexico City. All nine occupants, including Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, are killed in the crash, along with seven people on the ground. The aircraft crashed due to a loss of control from wake turbulence from a Mexicana Boeing 767-300 and pilot error from fraudulently certified flight crew. Type of aircraft: Learjet 45 | |||||
| 118 | 9 | "No Clear Options" | Manx2 Flight 7100 | 9 February 2015 | |
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On 10 February 2011, Manx2 Flight 7100 crashes at Cork Airport in Ireland after the pilots lose control of the aircraft in an attempted go-around in heavy fog and low visibility. Six of the twelve people on board the aircraft are killed in the accident. Note: The investigative team of this incident declined to co-operate with the program out of respect for the survivors and victims' families.[6] Type of aircraft: Fairchild SA227-BC Metro III | |||||
| 119 | 10 | "Death in the Arctic" | First Air Flight 6560 | 24 February 2015 | |
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On 20 August 2011, First Air Flight 6560, a charter flight, crashes near its destination of Resolute Bay Airport, Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, in poor weather conditions. Out of the fifteen passengers and crew members, only three survived. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200C | |||||
| 120 | 11 | "What Happened to Malaysian 370?" | Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 | 15 February 2015 | |
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On 8 March 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board. As of February 2015[update], no trace of the aircraft had been found, and speculation is that it crashed in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. Note: This is the first time the series broadcast an episode about an accident not yet fully investigated. Type of aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
Season 15 (2016)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | 1 | "Fatal Transmission" | 1996 Quincy Airport disaster | 6 January 2016 | |
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On 19 November 1996, United Express Flight 5925, operating for Great Lakes Airlines, lands at Quincy Regional Airport and collides with a light aircraft taking off from an intersecting runway. All 12 occupants on the Beechcraft 1900C died in a subsequent fire along with both pilots of the Beechcraft King Air. Type of aircraft: Flight 5925: Beechcraft 1900C; light aircraft: Beechcraft 65-A90 King Air | |||||
| 122 | 2 | "Terror in San Francisco" | Asiana Airlines Flight 214 | 13 January 2016 | |
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On 6 July 2013, while landing at San Francisco International Airport, Asiana Airlines Flight 214 strikes a seawall and crashes short of the runway. Of the 307 people on board, 2 passengers die at the crash scene; another dies shortly after in hospital. Note: This accident was previously featured as a special in the episode "Getting out Alive" (S13E11). Type of aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
| 123 | 3 | "High Rise Catastrophe" | El Al Flight 1862 | 1 February 2016 | |
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On 4 October 1992, the two engines on El Al Flight 1862's right wing detach from the aircraft after it departs from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, damaging the right wing's hydraulic systems and a large portion of its leading edge. On approach, the flaps and slats on the left wing deploy while those on the right wing do not, due to the damage sustained. The aircraft rolls to the right and crashes into an apartment complex, killing all 4 on board and 39 on the ground. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-200F | |||||
| 124 | 4 | "Fatal Delivery" | UPS Airlines Flight 6 | 11 January 2016 | |
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On 3 September 2010, the pilots of UPS Airlines Flight 6 report a fire and declare an emergency shortly after taking off from Dubai International Airport. The crew tries to land back at the airport, but are unsuccessful. The aircraft flies over the airport and crashes into an unpopulated area nearby, killing both of the pilots. The fire was caused by the combustion of lithium-ion batteries. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-400F | |||||
| 125 | 5 | "Deadly Mission" | Transair Sweden Flight 001 | 3 February 2016 | |
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On 18 September 1961, Transair Sweden Flight 001, carrying Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, crashes en route to ceasefire negotiations in Northern Rhodesia during the Congo Crisis. All of the 16 passengers and crew members are killed. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-6B | |||||
| 126 | 6 | "Edge of Disaster" | Atlantic Airways Flight 670 | 10 February 2016 | |
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On 10 October 2006, Atlantic Airways Flight 670 lands at Stord Airport, but overruns the runway and crashes after careening off a steep embankment. Four of the sixteen people on board are killed. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the aircraft's spoilers and hydroplaning. Type of aircraft: British Aerospace 146-200A | |||||
| 127 | 7 | "Deadly Delay" | Spanair Flight 5022 | 17 February 2016 | |
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On 20 August 2008, Spanair Flight 5022 stalls, banks to the right and crashes during its second takeoff attempt, killing 154 of the 172 people on board. The investigation determined that when the pilots retracted the flaps and slats during the delay, they forgot to re-extend them afterwards. It was also determined that the takeoff warning did not sound due to a possible failure of a relay. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | |||||
| 128 | 8 | "Fatal Focus" | Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 | 4 January 2016 | |
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On 7 March 2007, while landing at Yogyakarta at the end of a routine domestic flight from Jakarta, Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 hits the ground so hard that it bounces violently before running off the end of the runway, killing 21 of the 140 people on board. The aircraft was meant to land with the flaps extended to an angle of 40°, but it landed with flap extension of only 5°, which was aggravated by the Captain's insistence on landing the aircraft, even when it was travelling too fast. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-400 | |||||
| 129 | 9 | "Steep Impact" | Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 | 25 January 2016 | |
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On 5 April 1991, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 nose-dives into the ground while on landing approach to Glynco Jetport in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 people on board, including U.S. Senator John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter. The accident was caused by a malfunction of the left engine's propeller control unit which led to incorrect pitch angles on the left propeller's blades. Type of aircraft: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | |||||
| 130 | 10 | "Carnage in São Paulo" | TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 | 15 February 2016 | |
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On 31 October 1996, TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes into a heavily populated residential area seconds after takeoff from São Paulo–Congonhas Airport, killing all 95 people on board and 4 on the ground. The crash was attributed to the uncommanded deployment of a faulty thrust reverser on the right engine, which was aggravated by the co-pilot's forceful inputs on the right engine's throttle. Type of aircraft: Fokker 100 | |||||
Season 16 (2016–17)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 131 | 1 | "Deadly Silence" | 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash | 7 June 2016 | |
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On 25 October 1999, a chartered Learjet 35 operated by Sunjet Aviation, carrying golfer Payne Stewart and his agents, flies off course shortly after takeoff. It runs out of fuel and crashes into a field in South Dakota, killing all 6 occupants on board. The investigation concluded that everyone on board suffered hypoxia due to an uncontrolled decompression, but the cause remains undetermined. Type of aircraft: Learjet 35 | |||||
| 132 | 2 | "9/11: The Pentagon Attack" | American Airlines Flight 77 | 14 June 2016 | |
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On 11 September 2001, during the September 11 attacks, American Airlines Flight 77 flies off course and crashes into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, after being hijacked. All the 64 people on board the aircraft, including the 5 hijackers, are killed, along with 125 people in the building. Type of aircraft: Boeing 757-200 | |||||
| 133 | 3 | "Disaster at Tenerife" | Tenerife airport disaster | 21 June 2016 | |
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On 27 March 1977, the deadliest-ever aviation accident occurs at Los Rodeos Airport (now known as Tenerife North Airport) in the Canary Islands. KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 collide on the runway in thick fog during the KLM aircraft's attempt to take off, killing 583 people. Note: This accident was previously shown on the 2005 "Crash of the Century" special.[7] Although the program is not regarded as a Mayday episode, Cineflix used the footage on a few episodes of Mayday. Type of aircraft: Flight 4805: Boeing 747-200B; Flight 1736: Boeing 747-100 | |||||
| 134 | 4 | "Deadly Detail" | China Airlines Flight 120 | 28 June 2016 | |
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On 20 August 2007, China Airlines Flight 120 catches fire and explodes after landing and taxiing to the gate area at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan. However, all 165 people on board survive. The incident was attributed to a fuel leak caused by a bolt from the aircraft's right wing slat puncturing the right wing fuel tank. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-800 | |||||
| 135 | 5 | "Deadly Detour" | Proteus Airlines Flight 706 | 5 July 2016 | |
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On 30 July 1998, Proteus Airlines Flight 706 collides with a light aircraft during a detour over an ocean cruise liner and crashes into Quiberon Bay off the coast of Lorient, France. All 15 occupants on board the two aircraft die. The crew did not use the See and Avoid concept when they were operating under visual flight rules, and the pilot of the Cardinal had failed to turn on his aircraft's transponder, effectively making the aircraft invisible to radar systems on the ground. Type of aircraft: Flight 706: Beechcraft 1900D; light aircraft: Cessna 177 Cardinal | |||||
| 136 | 6 | "Dangerous Approach" | Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 | 12 July 2016 | |
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On 19 January 1988, Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286, operating for Continental Express, crashes near Bayfield, Colorado, during final approach to Durango. Both crew members and seven of the fifteen passengers on board died in the accident. Type of aircraft: Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III | |||||
| 137 | 7 | "Murder in the Skies" | Germanwings Flight 9525 | 23 January 2017 | |
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On 24 March 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 enters a high-speed descent and crashes into the French Alps during a flight from Barcelona, Spain, to Düsseldorf, Germany. All 150 people on board are killed. The investigation concluded that the crash was caused by an act of murder-suicide by the co-pilot. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
| 138 | 8 | "River Runway" | Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 | 30 January 2017 | |
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On 16 January 2002, on final approach to Yogyakarta at the end of a routine domestic flight from Ampenan, Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 suffers a double engine flameout while flying through a severe thunderstorm and ditches in the Bengawan Solo River. 59 of the 60 people on board survive. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
| 139 | 9 | "Deadly Solution" | Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 | 6 February 2017 | |
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On 28 December 2014, Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 stalls and crashes into the Java Sea while flying through a thunderstorm, killing all 155 passengers and 7 crew members on board. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the aircraft's rudder travel limiter unit and an inappropriate response by the pilots. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
| 140 | 10 | "Afghan Nightmare" | National Airlines Flight 102 | 13 February 2017 | |
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On 29 April 2013, National Airlines Flight 102 stalls and crashes into the ground just seconds after taking off from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, killing all seven crew members on board. The investigation determined that a vehicle in the aircraft's cargo bay had shifted, causing the loss of control. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-400BCF | |||||
Season 17 (2017)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | 1 | "Killer Attitude" | Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 | 20 February 2017 | |
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On 1 December 1993, Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 crashes into a hillside while on final approach to Range Regional Airport in Minnesota. All 16 passengers and 2 crew members on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: Jetstream 31 | |||||
| 142 | 2 | "Deadly Myth" | Comair Flight 3272 | 27 February 2017 | |
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On 9 January 1997, Comair Flight 3272 spirals out of control and crashes nose-first while on final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. All 29 passengers and crew members on board are killed. The investigation concluded that ice had built up on the aircraft's wings, causing the loss of control. Type of aircraft: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | |||||
| 143 | 3 | "Turning Point" | Air China Flight 129 | 6 March 2017 | |
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On 15 April 2002, Air China Flight 129 crashes into the side of a mountain while circling to land at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, during inclement weather. 129 of the 166 passengers and crew members on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: Boeing 767-200ER | |||||
| 144 | 4 | "Explosive Proof" | TWA Flight 800 | 13 March 2017 | |
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On 17 July 1996, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 800 explodes in mid-air, breaks up, and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while en route from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. All 230 passengers and crew members on board are killed. Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-100 | |||||
| 145 | 5 | "Lethal Turn" | Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 | 5 September 2017 | |
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On 26 September 1997, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 crashes into mountainous woodlands while trying to land at Polonia International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, in low visibility. All 234 people on board are killed. The investigation determined that the aircraft turned the wrong way during the approach due to a miscommunication between the pilots and air traffic control. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B4-200 | |||||
| 146 | 6 | "Storming Out" | USAir Flight 1016 | 12 September 2017 | |
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On 2 July 1994, USAir Flight 1016 crashes into a residential area while attempting to land at Charlotte Douglas International Airport during a thunderstorm, killing 37 of the 57 people on board. The investigation concluded that the aircraft encountered microburst-induced wind shear while the captain suffered somatogravic illusion, prompting the first officer to push the nose down and causing the crash. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 | |||||
| 147 | 7 | "Caught on Tape" | TransAsia Airways Flight 235 | 19 September 2017 | |
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On 4 February 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235 strikes a viaduct and crashes into the Keelung River shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, killing 43 of the 58 people on board. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the number two engine and the pilots shutting down the wrong engine. Type of aircraft: ATR 72-600 | |||||
| 148 | 8 | "Terror over Egypt" | Metrojet Flight 9268 | 18 September 2017 | |
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On 31 October 2015, Metrojet Flight 9268 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Sinai Peninsula during a routine chartered flight from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport to Pulkovo Airport, killing all 224 people on board. Type of aircraft: Airbus A321-200 | |||||
| 149 | 9 | "Deadly Discussions" | LAPA Flight 3142 | 3 October 2017 | |
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On 31 August 1999, LAPA Flight 3142 overruns the runway and crashes while taking off from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 63 of the 100 people on board and 2 on the ground. The investigation determined that the pilots forgot to extend the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-200C | |||||
| 150 | 10 | "The Lost Plane" | Thai Airways International Flight 311 | 2 October 2017 | |
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On 31 July 1992, Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain while on final approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, in poor weather conditions, killing all 99 passengers and 14 crew members on board. Type of aircraft: Airbus A310-300 | |||||
Season 18 (2018)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | 1 | "Nuts and Bolts" | Emery Worldwide Airlines Flight 17 | 13 February 2018 | |
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On 16 February 2000, Emery Worldwide Airlines Flight 17 crashes into an automobile salvage yard shortly after taking off from Sacramento Mather Airport on a flight to Dayton, Ohio, killing all 3 crew members on board. The cause of the crash was a disconnection of the right elevator control tab. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-71F | |||||
| 152 | 2 | "Blown Away" | TransAsia Airways Flight 222 | 20 February 2018 | |
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On 23 July 2014, TransAsia Airways Flight 222 crashes into the village of Xixi while attempting to land at Magong Airport during inclement weather and low visibility, killing 48 of the 58 people on board and injuring 5 people in the village. The investigation found that the pilots intentionally descended below the minimum descent altitude. Type of aircraft: ATR 72-500 | |||||
| 153 | 3 | "Deadly Distraction" | Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 | 27 February 2018 | |
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On 31 August 1988, Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes beyond the runway while taking off from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 14 of the 108 people on board. The subsequent investigation determined that the pilots forgot to extend the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff. Type of aircraft: Boeing 727-200 Advanced | |||||
| 154 | 4 | "Deadly Airspace" | Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 | 15 February 2018 | |
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On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disintegrates in mid-air over Hrabove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, and crashes while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. The subsequent investigation concluded that a Buk surface-to-air missile launched by pro-Russian rebels taking part in the war in Donbas caused the in-flight break-up. Type of aircraft: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
| 155 | 5 | "Deadly Display" | 2012 Mount Salak Sukhoi Superjet crash | 15 March 2018 | |
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On 9 May 2012, an aircraft on a demonstration tour crashes into Mount Salak in the province of West Java. All 45 people on board are killed. The investigation concluded that the pilots were unaware of the presence of high ground in the area and ignored warnings from the terrain warning system. Type of aircraft: Sukhoi Superjet 100 | |||||
| 156 | 6 | "Deadly Mission" | VSS Enterprise crash | 22 March 2018 | |
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On 31 October 2014, an experimental spaceflight test vehicle named VSS Enterprise suffers a catastrophic in-flight breakup and crashes into the Mojave Desert in California, United States, while performing a test flight. The co-pilot, Michael Alsbury, is killed; the pilot, Peter Siebold, is seriously injured, but manages to parachute to safety. Type of aircraft: Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo | |||||
| 157 | 7 | "Free Fall" | Qantas Flight 72 | 15 June 2018 | |
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On 7 October 2008, Qantas Flight 72 suffers a pair of sudden uncommanded pitch-down manoeuvres during a flight from Singapore Changi Airport to Perth Airport, injuring 119 of the 315 people on board. The aircraft makes an emergency landing at Learmonth Airport near Exmouth, Western Australia, with no fatalities. Type of aircraft: Airbus A330-300 | |||||
| 158 | 8 | "Deadly Inclination" | Alitalia Flight 404 | 22 June 2018 | |
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On 14 November 1990, Alitalia Flight 404 descends too low and crashes into the woodlands of the Stadlerberg Mountain near Weiach, Switzerland, 5.2 nautical miles (9.6 kilometres) short of the runway during final approach to Zurich Airport. All 46 passengers and crew members on board are killed. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | |||||
| 159 | 9 | "Deadly Go-Round" | China Airlines Flight 140 | 27 June 2018 | |
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On 26 April 1994, China Airlines Flight 140 pitches upwards, enters an aerodynamic stall at low altitude and crashes approximately 340 feet east-northeast of the centreline of the runway while on final approach to Nagoya Airport in Nagoya, Japan. 264 of the 271 people on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B4-600R | |||||
| 160 | 10 | "Dead of Winter" | Continental Airlines Flight 1713 | 4 July 2018 | |
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On 15 November 1987, Continental Airlines Flight 1713 stalls and crashes off the right side of the runway shortly after taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, on a scheduled flight to Boise, Idaho, killing 28 of the 82 people on board. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 | |||||
Season 19 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161 | 1 | "Deadly Descent" | Cathay Pacific Flight 780 | 2 January 2019 | |
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On 13 April 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 suffers a dual engine failure while nearing Hong Kong International Airport at the end of a flight from Juanda International Airport, Indonesia. The aircraft makes an emergency landing at almost twice the speed of a normal landing. All 322 people on board survive. Type of aircraft: Airbus A330-300 | |||||
| 162 | 2 | "Death Race" | 2011 Reno Air Races crash | 7 January 2019 | |
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On 16 September 2011, a vintage fighter aircraft named The Galloping Ghost crashes into spectators during the Reno Air Races, killing the pilot, James Leeward, and 10 people on the ground. The cause of the crash were reused single-use locknuts in the left elevator trim tab system that loosened. Type of aircraft: North American P-51 Mustang | |||||
| 163 | 3 | "Fatal Approach" | KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 | 16 January 2019 | |
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On 4 April 1994, KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 crashes into a field while attempting an emergency landing at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, killing 3 of the 24 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots' inadequate use of the flight controls during an asymmetric go-around. Type of aircraft: Saab 340B | |||||
| 164 | 4 | "Borderline Tactics" | American International Airways Flight 808 | 14 January 2019 | |
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On 18 August 1993, American International Airways Flight 808 stalls while banking to the right and crashes into the ground 1 quarter of a mile short of the runway while manoeuvring onto final approach to Leeward Point Airfield in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. All 3 crew members on board survive. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-61F | |||||
| 165 | 5 | "Deadly Pitch" | Fine Air Flight 101 | 21 January 2019 | |
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On 7 August 1997, Fine Air Flight 101 stalls and crashes just seconds after taking off from Miami International Airport, killing all 4 people on board and 1 person on the ground. The causes of the crash were an improper loading of cargo and the pilots selecting an incorrect stabilizer trim setting. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-61F | |||||
| 166 | 6 | "Fatal Climb" | TAROM Flight 371 | 28 January 2019 | |
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On 31 March 1995, TAROM Flight 371 banks steeply to the left and crashes into a field shortly after taking off from Otopeni International Airport, killing all 60 people on board. The throttle of the port engine had returned to idle in-flight while the captain simultaneously became incapacitated, possibly due to a heart attack. Type of aircraft: Airbus A310-300 | |||||
| 167 | 7 | "Runway Runoff" | Continental Airlines Flight 1404 | 11 February 2019 | |
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On 20 December 2008, Continental Airlines Flight 1404 veers off the side of the runway, skids across the taxiway and a service road and crashes into a ravine while taking off from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. All 115 passengers and crew members on board survive. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-500 | |||||
| 168 | 8 | "Lethal Limits" | Aeroflot Flight 821 | 18 February 2019 | |
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On 14 September 2008, Aeroflot Flight 821 crashes into a ravine next to a railway line while on final approach to Perm International Airport in Perm, Russia, in poor weather conditions, killing all 88 people on board. The investigation concluded that the pilots suffered spatial disorientation. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-500 | |||||
| 169 | 9 | "Football Tragedy" | LaMia Flight 2933 | 4 March 2019 | |
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On 28 November 2016, LaMia Flight 2933, carrying the Brazilian Chapecoense soccer squad, runs out of fuel and crashes into the side of a mountain after entering a holding pattern to land at José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, Colombia. 71 of the 77 people on board are killed. Type of aircraft: Avro RJ85 | |||||
| 170 | 10 | "Slam Dunk" | United Express Flight 6291 | 11 March 2019 | |
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On 7 January 1994, United Express Flight 6291, operating for Atlantic Coast Airlines, crashes 1.2 miles short of the runway during final approach to Port Columbus International Airport after entering a stall. The two pilots, the flight attendant, and two of the five passengers are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: British Aerospace Jetstream 41 | |||||
Season 20 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 171 | 1 | "Kathmandu Descent" | Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 | 23 January 2020 | |
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On 28 September 1992, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 crashes into a mountainside while on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 167 people on board. The pilots had begun the descent too early after misreading the approach chart. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B4-200 | |||||
| 172 | 2 | "Impossible Pitch" | West Air Sweden Flight 294 | 13 February 2020 | |
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On 8 January 2016, West Air Sweden Flight 294 crashes near Lake Akkajaure in Sweden during a cargo flight from Oslo to Tromsø, Norway, killing both crew members. A malfunction in an inertial reference unit produced erroneous attitude indications and mislead the crew into a dive. Type of aircraft: Bombardier CRJ200 | |||||
| 173 | 3 | "Explosive Touchdown" | Uni Air Flight 873 | 9 January 2020 | |
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On 24 August 1999, Uni Air Flight 873 suffers an explosion in the cabin while landing at Hualien Airport, killing one passenger. Bleach bottles filled with gasoline, which were being transported by a passenger on the domestic flight, leaked inside the overhead bins, and were ignited by a nearby motorcycle battery. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | |||||
| 174 | 4 | "Taxiway Turmoil" | 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision | 16 January 2020 | |
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On 3 December 1990, two Northwest Airlines jets collide in heavy fog at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after Flight 1482 mistakenly turns on to an active runway while Flight 299 is taking off. 8 of the 44 people on board Flight 1482 are killed; all 154 people on board Flight 299 survive. Type of aircraft: Flight 1482: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14; Flight 299: Boeing 727-200 Advanced | |||||
| 175 | 5 | "Runway Breakup" | AIRES Flight 8250 | 12 March 2020 | |
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On 16 August 2010, AIRES Flight 8250 crashes short of the runway while landing at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés, Colombia, killing 2 of the 131 people on board. A black hole approach illusion had led the pilots to believe the aircraft was higher than it actually was. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-700 | |||||
| 176 | 6 | "Icy Descent" | Sol Líneas Aéreas Flight 5428 | 30 January 2020 | |
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On 18 May 2011, Sol Líneas Aéreas Flight 5428 stalls and crashes in Río Negro en route from Neuquén to Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, killing all 22 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots' failure to maintain airspeed while flying through severe icing conditions. Type of aircraft: Saab 340A | |||||
| 177 | 7 | "Atlantic Ditching" | Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 | 6 February 2020 | |
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On 12 March 2009, Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 suffers an oil leak in the main gearbox while transporting oil rig workers from St. John's, Newfoundland. The helicopter ditches in the Atlantic Ocean during an attempt to return to land, killing all but one of the 18 people on board. Type of aircraft: Sikorsky S-92A | |||||
| 178 | 8 | "No Warning" | Trigana Air Flight 267 | 20 February 2020 | |
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On 16 August 2015, Trigana Air Flight 267 crashes into a mountainside while nearing its destination of Oksibil Airport in Papua, Indonesia, killing all 54 people on board. The pilots had intentionally deviated from the standard flight path and deactivated the ground proximity warning system. Type of aircraft: ATR 42-300 | |||||
| 179 | 9 | "Cockpit Killer" | LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 | 27 February 2020 | |
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On 29 November 2013, LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 enters a rapid descent into Namibia's Bwabwata National Park halfway from Maputo, Mozambique, to Luanda, Angola, killing all 33 people on board. The investigation concluded that the captain deliberately crashed the aircraft. Type of aircraft: Embraer E190 | |||||
| 180 | 10 | "Stormy Cockpit" | Kenya Airways Flight 507 | 5 March 2020 | |
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On 5 May 2007, Kenya Airways Flight 507 crashes during a thunderstorm shortly after takeoff from Douala International Airport in Cameroon, killing all 114 people on board. The pilots suffered spatial disorientation after their failure to engage the autopilot resulted in an excessive bank. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-800 | |||||
Season 21 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 181 | 1 | "North Sea Nightmare" | Loganair Flight 6780 | 4 April 2021 | |
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On 15 December 2014, Loganair Flight 6780 starts an uncontrolled descent while on approach to Sumburgh Airport in Scotland. The pilots regain control and make an emergency landing at Aberdeen, with no fatalities. After a lightning strike, the pilots wrongly assumed the autopilot was disengaged and tried to climb. The conflict caused the autopilot to set the elevator controls into a dive. Type of aircraft: Saab 2000 | |||||
| 182 | 2 | "Playing Catch Up" | Execuflight Flight 1526 | 11 April 2021 | |
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On 10 November 2015, ExecuFlight Flight 1526 enters an aerodynamic stall and crashes into an apartment building and an embankment during final approach to Akron Fulton International Airport in Akron, Ohio. Both crew members and all seven passengers on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: British Aerospace BAe-125 | |||||
| 183 | 3 | "Tragic Takeoff" | Comair Flight 5191 | 18 April 2021 | |
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On 27 August 2006, Comair Flight 5191, operating for Delta Connection, crashes into a wooded area while taking off from Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky, killing all but the first officer on board. The pilots lost situational awareness and inadvertently taxied onto the wrong runway. Type of aircraft: Bombardier CRJ-100ER | |||||
| 184 | 4 | "Grounded: Boeing Max 8" | Lion Air Flight 610 | 5 April 2021 | |
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On 29 October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 enters a nosedive and crashes into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on a flight to Pangkal Pinang. All 181 passengers and 8 crew members on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8 | |||||
| 185 | 5 | "Cabin Catastrophe" | Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 | 12 April 2021 | |
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On 17 April 2018, the left engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 explodes, causing explosive depressurization and forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport. A passenger dies after being partially ejected from the aircraft. The investigation traced the engine failure to a fatigue crack in a fan blade. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-700 | |||||
| 186 | 6 | "Meltdown Over Kathmandu" | US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 | 26 April 2021 | |
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On 12 March 2018, US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 skids off the runway, travels through the airport perimeter fence, and crashes into a soccer field during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. 51 of the 71 people on board are killed in the accident. Type of aircraft: Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 | |||||
| 187 | 7 | "Mission Disaster" | 1991 Gulf War KC-135 incident | 16 May 2021 | |
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On 6 February 1991, a military aerial refueling aircraft loses both engines from under the left wing while on a combat mission in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. The incident was attributed to severe wake turbulence from a passing KC-135. Type of aircraft: Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker | |||||
| 188 | 8 | "Caught in a Jam" | Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 | 23 May 2021 | |
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On 9 June 1995, Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 suffers a landing gear malfunction during final approach to Palmerston North Airport in New Zealand. The aircraft descends until it crashes into hilly terrain as the pilots try to resolve the problem. 4 of the 21 people on board are killed. Type of aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 | |||||
| 189 | 9 | "Seconds From Touchdown" | Propair Flight 420 | 30 May 2021 | |
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On 18 June 1998, Propair Flight 420 crashes while attempting to conduct an emergency landing at Montréal–Mirabel International Airport after an in-flight fire causes its left wing to fail, killing all 11 people on board. It was later determined that the aircraft's left brakes overheated during takeoff. Type of aircraft: Fairchild Metroliner SA226 | |||||
| 190 | 10 | "Deadly Delivery" | UPS Airlines Flight 1354 | 6 June 2021 | |
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On 14 August 2013, UPS Airlines Flight 1354 clips the tops of trees and crashes into a hillside about one nautical mile short of the runway during final approach to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. Both crew members on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300F4-600R | |||||
Season 22 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 191 | 1 | "Holding Pattern" | Flydubai Flight 981 | 17 January 2022 | |
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On 19 March 2016, Flydubai Flight 981 enters a rapid descent and crashes nose-first at Rostov-on-Don Airport in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, after aborting its second landing attempt in poor weather conditions. All 55 passengers and 7 crew members on board are killed. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737-800 | |||||
| 192 | 2 | "Peril over Portugal" | Martinair Flight 495 | 24 January 2022 | |
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On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 crashes off the right side of the runway while attempting to land at Faro Airport in Faro, Portugal, in severe weather conditions, killing 56 of the 340 people on board. The accident was caused by microburst-induced wind shear in combination with pilot errors. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF | |||||
| 193 | 3 | "Stealth Bomber Down" | 2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident | 17 January 2022 | |
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On 23 February 2008, a stealth bomber of the United States Air Force named the Spirit of Kansas enters a stall and crashes on the runway just moments after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Both crew members survive after successfully ejecting from the aircraft. Type of aircraft: Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit | |||||
| 194 | 4 | "Double Trouble" | Trans-Air Service Flight 671 | 22 January 2022 | |
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On 31 March 1992, Trans-Air Service Flight 671 suffers an in-flight separation of its two right engines while en route to Kano, Nigeria, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing at Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in France. The number three engine detached due to metal fatigue and tore off the number four engine. Type of aircraft: Boeing 707-320C | |||||
| 195 | 5 | "Pacific Plunge" | Alaska Airlines Flight 261 | 3 January 2022 | |
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On 31 January 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261's trimmable horizontal stabilizer jams and breaks from its control system during a flight to San Francisco. The aircraft enters a dive and crashes inverted into the Pacific Ocean. All 88 passengers and crew members on board are killed. Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Cutting Corners" (S01E05) and as a special in the episode "Fatal Flaw" (S06E02). Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | |||||
| 196 | 6 | "Terror over Michigan" | TWA Flight 841 (1979) | 10 January 2022 | |
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On 4 April 1979, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 841 enters a spiral dive while en route to Minnesota. The pilots regain control and make an emergency landing at Detroit, with no fatalities. A leading-edge slat had failed due to the pilots extending the slats at cruising speed. Type of aircraft: Boeing 727-31 | |||||
| 197 | 7 | "Tree Strike Terror" | American Airlines Flight 1572 | 5 February 2022 | |
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On 12 November 1995, American Airlines Flight 1572 clips the tops of trees along Peak Mountain Ridge and strikes instrument landing system equipment on landing at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. All 78 people on board survive, with one passenger sustaining a minor injury. Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | |||||
| 198 | 8 | "Pitch Black" | Air Illinois Flight 710 | 5 February 2022 | |
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On 11 October 1983, Air Illinois Flight 710 crashes into an open pasture area near Pinckneyville, Illinois, in poor weather while en route to Southern Illinois Airport, killing all 10 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots' mismanagement of an electrical problem. Type of aircraft: Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | |||||
| 199 | 9 | "Turboprop Terror" | Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 | 12 February 2022 | |
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On 13 December 1994, Flagship Airlines Flight 3379, operating for American Eagle, enters an aerodynamic stall and crashes into a wooded area during a missed approach to Raleigh–Durham International Airport in North Carolina. The 2 pilots and 13 of the 18 passengers are killed. Type of aircraft: Jetstream 32 | |||||
| 200 | 10 | "Loss of a Legend" | 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash | 12 February 2022 | |
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On 26 January 2020, a helicopter carrying basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people crashes into hilly terrain near Calabasas, California, killing all 9 people on board. The pilot had violated visual flight rules and suffered spatial disorientation. Type of aircraft: Sikorsky S-76B | |||||
Season 23 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | 1 | "Deadly Exchange" | Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 | 3 January 2023 | |
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On 19 October 2004, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, operating for AmericanConnection, crashes short of the runway while on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport in Missouri, killing 13 of the 15 people on board. The pilots had descended below the minimum safe altitude under the effects of fatigue. Type of aircraft: British Aerospace Jetstream 32 | |||||
| 202 | 2 | "Mixed Signals" | Independent Air Flight 1851 | 10 January 2023 | |
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On 8 February 1989, Independent Air Flight 1851 crashes into the Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 occupants. The crash was caused by the pilots' non-observance to established operating procedures and wrong data from air traffic control. Type of aircraft: Boeing 707-330B | |||||
| 203 | 3 | "Pressure Point" | Japan Air Lines Flight 123 | 17 January 2023 | |
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On 12 August 1985, Japan Air Lines Flight 123's aft pressure bulkhead bursts open, destroying the vertical stabilizer and severing all 4 of the aircraft's hydraulic systems. The crew keep the aircraft flying for 32 minutes until it crashes into Mount Takamagahara. 520 of the 524 people on board are killed. Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Out of Control" (S03E03) and as a special in the episode "Fatal Flaw" (S06E02). Type of aircraft: Boeing 747SR | |||||
| 204 | 4 | "Power Play" | Airlines PNG Flight 1600 | 24 January 2023 | |
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On 13 October 2011, Airlines PNG Flight 1600 loses engine power and crash-lands in a densely forested area near the mouth of the Guabe River in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. Only 4 of the 32 passengers and crew members on board survive the crash. Type of aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 | |||||
| 205 | 5 | "Control Catastrophe" | Air Astana Flight 1388 | 31 January 2023 | |
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On 11 November 2018, Air Astana Flight 1388 makes an emergency landing at Beja Airbase in Portugal after suffering severe flight control issues, with no fatalities. The investigation found that the aileron cables were installed incorrectly, causing a reversal of aileron controls. Type of aircraft: Embraer E190 | |||||
| 206 | 6 | "Cockpit Catastrophe" | Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 | 7 February 2023 | |
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On 14 May 2018, Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 makes an emergency landing at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport after suffering an explosion decompression. The co-pilot was partially sucked out, but all 128 people on board survive. The incident was caused by a cockpit windshield failing in-flight. Type of aircraft: Airbus A319-100 | |||||
| 207 | 7 | "Dream Flight Disaster" | 2017 Sydney Seaplanes DHC-2 crash | 14 February 2023 | |
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On 31 December 2017, a light aircraft configured as a floatplane veers off course and crashes into Jerusalem Bay off Cowan Creek, on the northern outskirts of Sydney, Australia, shortly after take-off. All 6 people on board, including businessman Richard Cousins, are killed. Type of aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver | |||||
| 208 | 8 | "Deadly Deception" | Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 013 | 21 February 2023 | |
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On 7 March 1983, Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 013 is hijacked by four men who demand the aircraft be diverted to Vienna, Austria, but the pilots fly the aircraft over the Black Sea in circles and land at Varna Airport. Commandos arrest three hijackers and kill one who threatens a flight attendant. Type of aircraft: Antonov An-24B | |||||
| 209 | 9 | "Delivery to Disaster" | Atlas Air Flight 3591 | 28 February 2023 | |
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On 23 February 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591 crashes into Trinity Bay while on final approach to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, killing all 3 people on board. The first officer suffered spatial disorientation after inadvertently activating the aircraft's go-around mode. Type of aircraft: Boeing 767-300ER(BCF) | |||||
| 210 | 10 | "Mystery over the Mediterranean" | EgyptAir Flight 804 | 7 March 2023 | |
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On 19 May 2016, EgyptAir Flight 804 suffers an in-flight cockpit fire and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea during a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, to Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt. All 66 people on board are killed in the crash. Type of aircraft: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
Season 24 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 211 | 1 | "Terror Over The Pacific" | United Airlines Flight 811 | 18 February 2024 | |
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On 24 February 1989, United Airlines Flight 811's right-side fuselage partially rips off, ejecting nine people from the aircraft and causing explosive decompression. The flight later lands safely at Honolulu without any more loss of life. It was later determined that an electrical short circuit caused the cargo door to open. Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Unlocking Disaster" (S01E01) and as a special in the episode "Ripped Apart" (S06E01). Type of aircraft: Boeing 747-100 | |||||
| 212 | 2 | "Disaster at Dutch Harbor" | PenAir Flight 3296 | 24 March 2024 | |
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On 17 October 2019, PenAir Flight 3296 overruns the runway on landing at Unalaska Airport in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska, killing one passenger. The accident was caused by incorrect wiring of the wheel speed transducer harnesses on the left main landing gear. Type of aircraft: Saab 2000 | |||||
| 213 | 3 | "Deadly Departure" | Air Transport International Flight 782 | 7 April 2024 | |
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On 16 February 1995, Air Transport International Flight 782 crashes into the ground after failing to takeoff from Kansas City International Airport in Missouri, killing all 3 pilots. The flight crew failed to understand a three-engine takeoff procedure due to improper training. Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8-63F | |||||
| 214 | 4 | "Without Warning" | 2019 Alaska mid-air collision | 10 March 2024 | |
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On 13 May 2019, a floatplane operated by Mountain Air Service collides with another floatplane operated by Taquan Air over George Inlet in Alaska, United States. All five people on board the Beaver and one passenger on board the Otter are killed in the accident. Type of aircraft: N952DB: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver; N959PA: de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter | |||||
| 215 | 5 | "Eleven Deadly Seconds" | China Airlines Flight 676 | 14 April 2024 | |
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On 16 February 1998, China Airlines Flight 676 attempts a go-around while on approach to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in poor weather conditions, but crashes into a residential area after entering a stall. All 196 people on board and 6 people on the ground are killed. Type of aircraft: Airbus A300B4-600R | |||||
| 216 | 6 | "Fight for Survival" | Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 | 3 March 2024 | |
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On 21 February 1982, Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 crash-lands in the Scituate Reservoir near Providence, Rhode Island, after a fire erupts in the cockpit, killing one passenger. The cause of the fire was a leakage of flammable windshield washer/deicer fluid. Type of aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | |||||
| 217 | 7 | "Pitch Battle" | Colgan Air Flight 9446 | 31 March 2024 | |
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On 26 August 2003, Colgan Air Flight 9446 crashes into water shortly after takeoff from Barnstable Municipal Airport, killing both pilots. The causes of the crash were an improper replacement of the forward elevator trim cable and the pilots not following checklist procedures. Type of aircraft: Beechcraft 1900D | |||||
| 218 | 8 | "Under Fire" | Saudia Flight 163 | 17 March 2024 | |
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On 19 August 1980, Saudia Flight 163 suffers an in-flight fire in the cargo hold. Despite returning to Riyadh International Airport, the flight crew fail to perform an emergency evacuation, and the aircraft bursts into flames on a taxiway. All 301 people on board die from smoke inhalation. Type of aircraft: Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 200 | |||||
| 219 | 9 | "Lost Star Footballer" | 2019 English Channel Piper PA-46 crash | 14 February 2024 | |
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On 21 January 2019, a light aircraft breaks up in mid-air and crashes into the English Channel off Alderney in the Channel Islands during a flight from Nantes, France, to Cardiff, Wales. Argentine soccer player Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson are both killed. Type of aircraft: Piper PA-46 Malibu | |||||
| 220 | 10 | "Deadly Directive" | Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 | 11 February 2024 | |
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On 10 March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes near the town of Bishoftu shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, killing all 157 people on board. A faulty angle of attack sensor had accidentally activated the aircraft's MCAS system. Type of aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX 8 | |||||
The Accident Files
Season 1 (2018)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Communication Breakdown" | 1996 Quincy Airport disaster Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 Tenerife airport disaster | 9 July 2018 | |
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This special looked at how failures in communication lead to disasters. Types of aircraft: Flight 5925: Beechcraft 1900C; light aircraft: Beechcraft 65-A90 King Air; Flight 152: Airbus A300B4-200; Flight 1736: Boeing 747-100; Flight 4805: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Bad Attitude" | British European Airways Flight 548 Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 | 16 July 2018 | |
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This special looked at how pilots' aggressive or unprofessional behaviour can cause deadly accidents. Types of aircraft: Flight 548: Hawker Siddeley Trident 1C; Flight 5719: Jetstream 31; Flight 2286: Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Hero Pilots" | US Airways Flight 1549 Gimli Glider TACA Flight 110 | 23 July 2018 | |
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This special looked at how pilots safely land their aircraft in emergency situations. Types of aircraft: Flight 1549: Airbus A320-200; Flight 143: Boeing 767-200; Flight 110: Boeing 737-300 | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Plane vs. Pilot" | Air France Flight 296Q XL Airways Germany Flight 888T Air France Flight 447 | 30 July 2018 | |
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This special looked at how automation in the cockpit causes deadly misunderstandings. Types of aircraft: Flight 296Q: Airbus A320-100; Flight 888T: Airbus A320-200; Flight 447: Airbus A330-200 | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Explosive Evidence" | Metrojet Flight 9268 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 | 6 August 2018 | |
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This special looked at terrorist acts, including bombings and shootdowns. Types of aircraft: Flight 9268: Airbus A321-200; Flight 007: Boeing 747-200B; Flight 17: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Killer in the Cockpit?" | SilkAir Flight 185 Germanwings Flight 9525 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 | 13 August 2018 | |
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This special looked at pilots' carefully planned strategies in deliberately crashing aircraft. Types of aircraft: Flight 185: Boeing 737-300; Flight 9525: Airbus A320-200; Flight 370: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Missing Pieces" | British Airways Flight 38 ValuJet Flight 592 Pan Am Flight 103 | 20 August 2018 | |
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This special looked at foreign items, including ice, a chemical oxygen generator, and a bomb as the cause. Types of aircraft: Flight 38: Boeing 777-200ER; Flight 592: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; Flight 103: Boeing 747-100 | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "Controversial Crashes" | Munich air disaster Arrow Air Flight 1285R Smolensk air disaster | 27 August 2018 | |
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This special looked at disasters where multiple investigations don't agree on the cause of these accidents. Types of aircraft: Flight 609: Airspeed Ambassador; Flight 1285R: Douglas DC-8-63CF; Flight 101: Tupolev Tu-154M | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Deadly Distractions" | Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 2012 Mount Salak Sukhoi Superjet crash | 3 September 2018 | |
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This special looked at how pilots' deviation from cockpit duties lead to crashes. Types of aircraft: Flight 1141: Boeing 727-200 Advanced; Flight 401: Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar; Flight 36801: Sukhoi Superjet 100 | |||||
| 10 | 10 | "Fire on Board" | 1985 Manchester Airport disaster Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 UPS Airlines Flight 6 | 10 September 2018 | |
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This special looked at disasters caused by fires, either on the ground or in the air. Types of aircraft: Flight 28M: Boeing 737-200; Flight 2120: Douglas DC-8-61; Flight 6: Boeing 747-400F | |||||
Season 2 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Headline News" | American Airlines Flight 77 TWA Flight 800 Air France Flight 4590 | 5 June 2019 | |
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This special looked at some of the most infamous air disasters of all time. Types of aircraft: Flight 77: Boeing 757-200; Flight 800: Boeing 747-100; Flight 4590: Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde | |||||
| 12 | 2 | "Rookie Errors" | LAPA Flight 3142 American Airlines Flight 587 Colgan Air Flight 3407 | 12 June 2019 | |
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This special looked at how pilots' rookie mistakes cause accidents. Types of aircraft: Flight 3142: Boeing 737-200; Flight 587: Airbus A300-600; Flight 3407: Bombardier Q400 | |||||
| 13 | 3 | "Collision Course" | Hughes Airwest Flight 706 Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision | 19 June 2019 | |
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This special looked at deadly mid-air collisions. Types of aircraft: Flight 706: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31; USMC jet: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II; Flight 182: Boeing 727-200; light aircraft: Cessna 172; Flight 763: Boeing 747-100B; Flight 1907: Ilyushin Il-76 | |||||
| 14 | 4 | "Engines Out" | Cathay Pacific Flight 780 British Airways Flight 9 China Airlines Flight 006 | 26 June 2019 | |
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This special looked at how engine failures cause near-fatal accidents. Types of aircraft: Flight 780: Airbus A330-300; Flight 9: Boeing 747-200B; Flight 006: Boeing 747SP | |||||
| 15 | 5 | "Fuel Trouble" | United Airlines Flight 173 China Airlines Flight 120 Varig Flight 254 | 3 July 2019 | |
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This special looked at fuel problems caused by either crew mismanagement or mechanical failure. Types of aircraft: Flight 173: Douglas DC-8-61; Flight 120: Boeing 737-800; Flight 254: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 16 | 6 | "Perilous Payload" | Fine Air Flight 101 Air Midwest Flight 5481 National Airlines Flight 102 | 10 July 2019 | |
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This special looked at disasters caused by improperly distributed weight or secured cargo. Types of aircraft: Flight 101: Douglas DC-8-61F; Flight 5481: Beechcraft 1900D; Flight 102: Boeing 747-400F | |||||
| 17 | 7 | "Runway in Sight" | Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 Delta Air Lines Flight 191 Asiana Airlines Flight 214 | 17 July 2019 | |
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This special looked at how poorly prepared pilots cause aircraft to crash during landing. Types of aircraft: Flight 200: Boeing 737-400; Flight 191: Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar; Flight 214: Boeing 777-200ER | |||||
| 18 | 8 | "Deadly Confusion" | 1999 Martha's Vineyard plane crash Flash Airlines Flight 604 Adam Air Flight 574 | 24 July 2019 | |
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This special looked at how spatially disoriented pilots cause crashes. Types of aircraft: JFK Jr's light aircraft: Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga II; Flight 604: Boeing 737-300; Flight 574: Boeing 737-400 | |||||
| 19 | 9 | "Radio Silence" | Helios Airways Flight 522 China Airlines Flight 611 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash | 31 July 2019 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by either a loss of pressurization or structural failure. Types of aircraft: Flight 522: Boeing 737-300; Flight 611: Boeing 747-200B; N47BA: Learjet 35 | |||||
| 20 | 10 | "Design Flaws" | Lauda Air Flight 004 Turkish Airlines Flight 981 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 | 7 August 2019 | |
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This special looked at how poor aircraft designs cause disasters. Types of aircraft: Flight 004: Boeing 767-300ER; Flight 981: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10; Flight 2311: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia | |||||
Season 3 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Heat of the Moment" | TransAsia Airways Flight 235 KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 VSS Enterprise crash | 1 October 2020 | |
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This special looked at how split-second decisions lead to disasters. Types of aircraft: Flight 235: ATR 72-600; Flight 433: Saab 340B; VSS Enterprise: Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo | |||||
| 22 | 2 | "Instrument Confusion" | Copa Airlines Flight 201 Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 Aeroflot Flight 821 | 5 November 2020 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by instrument failure or confusion. Types of aircraft: Flight 201: Boeing 737-200 Advanced; Flight 8509: Boeing 747-200F; Flight 821: Boeing 737-500 | |||||
| 23 | 3 | "VIP on Board" | Transair Sweden Flight 001 LaMia Flight 2933 1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash | 8 October 2020 | |
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This special looked at disasters involving high-profile passengers. Types of aircraft: Flight 001: Douglas DC-6B; Flight 2933: Avro RJ85; Flight 21: Boeing CT-43 | |||||
| 24 | 4 | "Lapse in Security" | Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 Air India Flight 182 Uni Air Flight 873 | 24 September 2020 | |
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This special looked at how prohibited items got past airport security. Types of aircraft: Flight 1771: British Aerospace 146; Flight 182: Boeing 747-200B; Flight 873: McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | |||||
| 25 | 5 | "Mountain Impact" | Thai Airways International Flight 311 Air China Flight 129 Air Inter Flight 148 | 15 October 2020 | |
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This special looked at accidents involving controlled flight into terrain. Types of aircraft: Flight 311: Airbus A310-300; Flight 129: Boeing 767-200ER; Flight 148: Airbus A320-100 | |||||
| 26 | 6 | "Survivors" | Southern Airways Flight 242 Continental Airlines Flight 1404 Korean Air Flight 801 | 17 September 2020 | |
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This special looked at stories from survivors of accidents. Types of aircraft: Flight 242: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31; Flight 1404: Boeing 737-500; Flight 801: Boeing 747-300 | |||||
| 27 | 7 | "Death from Above" | 2011 Reno Air Races crash 2008 Mexico City Learjet crash Aeroméxico Flight 498 | 10 September 2020 | |
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This special looked at aircraft crashing into populated areas. Types of aircraft: The Galloping Ghost: North American P-51 Mustang; XC-VMC: Learjet 45; Flight 498: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; light aircraft: Piper PA-28-181 Archer | |||||
| 28 | 8 | "Courage in the Cockpit" | United Airlines Flight 232 Qantas Flight 32 Northwest Airlines Flight 85 | 3 September 2020 | |
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This special looked at how pilots managed to fly after system failures. Types of aircraft: Flight 232: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10; Flight 32: Airbus A380-800; Flight 85: Boeing 747-400 | |||||
| 29 | 9 | "Maintenance Mistakes" | Continental Express Flight 2574 Emery Worldwide Airlines Flight 17 Partnair Flight 394 | 29 October 2020 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by maintenance errors. Types of aircraft: Flight 2574: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia; Flight 17: Douglas DC-8-71F; Flight 394: Convair CV-580 | |||||
| 30 | 10 | "Take Off Tragedies" | Singapore Airlines Flight 006 Northwest Airlines Flight 255 Spanair Flight 5022 | 22 October 2020 | |
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This special looked at how missteps during takeoff cause accidents. Types of aircraft: Flight 006: Boeing 747-400; Flight 255: McDonnell Douglas MD-82; Flight 5022: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | |||||
Season 4 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | "Dead of Night" | AIRES Flight 8250 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 West Air Sweden Flight 294 | 15 February 2021 | |
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This special looked at disasters where darkness played a role. Types of aircraft: Flight 8250: Boeing 737-700; Flight 409: Boeing 737-800; Flight 294: Bombardier CRJ200 | |||||
| 32 | 2 | "Engine Gone" | American Airlines Flight 191 Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 El Al Flight 1862 | 11 January 2021 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by engine separations. Types of aircraft: Flight 191: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10; Flight 8: Lockheed L-188 Electra; Flight 1862: Boeing 747-200F | |||||
| 33 | 3 | "Lethal Choices" | Kegworth air disaster TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 | 8 February 2021 | |
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This special looked at disasters caused by pilots' improper life-and-death decisions. Types of aircraft: Flight 092: Boeing 737-400; Flight 402: Fokker 100; Flight 8501: Airbus A320-200 | |||||
| 34 | 4 | "Risky Runways" | TAM Airlines Flight 3054 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 Atlantic Airways Flight 670 | 1 February 2021 | |
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This special looked at some of the most challenging landings of all time. Types of aircraft: Flight 3054: Airbus A320-200; Flight 268: Airbus A300B4-200; Flight 670: British Aerospace 146-200A | |||||
| 35 | 5 | "Landings Gone Wrong" | Crossair Flight 3597 Trigana Air Flight 267 TransAsia Airways Flight 222 | 1 March 2021 | |
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This special looked at how pilots' improvisation cause aircraft to crash during approach. Types of aircraft: Flight 3597: British Aerospace 146; Flight 267: ATR 42-300; Flight 222: ATR 72-500 | |||||
| 36 | 6 | "Frozen Wings" | Air Florida Flight 90 Comair Flight 3272 Sol Líneas Aéreas Flight 5428 | 8 March 2021 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by icing. Types of aircraft: Flight 90: Boeing 737-200; Flight 3272: Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia; Flight 5428: Saab 340A | |||||
| 37 | 7 | "Runway Collisions" | 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision 1991 Los Angeles airport runway collision Linate Airport disaster | 18 January 2021 | |
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This special looked at runway incursions. Types of aircraft: Flight 1482: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14; Flight 299: Boeing 727-200 Advanced; Flight 1493: Boeing 737-300; Flight 5569: Fairchild Metro III; Flight 686: McDonnell Douglas MD-87; business jet: Cessna Citation CJ2 | |||||
| 38 | 8 | "Cockpit Breakdown" | Kenya Airways Flight 507 Crossair Flight 498 United Express Flight 6291 | 22 February 2021 | |
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This special looked at accidents caused by mismatched pilots. Types of aircraft: Flight 507: Boeing 737-800; Flight 498: Saab 340B; Flight 6291: British Aerospace Jetstream 41 | |||||
| 39 | 9 | "Splash Down" | Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 Tuninter Flight 1153 | 15 March 2021 | |
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This special looked at aircraft ditching in the water. Types of aircraft: Flight 421: Boeing 737-300; Flight 91: Sikorsky S-92A; Flight 1153: ATR 72-200 | |||||
| 40 | 10 | "Northern Extremes" | Air Ontario Flight 1363 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 First Air Flight 6560 | 25 January 2021 | |
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This special looked at aircraft crashing in the far North. Types of aircraft: Flight 1363: Fokker F28-1000; Flight 751: McDonnell Douglas MD-81; Flight 6560: Boeing 737-200C | |||||
Season 5 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 1 | "War Zone" | 1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident Iran Air Flight 655 2003 Baghdad DHL attempted shootdown incident | 3 July 2022 | |
|
This special looked at disasters over enemy territory. Types of aircraft: 68-0218: Lockheed C-5A Galaxy; Flight 655: Airbus A300B2-200; OO-DLL: Airbus A300B4-200F | |||||
| 42 | 2 | "Time Critical" | Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 Continental Airlines Flight 1713 Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 | 10 July 2022 | |
|
This special looked at accidents caused by pilots rushing through procedures. Types of aircraft: Flight 1951: Boeing 737-800; Flight 1713: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14; Flight 703: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 | |||||
| 43 | 3 | "Ticking Time Bomb" | Air Moorea Flight 1121 Japan Air Lines Flight 123 Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 | 17 July 2022 | |
|
This special looked at disasters caused by deteriorating aircraft parts. Types of aircraft: Flight 1121: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter; Flight 123: Boeing 747SR; Flight 101: Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard | |||||
| 44 | 4 | "Accidents in the Air" | 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision Proteus Airlines Flight 706 Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 | 24 July 2022 | |
|
This special looked at mid-air collisions caused by either pilot error or meltdowns within air traffic control. Types of aircraft: Flight 718: Douglas DC-7; Flight 2: Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation; Flight 706: Beechcraft 1900D; light aircraft: Cessna 177 Cardinal; Flight 1907: Boeing 737-800; business jet: Embraer Legacy 600 | |||||
| 45 | 5 | "Impossible Landings" | Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Air Canada Flight 797 | 31 July 2022 | |
|
This special looked at how pilots manage to land their aircraft with zero room for error. Types of aircraft: Flight 1380: Boeing 737-700; Flight 243: Boeing 737-200; Flight 797: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | |||||
| 46 | 6 | "Trained to Fail." | West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 Loganair Flight 6780 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash | 7 August 2022 | |
|
This special looked at accidents caused by poor pilot training. Types of aircraft: Flight 708: McDonnell Douglas MD-82; Flight 6780: Saab 2000; Flight 9633: Yakovlev Yak-42D | |||||
| 47 | 7 | "Deadly Data" | Alitalia Flight 404 Qantas Flight 72 Santa Barbara Airlines Flight 518 | 14 August 2022 | |
|
This special looked at incidents caused by computer errors. Types of aircraft: Flight 404: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32; Flight 72: Airbus A330-300: Flight 518: ATR 42-300 | |||||
| 48 | 8 | "Poor Piloting" | China Airlines Flight 140 Manx2 Flight 7100 Aeroflot Flight 593 | 21 August 2022 | |
|
This special looked at accidents caused by errors in the cockpit. Types of aircraft: Flight 140: Airbus A300B4-600R; Flight 7100: Fairchild SA227-BC Metro III; Flight 593: Airbus A310-300 | |||||
| 49 | 9 | "Dangerous Winds" | USAir Flight 1016 TANS Perú Flight 204 Hurricane hunters NOAA42 incident | 28 August 2022 | |
|
This special looked at disasters where strong winds played a role. Types of aircraft: Flight 1016: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31; Flight 204: Boeing 737-200 Advanced; NOAA42: Lockheed WP-3D Orion | |||||
| 50 | 10 | "Sabotage" | Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 Itavia Flight 870 LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 | 4 September 2022 | |
|
This special looked at aircraft that were brought down by acts of sabotage. Types of aircraft: Flight 961: Boeing 767-200ER; Flight 870: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15; Flight 470: Embraer E190 | |||||
Season 6 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Incident | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 1 | "Pitch Problems" | Alaska Airlines Flight 261 American Eagle Flight 4184 United Airlines Flight 585 USAir Flight 427 Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 | 8 July 2024 | |
|
This special looked at accidents caused by pitch issues. Types of aircraft: Flight 261: McDonnell Douglas MD-83; Flight 4184: ATR 72-200; Flight 585: Boeing 737-200; Flight 427: Boeing 737-300; Flight 517: Boeing 737-200 | |||||
| 52 | 2 | "Fight to the Finish" | Trans-Air Service Flight 671 Air Astana Flight 1388 Philippine Airlines Flight 434 | 15 July 2024 | |
|
This special looked at incidents where pilots face impossible odds. Types of aircraft: Flight 671: Boeing 707-320C; Flight 1388: Embraer E190; Flight 434: Boeing 747-200B | |||||
| 53 | 3 | "Bad Data" | 2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident Independent Air Flight 1851 Birgenair Flight 301 | 22 July 2024 | |
|
This special looked at disasters caused by faulty data. Types of aircraft: Spirit of Kansas: Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit; Flight 1851: Boeing 707-330B; Flight 301: Boeing 757-200 | |||||
| 54 | 4 | "Landing Hazards" | Martinair Flight 495 American Airlines Flight 1572 Air France Flight 358 | 29 July 2024 | |
|
This special looked at the threat bad weather poses to landings. Types of aircraft: Flight 495: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF; Flight 1572: McDonnell Douglas MD-83; Flight 358: Airbus A340-300 | |||||
| 55 | 5 | "Training Ignored" | 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 Comair Flight 5191 | 5 August 2024 | |
|
This special looked at accidents caused by pilots ignoring their training. Types of aircraft: N72EX: Sikorsky S-76B; Flight 5966: British Aerospace Jetstream 32: Flight 5191: Bombardier CRJ-100ER | |||||
| 56 | 6 | "Reckless Approaches" | Execuflight Flight 1526 Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 American International Airways Flight 808 | 12 August 2024 | |
|
This special looked at careless approaches. Types of aircraft: Flight 1526: British Aerospace BAe-125; Flight 3379: Jetstream 32; Flight 808: Douglas DC-8-61F | |||||
Alternate titles
The following table lists the alternative titles used by broadcasters for Mayday, the original Canadian series;[8] Air Crash Investigation, the British[9] and Asia-Pacific[10] (National Geographic Channel) versions; and Air Emergency and Air Disasters (Smithsonian Channel), the American versions of the series. The American column also shows the Smithsonian Channel's season and episode numbers, which differ significantly from the official season and episode number designations by Cineflix.[11] Episodes are ordered by their production number, and special episodes and spin-offs are italicized.
| Country | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia / Asia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Title | Title | Title | S.Ep |
| Season 1 (2003) | |||||
| 1 | Unlocking Disaster | Unlocking Disaster | Unlocking Disaster | Unlocking Disaster | S18.E07 |
| 2 | Racing the Storm | Racing the Storm | Racing the Storm | Racing the Storm | S18.E08 |
| 3 | Fire on Board | Fire on Board | Fire on Board | Fire in the Sky[n 2] | S18.E09 |
| 4 | Flying Blind | Flying Blind | Flying Blind | Flying Blind | S18.E10 |
| 5 | Cutting Corners | Cutting Corners | Cutting Corners | Cutting Corners | S18.E11 |
| 6 | Flying on Empty | Flying on Empty | Flying on Empty | Flying on Empty | S18.E12 |
| Season 2 (2004–2005) | |||||
| 1 | Blow Out | Blow Out | Blow Out | Blow Out | S18.E13 |
| 2 | A Wounded Bird | A Wounded Bird | A Wounded Bird | A Wounded Bird | S18.E14 |
| 3 | The Killing Machine | Hijacked | Hijacked | A Killing Machine[n 2] | S18.E15 |
| 4 | Deadly Crossroads | Mid-Air Collision | Mid-Air Collision | Deadly Crossroads | S18.E16 |
| 5 | Lost | Crash on the Mountain | Crash on the Mountain | Lost | S18.E17 |
| 6 | Missing Over New York | Deadly Delay | Deadly Delay | Missing Over New York | S18.E18 |
| Season 3 (2005–2006) | |||||
| 1 | Hanging by a Thread | Hanging by a Thread | Hanging by a Thread | Hanging by a Thread | S06.E01 |
| 2 | Attack over Baghdad | Attack over Baghdad | Attack over Baghdad | Attack over Baghdad | S06.E02 |
| 3 | Out of Control | Out of Control | Out of Control | Out of Control | S06.E03 |
| 4 | Fight for Your Life | Suicide Attack | Suicide Attack | Fight for Your Life | S06.E04 |
| 5 | Bomb on Board | Bomb on Board | Bomb on Board | Bomb on Board | S06.E05 |
| 6 | Mistaken Identity | Mistaken Identity | Mistaken Identity | Mistaken Identity | S06.E06 |
| 7 | Helicopter Down | Helicopter Down | Helicopter Down | Helicopter Down | S06.E07 |
| 8 | Death and Denial | EgyptAir 990 | EgyptAir 990 | Death and Denial | S06.E08 |
| 9 | Runaway Train[n 3] | Runaway Train[n 3] | Runaway Train[n 3] | Runaway Train[n 3] | S18.E19 |
| 10 | Kid in the Cockpit | Kid in the Cockpit | Kid in the Cockpit | Kid in the Cockpit | S06.E09 |
| 11 | Collision Course[n 3] | Greek Ferry Disaster[n 3] | Greek Ferry Disaster[n 3] | Collision Course[n 3] | S18.E20 |
| 12 | Head On Collision[n 3] | Train Collision[n 3] | Train Collision[n 3] | Head-On Collision[n 3] | S18.E21 |
| 13 | Ocean Landing | African Hijack | African Hijack | Ocean Landing | S06.E10 |
| Season 4 (2007) | |||||
| 1 | Desperate Escape | Miracle Escape | Miracle Escape | Miracle Escape | S07.E01 |
| 2 | Falling from the Sky | All Engines Failed! | Falling from the Sky | Falling from the Sky | S07.E02 |
| 3 | Fire Fight | Fire Fight | Fire Fight | Fiery Landing[n 2] | S07.E03 |
| 4 | Final Approach | Blind Landing | Missed Approach | Missed Approach | S07.E04 |
| 5 | Hidden Danger | Hidden Danger | Hidden Danger | Mystery Crashes[n 2] | S07.E05 |
| 6 | Panic over the Pacific | Six-Mile Plunge | Panic over the Pacific | Panic over the Pacific | S07.E06 |
| 7 | Out of Sight | Collision Over LA | Out of Sight | Out of Sight | S07.E07 |
| 8 | Fog of War | Flight 21 is Missing | Inbound | Crash in Croatia[n 2] | S07.E08 |
| 9 | Vertigo | Desperate Dive | Desperate Dive | Deadly Disorientation[n 2] | S07.E09 |
| 10 | Ghost Plane | Ghost Plane | Ghost Plane | Unconscious Pilot[n 2] | S07.E10 |
| Season 5 (2008) | |||||
| 1 | Invisible Killer | Slammed to the Ground | Slammed to the Ground | Invisible Killer | S01E01 |
| 2 | Gimli Glider | Deadly Glide | Miracle Flight | Gimli Glider | S01E02 |
| 3 | Behind Closed Doors | Behind Closed Doors | Behind Closed Doors | Behind Closed Doors | S01E03 |
| 4 | Fanning the Flames | Cargo Conspiracy | Mystery Fire | Fanning the Flames | S01E04 |
| 5 | Dead Weight | Dead Weight | Dead Weight | Dead Weight | S01E05 |
| 6 | Southern Storm | Southern Storm | Southern Storm | Southern Storm | S01E06 |
| 7 | Air India: Explosive Evidence | Explosive Evidence | Explosive Evidence | Explosive Evidence | S01E07 |
| 8 | Mixed Signals | The Plane That Wouldn't Talk | The Plane That Wouldn't Talk | Mixed Signals | S01E08 |
| 9 | Fatal Distraction | Who's at the Controls? | Fatal Distraction | Fatal Distraction | S01E09 |
| 10 | Phantom Strike | Radio Silence | Phantom Strike | Death over the Amazon[n 2] | S01E10 |
| Season 6 (2007–2008) (Science of Disaster) | |||||
| 1 | Ripped Apart[n 4] | Ripped Apart[n 4] | Ripped Apart[n 4] | Ripped Apart[n 4] | S18.E22 |
| 2 | Fatal Flaw[n 4] | Fatal Fix[n 4] | Fatal Fix[n 4] | Fatal Flaw[n 4] | S18.E23 |
| 3 | Who's Flying the Plane?[n 4] | Who's Flying the Plane?[n 4] | Who's Flying the Plane?[n 4] | Who's Flying the Plane?[n 4] | S18.E24 |
| Season 7 (2009–2010) | |||||
| 1 | Scratching the Surface | Shattered in Seconds | Shattered in Seconds | Scratching the Surface | S21.E01 |
| 2 | Lockerbie Disaster | Lockerbie | Lockerbie | Lockerbie Disaster | S21.E02 |
| 3 | Blown Apart | Deadly Prize | Silent Killer | Blown Apart | S21.E03 |
| 4 | Sight Unseen | Head-On Collision | Crash Course | Sight Unseen | S21.E04 |
| 5 | Operation Babylift | Operation Babylift | Operation Babylift | Operation Babylift | S21.E05 |
| 6 | Falling Fast | Ditch the Plane | Ditch the Plane | Falling Fast | S21.E06 |
| 7 | Flight 574: Lost | The Plane That Vanished | The Plane That Vanished | Flight 574: Lost | S21.E07 |
| 8 | Frozen in Flight | Frozen in Flight | Deep Freeze | Deep Freeze | S21.E08 |
| Season 8 (2010) (Science of Disaster) | |||||
| 1 | System Breakdown[n 4] | Communication Breakdown[n 4] | System Breakdown[n 4] | System Breakdown[n 4] | S02.E08 |
| 2 | Cruel Skies[n 4] | Cruel Skies[n 4] | Cruel Skies[n 4] | Deadly Storms[n 2][n 4] | S02.E03 |
| Season 9 (2010) | |||||
| 1 | Panic on the Runway | Manchester Runway Disaster | Panic on the Runway | Panic on the Runway | S02.E04 |
| 2 | Alarming Silence | Cockpit Chaos | Cockpit Chaos | Alarming Silence | S02.E05 |
| 3 | Pilot vs. Plane | Pilot vs. Plane | Pilot vs. Plane | Pilot vs. Plane | S02.E07 |
| 4 | Cleared for Disaster | Cleared for Disaster | Cleared for Disaster | Cleared for Disaster | S02.E10 |
| 5 | Target Is Destroyed | Target Is Destroyed | Target Is Destroyed | Target Is Destroyed | S02.E02 |
| 6 | Cold Case | Snowbound | Cold Case | Unwelcome Addition[n 2] | S02.E06 |
| 7 | The Final Blow | Crashed and Missing | Doomed to Fail | The Final Blow | S02.E09 |
| 8 | Cracks in the System | Beach Crash | Miami Mystery | Cracks in the System | S02.E01 |
| Season 10 (2011) | |||||
| 1 | Cockpit Failure | Cockpit Failure | Cockpit Failure | Cockpit Failure | S18.E01 |
| 2 | The Heathrow Enigma | Heathrow Crash Landing | The Heathrow Enigma | The Heathrow Enigma | S18.E02 |
| 3 | Pilot Betrayed | Pilot Betrayed | Pilot Betrayed | Pilot Betrayed | S18.E03 |
| 4 | Dead Tired | Stalled in the Sky | Dead Tired | Dead Tired | S18.E04 |
| 5 | Hudson River Runway | Hudson Splashdown | Hudson River Runway | Hudson River Runway | S18.E05 |
| 6 | Who's In Control? | Who's In Control? | Who's In Control? | Who's In Control? | S18.E06 |
| Season 11 (2011–2012) | |||||
| 1 | Deadly Reputation | Nightmare Runway | Disaster Runway | Deadly Reputation | S02.E12 |
| 2 | The Plane That Flew Too High | Fatal Climb | The Plane That Flew Too High | The Plane That Flew Too High | S02.E11 |
| 3 | Split Decision | Military Crash Conspiracy | Split Decision | Split Decision | S03.E10 |
| 4 | Breakup over Texas | Breakup over Texas | Breakup over Texas | Breakup over Texas | S03.E06 |
| 5 | Munich Air Disaster | Munich Air Disaster | Munich Air Disaster | Mayday Munich | S03.E02 |
| 6 | Turning Point | Deadly Design | Turning Point | Turning Point | S03.E05 |
| 7 | Bad Attitude | Stansted Crash | Bad Attitude | Bad Attitude | S03.E09 |
| 8 | Blind Spot | On Course to Disaster | Hiding in Plane Sight | Blind Spot | S03.E01 |
| 9 | Under Pressure | Desert Inferno | Desert Inferno | Under Pressure | S03.E07 |
| 10 | I'm the Problem | Murder on Board | I'm the Problem | I'm the Problem | S03.E03 |
| 11 | Nowhere to Land | Miracle Landing | Nowhere to Land | Nowhere to Land | S03.E11 |
| 12 | The Invisible Plane | Zero Visibility | The Invisible Plane | The Invisible Plane | S03.E08 |
| 13 | Impossible Landing | Sioux City Fireball | Sioux City Fireball | Impossible Landing | S03.E04 |
| Season 12 (2012–2013) | |||||
| 1 | Fight for Control | Fight for Control | Fight for Control | Fight for Control | S04E01 |
| 2 | Fire in the Hold | Fire in the Hold | Fire in the Hold | Fire in the Hold | S04E02 |
| 3 | Caution to the Wind | Typhoon Takeoff | Typhoon Takeoff | Caution to the Wind | S04E03 |
| 4 | Pushed to the Limit | Pilot Under Pressure | Pushed to the Limit | Pushed to the Limit | S04E04 |
| 5 | Blind Landing | Crash in the Jungle | Blind Landing | Blind Landing | S04E05 |
| 6 | Grand Canyon Disaster | Grand Canyon Disaster | Grand Canyon Disaster | Grand Canyon | S04E06 |
| 7 | Catastrophe at O'Hare | America's Deadliest Crash | America's Deadliest | Catastrophe at O'Hare | S04E07 |
| 8 | Focused on Failure | Fatal Fixation | Fatal Fixation | Focused on Failure | S04E08 |
| 9 | Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster | Russia's Ice Hockey Disaster | Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster | Hockey Team Tragedy | S04E09 |
| 10 | Death of the President | Death of the President | Death of the President | Death of the President | S04E10 |
| 11 | Heading to Disaster | Heading to Disaster | Heading to Disaster | Subtle Incapacitation | S04E11 |
| 12 | 28 Seconds to Survive | 28 Seconds to Survive | 28 Seconds to Survive | Seconds to Survive | S04E12 |
| 13 | Air France 447: Vanished | Air France 447: Vanished | Air France 447: Vanished | Vanished | S04E13 |
| Season 13 (2013–2014) | |||||
| 1 | Fight to the Death | Britain's Worst Air Crash | Fight to the Death | Fight to the Death | S05.E01 |
| 2 | Speed Trap | Speed Trap | Speed Trap | Speed Trap | S05.E02 |
| 3 | Lost in Translation | Lost in Translation | Lost in Translation | Lost in Translation | S05.E03 |
| 4 | Disaster on the Potomac | Disaster on the Potomac | Disaster on the Potomac | Tragedy on the Potomac | S05.E04 |
| 5 | Queens Catastrophe | Queens Catastrophe | Queens Catastrophe | Queens Catastrophe | S05.E05 |
| 6 | Into the Eye of the Storm | Into the Eye of the Storm | Into the Eye of the Storm | Into the Eye of the Storm | S05.E06 |
| 7 | Massacre over the Mediterranean | Massacre over the Mediterranean | Massacre over the Mediterranean | Massacre over the Mediterranean | S05.E07 |
| 8 | Imperfect Pitch | Deadly Test | Deadly Test | Imperfect Pitch | S05.E08 |
| 9 | Terror in Paradise | Terror in Paradise | Terror in Paradise | Terror in Paradise | S05.E10 |
| 10 | Titanic in the Sky | Qantas 32: Titanic in the Sky | Qantas 32 | Titanic in the Sky | S05.E11 |
| 11 | Getting out Alive | TBD | TBD | Getting out Alive | S05.E09 |
| Season 14 (2014–2015) | |||||
| 1 | Choosing Sides | M1 Plane Crash | Total Engine Failure | Choosing Sides | S08.E01 |
| 2 | Niki Lauda: Testing the Limits | Niki Lauda: Tragedy in the Air | Niki Lauda: Tragedy in the Air | Testing the Limits | S08.E02 |
| 3 | Vanishing Act | Vanishing Act | Vanishing Act | Vanishing Act | S08.E03 |
| 4 | Sideswiped | Sideswiped | Sideswiped | Sideswiped | S08.E04 |
| 5 | The Final Push | Death at Narita | Death at Narita | The Final Push | S08.E05 |
| 6 | The Death of JFK Jr. | The Death of JFK Jr. | The Death of JFK Jr. | The Death of JFK Jr. | S08.E06 |
| 7 | Concorde - Up in Flames | Concorde - Up in Flames | Concorde - Up in Flames | Concorde - Up in Flames | S08.E07 |
| 8 | Accident or Assassination | Inner City Carnage | Inner City Carnage | Accident or Assassination | S08.E08 |
| 9 | No Clear Options | Third Time Unlucky | Third Time Unlucky | No Clear Options | S08.E09 |
| 10 | Death in the Arctic | Death in the Arctic | Death in the Arctic | Death in the Arctic | S08.E10 |
| 11 | What Happened to Malaysian 370? | Malaysian 370: What Happened? | What Happened to MH370? | What Happened to Malaysian 370? | S14.E11 |
| Season 15 (2015–2016) | |||||
| 1 | Fatal Transmission | Fatal Transmission | Fatal Transmission | Fatal Transmission | S09.E01 |
| 2 | Terror in San Francisco | Terror in San Francisco | Terror in San Francisco | Terror in San Francisco | S09.E02 |
| 3 | High Rise Catastrophe | High Rise Catastrophe | High Rise Catastrophe | High Rise Catastrophe | S09.E03 |
| 4 | Fatal Delivery | Fatal Delivery | Fatal Delivery | Fatal Delivery | S09.E05 |
| 5 | Deadly Mission | Deadly Mission | Deadly Mission | Deadly Mission | S09.E10 |
| 6 | Edge of Disaster | Edge of Disaster | Edge of Disaster | Edge of Disaster | S09.E09 |
| 7 | Deadly Delay | Fatal Delay | Deadly Delay | Deadly Delay | S09.E07 |
| 8 | Fatal Focus | Fatal Focus | Fatal Focus | Fatal Focus | S09.E04 |
| 9 | Steep Impact | Steep Impact | Steep Impact | Steep Impact | S09.E08 |
| 10 | Carnage in São Paulo | Carnage in São Paulo | Carnage in São Paulo | Carnage in São Paulo | S09.E06 |
| Season 16 (2016–2017) | |||||
| 1 | Deadly Silence | Deadly Silence | Deadly Silence | Deadly Silence | S10.E01 |
| 2 | 9/11: The Pentagon Attack | 9/11: The Plane That Hit The Pentagon | 9/11: The Pentagon Attack | The Pentagon Attack | S10.E02 |
| 3 | Disaster at Tenerife | Disaster at Tenerife | Disaster at Tenerife | Disaster in Tenerife | S10.E03 |
| 4 | Deadly Detail | Deadly Detail | Deadly Detail | Deadly Detail | S10.E04 |
| 5 | Deadly Detour | Deadly Detour | Deadly Detour | Deadly Detour | S10.E05 |
| 6 | Dangerous Approach | Dangerous Approach | Dangerous Approach | Dangerous Approach | S10.E06 |
| 7 | Murder in the Skies | Crash in the Alps | Murder in the Skies | Murder in the Skies | S10.E07 |
| 8 | River Runway | River Runway | River Runway | River Runway | S10.E08 |
| 9 | Deadly Solution | Deadly Solution | Deadly Solution | Deadly Solution | S10.E09 |
| 10 | Afghan Nightmare | Afghan Nightmare | Afghan Nightmare | Afghan Nightmare | S10.E10 |
| Season 17 (2017) | |||||
| 1 | Killer Attitude | Killer Attitude | Killer Attitude | Killer Attitude | S11.E02 |
| 2 | Deadly Myth | Deadly Myth | Deadly Myth | Deadly Myth | S11.E03 |
| 3 | Turning Point | Turning Point | Turning Point | The Turning Point | S11.E04 |
| 4 | Explosive Proof | Explosive Proof | Explosive Proof | Explosive Proof | S11.E01 |
| 5 | Lethal Turn | Lethal Turn | Lethal Turn | Lethal Turn | S11.E05 |
| 6 | Storming Out | Storming Out | Storming Out | Storming Out | S11.E06 |
| 7 | Caught on Tape | Caught on Tape | Caught on Tape | Caught on Tape | S11.E07 |
| 8 | Terror over Egypt | Terror over Egypt | Terror over Egypt | Terror over Egypt | S11.E08 |
| 9 | Deadly Discussions | Deadly Discussions | Deadly Discussions | Deadly Discussions | S11.E09 |
| 10 | The Lost Plane | The Lost Plane | The Lost Plane | The Lost Plane | S11.E10 |
| Season 18 (2018) | |||||
| 1 | Nuts and Bolts | Nuts and Bolts | Nuts and Bolts | Nuts and Bolts | S12.E01 |
| 2 | Blown Away | Blown Away | Blown Away | Blown Away | S12.E02 |
| 3 | Deadly Distraction | Deadly Distraction | Deadly Distraction | Deadly Distraction | S12.E03 |
| 4 | Deadly Airspace | Deadly Airspace | Deadly Airspace | Deadly Airspace | S12.E04 |
| 5 | Deadly Display | Deadly Display | Deadly Display | Deadly Display | S12.E05 |
| 6 | Deadly Mission | Deadly Mission | Deadly Mission | Deadly Space | S12.E06 |
| 7 | Free Fall | Free Fall | Free Fall | Free Fall | S12.E07 |
| 8 | Deadly Inclination | Deadly Inclination | Deadly Inclination | Deadly Inclination | S12.E08 |
| 9 | Deadly Go-Round | Deadly Go-Round | Deadly Go-Round | Deadly Go-Round | S12.E09 |
| 10 | Dead of Winter | Dead of Winter | Dead of Winter | Dead of Winter | S12.E10 |
| Season 19 (2019) | |||||
| 1 | Deadly Descent | Deadly Descent | Deadly Descent | Deadly Descent | S13.E01 |
| 2 | Death Race | Death Race | Death Race | Death Race | S13.E02 |
| 3 | Fatal Approach | Fatal Approach | Fatal Approach | Fatal Approach | S13.E03 |
| 4 | Borderline Tactics | Borderline Tactics | Borderline Tactics | Borderline Tactics | S13.E04 |
| 5 | Deadly Pitch | Deadly Pitch | Deadly Pitch | Deadly Pitch | S13.E05 |
| 6 | Fatal Climb | Fatal Climb | Fatal Climb | Fatal Climb | S13.E06 |
| 7 | Runway Runoff | Runway Runoff | Runway Runoff | Runway Runoff | S13.E07 |
| 8 | Lethal Limits | Lethal Limits | Lethal Limits | Lethal Limits | S13.E08 |
| 9 | Football Tragedy | Football Tragedy | Football Tragedy | Soccer Tragedy | S13.E09 |
| 10 | Slam Dunk | Slam Dunk | Slam Dunk | Slam Dunk | S13.E10 |
| Season 20 (2020) | |||||
| 1 | Kathmandu Descent | Kathmandu Descent | Kathmandu Descent | Kathmandu Descent | S15.E01 |
| 2 | Impossible Pitch | Impossible Pitch | Impossible Pitch | Impossible Pitch | S15.E02 |
| 3 | Explosive Touchdown | Explosive Touchdown | Explosive Touchdown | Explosive Touchdown | S15.E03 |
| 4 | Taxiway Turmoil | Taxiway Turmoil | Taxiway Turmoil | Taxiway Turmoil | S15.E04 |
| 5 | Runway Breakup | Runway Breakup | Runway Breakup | Runway Breakup | S15.E05 |
| 6 | Icy Descent | Icy Descent | Icy Descent | Icy Descent | S15.E06 |
| 7 | Atlantic Ditching | Atlantic Ditching | Atlantic Ditching | Atlantic Ditching | S15.E07 |
| 8 | No Warning | No Warning | No Warning | No Warning | S15.E08 |
| 9 | Cockpit Killer | Cockpit Killer | Cockpit Killer | Cockpit Killer | S15.E09 |
| 10 | Stormy Cockpit | Stormy Cockpit | Stormy Cockpit | Stormy Cockpit | S15.E10 |
| Season 21 (2021) | |||||
| 1 | North Sea Nightmare | North Sea Nightmare | North Sea Nightmare | North Sea Nightmare | S16.E01 |
| 2 | Playing Catch Up | Playing Catch Up | Playing Catch Up | Playing Catch Up | S16.E02 |
| 3 | Tragic Takeoff | Tragic Takeoff | Tragic Takeoff | Tragic Takeoff | S16.E03 |
| 4 | Grounded: Boeing Max 8 | Grounded: Boeing Max 8 | Grounded: Boeing Max 8 | Grounded: Boeing Max 8 | S16.E04 |
| 5 | Cabin Catastrophe | Cabin Catastrophe | Cabin Catastrophe | Cabin Catastrophe | S16.E05 |
| 6 | Meltdown Over Kathmandu | Meltdown Over Kathmandu | Meltdown Over Kathmandu | Meltdown Over Kathmandu | S16.E06 |
| 7 | Mission Disaster | Mission Disaster | Mission Disaster | Mission Disaster | S16.E07 |
| 8 | Caught in a Jam | Caught in a Jam | Caught in a Jam | Caught in a Jam | S16.E08 |
| 9 | Seconds From Touchdown | Seconds From Touchdown | Seconds From Touchdown | Seconds From Touchdown | S16.E09 |
| 10 | Deadly Delivery | Deadly Delivery | Deadly Delivery | Deadly Delivery | S16.E10 |
| Season 22 (2022) | |||||
| 1 | Holding Pattern | Holding Pattern | Holding Pattern | Holding Pattern | S17.E01 |
| 2 | Peril over Portugal | Peril over Portugal | Peril over Portugal | Peril over Portugal | S17.E02 |
| 3 | Stealth Bomber Down | Stealth Bomber Down | Stealth Bomber Down | Stealth Bomber Down | S17.E03 |
| 4 | Double Trouble | Double Trouble | Double Trouble | Double Trouble | S17.E04 |
| 5 | Pacific Plunge | Pacific Plunge | Pacific Plunge | Pacific Plunge | S17.E05 |
| 6 | Terror over Michigan | Terror over Michigan | Terror over Michigan | Terror over Michigan | S17.E06 |
| 7 | Tree Strike Terror | Tree Strike Terror | Tree Strike Terror | Tree Strike Terror | S17.E07 |
| 8 | Pitch Black | Pitch Black | Pitch Black | Pitch Black | S17.E08 |
| 9 | Turboprop Terror | Turboprop Terror | Turboprop Terror | Turboprop Terror | S17.E09 |
| 10 | Loss of a Legend | Loss of a Legend | Loss of a Legend | Kobe Bryant | S17.E10 |
| Season 23 (2023) | |||||
| 1 | Deadly Exchange | Deadly Exchange | Deadly Exchange | Deadly Exchange | S19.E01 |
| 2 | Mixed Signals | Mixed Signals | Mixed Signals | Missed Opportunities | S19.E02 |
| 3 | Pressure Point | Pressure Point | Pressure Point | Pressure Point | S19.E03 |
| 4 | Power Play | Power Play | Power Play | Power Play | S19.E04 |
| 5 | Control Catastrophe | Control Catastrophe | Control Catastrophe | Control Catastrophe | S19.E05 |
| 6 | Cockpit Catastrophe | Cockpit Catastrophe | Cockpit Catastrophe | Cockpit Catastrophe | S19.E06 |
| 7 | Dream Flight Disaster | Dream Flight Disaster | Dream Flight Disaster | Dream Flight Disaster | S19.E07 |
| 8 | Deadly Deception | Deadly Deception | Deadly Deception | Deadly Deception | S19.E08 |
| 9 | Delivery to Disaster | Delivery to Disaster | Delivery to Disaster | Delivery to Disaster | S19.E09 |
| 10 | Mystery over the Mediterranean | Mystery over the Mediterranean | Mystery over the Mediterranean | Mystery Over the Mediterranean | S19.E10 |
| Season 24 (2024) | |||||
| 1 | Terror Over The Pacific | Terror Over The Pacific | Terror Over The Pacific | TBA | |
| 2 | Disaster at Dutch Harbour | Disaster at Dutch Harbour | Disaster at Dutch Harbour | TBA | |
| 3 | Deadly Departure | Deadly Departure | Deadly Departure | TBA | |
| 4 | Without Warning | Without Warning | Without Warning | TBA | |
| 5 | Eleven Deadly Seconds | Eleven Deadly Seconds | Eleven Deadly Seconds | TBA | |
| 6 | Fight for Survival | Fight for Survival | Fight for Survival | TBA | |
| 7 | Pitch Battle | Pitch Battle | Pitch Battle | TBA | |
| 8 | Under Fire | Under Fire | Under Fire | TBA | |
| 9 | Lost Star Footballer | Lost Star Footballer | Lost Star Footballer | TBA | |
| 10 | Deadly Directive | Deadly Directive | Deadly Directive | TBA | |
| The Accident Files Season 1 (2018) | |||||
| 1 | Communication Breakdown | Communication Breakdown | Communication Breakdown | Communication Breakdown | S14.E01 |
| 2 | Bad Attitude | Bad Attitude | Bad Attitude | Fatal Friction | S14.E02 |
| 3 | Hero Pilots | Hero Pilots | Hero Pilots | Hero Pilots | S14.E03 |
| 4 | Plane vs. Pilot | Plane vs. Pilot | Plane vs. Pilot | No Control | S14.E04 |
| 5 | Explosive Evidence | Explosive Evidence | Explosive Evidence | Explosive Clues | S14.E05 |
| 6 | Killer in the Cockpit? | Killer in the Cockpit? | Killer in the Cockpit? | Killer in the Cockpit? | S14.E06 |
| 7 | Missing Pieces | Missing Pieces | Missing Pieces | Missing Pieces | S14.E07 |
| 8 | Controversial Crashes | Controversial Crashes | Controversial Crashes | Controversial Crashes | S14.E08 |
| 9 | Deadly Distractions | Deadly Distractions | Deadly Distractions | Deadly Disturbance | S14.E09 |
| 10 | Fire on Board | Fire on Board | Fire on Board | Fire on Board | S14.E10 |
| The Accident Files Season 2 (2019) | |||||
| 1 | Headline News | Headline News | Headline News | Headline News | S20.E01 |
| 2 | Rookie Errors | Rookie Errors | Rookie Errors | Rookie Errors | S20.E02 |
| 3 | Collision Course | Collision Course | Collision Course | Collision Course | S20.E03 |
| 4 | Engines Out | Engines Out | Engines Out | Engines Out | S20.E04 |
| 5 | Fuel Trouble | Fuel Trouble | Fuel Trouble | Fuel Trouble | S20.E05 |
| 6 | Perilous Payload | Perilous Payload | Perilous Payload | Perilous Payload | S20.E06 |
| 7 | Runway in Sight | Runway in Sight | Runway in Sight | Runway in Sight | S20.E07 |
| 8 | Deadly Confusion | Deadly Confusion | Deadly Confusion | Deadly Confusion | S20.E08 |
| 9 | Radio Silence | Radio Silence | Radio Silence | Radio Silence | S20.E09 |
| 10 | Design Flaws | Design Flaws | Design Flaws | Design Flaws | S20.E10 |
| The Accident Files Season 3 (2020) | |||||
| 1 | Heat of the Moment | Heat of the Moment | Heat of the Moment | Heat of the Moment | S20.E11 |
| 2 | Instrument Confusion | Instrument Confusion | Instrument Confusion | Instrument Confusion | S20.E12 |
| 3 | VIP on Board | VIP on Board | VIP on Board | VIP on Board | S20.E13 |
| 4 | Lapse in Security | Lapse in Security | Lapse in Security | Lapse in Security | S20.E14 |
| 5 | Mountain Impact | Mountain Impact | Mountain Impact | Mountain Impact | S20.E15 |
| 6 | Survivors | Survivors | Survivors | Survivors | S20.E16 |
| 7 | Death from Above | Death from Above | Death from Above | Death from Above | S20.E17 |
| 8 | Courage in the Cockpit | Courage in the Cockpit | Courage in the Cockpit | Courage in the Cockpit | S20.E18 |
| 9 | Maintenance Mistakes | Maintenance Mistakes | Maintenance Mistakes | Maintenance Mistakes | S20.E19 |
| 10 | Take Off Tragedies | Take Off Tragedies | Take Off Tragedies | Take Off Tragedies | S20.E20 |
| The Accident Files Season 4 (2021) | |||||
| 1 | Dead of Night | Dead of Night | Dead of Night | Dead of Night | S20.E21 |
| 2 | Engine Gone | Engine Gone | Engine Gone | Engine Gone | S20.E22 |
| 3 | Lethal Choices | Lethal Choices | Lethal Choices | Lethal Choices | S20.E23 |
| 4 | Risky Runways | Risky Runways | Risky Runways | Risky Runways | S20.E24 |
| 5 | Landings Gone Wrong | Landings Gone Wrong | Landings Gone Wrong | Landings Gone Wrong | S20.E25 |
| 6 | Frozen Wings | Frozen Wings | Frozen Wings | Frozen Wings | S20.E26 |
| 7 | Runway Collisions | Runway Collisions | Runway Collisions | Runway Collisions | S20.E27 |
| 8 | Cockpit Breakdown | Cockpit Breakdown | Cockpit Breakdown | Cockpit Breakdown | S20.E28 |
| 9 | Splash Down | Splash Down | Splash Down | Splash Down | S20.E29 |
| 10 | Northern Extremes | Northern Extremes | Northern Extremes | Northern Extremes | S20.E30 |
| The Accident Files Season 5 (2022) | |||||
| 1 | War Zone | War Zone | War Zone | War Zone | S22.E01 |
| 2 | Time Critical | Time Critical | Time Critical | TBD | |
| 3 | Ticking Time Bomb | Ticking Time Bomb | Ticking Time Bomb | TBD | |
| 4 | Accidents in the Air | Accidents in the Air | Accidents in the Air | TBD | |
| 5 | Impossible Landings | Impossible Landings | Impossible Landings | TBD | |
| 6 | Trained to Fail | Trained to Fail | Trained to Fail | TBD | |
| 7 | Deadly Data | Deadly Data | Deadly Data | TBD | |
| 8 | Poor Piloting | Poor Piloting | Poor Piloting | TBD | |
| 9 | Dangerous Winds | Dangerous Winds | Dangerous Winds | TBD | |
| 10 | Sabotage | Sabotage | Sabotage | TBD | |
| The Accident Files Season 6 (2024) | |||||
| 1 | Pitch Problems | Pitch Problems | Pitch Problems | TBD | |
| 2 | Fight to the Finish | Fight to the Finish | Fight to the Finish | TBD | |
| 3 | Bad Data | Bad Data | Bad Data | TBD | |
| 4 | Landing Hazards | Landing Hazards | Landing Hazards | TBD | |
| 5 | Training Ignored | Training Ignored | Training Ignored | TBD | |
| 6 | Reckless Approaches | Reckless Approaches | Reckless Approaches | TBD | |
See also
- Blueprint for Disaster
- Seconds From Disaster
- Seismic Seconds
- Survival in the Sky, known as Black Box in the UK
- Why Planes Crash
- Zero Hour
Notes
- ^ This does not include "Crash of the Century", a 2005 90-minute special investigating the Tenerife airport disaster, as the program is not branded as Mayday by Cineflix, even though the program was produced similarly to Mayday.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Included in Air Disasters under the original Canadian title
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Crash Scene Investigation episode
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Science of Disaster episode
References
- ^ a b "Mayday: Air Disaster - Program Overview". Cineflix Rights. Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Discovery Channel Sends Out a Mayday Call – Season 5 Launches with Air India Tragedy, April 9" (Press release). Discovery Channel Canada. 25 March 2008. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011.
- ^ "Air Crash Investigation TV Listing (Australia)". National Geographic Channel. Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ "Cineflix's Mayday Takes Flight with the 100th Episode in a Brand New Season" (Press release). Cineflix. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- ^ Povoledo, Elisabetta (10 February 2013). "Conspiracy Buffs Gain in Court Ruling on Crash". The New York Times. Rome, Italy. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^ English, Eoin (9 February 2015). "Cork airport crash team did not assist documentary". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ "Crash of the Century". Cineflix Productions. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "Mayday: Episodes". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services, LLC. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ "Air Crash Investigation". National Geographic Channel. NGC Europe Limited. 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
- ^ "Air Crash Investigation: SERIES 11 EPISODES". National Geographic Channel. 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012.
- ^ "Air Disasters". Smithsonian Channel. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
External links
- Cineflix: Mayday
- Cineflix: Mayday – Science of Disaster (Archive)
- Mayday on Discovery Channel Canada
- Air Crash Investigation on National Geographic Channel UK
- Air Crash Investigation on National Geographic Channel Australia
- Air Disasters on Smithsonian Channel
- Mayday at IMDb