America has so many stories to tell. And nobody brings them to your home like Smithsonian Channel.

Smithsonian Channel HD

A look at accidents and incidents where problems with the interface between crew members and onboard avionics are a factor, and the causes of those problems.

Air Disasters

Who's Flying the Plane?

A look at several air disasters that involved small components that failed; accidents caused by minor defects or errors; how the follow-up investigations led to changes that have made flying safer.

Fatal Flaw

The 2000 crash of an Alaska Airlines plane just off the California coast leads to a disturbing discovery about the company's cost-cutting procedures.

Cutting Corners

A Swissair passenger jet catches fire midflight and crashes into the Atlantic, leading to one of the largest investigations in aviation history.

Fire on Board

Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 stalls and crashes less than a mile from the runway while approaching Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Who's In Control

US Airways Flight 1549 suffers a bird strike with a flock of Canada geese, causing both engines to fail.

Hudson River Runway

A British Airways Flight's engines failure to respond cause the plane to crash-land just short of the runway.

The Heathrow Enigma

Watch TV Networks, Shows and Movies | DIRECTV

The latest movies and must watch shows!

Watch It Welcome to Derry on the HBO Max app, included with an HBO Max subscription.

Data/messaging rates may apply for app download/usage. HBO Max subscription required.

Welcome to your ultimate entertainment destination. Watch new episodes of Jeremy Renner in the new season of Mayor of Kingstown and more all in one network.

Watch exclusive originals like the adventure drama Robin Hood and Hollywood hit movies.

MGM+ is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Lion Corp. All copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights are the property of their respective owners.

Watch visionary original series like Power Book IV: Force, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, BMF, The Couple Next Door and much more.

Watch Hollywood hits like Civil War and behind-the-scenes exclusives when you add CINEMAX to your current DIRECTV package.

Statistically, traveling by airplane is safer than driving and other forms of transportation, but when something goes wrong during a flight, it can be catastrophic with potentially hundreds of lives at stake. This series examines some of the world's worst air disasters, using official reports, transcripts and interviews with people involved to tell the stories of midair mishaps and discover what went wrong in each case. Episodes include a discussion of how the weather affects flights -- including stories of aviation disasters and near-misses -- and a New Year's Eve flight that fell from the sky into the Florida Everglades.

auxCol1

footer-common

helpCenterInfo

legal

business

options

footer-social

footer

footer-utility

auth

lightLogo

logo

recog

search

unauth

Design innovations evolve as a result of terrible air disasters due to pressurization failure or explosive decompression.

S18 E22 | Ripped Apart

E24 | Who's Flying the Plane?

E23 | Fatal Flaw

E11 | Cutting Corners

E9 | Fire on Board

E6 | Who's In Control

E5 | Hudson River Runway

E2 | The Heathrow Enigma