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

Air Disasters

Ripped Apart

A freight train carrying an excess of cargo loses its brakes while descending a mountain causing it to gain speed and derail into a neighborhood killing several people.

Runaway Train

A blade on the left-side propeller of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight breaks off; the imbalance of the rotating propeller causes the engine to partly tear itself from its mounting.

A Wounded Bird

A cockpit window on British Airways Flight blows out, partially ejecting and injuring the captain; the co-pilot completes an emergency landing.

Blow Out

A cleaning crew makes a careless error while cleaning a Boeing 757, affecting the plane's computer system and causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean.

Flying Blind

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Experts analyze various plane crashes with an aim to figure out how these disasters occurred; they also shed light on how such accidents shaped the aviation industry and improved safety standards.

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A 747's cargo door opens at 23,000 feet, causing an explosive decompression that ejects nine passengers from the plane.

S18 E7 | Unlocking Disaster