9.0/101 votes#1 - Turning Point (Northwest Airlines Flight 85)
Season 11 Episode 6 - Aired 12/29/2011
On 9 October 2002, Northwest Airlines Flight 85 is cruising above the Bering Sea, when the lower rudder segment 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 fatigue failure of the rudder hydraulic control module, resulting in part of the module's metal casing breaking off.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Armen Kazazian
8.5/102 votes#2 - The Heathrow Enigma (British Airways Flight 38)
Season 10 Episode 2 - Aired 3/7/2011
On 17 January 2008, British Airways Flight 38 is on its final approach to land, when the autothrottles command increased thrust from the engines. The engines do not respond to the control inputs and remain at idle. 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 causing any fatalities. The fuel flow to both engines was restricted because of ice crystals causing a blockage in the fuel-oil heat exchangers.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Larry Bambrick
8.5/102 votes#3 - Hudson River Runway (US Airways Flight 1549)
Season 10 Episode 4 - Aired 3/14/2011
On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 suffers a bird strike with a flock of Canada geese approximately 1.5 minutes after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Both engines fail, and less than two minutes later, the crew members successfully ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River. All on board survive.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Larry Bambrick
8.0/101 votes#4 - Deadly Descent
Season 19 Episode 1 - Aired 1/2/2019
En route to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 is high over the South China Sea when both of the plane's engines fail, turning the Airbus A-330 into a 200-ton glider; the captain takes over manual control and manages to power up one engine.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Greg Gransden
7.5/102 votes#5 - The Final Blow (Air Inter Flight 148)
Season 9 Episode 7 - Aired 10/20/2010
On 20 January 1992, Air Inter Flight 148 flies into a peak in the Vosges Mountains while circling to land at Strasbourg Airport, killing 87 people. An error made in programing the aircraft's autopilot, combined with a sudden wind change, caused it to descend more rapidly than expected.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Carl Knutson
7.5/102 votes#6 - Fight for Control (Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8)
Season 12 Episode 1 - Aired 8/3/2012
On 8 June 1983, Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8's propeller separates from the aircraft over Cold Bay, Alaska, causing an explosive decompression and loss of control. The pilots manage to land the aircraft safely at Anchorage, Alaska. The propeller fell into the sea, and the cause of the separation is undetermined.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Michael Sheehan
7.3/103 votes#7 - Fire Fight (Air Canada Flight 797)
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 4/29/2007
On 2 June 1983, a fire breaks out on Air Canada Flight 797 in the aircraft's toilet. An emergency landing is made in Cincinnati, but the aircraft is engulfed by flames on the runway, killing 23 people, including musician Stan Rogers. The opening of the aircraft's doors after the landing caused a flashover.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Gail Gallant
7.3/103 votes#8 - Focused on Failure (United Airlines Flight 173)
Season 12 Episode 10 - Aired 3/11/2013
On 28 December 1978, the crew of United Airlines Flight 173 is 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 and seriously injuring 24 of the 189 on board. According to the NTSB, 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. The NTSB recommendation from this event led to the industry-wide implementation of Crew resource management (CRM) protocols.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Greg Gransden
7.0/102 votes#9 - Fog of War (1996 Croatia USAF CT-43)
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 6/3/2007
On 3 April 1996, while attempting to land at Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia during heavy fog, a United States Air Force Boeing CT-43 strays off course and flies into a mountain. All 35 people on board are killed, including the United States Secretary of Commerce, 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.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Dennis Murphy
7.0/102 votes#10 - Explosive Evidence (Air India Flight 182)
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 4/9/2008
On 23 June 1985, Air India Flight 182 explodes in mid-air and disintegrates over the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew members on board. Investigators discovered that a bomb from Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa caused the explosion.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Larry Bambrick
7.0/101 votes#11 - Lockerbie Disaster (Pan Am 103)
Season 7 Episode 1 - Aired 11/4/2009
Shortly after leaving London Heathrow airport in December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 exploded above Lockerbie , Scotland killing 270 people. Investigators soon discovered that a bomb in the forward cargo compartment had taken down the plane.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Larry Bambrick
7.0/103 votes#12 - Frozen in Flight (American Eagle Flight 4184)
Season 7 Episode 8 - Aired 12/16/2009
On 31 October 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184 falls out of the sky, killing all 68 people on board. The crash was caused by ice developing on the wing in a manner that the on-board deicing system could not remove.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Greg Gransden
7.0/104 votes#13 - Deadly Reputation (TAM Airlines Flight 3054)
Season 11 Episode 1 - Aired 8/12/2011
On 17 July 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054 careens off runway 35L at Brazil's Congonhas Airport, crashes at high speed into a warehouse adjacent to a filling station and explodes. A total of 199 people on board the aircraft and on the ground are killed. Incorrect engine throttle settings upon landing caused one engine to reverse thrust while the other increased power, resulting in the loss of control.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Greg Gransden
7.0/101 votes#14 - Death Race
Season 19 Episode 2 - Aired 1/9/2019
Competing in a highly-modified P-51 Mustang at the Reno Air Races, Jimmy Leeward is determined to set a new speed record, but half way through the race, his plane spirals out of control and crashes onto the tarmac in front of the stands.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: John LaRose
6.5/102 votes#15 - Phantom Strike (Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907)
Season 5 Episode 10 - Aired 6/11/2008
A Gol Transportes Aéreos Boeing 737 and a brand-new Embraer Legacy business jet on its delivery flight collide in mid-air over the Amazon. The 737 crashes but the Legacy manages to make a safe landing. 154 people die.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Larry Bambrick
6.5/102 votes#16 - Target Is Destroyed (Korean Air Lines Flight 007)
Season 9 Episode 5 - Aired 10/6/2010
On 1 September 1983, during the Cold War, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down after violating Soviet airspace. The crew did not switch the autopilot from heading to INS mode following take off which caused the aircraft to deviate from its assigned flight path.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Armen Kazazian
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George D'Amato Ratings Summary
"Turning Point (Northwest Airlines Flight 85)" is the best rated episode directed by George D'Amato. It scored 9/10 based on 1 votes. It was written by Armen Kazazian. It aired on 12/29/2011 and is rated 0.5 points higher than their second-best episode, "The Heathrow Enigma (British Airways Flight 38)".