8.5/1013 votesLoading...#1 - Hero Pilots
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 7/23/2018
It takes years of training to become an airline captain, but it's when a crisis strikes that a pilot really earns his stripes. An airliner is crippled after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, and the courageous captain pulls off an amphibious landing in the Hudson River. A catastrophic failure strikes high above the Canadian Prairies turning a Boeing 767 into a very large and very heavy glider. And, when the engines of TACA Flight 110 flame out in a violent storm, its captain pulls off one of the most remarkable landings in the history of commercial aviation.
Director: N/A
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- 8.3/1015 votesLoading...
#2 - Communication Breakdown
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 7/9/2018
Some of the deadliest air crashes in history have been caused by simple misunderstandings, and it's a tiny error in the cockpit that brought tragedy to Quincy Airport in Illinois. Meanwhile, a minor mistake, a non-standard approach, and heavy smoke add up to a tragic misunderstanding that cost the lives of everyone on board Garuda Indonesia Flight 152. And, however disastrous, never has a misunderstanding taken as devastating a turn as on the island of Tenerife and the single deadliest aviation accident of all time.
Director: N/A
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- 8.2/107 votesLoading...
#3 - Sabotage
Season 5 Episode 10 - Aired 9/19/2022
Three flights are hijacked by acts of sabotage. When the cockpit of an Ethiopian airliner is stormed by hijackers, the captain manages an heroic yet deadly ocean landing. Investigators are torn between competing theories after an Italian passenger plane is blown out of the sky. And, Namibian investigators reach a chilling conclusion after piecing through the wreckage of LAM Mozambique Flight 470.
Director: N/A
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- 8.1/1010 votesLoading...
#4 - Killer in the Cockpit?
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 8/13/2018
Compared to the number of suicides in the general population, suicidal pilots are almost statistically non-existent. But when they do emerge from obscurity to unleash their horrific plans on innocent passengers, the destruction they inflict is epic. A 737 cruising above an Indonesian jungle suddenly plummets from the sky. An Airbus A-320 crashes into the French Alps. And, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 vanishes over the South China Sea, and remains one of the greatest aviation mysteries of all time.
Director: N/A
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- 8.1/1015 votesLoading...
#5 - Headline News
Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 10/5/2019
Three devastating crashes make front page news around the globe, and the media frenzy puts intense pressure on investigators to uncover the true cause of these deadly disasters. On September 11th, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 disappears from radar and slams into Pentagon. When TWA Flight 800 explodes over Long Island, a media reports spark a four year investigation. And, when an Air France Concorde crashes in Paris just seconds after takeoff, it signals the end of the supersonic era.
Director: N/A
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- 8.1/1017 votesLoading...
#6 - Rookie Errors
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/12/2019
The simplest mistakes are at the heart of some of the worst airline accidents, and while commercial pilots undergo hundreds of hours of training and testing, even experienced pilots can make deadly rookie errors. A botched takeoff in Buenos Aires kills 60 people and the cause stuns investigators. Just two months after 9/11, American Airlines Flight 587 crashes in Queens, New York, igniting fears that America is once again under attack. And, when Continental Airlines 3407 stalls above Buffalo, the flight crew's baffling reaction proves fatal.
Director: N/A
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- 8.1/109 votesLoading...
#7 - War Zone
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 7/25/2022
Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory are among the many risks that pilots face in war zones around the world. Operation Baby Lift, Iran Air 655, and DHL Flight OO-DLL are examined in detail.
Director: N/A
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- 8.0/1010 votesLoading...
#8 - Deadly Distractions
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 9/3/2018
In 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration established the sterile cockpit rule requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight. When this rule is broken, the resulting distraction can be deadly. Passengers fight for their lives inside a burning plane at Dallas Fort Worth Airport. A brand new L-1011 crashes in a remote swamp in the Florida Everglades. And, during a demonstration flight, a brand new Russian Superjet slams into a mountain south of Jakarta.
Director: N/A
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- 8.0/108 votesLoading...
#9 - Impossible Landings
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 7/25/2022
With zero margin for error, three catastrophes are narrowly averted by pilots who somehow manage to land their damaged planes. Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, Aloha Airlines Flight 243 and Air Canada Flight 797.
Director: N/A
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- 7.9/1010 votesLoading...
#10 - Fire On Board
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 9/10/2018
One of aviation's worst nightmares, a fire on board can have disastrous consequences. And though these epic tragedies have exacted a terrible human cost, they've also helped lead the way towards significantly safer skies. In Manchester, a holiday flight bound for the Mediterranean faces an inferno on the runway. In the skies over Saudi Arabia, a flight ful of pilgrims is consumed by flames. And, after a UPS cargo plane crashes in Dubai, investigators discover a tiny battery with outsize implications.
Director: N/A
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- 7.9/1016 votesLoading...
#11 - Collision Course
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 10/19/2019
Facing deadly tragedies that could have been avoided, investigators comb through the wreckage of three separate midair collisions in a race to prevent another fatal impact. In California, a massive passenger plane collides with one of the fastest fighter jets in the sky. Seven years later, another deadly collision leaves investigators puzzled and San Diego in shock. And, in India, two passenger jets collide causing the world's deadliest-ever midair collision.
Director: N/A
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- 7.9/1016 votesLoading...
#12 - Engines Out
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/2019
When an aircraft loses total engine power, a pilot's training can make all the difference in the world, but it's still up to investigators to determine what went wrong. An Airbus flames out en route to Hong Kong, and the crew is determined to avoid a disastrous ocean ditching. En route to Australia, a mysterious engine failure ultimately leads to a giant leap in aviation safety. And, after a terrifying ten-kilometer freefall, a captain is hailed as a hero by passengers, but the resulting investigation tells a different story.
Director: N/A
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- 7.9/1019 votesLoading...
#13 - Radio Silence
Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 11/30/2019
Radio silence between pilots and air traffic controllers can mean many different things, but only the physical evidence can reveal the true story. Three shocking cases send investigators hunting for answers. A Greek airliner goes rogue and crashes outside Athens. A China Airlines 747 disappears from radar and the culprit is discovered on the ocean floor. And, when controllers lose contact with a private jet, fighter planes scramble to intervene.
Director: N/A
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- 7.8/1011 votesLoading...
#14 - Plane Versus Pilot
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 7/30/2018
No description available
Director: N/A
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- 7.8/1015 votesLoading...
#15 - Deadly Confusion
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/23/2019
Spatial disorientation is one of the leading causes of all air accidents. Even the most experienced pilots are susceptible to its subtle yet deadly effects. A confused John F. Kennedy Jr. disappears on the way to Martha's Vineyard. High over the Red Sea, a captain loses his bearings and crashes his passenger jet. And, off the coast of Indonesia, pilots fly their Boeing 737 into a violent storm and end up on the ocean floor.
Director: N/A
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- 7.8/1013 votesLoading...
#16 - Engine Gone
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 1/17/2021
Three crews experience the same devastating event, but with radically different outcomes when an engine falls off their commercial airplane.
Director: N/A
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- 7.8/1010 votesLoading...
#17 - Landings Gone Wrong
Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 2/7/2021
Relying on instinct rather than the rule book, three flights end in tragedy when crews improvise on their final approach.
Director: N/A
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- 7.8/107 votesLoading...
#18 - Ticking Time Bomb
Season 5 Episode 3 - Aired 8/8/2022
From metal fatigue to faulty repairs, three doomed airlines are eventually brought down by gradually deteriorating parts. Air Moorea Flight 1121, Japan Airlines Flight 123 and Chalk's Flight 101.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/1012 votesLoading...
#19 - Bad Attitude
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 7/16/2018
On every flight, passengers place their lives in the hands of their captain whose human flaws are enough to bring down an aircraft. When BEA Flight 548 crashes just moments after takeoff, investigators unravel a tragic combination of human factors centered around the captain. Meanwhile, a captain's belligerence paralyzes the first officer on Northwest Airlink Flight 5719. And, it's the captain's hidden flaw that proves fatal for everyone on board Trans Colorado Flight 2286.
Director: N/A
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- 7.7/109 votesLoading...
#20 - Explosive Evidence
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 8/6/2018
In 1985, an Air India flight vanishes off the coast of Ireland. The rescue mission discovers that the crew had no warning before the jet was ripped apart. Investigators are alerted to a bag checked in without the passenger boarding. Another explosion on the same day at Tokyos Airport is soon linked to this incident. The bomb builder is traced and sent to jail but the person who checked the bag onto the plane has never been caught.
Director: N/A
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- 7.6/106 votesLoading...
#21 - Time Critical
Season 5 Episode 2 - Aired 8/1/2022
Haste in the Airline Industry is never good, and three flights are examined where crews skipped procedures, missed warnings, and made incorrect decisions. Turkish Flight 1951, Continental Flight 1713 and Ansett Flight 703.
Director: N/A
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- 7.5/1010 votesLoading...
#22 - Missing Pieces
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 8/20/2018
Three horrifying accidents capture the world's attention, and in order to solve these deadly mysteries, hero investigators are pushed to the limit to uncover the hidden clues. A commercial jet plunges into the Florida Everglades and investigators face one of the most hazardous scenes imaginable. When a Boeing 777 crash lands at Heathrow Airport, investigators can't find anything wrong with the aircraft. And, a devastating crash shatters a Scottish village becoming the largest crime scene in the world.
Director: N/A
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- 7.5/1018 votesLoading...
#23 - Design Flaws
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 12/7/2019
Drawing the attention of the entire world, three fatal design flaws put air crash investigators in a storm of controversy. When one of former race car driver Niki Lauda's planes nosedives into a Thai jungle, a one-in-a-million failure reveals a weak spot in every Boeing 767. A piece of the plane blows off a Turkish Airlines DC-10 causing the most catastrophic mid-air emergency of its time. And, a risky test flight is the only way to uncover the startling truth about what brought down Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311.
Director: N/A
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- 7.5/109 votesLoading...
#24 - Lethal Choices
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 1/24/2021
Faced with a mid-air crisis, pilots must make life-and-death decisions, but the wrong approach can trigger a far more serious problem.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/107 votesLoading...
#25 - Northern Extremes
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 2/15/2021
Faced with the extreme conditions of the far North, three flights fall out of the sky leaving investigators to uncover the cause.
Director: N/A
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The Best Episodes of Air Crash Investigation: Special Report
Every episode of Air Crash Investigation: Special Report ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Air Crash Investigation: Special Report!
In this special season of Air Crash Investigation, every episode examines multiple aviation disasters that prove to have similarities including; engines that separated from their...
Genres:DocumentaryReality
Network:National Geographic
Best Episodes Summary
"Hero Pilots" is the best rated episode of "Air Crash Investigation: Special Report". It scored 8.5/10 based on 13 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 7/23/2018. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Communication Breakdown".