Traced to the breakdown of vital safety measures, three horrific air disasters provoke fundamental changes to airport security procedures around the world. A passenger plane is obliterated in the California hills and investigators find a smoking gun in the wreckage. A 747 explodes over the Atlantic. And, after a routine landing, fire engulfs a commuter plane in Taiwan.

A trio of crashes reveal that when the nuts and bolts of maintenance go unchecked, it can spell catastrophe. A mechanic's error in judgement leads to a terrifying mid-flight disaster in Texas. Botched maintenance and a missing cotter pin leads to a life-and-death struggle for three cargo pilots. And, after a twin turboprop goes missing in the North Sea, investigators uncover a criminal empire half a world away. Take Off Tragedies

Three flights ending in tragedy, prove that minor missteps during takeoff can have disastrous consequences. With a typhoon quickly approaching, a 747 in Taiwan crashes on the tarmac. In Detroit, a DC-9 barely lifts off before leaving behind a mile-long trail of scorched debris. And, after a minor repair in Madrid, a distracted crew makes a deadly mistake.

When aviation decisions are made in the heat of the moment, even minor issues can have fatal consequences. A dashcam captures the horrific crash as a Taiwanese airliner nosedives into a river. Warned of a problem that doesn't exist, a KLM crew inadvertently sparks a cascade of deadly errors. And, for a revolutionary new spacecraft, a split-second decision spells a supersonic disaster.

Aviation relies on precision and accuracy. So when critical instruments in the cockpit can't be trusted, the consequences can be fatal. A Boeing 737 vanishes from radar over one of the most remote areas on earth. A Korean cargo jet slams into the English countryside just moments after takeoff. And, an inexperienced crew faces a horrific pileup of errors on a late-night flight over Russia.

Mid-air tragedies are particularly horrifying when they occur over a community, and rain terror on the people below. A thrilling day at the air show turns into a nightmare for spectators in Reno. A Learjet spirals into the heart of Mexico City and sets the financial district ablaze. And, after a catastrophic mid-air collision, a DC-9 nosedives into a Los Angeles suburb.

A DC-10 loses all hydraulics when an engine explodes over Iowa. The crew of Qantas Flight 32 is overwhelmed by alarms after an explosion rocks their massive A-380. And, a Northwest Airlines 747 is cruising 35,000 feet above the Bering Sea when the unthinkable happens. Devastating systems failures in the air put pilots to the test, and shine a light on three astonishing feats of flying.

From the wreckage of three airplane crashes, survivors emerge to tell harrowing tales and provide critical data about what to do in an emergency. Pummeled by a storm, a DC-9 flames out and crash lands on a Georgia highway. An accelerating plane suddenly careens off the tarmac in Denver. And, a Korean jumbo jet smashes into a hilside on approach to Guam.

Crashes involving high-profile passengers make international headlines and, placing investigators under tremendous pressure to come up with answers as the world looks on. A diplomat's secret mission ends with a mystery that lingers for decades. Tragedy strikes when pilots gamble with the lives of a famous Brazilian football team. And, a US Air Force jet carrying an American VIP crashes in war-torn Croatia.

Following three horrifying crashes, investigators uncover fatal flaws in the very operations designed to prevent aircraft from plowing into mountains. Somehow flying in the wrong direction, a passenger jet crashes in the Himalayas. A Chinese airliner collides with a hillside just miles from a Korean airport. And, an Airbus crash in France reveals a deadly high-tech blind spot.