On Apr 4, 1994 — KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 (Saab 340): A cockpit warning light sends a commuter flight back toward Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, where the landing goes catastrophically wrong beside the runway.

Fatal Approach

Stephen Bogaert

Borderline Tactics

Death Race

On Apr 13, 2010 — Cathay Pacific Flight 780 (Airbus A330): Approaching Hong Kong, a jet loses control of both engines' power, forcing the crew to attempt a landing at nearly double the normal touchdown speed.

Deadly Descent

On Sep 16, 2011 — "The Galloping Ghost" (modified P-51 Mustang): At the Reno Air Races, a WWII-era racer suddenly pitches up and plunges toward the crowd, leaving investigators to explain a split-second disaster.

On Aug 18, 1993 — American International Airways Flight 808 (DC-8): On approach to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, a cargo jet rolls and crashes just short of the runway — with Cuban airspace looming steps away.

On Aug 7, 1997 — Fine Air Flight 101 (DC-8): Seconds after takeoff from Miami with 43 tons of denim, a cargo jet pitches up, stalls, and comes down across a busy street.

Deadly Pitch

On Mar 31, 1995 — TAROM Flight 371 (Airbus A310): Minutes after leaving Bucharest, an airliner rolls into a steep dive from its climb, and investigators must untangle machine, crew, and a moment of crisis.

Fatal Climb

On Dec 20, 2008 — Continental Airlines Flight 1404 (Boeing 737): Racing down the runway at Denver, a jet suddenly veers off before liftoff, bounds across a ravine, and catches fire — and the answer lies in the Rockies.

Runway Runoff

On Sep 14, 2008 — Aeroflot Nord Flight 821 (Boeing 737): On a night approach to Perm, Russia, a crew new to the 737 loses control minutes from landing, and the inquiry indicts far more than one cockpit.

Lethal Limits

On Nov 28, 2016 — LaMia Flight 2933 (Avro RJ85): Carrying Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team to a championship match, a charter loses power on approach to Medellín, and investigators uncover how it came to that.

Soccer Tragedy

On Jan 7, 1994 — United Express Flight 6291 (Jetstream 41): Facing icy weather on approach to Columbus, Ohio, a commuter crew opts for a rapid descent to the runway — and the cockpit recording stuns investigators.

Slam Dunk

Catastrophic incidents in aviation history are meticulously reenacted, providing insight into what went wrong and if the crashes and near-disasters could have been prevented. Accounts from survivors combine with cockpit recordings and computer images to weave the gripping tales, and expert testimony reveals the hows and whys behind the events, some of which have resulted in important changes to aviation safety and regulations.

Fatal Approach

Seasons25

Season 13 Episodes10

Cast1

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Episode Summary