On Feb 8, 1989 — Independent Air Flight 1851 (Boeing 707): A charter carrying Italian tourists to the Dominican Republic strikes a hilltop on Portugal's Santa Maria Island during a routine refueling stop approach.

Missed Opportunities

Stephen Bogaert

Pressure Point

Deadly Exchange

On Oct 19, 2004 — Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 (Jetstream 32): On a misty night approach to Kirksville, Missouri, a commuter flight comes down in the woods just short of the airport, and the NTSB dissects its final seconds.

On Aug 12, 1985 — Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Boeing 747SR): Minutes after leaving Tokyo, a packed evening flight suffers a sudden loss of pressurization and struggles for control before crashing into the mountains northwest of the city.

On Oct 13, 2011 — Airlines PNG Flight 1600 (Dash 8): Descending through storms toward Madang, Papua New Guinea, a turboprop's engines run wildly out of control, and investigators uncover a trap built into the aircraft itself.

Power Play

On Nov 11, 2018 — Air Astana Flight 1388 (Embraer 190): Leaving Portugal after heavy maintenance, a ferry flight becomes nearly unflyable the moment it's airborne, forcing the crew into a series of desperate landing attempts.

Control Catastrophe

On May 14, 2018 — Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 (Airbus A319): High over the Tibetan Plateau, a cockpit windshield shatters, partially pulling the first officer out and leaving the captain to fly through freezing wind and thin air.

Cockpit Catastrophe

On Dec 31, 2017 — Sydney Seaplanes charter (DHC-2 Beaver): On New Year's Eve, a sightseeing seaplane carrying a British CEO and his family crashes into Jerusalem Bay north of Sydney, prompting a high-profile investigation.

Dream Flight Disaster

On Mar 7, 1983 — Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 013 (Antonov An-24): Hijackers seize a domestic Bulgarian flight demanding passage to Vienna, and the crew's only hope is an elaborate bluff played out in the dark.

Deadly Deception

On Feb 23, 2019 — Atlas Air Flight 3591 (Boeing 767): An Amazon cargo flight nosedives into a Texas swamp minutes from Houston, and the evidence leads investigators deep into a pilot's past.

Delivery to Disaster

On May 19, 2016 — EgyptAir Flight 804 (Airbus A320): A night flight from Paris to Cairo vanishes over the Mediterranean, and competing theories divide investigators across two countries.

Mystery Over the Mediterranean

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.

Missed Opportunities

Seasons25

Season 19 Episodes10

Cast1

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Episode Summary