On Jul 11, 1991 — Nationair Flight 2120 (DC-8): Moments after takeoff from Jeddah, a charter carrying pilgrims home to Nigeria develops an onboard fire traced to the first seconds of its takeoff roll.

Under Pressure

Stephen Bogaert

The Invisible Plane

Breakup Over Texas

On Sep 25, 1978 — PSA Flight 182 (Boeing 727): On a clear San Diego morning, a jet on approach collides with a small Cessna over a residential neighborhood, at the time the deadliest air disaster in U.S. history.

Blind Spot

On Feb 6, 1958 — British European Airways Flight 609 (Airspeed Ambassador): A charter carrying the Manchester United football team crashes on takeoff from a snowy Munich airfield after a refueling stop, shaking the sporting world.

Mayday Munich

On Dec 7, 1987 — PSA Flight 1771 (BAe 146): A California commuter flight plunges from cruise altitude after gunshots are heard in the cabin, turning a crash investigation into a criminal one.

I'm the Problem

On Jul 19, 1989 — United Airlines Flight 232 (DC-10): After a catastrophic engine failure cripples their flight controls, the crew attempts a landing at Sioux City that no pilot had ever trained for.

Impossible Landing

On Oct 9, 2002 — Northwest Airlines Flight 85 (Boeing 747): High over the Bering Sea, a jumbo jet suddenly rolls hard on its own, forcing the crew into a wrestling match with their own aircraft en route to an emergency landing in Anchorage.

Turning Point

On Sep 11, 1991 — Continental Express Flight 2574 (Embraer 120): A commuter turboprop suddenly pitches over and breaks apart in the sky near Eagle Lake, Texas, leaving investigators a field of scattered clues.

On Oct 8, 2001 — SAS Flight 686 (MD-87): Accelerating for takeoff in dense fog at Milan's Linate Airport, an airliner collides with a small jet on the runway, exposing how both came to share the same strip of pavement.

On Dec 22, 1999 — Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 (Boeing 747): A freighter crashes into a field moments after a night takeoff from London Stansted, drawing investigators into the cockpit's final minute.

Bad Attitude

On Dec 12, 1985 — Arrow Air Flight 1285 (DC-8): A charter returning U.S. soldiers home for the holidays crashes seconds after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland — a disaster whose cause is debated to this day.

Split Decision

On May 24, 1988 — TACA Flight 110 (Boeing 737): Descending through a violent storm near New Orleans, a jet loses both engines, leaving the crew searching for anywhere flat enough to put it down.

Nowhere to Land

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.

Under Pressure

Seasons25

Season 3 Episodes11

Cast1

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