On Apr 28, 1988 — Aloha Airlines Flight 243 (Boeing 737): On a short Hawaiian island hop, a large section of the cabin roof suddenly tears away at 24,000 feet, leaving passengers exposed to the open sky.

Hanging by a Thread

Stephen Bogaert

Attack Over Baghdad

Season 5

On Nov 22, 2003 — DHL cargo flight (Airbus A300): Climbing out of Baghdad with mail from U.S. soldiers, a freighter is struck by a surface-to-air missile, and the crew must attempt a landing no one had ever pulled off.

On Aug 12, 1985 — Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Boeing 747SR): Minutes into a packed evening flight from Tokyo to Osaka, a loud bang cripples the jet's controls — the beginning of the worst single-aircraft disaster in history.

Out of Control

On Apr 7, 1994 — FedEx Flight 705 (DC-10): Shortly after leaving Memphis, a cargo crew is ambushed mid-flight by a fellow employee, and the struggle for the controls pushes the jet to its limits.

Fight for Your Life

On Dec 11, 1994 — Philippine Airlines Flight 434 (Boeing 747): A bomb explodes beneath a passenger's seat over the Pacific, forcing the pilots to attempt a daring emergency landing at Okinawa.

Bomb on Board

On Jul 3, 1988 — Iran Air Flight 655 (Airbus A300): During heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, a U.S. Navy cruiser must decide in minutes whether an approaching aircraft is friend or foe — with tragic consequences.

Mistaken Identity

On Jan 19, 1995 — Bristow Flight 56C (Super Puma): Ferrying workers to a North Sea oil platform in foul weather, a helicopter crew is suddenly forced down into some of the world's most unforgiving waters.

Helicopter Down

On Oct 31, 1999 — EgyptAir Flight 990 (Boeing 767): A red-eye from New York to Cairo plunges into the Atlantic off Nantucket, and the investigation becomes one of the most controversial in aviation history.

Death and Denial

On Mar 23, 1994 — Aeroflot Flight 593 (Airbus A310): On an overnight flight to Hong Kong, a captain invites his children to visit the cockpit high over Siberia, setting off a chain of events the crew can't undo.

Kid in the Cockpit

On Nov 23, 1996 — Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 (Boeing 767): Hijackers demand a flight to Australia, but the jet doesn't carry enough fuel — leading to a desperate ditching attempt off the Comoros Islands, caught on camera.

Ocean Landing

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.

Hanging by a Thread

Seasons25

Season 6 Episodes10

Cast1

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