On Sep 3, 1989 — Varig Flight 254 (Boeing 737): A domestic Brazilian flight comes down in the remote Amazon, and for the survivors, the crash is only the beginning of the ordeal.

Vanishing Act

Stephen Bogaert

Sideswiped

Testing the Limits

On Jan 8, 1989 — British Midland Flight 92 (Boeing 737): After trouble erupts in one engine, a jet diverting for an emergency landing crashes onto a motorway embankment just short of the runway at East Midlands.

Choosing Sides

On May 26, 1991 — Lauda Air Flight 004 (Boeing 767): A jet bound for Vienna breaks apart in the night sky over Thailand, and airline owner and racing legend Niki Lauda personally joins the fight for answers.

On Jun 6, 1992 — Copa Airlines Flight 201 (Boeing 737): A flight from Panama City plunges into the Darién jungle, sending investigators into one of the world's most remote regions for answers.

On Jul 31, 1997 & Mar 23, 2009 — FedEx Flight 14 & FedEx Flight 80 (MD-11s): Two cargo jets of the same type crashed on landing nearly 12 years apart, in Newark and Tokyo, raising the question: pilots or plane?

The Final Push

On Jul 16, 1999 — Piper Saratoga N9253N: A private plane carrying John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and her sister vanishes on a night flight to Martha's Vineyard, stunning the nation.

The Death of JFK Jr.

On Jul 25, 2000 — Air France Flight 4590 (Concorde): Trailing flames on takeoff from Paris, the world's only supersonic airliner crashes minutes later, and investigators must reconstruct the disaster from fragments.

Concorde - Up in Flames

On Nov 4, 2008 — Mexican government Learjet 45: A charter carrying Mexico's Interior Secretary plummets into Mexico City's financial district at rush hour, and amid the drug war, many suspect it was no accident.

Accident or Assassination

On Feb 10, 2011 — Manx2 Flight 7100 (Fairchild Metroliner): In thick fog at Cork, Ireland, a commuter turboprop crashes on its third landing attempt, and investigators uncover a startling gap in aviation oversight.

No Clear Options

On Aug 20, 2011 — First Air Flight 6560 (Boeing 737): A charter drifts off course on approach to Resolute Bay in Canada's far north and strikes a hillside — with an unlikely rescue force already on the ground nearby.

Death in the Arctic

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.

Vanishing Act

Seasons25

Season 8 Episodes10

Cast1

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