7.8/10138 votes#1 - Panic on the Runway (British Airtours Flight 28M)
Season 9 Episode 1 - Aired 9/8/2010
On 22 August 1985, an engine of British Airtours Flight 28M fails during takeoff, puncturing a hole in the wing fuel tank and starting a fire. The crew successfully abandons the takeoff and stops the aircraft on the runway, but the fire spreads to the cabin. 55 people die before they can evacuate, mainly due to inhaling toxic smoke. The investigation found that fatigue of a part in the engine caused it to fail.
Director: James Hyslop
Writer: Alex Bystram
7.4/10146 votes#2 - Pilot vs Plane (Air France Flight 296)
Season 9 Episode 2 - Aired 9/15/2010
On 26 June 1988, Air France Flight 296 fails to climb and crashes into trees after performing a flyby during an airshow at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport, killing three people. The cause of this crash remains in dispute.
Director: James Hyslop
Writer: Greg Gransden
7.9/10148 votes#3 - Alarming Silence (Northwest Airlines Flight 255)
Season 9 Episode 3 - Aired 9/22/2010
On 16 August 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 stalls as it lifts off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport and crashes just beyond the runway, killing 154 of the 155 people on board and two people on the ground. The investigation showed that the pilots failed to configure the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff.
Director: Ian Robertson
Writer: Alex Bystram, Michael Sheehan
7.9/10148 votes#4 - Cleared for Disaster (USAir Flight 1493)
Season 9 Episode 4 - Aired 9/29/2010
On 1 February 1991, USAir Flight 1493 collides with a waiting SkyWest Airlines aircraft on the runway, killing 34 people. An air traffic controller mistakenly assigned the inbound Flight 1493 to land on a runway where SkyWest Flight 5569 was waiting to take off.
Director: Su Rynard
Writer: Christopher Blow
7.8/10152 votes#5 - Target Is Destroyed (Korean Air Lines Flight 007)
Season 9 Episode 5 - Aired 10/6/2010
On 1 September 1983, during the Cold War, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down after violating Soviet airspace. The crew did not switch the autopilot from heading to INS mode following take off which caused the aircraft to deviate from its assigned flight path.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Armen Kazazian
7.6/10123 votes#6 - Cold Case (Air Ontario 1363 and USAir 405)
Season 9 Episode 6 - Aired 10/13/2010
On 10 March 1989, Air Ontario Flight 1363 crashes just after takeoff, killing 24 people. Three years later, on 22 March 1992, USAir Flight 405 also crashes just after takeoff in similar conditions to Flight 1363. The cause of the crashes was ice on the wings, which significantly reduced lift.
Director: Ian Robertson
Writer: Robert Eaton
7.5/10134 votes#7 - The Final Blow (Air Inter Flight 148)
Season 9 Episode 7 - Aired 10/20/2010
On 20 January 1992, Air Inter Flight 148 flies into a peak in the Vosges Mountains while circling to land at Strasbourg Airport, killing 87 people. An error made in programing the aircraft's autopilot, combined with a sudden wind change, caused it to descend more rapidly than expected.
Director: George D'Amato
Writer: Carl Knutson
7.5/10136 votes#8 - Cracks in the System (Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101)
Season 9 Episode 8 - Aired 10/27/2010
On 19 December 2005, just seconds after takeoff from Miami, Florida, the right wing of Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 breaks off, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea, killing all 20 people on board. The causes of the crash were metal fatigue and poor maintenance.
Director: Michael Sinyi
Writer: Greg Gransden
The Best Episodes of Mayday Season 9
Every episode of Mayday Season 9 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Mayday Season 9!
Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and...
Genres:DocumentaryDramaCrime
Season 9 Ratings Summary
"Panic on the Runway (British Airtours Flight 28M)" is the best rated episode of "Mayday" season 9. It scored 7.8/10 based on 138 votes. Directed by James Hyslop and written by Alex Bystram, it aired on 9/8/2010. This episode is rated 0.4 points higher than the second-best, "Pilot vs Plane (Air France Flight 296)".