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The Worst Episodes of Mayday

Every episode of Mayday ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Mayday!

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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 air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Mayday Season 26 Episode 2 - Peril over Pakistan (Airblue Flight 202)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #1 - Peril over Pakistan (Airblue Flight 202)

    S26:E2

    On 28 July 2010, Airblue Flight 202 crashes into the Margalla Hills while attempting to land at Benazir Bhutto International Airport in poor weather conditions, killing all 152 people on board. The crash was caused by the pilots' errors in judgement and lack of professionalism.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Mayday Season 26 Episode 4 - Crash Landing (Eagle Airways Flight 2300)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #2 - Crash Landing (Eagle Airways Flight 2300)

    S26:E4

    On 18 June 2007, the landing gear of Eagle Airways Flight 2300 fails to extend while on approach to Wellington. The pilots divert the aircraft and make a belly landing at Blenheim, saving all 17 people on board. The landing gear failed due to a fatigue crack in the hydraulic actuator.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Mayday Season 26 Episode 5 - A Perfect Storm (Nürnberger Flugdienst Flight 108)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #3 - A Perfect Storm (Nürnberger Flugdienst Flight 108)

    S26:E5

    On 8 February 1988, Nürnberger Flugdienst Flight 108 breaks up in mid-air and crashes near Kettwig, Germany, while on approach to Düsseldorf Airport, killing all 21 people on board. The pilots suffered spatial disorientation after a lightning strike caused a total electrical failure.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Mayday Season 26 Episode 6 - Deadly Charter (2001 Aspen Gulfstream III crash)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #4 - Deadly Charter (2001 Aspen Gulfstream III crash)

    S26:E6

    On 29 March 2001, a chartered business jet operated by Avjet crashes into a hillside while on final approach to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport in Colorado, killing all 18 people on board. The cause of the accident was the pilots' premature descent below the minimum descent altitude.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Mayday Season 26 Episode 7 - Deadly Cover Up (Aeroperú Flight 603)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #5 - Deadly Cover Up (Aeroperú Flight 603)

    S26:E7

    On 2 October 1996, shortly after take off, the crew of Aeroperú Flight 603 are confused by false speed and altitude readings and contradictory warnings from the aircraft's air data system. In preparation for an emergency landing, the crew descend the aircraft, but unknowingly descend too far by relying on the false readings. The aircraft crashes into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 70 people on board. The false readings and contradictory warnings were caused by duct tape over the static ports, which was used to protect the ports during maintenance, but was not removed afterwards. Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Flying Blind" (S01E04) and as a special in the episode "Who's Flying the Plane?" (S06E03).

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Mayday Season 26 Episode 8 - Norwegian Nightmare (Widerøe Flight 839)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #6 - Norwegian Nightmare (Widerøe Flight 839)

    S26:E8

    On 12 April 1990, Widerøe Flight 839 crashes into the water shortly after takeoff from Værøy Airport in Norway, killing all five people on board. The investigation determined that the aircraft suffered a structural failure due to strong winds that exceeded its design criteria.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Mayday Season 26 Episode 9 - Monsoon Approach (Air India Express Flight 1344)
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #7 - Monsoon Approach (Air India Express Flight 1344)

    S26:E9

    On 7 August 2020, Air India Express Flight 1344 plunges down a gorge after overrunning the runway at Kozhikode International Airport in poor weather, killing 21 of the 190 people on board. The captain continued the unstabilized approach and landed too far down the runway.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Mayday Season 2 Episode 3 - The Killing Machine
    6.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - The Killing Machine

    S2:E3

    On 24 December 1994, Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Algiers Airport. The four terrorists demand the aircraft be allowed to depart for Paris so they can blow up the aircraft over the Eiffel Tower, but the Algerian Army blocks the aircraft with vehicles and refuse to allow it to take off. Unable to carry out their plans, the terrorists kill three passengers over the next two days. The aircraft is then cleared to take off, but the crew diverts to Marseille Provence Airport. The hostage rescue team of the French Gendarmerie storms the aircraft, and after a gun battle in the cabin, the four hijackers are killed and everyone else is evacuated. It is described as "one of the most successful anti-terrorist operations in history."

    Director:Chantal Hébert
    Writer:Chantal Hébert

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  9. Mayday Season 3 Episode 10 - Head On Collision
    6.3/10(3 votes)

    #9 - Head On Collision

    S3:E10

    On 8 February 1986, a Via Rail passenger train and a 118-car Canadian National Railway freight train collide, killing 23 people. The freight train crew did not stop at a red railway signal on a section of a passing loop, possibly because they were asleep. Note: This is a Crash Scene Investigation episode.

    Director:Phil Comeau
    Writer:Michael Sheehan

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  10. Mayday Season 6 Episode 2 - Fatal Flaw (Minor Defects)
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #10 - Fatal Flaw (Minor Defects)

    S6:E2

    Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Japan Airlines Flight 123, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, Swissair Flight 111, United Airlines Flight 585, USAir Flight 427, Eastwind Airlines Flight 517. This special looks at accidents caused by seemingly minor defects or errors. Episodes re-visited: Cutting Corners, Out of Control, A Wounded Bird, Fire on Board, Hidden Danger.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Mayday Season 6 Episode 3 - Who's Flying the Plane? (Crew vs Avionics)
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #11 - Who's Flying the Plane? (Crew vs Avionics)

    S6:E3

    This special looked at accidents and incidents where problems with the interface between crew members and on-board avionics were a factor and the causes of those problems. Episodes re-visited: Flying Blind, Panic Over the Pacific, Kid in the Cockpit, Vertigo, Flying on Empty.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Mayday Season 3 Episode 7 - Helicopter Down
    6.7/10(3 votes)

    #12 - Helicopter Down

    S3:E7

    On 19 January 1995, the crew of Bristow Flight 56C is forced to perform an emergency autorotation to a ditching in the sea, after lightning damages the tail rotor of their helicopter. Despite the rough sea conditions, the 16 oil rig workers and pilots are rescued by nearby ships.

    Director:Jimmy Kaufman
    Writer:Heather Forrester

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  13. Mayday Season 13 Episode 5 - Lost in Translation (Crossair Flight 498)
    6.7/10(3 votes)

    #13 - Lost in Translation (Crossair Flight 498)

    S13:E5

    On 10 January 2000, Crossair Flight 498 crashes just two minutes after takeoff from Zurich, Switzerland, while heading for Dresden, Germany, killing all 10 people on board. The investigation found that the pilots had suffered spatial disorientation.

    Director:Su Rynard
    Writer:Brian D. Young

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  14. Mayday Season 4 Episode 8 - Fog of War (1996 Croatia USAF CT-43)
    6.8/10(4 votes)

    #14 - Fog of War (1996 Croatia USAF CT-43)

    S4:E8

    On 3 April 1996, while attempting to land at Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia during heavy fog, a United States Air Force Boeing CT-43 strays off course and flies into a mountain. All 35 people on board are killed, including the United States Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown. The non-precision approach procedure the crew needed to follow required the use of two automatic direction finders, but the aircraft was only fitted with one.

    Director:George D'Amato
    Writer:Dennis Murphy

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  15. Mayday Season 14 Episode 6 - Accident or Assasination (Mexican Interior Ministry Learjet 45)
    6.8/10(5 votes)

    #15 - Accident or Assasination (Mexican Interior Ministry Learjet 45)

    S14:E6

    On 4 November 2008, an official Mexican Interior Ministry Learjet 45 crashes in central Mexico City. Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, who was aboard the plane, was killed in the crash, along with the other seven people on board and eight people on the ground. The plane crashed in rush-hour traffic at Las Lomas. The plane crashed due to a loss of control from wake turbulence.

    Director:Michael Sinyi
    Writer:Greg Gransden

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  16. Mayday Season 2 Episode 5 - Lost
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #16 - Lost

    S2:E5

    On 20 December 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 is en route to Cali, Colombia. The crew members are asked if they would like to perform a straight-in approach to Cali. The pilots accept the offer, but as they are making the necessary changes, they inadvertently remove the waypoints from the flight plan in their flight management system (FMS), causing them to become unsure of their exact position. The crew members' mistakes leads them to fly the aircraft into a 9,000 foot mountain near Buga. Only four passengers and a dog survive.

    Director:Tim Wolochatiuk
    Writer:Tim Wolochatiuk

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  17. Mayday Season 3 Episode 2 - Attack over Baghdad
    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #17 - Attack over Baghdad

    S3:E2

    On 22 November 2003, a European Air Transport Airbus A300 operating on behalf of DHL is climbing away from Baghdad International Airport, when the left wing explodes, causing a massive loss of hydraulic fluid which immobilizes the flight control surfaces. The crew flies the aircraft by changing the engines' thrust for control and make a safe landing 16 minutes later. A surface-to-air missile had been launched at the aircraft.

    Director:Phil Comeau
    Writer:Andrew Weir

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  18. Mayday Season 3 Episode 11 - Collision Course
    7.0/10(4 votes)

    #18 - Collision Course

    S3:E11

    On 26 September 2000, waves push the MS Express Samina off course, causing it to hit a group of rocks off Paros and sink, killing 80 people. The ferry was on autopilot, with the crew not monitoring the ship's course. They were instead watching an association football match. Note: This is a Crash Scene Investigation episode.

    Director:Andy Webb
    Writer:Brenda Newman

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  19. Mayday Season 3 Episode 12 - Runaway Train
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #19 - Runaway Train

    S3:E12

    On 12 May 1989, a 69-car freight train goes out of control while descending from California's Cajon Pass. It derails in a residential neighbourhood of San Bernardino after reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Two residents and two train crew members are killed in the initial crash. More than a week later, an underground gasoline pipeline, damaged by earth-moving equipment during the post-crash clean-up, ruptures and sparks a fire that kills another two people. A clerical error had caused the train's weight to be greatly underestimated, and it had been assembled without enough locomotives to provide adequate braking. Additionally, several of the engines had completely inoperable brakes, but this information was not passed on to the crews. Note: This is a Crash Scene Investigation episode.

    Director:Tim Wolochatiuk
    Writers:Tim Conrad, David Bedard

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  20. Mayday Season 3 Episode 13 - Ocean Landing
    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #20 - Ocean Landing

    S3:E13

    On 23 November 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is forced to ditch after running out of fuel. The aircraft breaks up as the wings hit the water, killing 125 people. The aircraft had been hijacked and ran out of fuel because the hijackers did not believe the pilot's insistence that there was not enough fuel aboard to make it to the hijackers' planned destination: Australia.

    Director:Karl Jason
    Writer:Léo Singer

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  21. Mayday Season 4 Episode 9 - Vertigo
    7.0/10(4 votes)

    #21 - Vertigo

    S4:E9

    On 3 January 2004, Flash Airlines Flight 604 banks to the right just after takeoff and crashes into the Red Sea, killing all 148 people on board. The cause of this disaster is disputed and suggested to be spatial disorientation on the part of the flight crew.

    Director:Karl Jason
    Writer:Carl Knutson

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  22. Mayday Season 5 Episode 1 - Explosive Evidence (Air India Flight 182)
    7.0/10(4 votes)

    #22 - Explosive Evidence (Air India Flight 182)

    S5:E1

    On 23 June 1985, Air India Flight 182 explodes in mid-air and disintegrates over the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew members on board. Investigators discovered that a bomb from Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa caused the explosion.

    Director:George D'Amato
    Writer:Larry Bambrick

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  23. Mayday Season 5 Episode 7 - Fanning the Flames (South African Airways Flight 295)
    7.0/10(4 votes)

    #23 - Fanning the Flames (South African Airways Flight 295)

    S5:E7

    South African Airways Flight 295 starts filling with smoke over the Indian Ocean. A fire has erupted in the rear main level cargo area; the pilots successfully open the doors in flight to clear the smoke from the aircraft, however it crashes with no survivors.

    Director:P.J. Naworynski
    Writer:Carl Knutson

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  24. Mayday Season 6 Episode 1 - Ripped Apart (Decompression Failures)
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #24 - Ripped Apart (Decompression Failures)

    S6:E1

    BOAC Flight 781 ,South African Airways Flight 201, Aloha Airlines Flight 243, British Airways Flight 5390, United Airlines Flight 811, Helios Airways Flight 522. This special looks at accidents and incidents where pressurization failure or explosive decompression played a part. Episodes re-visited: Hanging by a Thread, Blow Out, Unlocking Disaster, Ghost Plane.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Mayday Season 7 Episode 4 - Blown Apart (Partnair Flight 394)
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #25 - Blown Apart (Partnair Flight 394)

    S7:E4

    On September 8, 1989, Partnair Flight 394, a charter from Oslo to Hamburg, suddenly begins to dive from 22 thousand feet. The aging propeller plane eventually crashes into the sea, killing all 55 people on board.

    Director:Su Rynard
    Writer:Carl Knutson

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Peril over Pakistan (Airblue Flight 202)" is the worst rated episode of "Mayday". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 2/9/2026. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Crash Landing (Eagle Airways Flight 2300)".