The WORST episodes of Air Disasters
Every episode of Air Disasters ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Air Disasters!
Harrowing stories of tragedy and triumph are brought to life through official reports, transcripts and interviews with the pilots, air traffic controllers and lucky survivors of history's most terrifying crashes. Widely considered to be the safest form of travel, air transportation is still in its infancy and when midair calamity strikes, the results are often catastrophic. From the cockpit to the cabin, from the control room to the crash scene, we uncover just what went wrong.
#1 - Cockpit Failure
Season 18 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/26/2022
Bad weather and a series of errors lead to the 2001 crash of a plane on its approach to Zurich Airport.
#2 - Fire on Board
Season 18 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/2022
Expert investigators work tirelessly to understand the mysterious 1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111 after a cockpit fire led to the deaths of 229 people.
#3 - Racing the Storm
Season 18 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/2022
The violent crash landing of American Airlines Flight 1420 in Arkansas claims 11 lives, exposing an industry-wide scandal and triggering an investigation into severe weather and pilot error.
#4 - Unlocking Disaster
Season 18 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/2022
When United Flight 811's cargo door blows off at a high altitude over the Pacific Ocean, the crew acts to bring the packed aircraft down safely, and one victim's family searches for answers.
#5 - Who's in Control?
Season 18 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/2022
When Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 drops out of the sky on its final approach to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, investigators work to determine if the cause is due to plane or pilot error.
#6 - Hudson River Runway
Season 18 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/2022
A comprehensive look at the famous “Miracle on the Hudson” emergency landing in January 2009, and the investigation that followed.
#7 - Dead Tired
Season 18 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/2022
Follow the tragic crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, NJ, into a house in Buffalo, NY, a case that confounded both forensic anthropology students and investigators.
#8 - Pilot Betrayed
Season 18 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/9/2022
A Scandinavian Airlines flight plummets from the winter sky moments after takeoff, and a seasoned pilot's career comes to an end after the culprits of the disaster are identified.
#9 - The Heathrow Enigma
Season 18 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/2/2022
January 2008. British Airways Flight 38 is about to land at Heathrow Airport when calamity strikes. The Boeing 777, one of the safest planes in the airline industry, suffers double engine failure, and with only seconds until the aircraft hits the ground, Captain Peter Burkill must attempt a highly risky move to save the lives of the 152 people on board. Witness the remarkable emergency landing the follow investigators as they solve the mystery behind the crash, using unrelenting diligence and a little inspiration from Sherlock Holmes.
#10 - Cutting Corners
Season 18 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/27/2022
The 2000 crash of an Alaska Airlines plane just off the California coast leads to a disturbing discovery about the company's cost-cutting procedures.
#11 - Loss of a Legend
Season 17 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/24/2022
On 26 January 2020, a helicopter carrying basketball player Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people crashes into hilly terrain near Calabasas, California, killing all 9 people on board. The pilot had violated visual flight rules and suffered spatial disorientation.
#12 - Turboprop Terror
Season 17 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/24/2022
When a turboprop stalls and crashes into a North Carolina forest, investigators resort to a risky test flight-and uncover an industry-wide safety problem.
#13 - Pitch Black
Season 17 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/17/2022
In 1983, experts investigate a power failure that led to the downing of Air Illinois Flight 710 in total darkness.
#14 - Tree Strike Terror
Season 17 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/10/2022
Investigators search for the cause of a close call on the runway after an American Airlines flight experiences unexpected complications during landing.
#15 - Terror Over Michigan
Season 17 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/3/2022
Investigators must pull off a risky test flight to see if the pilots of a heroic emergency landing are hiding a secret.
#16 - Pacific Plunge
Season 17 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/27/2022
Heroic flying isn't enough to overcome neglectful maintenance in the tragic accident of Alaska Airlines Flight 261.
#17 - Double Trouble
Season 17 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/20/2022
A cargo flight from Luxembourg to Nigeria turns into a nightmare over the French Alps for its five-person crew. A large explosion has blown both engines off the right wing, the weather is worsening, and the cockpit has lost contact with air traffic control. It will take every bit of muscle and piloting expertise to steer the disabled Boeing 707 over the mountains and reach Marseille for an emergency landing. Witness the harrowing flight of Trans-Air Cargo Flight 671, then discover the microscopic but deadly flaw that almost doomed the plane.
#18 - Missing Over New York
Season 18 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/26/2023
Avianca Flight 52 is delayed numerous times by bad weather en route and is dangerously low on fuel as it attempts a landing at New York City.
#19 - Missed Opportunities
Season 19 - Episode 2 - Aired 5/22/2023
Investigators try to determine why Independent Air Flight 1851 was flying below advised altitude when it struck a mountain on the Portuguese island of Santa Maria, killing everyone on board.
#20 - Deadly Exchange
Season 19 - Episode 1 - Aired 5/21/2023
A twin-engine turboprop carrying 15 people on a flight from St. Louis is on final approach to Kirksville, Missouri. Visibility is poor, but the pilots appear to have the runway lights in sight. When the plane crashes into a wooded area just 1.2 miles from the airport, it's up to the NTSB to find out what happened in the final seconds of Corporate Airlines Flight 5966.
#21 - Who's Flying the Plane
Season 18 - Episode 24 - Aired 3/19/2023
Experts document aviation tragedies that show how safety is a delicate balance between automated systems and pilot training, often meaning the difference between survival and disaster.
#22 - Fatal Flaw
Season 18 - Episode 23 - Aired 3/19/2023
Maintenance oversights and shortsighted cost-cutting measures can lead to disaster, as evidenced by the tragic fates of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Japan Airlines Flight 123 and more.
#23 - Ripped Apart
Season 18 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/12/2023
Several airplane disasters resulting from seemingly minor flaws, like faulty windows and doors or poorly maintained building materials, are examined.
#24 - Head-On Collision
Season 18 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/12/2023
Two trains collide near the town of Hinton in Alberta, Canada, and the event becomes known as one of the deadliest accidents -- and greatest mysteries -- in Canadian railway history.
#25 - Collision Course
Season 18 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/5/2023
A Greek ferry, the Express Samina, is pushed off course by strong waves and crashes into a rock formation, causing 80 passengers to lose their lives in the freezing water as they wait for rescue.