The BEST episodes of Mayday season 12

Every episode of Mayday season 12, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Mayday season 12!

Revealing the dark truth that aviation safety improves one crash at a time, Mayday investigates legendary aviation disasters to find out what went wrong and why. Based on cockpit voice recorders, accident reports and eyewitness accounts, every episode also features interviews, state-of-the-art CGI and gripping reenactments.

Last Updated: 12/16/2024Network: National Geographic (FI)Status: Continuing
Grand Canyon Disaster (United Airlines, Flight 718 & Trans World Airlines, Flight 2)
star
8.09
140 votes

#1 - Grand Canyon Disaster (United Airlines, Flight 718 & Trans World Airlines, Flight 2)

Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/24/2013

On 30 June 1956, United Airlines Flight 718 and Trans World Airlines Flight 2 collided over the Grand Canyon in Arizona. All 128 occupants on both flights were killed. At the time it was the deadliest airline crash in history, and would lead to sweeping changes in the regulation of flight operations over the United States.

Watch Now:Amazon
Fight for Control (Reeve Aleutian Airways, Flight 8)
star
7.92
185 votes

#2 - Fight for Control (Reeve Aleutian Airways, Flight 8)

Season 12 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/3/2012

On 8 June 1983, Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8's propeller separated from the aircraft over Cold Bay, Alaska causing an explosive decompression and loss of control. The pilot managed to land safely at Anchorage, Alaska. Since the propeller fell into the sea the cause of the separation is undetermined. AKA: Flight for Control

Directors: George D'Amato
Watch Now:Amazon
Blind Landing (TANS Peru, Flight 204)
star
7.85
143 votes

#3 - Blind Landing (TANS Peru, Flight 204)

Season 12 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/31/2012

On 23 August 2005, TANS Perú Flight 204 attempted to make a landing at Pucallpa Airport, Peru, after a severe thunderstorm, but crashed into a muddy swamp 4 miles (6.4 km) off the airfield. AKA Blind Landing

Directors: Jim Donovan
Writer: Carl Knutson
Watch Now:Amazon
28 Seconds to Survive (Santa Bárbara Airlines, Flight 518)
star
7.71
134 votes

#4 - 28 Seconds to Survive (Santa Bárbara Airlines, Flight 518)

Season 12 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/1/2013

On 21 February 2008, Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 was operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Mérida, Venezuela to Caracas when it crashed into the side of a mountain shortly after takeoff. All 46 passengers and crew aboard the plane died.

Watch Now:Amazon
Catastrophe at O'Hare (American Airlines, Flight 191)
star
7.71
165 votes

#5 - Catastrophe at O'Hare (American Airlines, Flight 191)

Season 12 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/25/2013

On 25 May 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 lost its No.1 engine moments after take-off at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and crashed into a trailer park shortly thereafter. All 271 people on board the plane as well as two other people on the ground were killed making it the worst single-aircraft air disaster in United States history. AKA Catastrophe at O'Hare

Watch Now:Amazon
Caution to the Wind (Singapore Airlines, Flight 006)
star
7.70
170 votes

#6 - Caution to the Wind (Singapore Airlines, Flight 006)

Season 12 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/17/2012

On 31 October 2000, Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collided on take-off into construction equipment at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taipei during Typhoon Xangsane after taking off on the wrong runway. Out of the 179 passengers and crew, 83 people perished. AKA: Caution To The Wind

Directors: Ian Robertson
Watch Now:Amazon
Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster (Yak-Service, Flight 9633)
star
7.69
165 votes

#7 - Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster (Yak-Service, Flight 9633)

Season 12 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/4/2013

On 7 September 2011, a Yakovlev Yak-42D carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team crashed on take-off at the Volga River, near Yaroslavl, Russia. Out of the 45 occupants only two survived. Five days later one of the survivors (Alexander Galimov) died, succumbing to his injuries.

Watch Now:Amazon
Vanished (Air France, Flight 447)
star
7.68
186 votes

#8 - Vanished (Air France, Flight 447)

Season 12 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/15/2013

On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight 447, a scheduled flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France, stalled and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while flying in a thunderstorm, killing all 216 passengers and 12 aircrew on board. The causes of the crash were incorrect airspeed readings due to ice blockage of the aircraft's pitot tubes, inappropriate control inputs and the pilots not taking recovery action until it was too late.

Watch Now:Amazon
Death of the President (Polish Air Force, Flight 101)
star
7.65
172 votes

#9 - Death of the President (Polish Air Force, Flight 101)

Season 12 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/27/2013

On 10 April 2010, in heavy fog and low visibility, a Tupolev Tu-154M carrying the Polish president Lech Kaczyński, his wife Maria Kaczyńska and other top officials, failed to make the runway and crashed into a wooded area while on final approach to Smolensk North Airport. All 96 occupants on board perished.

Pushed to the Limit (SilkAir, Flight 185)
star
7.57
183 votes

#10 - Pushed to the Limit (SilkAir, Flight 185)

Season 12 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/24/2012

On 19 December 1997, Silk Air Flight 185 en route to Singapore crashed into the Musi River in Indonesia after abruptly plunging from its 35,000 feet (10,668 m) cruise altitude, killing all 97 passengers and 7 crew on board in an instant.

Directors: KARL JASON
Focused on Failure (United Airlines, Flight 173)
star
7.55
165 votes

#11 - Focused on Failure (United Airlines, Flight 173)

Season 12 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/11/2013

On 28 December 1978, United Airlines Flight 173 ran out of fuel after a landing gear problem. The DC-8 circled in the vicinity of Portland and crashed in a sparsely populated area near 158th and East Burnside Street, killing 10 and seriously injuring 24 of the 189 on board. According to the NTSB, the flight crew failed to check the fuel state causing the plane to crash. AKA: Fatal Fixation

Heading to Disaster (Ethiopian Airlines, Flight 409)
star
7.47
195 votes

#12 - Heading to Disaster (Ethiopian Airlines, Flight 409)

Season 12 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/25/2013

On 25 January 2010, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 an international scheduled passenger plane en route to Addis Ababa plunged into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after takeoff from Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport during a thunderstorm, killing all 90 people on board.

Fire in the Hold (ValuJet, Flight 592)
star
7.29
184 votes

#13 - Fire in the Hold (ValuJet, Flight 592)

Season 12 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/10/2012

On 11 May 1996, ten minutes after take-off, Valujet Flight 592 crashed into the Florida Everglades after an in-flight fire started by an accidental triggering of an oxygen cylinder in the cargo area caused the passengers and crew to suffer unconsciousness. On impact, all 110 persons on board were killed instantly.

Directors: Su Rynard
Writer: Chris Blow