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s25e10 · 2026-03-25
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Air Crash Investigation
National Geographic Documentary
What it is
Flying is one of the safest forms of transport. But what happens when tragedy strikes? From human error and accidents to mechanical faults and design flaws, the success of aviation history is punctuated with disaster and catastrophe. It's rare, but it does happen. Follow experts as they determine what went wrong and work out how to prevent these horrific tragedies from happening again. Examine the wrecks and official records, and hear from eyewitnesses, passengers and aviation experts as we reconstruct some of the most tragic disasters in aviation history. Air Crash Investigation looks at what went wrong and how future disasters can be averted.
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10 this season · 261 totals16e01 Killer Attitude 2017-02-21 02:30
Killer Attitude
During a routine one-hour flight on 01 December 1993, Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 crashes in northern Minnesota, killing everyone on board. Was this a matter of an inexperienced pilot?
s16e02 Deadly Myth 2017-02-28 02:30
Deadly Myth
When commuter flight ComAir 3272 ends in a harrowing death spiral, it's up to investigators to determine the cause and prevent it from ever happening again. What they discovered was a danger the industry has known about for years.
s16e03 Turning Point 2017-03-07 02:30
Turning Point
15 April 2002 - Air China Flight 129. Headed for South Korea's Gimhae International Airport, a Boeing 767 crashes into a hillside several miles from the runway. As the nation mourns its worst-ever air disaster, investigators are faced with very conflicting and concerning reports.
s16e04 Explosive Proof 2017-03-14 01:30
Explosive Proof
Just minutes after taking off from New York's JFK Airport, TWA flight 800 is ripped apart by a massive explosion. With a possible terror attack on their hands, the FBI joins investigators from the NTSB in an urgent search for answers.
s16e05 Lethal Turn 2017-09-06 00:00
Lethal Turn
On 26 September 1997, Garuda Indonesia flight 152 crashes into mountainous woodlands while trying to land at Polonia International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, in low visibility. All 234 people on board are killed. The investigation determined that the aircraft turned the wrong way during the approach.
s16e06 Storming Out 2017-09-13 00:00
Storming Out
On 2 July 1994, US Air Flight 1016 stalls and crashes into a residential area while attempting to land at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport during a thunderstorm, killing 37 of the 57 people on board. The investigation concluded that the aircraft encountered microburst-induced wind shear, causing it to crash.
s16e08 Terror over Egypt 2017-09-19 00:00
Terror over Egypt
On 31 October 2015, Metrojet flight 9268 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Sinai Peninsula during a routine chartered flight from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport to Pulkovo Airport, killing all 224 people on board.
s16e07 Caught on Tape 2017-09-20 00:00
Caught on Tape
On 4 February 2015, TransAsia Airways flight 235 strikes a viaduct and crashes into the Keelung River shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, killing 43 of the 58 people on board. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the number two engine and the pilots shutting down the wrong engine.
s16e09 Deadly Discussions 2017-10-04 00:00
Deadly Discussions
On 31 August 1999, LAPA Flight 3142 overruns the runway and crashes while taking off from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 63 of the 100 people on board and 2 on the ground. The investigation determined that the pilots forgot to extend the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff.
s16e10 The Lost Plane 2017-10-11 00:00
The Lost Plane
On 31 July 1992, Thai Airways International flight 311 crashes into a mountain while on final approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, in poor weather conditions, killing all 99 passengers and 14 crew members on board.