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Mixed Measures
s25e10 · 2026-03-25
Running · GB
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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Episode guide
10 this season · 261 totals21e01 Pacific Plunge 2022-01-04 00:30
Pacific Plunge
When Alaska Airlines Flight 261 suddenly nosedives into the Pacific, investigators uncover a critical maintenance issue with deadly implications.
s21e02 Terror over Michigan 2022-01-10 23:30
Terror over Michigan
After a Boeing 727's near-fatal nosedive over Michigan, investigators risk their own lives to determine why TWA Flight 841 fell out of the sky.
s21e03 Holding Pattern 2022-01-18 00:30
Holding Pattern
Flydubai Flight 981 nosedives into the runway at Russia's Rostov airport. And investigators uncover one of the most lethal traps in aviation.
s21e04 Stealth Bomber Down 2022-01-18 00:30
Stealth Bomber Down
When a two-billion-dollar Stealth Bomber crashes in Guam, it's up to the US Air Force to investigate the most expensive aviation accident of all time.
s21e05 Double Trouble 2022-01-23 00:30
Double Trouble
Rocked by an explosion that rips both right wing engines off the wing, the pilots of Transair 671 manage a miraculous landing at a French military airfield.
s21e06 Peril over Portugal 2022-01-25 00:30
Peril over Portugal
A Martinair flight crashes in Portugal amid thunderstorms and heavy rain, and when investigators piece together the evidence the mystery only deepens.
s21e07 Tree Strike Terror 2022-02-06 00:30
Tree Strike Terror
Facing a severe thunderstorm and a control tower shutdown, American Airlines 1572 suffers double-engine failure on final approach into Windsor Locks Airport in Connecticut.
s21e08 Pitch Black 2022-02-06 00:30
Pitch Black
An Illinois turboprop crashes in bad weather, and investigators eventually uncover a fatal assumption and deadly decision.
s21e09 Turboprop Terror 2022-02-13 00:30
Turboprop Terror
After a turboprop crashes in North Carolina, investigators resort to a risky test flight—and uncover an industry-wide safety problem.
s21e10 Loss of a Legend 2022-02-13 00:30
Loss of a Legend
When basketball legend Kobe Bryant is killed in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles, investigators look for clues amid a global outpouring of grief.