Examining collisions between planes. Included: a corporate jet and a 737 collide while 37,000 feet above the Amazon; a DC-8 tears into the fuselage of a Lockheed Constellation a mile above New York City; a 727 slams into a Cessna above San Diego; and near L.A., a small plane smashes into a DC-9.
A look at what causes some pilots to risk ditching their planes in the water, and how they and their passengers can survive the experience. Included: U.S. Airways Flight 1549, which made an emergency landing in the Hudson River; a hijacked 767 that was forced down in the ocean.
Plane crashes resulting from structural failures are examined. Included: nine passengers are sucked out of a 747 flying over the Pacific when a cargo door explodes; pilots struggle to gain control of a plane for 32 minutes; a jet loses a chunk of its fuselage; a plane loses an engine on takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration has found that up to three flights out of 100,000 are diverted due to smoke or fire in flight, but the situation is no less dangerous for being commonplace. Included: a DC-9 crashes into the Everglades after a fire causes the pilots to lose control; an MD-11 crashes after smoke fills the cockpit; a DC-9 loses its electrical systems two hours into a flight; a flame-engulfed plane crashes into a hotel.
Mistakes, oversights and distractions can have consequences. Included: a 737 hits a small turboprop on a runway; an Airbus 300 crashes after its tail breaks off; an L-1011 jumbo jet plunges into the Everglades; a jet slams into a hillside just miles from a runway; a commuter-plane mishap over a Buffalo suburb.
Season 2 begins with a look at cockpit communication and how it improved with the implementation of Crew Resource Management (CRM) in 1979. Before Crew Resource Management, the Captain was seen as a god, not to be challenged, even if crew members felt he was wrong. But before the program was enacted, many planes crashed.
Stories of people who miraculously survived air crashes, and recall their frightening experiences.
Stories of airplanes and pilots who lost the battle with weather. A terrifying truth about weather is that thunderstorms, wind-shear and microbursts can bring down planes.
Hazards posed to small planes, including bad weather, poor visibility and distractions, are examined.
A look at terrible crashes that can result from planes veering off course or poor visibility.
A look at helicopters highlights their uses for rescues and rapid responses, but also examines the unique set of dangers involved in their operation.
Technology has made flying safer, but it can fail; these tragic crashes illustrate how automation can never replace the skills of a good pilot.
An examination of three catastrophic accidents that led to major changes in the aviation industry.
The Crew Resource Management protocol is explained. Prior to it being implemented, crew members wouldn't challenge the captain even on occasions when they thought he was wrong.
