Mayday: Air Disaster

On 6 August 1997, during final approach for a night landing in Guam, Korean Air Flight 801 crashes into a hill while attempting a missed approach, killing 228 people. The causes were pilot error and the instrument landing system at Guam airport being temporarily out of service for maintenance work.

On 2 June 1983, a fire breaks out on Air Canada Flight 797's toilet. An emergency landing is made in Cincinnati, but the aircraft is engulfed by flames on the runway, killing 23 people, including musician Stan Rogers. The opening of the aircraft's doors after the landing caused a flashover. The cause of the fire is unknown.

On 24 June 1982, British Airways Flight 9 experiences St. Elmo's fire en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Perth, Australia. A few minutes later, all four engines flame out. The St. Elmo's fire and engine flame-outs were caused by volcanic ash spewed by Galunggung in Indonesia during a major eruption. St. Elmo's fire is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as the leading edges of airplanes, as in the case of British...

On 2 August 2005, Air France Flight 358 overruns the runway, travels through the airport perimeter fence and plunges down a small ravine while attempting to land in a storm. All 309 passengers and crew survive. The causes of the crash were the aircraft deviating above the required approach path for its landing, touching down too far along the runway and the crew deploying the thrust reversers too slowly. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 23 November 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is forced to ditch after running out of fuel. The aircraft breaks up as the wings hit the water, killing 125 people. The aircraft had been hijacked and ran out of fuel because the hijackers did not believe the pilot's insistence that there was not enough fuel aboard to make it to the hijackers' planned destination, Australia. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 8 February 1986, a Via Rail passenger train and a 118-car Canadian National Railway freight train collide, killing 23 people. The freight train crew did not stop at a red railway signal on a section of a passing loop. An inquiry concluded that a "railroader culture", which prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety, had resulted in a tired and sick crew of three, including an engineer at extreme risk of a stroke or heart attack, to either fall asleep or be otherwise...

On 26 September 2000, waves push the MS Express Samina off course, causing it to hit a group of rocks off Paros and sink, killing 80 people. Subsequent investigation showed that the ferry was on autopilot, with the crew not monitoring the ship's course. They were instead watching an association football match. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 23 March 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 stalls and crashes while en route to Hong Kong, killing all 75 people on board. The pilot's 15-year-old son accidentally disabled the autopilot while in the captain's seat, causing the aircraft to bank heavily to the right, inducing the stall. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 12 May 1989, a 69-car freight train goes out of control while descending from California's Cajon Pass. It derails in a residential neighbourhood of San Bernardino after reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Two residents and two train crew members are killed in the initial crash. More than a week later, an underground gasoline pipeline, damaged by earth-moving equipment during the post-crash clean-up, ruptures and sparks a fire that kills another two people. Clerks...

On 31 October 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying from New York City to Cairo, killing all 217 people on board. The cause of the crash is disputed: the Egyptian government claims that the crash was caused by a mechanical failure with the elevators, but the US government claims the aircraft was deliberately crashed by the Relief First Officer Gameel Al-Batouti. Narrated by Stephen Bogaert

On 19 January 1995, lightning damages the tail rotor of Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C, forcing the crew to perform an emergency autorotation to a ditching in the sea. Despite the rough sea conditions, the 16 oil rig workers and 2 pilots are rescued by nearby ships. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 3 July 1988, during the Iran–Iraq War, the USS Vincennes launches missiles which bring down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 people on board. The crew of the Vincennes claimed that they mistook the airliner for an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter, but Iran believes that the US deliberately shot it down. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 11 December 1994, a bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434 on the second leg of a service from Manila to Tokyo via Cebu City, killing a passenger, injuring many people and damaging some of the aircraft's control systems. The crew successfully lands the aircraft at Naha Airport in Okinawa. Subsequent investigation determined that Ramzi Yousef, a terrorist, smuggled the bomb aboard the aircraft on the first leg of its flight. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 7 April 1994, Auburn Calloway, a disgruntled employee, attempts to hijack Federal Express Flight 705 armed with hammers and a speargun. Despite sustaining serious injuries, the crew successfully subdues Calloway and returns the aircraft safely to Memphis International Airport. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 12 August 1985, the aft pressure bulkhead bursts on a Boeing 747SR operating as Japan Airlines Flight 123, destroying the vertical stabilizer and severing all four of the aircraft's hydraulic systems. The crew keep the aircraft flying for 32 minutes until it clips Mount Takamagahara and crashes, killing all but four of the 524 people on board. The accident was caused by a faulty repair to the bulkhead after a much-earlier tailstrike incident. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 22 November 2003, a surface-to-air missile is launched at a DHL Airbus A300, exploding the left wing and causing a massive loss of hydraulic fluid which immobilizes the flight control surfaces. The crew flies the aircraft by changing the engines' thrust for control and make a safe landing 16 minutes later. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 28 April 1988, the upper half of the front fuselage of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 tears off, blowing out a flight attendant. The aircraft subsequently lands safely at Kahului, Hawaii. The fuselage failed from corrosion damage and improperly-repaired fatigue cracks. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On the afternoon of 27 March 1977, a KLM 747 and a Pan Am 747 crashed on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife. The Pan Am flight had been diverted to the airfield in Tenerife due to a bomb explosion at another nearby airport. When the KLM 747 began take off, the Pan Am flight landed in its path causing the planes to hit each other and kill the 583 people on board. Prepare to venture into the cockpits and cabins of the two doomed planes as we reconstruct the moments leading up to the...

On 25 January 1990, 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. Wind shear forces the crew to abort the approach just one mile from the runway. They initiate a go-around, but are directed back into a holding pattern by air traffic controllers who are unaware of the low fuel situation. The Boeing 707 then runs out of fuel, causing it to crash on Long Island. Narrated by Jonathan Aris

On 20 December 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 is en route to Cali, Colombia. The crew are asked if they would like to perform a straight-in approach to Cali. The pilots accept the offer, but as they are making the necessary changes, they inadvertently delete the waypoints from the flight plan in their flight management system, causing them to lose certainty of their exact position. Their mistakes cause the aircraft to fly into a mountain near Buga. Only four passengers and a dog...