Air Crash Investigation: Special Report

Some of the deadliest air crashes in history have been caused by simple misunderstandings, and it's a tiny error in the cockpit that brought tragedy to Quincy Airport in Illinois. Meanwhile, a minor mistake, a non-standard approach, and heavy smoke add up to a tragic misunderstanding that cost the lives of everyone on board Garuda Indonesia Flight 152. And, however disastrous, never has a misunderstanding taken as devastating a turn as on the island of Tenerife and the single deadliest aviation accident of all time.

On every flight, passengers place their lives in the hands of their captain whose human flaws are enough to bring down an aircraft. When BEA Flight 548 crashes just moments after takeoff, investigators unravel a tragic combination of human factors centered around the captain. Meanwhile, a captain's belligerence paralyzes the first officer on Northwest Airlink Flight 5719. And, it's the captain's hidden flaw that proves fatal for everyone on board Trans Colorado Flight 2286.

It takes years of training to become an airline captain, but it's when a crisis strikes that a pilot really earns his stripes. An airliner is crippled after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, and the courageous captain pulls off an amphibious landing in the Hudson River. A catastrophic failure strikes high above the Canadian Prairies turning a Boeing 767 into a very large and very heavy glider. And, when the engines of TACA Flight 110 flame out in a violent storm, its captain pulls off one of the most remarkable landings in the history of commercial aviation.

Three devastating crashes make front page news around the globe, and the media frenzy puts intense pressure on investigators to uncover the true cause of these deadly disasters. On September 11th, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 disappears from radar and slams into Pentagon. When TWA Flight 800 explodes over Long Island, a media reports spark a four year investigation. And, when an Air France Concorde crashes in Paris just seconds after takeoff, it signals the end of the supersonic era.

The simplest mistakes are at the heart of some of the worst airline accidents, and while commercial pilots undergo hundreds of hours of training and testing, even experienced pilots can make deadly rookie errors. A botched takeoff in Buenos Aires kills 60 people and the cause stuns investigators. Just two months after 9/11, American Airlines Flight 587 crashes in Queens, New York, igniting fears that America is once again under attack. And, when Continental Airlines 3407 stalls above Buffalo, the flight crew's baffling reaction proves fatal.

Facing deadly tragedies that could have been avoided, investigators comb through the wreckage of three separate midair collisions in a race to prevent another fatal impact. In California, a massive passenger plane collides with one of the fastest fighter jets in the sky. Seven years later, another deadly collision leaves investigators puzzled and San Diego in shock. And, in India, two passenger jets collide causing the world's deadliest-ever midair collision.

When aviation decisions are made in the heat of the moment, even minor issues can have fatal consequences. A dashcam captures the horrific crash as a Taiwanese airliner nosedives into a river. Warned of a problem that doesn't exist, a KLM crew inadvertently sparks a cascade of deadly errors. And, for a revolutionary new spacecraft, a split-second decision spells a supersonic disaster.

Aviation relies on precision and accuracy. So when critical instruments in the cockpit can't be trusted, the consequences can be fatal. A Boeing 737 vanishes from radar over one of the most remote areas on earth. A Korean cargo jet slams into the English countryside just moments after takeoff. And, an inexperienced crew faces a horrific pileup of errors on a late-night flight over Russia.

Crashes involving high-profile passengers make international headlines and, placing investigators under tremendous pressure to come up with answers as the world looks on. A diplomat's secret mission ends with a mystery that lingers for decades. Tragedy strikes when pilots gamble with the lives of a famous Brazilian football team. And, a US Air Force jet carrying an American VIP crashes in war-torn Croatia.

Confused, flying blind and lost in the dark, three crews lose site of the horizon and fall into the same deadly trap.

Three crews experience the same devastating event, but with radically different outcomes when an engine falls off their commercial airplane.

Faced with a mid-air crisis, pilots must make life-and-death decisions, but the wrong approach can trigger a far more serious problem.

Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory are among the many risks that pilots face in war zones around the world. Operation Baby Lift, Iran Air 655, and DHL Flight OO-DLL are examined in detail.

Haste in the Airline Industry is never good, and three flights are examined where crews skipped procedures, missed warnings, and made incorrect decisions. Turkish Flight 1951, Continental Flight 1713 and Ansett Flight 703.

From metal fatigue to faulty repairs, three doomed airlines are eventually brought down by gradually deteriorating parts. Air Moorea Flight 1121, Japan Airlines Flight 123 and Chalk's Flight 101.

Pitch problems lead to catastrophic impacts that leave little evidence behind. Explore three disasters that left investigators stumped.

A Boeing 707 loses both right engines, an out-of-control aircraft needs managing and a bomb explodes aboard PA 434.

Bad data can be deadly. When a Stealth Bomber crashes at a US Air Force base, it becomes the most expensive aviation disaster ever.