Air Disasters

Synopsis

Catastrophic incidents in aviation history are meticulously reenacted, providing insight into what went wrong and if the crashes and near-disasters could have been prevented. Accounts from survivors combine with cockpit recordings and computer images to weave the gripping tales, and expert testimony reveals the hows and whys behind the events, some of which have resulted in important changes to aviation safety and regulations.

First Air Date: 2011-05-15

Last Air Date: 2026-03-29

Number of Seasons: 25

Number of Episodes: 281

Created By: André Barro, Bernard Vaillot

Networks: Smithsonian Channel

Top Cast

Stephen Bogaert as Narrator

Seasons

Season 1 (2011) - (10 Episodes)

Season 2 (2012) - (12 Episodes)

Season 3 (2013) - (11 Episodes)

Season 4 (2014) - (13 Episodes)

Season 5 (2015) - (11 Episodes)

Season 6 (2015) - (10 Episodes)

Season 7 (2016) - (10 Episodes)

Season 8 (2016) - (10 Episodes)

Season 9 (2017) - (10 Episodes)

Season 10 (2018) - (10 Episodes)

Season 11 (2018) - (10 Episodes)

Season 12 (2019) - (10 Episodes)

Season 13 (2019) - (10 Episodes)

Season 14 (2020) - (10 Episodes)

Season 15 (2020) - (10 Episodes)

Season 16 (2021) - (10 Episodes)

Season 17 (2022) - (10 Episodes)

Season 18 (2022) - (24 Episodes)

Season 19 (2023) - (10 Episodes)

Season 20 (2023) - (30 Episodes)

Season 21 (2024) - (8 Episodes)

Season 22 (2024) - (10 Episodes)

Season 23 (2025) - (6 Episodes)

Season 24 (2025) - (10 Episodes)

Season 25 (2026) - (6 Episodes)

Season 1 (2011)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Invisible Killer (2011-05-15)

A landing goes wrong when Delta Airlines Flight 191 is hit by an invisible force.
Ep. 2: Gimli Glider (2011-05-22)

A pilot heads for a decommissioned air force base when the 767 he is flying runs out of fuel.
Ep. 3: Behind Closed Doors (2011-05-29)

A flaw on the infamous DC-10 airline causing two midair crashes in the early 70's.
Ep. 4: Fanning the Flames (2011-06-05)

A recovery operation is launched to find out if a 747 was carrying illegal weapons.
Ep. 5: Dead Weight (2011-06-12)

Just after take-off, Air Midwest Flight 5481 plummets to the ground, killing all on board.
Ep. 6: Southern Storm (2011-06-26)

In 1977, Southern Airways Flight 242 finds itself in a violent storm. When both engines fail, the pilots must land their plane on a rural Georgia highway.
Ep. 7: Explosive Evidence (2011-07-10)

Air India Flight 182 crashes into the sea after an explosion. Was it a tragic accident or an act of terrorism?
Ep. 8: Mixed Signals (2011-07-17)

Conflicting alarms confuse pilots of Birgenair Flight 301 before it crashes into the ocean.
Ep. 9: Fatal Distraction (2011-07-24)

Pilots try to determine why both landing-gear lights do not function on an L-1011.
Ep. 10: Phantom Strike (2011-07-31)

A Legacy business jet collides with a Boeing 737 in mid-air over the Amazon Rain Forest.