TV Schedule for Smithsonian Channel USA - Pacific HD

Air Disasters Runway in Sight

If pilots aren't prepared when the runway is in sight, a landing can quickly become a tragedy.

Air Disasters Holding Pattern

Flydubai Flight 981 enters a rapid descent and crashes nose-first at Rostov-on-Don Airport in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, after aborting its second landing attempt in poor weather conditions.

Air Disasters Courage in the Cockpit

Devastating failures in the air put pilots to the test and shine a light on three feats of flying.

Air Disasters I'm the Problem

Moments before Pacific Southwest Flight 1771 crashes on a cattle ranch in California, gunshots are heard in the cabin.

Air Disasters Tragic Takeoff

When a twin-engine jet careens off the runway in Kentucky, investigators must determine why the plane failed to take off.

Air Disasters Lockerbie Disaster

A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 103, causing the aircraft to disintegrate in mid-air and the wreckage of the aircraft to crash into the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground.

Air Disasters Testing the Limits

On 26 May 1991, the thrust reverser on the number one engine of Lauda Air Flight 004 deploys in flight without being commanded, causing the aircraft to spiral out of control, disintegrate, and crash about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok.

Air Disasters Time Critical

In a rush to complete their flights, three different flight crews skip key procedures, ignore signs of danger and make deadly decisions.

Air Disasters Time of War

Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory are among the many risks that pilots face in war zones around the world.

Air Disasters Ticking Time Bomb

From corrosion and metal fatigue to faulty repairs, three doomed airlines are brought down by gradually deteriorating parts.

Air Disasters Impossible Landing

A look at the fate of United Airlines Flight 232 which crashed into Sioux City's runway in 1989; it caused a subsequent explosion that left 111 people dead.

Air Disasters Trained to Fail

Pilots are prepared to cope with a range of emergency scenarios, but failures in training can lead to catastrophe in the cockpit.

Air Disasters Deadly Data

With hidden flaws buried in their navigation systems, three planes suffer catastrophic computer errors that force investigators to dig deep for clues.

Air Disasters Seconds From Touchdown

Facing a cascade of failures and a fire on board, a turboprop is just seconds from landing when it flips over and crashes.

Air Disasters Blown Away

The investigation into the 2014 crash of a TransAsia flight uncovers a systemic problem with the airline.

Air Disasters Training Ignored

Investigators hunt for answers when the pilots of three aircraft skip protocols, ignore their training and crash.

How Did They Fix That? Tunnel Vision

Mike joins crews as they build the world's longest railway tunnel in the Alps, fixing gridlock through the infamous Brenner Pass by drilling, blasting and digging their way through the mountains.

Air Disasters Splash Down

Three last-resort water landings, all handled differently yet each one crucial to improving the outcomes of ditching on open water.

Air Disasters Slam Dunk

A quick trip from Washington D.C. to Ohio in 1994 turns deadly when pilots of a twin-engine turboprop attempt a risky landing.

Air Disasters Killer Attitude

The pairing of a domineering pilot and an inexperienced first officer has deadly consequences in northern Minnesota.

Air Disasters Deadly Go Round

When an A300 stalls and crashes just before landing in Japan, fears arise about the plane's complex automated systems.

Air Disasters Cockpit Breakdown

Three flights end in tragedy after miscommunication mix-ups and personality clases; Investigators try to unravel what went wrong.

Air Disasters Atlantic Ditching

A helicopter carrying offshore drilling workers crashes into the ocean, leading to an investigation that reveals a fatal flaw in the chopper's design.

Air Disasters Flying Blind

A cleaning crew makes a careless error while cleaning a Boeing 757, affecting the plane's computer system and causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean.