Air Crash Investigations

On August 31 1986, an Aeromexico DC9 preparing to land at Los Angeles International Airport collided with a much smaller plane, a Piper PA-28 Cherokee. Both planes spiralled out of control and crashed onto the residential suburb below. How could this tragic accident have occurred at such a sophisticated airport?

In 1996 a military 737 jet carrying high-powered passenger's crashes miles from its intended destination in Croatia. Was it an act of terrorism?

On January 3, 2004, Flash Airlines flight 604 left Egypt heading back to Paris. But just minutes after take off something went tragically wrong. The plane inexplicably crashed into the Red Sea, shattering on impact killing all 148 people on board. Was it terrorism? A mechanical failure? Or did the very experienced and respected pilot make a mistake that cost all on board their lives?

In June of 1983, a small mechanical problem at the back of an Air Canada DC-9 quickly turned into an all-out emergency ten kilometres in the air. The pilot had no choice but to attempt an emergency landing at a nearby airport. The plane burst into flames 90 seconds after it hit the runway killing 23 people. How did the fire start? Investigation into the air crash would struggle to find answers.

August 2, 1985. By the time the crew of Delta Airlines Flight 191 reached the threshold of Dallas Fort Worth Airport, they'd already diverted around two separate storms. When the plane enters a third storm front, it is hit by powerful winds that slam the plane to the ground. 136 people die. The crash helps scientists overcome a notorious weather danger to airplanes, the microburst.

July 23, 1983. It's a calm summer evening, when an inexplicable failure strikes, causing the loss of two engines on a brand new passenger jet midway between Montreal and Edmonton. Powerless at 12,000 meters altitude, the pilot needs all his skill, and a little bit of luck, to get his plane to the airport. But his saga doesn't end there because the runway he thought was abandoned is anything but.

April 4, 1977. The crew of Southern Airways Flight 242 find themselves in a violent storm with massive hail pelting the aircraft. When the cockpit windshield shatters and both engines fail, the pilot has no other option than to make an emergency landing on a nearby highway.

Air Traffic controllers are the cops of the skies but the systems has reached a breaking point. In-depth analysis of five aviation disasters reveals the steps taken to modernise communication in the skies - and avert further catastrophes.

Rain, hail, wind - in a heartbeat bad weather can turn an ordinary flight into a nightmare. Tonight we follow the essential work of the US Aviation Weather Centre, which plays a vital role in protecting planes from potentially lethal weather.