Air Crash Investigations

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.