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Mayday

Mayday Specials

2004·59 episodes· 8.1

Major real-life air disasters are depicted in this series. Each episode features a detailed dramatized reconstruction of the incident based on cockpit voice recorders and air traffic control transcripts, as well as eyewitnesses recounts and interviews with aviation experts.

Episodes

  1. Episode 1 · 45m · 26 Jun 2004Final Hour of Flight 11 Aircrash Confidential MysteryNo synopsis yet.
  2. Episode 2 · 45m · 13 Aug 2006Crash of the CenturyMarch 27, 1977 – At 2:00 in the afternoon a thick fog rolled into the usually quiet Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. On the runway sat two fully loaded jumbo airliners, blanketed in fog. A bomb explosion at a nearby airport had re-directed air traffic to the undermanned airfield at Tenerife. Within three hours, a KLM 747 slams into a taxiing PAM 747, killing 583 people. The planes never left the ground.
  3. Episode 3 · 45m · 9 May 2014Special Report Season 13: Getting Out AliveThis special looked at how people survive aviation accidents, in part with demonstrations at the Czech Airlines Training Centre. It provided case studies on the following flight: - Asiana Airlines Flight 214 - Air France Flight 358 - Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 - Air Canada Flight 797 - US Airways Flight 1549
  4. Episode 4 · 45m · 9 Jul 2018Special Report Season 18 : Communication BreakdownThis special looked at how failures in communication lead to disasters
  5. Episode 5 · 45m · 16 Jul 2018Special Report Season 18 : Bad AttitudeThis special looked at how pilots' aggressive or unprofessional behaviour can cause deadly accidents.
  6. Episode 6 · 45m · 23 Jul 2018Special Report Season 18 : Hero PilotsThis special looked at how pilots safely land their aircraft in emergency situations.
  7. Episode 7 · 45m · 30 Jul 2018Special Report Season 18 : Plane vs. PilotThis special looked at how automation in the cockpit causes deadly misunderstandings.
  8. Episode 8 · 45m · 6 Aug 2018Special Report Season 18 : Explosive EvidenceThis special looked at terrorist acts, including bombings and shootdowns.
  9. Episode 9 · 45m · 13 Aug 2018Special Report Season 18 : Killer in the Cockpit?This special looked at pilots' carefully planned strategies in deliberately crashing aircraft.
  10. Episode 10 · 45m · 20 Aug 2018Special Report Season 18 : Missing PiecesThis special looked at foreign items, including ice, a chemical oxygen generator, and a bomb as the cause.
  11. Episode 11 · 45m · 27 Aug 2018Special Report Season 18 : Controversial CrashesThis special looked at disasters where multiple investigations don't agree on the cause of these accidents.
  12. Episode 12 · 45m · 3 Sept 2018Special Report Season 18 : Deadly DistractionsThis special looked at how pilots' deviation from cockpit duties lead to crashes.
  13. Episode 13 · 45m · 10 Sept 2018Special Report Season 18 : Fire on BoardThis special looked at disasters caused by fires, either on the ground or in the air.
  14. Episode 14 · 45m · 5 Oct 2019Special Report Season 19 : Headline NewsThree devastating crashes make front page news and the media frenzy puts intense pressure to uncover the true cause of these deadly disasters.
  15. Episode 15 · 45m · 12 Oct 2019Special Report Season 19 : Rookie ErrorsWhile commercial pilots undergo hundreds of hours of training and testing, even experienced pilots can make deadly rookie errors.
  16. Episode 16 · 45m · 19 Oct 2019Special Report Season 19 : Collision CourseInvestigators comb through the wreckage of three separate midair collisions in a race to prevent another fatal impact.
  17. Episode 17 · 45m · 26 Oct 2019Special Report Season 19 : Engines OutWhen an aircraft loses total engine power, a pilot's training can make all the difference in the world.
  18. Episode 18 · 45m · 2 Nov 2019Special Report Season 19 : Fuel TroubleThree mysterious accidents send investigators hunting for clues. In the end, all three trails lead back to the same source - the fuel tank.
  19. Episode 19 · 45m · 9 Nov 2019Special Report Season 19 : Perilous PayloadsThree planes fatally out of balance highlight to investigators a flight risk that's entirely preventable, and yet seemingly not stopping.
  20. Episode 20 · 45m · 16 Nov 2019Special Report Season 19 : Runway in SightIf pilots aren't prepared when the runway is in sight, a landing can quickly become a tragedy as evidenced in these three crashes.
  21. Episode 21 · 45m · 23 Nov 2019Special Report Season 19 : Deadly ConfusionSpatial disorientation is one of the leading causes of all air accidents. Even the most experienced pilots are susceptible to its subtle yet deadly effects.
  22. Episode 22 · 45m · 30 Nov 2019Special Report Season 19 : Radio SilenceRadio silence between pilots and controllers can mean many different things, but in these stories, the physical evidence reveals the truth.
  23. Episode 23 · 45m · 7 Dec 2019Special Report Season 19 : Design FlawsDrawing the attention of the entire world, three fatal design flaws put air crash investigators in a storm of controversy.
  24. Episode 24 · 45m · 20 Jul 2020Special Report Season 20: Courage in the CockpitDevastating systems failures in the air put pilots to the test and shine a light on three astonishing feats of flying, including Qantas Flight 32.
  25. Episode 25 · 45m · 27 Jul 2020Special Report Season 20: Death From AboveMid-air tragedies are particularly horrifying when they occur over a community, and rain terror on the people below.
  26. Episode 26 · 45m · 3 Aug 2020Special Report Season 20: VIP on BoardRevisit three crashes involving high-profile passengers and the pressurized investigations into the causes that followed.
  27. Episode 27 · 45m · 10 Aug 2020Special Report Season 20: Lapse in SecurityThese are three horrific air disasters that provoked fundamental changes to airport security and the measures we follow across the world today.
  28. Episode 28 · 45m · 17 Aug 2020Special Report Season 20: Mountain ImpactFollow three horrifying crashes that revealed high-tech blind spots in the technology preventing aircraft from ploughing into mountains.
  29. Episode 29 · 45m · 24 Aug 2020Special Report Season 20: SurvivorsFrom the wreckage of three airplane crashes, survivors emerge to tell harrowing tales and provide critical data about what to do in an emergency.
  30. Episode 30 · 45m · 31 Aug 2020Special Report Season 20: Instrument ConfusionFollow three mid-air tragedies that rained terror on those below when they happened over crowded areas.
  31. Episode 31 · 45m · 7 Sept 2020Special Report Season 20: Heat of the MomentWhen aviation decisions are made in the heat of the moment, even minor issues can have fatal consequences.
  32. Episode 32 · 45m · 14 Sept 2020Special Report Season 20: Maintenance MistakesA trio of crashes reveal that when the nuts and bolts of maintenance go unchecked, it can spell catastrophe.
  33. Episode 33 · 45m · 21 Sept 2020Special Report Season 20: Take Off TragediesThree flights ending in tragedy prove that minor missteps during take-off can have disastrous consequences.
  34. Episode 34 · 45m · 10 Jan 2021Special Report: Dead of NightConfused, flying blind and lost in the dark, three crews lose site of the horizon and fall into the same deadly trap.
  35. Episode 35 · 45m · 17 Jan 2021Special Report: Engine GoneThree crews experience the same devastating event, but with radically different outcomes when an engine falls off their commercial airplane.
  36. Episode 36 · 45m · 24 Jan 2021Special Report: Lethal ChoicesFaced with a mid-air crisis, pilots must make life-and-death decisions, but the wrong approach can trigger a far more serious problem.
  37. Episode 37 · 45m · 31 Jan 2021Special Report: Risky RunwaysIn Sao Paolo, the Himalayas, and on the Norwegian coast, three flight crews are pushed to the limit by the toughest landings on earth.
  38. Episode 38 · 45m · 7 Feb 2021Special Report: Landings Gone WrongRelying on instinct rather than the rule book, three flights end in tragedy when crews improvise on their final approach.
  39. Episode 39 · 45m · 8 Feb 2021Special Report: Frozen WingsThree planes are brought down by ice, and it's up to investigators to determine how modern aircraft could possibly end up with frozen wings.
  40. Episode 40 · 45m · 11 Feb 2021Special Report: Runway CollisionsThree catastrophic runway collisions raise the same pressing question: How could two planes end up on the same runway at the same time?
  41. Episode 41 · 45m · 12 Feb 2021Special Report: Cockpit BreakdownIllustrating the deadly consequences of a mismatched crew, three flights end in tragedy, leaving investigators to unravel what went wrong.
  42. Episode 42 · 45m · 14 Feb 2021Special Report: Splash DownThree last-resort water landings-all handled differently-yet each one crucial to improving the outcomes of ditching on open water.
  43. Episode 43 · 45m · 15 Feb 2021Special Report: Northern ExtremesFaced with the extreme conditions of the far North, three flights fall out of the sky leaving investigators to uncover the cause.
  44. Episode 44 · 45m · 12 Sept 2022Special Report: War ZoneMisidentification and accidental bombing of enemy territory are among the many risks pilots face in military zones around the world.
  45. Episode 45 · 45m · 19 Sept 2022Special Report: Time CriticalAs they rush to finish, some pilots overlook important steps and danger signs and make decisions that threaten the lives of the passengers as well as their own. A Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 crashes into the ground minutes after landing at Amsterdam Airport. A Continental Airlines flight crew ignores normal procedures in Denver amid heavy snow and ice and as the pilots of Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 try to resolve a minor landing gear failure, they hit the ground and their approach ends tragically wrong in the New Zealand slopes.
  46. Episode 46 · 45m · 26 Sept 2022Special Report: Ticking Time BombNo synopsis yet.
  47. Episode 47 · 45m · 3 Oct 2022Special Report: Impossible LandingsThe pilots avoid three dangerous situations where there was no room for error and manage to land damaged planes. A female passenger is sucked out the window of Southwest Flight 1380. The cabin of a Boeing 737 explodes over Hawaii and Air Canada Flight 797 catches fire 90 seconds after an incredible crash landing.
  48. Episode 48 · 45m · 10 Oct 2022Special Report: Deadly DataNo synopsis yet.
  49. Episode 49 · 45m · 17 Oct 2022Special Report: Trained to FailNo synopsis yet.
  50. Episode 50 · 45m · 24 Oct 2022Special Report: Accidents in the AirThis special looked at mid-air collisions caused by either pilot error or meltdowns within air traffic control.
  51. Episode 51 · 45m · 31 Oct 2022Special Report: Dangerous WindsApproaching Charlotte, US Air Flight 1016 crashes violently into the ground after a gust of wind. A 737 drops like a rock while flying blind over Perú half a mile from the jungle, and a scientific expedition into the eye of Hurricane Hugo goes terribly wrong.
  52. Episode 52 · 45m · 7 Nov 2022Special Report: SabotageThree flights are sabotaged. When hijackers break into the cockpit of an Ethiopian plane, the captain manages to make a life-threatening sea landing. Scientists debate a pair of conflicting theories when an Italian plane explodes in the sky and Namibian investigators come to a chilling conclusion after examining clues found in the wreckage of LAM Mozambique Flight 470.
  53. Episode 53 · 45m · 14 Nov 2022Special Report: Poor PilotingNo synopsis yet.
  54. Episode 54 · 45m · 8 Jul 2024Special Report: Pitch ProblemsAccidents caused by pitch problems are dramatic and destructive, and survival is almost impossible. Very few clues are available to the investigators. Alaska Airlines Flight 261, American Eagle Flight 4184 and United Airlines Flight 585
  55. Episode 55 · 15 Jul 2024Special Report: Fight to the FinishPushed to the limits of their training and willpower, three flight crews fight against almost impossible odds to land their crippled aircraft. Transair Flight 671, Air Astana Flight 1388 and Philippine Airlines Flight 434.
  56. Episode 56 · 22 Jul 2024Special Report: Bad DataWith all the advances in technology and safety, sometimes a safe flight is still at risk when the data used is incorrect or misleading. USAF B-2 Bomber, Independant Air Flight 1851 and Birgenair Flight 301
  57. Episode 57 · 29 Jul 2024Special Report: Landing HazardsThree disasters reveal how poor weather threatens a safe landing, with heavy rain, thunderstorms and treacherous crosswinds. Martinair 495, American Airlines Flight 1572 and Air France Flight 358
  58. Episode 58 · 5 Aug 2024Special Report: Training IgnoredEven the most highly trained pilots in the world can be caught out if they ignore their training when it is needed most. Island Express Helicopter, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 and Comair Flight 5191.
  59. Episode 59 · 12 Aug 2024Special Report: Reckless ApproachesAn argument with no runway in sight, ignoring a critical signal and an exhausted pilot - three problems leading to three crashes. Execuflight 1526. American Eagle Flight 3379. American International Airways Flight 808.