The Plane That Wouldn't Talk (Air Crash Investigation - National Geographic)

(Alternative Title: Mixed Signals)

Birgenair Flight 301 was a scheduled Puerto Plata-Gander-Berlin-Frankfurt flight. The Boeing 757-225 on the route, operated by Turkish-managed Birgenair partner Alas Nacionales, crashed. On takeoff, the captain finds that his air speed indicator (ASI) is not reading properly, though the co-pilot's ASI is showing the correct speed. Both pilots become confused and believe that both ASIs are malfunctioning. They lose control of the aircraft and it crashes in the Caribbean Sea shortly after take-off from Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperón International Airport in the Dominican Republic. All 13 crew members and 176 passengers die.

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Explosive Evidence (Air Crash Investigation - National Geographic)

Air India Flight 182 explodes in mid-air and disintegrates over the coast of Ireland while flying on the Montréal-London-Delhi-Bombay route. The plane, a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka — was blown up at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,400 m), and crashed into the freezing Atlantic Ocean. In all, 329 people died in the crash, among them 280 Canadian nationals, mostly of Indian descent, and 22 Indians. The incident represents the largest mass murder in modern Canadian history. Extremely costly investigation and prosecution took nearly 20 years to be completed as the most expensive trial in Canadian history, costing nearly CAD $130 million. Investigators in the end discover that a bomb from Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa caused the explosion.

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Dead Weight (Air Crash Investigation - National Geographic)

A packed commuter plane, Air Midwest Express Flight 5481, crashes to the ground just 37 seconds after take off. The crash created a fire that engulfs one of the US Airways hangars at Charlotte airport, North Carolina. All nineteen passengers and two pilots aboard died in the accident, and one person on the ground received minor injuries. However, none of the US Airways employees working in the hangar received injuries. Why did the crash happen in such a short time after take off? Find out how this accident prompted an investigation into the method by which FAA estimated a passenger's weight, and how this mistake could be so costly in this accident.

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African Hijack (Air Crash Investigation - National Geographic)

(Alternative Title: Ocean Landing)

An Ethiopian Airlines B-767 aircraft en route from Addis Abbaba to Nairobi, Keya, was hijacked. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, three men forced their way ito the cockpit. Hijackers on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 demand passage to Australia, not believing the pilot when he explains they do not have enough fuel. The pilot tries to trick them by flying down the coast of Africa but the hijackers notice and force the pilot to fly east. The pilot obeys but heads for the Comoros Islands, near where the aircraft runs out of fuel.

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Comet Air Crash (Seconds from Disaster - National Geographic)

In early 1954, De Havilland is at the forefront of commercial aviation, introducing the first passenger jet airliner to the world. On 10 January, 1954, a flight takes off in Rome at 10:31 AM to finish the last leg of its international journey, carrying children returning home for the school term, and Chester Wilmot, a journalist and military historian working for BBC, as well as others travelling to Britain. Approximately 30 minutes later, the plane disappears from radar at high altitude and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off Elba. Authorities confirm that all 35 passengers and crew have died, and post-mortem examinations show unusual injuries to many victims.

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Ryanair: Caught Napping (Dispatches - Channel 4)

Ryanair was founded in 1985 by Irish businessman Tony Ryan. It is Europe's largest low-cost carrier, operating 270 low-fare routes to 21 European countries.

Two Dispatches undercover reporters spent five months secretly filming Ryanair's training programme and onboard flights as members of the cabin crew . The reporters reveal what really takes place behind the scenes: inadequate safety and security checks, dirty planes, exhausted cabin crew and pilots complaining about the number of hours they have to fly. And watch Ryanair staff speaking frankly about their experiences and attitudes towards passengers.

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