Air Disasters - The Black Box Files

The single flight plan that left five seats and no explanation

A cultural patron boards a light aircraft in Alaska on July 30, 1992 - one unexplained flight plan. Did they make it in time? The single flight plan that left five seats

The Convair that ran out of fuel - did they make it?

A Convair runs out of fuel over Mississippi while Lynyrd Skynyrd's frontman nears his self‑predicted thirtieth birthday - did they make it in time? The Convair that ran

The Controller's Ten-Second Radio Order Overrode the TCAS Seconds Left

A traffic-collision warning orders climb while a controller over southern Germany radios descent - did the pilots follow TCAS or the controller? The Controller's Ten-Sec

The loose ski boot jammed the gear and stole their last minutes

A loose ski boot jammed the landing gear of a small plane on a frozen Alaskan airstrip, delaying a naturalist's birthday flight. Did they make it in time? The loose ski

The notebook that counted down metres - and ran out of altitude

A passenger's notebook tracks a Douglas DC-2's frantic descent through cloud and ice over the Alps - did the crew reach safety before the pen stopped? The notebook that

210 metres from the runway - and 64 people did not survive

An Aeroflot Il-18 descends toward Alma-Ata while a senior check captain with a lapsed medical certificate holds authority - did they make it in time? 210 metres from the

The free upgrade that moved him off Flight 800 - did he make it?

A free upgrade on July 16, 1996 moved Jed Johnson onto TWA Flight 800 - a single choice that put him on a doomed plane. Did he make it in time? The free upgrade that mov

The Transponder That Began Cycling Saved No Seconds, Did They Make It?

A passenger on a transcontinental flight calls his father as the Boeing’s transponder cycles through codes; did they make it in time? The Transponder That Began Cycling

The flaps set at five degrees left them racing the runway clock

A captain and first officer race a Boeing 737 toward Yogyakarta with flaps at five degrees and alarms screaming-did they make it in time? The flaps set at five degrees l

The maintenance shortcut that cracked the flange and doomed Flight 191

A cracked flange at O'Hare and a DC-10 climbing away with an engine on the runway - did they make it in time? The maintenance shortcut that cracked the flange and doomed

The flight idle gate that Spencer breached - and whether four minutes was enough

A turboprop dives toward Madang with a safety device missing - can the crew stop the plane in four minutes and change the outcome? The flight idle gate that Spencer brea

The Controller Said the Wrong Flight Number - Did They Make It?

A trainee Tokyo controller misheard flight numbers as two JAL airliners closed to 135 meters over Suruga Bay-did they make it in time? The Controller Said the Wrong Flig

The broken altimeter failed to warn them before impact

A broken altimeter, rain and fog, and a Learjet careening toward a runway the pilots cannot see - did they make it in time? The broken altimeter failed to warn them befo

The handbag's ten-thousand dollars burned as the plane lost its only exit

A woman carrying over ten thousand dollars on a flight to Chicago dies in a crash-did the hush-money make it out before the plane lost its only exit? The handbag's ten-t

The twelve‑volt battery call that started a race against time

A mistranslated call about a twelve-volt battery turns into an alleged bomb order - did they stop the plot before the plane left New York? The twelve‑volt battery call t

The overloaded fuel tanks that kept them climbing-did they make it?

Roberto Clemente boards an overloaded DC-7 cargo flight out of San Juan with relief supplies for Managua - did they make it in time? The overloaded fuel tanks that kept

The outer wing section lodged in shallows stalled the search clock

A wing section juts from Botany Bay while the rest lies underwater-did search crews reach the wreckage in time? The outer wing section lodged in shallows stalled the sea

The lone walker who climbed the range found them after nine days

A lone walker climbs the McPherson Range searching for a missing Stinson trimotor and the two men he hopes to find-did he reach the wreck in time? The lone walker who cl

The non‑precision approach he chose burned ten minutes of guided descent

A captain with cocaine chooses a risky approach into mountainous Durango on a foggy night-did they make it in time? The non‑precision approach he chose burned ten minute

The ARTHUR unit failed and controls went light - did they reach the runway?

A Dassault Falcon descends toward Bucharest with a failed ARTHUR system and unbuckled passengers-did they reach the runway in time? The ARTHUR unit failed and controls w