Air Crash Investigation Special Report - Season 3

Devastating systems failures in the air puts pilots to the test and shines a light on three astonishing feats of flying. A DC-10 loses all hydraulics when an engine explodes over Iowa, the crew of Qantas Flight 32 is overwhelmed by alarms after an explosion rocks their massive A-380, and a Northwest Airlines 747 is cruising 35,000 feet above the Bering Sea when the unthinkable happens.

Mid-air tragedies are particularly horrifying when they occur over a community, and rain terror on the people below.

From the wreckage of three aeroplane crashes, survivors emerge to tell harrowing tales and provide critical data about what to do in an emergency.

Traced to a breakdown of vital safety measures, three horrific disasters provoke fundamental changes to airport security procedures around the world.

When aviation decisions are made in the heat of the moment, even minor issues can have fatal consequences. A dashcam captures the horrific crash as a Taiwanese airliner nosedives into a river. Warned of a problem that doesn't exist, a KLM crew inadvertently sparks a cascade of deadly errors. And, for a revolutionary new spacecraft, a split-second decision spells a supersonic disaster.

Features three crashes involving high-profile passengers and the pressurised investigations into the causes that followed.

Following three horrifying crashes, investigators uncover fatal flaws in the procedures intended to stop aircraft from crashing into mountains.

Any small mistake during take-off can have disastrous consequences. In Taiwan, a Boeing 747 crashes on the runway. In Detroit, a DC-9 leaves a trail of burned debris.

Three different accidents reveal that a lack of maintenance can cause a catastrophe. A human error leads to a disaster during a flight to Texas; when a turboprop engine disappears in the sea, investigators discover a criminal empire.

Safe flying requires precision, and when critical instruments in the cockpit can't be trusted, the consequences can be fatal. A Boing 737 disappears from the radars over one of the most remote places on Earth.