Discovery Channel opens up the black box
Every air crash is a catastrophe that leaves behind bereaved families and ruined lives. But each air crash is also a lesson learnt, and because of each disaster we now know how to build safer planes, evacuate passengers more swiftly, and better avoid collisions. Lives have been saved because of what these tragedies have taught us, and yet, despite this progress, more and more disasters still happen. Discovery Channel investigates a selection of aviation disasters to reveal how and why tragedy still happens on new series Air Crash Confidential to premiere every Tuesday at 8 pm.
Every air crash is a catastrophe that leaves behind bereaved families and ruined lives. But each air crash is also a lesson learnt, and because of each disaster we now know how to build safer planes, evacuate passengers more swiftly, and better avoid collisions. Lives have been saved because of what these tragedies have taught us, and yet, despite this progress, more and more disasters still happen. Discovery Channel investigates a selection of aviation disasters to reveal how and why tragedy still happens on new series Air Crash Confidential to premiere every Tuesday at 8 pm.
A gripping six-part series, Air Crash Confidential will explore why, despite repeated warnings, terrorists remain one step ahead of airport security; how a simple seating plan error and some sweaty feet saved hundreds from being blown up in mid- air; and how a computer designed to eliminate pilot error led to a Qantas flight plummeting hundreds of feet. The series also shows that however brilliant our technology, human error can never be entirely eliminated: Air Traffic controller Pieter Nielsen paid the ultimate price – he was eventually murdered because of a mistake he made on a busy day that caused the deaths of 45 schoolchildren.
Air Crash Confidential features powerful personal accounts from survivors, pilots and witnesses as well as comments from aviation experts and CGI. Meet survivors who relive the terror they experienced at 30,000 feet and find out how pilot and engineering errors, terrorism, collisions, extreme weather and fire on board have been responsible for some of the worst accidents in aviation history.
