TV Guide Smithsonian Saturday

A China Airlines Boeing 747 encounters a patch of turbulence so strong that parts of its tail are torn off and its number four engine flames out.

An Air Ontario flight crashed in 1989 because wing icing kept it from taking off properly; three years later, a USAir flight failed in the same manner.

An American Airlines captain tried to land in a thunderstorm in Little Rock, Arkansas and failed to engage its ground spoilers, losing control of the craft.

A flight on Avianca Airlines is delayed while in the air and eventually crashes due to a lack of fuel; later experts wonder if this could have been prevented.

In 1980, an Aerolinee Itavia McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea; there are many theories about the crash, including conspiracy.

On January 19, 1988, Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286, crashed into terrain near Bayfield, Colo., on approach to Durango-La Plata County Airport.

The striking landscapes of Wyoming have witnessed much history, from the expeditions of mountain men such as Jim Bridger to women's rights pioneers.

The Sunflower State is the site of much history, from anti-slavery battles that predate the Civil War to some of America's first airplane factories.

In a certain area of the San Francisco Bay lie hundreds of ships that were sunken on purpose because they were left behind by immigrants who were moving inland.

The Mountain State, which John Denver called "almost heaven," with its fiercely independent spirit and towering peaks, is explored.

An aerial exploration is taken of a massive region of grassland that stretches from the tip of Texas across ten states to the Canadian border.

A flight over the Cotton State reveals much more than cotton fields, with a popular NASCAR speedway and the historic sites of many civil rights battles.

Alaska lures adventurers with picture-postcard beauty and unspoiled wildernesses, but its lethal dangers have claimed the lives of those who were unaware.

The state that is twice the size of Texas contains 16 of the U.S.' 20 tallest mountains and hosted North America's most powerful earthquake ever.

An aerial tour of coastlines in America showcases the history of the country's borders.

A flyover reveals picturesque Maine's rugged coastline, remote islands and vast, densely forested central wilderness and shows the state's beauty.

Washington's skyline makes a profound impression because of all the history and symbolism embodied in its buildings, monuments and memorials.

With prominent Civil War and Revolutionary War landmarks as well as Sullivan Island, the point of entry for slaves, the Palmetto State is full of history.

From the air, the Beehive State has an otherworldly beauty, with exotic geologic formations and the blinding white of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

An aerial tour of the Cyclades island group provides a unique view of the ring of 200 islands and highlights the noteworthy stories and people who reside there.

A tour of southern Greece from above highlights the many extraordinary landscapes across the country and seeks to emphasize its ancient and mythical past.

An aerial journey over Crete, the Dodecanese and other eastern islands of Greece features a look at the area's beaches, ancient history, and its residents.

An aerial crew ascends to breathtaking heights to capture footage of the Pindus Mountains and the Aegean Sea in the mysterious north lands of Greece.

High-profile air disasters are examined through computer graphics, re-enactments, and accounts from witnesses, including their emotional aftermath.

A pilots mishandling of an electrical problem causes Air Illinois Flight 710 to crash into an open field in poor weather, killing all 10 passengers on board.

A report is shared on the accident of a West Air Sweden Flight near Lake Akkajaure in Sweden during a cargo flight, which killed both crew members.

A Bulgarian airliner gets hijacked and to save them the hijackers must be convinced that their demands have been met before the planes fuel runs out.

After the Flydubai Flight 981 enters a rapid descent and crashes in Russia, investigators realize that it aborted its second landing attempt in poor weather.

A team of aerial investigators investigates a trio of crashes and learns that the nuts and bolts of each plane went unchecked, which spells catastrophe.

All 88 passengers & crew on board Alaska Airlines Flight 261 are killed when the plane's horizontal stabilizer break and the plane crashes into the ocean.