TV Guide Smithsonian Thursday

A Russian commercial flight ends in a fatal nosedive and what investigators eventually uncover leads to a call to overhaul the country's aviation system.

When a U.S. military aircraft hit a mountain two miles from its destination in Croatia, killing all on board, theories about the crash's cause abounded.

As a British Airways flight was about to land both engines suddenly slowed to idle speed, and the aircraft struck the ground just short of the runway.

Shortly after takeoff from an airport in Cameroon during a thunderstorm, the pilots suffered from spatial disorientation, which lead to a wreck.

A flight returning U.S. soldiers from Egypt to their home base in Fort Campbell, Ky., begins the third leg of its journey at Gander Field in Newfoundland.

When a Boeing 737 airliner veers off the runway at Denver International Airport, investigators try to determine what caused the accident.

In-depth interviews with crewmembers and never-before-seen archival footage detail the development and evolution of submarines through history.

The submarines and warships that undertook operations in Soviet waters, Cuba and Vietnam during the Cold War are examined in great detail.

An enslaved teenager winds up in the middle of the Seven Years' War; during World War II a Black Merchant Marine forces the Navy to integrate his ship.

Over the centuries, technological advancements have led to bigger and faster combat ships and altered maritime warfare.

Persian Gulf naval conflicts including Desert Storm, the Iran-Iraq War and present day.

Stories about the USS Philadelphia and the M33 gunboat are shared as an analytical look is taken at how small wartime vessels made an impact of battle.

An examination of the B-29 vessel's involvement in ending the war in Japan and bombing airfields during the Korean War.

The history behind Japan's A6M Zero from World War II is showcased with a look at how the U.S. Navy beat it with their F4U Corsair aircraft.

The C-17 Globemaster has been the primary cargo hauler for the U.S. Air Force for decades, but its critics in Congress almost halted its development.

The U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance airplane's very existence was denied until the Soviet Union shot one out of the sky and set off an unpleasant conversation.

The General Dynamics F-16 is fast and nimble, and since the Vietnam War, it has evolved to become the U.S.' primary multirole warplane.

The Allies used flying weapons in the fight against Nazi Germany, from the dogfighters like the P-51 Mustang and British Spitfire to the Hellcat dive-bomber.

Military personnel share the history behind the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom and discuss how the aircraft has been in use since the Cold War.

A look at some of the world's most functional and powerful helicopters includes the Huey aircraft that was used in Vietnam as a rescue helicopter.

The crew aboard the USS Silversides put their lives on the line when Japanese reinforcements threaten to destroy a team of Marines.

Commander Eugene Fluckey heads to Northern Japan to end his career on a high note and change the manner in which submarines are used in battle.

U.S. Navy Bronze Star recipient Daniel Gallery and his hunter-killer task force try to prevent U-boat ace Werner Henke from taking the Atlantic.

The Axis powers aim to take control of the Suez Canal, but the Allied powers on the island of Malta are determined to hold them back.

A Royal Navy V-class submarine come face-to-face with a German U-boat as it embarks on a delivery mission to Japan with top-secret technology.

A U.S. Navy hunter-killer team battles for control of Cuba when they interrupt the Soviet's mission to delver nuclear torpedoes to the communist island.

An aircraft has projected U.S. military power all over the world by transporting war machines and American troops wherever they need to be.

Military members discuss the history behind the OV-10 Bronco and how it functions as both a helicopter and a jet in difficult environments.

The history behind the MiG is revealed from the moment it took flight in World War II to fighting against American aircrafts in Iraq.

Experts share an inside look into Nazi Germany's premier fighter, which has been credited with aiding the Nazis in thousands of victories over Allied pilots.