Smithsonian Ch. - Air Disasters Series 13 (2018) Part 10 Slam Dunk

Air Disasters Series 13

Harrowing stories of tragedy and triumph in the sky are brought to life through official reports and interviews with flight crews, investigators, and survivors of history's most terrifying crashes. Widely considered to be the safest form of travel, air transportation is still in its infancy, and when midair calamity strikes, the results are often catastrophic. From the control room to the crash scene, we uncover what went wrong, then reveal what's been done to ensure these disasters never happen again.

Part 10 Slam Dunk

At the end of a quick trip from Washington, D.C. to Columbus, Ohio, the captain of United Express Flight 6291 grows concerned over reports of icy rain ahead. He opts for a risky “slam dunk” landing, a maneuver where a plane descends rapidly to the runway to avoid bad weather, but something goes wrong. The plane crashes into a warehouse just a mile from the airport.

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