Air Disasters

Season 1

Episode 3: Behind Closed Doors

An explosion rips a gaping hole in the cabin of a brand new DC-10, but not because of a bomb. A design flaw to the rear cargo door is the reason American Airlines Flight 96 from Detroit to Buffalo plummets to Earth just minutes after takeoff. Fortunately, the plane safely lands. Unfortunately, a similar blast rocks another DC-10 just two years later, this time with deadly consequences. The crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 981 in Paris in 1974 is the worst air disaster of its time, but why did it happen? And why was the faulty door never fixed?