Seconds from Disaster
Accounts of famous technological disasters and their subsequent investigations.
Genre: Documentary
Cast:Richard Vaughn , Ashton Smith , Jonathan Aris , Stephen Bogaert , Peter Guinness , Michael Koltes , Frans Erhart , Stan Ames , Charles H. Batten , Gregory Feith , Shane Nolan , Allin Kempthorne , Brian David , Ed Trimble , Daniel Jefferson , Ankie Spitzer , Robert Benzon , William Scott Johnson
S1.E1 ∙ The Crash of the Concorde
A recounting of what happened when the prestige object Concorde found its devastating crash end.
S1.E2 ∙ Mont Blanc Tunnel Fire
A recounting of what happened when a deadly fire broke out in Europe's longest tunnel.
S1.E3 ∙ The Bomb in Oklahoma City
A recounting of Timothy McVeigh's terrorist bombing of a US federal government building in Oklahoma City in 1995.
S1.E4 ∙ Fire Onboard the Star
Friday 06 April 1990, the newly renovated ferry Scandinavian Star sets sail after a delay in the loading. A calm 13 hour voyage with a party like atmosphere is expected by all. Then it all went wrong for 482 passengers in just 45 minutes.
S1.E5 ∙ Derailment at Eschede
A recounting of what happened on 3 June 1998, when it came to the worst train disaster of an ICE with 101 dead in Germany.
S1.E6 ∙ Wreck of the Sunset Limited
When a boat in southern Alabama gets lost and bumps into a small bridge, a Amtrak train going at high speed derails into a small canal outside of Mobile.
S1.E7 ∙ Meltdown in Chernobyl
An explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant kills 56 people while the health of thousands more continue to be affected.
S1.E8 ∙ Inferno in Guadalajara
Days after residents of Guadalajara complained of a foul smell, a series of gasoline-fueled explosions in the sewers kills 206 people.
S1.E9 ∙ Fire on the Ski Slope
In Kaprun, Austria, a mountain train to bring skiers up the mountain erupts in fire as it passes through a tunnel. 155 people die. The cause is an electric heater that catches fire and ignites hydraulic fluid dripping from a leaky line.
S1.E10 ∙ Explosion in the North Sea
Detailed account of the Piper Alpha oil rig that was destroyed in 1988 after a gas leak caused by faulty maintenance led to a series of massive explosions. Includes testaments from eye witnesses and survivors.
S1.E11 ∙ Flood at Stava Dam
The Stava Dam consisted of two basins arranged on on top of the other. Due to this poor design, they could not cope with the quantity of waste from the nearby mining operation and a catastrophic collapse followed.
S1.E12 ∙ Collision on the Runway
On Tenerife, a Pan Am flight taxied on the runway, while a KLM flight took off. But miscommunication caused one of the worst aviation disasters when the two jumbo jets collided, killing 583 people. The second by second analysis with interviewed survivors is covered in this episode.
S1.E13 ∙ Pentagon 9/11
On 11th September 2001, an American Airlines flight was hijacked by terrorists and crashed into the Pentagon building. The resulting fire weakened the damaged structure causing further collapses at various points.
S2.E1 ∙ Columbia's Last Flight
Space shuttle Columbia disintegrated at re-entry as the result of a hole in its left wing after being struck by a piece of foam at lift-off.
S2.E2 ∙ Alpine Tsunami
The Town of Galtür in Austria was devastated by an enormous avalanche, that penetrated a zone that should have been safe according to computer models.
S2.E3 ∙ Motorway Plane Crash
After severe engine trouble on a new Boeing 737-400, pilots shut down the wrong engine and crash just 900 m away from the runway on a motorway embankment.
S2.E4 ∙ Mount St Helen's Eruption
In 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted sideways instead of the expected upwards and caused large devastation and killed 57 people.
S2.E5 ∙ Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster
On March 6. 1987 a British Ferry, the Herald of Free Enterprise capsized just 1 km out of the Harbour of Zeebrugge because her bow doors were left open and let water enter the car deck.
S2.E6 ∙ Kobe Earthquake
On January 17th 1995 Kobe was hit by a 7.2 earthquake. Although the city had been build to withstand a much stronger earthquake over 6000 people lost their lives, mainly due to the Japanese wooden frame houses.
S2.E7 ∙ Crash Landing in Sioux City
On July 19, 1989, a United Airlines DC-10 experienced a catastrophic failure of the titanium fan disk in its tail engine, resulting in fluid loss in its three hydraulic systems and thereby becoming uncontrollable.
S2.E8 ∙ The Bali Bombing
Series of terrorist explosions tear through night clubs on the popular island resort of Bali killing 202 people. What made this peaceful paradise a target?
S2.E9 ∙ Hotel Collapse Singapore
On 15 March 1986, a six storied building containing a bank, a hotel and a night club collapses in Singapore killing 33 people. 17 people can be rescued. It turns out a catastrophic miscalculation at the time of construction had been made.
S2.E10 ∙ TWA Flight 800
After an hour delay, TWA Flight 800 takes off from JFK then 12 minutes later explodes south of Long Island killing all 230 passengers and crew on-board. What caused it to blow out of the blue?
S2.E11 ∙ Paris Runaway Train
On 27 June 1988, a runaway train crashes into a commuter train killing 56 people. A passenger pulling the emergency brake at an earlier station and the train driver mishandling the situation cause the crash.
S2.E12 ∙ Hindenburg Air Ship
On May 6, 1937 the Hindenburg was completely destroyed while attempting to land at Lakehurst, NJ, in stormy weather. It is concluded that sharp turns caused straps to snap rupturing hydrogen tanks that were ignited by static electricity.
S2.E13 ∙ Puerto Rico Gas Explosion
On November 21, 1996 a gas explosion resulting from a leaking line in the street destroyed the Humberto Vidal shoe shop in San Juan leaving 33 people dead. The gas company failed to detect the gas because personnel was improperly trained.
S2.E14 ∙ Skywalk Collapse
A recreation of the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse, the deadliest structural failure in US history before 9/11.
S2.E15 ∙ Amsterdam Air Crash
On October 4, 1992, a 747 cargo plane of Elal crashes into an apartment house in Bijlmermeer near Amsterdam killing 43 people including the 3 man crew caused by losing two engines due to metal fatigue in the engine suspension.
S2.E16 ∙ Russia's Nuclear Sub Nightmare
During a naval exercise, an exploding torpedo rips through the torpedo bow and the ensuing fire explodes cruise missiles which sinks the submarine and kills all aboard.
S2.E17 ∙ King's Cross Fire
A carelessly discarded match caused the worst fire in London Underground's history, killing 31 people. How did this small fire erupt into a deadly fireball?
S2.E18 ∙ American Embassy Bombing
In 1998 Al Qaeda exploded a bomb truck at the rear of the American embassy in Nairobi bringing down a neighboring office building and killing 213 people and wounding a around 4000 others.
S2.E19 ∙ Florida Swamp Air Crash
A plane takes off for Atlanta from Miami and explodes just seconds from take off. The Valujet crashes into the Florida Everglades with no survivors. A senseless tragedy that could have been avoided.
S2.E20 ∙ Collision Course
In stormy weather, the Express Samina ferry sails in the Aegean Sea. The ferry is on autopilot with no crew member monitoring the ship's course. The waves push the Express Samina off course, it hits a group of rocks and begins taking on water, eventually sinking.
S3.E1 ∙ Titanic
An investigation inti the cause of the sinking of Titanic. The ultimate cause was the use of post-war rivets that showed flaws in the metal and were unable to withstand the massive strain of the collision with the iceberg.
S3.E2 ∙ Aircraft Carrier Explosion
An accidental release of an old missile on the flight deck of the USS Forestal starts a huge fire and subsequent explosions kill a total of 134 soldiers and injure another 161. The accident came close to sinking the Forestal.
S3.E3 ∙ New York Air Crash
On November 12, 2001 an American Airlines Airbus crashed in Queens. The investigation showed that the tailfin was sheared off following fierce rudder corrections by the co-pilot.
S3.E4 ∙ Munich Olympic Massacre
An examination of the deadly terrorist hostage taking and subsequent massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
S3.E5 ∙ Superstore Collapse
A large department store collapses in Seoul, South Korea killing 502 people and injuring another 937. Safety margins were ignored during construction and several people were jailed for corruption and criminal negligence.
S3.E6 ∙ Washington Air Crash
Potomac air disaster in which Florida Flight 90 left Washington and almost immediately crashed in to a bridge.
S3.E7 ∙ Asian Tsunami
In December 2004, the subduction fault between the Indian and Burma tectonic plates ruptured along 1600 km, causing a 9.1- to 9.3-magnitude earthquake and a giant tsunami that killed around 230,000 people.
S3.E8 ∙ Comet Air Crash
The 1954 investigation of the crashes of de Havilland Comets due to structural flaws that encourage catastrophic metal fatigue.
S3.E9 ∙ Chicago Plane Crash
On May 25, 1979, an American Airlines DC-10 loses an engine at take-off and crashes into a trailer park killing all 271 on board. The investigation shows that short-cuts at maintenance resulted in damaged attachments of the engine pylon.
S3.E10 ∙ Texas Oil Refinery Disaster
On March 23, 2005 restarting a distillation tower results in a massive explosion, destroying large parts of the Texas City refinery. The cause is relayed to short-cuts in safety procedures and generally a poor safety record over many years.
S3.E11 ∙ Tornado Outbreak
In 1974, 148 tornadoes hit 13 states causing millions of Dollars of damage injuring 5500 people and killing 330. At the time the weather service couldn't give precise warnings where the tornadoes would strike.
S3.E12 ∙ Montserrat Volcano
In 1997, the Soufrière Volcano on Montserrat erupted killing 17 people and destroying the capital Plymouth.
S3.E13 ∙ Space Shuttle Challenger
On January 28, 1986, Challenger exploded 73 seconds after lift-off. The official report named failing O-rings in the booster rockets as the cause of the disaster, but bad communication and decision procedures also played a role.
S4.E1 ∙ 9/11
Remembering 9/11 and reconstructing the moments before the catastrophe. Showing new evidence and knowledge in the moments leading to the events of 9/11.
S4.E2 ∙ Pearl Harbor
An examination of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and how it turned out to be a disastrous strategic blunder for Japan.
S4.E3 ∙ Paddington Rail Disaster
Survivors recount the events of October 5, 1999 when two trains collide at Ladbroke Grove junction near London's Paddington station.
S4.E4 ∙ Death in Mid-Air
On July 1, 2002 a cargo airliner and a passenger airliner collide while they are over Überlingen in Germany, killing all on board.
S4.E5 ∙ Cable Car Collision
The Cavalese cable car disaster occurred on 3 February 1998 near the Italian town of Cavalese, when a U.S. military plane cut a cable supporting a gondola of an aerial tramway which led to the death of 20 people.
S4.E6 ∙ Bhopal
On December 2, 1984 in Bhopal, India, a toxic gas leak at a Union Carbide chemical plant results in the deaths of 3,000 people.
S5.E1 ∙ Fukushima
On 11 March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami off Japan's coast caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
S5.E2 ∙ The Bismarck
Maritime Historian Andrew Lambert looks at the Royal Navy's battle with the German battleship Bismarck.
S5.E3 ∙ Mountain Tsunami
In 1963 a landslide from Monte Toc into the reservoir of the Europe's highest dam caused a giant flood wave that destroyed the village of Longarone and other villages, claiming over 2,000 lives.
S5.E4 ∙ Waco Cult
After a 51-day siege at the ranch of an armed religious cult, the FBI tries to force people out with tear gas, but a fire breaks out and almost 80 people die.
S5.E5 ∙ The Deepwater Horizon
A look at the series of decisions and mistakes that led to the world's largest oil spill disaster, and that 11 workers on the rig died.
S5.E6 ∙ Mumbai Massacre
On 26 November 2008, terrorists attacked two luxury hotels (one of them the famous Taj Mahal Hotel), a Jewish educational center, a café and a train station in Mumbai, killing 166 people.
S6.E1 ∙ Norway Massacre: I Was There
On July 22, 2011, lone gunman Anders Behring Breivik emerges from a western Norwegian suburb to commit one of the worst terrorist atrocities in Europe since World War II. The massacre starts with an explosion in Oslo and finishes with the slaughter of dozens of teenagers at a youth camp on the isolated island of Utoya. But was Breivik a lone extremist or was this attack the first warning of a world terror?
S6.E2 ∙ Jonestown Cult Suicide
Seconds from Disaster (2004) reveals how charismatic church leader from San Francisco Jim Jones was able to lead over 900 US citizens to their deaths, in what became one of the most famous cases of mass suicide in world history.
S6.E3 ∙ Fire in the Cockpit
Seconds from Disaster reveals how a tiny mechanical fault was able to bring a modern commercial airliner crashing into the sea, killing everyone on-board.
S6.E4 ∙ Black Hawk Down
Seconds from Disaster reveals how a US mission in Somalia quickly turns from a raid to a search and rescue mention leaving 18 American soldiers are dead and another 73 are injured.
S6.E5 ∙ Into the Death Zone
Seconds from Disaster reveals the contributing factors to that made the 11th of May, 1996 the most deadly day on Everest.
S6.E6 ∙ Terrified Over Tokyo
Seconds from Disaster reveals the contributing factors that contributed to the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history.
S6.E7 ∙ Runaway Train
Seconds from Disaster investigates the sequence of events that led to a seven car Japanese commuter train to derail and ram into a nearby apartment building.
S6.E8 ∙ Nagasaki: The Forgotten Bomb
The use of the atomic bombs still excites controversy, and in particular the necessity for the second bomb on Nagasaki. The argument that it was the only way to bring a swift end to the war, and save thousands of American lives, wins the day - in public. But did President Truman have another secret agenda?
S6.E9 ∙ Sinking the Coventry
May 25 1982, The Falklands War. HMS Coventry is on operations with HMS Broadsword. They are tasked with shooting down Argentinian jets. They face a low level attack from 4 fighters which leads to the loss of Coventry. Her main weapon system, the Sea Dart missile can't engage the targets as they are flying too low, and Broadsword's Sea Wolf Close in weapon system powers down at a crucial moment. Both ships are bombed and Coventry sinks in 20 minutes. However most of the crew, although badly injured manage to escape.
S6.E10 ∙ Chinook
The retelling of the shooting down of two American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in Somalia in 1993, and the crash of a British CH-47 Chinook helicopter in 1994.
S6.E11 ∙ Head on Collision
A passenger train and an enormous freight train collide head-on near Hinton, Alberta (Canada) in 1985.
S6.E12 ∙ Helicopter Down
A helicopter full of oil-rig workers is struck by lightning and goes down in the violent weather of the cold North Sea. How big of a role did the weather play that day?
