Mayday: The Accident Files

Some of the deadliest air crashes in history have been caused by simple misunderstandings, including the single worst aviation accident of all time.

On every flight, passengers place their lives in the hands of their captain whose human flaws are enough to bring down an aircraft.

It takes years of training to become an airline captain, but it's when a crisis strikes that a pilot really earns his stripes.

Sometimes the trust between pilots and their planes breaks down, and the cockpit inadvertently turns into a struggle that pits man against machine.

Innocent lives are lost when civilian planes inadvertently become targets, but each incident teaches us vital lessons about how to better protect commercial airliners from the heat of war.

Though the cases are extremely rare, when suicidal pilots unleash their horrific plans on innocent passengers the destruction they inflict is epic.

Three horrifying accidents capture the world's attention, and in order to solve these deadly mysteries, hero investigators are pushed to the limit to uncover the hidden clues.

Safety in the sky depends on the outcome of air crash investigations. But sometimes investigators disagree, and the pressure intensifies when the victims are famous.

In 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration established the sterile cockpit rule requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight. When this rule is broken, the resulting distraction can be catastrophic.

One of aviation's worst nightmares, a fire on board can have disastrous consequences. And though these epic tragedies have exacted a terrible human cost, they've also helped lead the way towards significantly safer skies.