| Genre: | Documentary |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: |
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| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 13 (List of episodes) |
| Runtime: | 42–47 minutes |
| Company: | Peacock Productions |
| Network: | MSNBC |
Why Planes Crash is a documentary TV series based on aviation accidents and crashes. The series was created, named and produced by Caroline Sommers for NBC News. The series premiered on July 12, 2009, featuring Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, popularly known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." Three other ditchings were also featured in this episode: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, ALM Flight 980, and Pan Am Flight 6.
Originally run on MSNBC, each episode was narrated by Lester Holt. Original production ceased in 2015. The series is still in heavy rotation on The Weather Channel.
Normally, each episode would feature three to four accidents. Over the course of the 43-minute program, aviation experts such as veteran pilot and founder of Safety Operating Systems John M. Cox, as well as former NTSB investigators John Goglia and Greg Feith, would discuss the events and what caused or led up to the crash. Similar to Air Crash Investigation, the show also featured state-of-the-art CGI recreations and visuals to graphically illustrate what occurred during the accident.[1]
In some episodes, a survivor (or multiple survivors) would explain what they experienced during the accident. For example, in the very first episode, Captain Balsey DeWitt, pilot of ALM Flight 980, was interviewed.[2]
In the episode "Sudden Impact", the date for Flight 148 is first given as December 20, 1992 (the correct date), but later it changes to December 22, 1992.