Smithsonian Channel USA HD

In 1944 the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe brings the hope of freedom and the devastation of war to the people of France.

New colourized footage and testimony reveal the true cost paid by the Allies and civilians to free Belgium and the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.

In late 1944 Hitler forces the Americans into their biggest and bloodiest battle of the war when he launches a surprise attack into liberated Belgium.

New colourized footage and testimony reveals the cost of victory, the aftermath of war and the liberation of the camps and the destruction of Germany.

In 1944 the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe brings the hope of freedom and the devastation of war to the people of France.

New colourized footage and testimony reveal the true cost paid by the Allies and civilians to free Belgium and the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.

In late 1944 Hitler forces the Americans into their biggest and bloodiest battle of the war when he launches a surprise attack into liberated Belgium.

New colourized footage and testimony reveals the cost of victory, the aftermath of war and the liberation of the camps and the destruction of Germany.

A rookie pilot flies passengers for the first time, airport staff battle to prevent bird strikes, a helicopter carries a heavy load over Johannesburg, and Africa's most skilled helicopter pilots fly low to protect rhinos from poachers.

A mysterious engine fault delays a new airliner; scientists fly into the bush to hunt a killer disease; a broken-down plane closes a major runway, and a snake hunt across the airport ends in a face-off with a spitting cobra.

A baboon invasion on a runway threatens to cut off a remote safari lodge, engine faults wreck airline flight schedules and a wild cheetah gets a first taste of flying.

A wildlife invasion delays a flight, a massive airliner attempts a night landing at a bush airport, cargo handlers rush to deliver flowers in time for Mother's Day, and a patrol plane discovers fires raging through Kruger Nation.

Moments before Pacific Southwest Flight 1771 crashes on a cattle ranch in California, gunshots are heard in the cabin.

When a twin-engine jet careens off the runway in Kentucky, investigators must determine why the plane failed to take off.

An airliner dodges thunderstorms flying to a cyclone-damaged island; aerial firefighters cross the country to battle infernos; daredevil chainsaw operators hang underneath helicopters.

A K9 anti-poaching squad flies into action, a heavy-lift helicopter flies emergency supply missions across a storm-ravaged island and an airliner races to reach its destination before a power outage plunges the airport into dark.

An engine fault threatens to ground an airliner, scientists and pilots team up to protect cattle from lion attack, damaged runway lights plunge a busy airport into darkness, and South Africa's top aerial display team wows crowds.

A medical helicopter flies over rush hour traffic to collect a patient, the search is on for a lost elephant, engineers race to fix a chopper, and airline pilots fly to one of the world's most dangerous runways.

A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 103, causing the aircraft to disintegrate in mid-air and the wreckage of the aircraft to crash into the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground.

On 26 May 1991, the thrust reverser on the number one engine of Lauda Air Flight 004 deploys in flight without being commanded, causing the aircraft to spiral out of control, disintegrate, and crash about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok.

Investigators try to find the cause of two similar air crashes that happened nearly 12 years apart.

Facing a cascade of failures and a fire on board, a turboprop is just seconds from landing when it flips over and crashes.

On 13 January 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 stalls at 300 feet altitude, strikes a road bridge and crashes into the Potomac River, killing 78 people.

After touching down, a Taiwanese commuter plane is rocked by a massive explosion, but investigators find no evidence of a bomb on board.

A cleaning crew makes a careless error while cleaning a Boeing 757, affecting the plane's computer system and causing it to crash into the Pacific Ocean.

When a USAF stealth bomber crashes after takeoff, investigators search for a reason.

From corrosion and metal fatigue to faulty repairs, three doomed airlines are brought down by gradually deteriorating parts.

In the wilds of Southern Africa, aviation takes over where roads don't go. Extreme Airport Africa brings you into the world of high-octane, high-risk bush flying where pilots brave rough runways, wild fires and wild animals.

In a rush to complete their flights, three different flight crews skip key procedures, ignore signs of danger and make deadly decisions.

Mistaken identity and hostile fire over enemy territory are among the many risks that pilots face in war zones around the world.

In 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying from New York City to Cairo, killing all 217 people on board; the cause of the crash is disputed.

Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes shortly after take-off in Detroit in 1987; a fatal preflight error caused the second-deadliest plane crash in the U.S. history.

When Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel over the Atlantic, its pilots desperately try to keep their Airbus A330 in the air until they reach land.

When Germanwings Flight 9525 crashes in the French Alps, investigators discover shocking truths about the co-pilot's mental health.

In 1991, a Boeing 737 operating as United Airlines Flight 585 suddenly rolls into a dive and crashes within eight seconds, killing all 25 people on board.

History's most terrifying air disasters, and the investigations that followed, are revisited and reexamined.

On 10 January 2000, Crossair Flight 498 crashes just two minutes after takeoff from Zürich, Switzerland, while heading for Dresden, Germany, killing all 10 people on board.

In Sao Paolo, the Himalayas, and on the Norwegian coast, the toughest landings on earth pushed three flight crews.

Pilots of TACA Flight 110 make a remarkable landing on a narrow levee, but investigators must find out why the engines in a brand new plane failed.

On July 17, 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054 slides off runway 35L at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, and crashes at high speed into a warehouse adjacent to a petrol station killing nearly 200 people.

A pilot's decision to let his 15-year-old son fly has disastrous consequences on a commercial flight.

A passenger ferry sinks after crashing into rocks off the coast of a Greek island, killing 82; it leads to a shocking investigation.

Near the end of its flight, Continental Express Flight 2574 suffers wing damage and goes into a dive falling out of the sky.

When an American cargo plane crashes moments after takeoff, investigators uncover a systemic problem with aircraft maintenance.

When an A300 stalls and crashes just before landing in Japan, fears arise about the plane's complex automated systems.

Three flights end in tragedy after miscommunication mix-ups and personality clases; Investigators try to unravel what went wrong.

A high-stakes demonstration flight in Indonesia turns catastrophic when a Russian jet slams into a mountain.

A complex recovery operation is launched to find out if a 747 which disappeared into the Indian Ocean was carrying illegal weapons.

A mechanical problem aboard an Air Canada plane turns into an all-out emergency six miles in the air.

A freight train carrying an excess of cargo loses its brakes while descending a mountain causing it to gain speed and derail into a neighborhood killing several people.

On 4 November 2010, shortly after takeoff from Singapore, the number-two engine on Qantas Flight 32 partially disintegrates, causing serious damage to its left wing.

Three last-resort water landings, all handled differently yet each one crucial to improving the outcomes of ditching on open water.

From corrosion and metal fatigue to faulty repairs, three doomed airlines are brought down by gradually deteriorating parts.

In the wilds of Southern Africa, aviation takes over where roads don't go. Extreme Airport Africa brings you into the world of high-octane, high-risk bush flying where pilots brave rough runways, wild fires and wild animals.

A quick trip from Washington D.C. to Ohio in 1994 turns deadly when pilots of a twin-engine turboprop attempt a risky landing.

The pairing of a domineering pilot and an inexperienced first officer has deadly consequences in northern Minnesota.

The U.S. Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, Miss.; the importance of accurate weather forecasting to the aviation industry.

How routine flights can turn catastrophic in mere seconds when the pilots become momentarily distracted; three flights end in a disaster.

Almost immediately after taking off from Madrid International Airport, Spanair Flight 5022 banked to the right, slammed into a creek and burst into flames.

A private jet attempting to compensate for a late approach to the airport, slams into an Ohio apartment building just a couple of miles from the runway.

Take a cruise where the guests choose the ports to visit and the captain and crew work overtime to make it happen.

The Carnival Vista is the new flagship for one of the world's largest cruise lines, carrying more than 4,600 passengers and boasting 10 restaurants, nearly 2,000 staterooms and a crew of 1,400.

A crew of 2,200 on the Symphony of the Seas tends to more than 5,500 passengers as they sail to ports in Spain, France and Italy.

Norwegian Joy sails amid icebergs in Alaska's Inside Passage, treating guests to glaciers, humpback whales, and the largest zip line in the world.

The Paul Gauguin offers five-star luxury while sailing near the coral reefs, mountainous islands and tropical playgrounds of French Polynesia.

New luxury liner Le Soleal navigates the uncharted waters of Indonesia to give her passengers one-of-a-kind encounters at exotic destinations.

Passengers on Ecuador's Tren Crucero experience a dangerous rail journey, which includes tropical jungles, volcanoes and the Devil's Nose.

The Rocky Mountaineer travels across western Canada and over the Rocky Mountains.

South Africa's most luxurious train - Rovos Rail - travel from Pretoria to Cape Town in classic cars pulled by a series of steam, diesel and electric locomotives.

Filled with big toys, guests fly the trapeze, surf and skydive without ever leaving the world's most innovative cruise ship.

The world's top cruise ship, the Crystal Serenity visits Sydney harbor, the port of Melbourne, Bali, a large-scale furniture load in Semarang, Indonesia and the port of Singapore.

The world's most adventurous cruise ship, MS Fram, battles ice-choked fjords of Greenland to visit wildlife and icebergs.

Azamara Journey travels the rivers of Southeast Asia, delivering passengers to exotic cities and hidden treasures that larger cruise ships cannot reach.

Set a course for breathtaking sights on Koningsdam's 15-day voyage from Amsterdam to the northern tip of Norway.

The world's first double-decker passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380 has a groundbreaking design.

A trip through Lima details the voyage's breathtaking scenery and engineering challenges.

Cruise among the icebergs of Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic aboard the expedition cruiser Ocean Endeavour.

New colourized footage and testimony reveals the cost of victory, the aftermath of war and the liberation of the camps and the destruction of Germany.

Passengers are treated like royalty on Indian Railways' Maharaja's Express.

Two magnificent journeys with New Zealand's KiwiRail: the TranzAlpine, a five-hour journey across 223 kilometers, and Northern Explorer, an 11-hour trip through five unique regions of the North Island.

The only cruise ship designed specifically to navigate the treasures and dangers at the southern tip of South America.

Royal Clipper is the largest sailing cruise ship in the world, celebrating tall ships of the 19th century while offering modern-day service for its guests.

We follow passengers and crew aboard Viking Star during its two-week tour from Barcelona to its home port in Bergen, Norway.