Smithsonian HD Network

A look at the string of events that caused a midair collision in 2002 over the skies of southern Germany; a Bashkirian Airlines Flight collides with a DHL Flight in German airspace near Überlingen.

A United States Air Force transport aircraft conducting the inaugural flight of Operation Babylift suffers an explosive decompression when the rear cargo door fails and crashes into a paddy field while attempting an emergency landing.

Investigators discover a shocking mistake when pilots must ditch their plane in the Mediterranean, killing 14 of the 34 passengers.

Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes beyond the runway while taking off from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Experts examine a departing DC-9 in Detroit which gets lost in the fog and ends up in the path of an oncoming 727.

Air accident survival stories; keeping passengers and crews alive when disaster strikes.

A look at how technological advances over the centuries have led to bigger and faster combat ships and transformed maritime warfare.

A look at key naval battles that have taken place in the Persian Gulf over the last 50 years and the warships involved, from both sides of the conflicts.

A look at the smallest ships of war and the major roles they've played over the centuries, including the 1776 gunboat built to stop a British invasion and the HA-19 sub.

New high-tech investigations uncover what sunk a World War I cruiser, a World War II submarine, a British destroyer from the Falklands War, and more.

A look at how navy weapons have evolved over the centuries, from cannons to gun turrets to nuclear missiles and beyond.

Exploring maritime heroes who left their mark on history through their bravery and skill, including Larry Chambers, Ernest Evans, and Robert Smalls.

A look at riverine warfare from the Civil War to Vietnam and small but powerful combat ships.

Recounting some of maritime warfare's explosions, from world wars and Vietnam to the nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll.

The story of one of the world's most effective war machines: the Viking longship, seeing how its design evolved from swift war canoe to versatile and feared ship that would change the course of history.

A look at the most famous wooden warships over the course of 500 years.

The ships that made mighty empires, from the lone wolves that patrolled the high seas for imperial Britain to the USS Laffey's heroic WWII battle against kamikazes at Okinawa.

A look at some of the rescue ships of the past 200 years of wartime and the brave men and women who risked their lives to save others.

The world's most versatile and powerful helicopters, including the Huey that served as a rescue helicopter in Vietnam, and the Apache attack helicopter.

An inside look at the U.S. Air Force's largest aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy; its most dramatic combat and peacetime missions over the last 50 years.

The Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco is pulled out of retirement to join the fight against ISIS.

The history of the Russian MiG, American air power's fiercest rival for more than 50 years.

Considered the deadliest fighter of WWII, Germany's Me-109s were feared by Allied bombers and fighters alike; 109s fought Spitfires in the Battle of Britain and alongside Rommel in North Africa.

The naval fighter designed to counter the Japanese Zero turns the tide of the war in the Pacific.

The true story of the F-14 Tomcat, the military aircraft made famous in "Top Gun"; how it served as the US Navy's top carrier fighter for a generation.