Seconds from Disaster  

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Seconds from Disaster (stylized as :SECONDS FROM DISASTER in the title sequence) is a documentary television series that aired from July 6, 2004 to March 7, 2007 on the National Geographic Channel. The program investigates historically relevant man-made and natural disasters. Each episode aims to explain a single incident by analyzing the causes and circumstances that ultimately affected the disaster.

The series features historical reenactment, interviews, testimony, and CGI to deconstruct the sequence of events second-by-second for the audience.

Seconds from Disaster is broadcast on the National Geographic Channel and consists of 45 episodes over 3 seasons. Following its conclusion, the series was promptly replaced with the provisionally titled series Situation Critical.

Contents

Episodes

By topic

By original broadcast date

National Geographic Channel has broadcast many episodes under multiple titles. The title currently or most recently listed on the NGC Calendar is shown first. Alternate titles are shown in parentheses.

Season 1 (2004)

# Airdate Title Disaster Date of disaster Nature of Disaster
1 July 6 Crash of the Concorde

(Concorde)

Air France Flight 4590 July 25, 2000 Tire blowout, fuel leak, wing fire
As a Concorde supersonic jet operating as Air France Flight 4590 takes off from Charles de Gaulle International Airport, it catches fire and crashes into a hotel in Gonesse, killing all 109 people on board and four in the hotel.
2 July 13 Tunnel Inferno Mont Blanc Tunnel fire March 24, 1999 Lorry engine catches fire, initial cause uncertain.
A truck carrying margarine catches fire in the Mont Blanc Tunnel, which connects France and Italy under Mont Blanc. 38 people were killed in the inferno.
3 July 20 The Bomb in Oklahoma City

(Oklahoma City)

Oklahoma City bombing April 19, 1995 Truck bomb
In retaliation against the U.S. government, Timothy McVeigh plants a bomb inside a Ryder truck in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Minutes later, it explodes, destroying the building and killing 168 people.
4 July 27 Fire on the Star

(Fire Onboard the Star)

M/S Scandinavian Star Fire April 7, 1990 Arson, confusing ship layout, lack of staff training and common language
An arsonist sets a fire on deck 3 of the Frederikshavn, Denmark-bound M/S Scandinavian Star, loaded with passengers and cars at Oslo, Norway. 158 people on board die from smoke inhalation.
5 August 3 Derailment at Eschede

(High Speed Train Wreck)

Eschede train disaster June 3, 1998 Metal fatigue
A wheel of the InterCity Express (ICE) No. 884 'Wilhelm Konrad Röntgen' fails during travel in Eschede, Germany. The train derails and collides with a bridge, killing 101 people and injuring 88.
6 August 10 Wreck of the Sunset Limited 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck September 22, 1993 Barge collision with bridge in fog, bent tracks
After one of a string of barges hit a support of a bridge in Big Bayou Canot, the Sunset Limited (an Amtrak train) derails as it crosses the bridge, resulting in its collapse and the deaths of 47 people.
7 August 17 Meltdown in Chernobyl Chernobyl disaster April 26, 1986 Design flaws in reactor, poor management
A meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant kills 56 people while the health of thousands more continue to be affected.
8 August 24 Inferno in Guadalajara

(Inferno at Guadalajara)

Guadalajara gas explosions April 22, 1992 Metal-to-metal corrosion, gas leak into sewers
Days after residents of Guadalajara complained of a foul smell, a series of gasoline-fueled explosions in the sewers kills 206 people.
9 August 31 Fire on the Ski Slope Kaprun disaster November 11, 2000 Hydraulic fuel leak on ventilation fan
A funicular train catches fire as it travels through a tunnel at the Kaprun Ski Resort, killing 155 people. Only 12 survived by walking downwards and out of the tunnel.
10 October 5 Explosion in the North Sea Piper Alpha disaster July 6, 1988 LPG explosion, ruptured pipelines, human error
A series of explosions and fires on the Piper Alpha, an oil platform 110 miles off the coast of Scotland that had been converted to liquified petroleum gas (LPG) production, results in the deaths of 167 people and the collapse of the platform.
11 October 12 Flood at Stava Dam (Flood at Stava) Collapse of Stava Dam July 19, 1985 Poor maintenance and management, water overload in the top dam
Two dams above the village of Stava in northern Italy collapse, causing an ensuing mudslide and flood down the Stava River valley that kills 268 people in the village below.
12 October 19 Collision on the Runway Tenerife airport disaster March 27, 1977 Fog, no use of radar, radio miscommunication, pilot error, ATC error
Two Boeing 747s collide and explode on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people.
13 October 26 Pentagon 9/11

(Pentagon 9-11)

American Airlines Flight 77 September 11 2001 Hijacking, low level building crash
As the World Trade Center in New York City burns after being hit by two hijacked aircraft, another hijacked Boeing 757-200 is deliberately flown into The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing all 64 people on board and 125 on the ground.

Season 2 (2005)

# Airdate Title Disaster Date of disaster Nature of Disaster
1 June 28 Space Shuttle Columbia

(Columbia's Last Flight)

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster February 1, 2003 Hole punctured into thermal protection plates in the left wing caused from falling foam from external tank
As the Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Centre 16 days before re-entry, a piece of insulating foam breaks off the external fuel tank and damages the left wing of the shuttle. As it enters the Earth's atmosphere during the return trip, it disintegrates under the massive heat, killing all seven astronauts on board.
2 July 5 Alpine Tsunami Galtür avalanche February 23, 1999 Powder avalanche
At the Austrian alpine village of Galtur, snow on the mountains surrounding the village build up. Due to the changing temperature during the month, a strong but brittle layer of ice forms under the snow. On the day of the disaster, the ice layer collapses and the building ice bank slips down the slope and forms a powder avalanche. Two minutes later, it hits Galtur and buries 57 people in the snow, killing 31 of them.
3 July 12 Motorway Plane Crash

(Freeway Plane Crash)

British Midland Flight 092 January 8, 1989 Fan blade failure, lack of cockpit simulation emergency training, pilot error, shutting down the wrong engine
British Midland Flight 092, a two-month-old Boeing 737-400, takes-off from Heathrow Airport in London, heading for Belfast. While en route the aircraft's left engine suffers a fan blade failure. Changes in cabin air intake design and engine performance gauges cause the pilot to shut down the wrong engine and prepare for an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport which is just across the M1 motorway to Kegworth. On approach to the airport the damaged left engine fails completely and then catches fire. The crew tries to glide the aircraft to the runway but it bounces over the M1 and crashes on the embankment of the motorway, killing 47 people.
4 July 26 Mount St. Helens Eruption 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens May 18, 1980 Lava bulge opened by earthquake, volcanic eruption, lahars, landslide
Mount St. Helens in the countryside of Washington erupts for the first time in 123 years. A building bulge on the north face of the volcano collapses after a small tremor. It starts a landslide that removes the plug on the volcano, starting the eruption. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens kills 57 people.
5 August 16 Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster

(Capsized in the North Sea)

MS Herald of Free Enterprise March 6, 1987 Crew error
The British car ferry M/S Herald of Free Enterprise departs the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium. The crew have left the bow doors open and water splashes into the car deck. So much water pours in that the car ferry capsizes, taking the lives of 193 passengers and crew.
6 August 30 Kobe Earthquake

(Killer Quake)

1995 earthquake in Kobe January 17, 1995 Earthquake
The Japanese city of Kobe is rocked by the Great Hanshin Earthquake which destroys most of its buildings. The driver of a bus and his passengers have a narrow escape when the earthquake causes a section in the elevated highway to fall, leaving the bus dangling over the edge. Many traditional houses collapse due to the heavy roofs and weak walls. Liquefaction occurs at the coastal and port areas of Kobe. Over 5,500 people die in the disaster.
7 September 13 Crash Landing at Sioux City

(Crash Landing in Sioux City)

United Airlines Flight 232 July 19, 1989 Catastrophic engine failure, loss of hydraulics, uncontrollable landing
United Airlines Flight 232, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, loses hydraulic pressure after the tail-mounted no.2 engine's fan blade splits and disintegrates. The damage to the aircraft is so severe that it can only turn right. The pilots try to land at Sioux City, Iowa. As the DC-10 descends towards the runway at 6 times the normal descent rate, it rolls right, causing it to break up into three main parts and explode into a fireball. 111 of the 285 people on board are killed in the emergency landing.
8 September 20 The Bali Bombing

(Disco Bombing)

2002 Bali bombings October 12, 2002 Suicide bomb, truck bomb and mobile-started bomb
Bombers in Bali attempt to detonate bombs in three different places. The first, a suicide bomb, is detonated in a small nightclub across the road from another nightclub, the Sari Club. A second bomb, a truck filled with explosives parked outside the Sari Club explodes 15 seconds after the first. 45 seconds later, a third mobile activated bomb detonates outside the United States Consulate. The total death toll is 202.
9 September 27 Hotel Collapse Singapore

(Hotel Collapse)

Hotel New World disaster March 15, 1986 Construction error, column failure
Hotel New World, a 1-star budget hotel located in Singapore's Little India district, collapses due to growing microcracks in the failing columns. The cracks are caused by the additional weight put on the hotel. After a seven day rescue operation, 17 people are saved, but 33 perish.
10 October 18 TWA 800

(TWA Flight 800)

(The Last Flight of TWA 800)

Trans World Airlines Flight 800 July 17, 1996 Center fuel tank explosion probably caused by vaporised fuel ignited from a short circuit
TWA Flight 800 leaves New York for Paris 80 minutes late. Only 12 minutes into the flight, there are short circuits in electrical wires which cause ignition of vaporised jet fuel in the center fuel tank. The explosion causes the nose of the aircraft to break off. The plane continues to disintegrate as it plummets into the sea, killing all 230 on board.
11 November 1 Paris Train Crash

(Runaway Train)

Gare de Lyon rail accident June 27, 1988 Brake failure caused by passenger pulling emergency brakes and crew error
A commuter train bound for Paris is forced to stop at Melun when a woman pulls the emergency brake. The crew reset the brake system so the train can resume its trip. However, they make a series of mistakes that results in the train being unable to brake and slow down. When the train arrives at the Gare de Lyon, it collides with another train parked at the station, killing 56 people.
12 November 15 The Hindenburg

(Hindenburg Airship)

(Hindenburg Air Ship)

Hindenburg disaster May 6, 1937 Hydrogen leak, static ignition
The zeppelin LZ-129 Hindenburg approaches the Lakehurst Naval Air Station for landing. Thunderstorms have added static electricity to the zeppelin's skin. It makes two sharp turns as it approaches the air field, something that the Hindenburg was not designed to do. A cable in one of the hydrogen cells snap and whiplashes the cell. When the landing ropes touch the ground, they are slowly soaked by the light rain falling, a static spark ignites the hydrogen leak. The zeppelin explodes into an inferno and crashes, killing 35 of the 97 people on board and 1 ground crew member.
13 December 13 Puerto Rico Gas Explosion Humberto Vidal Explosion November 21, 1996 Propane gas leak
For days, a foul smell hangs around in the Humberto Vidal shoe store in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The smell is caused by leaking propane gas coming from an unmapped pipe in the sloping road near the shoe store. Then, an air conditioner with bad wiring is switched on, starting a spark that ignites the propane and the store explodes, claiming 33 lives.

Season 3 (2006-2007)

# Airdate Title Disaster Date of disaster Nature of Disaster
1 January 10 Skywalk Collapse

(Hotel Skywalk)

Hyatt Regency walkway collapse July 17, 1981 Design failure
1,500 people gather for a dance in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City. The 2nd and 4th floor skywalks, hung from steel rods, fail under the weight of the guests. They collapse and crush 114 people to death. This was the worst structural failure in the United States.
2 March 28 Amsterdam Air Crash

(Schiphol Plane Crash)

(Plane Crash in the Suburbs)

El Al Flight 1862 October 4, 1992 Metal fatigue in the fuse pin, engine collision
El Al Flight 1862, a Boeing 747-200F cargo plane, takes-off from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Holland). Metal fatigue in the fuse pin holding up the inner engine on the right wing causes it to fail and force the engine to break off. The engine running at full power shot forward and knocked out the outer engine and damaged 30 ft. of the wing. The lift between the wings becomes unbalanced, but at its current speed, the plane is able to remain relatively level in the air. However, 8 minutes later, when the crew slow down the plane for landing, Flight 1862 banks greatly to the right and loses altitude. The aircraft crashes into a high rise apartment building, killing 43 people.
3 April 18 Russia's Nuclear Sub Nightmare

(Sinking of the Kursk)

(The Kursk)

Russian submarine Kursk explosion August 12, 2000 Hydrogen peroxide leak, chemical reaction, poor maintenance
During a training mission, a leaking torpedo on board the Kursk leaks hydrogen peroxide. It reacts with rust in the submarine and blasts the front of the Kursk. Although the submarine had explosion proof walls, the explosion spread through the ventilation shafts. 135 seconds later, another explosion rocks the submarine. Then it sinks, killing all but 23 men on board. While they wait to be rescued, special boards that produce oxygen to breathe drop into the oily floor, starting a reaction that creates a fire, killing the survivors.
4 May 19 King's Cross Fire

(Kings Cross Fire)

(London's Subway Inferno)

King's Cross fire November 18, 1987 Dropped match, trench effect
A lighted match is dropped by a smoker down a gap in the wooden escalator at the King's Cross tube station. It ignites wax under the escalator. When someone notices the glowing fire under the escalator, the person stops the escalator. Later, a small flame rises on the steps. The full extent of the fire is hidden under the escalator. The entire area under it is on fire and the escalator aboves heats up. It gets so hot that is combusts and blasts a fireball up the escalator and kills 31 people in the ticket hall 20 metres away. The effect that happened is now called the trench effect.
5 June 27 US Embassy Bombings

(American Embassy Bombing)

(Nairobi Bombing)

1998 U.S. embassy bombings August 7, 1998 Truck bombs
In Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, truck bombs destroy the U.S. Embassy buildings killing 257 and injuring thousands. Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda are responsible for the attacks.
6 July 11 Florida Swamp Air Crash

(Everglades Plane Crash)

(Florida Air Crash)

ValuJet Flight 592 May 11, 1996 Activation of chemical oxygen generators, in-flight fire
ValuJet Flight 592, a DC-9 with 110 people on board is bound for Atlanta, Georgia from Miami, Florida. While it taxis for take-off, expired oxygen generators activate in the cargo hold. The oxygen ignites in the overheated hold. Shortly after take-off, the cargo fire is so large that the cabin is consumed in flames. The jet loses control and goes down in the Everglades. There are no survivors as the wreckage is entirely absorbed by the swamp.
7 July 25 Titanic

(Sinking of the Titanic)

Template:RMS April 14-15, 1912 Iceberg collision, rivet failure
The Template:RMS, on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York with over 2,000 people on board strikes an iceberg. The rivets holding the hull together fail upon impact, allowing water to enter the first five compartments, one more than the ship can handle. Within 2 hours and 40 minutes, the ship sinks, taking with it 1,517 lives.
8 August 15 Aircraft Carrier Explosion USS Forrestal fire July 29, 1967 Accidental firing of rocket into armed aircraft, resultant fire detonates various munitions
Fighter aircraft on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal prepare to launch for a sortie over Vietnam. An electrical power surge together with an ineffective safety mechanism and altered weapon-arming procedures cause the accidental firing of a Zuni rocket. The rocket strikes another armed and fuelled aircraft, starting a fire that detonates various munitions. Firefighting efforts inadvertently spread the fire below deck. The disaster kills 132 personnel with a further 161 wounded and 2 missing, presumed dead.
9 September 6 Plane Crash in Queens

(New York Air Crash)

American Airlines Flight 587 November 12, 2001 Pilot error, improper use of rudder
Two months since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the event remained fresh in the minds of Americans. At John F. Kennedy Airport, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300-600R, leaves on a three hour flight to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Shortly after take-off, it encounters turbulence from a Japan Airlines Boeing B-747 that took off from the same runway 30 seconds earlier, causing it to violently tilt back and forth. The pilot repeatedly steps on the rudder back and forth to stabilize the plane, but his overuse of the rudder breaks the tail from the fuselage. Without the tail to support the aircraft, it spins out of control and crashes into Rockaway, Queens, killing all 260 people on board and 5 on the ground.
10 September 13 Munich Olympic Massacre

(Munich Olympics Massacre)

(Olympic Hostage Crisis)

Munich Massacre September 5-September 6, 1972 Hostage taking, helicopter explosion from grenade, failed rescue attempt
During the Olympic Games in Munich, 11 Israeli athletes are held hostage by Palestinian terrorists. They demand the list of Palestine prisoners in exchange for the release of the athletes. But at Fürstenfeldbruck Airport, a rescue attempt goes wrong and by 12:01 am on the next day, 17 people are dead.
11 September 20 Superstore Collapse

(Department Store Collapse)

Sampoong Department Store collapse June 29, 1995 Design failure, bribery
Despite illegal operations and suspicion that the building was not safe, owners of the five-story Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, South Korea kept it open to customers. That afternoon, the entire store collapses, killing 501 people. The last survivor is found after 16 days.
12 September 27 Plane Crash in the Potomac

(Washington Air Crash)

(Potomac)

Air Florida Flight 90 January 13, 1982 Icy conditions, pilot error
Air Florida Flight 90 leaves Washington National Airport in Washington DC for Miami with 79 passengers and crew on board. The Boeing 737-200 is delayed for hours by bad conditions, allowing ice from the weather to build up and disrupt airflow onto the wings. Just seconds after getting airborne, the plane stalls in mid-air and crashes into the 14th Street Bridge. It bounces off and slams into the icy Potomac river. Five survivors are pulled out alive but 78 lose their lives; 4 of them were motorists on the bridge.
13 October 25 Asian Tsunami 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake December 26, 2004 Massive megathrust earthquake, ocean-wide tsunamis
The second largest earthquake in 40 years with a magnitude of 9.3 strikes the town of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Soon, it unleashes a tsunami which takes nearly 230,000 lives all along the coast of the Indian Ocean.
14 November 15 Comet Air Crash

(Crash of the Comet)

BOAC Flight 781/South African Airways Flight 201 BOAC 781: January 10, 1954/SAA 201: April 8, 1954 Design failure, metal fatigue
One of the world's first passenger jets and the most luxurious of its kind, the de Havilland DH-106 Comet-1, takes off from Rome but 26 minutes into the flight, it explodes, killing 35. Then months later, another Comet crashes in the same way. The cause of both crashes was due to the aluminium skin. The constant pressurisation of the jet in flight flexed the thin skin, causing metal fatigue and mostly around the square windows.

This episode mainly focuses on BOAC Flight 781.

15 November 29 Chicago Air Crash

(Flight Engine Down)

(Chicago Flight 191)

American Airlines Flight 191 May 25, 1979 Faulty maintenance, metal fatigue, loss of hydraulic fluid for left wing slats
American Airlines Flight 191, a DC-10, takes-off from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. As the plane begins to lift, the engine breaks free from the left wing due to money and time-saving maintenance and swings over it, leaving a hole in the wing. The engine smashes onto the runway. 31 seconds after take-off, leaking hydraulic fluid from the hole causes the left wing slats to retract and lose lift for that wing. The plane tilts left and crashes into a trailer park, killing all on board plus two on the ground.
16 November 6 Texas Oil Explosion

(Texas Refinery Disaster)

(Oil Fire in Texas)

Texas BP Refinery explosion March 23, 2005 Human error
At the BP Oil Refinery in Texas City, a test on the distillation tower goes wrong. Liquid waste builds up in the tower and flows out through the blowout tower. A white ute left with its engine running ignites the fumes of the waste liquid. The explosion destroys a trailer placed dangerously close to the blowout tower. 15 workers die.
17 January 2, 2007 Tornado Outbreak The Super Outbreak April 3-April 4, 1974 Outbreak of tornadoes from storm cell
The most violent outbreak of tornadoes in history, the Super Outbreak, releases 149 tornadoes in 13 American states and a province in Canada. Thousands of homes and over 350 people die in the period of the outbreak. 5,000 people are left homeless and injured.

This episode mainly focuses on the 148 tornadoes that hit the USA, not the 149th one that hit Canada.

18 January 31, 2007 Space Shuttle Explosion

(Space Shuttle Challenger)

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster January 28, 1986 O-ring failure due to icy conditions, strong jetstream
Space shuttle Challenger takes-off from Cape Canaveral to start the STS-51-L mission. A badly designed joint in a solid rocket booster leaks hot gases that impinge on its mount on the external tank. 73 seconds later, the external tank breaks up, the solid rocket boosters fly free, and aerodynamic forces rip Challenger into pieces that fall into the ocean. All seven astronauts on board are killed. Record low temperatures were a major contributing factor to the accident.
19 March 7, 2007 Eruption on Montserrat

(Montserrat)

(When the Volcano Blew)

1995-1997 eruption of Soufrière Hills July 18, 1995-December 26, 1997 Volcanic eruption, lava dome collapse, pyroclastic flows
On the Caribbean island of Montserrat is the Soufrière Hills volcano. Nearby is Plymouth, the island's capital. In 1995, Soufrière Hills came to life and spewed ash over the island. Everyone is evacuated to the north of Montserrat. Two years on, the eruptions get worse and in 1997, Soufrière Hills erupts violently. Pyroclastic flows rage down the mountain and destroy Plymouth and Bramble Airport, killing 19 people. It generates a small tsunami. People crowd onto ships to escape their home, knowing it's been destroyed.

This episode mainly focuses on the events of July 25, 1997.




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