Smithsonian HD Network Schedule

Air Disasters

Deadly Data

2025-06-02 02:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 03:00:00 PST

With hidden flaws buried in their navigation systems, three planes suffer catastrophic computer errors that force investigators to dig deep for clues.

Air Disasters Playing Now!

Panic on the Runway

2025-06-02 03:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 04:00:00 PST

On August 22nd, 1985, 55 people died aboard British Airtours flight 28M when its engine catches fire as it accelerates.

Air Disasters

The Lost Plane

2025-06-02 04:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 05:00:00 PST

Investigators struggle to understand the unusual flight path and Himalayan crash site of Thai Airways Flight 311.

Air Disasters

Vanished

2025-06-02 05:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 06:00:00 PST

On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight 447 stalls and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying through a thunderstorm, killing all 228 people on board.

Air Disasters

Mistaken Identity

2025-06-02 06:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 07:00:00 PST

The captain of a Navy cruiser must quickly determine if an approaching plane is friendly.

Air Disasters

Helicopter Down

2025-06-02 07:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 08:00:00 PST

A helicopter carrying oil workers to an offshore drilling platform crashes.

Air Disasters

Fatal Delivery

2025-06-02 08:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 09:00:00 PST

The two-man crew of a UPS cargo jet must attempt an emergency landing when a fire in the cargo hold fills their cockpit with smoke.

Air Disasters

Scratching the Surface

2025-06-02 09:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 10:00:00 PST

After taking off from Taiwan, a China Airlines 747 suddenly disappears from radar and crashes, killing 225 people.

Air Disasters

Unlocking Disaster

2025-06-02 10:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 11:00:00 PST

A 747's cargo door opens at 23,000 feet, causing an explosive decompression that ejects nine passengers from the plane.

Air Disasters

Hidden Danger

2025-06-02 11:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 12:00:00 PST

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.

Air Disasters

Delivery to Disaster

2025-06-02 12:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 13:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Murder in the Skies

2025-06-02 13:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 14:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

The Final Push

2025-06-02 14:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 15:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Seconds From Touchdown

2025-06-02 15:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 16:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Blown Away

2025-06-02 16:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 17:00:00 PST

The investigation into the 2014 crash of a TransAsia flight uncovers a systemic problem with the airline.

Air Disasters

Splash Down

2025-06-02 17:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 18:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Accidents in the Air

2025-06-02 18:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 19:00:00 PST

From pilot error to meltdowns within air traffic control, investigators dig deep into three mid-air collisions that seem to defy logic.

How Did They Fix That?

2025-06-02 19:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 20:00:00 PST

An in-depth look at how things are repaired.

Air Disasters

Slam Dunk

2025-06-02 20:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 21:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Killer Attitude

2025-06-02 21:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 22:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Deadly Go Round

2025-06-02 22:00:00 PST - 2025-06-02 23:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Cockpit Breakdown

2025-06-02 23:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 00:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Atlantic Ditching

2025-06-03 00:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 01:00:00 PST

A helicopter carrying offshore drilling workers crashes into the ocean, leading to an investigation that reveals a fatal flaw in the chopper's design.

Air Disasters

Flying Blind

2025-06-03 01:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 02:00:00 PST

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.

Air Disasters

Stealth Bomber Down

2025-06-03 02:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 03:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Cruise Ships

Roald Amundsen

2025-06-03 03:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 04:00:00 PST

The world's latest, most-advanced expedition cruise ship Roald Amundsen whisks passengers on an adventurous voyage to Antarctica.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Sky Princess

2025-06-03 04:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 05:00:00 PST

The Sky Princess carries passengers from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to three Central American stops.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Viking Sea

2025-06-03 05:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 06:00:00 PST

The new Viking Sea cruise ship whisks guests away on a journey across the Arctic Circle and into the heart of Norway.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Marina

2025-06-03 06:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 07:00:00 PST

Visit Stonehenge, kiss the Blarney Stone and hunt for Nessie on a magical tour of the British Isles, aboard Marina.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Celebrity Solstice

2025-06-03 07:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 08:00:00 PST

Facing Australia's fierce heat, Celebrity Solstice provides guests with views of waterfalls, jumping crocodiles, koalas and the Great Barrier Reef.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Regal Princess

2025-06-03 08:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 09:00:00 PST

Follow mega cruiser Regal Princess as she whisks guests to Germany, Russia, and Scandinavia in style.

Mighty Trains

The Shinkansen

2025-06-03 09:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 10:00:00 PST

Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen, known as the bullet train, operates on a dedicated railway line at up to 177 mph.

Mighty Trains

Transcantabrico Clasico

2025-06-03 10:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 11:00:00 PST

A trip aboard the luxury tourist train, Transcantábrico Clásico through Northern Spain along a historic 19th century rail line.

Mighty Trains

Seven Stars of Kyushu

2025-06-03 11:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 12:00:00 PST

A trip aboard one of the world's most expensive and sought-after train rides details the journey for both passengers and crew.

Mighty Ships

Fram

2025-06-03 12:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 13:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Ships

MSC Meraviglia

2025-06-03 13:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 14:00:00 PST

MSC's biggest cruise ship navigates tight Mediterranean harbors, offering a brand new water park, classic excursions and Cirque du Soleil at Sea.

Mighty Ships

Oasis of the Seas

2025-06-03 14:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 15:00:00 PST

The maiden voyage of the Oasis of the Seas, the largest, most revolutionary cruise ship in the world.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Viking Long Ship Gefjon

2025-06-03 15:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 16:00:00 PST

Take a river tour through some of Europe's greatest cities--Budapest, Vienna, and Amsterdam--on Viking Longship Gefjon.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Viking Star

2025-06-03 16:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 17:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Planes

Stargazer L-1011

2025-06-03 17:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 18:00:00 PST

The Stargazer launches Pegasus rockets, delivering specialized weather satellites designed to detect the magnitude and intensity of hurricanes.

Mighty Trains

The Ghan

2025-06-03 18:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 19:00:00 PST

The Ghan takes passengers on a 3-day, 2-night journey through Australia; the Pichi Pichi Railway offers passengers a trip on an original steam locomotive train.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Stella Australis

2025-06-03 19:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 20:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Cruise Ships

Royal Clipper

2025-06-03 20:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 21:00:00 PST

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.

Mighty Trains

Bernina Express

2025-06-03 21:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 22:00:00 PST

Switzerland's Bernina Express is one of the most beautiful train journeys on Earth, especially in winter; one of three railway lines on the UNESCO World Heritage list, it navigates 55 tunnels and nearly 200 viaducts and bridges.

Mighty Trains

Bergen and Nordland

2025-06-03 22:00:00 PST - 2025-06-03 23:00:00 PST

Norway's Bergen Line stretches from Oslo to Bergen, passing through 182 tunnels; Nordland Line transports passengers and freight; Flam Railway boasts one of the steepest railway climbs on Earth.

Mighty Cruise Ships

Norwegian Joy

2025-06-03 23:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 00:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Cruise Ships

Paul Gauguin

2025-06-04 00:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 01:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Cruise Ships

Le Soléal

2025-06-04 01:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 02:00:00 PST

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

Mighty Cruise Ships

Europa 2

2025-06-04 02:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 03:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Death and Denial

2025-06-04 03:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 04:00:00 PST

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.

Air Disasters

Alarming Silence

2025-06-04 04:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 05:00:00 PST

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.

Air Disasters

Flying on Empty

2025-06-04 05:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 06:00:00 PST

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.

Air Disasters

Headline News

2025-06-04 06:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 07:00:00 PST

Three devastating crashes make front-page news around the globe; the media frenzy puts intense pressure on investigators to uncover the causes.

Air Disasters

Cruel Skies

2025-06-04 07:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 08:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Deadly Disturbance

2025-06-04 08:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 09:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Deadly Delay

2025-06-04 09:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 10:00:00 PST

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

How Did They Build That?

Heights & Balance

2025-06-04 10:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 11:00:00 PST

A 1.2 million square foot office building balances precariously on a 39 foot wide base in Chicago. A building named Pterodactyl lands on top of a Los Angeles parking garage. And the world's longest suspension footbridge.

How Did They Build That?

Retrofits & Airport Glitz

2025-06-04 11:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 12:00:00 PST

Visiting the Hearst Tower in Manhattan and Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore to understand how they were built; covering how designers and engineers attempt to create a museum worthy of Salvador Dali in Florida.

How Did They Build That?

Viaducts & Hotels

2025-06-04 12:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 13:00:00 PST

A towering bridge in France; upside-down hotel in China; Italy's forest into the sky.

How Did They Build That?

Radical & Resplendent

2025-06-04 13:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 14:00:00 PST

Exploring the design and engineering stories behind D.C.'s Museum of African American History, the Montreal Tower and the Equinor building in Oslo.

How Did They Build That?

Elevated & Elegant

2025-06-04 14:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 15:00:00 PST

Traveling from Canada to Belgium to the Southern U.S. to examine an eye-popping school, museum and railway station and reveal how they were built.

How Did They Build That?

Upside Down & Under Sea

2025-06-04 15:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 16:00:00 PST

Visiting the Vancouver House, Norway's Under restaurant and the Seattle Central Library to discover how these visionary buildings were created.

How Did They Build That?

Cantilevers & Lifts

2025-06-04 16:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 17:00:00 PST

An unstable high rise, an otherworldly museum, and a towering cliffside elevator.

How Did They Fix That?

2025-06-04 17:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 18:00:00 PST

An in-depth look at how things are repaired.

How Did They Fix That?

UPS Worldport

2025-06-04 18:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 19:00:00 PST

Mike Davidson goes to the biggest automated package sorting facility in the world - UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky. Two million packages go through here every day.

How Did They Fix That?

Heli-Logger

2025-06-04 19:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 20:00:00 PST

A crew and its massive air crane helicopter haul millions of pounds of timber while battling the elements and handling emergency repairs.

How Did They Fix That?

2025-06-04 20:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 21:00:00 PST

An in-depth look at how things are repaired.

Air Disasters

Accidents in the Air

2025-06-04 21:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 22:00:00 PST

From pilot error to meltdowns within air traffic control, investigators dig deep into three mid-air collisions that seem to defy logic.

Air Disasters

Playing Catch Up

2025-06-04 22:00:00 PST - 2025-06-04 23:00:00 PST

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.

Air Disasters

Deadly Display

2025-06-04 23:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 00:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Fanning the Flames

2025-06-05 00:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 01:00:00 PST

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

Air Disasters

Sideswiped

2025-06-05 01:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 02:00:00 PST

A Boeing 737 leaving Panama City crashes into one of the most remote and treacherous jungles on the planet.

Air Disasters

Imperfect Pitch

2025-06-05 02:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 03:00:00 PST

On 27 November 2008, an aircraft on a post-maintenance test flight operating as XL Airways Germany Flight 888T stalls and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of France, killing all seven people on board.

Combat Ships

War Beneath the Waves

2025-06-05 03:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 04:00:00 PST

The 200-year evolution of the submarine in wartime is examined, told by the designers and engineers behind the machines.

Combat Ships

Cold War Warriors

2025-06-05 04:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 05:00:00 PST

An up-close look at the naval carriers, destroyers, and nuclear submarines of the Cold War.

Combat Ships

Torpedo Boats

2025-06-05 05:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 06:00:00 PST

From tests in the River Thames, to the German's deadly U-boat attacks in World War II, this episode explores the silent threat of submarines.

Combat Ships

Hidden Figures

2025-06-05 06:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 07:00:00 PST

Stories of historic Black struggle for equality in maritime combat; an enslaved powder boy who served during the French and Indian War; a Civil War gunner; the first African American to command a vessel with a fully integrated crew: Hugh Mulzac.

Combat Ships

Record Breakers

2025-06-05 07:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 08:00:00 PST

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

Combat Ships

Gulf War Warriors

2025-06-05 08:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 09:00:00 PST

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.

Combat Ships

The Smallest Ships

2025-06-05 09:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 10:00:00 PST

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.

Combat Ships

Sunk

2025-06-05 10:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 11:00:00 PST

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.

Combat Ships

Top Guns

2025-06-05 11:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 12:00:00 PST

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

Combat Ships

Courageous Captains

2025-06-05 12:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 13:00:00 PST

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

Combat Ships

River Raiders

2025-06-05 13:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 14:00:00 PST

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

Combat Ships

Explosion!

2025-06-05 14:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 15:00:00 PST

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

Air Warriors

AC-130

2025-06-05 15:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 16:00:00 PST

The massive AC-130 provides unparalleled close air support to U.S. and allied ground troops.

Air Warriors

Little Bird

2025-06-05 16:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 17:00:00 PST

The inside story of how the AH/MH-6 evolved over the decades to become an irreplacable aircraft for the U.S. Military.

Air Warriors

Hawker Hunter

2025-06-05 17:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 18:00:00 PST

The inside story of Britain's flagship super jet of the Cold War era, the Hawker Hunter, and its most thrilling flights during the late 20th century.

Air Warriors

AH-1 Cobra

2025-06-05 18:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 19:00:00 PST

During the Vietnam War, the United States needed a helicopter that could defend itself; the AH-1 Cobra, the world's first pure attack helicopter.

Air Warriors

Prowler-Growler

2025-06-05 19:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 20:00:00 PST

Electronic warfare aircraft; the EA-6B Prowler; the EA-18G Growler.

Air Warriors

B-52

2025-06-05 20:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 21:00:00 PST

The history of the longest serving bomber in the U.S. military: the B-52 Stratofortress.

Air Warriors

Chinook

2025-06-05 21:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 22:00:00 PST

The 50-year evolution of the Army's top transport helicopter, the CH-47 Chinook.

Air Warriors

Top Gunships

2025-06-05 22:00:00 PST - 2025-06-05 23:00:00 PST

Exploring the world's top close air support aircraft, which enter battles at a minute's notice.

Air Warriors

Mosquito

2025-06-05 23:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 00:00:00 PST

A look at the British multi-role fighter aircraft; the de Havilland Mosquito was used in the Second World War as a bomber, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.

Air Warriors

KC-135 Stratotanker

2025-06-06 00:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 01:00:00 PST

The history of the KC-135 Stratotanker, the 60-year-old aerial refueler that keeps fighter jets flying.

Air Warriors

Osprey

2025-06-06 01:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 02:00:00 PST

The Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey.

Air Warriors

F-15

2025-06-06 02:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 03:00:00 PST

The F-15 Eagle's conquests in Iraq, Yugoslavia and even space.

How Did They Build That?

Skywalks & Suspensions

2025-06-06 03:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 04:00:00 PST

Uncovering the design and engineering secrets behind the Grand Canyon Skywalk, the Audain Museum and more.

How Did They Build That?

Towers & Roofs

2025-06-06 04:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 05:00:00 PST

A Manhattan high-rise; an Athens cultural center; a Singapore university.

How Did They Build That?

Sky Gardens & Seismic Stations

2025-06-06 05:00:00 PST - 2025-06-06 06:00:00 PST

The engineering secrets behind a massive sky garden in Singapore, the world's most slender tower in Brighton, and a railway station in the shadow of Vesuvius.