Flights Gone Wrong

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  1. Swissair Flight 551: Landing an MD-81 With a Smoke-Filled Cockpit

    Event: 1993Published: 24 Oct 2026

    Ten minutes out of Munich, a worn emergency power switch began to smoulder in the overhead panel of Swissair Flight 551, filling the MD-81's cockpit with thick smoke and knocking out the captain's…

    View event: Swissair Flight 551 (1993)
    Location
    Munich
    Phase of flight
    Cruise
  2. Alaska Airlines Flight 261: Two Hours With a Jammed Stabiliser

    Event: 2000Published: 15 Dec 2023

    Green Dot Aviation's animated documentary follows Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on 31 January 2000, from the climb out of Puerto Vallarta, when the stabiliser jammed, to the final inverted dive off…

    View event: Alaska Airlines Flight 261 (2000)
    Location
    Pacific Ocean, about 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California, United States
    Phase of flight
    Cruise
  3. Alaska Airlines Flight 261: How a Worn Jackscrew Caused the Dive

    Event: 2000Published: 3 Jun 2023

    Mentour Pilot explains the loss of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on 31 January 2000, beginning with how the MD-80's horizontal stabiliser and jackscrew work and how their maintenance was stretched over…

    View event: Alaska Airlines Flight 261 (2000)
    Location
    Pacific Ocean, about 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California, United States
    Phase of flight
    Cruise