NTSB Unravels Alaskan Air Crashes on New Television Show

A man crashes into trees while flying over his daughter’s wedding celebration and is killed. A routine air taxi flight plows into a mountain, resulting in two deaths. These accidents are just two of the cases that National Transportation Safety Board investigators examine in a new documentary television series on the Smithsonian Channel. “Alaska Aircrash Investigations” brings viewers along for the ride as NTSB investigators seek to discover what caused these plane accidents and others in the state.

With rough terrain and few roads in Alaska, many people rely on small private planes for transportation and these single-engine planes leave less room for error. Although the number of crashes has declined in recent years, the state still averages approximately 100 aircraft accidents annually with about one crash per day during summer. Most of the accidents don’t result in fatalities but some do. Reducing the number of crashes and deaths is the goal of the show, according to NTSB investigators.

“Alaska Aircrash Investigations,” which began March 13, airs on Sunday’s at 9 p.m. Eastern. For more information visit: http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/alaska-aircrash-investigations/1004287.