On April 4, 1977, Southern Airways Flight 242, en route from Huntsville, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, encounters a violent thunderstorm that unleashes massive hailstones. The fierce impact leads to the failure of both engines on the DC-9-31. In a desperate bid for safety, the crew attempts an emergency landing on a highway in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia. Tragically, the aircraft collides with a gas station, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that claims the lives of 62 passengers and crew, along with eight individuals on the ground. Two more succumb to injuries later on.
Show
True Jackson, VP
Episode
S05E03
Air Date
Apr 23, 2008
Season 5 Episodes
S05E01
Explosive Evidence (Air India Flight 182)
S05E02
Behind Closed Doors (American Airlines Flight 96 and Turkish Airlines Flight 981)
S05E03
Southern Storm (Southern Airways Flight 242)
S05E04
Dead Weight (Air Midwest Flight 5481)
S05E05
Invisible Killer (Delta Air Lines Flight 191)
S05E06
Gimli Glider (Air Canada Flight 143)
S05E07
Fanning the Flames (South African Airways Flight 295)
S05E08
Fatal Distraction (Eastern Airlines Flight 401)
S05E09
Mixed Signals (Birgenair Flight 301)
S05E10
Phantom Strike (Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907)