Best of: Miracle Landings

Five classic episodes of The History Guy where pilots managed to land safely in difficult conditions. Nearly a full hour of aviation heroics.

00:00 - Pan American Flight 6
08:00 - Neva River Ditching, Russia
16:11 - The Extraordinary Landing of TACA International Flight 110
27:17 - Taffy Holden, the Accidental Lightning Pilot
39:19 - Flying Blind: Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise Flight 514

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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.

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[brucechamberlin]

Flight attendant that had presence of mind to move people forward was the hero who saved the most lives.

[shemwhitehead]

The lone Russian airport attendant who kept the runway clear, in my opinion, is the big hero in that story. He didn't have to do it but did so anyway.

[susanwahl]

I feel that the fact that the TACA’s pilot was blind in one eye makes that story even more incredible.

[TheStuport]

My Dad landed his fighter jet with no landing gear while temporality blinded from loss of blood due to the injury he suffered when he and his plane were struck near Luke AFB in Arizona back in the mid 1950's. His story was written up in Collier's Magazine and was Titled "Belly It In". Soon after, the same story was condensed into a "Drama In Real Life" segment that ran in Reader's Digest! I can honestly say that IF Dad had not survived, I would not be typing this comment. He was a Captain in The USAF at the time of his serious accident and went on to do a one year tour of Vietnam and retire a Lt. Col after a 28 year career. Dad was absolutely A Lifer Of The Skies! Cheers Everyone

[chopsddy]

Pan Am flight 6. Wow. What a tight spot! Everyone “kept their head” and survived. Great story. 👍

[jakerinehold]

My brother was on the Pontchartrain and participated in the rescue. He was the fellow standing up at the rear of the launch that arrived at the plane.

[steadfasttherenowned]

I love that these stories are being remembered. That flight crew in the first story were the stiffest of upper lip.

[RetiredSailor]

Good morning from Ft Worth TX to everyone watching... My father was a private pilot for 60 years. In 1972, he experienced an engine failure just after takeoff in his newly purchased 1959 Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Luckily he had enough altitude for a safe dead-stick landing back at the airport he just departed from.

[dawnt]

What incredible flight crews! True heroes who saved lives. The support folks on the ground deserve thanks as well!

[eaglewhite]

Incredible stories!
A cousin relayed a couple of his miracle landings to me. Both in a US fighter jet. First was a failure of JATO rocket assisted launch (one failed to ignite), resulting in a flip over. Landed in a cemetery, inverted, walked away. Second being a high altitude goose strike. Successfully landed aircraft. Career ending injuries.

[WillaHerrera]

I once long ago I found an interview here on youtube with Captain Dardano from Taca 110. He was very entertaining to listen to and had some crazy stories.

[yengsabio]

I don't consider myself an AV geek. Having said that, I'm always fascinated by anything aviation. Watching/hearing aviation history is always a great refreshment, giving a perspective to aviation that I normally don't yet know.

Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines!

[braddietzmusic]

Stories of brave pilots and crew never get old. I could enjoy hour upon hour of stories. If the spirit moves you, please consider more. Miracle Landings 2? Miracle Landings 3? Thanks!

[cwavt]

I loved this episode. Usually I hear stories about plane disasters were very few if any one lives. So did hear a string of episodes where incredible pilots were able to save all lives was refreshing and uplifting. Thank you

[richardtibbitts]

First-rate aviation reporting, History Guy! This episode held my interest for a hour in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. Or maybe I couldn't sleep because it was so interesting! Either way, it was an informative and entertaining presentation.

[WildWestGal]

In the first story, while all the crew were exemplary, the stewardess (yes, that's what they were called then) that moved passengers to the forward cabin, thus taking them out of the death-trap tail area that broke away on impact, is why no one died. Thanks to her memory of the death toll in another crash, when the tail also broke away, and immediate initiative everyone got to go home for dinner. I hope she was suitably honored.

[hopefarmer]

I enjoyed seeing a positive, and highly interesting and entertaining, video about plane incidents. My favorite channel these days at it is full of.... History worth remembering!

[dianespease]

I wanted to mention that Taka flight 110 was even more of a miracle due to the fact that its pilot lost use of his one eye but worked very hard to maintain a pilot’s license. Amazing!

[whoever]

I'm a big aviation nerd and I hadn't heard of some of these. Well done!

[bradliston]

These stories were exciting, thrilling, and just amazing to hear. Thank you sir.