Smithsonian TV Guide — Saturday, 11 July 2026

Browse the full Smithsonian TV guide for Saturday, 11 July 2026. 24 programmes listed , including 6 tonight. US listings updated daily — scroll down to tonight's highlights or use the day tabs above to browse the weekly schedule.

Early Morning

00:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S19 · E10 · Slam Dunk Documentary

Slam Dunk

United Express Flight 6291 crashes in Washington, D.C., killing three crewmembers and two passengers, and the cockpit voice recorder reveals the cause.

01:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S15 · E4 · Fatal Delivery Documentary

Fatal Delivery

When a fire occurs on a UPS Flight Six, smoke quickly fills up the cockpit, making it a tough challenge against time to get the plane to safety.

02:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S14 · E5 · The Final Push Documentary

The Final Push

The MD-11 was involved in two similar air disasters 12 years apart, and the NTSB investigated the second crash to learn whether it was caused by a design flaw.

03:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S19 · E3 · Fatal Approach True

Fatal Approach

When a commuter plane crashes at the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands, investigators determine that a minor circuity problem caused fatal errors.

04:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S13 · E2 · Speed Trap True

Speed Trap

In 1971, a civilian airliner collided with a military airplane, and the accident led to changed regulations for civilian and military flights.

05:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S16 · E6 · Meltdown Over Kathmandu True

Meltdown Over Kathmandu

Landing at one of the world's most challenging airports, a passenger plane comes in like a fighter jet and crashes, killing 51 of the 71 people aboard.

Morning

06:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S4 · E9 · Vertigo True

Vertigo

A tragic event occurred on January 3, 200 when Flash Airlines Flight 604 crashed into the Red Sea; investigators try to figure out why.

07:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E13 · Georgia Travel

Georgia

Viewed from the sky, the Empire State of the South offers views of natural wonders such as the Appalachian Mountains as well as the imposing skyline of Atlanta.

08:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E10 · Oregon Travel

Oregon

An aerial tour of the Beaver State reveals a lake in the cone of a long-dormant volcano and a mountain range with four of the highest peaks in the U.S.

09:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E70 · Boston 24 Travel

Boston 24

The revolutionary history surrounding the city of Boston is examined as an in-depth look is taken at the individuals who founded the city.

10:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E47 · Alaska's Call of the Wild Travel

Alaska's Call of the Wild

Alaska lures adventurers with picture-postcard beauty and unspoiled wildernesses, but its lethal dangers have claimed the lives of those who were unaware.

11:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E73 · Coasts Travel

Coasts

An aerial tour of coastlines in America showcases the history of the country's borders.

Daytime

12:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E41 · Utah Travel

Utah

From the air, the Beehive State has an otherworldly beauty, with exotic geologic formations and the blinding white of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

13:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E60 · On the Water Travel

On the Water

In a certain area of the San Francisco Bay lie hundreds of ships that were sunken on purpose because they were left behind by immigrants who were moving inland.

14:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E18 · New York Travel

New York

The Empire State is home to natural wonders such as Niagara Falls and a huge city that is full of historic architecture and rich with stories of its people.

15:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E15 · New Hampshire Travel

New Hampshire

The state whose motto is 'Live Free or Die' hosts a population of free thinkers living among its impressive mountains, beautiful rivers and colonial villages.

16:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E52 · Missouri Travel

Missouri

An aerial survey of Missouri reveals St. Louis, Kansas City and regions in between with everything from bustling river ports to breathtaking mountain views.

17:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E8 · Rhode Island Travel

Rhode Island

A flyover of America's smallest state reveals historic lighthouses and a stone millhouse that may have been built by Norsemen before the time of Columbus.

Evening

18:00 1h

Aerial America

S1 · E16 · Maryland & Delaware Travel

Maryland & Delaware

Maryland and Delaware have been the sites of everything from a terminus of the Underground Railroad to the battle that inspired 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'

19:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S3 · E4 · Fight for Your Life True

Fight for Your Life

A FedEx employee who feels he has nothing left to lose sneaks onto a cargo flight, waits until the plane is in the air, and attacks the crew in the cockpit.

20:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S12 · E9 · Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster True

Lokomotiv Hockey Team Disaster

Investigations into the 2011 crash of a Russian passenger jet seem to indicate that pilot error and improper certification were to blame for the accident.

21:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S3 · E10 · Kid in the Cockpit True

Kid in the Cockpit

On a 1994 flight, an Aeroflot pilot allows his two children into the cockpit, and the autopilot controlling the ailerons is accidentally switched off.

22:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

Deadly Confusion True

Deadly Confusion

Examining spatial disorientation, the main cause of all air accidents that even the most experienced pilots can't avoid.

23:00 1h

Mayday: Air Disaster

S5 · E4 · Fanning the Flames Documentary

Fanning the Flames

When a Boeing 747 fills with smoke as it flies over the Indian Ocean the crew locates the fire, which is in the cargo area, and manages to get the doors open.