Aviation Accident Summary Archive

An Olimp Air Antonov An-2P, chartered by the Kazakhmys Group, crashed into terrain during a low-visibility approach to the Shatyrkul mine landing strip. The aircraft was performing a multi-stop flight from Balkhash when it encountered worsening weather conditions, including low cloud cover and fog. The flight crew failed to maintain the minimum safe altitude, resulting in the aircraft striking the ground approximately 1.2 km south of the landing strip, which was located about 20 km from the Shatyrkul mine settlement. Six of the seven people on board were killed; the sole survivor, a geologist, managed to contact rescuers using a mobile phone retrieved from one of the victims after digging through deep snow.

Pilot Error

A Syrian Arab Air Force Antonov An-26 transport aircraft crashed while attempting to land at the besieged Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase during heavy fog. The aircraft struck an electricity pylon before impacting the ground, resulting in the deaths of all 35 personnel on board. While Syrian state media attributed the accident to weather conditions and technical issues, the Al-Nusra Front claimed they had shot down the aircraft.

Weather

Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea after a series of non-critical technical malfunctions led to a total loss of control. The sequence began with a recurring fault in the Rudder Travel Limiter Unit (RTLU). In an attempt to resolve the persistent alerts, the captain pulled circuit breakers to reset the Flight Augmentation Computers (FAC). This action disabled the aircraft's autopilot and flight envelope protections, placing the plane in 'Alternate Law.' The crew, unprepared for the manual handling requirements and suffering from poor coordination, inadvertently entered a high-altitude stall from which they did not recover.

Human Factors (Operational)

Loganair Flight 6780 was a scheduled domestic flight that nearly crashed into the North Sea after a lightning strike led to a severe conflict between the flight crew and the aircraft's autopilot. While on approach to Sumburgh, the aircraft was struck by lightning, causing the captain to instinctively take manual control. However, the autopilot remained engaged, a state the pilots did not recognize due to cognitive tunnelling and previous training on a different aircraft type. As the pilots pulled back to climb, the autopilot applied full nose-down trim to maintain its target altitude. The aircraft entered a high-speed dive, reaching a descent rate of 9,500 feet per minute and exceeding its maximum operating speed by 80 knots. The aircraft came within 1,100 feet of the water before a sensor fault caused the autopilot to disengage, finally allowing the pilots' nose-up inputs to take effect. The crew subsequently recovered the aircraft and diverted back to Aberdeen Airport, where they landed safely.

Human Factors (Operational)

On October 31, 2014, the VSS Enterprise, a SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket, suffered a catastrophic structural failure and broke apart during a powered test flight over the Mojave Desert. The accident occurred when the co-pilot prematurely unlocked the vehicle's feathering reentry system as the craft entered the transonic region at Mach 0.92. Aerodynamic forces, which the feather actuators were not designed to withstand in an unlocked state at that speed, forced the tail booms to deploy uncommanded. The resulting aerodynamic overload caused the immediate disintegration of the vehicle. The co-pilot was killed, while the pilot, despite being thrown from the craft at high altitude, survived with serious injuries.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Beechcraft B200 King Air (manufactured in 1999) crashed into a FlightSafety International training building shortly after takeoff from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport following a partial loss of power in the left engine. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was killed along with three people on the ground inside the building who were trapped in a flight simulator. The NTSB determined that the pilot failed to maintain lateral control and applied inappropriate rudder input, exacerbating the asymmetrical thrust condition rather than correcting it.

Pilot Error

A Dassault Falcon 50EX business jet crashed during its take-off run at Vnukovo International Airport after striking a snow plow that had strayed onto the active runway. The collision occurred in darkness and low visibility, causing the aircraft to roll inverted and catch fire. All four occupants, including Total SA CEO Christophe de Margerie and three French crew members, were killed. The investigation revealed that the snow plow driver was intoxicated and had lost his bearings, while air traffic control failed to detect the runway incursion in time to stop the take-off.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Cessna Citation XLS+ business jet crashed into a residential neighborhood in Santos while performing a missed approach in poor weather, killing all seven occupants including Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos and injuring 11 people on the ground. The flight had originated in Brasilia with a stopover in Rio de Janeiro. The investigation determined that the crew suffered from spatial disorientation after deviating from the prescribed instrument approach profile and executing a high-workload, non-standard go-around. Contributing factors included pilot fatigue, inadequate training on the specific aircraft model, and the use of a non-stabilized approach to save time.

Human Factors (Operational)

Sepahan Airlines Flight 5915 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran when its right engine failed two seconds before rotation. The aircraft, which was overloaded and improperly configured for the high-temperature conditions, failed to maintain altitude and stalled. The investigation revealed a failure in the electronic engine control system (SAY-2000) and significant errors in the aircraft's performance manuals that led the crew to overestimate the maximum allowable takeoff weight.

Mechanical Failure

Air Algérie Flight 5017, operated by Swiftair, crashed in the Malian desert after the crew failed to activate engine anti-ice systems while flying near a storm. Ice crystals obstructed the engine pressure ratio (EPR) sensors, providing false data to the autothrottle, which subsequently reduced engine thrust. The autopilot attempted to maintain altitude by increasing the aircraft's angle of attack until it reached a deep stall. The crew did not recognize the deteriorating airspeed or the stall warnings, and the aircraft entered a high-speed spiral descent from which it never recovered.

Human Factors (Operational)

TransAsia Airways Flight 222 crashed into a residential village during a failed go-around at Magong Airport, following a non-precision approach conducted in severe weather conditions. The investigation determined that the flight crew intentionally descended below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) without having the runway in sight. Amid heavy rain from Typhoon Matmo, the aircraft deviated from its course and struck a forest before impacting houses in Xixi Village. The crash resulted in 48 fatalities; all 10 survivors on board sustained serious injuries, and five people on the ground were also injured.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile while flying over eastern Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War. The aircraft was cruising at 33,000 feet when a 9N314M-type warhead detonated just outside the cockpit, causing the plane to break up in mid-air. All 298 passengers and crew were killed. Investigations concluded the missile was launched from territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists using a system transported from Russia.

Military Action

A Learjet 35A and a German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon collided mid-air during a military interception exercise over Olsberg, Germany. The Learjet was simulating a hijacked civilian airliner (Renegade scenario) while two Typhoons practiced interception procedures. During a turn, the Learjet crew lost visual contact with the lead Typhoon but continued the maneuver with an excessive bank angle, leading to a collision. The Learjet crashed near a residential area, killing both crew members, while the damaged Typhoon managed to land safely at Nörvenich Air Base.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

A Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD transport aircraft was shot down by pro-Russian separatists while on final approach to Luhansk International Airport. The aircraft was carrying 40 paratroopers from the 25th Separate Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade and nine crew members, all of whom perished when the plane crashed near the village of Krasne. The attack involved the use of man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and heavy machine guns, marking the deadliest single incident for the Ukrainian military during the early stages of the Donbas conflict.

Military Action

A Gulfstream G-IV overran the runway and crashed into a ravine after the flight crew attempted to take off with the gust lock system engaged. The pilots failed to perform a pre-flight control check, which would have revealed that the elevator, ailerons, and rudder were locked. Despite realizing the controls were immovable during the takeoff roll, the crew delayed aborting the takeoff for approximately 10 seconds, by which point the aircraft could no longer be stopped on the remaining runway. All seven people on board, including Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz, were killed.

Pilot Error

A Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force Antonov An-74TK-300 crashed during a final approach to Xieng Khouang Airport at approximately 06:15 local time, killing 16 of the 17 people on board. The aircraft was transporting high-ranking government officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, to a military ceremony. During the approach, the aircraft flew too low, causing the landing gear to clip trees approximately 1,500 to 2,000 meters short of the runway. The crash was determined to be a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) resulting from the crew's failure to maintain sufficient altitude during the approach.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A US Airways Airbus A320 crashed during a rejected takeoff after the captain attempted to abort the flight following rotation. The accident was initiated by a series of configuration errors, including the entry of the wrong departure runway into the flight management computer, which resulted in the loss of V-speeds and triggered a persistent 'RETARD' aural alert during the takeoff roll. Despite the warnings, the crew continued until rotation, at which point the captain abruptly reduced thrust to idle and forced the nose down, causing the aircraft to bounce and collapse its nose gear.

Pilot Error

An AgustaWestland AW139 crashed shortly after a night takeoff from a private site in dense fog, killing all four people on board, including Lord Ballyedmond. The investigation determined that the flight crew likely suffered from spatial disorientation, specifically a somatogravic illusion, as they transitioned to forward flight without external visual cues. The crew had expressed reluctance to fly in the prevailing weather conditions, but the flight proceeded after passenger delays. The helicopter pitched progressively nose-down until it impacted a field approximately 420 meters from the takeoff point.

Human Factors (Operational)

MH370 vanished from secondary radar 38 minutes after takeoff. The aircraft has never been found despite the largest and most expensive search in aviation history.

Unknown

Nepal Airlines Flight 183 crashed into a ridge at 7,190 feet during a domestic flight from Pokhara to Jumla, killing all 18 people on board. The aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions including icing and low visibility, prompting the crew to attempt a diversion to Bhairahawa. During the diversion, the Pilot-in-Command lost situational awareness and initiated a descent into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) without proper regard for the surrounding mountainous terrain. The aircraft struck a tree and then impacted a ridge, disintegrating upon impact.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An Algerian Air Force C-130H-30 Hercules transport aircraft crashed into Mount Fertas during an instrument approach to Constantine in severe weather. The aircraft was transporting military personnel and their families from Tamanrasset with an intermediate stop at Ouargla. During the descent, the flight encountered strong winds, snow, and poor visibility. The aircraft impacted mountainous terrain approximately 30 kilometers south of the destination airport, breaking into three sections. Of the 77 occupants, only one soldier survived with serious head injuries.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A medical transport flight carrying a transplant team crashed in the Apuseni Mountains following a dual engine failure caused by severe atmospheric icing. Although five occupants survived the initial impact, the rescue operation was severely delayed by technical failures and poor coordination, resulting in two fatalities. One passenger, a medical student, died of hypothermia before rescuers reached the site, while the captain died from a combination of trauma and exposure. The investigation highlighted critical failures in the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) system, specifically a missing antenna cable, and a lack of effective inter-agency communication during the search and rescue phase.

Weather

An Irkut-Avia Antonov An-12 cargo flight crashed during a night approach to Irkutsk Northwest Airport, striking trees and a military hangar approximately 1.7 kilometers short of the runway. The investigation identified pilot error as a primary cause, compounded by poor visibility due to snow and a mechanical failure of the number two engine, which a 2016 judicial investigation ruled was a primary factor. All nine people on board, including six crew members and three technicians, were killed in the impact and subsequent fire.

Pilot Error

A police helicopter crashed through the roof of The Clutha pub in Glasgow after both engines flamed out due to fuel starvation. Despite having 76 kilograms of fuel remaining in the main tank, the transfer pumps required to move fuel into the supply tanks had been switched off. The pilot failed to land the aircraft within the time limits specified in the Pilot's Checklist after low fuel warnings were triggered. The investigation concluded that the pilot did not follow emergency procedures, leading to a total loss of engine power and a subsequent crash that killed all three occupants and seven people in the pub. Additionally, 31 people in the pub were injured.

Pilot Error