Aviation Accident Summary Archive

LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 crashed into Bwabwata National Park in Namibia after the captain deliberately manipulated the autopilot settings to an altitude below ground level. The investigation by the Directorate of Aircraft Accident Investigations Namibia (DAAI) concluded that the captain remained alone on the flight deck after the co-pilot left to use the lavatory, subsequently locking the door and initiating a sustained controlled descent. All 33 people on board were killed in the high-energy impact.

Pilot Error

Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363 crashed during a go-around at Kazan International Airport after the crew experienced spatial disorientation. The aircraft entered a steep nose-up attitude following the application of go-around thrust, which the crew countered with an excessive nose-down input, leading to a near-vertical dive into the ground. The investigation revealed that the captain had obtained his pilot's license using falsified documents and lacked the necessary skills for upset recovery.

Pilot Error

Southwest Airlines Flight 3426 experienced a maintenance alert related to cabin pressure while descending toward Raleigh-Durham International Airport. During the resulting emergency descent, the captain inadvertently broadcast a message to the passengers over the public address system stating 'We're going down,' causing significant alarm in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely without further incident.

Mechanical Failure

Aerocon Flight 25 crashed and caught fire during a landing attempt at Riberalta Airport in heavy rain and poor visibility. The aircraft, a Fairchild Metro III, veered off the runway, overturned, and was consumed by fire. While 10 occupants survived, eight passengers perished in the blaze. The investigation determined that a tailwind windshear pushed the aircraft downward on short final, causing a loss of lift. The disaster also highlighted critical infrastructure failures, as the airport lacked functional firefighting equipment, forcing local civilians to attempt rescues with sticks and metal bars.

Weather

Two Cessna aircraft carrying skydivers collided at 12,700 feet during a formation flight, resulting in the destruction of the lead aircraft and a successful emergency landing for the trail aircraft. As the lead Cessna 182L prepared to drop four jumpers, the trailing Cessna 185F drifted into it from above and behind. The impact caused the Cessna 182L to break up in flight and catch fire. All nine skydivers and both pilots survived; one skydiver from the trail aircraft sustained serious injuries, while others received minor or no injuries.

Pilot Error · Multi-aircraft

Lao Airlines Flight 301 crashed into the Mekong River during a second approach attempt to Pakse International Airport in severe weather. The flight crew failed to properly execute a missed approach procedure after descending below the minimum descent altitude. During the go-around, the crew mismanaged the aircraft's vertical profile and flight director modes, leading to a steep climb followed by a sudden descent into the riverbank and water. All 49 people on board were killed.

Pilot Error

MASwings Flight 3002 crashed into a residential house during a second landing attempt at Kudat Airport after the crew failed to maintain control during a go-around in gusty wind conditions. The flight was a specific sector of a multi-stop route, originating from Kota Kinabalu. The aircraft was configured with full flaps (37 degrees) during the approach despite company procedures advising against it in gusty weather. When a sudden gust hit the aircraft at 20 feet, the crew initiated a go-around but failed to retract the flaps, resulting in high drag that prevented the aircraft from climbing. The Twin Otter struck trees and a house in Kampung Sin San, killing the co-pilot and one passenger, and injuring four others.

Pilot Error

Associated Aviation Flight 361 crashed shortly after takeoff from Lagos when the crew attempted to fly with a malfunctioning engine and improper flap configuration. The aircraft, a charter flight carrying the body of former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu, suffered a low-altitude stall after the No. 2 engine failed to produce sufficient thrust and its propeller feathered during the takeoff roll. Despite receiving multiple aural warnings regarding flaps and auto-feathering, and the First Officer suggesting an abort, the Captain elected to continue the takeoff. The aircraft failed to gain altitude, veered right, and impacted the ground in a steep bank less than a minute after liftoff.

Pilot Error

A CHC Scotia Eurocopter AS332 L2 Super Puma crashed into the North Sea during a non-precision approach to Sumburgh Airport, resulting in four fatalities. The investigation determined that the flight crew failed to monitor their flight instruments effectively, allowing the airspeed to decay significantly without intervention. This led to a loss of control and a high rate of descent at an altitude from which recovery was impossible. The helicopter struck the water approximately two nautical miles west of the airport and subsequently capsized.

Pilot Error

UPS Airlines Flight 1354 crashed into a hill approximately one mile short of the runway during a night approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The Airbus A300 struck trees and terrain after the flight crew continued an unstabilized approach and failed to monitor their altitude, descending below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) without the runway in sight. Both pilots were killed in the impact and subsequent fire. The NTSB investigation highlighted pilot fatigue and deficiencies in flight management computer (FMC) programming as primary factors in the accident.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An Ethiopian Air Force Antonov An-12B military cargo plane crashed and burst into flames while attempting to land at Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu. The aircraft was transporting weapons and ammunition for the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) when it impacted to the left of runway 05. Four crew members were killed in the crash, while two others were rescued from the wreckage with injuries.

Under Investigation

Southwest Airlines Flight 345 suffered a nose landing gear collapse after the captain attempted to salvage an unstabilized approach by taking control of the aircraft at an altitude of only 27 feet. The aircraft struck the runway in a nose-down attitude, causing the nose gear to collapse upward into the electronics bay. The NTSB determined the probable cause was the captain's decision to transfer control at low altitude instead of performing a mandatory go-around when the approach became unstabilized. While there were no fatalities, 8 to 9 occupants sustained minor injuries during the subsequent emergency evacuation.

Pilot Error

Asiana Airlines Flight 214 struck a seawall during a visual approach to Runway 28L at San Francisco International Airport. The flight crew mismanaged the airplane's descent and airspeed after the autothrottle entered a 'HOLD' mode that did not maintain speed. The aircraft descended below the glidepath and slowed significantly below the target approach speed. Despite late attempts to initiate a go-around, the tail of the aircraft struck the seawall, leading to the separation of the tail and a post-crash fire.

Pilot Error

A Polar Airlines Mil Mi-8T helicopter crashed into a mountain ridge in the Sakha Republic after the crew continued flight into deteriorating weather conditions under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The aircraft struck an elevated outcropping at an altitude of approximately 650 meters while operating in mountainous terrain. The impact and subsequent post-crash fire resulted in the deaths of 24 of the 28 people on board. Investigators determined the Pilot in Command failed to make a timely decision to return to the departure airfield when weather conditions fell below VFR minimums, leading to a descent below the safe flight altitude.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Zlín 526AFS-V crashed during an unauthorized aerobatic display at the Roadrunner's Paradise Race 61 festival after the engine lost power during an inverted low pass. The pilot, performing maneuvers at extremely low altitude without official permission, attempted to roll the aircraft upright following the engine failure. During the recovery attempt, the right wing tip tank struck the ground, causing the aircraft to flip and crash into a solar park. The investigation determined the engine failure was caused by fuel starvation during inverted flight, exacerbated by the pilot's decision to perform aerobatics with wing tip tanks installed, which prohibited such maneuvers.

Pilot Error

Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 6517 crashed during landing at El Tari Airport after the flight crew unintentionally moved the power levers into the Beta range while still airborne. The resulting change in propeller pitch created significant drag and a sudden loss of lift, causing the aircraft to drop from approximately 90 feet and impact the runway with a vertical acceleration of 5.99 G. The airframe broke into two sections and both wings were severely damaged. While all 50 occupants survived the impact, 25 people were injured, including 5 who sustained serious injuries.

Pilot Error

Nepal Airlines Flight 555 overran the runway at Jomsom Airport after the Pilot in Command (PIC) attempted an unauthorized landing on Runway 06 with a tailwind, followed by a failed attempt to take off again after a runway excursion. Upon touchdown, the aircraft veered off the paved surface into a grass area. The PIC then applied power to attempt a go-around from the grass, but the aircraft lacked sufficient airspeed and lift because the First Officer had already retracted the flaps as part of standard post-landing checks. The aircraft plunged 20 meters down a bank into the Gandaki River. The forward fuselage was destroyed, but the rear of the aircraft remained intact and the left wing was found submerged. All 21 occupants survived, though 13 sustained injuries, including 7 or 8 reported as serious or critical.

Pilot Error

National Airlines Flight 102 crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram Air Base when its cargo of five heavy armored vehicles shifted aft, damaging critical flight control systems. The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 converted freighter, was carrying two 12-ton M-ATVs and three 18-ton Cougar MRAPs. During the initial climb, the aft-most vehicle broke free from its restraints, rolled backward through the aft pressure bulkhead, and severed the horizontal stabilizer jackscrew and hydraulic lines. This caused an unrecoverable pitch-up, leading to an aerodynamic stall and impact within the airfield perimeter. All seven crew members perished.

Human Factors (Operational)

Lion Air Flight 904 crashed into the sea approximately 300 meters short of Runway 09 at Ngurah Rai International Airport during a rain squall. Despite the aircraft being nearly new and having no mechanical defects, the crew continued a manual descent below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) without having the runway in sight. A late attempt to execute a go-around was initiated at only 20 feet above the water, which was insufficient to prevent impact. All 108 passengers and crew survived the ditching, although the aircraft was destroyed and written off.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Mil Mi-8P helicopter crashed in the Peruvian Amazon after an improperly stowed luggage net entangled with the tail rotor transmission, leading to a total loss of directional control. During the subsequent emergency autorotation attempt, the main rotor blades struck and severed the tail boom, causing the aircraft to fall out of control into dense forest. All 13 occupants, including Perenco oil workers and contractors, were killed.

Human Factors (Operational)

Two German Federal Police helicopters collided on the ground during a large-scale training exercise at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. The accident occurred when three helicopters attempted to land in sequence on a snow-covered field, creating intense whiteout conditions. The third helicopter, a Super Puma, lost visual reference due to recirculating snow, drifted during touchdown, and rolled over, causing its main rotor to strike the already-landed EC155. The pilot of the EC155 was killed by a piece of a rotor blade.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Alaska Central Express Flight 51, a cargo flight, crashed into the Muklung Hills while attempting an instrument approach to Dillingham, Alaska. The flight crew descended to 2,000 feet based on an ambiguous air traffic control clearance, despite the published minimum safe altitude for the area being 5,400 feet and the holding altitude being 4,300 feet. The aircraft struck a rock outcrop at about 1,996 feet while in a wings-level attitude during a holding pattern. Both crew members were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation Fokker 50 cargo flight crashed into a residential area in Goma during a heavy rainstorm, approximately two minutes before its scheduled landing. The aircraft was arriving from Kananga via Lodja when it impacted a residential lot. While seven occupants (including six crew members and a loadmaster) were killed, three passengers survived the impact. The accident occurred amidst poor visibility and adverse weather conditions, leading the Congolese government to mandate a re-certification process for all domestic carriers already blacklisted by the European Union.

Weather

A hot air balloon carrying 20 passengers and one pilot caught fire and exploded during a landing attempt near Luxor, resulting in the deadliest aerostat accident since the Hindenburg disaster. As the balloon approached the ground, a fuel leak in a high-pressure hose ignited, severely burning the pilot and causing the craft to ascend rapidly and uncontrollably. The fire eventually triggered a gas canister explosion at approximately 300 meters (980 feet), causing the envelope to deflate and the basket to plunge into a sugar cane field. Nineteen occupants were killed, including tourists from Hong Kong, Japan, Britain, France, and Hungary, while the pilot and one passenger survived by jumping from the basket at low altitude.

Mechanical Failure