Search aviation accident summaries by aircraft, airline, causal factor, and decade. Each entry links to the full case file and official reports.
2013-FEB-13 · Antonov An-24RV
South Airlines Flight 8971, a charter flight carrying football fans to a UEFA Champions League match, crashed while attempting to land in dense fog at Donetsk International Airport. The aircraft struck soft ground between the runway and taxiway, flipped, and caught fire. While 47 occupants escaped through a breach in the fuselage, five passengers were killed. Investigators determined the crew was unprepared for the prevailing weather conditions and failed to execute a go-around after losing visual contact with the runway at the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA). The aircraft subsequently slowed below its minimum control speed, stalled, and impacted the ground right-wing first.
Pilot Error
2013-JAN-29 · Bombardier CRJ200ER
SCAT Airlines Flight 760 crashed into a snow-covered field approximately 1.6 kilometers short of Almaty International Airport during a missed approach in thick fog. The aircraft was performing a go-around after failing to meet the minimum visibility requirements for landing when it suddenly entered a steep dive. The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) investigation determined that the elevator was deflected downward, causing the aircraft to impact the ground at a high rate of descent. While no mechanical failures were found, investigators highlighted several human factors, including the potential incapacitation of the captain due to a heart attack, the first officer's failure to monitor flight instruments while preoccupied with radio communications, and the possible influence of somatogravic illusions during the go-around maneuver.
Human Factors (CRM)
2013-JAN-23 · de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
A de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, operated by Kenn Borek Air, impacted the steep slopes of Mount Elizabeth while on a VFR repositioning flight across Antarctica. The aircraft turned toward its destination earlier than planned, entering an area of rising terrain while likely obscured by cloud cover. The crew initiated a climb approximately 45 seconds before impact, possibly in response to a terrain advisory, but the aircraft's performance at high altitude was insufficient to clear the mountain. All three crew members were killed, and due to extreme environmental hazards, their bodies were never recovered.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
2013-JAN-16 · Agusta A109E Power
An Agusta A109E Power helicopter collided with a construction crane attached to the St George Wharf Tower in Vauxhall, London, during a period of poor visibility and low cloud. The pilot was attempting to divert to the London Heliport in Battersea after being unable to land at Elstree due to weather. The collision sheared off the crane's jib and sent the helicopter plunging into Wandsworth Road, where it exploded in a fireball. The pilot (the sole occupant) and one pedestrian on the ground were killed, and nine others were injured by falling debris and fire.
Pilot Error
2012-DEC-29 · Tupolev Tu-204-100B
Red Wings Airlines Flight 9268 overran the runway at Vnukovo International Airport after the aircraft failed to achieve simultaneous compression of both main landing gear struts, preventing the activation of thrust reversers and wheel brakes. During a high-speed landing in gusty crosswinds, the lack of physical compression on the right landing gear strut meant the 'weight-on-wheels' sensors were not triggered. This inhibited the safety interlocks for the braking systems, and the crew's attempt to engage maximum reverse thrust instead resulted in an increase of forward engine power, accelerating the aircraft off the end of the runway and into a highway embankment.
Mechanical Failure
Air Bagan Flight 011, a Fokker 100, crash-landed short of the runway at Heho Airport during a non-precision approach in foggy conditions. The aircraft struck power lines and trees approximately 0.7 nautical miles from the threshold, causing the left wing to separate and a fire to erupt. One passenger and one motorcyclist on the ground were killed. The investigation determined that the flight crew descended below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) without visual contact with the runway, failing to follow standard operating procedures for inclement weather.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
2012-DEC-25 · Antonov An-72-100
On December 25, 2012, a Kazakh military transport aircraft crashed during its descent into Shymkent, killing all 27 people on board. The flight was transporting high ranking members of the Kazakhstan Border Guard Service, including its acting director, Colonel Turganbek Stambekov. While descending in poor visibility, the aircraft experienced technical failures that led the crew to lose situational awareness of their height. Consequently, the aircraft impacted the ground about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the airport while the crew believed they were still at a safe altitude. The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the airframe.
Pilot Error
2012-DEC-21 · Mil Mi-8AMT
A United Nations Mi-8 helicopter, operated by Nizhnevartovskavia on behalf of UNMISS, was shot down by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) near Likuangole, South Sudan. The aircraft was performing a reconnaissance mission when it was engaged by SPLA artillery units who mistook it for a Sudanese government aircraft allegedly supplying rebel forces. All four Russian crew members on board were killed when the helicopter crashed and burned.
Military Action
2012-DEC-17 · Antonov An-26-100
On December 17, 2012, an Amazon Sky Antonov An-26 cargo flight crashed into the Andes mountains after both engines failed due to severe icing. The investigation determined that the crew failed to activate the aircraft's anti-icing systems in a timely manner despite flying through adverse weather conditions. After the engines shut down due to ice ingestion, the crew attempted a restart while performing a steep turn to avoid terrain, but the maneuver resulted in a rapid loss of altitude. The aircraft impacted Mount Huique at approximately 10:42 local time at an elevation of approximately 15,022 feet, killing all four crew members on board.
Pilot Error
A Learjet 25 business jet carrying Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera and her entourage crashed into mountainous terrain shortly after departing Monterrey. The aircraft experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of control while climbing through 28,000 feet, entering a near-vertical nosedive at speeds exceeding its maximum operating limits. The investigation was severely limited by the destruction of the flight data recorder and the disappearance of the cockpit voice recorder, leaving the exact cause of the upset undetermined.
Unknown
2012-DEC-05 · Douglas C-47TP Dakota
A South African Air Force Douglas C-47TP Dakota crashed into the Drakensberg Mountains while en route from AFB Waterkloof to Mthatha. The aircraft was operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at 11,000 feet when it struck terrain near Giant's Castle. All eleven people on board, including six crew members and five passengers, were killed. The investigation attributed the accident to pilot error, as the crew continued flight into hazardous terrain while unable to maintain visual contact with the ground.
Pilot Error
2012-NOV-30 · Ilyushin Il-76T
An Ilyushin Il-76T freighter crashed into a residential neighborhood while attempting to land at Maya-Maya Airport during a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft clipped trees and houses at distances of 1,080 meters and 1,015 meters short of runway 05L before coming to rest in a ravine. All six crew members were killed, along with 26 people on the ground. Initial reports were contradictory, with some officials suggesting a runway overrun after a failed go-around, while wreckage analysis confirmed the aircraft impacted short of the threshold. The investigation is ongoing, with preliminary theories citing weather conditions, including a possible lightning strike or downdraft, and potential pilot error for attempting an approach in conditions described by the Congolese President as unflyable.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
2012-OCT-07 · Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander
FlyMontserrat Flight 107 crashed shortly after takeoff from Antigua when the right engine failed due to water contamination in the fuel system. The aircraft had been parked during a period of heavy rainfall (approximately 40 mm) prior to the flight. An incompatible fuel filler cap allowed water to enter the right fuel tank, and the pilot did not perform a pre-flight water drain check. Following the engine failure at a low altitude, the pilot failed to feather the propeller or maintain control, leading to a right-hand roll, stall, and impact within the airport perimeter.
Mechanical Failure
2012-OCT-01 · de Havilland DH.84 Dragon
A vintage 1934 de Havilland DH.84 Dragon, named Riama, crashed into a steep, densely wooded ridge near Borumba Dam after the pilot unintentionally entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot, who was not qualified for instrument flight, became spatially disoriented while attempting to navigate through thick cloud and low visibility for over an hour. All six occupants were killed when the aircraft impacted terrain at moderate to high speed with a left bank.
Human Factors (Operational)
2012-SEP-28 · Dornier 228-202
Sita Air Flight 601 crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu when the aircraft suffered an unexplained reduction in thrust and a subsequent loss of control. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft struck a Black Kite bird, though investigators found no evidence of bird ingestion into the engines. The flight crew prematurely called V1 and rotated the aircraft below the recommended speed. Despite the engine malfunction occurring below the actual V1, the crew continued the takeoff. The aircraft failed to maintain sufficient airspeed to climb, entered a stall, and crashed into the banks of the Manohara River, killing all 19 people on board.
Other
2012-SEP-12 · Antonov An-28
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Flight 251 crashed into a wooded slope on Mount Pyatibratka while attempting to land at Palana Airport. The aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude during an instrument approach in mountainous terrain and poor weather conditions. Investigators determined that both pilots were intoxicated at the time of the accident, which significantly impaired their judgment and adherence to flight procedures. Of the 14 people on board, 10 were killed and the four survivors sustained serious injuries.
Pilot Error
2012-AUG-23 · Lindstrand LBL 600C
A Lindstrand LBL 600C hot air balloon, the largest in Slovenia and the largest serially manufactured balloon in the world at the time, crashed and caught fire during an attempted emergency landing in a thunderstorm. After encountering severe wind shear and downdrafts, the balloon struck the ground twice and collided with a tree canopy. The impact damaged gas rigging, causing a leak from open fuel tanks that ignited, leading to a fire that killed four passengers at the scene and two others later in the hospital.
Pilot Error
2012-AUG-19 · Antonov An-26-100
An Antonov An-26-100 operated by Alfa Airlines crashed into a mountain during a second landing attempt at Talodi Airfield, killing all 32 people on board. The aircraft was carrying a high-level Sudanese government delegation for Eid al-Fitr celebrations when it encountered severe weather, including seasonal heavy rains and low clouds that reduced visibility to zero. After an initial missed approach, the flight crew descended below safe altitudes during a go-around procedure and struck the slope of Mount Hagar al-Nar.
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)
2012-AUG-18 · Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II
On August 18, 2012, a chartered Piper Seneca carrying Philippine Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo crashed into the sea during an emergency approach to Masbate Airport following a right-hand engine failure. The investigation revealed that the engine failure was caused by improper maintenance and a loose idler gear shaft, while the crash itself resulted from the pilot's failure to maintain situational awareness and follow correct one-engine-inoperative procedures. The pilot prematurely extended the landing gear and flaps, increasing drag beyond the aircraft's single-engine performance capabilities. Secretary Robredo and both pilots perished, while Robredo's aide survived.
Pilot Error
2012-JUN-22 · McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantom II
A Turkish RF-4E Phantom II reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by Syrian air defense forces while conducting a radar test mission over the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft briefly violated Syrian airspace for approximately five minutes before being warned by Turkish radar controllers to exit. After returning to international airspace, the jet was struck by a Syrian surface-to-air missile (or anti-aircraft fire, according to conflicting reports) and crashed into the sea. Both crew members were killed, and the incident significantly escalated tensions between Turkey and Syria during the early stages of the Syrian Civil War.
Military Action
2012-JUN-21 · Fokker F27 Friendship 400M
An Indonesian Air Force Fokker F27 Friendship crashed into a military housing complex during a training flight near Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. The aircraft was performing touch-and-go maneuvers when it stalled during the final turn (base to final) to the left while attempting to align with runway 18. All seven crew members on board were killed, along with four residents on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 11. The crash destroyed nine houses and caused a significant post-impact fire.
Pilot Error
2012-JUN-10 · Eurocopter AS 350B3e Ecureuil
A Kenya Police Eurocopter AS 350B3e crashed into the Ngong Forest shortly after departing Nairobi, killing all six people on board, including Interior Security Minister George Saitoti. The aircraft disappeared from radar approximately ten minutes after takeoff and was destroyed by a post-crash fire. An official commission of inquiry determined that the crew lost control of the helicopter after encountering poor visibility conditions, likely leading to spatial disorientation.
Human Factors (Operational)
2012-JUN-03 · McDonnell Douglas MD-83
Dana Air Flight 992 crashed into a densely populated residential area in Lagos following a dual-engine failure. The investigation revealed that the left engine lost power early in the flight due to a fractured fuel manifold, followed by the right engine during the final approach. The flight crew failed to declare an emergency or divert after the first engine failure, continuing the flight to Lagos where the second engine failed, leaving the aircraft unable to maintain altitude. All 153 people on board and 6 people on the ground were killed.
Human Factors (Operational)
2012-JUN-02 · Boeing 727-221F Advanced
A Boeing 727 cargo aircraft overran the runway at Kotoka International Airport during a heavy rainstorm, crashing through the airport perimeter fence and striking a minibus and a cyclist on a public road. While all four crew members survived the impact, 12 people on the ground were killed, including all 10 occupants of the minibus and a cyclist. The investigation determined that the captain failed to execute a missed approach despite unstable conditions, high approach speeds, and a tailwind that exceeded the aircraft's limitations. The aircraft touched down approximately 5,807 feet beyond the threshold of Runway 21, leaving insufficient distance to stop on the rain-slicked surface.
Pilot Error