Aviation Accident Summary Archive

Dagestan Airlines Flight 372 crash-landed at Domodedovo International Airport following a total loss of engine power. The emergency began when the flight engineer accidentally deactivated a fuel pump during a fuel transfer, leading to the flameout of the two outer engines at 9,000 metres due to fuel starvation. During the subsequent emergency approach in poor weather, the crew failed to follow standard operating procedures for partial engine failure. Although the center engine's operation was briefly restored, it failed completely during the final approach. The aircraft touched down at high speed off the runway centreline and broke into three sections upon impact with an embankment, killing two passengers.

Pilot Error

Sun Way Flight 4412 crashed shortly after takeoff from Karachi when an uncontained engine failure led to an in-flight fire and catastrophic loss of control. The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-76TD, suffered a fatigue fracture in the second stage disk of the low-pressure compressor in the number four engine. Debris from the engine punctured the right wing fuel tanks and damaged the flaps, causing an uncontrollable right roll. The investigation revealed the aircraft and its engines were being operated seven years past their certified design life without manufacturer approval. All eight people on board were killed, along with four workers on the ground.

Mechanical Failure

A Tarco Air Antonov An-24 crashed and caught fire while landing at Zalingei Airport following a domestic flight from Khartoum via Nyala. The aircraft performed a heavy landing on the dirt runway, bounced, and struck the ground a second time with sufficient force to shear off the landing gear and engines. The resulting fuel leak from the wings ignited, destroying most of the airframe. While 42 occupants survived the impact and subsequent fire, two passengers were killed.

Human Factors (CRM)

JS Air Flight 201 crashed shortly after takeoff from Karachi after the crew failed to properly manage a right engine malfunction. The Beechcraft 1900C-1 suffered a flameout of the number two engine, likely due to a worn beta valve, but the pilots failed to follow emergency procedures, including raising the landing gear and maintaining situational awareness. The aircraft stalled and crashed, killing all 21 people on board, including 17 personnel from the Italian oil company Eni.

Pilot Error

Aero Caribbean Flight 883 crashed in central Cuba after encountering severe atmospheric icing conditions at 20,000 feet. The aircraft, an ATR 72-212, suffered a significant loss of lift and control due to ice accumulation, which was exacerbated by the flight crew's failure to properly manage the emergency situation. All 68 people on board were killed when the aircraft entered a steep nose-down descent and struck mountainous terrain near Guasimal.

Human Factors (Operational)

Qantas Flight 32 suffered an uncontained engine rotor failure (UERF) of its No. 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine shortly after takeoff from Singapore. High-energy debris from the exploding intermediate pressure turbine disc punctured the wing and fuselage, causing massive damage to electrical, hydraulic, and flight control systems. Despite over 50 ECAM warnings and a critically degraded aircraft, the flight crew successfully managed the emergency and returned to Singapore for a safe landing with no injuries to the 469 people on board.

Mechanical Failure

A Tajik National Guard Mil Mi-8 military helicopter crashed in the Rasht Valley on October 6, 2010, while attempting to land near Ezgand and Tavildara. The aircraft became entangled in power lines during its descent, leading to a total loss of control and the deaths of all 28 personnel on board. The accident occurred during a period of heightened military activity in the region and remains the deadliest aviation event in Tajikistan since 1997.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Conviasa Flight 2350 crashed into an industrial area near the SIDOR steel mill during an emergency approach to Ciudad Guayana, killing 17 of the 51 people on board. The flight crew reported control problems approximately 64 nautical miles from the airport and declared a Mayday shortly before impact. The investigation determined that a malfunction in the Centralized Crew Alerting System (CCAS) triggered an erroneous stall warning, which, combined with the decoupling of the elevators, led to a loss of control. The crew's inability to diagnose the false warning and their subsequent mishandling of the flight controls were cited as primary factors in the accident.

Human Factors (CRM)

Alrosa Flight 514 suffered a total electrical failure while cruising at 35,000 feet, leading to the loss of navigation systems, radio, and electric fuel pumps. With only 30 minutes of fuel remaining in the engine supply tanks, the crew performed an emergency landing at a closed, 4,347-foot regional runway in Izhma. Despite the aircraft requiring over 7,200 feet for a standard landing and having no functional flaps or slats, the pilots successfully landed the aircraft with no fatalities among the 81 people on board.

Mechanical Failure

On 4 September 2010, a Fletcher FU-24 modified for skydiving operations crashed shortly after takeoff from Fox Glacier Aerodrome, killing all nine people on board. The aircraft performed a normal takeoff roll but pitched up into a near-vertical climb immediately after lifting off, reaching approximately 350 feet before stalling, rolling left, and diving into the ground. While initial findings attributed the crash to an extreme rearward center of gravity, a subsequent review by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) in 2015 concluded that the exact cause of the excessive pitch-up could not be determined. The investigation was heavily criticized for the premature burial of the wreckage, which prevented a thorough examination of the control systems.

Other

A Boeing 747-400 freighter crashed near Dubai International Airport after an uncontained fire broke out in the cargo hold, originating from a shipment of lithium batteries. The fire severely damaged the aircraft's primary flight control cables and filled the cockpit with thick, acrid smoke that obscured the pilots' vision and instruments. Despite attempts to return to Dubai, the crew was overcome by the conditions, and the aircraft struck the ground at high speed in a military camp.

In-flight Fire

A Let L-410 crashed into a house approximately one kilometer short of the runway at Bandundu Airport after a sudden shift in the center of gravity led to an irrecoverable loss of control. According to the sole survivor, the panic was triggered when a crocodile, smuggled in a passenger's duffel bag, escaped into the cabin during the final approach. The flight attendant and passengers reportedly rushed toward the cockpit to escape the reptile, causing the aircraft to pitch down and stall.

Human Factors (Operational)

Agni Air Flight 101 crashed into a hillside near Shikharpur during an attempted return to Kathmandu after suffering a total electrical failure in poor weather. The flight crew encountered generator malfunctions shortly after departing for Lukla and attempted to divert, but they were forced back toward Kathmandu due to widespread monsoon conditions. During the return, the aircraft's battery was prematurely exhausted because the crew used an outdated checklist, leading to the loss of all electronic flight instruments. Disoriented in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) without an attitude indicator, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, which struck the terrain at high speed.

Human Factors (Operational)

Henan Airlines Flight 8387 crashed short of the runway while attempting to land in heavy radiation fog at Yichun Lindu Airport. Despite visibility being below the required minimums and the crew failing to establish visual contact with the runway, the captain continued the approach below the decision height. The aircraft struck trees and terrain approximately 1,100 meters short of the runway threshold, resulting in a post-crash fire that killed 44 of the 96 people on board.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

AIRES Flight 8250 crashed short of the runway at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport during a night approach in poor weather. The Boeing 737-700 struck the ground approximately 49 meters before the runway threshold, breaking into three major sections. Despite the severity of the structural failure, only two of the 131 occupants perished. The investigation determined that the flight crew fell victim to a black hole illusion, causing them to misjudge their altitude and fly the aircraft below the correct glide path into the terrain.

Pilot Error

A turbine-powered de Havilland DHC-3T Otter impacted steep, wooded terrain in the Muklung Hills during a private executive flight, killing five of the nine people on board, including former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. The flight was operating under visual flight rules in an area of marginal weather and variable terrain. Investigators determined the aircraft struck the mountain in a level or slightly climbing attitude, suggesting the pilot may have been temporarily unresponsive or incapacitated. The lack of an onboard cockpit recorder and the pilot's decision to disable the Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) were cited as significant factors in the accident and the subsequent investigation.

Human Factors (Operational)

A JetBlue flight attendant, Steven Slater, intentionally deployed an emergency evacuation slide and exited the aircraft following a verbal altercation with a passenger. After the flight from Pittsburgh taxied to a stop at JFK, Slater used the public address system to curse at the passengers, grabbed two beers from the galley, and activated the slide at the L1 door. He then slid down to the tarmac, walked to his vehicle in the employee parking lot, and drove home, where he was arrested shortly thereafter.

Human Factors (Operational)

Katekavia Flight 9357 crashed approximately 700 metres short of the runway at Igarka Airport during a landing attempt in thick fog. The Antonov An-24RV struck trees and terrain after the crew descended below the minimum safe altitude without visual contact with the runway environment. Of the 15 people on board, 12 died, including all 11 passengers and one crew member. The investigation determined the crew failed to execute a timely missed approach despite weather conditions being below the approved minima for the airfield and the pilot.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

On July 31, 2010, a Conair Convair 580 airtanker struck trees and crashed into a ravine while maneuvering to drop fire retardant on a wildfire near Lytton, British Columbia. The aircraft entered a left-hand spin following the tree strikes and was destroyed by a post-impact explosion and fire. Both crew members were fatally injured. Investigators determined that visual illusions likely caused the crew to misjudge their height above the rising terrain, leading to a low-energy flight condition. The TSB concluded the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and spin from which recovery was not possible at such a low altitude, though it could not be determined if the tree strikes themselves caused the loss of control.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Airblue Flight 202, an Airbus A321, crashed into the Margalla Hills during a circling approach to Islamabad in poor weather, killing all 152 people on board. The investigation determined that the captain lost situational awareness after creating a non-standard, unauthorized approach path and ignored 21 automated terrain warnings. A critical breakdown in Crew Resource Management occurred because the captain had spent much of the flight berating and humiliating the first officer, who subsequently became submissive and failed to challenge the captain's dangerous errors.

Human Factors (CRM)

A United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III crashed during a training flight for the Arctic Thunder Air Show after the pilot executed an aggressive turn that resulted in a low-altitude stall. The investigation determined that the pilot ignored stall warnings and failed to implement proper recovery procedures, while the other crew members failed to intervene. The aircraft impacted wooded terrain approximately two miles from the runway, killing all four personnel on board and destroying the 184 million dollar airframe.

Pilot Error

Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8460, an international cargo flight from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, was destroyed during an intermediate stop at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The aircraft suffered a bounced landing after the crew failed to recognize a high sink rate and applied inappropriate control inputs. The aircraft touched down three times, with the final impact reaching a load factor of 4.4g, which ruptured the aft fuselage and ignited a fire. Both crew members evacuated via an emergency slide and survived with injuries.

Pilot Error

An Israeli Air Force CH-53 Yas'ur helicopter crashed into a mountain ridge in the Bucegi Mountains during a joint military exercise with the Romanian Air Force code-named 'Blue Sky 2010'. The training mission focused on low-altitude flight in difficult terrain and high-altitude conditions. All seven personnel on board, including six Israelis and one Romanian liaison officer, were killed. The investigation concluded that the accident was most likely caused by human error during flight in challenging weather and mountainous terrain.

Pilot Error

On 19 June 2010, a CASA C-212 Aviocar operated by Aéro-Service crashed into mountainous terrain in southern Cameroon while transporting the entire board of the Australian mining company Sundance Resources. The flight departed Yaoundé for a remote mining site at Yangadou, but contact was lost approximately 38 minutes after takeoff. The wreckage was located three days later near Dima, approximately 30 kilometres short of its destination. All 11 occupants, including mining magnate Ken Talbot, were killed in the accident.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)