Aviation Accident Summary Archive

Airlines PNG Flight 4684 crashed into a mountain near Isurava while attempting a visual approach to Kokoda Airport in poor weather conditions. The aircraft, a Twin Otter carrying Australian tourists and local guides, departed Port Moresby at 10:53 local time and was flying through the Kokoda Gap when it encountered low clouds and reduced visibility that obscured the surrounding high terrain. The investigation determined the accident was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), occurring because the crew continued a visual descent into a mountainous area despite weather conditions being below the minimum requirements for visual flight.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Piper PA-32R-300 and a Eurocopter AS350BA tour helicopter collided in mid-air at approximately 1,100 feet over the Hudson River, resulting in the deaths of all nine people on board both aircraft. The collision occurred in a high-traffic VFR corridor where pilots were responsible for their own separation under the see-and-avoid concept. The investigation revealed that the Teterboro air traffic controller was distracted by a personal phone call, which led to his failure to correct the Piper pilot's incorrect radio frequency readback and his failure to provide timely traffic advisories. The Piper pilot, having failed to contact the next controller, was not receiving traffic alerts, while the helicopter pilot's visibility was limited by the aircraft's structure and the busy urban backdrop.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

A Bangkok Airways ATR 72-500 veered off the runway during landing at Samui Airport, colliding with a meteorological office building that formerly served as the airport's control tower. The aircraft was conducting a non-stabilized approach in gusty wind conditions when it touched down at 117 knots and subsequently skidded into the structure. The captain was killed, and 41 others were injured, including the co-pilot and several passengers who sustained serious injuries. Investigators determined that the crew failed to execute a go-around despite receiving a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) 'Sink Rate' alert during the final approach.

Pilot Error

On August 2, 2009, a Merpati Nusantara Airlines Twin Otter crashed into a mountain slope while attempting a visual approach to Oksibil Airport in Papua, Indonesia. The aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in an area of mountainous terrain and deteriorating weather. Despite warnings from another aircraft about low cloud bases and advice to take a detour, the crew elected to fly a direct route. The aircraft impacted terrain at 9,300 feet, approximately 6 nautical miles from its destination. All 15 occupants were killed. The investigation concluded that the pilots failed to maintain visual flight procedures while flying below the lowest safe altitude, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Aria Air Flight 1525, an Ilyushin Il-62M, overran the runway at high speed during landing at Mashhad International Airport, resulting in 16 fatalities. The aircraft approached at 325 km/h, which significantly exceeded the recommended landing speed for its weight. After a long touchdown approximately 1,000 meters past the threshold, the crew failed to effectively deploy spoilers or maintain reverse thrust. The aircraft exited the runway at 200 km/h, crossed a ditch, and slammed into a concrete perimeter wall, which completely destroyed the cockpit and forward fuselage. The investigation highlighted severe breakdowns in Cockpit Resource Management (CRM), including unauthorized actions by the flight engineer and the distracting presence of the airline's CEO in the cockpit.

Human Factors (CRM)

Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed into an open field near Jannatabad, Iran, after suffering a catastrophic uncontained engine failure in its number one (left) engine. The failure led to a fire and the destruction of critical flight control systems, causing the aircraft to enter a steep, high-speed descent. All 168 passengers and crew members were killed when the aircraft impacted the ground at high velocity, creating a 10-meter-deep crater.

Mechanical Failure

A Boeing 737-300 experienced a rapid decompression at 35,000 feet when a section of the fuselage crown skin ruptured, creating a hole measuring approximately 17.4 inches by 11.5 inches. The flight crew performed an emergency descent and landed safely at Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia, with no injuries to the 131 people on board. The investigation identified metal fatigue at a chemically milled step in the fuselage skin as the cause of the failure.

Structural Failure

A Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 transport helicopter crashed in the tribal Khyber region while transporting security personnel. All 41 people on board were killed. While the Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, military officials attributed the crash to a technical fault, potentially exacerbated by overloading and poor weather conditions in mountainous terrain.

Other

Yemenia Flight 626 crashed into the Indian Ocean during a night approach to Moroni, Comoros, after the crew's inappropriate flight control inputs led to an aerodynamic stall. The accident is notable for having a single survivor, 14-year-old Bahia Bakari, who was found clinging to wreckage nine hours after the crash.

Pilot Error

Pitot tube icing caused unreliable airspeed indications and disconnect of the autopilot; the crew's response led to an aerodynamic stall from FL350 to the ocean.

Sensor / Instrument Failure

An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100-30 Hercules, carrying military personnel and their families, crashed into a residential neighborhood during its approach to Iswahyudi Air Force Base. The aircraft struck at least four houses before skidding into a rice paddy and bursting into flames. The accident resulted in the deaths of 97 people on board and 2 people on the ground. Despite clear weather and no reported distress calls prior to the impact, witnesses reported seeing fire and hearing explosions while the aircraft was still airborne.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain

A Venezuelan Army Mil Mi-17 helicopter crashed in the mountainous border region of Táchira, killing all 17 people on board. The aircraft was conducting a border patrol mission near the Colombian frontier when it went down near El Alto de Rubio. The victims included Brigadier General Domingo Faneite, 15 other military personnel, and one civilian. While initial reports suggested 18 fatalities, the official count was later revised to 17.

Unknown

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F28 overran the runway while landing at Sylhet Osmani International Airport during heavy rain. The aircraft touched down late on a water-covered runway, failed to stop within the remaining distance, and came to rest in a grassy area beyond the runway threshold. All 43 occupants survived without serious injury, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

Pilot Error

CanJet Flight 918 was seized by a lone armed hijacker during a scheduled stop at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The perpetrator, 20 year old Stephen Fray, breached airport security and boarded the aircraft brandishing a firearm, demanding to be flown to Cuba. After hours of negotiations involving the hijacker's father and the Jamaican Prime Minister, all 174 passengers were released in exchange for cash. The remaining crew members were eventually rescued when the Jamaica Defence Force Counter Terrorism Operations Group stormed the aircraft, capturing Fray without any fatalities.

Security / Sabotage

An Aviastar BAe 146-300 was destroyed when it impacted Pikei Hill during its second attempt to land at Wamena Airport, killing all six crew members. Although the airline operated passenger services, this specific flight was a scheduled cargo mission carrying staples such as rice, flour, and election voting papers. After an initial aborted approach due to low clouds, the crew conducted a low-altitude circuit between 150 and 350 feet above aerodrome elevation. During the maneuver, the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) issued multiple 'Don't Sink', 'Too Low Terrain', and 'Bank Angle' alerts, which the captain ignored. The aircraft impacted terrain while banking steeply to avoid a hill that appeared directly in the flight path during the final turn.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An Indonesian Air Force Fokker F27-400M crashed into a hangar at Husein Sastranegara International Airport during a landing attempt in severe weather. The aircraft was returning from a parachuting exercise carrying 17 special forces trainees, six crew members, and one instructor. During the approach, the pilot encountered a heavy storm with a 20-knot crosswind. Witnesses reported the aircraft shaking before it dived and struck Hangar D, which belonged to the Indonesian aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia. The impact and subsequent explosion destroyed the aircraft and the hangar, which contained several other aircraft and helicopters. All 24 occupants were killed.

Weather

A Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma crashed into the North Sea following a catastrophic failure of the main rotor gearbox (MGB) epicyclic module. The failure resulted in the complete detachment of the main rotor from the fuselage while the aircraft was cruising at 2,000 feet. All 16 occupants were killed. The investigation revealed that a fatigue fracture in a second stage planet gear had gone undetected despite the discovery of a metallic particle on a magnetic chip detector 36 flying hours prior to the accident.

Mechanical Failure

A Medair Bell 206L-4 carrying Muhsin Yazicioglu, leader of the Great Unity Party (BBP), crashed into Mount Kes during a flight between election rallies. The helicopter encountered severe weather, including heavy fog and snow, leading to a controlled flight into terrain. Although reporter Ismail Gunes survived the initial impact and placed an emergency call, the search and rescue operation was severely hampered by blizzard conditions. The wreckage and five victims were located 47 hours later, but Gunes's body was not discovered until five days after the crash, having succumbed to hypothermia.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A FedEx MD-11F crashed and flipped over during a bounced landing at Narita International Airport in gusty wind conditions. The aircraft developed a series of porpoising oscillations after an initial hard touchdown, eventually striking the runway with its nose gear and then its left main gear. The kinetic energy at the third touchdown exceeded certification requirements by seven times, causing the left wing to fail. The aircraft rolled inverted and burst into flames, killing both pilots. Investigators cited improper recovery techniques from the initial bounce, including large nose-down elevator inputs, and identified crew fatigue as a significant contributing factor.

Pilot Error

Emirates Flight 407 narrowly avoided disaster after a data-entry error caused the aircraft to attempt takeoff with insufficient thrust. The first officer inadvertently entered a takeoff weight 100 tonnes lighter than the actual weight into the Electronic Flight Bag, resulting in incorrectly low reference speeds and thrust settings. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft failed to lift off at the calculated rotation speed, striking its tail on the runway multiple times. The crew applied maximum emergency thrust (TOGA), and the aircraft finally became airborne 148 meters beyond the end of the runway, damaging several airport structures before returning for an emergency landing.

Human Factors (Operational)

On March 12, 2009, a Sikorsky S-92A operated by Cougar Helicopters ditched in the Atlantic Ocean after a total loss of oil pressure in the main gearbox (MGB). The loss of lubrication was caused by the failure of two titanium studs securing the MGB oil filter bowl, which allowed oil to drain rapidly. Despite a 'land immediately' warning, the crew attempted to return to St. John's, believing the issue might be a sensor malfunction because the oil temperature remained normal. Approximately 10 minutes after the initial warning, the MGB failed catastrophically, leading to a loss of tail rotor drive. The helicopter struck the water at high speed, resulting in 17 fatalities and one survivor.

Mechanical Failure

A Boeing 737-800 stalled and crashed into a field 1.5km north of the Polderbaan runway at Schiphol Airport. The accident was triggered by a faulty left-hand radio altimeter that erroneously reported an altitude of -8 feet. This caused the autothrottle to enter 'retard' mode, reducing engine thrust to idle while the aircraft was still in flight. The flight crew failed to monitor their airspeed and thrust levels until the aircraft stalled at a low altitude, from which recovery was impossible.

Sensor / Instrument Failure

Colgan Air Flight 3407 stalled and crashed into a house during an instrument approach to Buffalo, New York. Despite receiving a stall warning (stick shaker), the captain responded by pulling back on the control column rather than pushing forward to reduce the angle of attack. This inappropriate response led to a secondary aerodynamic stall from which the aircraft did not recover. All 49 people on board and one person on the ground were killed, totaling 50 fatalities.

Pilot Error

A Manaus Aerotáxi Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante crashed into the Manacapuru River after suffering an engine failure while operating significantly over its maximum certified takeoff weight. The aircraft was carrying 28 people despite being configured with only 18 passenger seats and certified for a maximum of 21 occupants. During the flight, the left engine failed, and the pilot was unable to maintain altitude due to the excessive weight. The aircraft plunged into the river approximately 500 meters from an abandoned runway where the crew had attempted an emergency landing. All 24 fatalities were attributed to drowning as the aircraft submerged in five to seven meters of water.

Human Factors (Operational)