Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A government-operated Learjet 45 crashed into the Las Lomas business district of Mexico City during rush hour after encountering wake turbulence from a preceding Mexicana Boeing 767-300ER. The investigation revealed that the flight crew, who were fraudulently certified and lacked proper training on the aircraft type, failed to maintain the required 5-nautical-mile separation and did not reduce their airspeed as instructed by air traffic control. All nine occupants, including Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mouriño, were killed, along with seven people on the ground, bringing the total fatalities to 16.

Human Factors (Operational)

Yeti Airlines Flight 101 crashed during a visual approach to Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport in heavy fog, striking a rock and perimeter fence just below the runway 06 threshold. The flight crew attempted a visual landing despite losing visual contact with the ground due to rapidly deteriorating weather. The aircraft burst into flames upon impact, killing 18 of the 19 people on board. While the captain was the sole long-term survivor, the First Officer was initially recovered alive but succumbed to his injuries shortly after the crash.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An Airbus A330-300 suffered two uncommanded pitch-down maneuvers while cruising at 37,000 feet, resulting in injuries to 119 passengers and crew, 12 of them serious. The upset was caused by a rare failure in one of the aircraft's three Air Data Inertial Reference Units (ADIRUs), which sent corrupted angle-of-attack (AOA) data to the flight control computers. A design limitation in the flight control software failed to filter these data spikes, leading the system to trigger high-AOA protection and command a nose-down movement. The flight crew successfully regained control and performed an emergency landing at RAAF Base Learmonth.

Mechanical Failure

A Learjet 60 overran the runway during a high-speed rejected takeoff after multiple tires failed due to severe underinflation. During the takeoff roll, the right outboard tire burst, followed by the others, sending debris into the wheel well which damaged the hydraulic lines and the air/ground sensor. The captain initiated a rejected takeoff at 144 knots, exceeding the V1 decision speed of 136 knots. Because the damaged sensor erroneously indicated the aircraft was in the air, the thrust reverser system produced uncommanded forward thrust when the crew attempted to deploy the reversers. The jet crashed through the airport perimeter fence and across a highway before striking an embankment and bursting into flames.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

Aeroflot Flight 821 crashed during a night approach to Perm International Airport after the crew lost spatial orientation. The investigation revealed that the captain was intoxicated and the crew was confused by the Western-style attitude indicator, which differed from the Soviet-era instruments they were accustomed to. A mechanical throttle stagger further increased the workload, leading to a loss of control and a steep, high-speed impact near the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Human Factors (Operational)

Air Tahoma Flight 587 crashed into a cornfield shortly after takeoff from Rickenbacker International Airport following a maintenance check that left the elevator trim cables reversed. The misrigging meant that pilot inputs for nose-up trim actually applied nose-down trim, creating an uncontrollable nose-down force. The flight crew, conducting a post-maintenance check and training flight, was unable to overcome the aerodynamic loads despite applying maximum physical effort to the control columns. All three occupants, including a pilot observer, were killed.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

A Conviasa Boeing 737-200 on a ferry flight crashed into the Illiniza Volcano during an instrument approach to Latacunga, killing all three crew members. The aircraft strayed outside the protected airspace of the published approach pattern due to excessive speed, an insufficient bank angle, and a delayed configuration for landing. Investigators determined the crew was unfamiliar with the mountainous terrain surrounding the airport and had briefed the wrong approach procedure before being cleared for a different one by air traffic control.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Sriwijaya Air Flight 062, a Boeing 737-200, overran the runway at Sultan Thaha Airport during a landing in heavy rain, resulting in the aircraft crashing into a house and a rice field. While all 130 occupants survived the impact, the aircraft struck a house containing a family of three; one farmer later died from his injuries. The accident was triggered by a total loss of hydraulic system A pressure during the final approach. The flight crew elected to continue the landing rather than performing a go-around to assess the failure. Due to the hydraulic loss, the aircraft had no ground spoilers, limited braking capability, and no anti-skid, leading to an inability to stop within the remaining runway length.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Boeing 737-200 operated by Itek Air for Iran Aseman Airlines crashed during a night visual approach to Bishkek after returning due to a cabin pressurization failure. The scheduled revenue flight was returning to Manas Airport when the crew lost situational awareness during a 360-degree orbit intended to lose altitude and speed, descending below the minimum safe altitude until the aircraft struck the ground.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Cessna 208 Caravan I crashed near Cabañas, Guatemala, following a sudden engine failure during a charter flight carrying American and Guatemalan aid workers from Choice Humanitarian. The aircraft was approximately 18 minutes into its flight from Guatemala City to El Estor when the pilot declared an emergency, reporting they were 38 miles from La Aurora. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot attempted a forced landing on unsuitable terrain, resulting in a high-angle impact and a post-crash fire. Eleven of the fourteen people on board were killed.

Engine Failure

Spanair Flight 5022 crashed shortly after liftoff from Madrid-Barajas Airport when the flight crew failed to deploy the flaps and slats for takeoff. The aircraft's Take-Off Warning System (TOWS) failed to sound an alarm due to a faulty ground-sensing relay, which had also caused a heating issue in the Ram Air Temperature (RAT) probe earlier that day. The crew, distracted by the previous maintenance delay and failing to strictly follow checklists, attempted takeoff in a clean configuration, leading to an immediate stall and impact.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Hawker 800 business jet crashed during a late go-around attempt at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport, resulting in the deaths of all eight people on board. After touching down on a wet runway, the crew realized they had insufficient distance to stop but delayed their decision to abort the landing. When they finally attempted to fly away, the aircraft overran the runway, struck an ILS localizer antenna, stalled, and crashed into a cornfield. Seven occupants died on impact, while one passenger initially survived but died later at a hospital. The NTSB determined that the aircraft could have stopped safely on the runway had the crew committed to braking instead of attempting a go-around.

Pilot Error

A Boeing 747-400 experienced a rapid decompression and structural damage when a passenger oxygen cylinder forcefully ruptured in the forward cargo hold. The explosion blew a hole in the right side of the fuselage and propelled the cylinder upward, where it punctured the cabin floor and impacted the R2 door frame before exiting the aircraft. The flight crew performed an emergency descent and diverted to Manila without further incident or injury to the 369 occupants.

Mechanical Failure

A United States Air Force B-52H Stratofortress crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a training flight intended to culminate in a Liberation Day flyover in Hagåtña, Guam. The aircraft entered a rapid, uncontrollable descent from an altitude between 14,000 and 10,000 feet, disappearing from radar at 09:55 local time, just five minutes before its scheduled flyover appearance. An Air Force Accident Investigation Board concluded the crash was caused by an improper horizontal stabilizer trim setting, likely resulting from a mechanical system malfunction that led to a runaway nose-down condition. All six crew members were killed.

Mechanical Failure

Centurion Air Cargo Flight 164, a Boeing 747-200 freighter operated by Kalitta Air, crashed into a ranch house shortly after takeoff from Bogotá after suffering multiple engine failures. During rotation, the number 4 engine experienced a non-recoverable surge, followed approximately 20 seconds later by the failure of the number 1 engine. Unable to maintain altitude at the high-elevation airport, the crew attempted an off-airport landing. While all eight crew members survived the impact and subsequent fire, two people on the ground were killed when the aircraft struck their home.

Engine Failure

A USA Jet Airlines DC-9 cargo flight crashed in an industrial area approximately 800 meters north of Saltillo's runway during an attempted go-around. The aircraft, carrying automotive parts from Hamilton, Ontario, via Shreveport, Louisiana, struck power lines and broke up on impact before catching fire. The captain was killed, and the first officer sustained serious injuries. Investigators determined the crew continued an unstable approach in poor visibility without having the runway in sight, leading to a loss of control during the late go-around maneuver.

Pilot Error

Sudan Airways Flight 109, originating in Amman with a stop in Damascus, overran the runway at Khartoum International Airport during a night landing in a thunderstorm, resulting in a post-crash fire that killed 30 people. The aircraft touched down approximately 900 meters past the threshold of the 2,980-meter runway with a 15-knot tailwind, despite the crew being informed of a headwind. The landing was further complicated by a wet runway, the crew's decision not to use autobrakes, and a known deactivated No. 1 engine thrust reverser. The resulting asymmetrical thrust caused the aircraft to veer, and subsequent manual heavy braking with the anti-skid system disabled led to the wheels locking and the eventual overrun.

Pilot Error

TACA Flight 390 overran the runway at Toncontín International Airport, plunging down an embankment and onto a public roadway where it crushed several vehicles. The aircraft was attempting to land on a wet runway during the passage of Tropical Storm Alma. The investigation determined that the crew landed with a tailwind exceeding aircraft limits and touched down too far down the runway. Despite the challenging conditions, the crew failed to maintain maximum braking and reverse thrust, and eventually disabled the anti-skid system, which led to aquaplaning and a total loss of braking effectiveness. The accident resulted in five deaths: three on board (including the captain) and two on the ground.

Pilot Error

A Moskovia Airlines Antonov An-12BP crashed during an emergency return to Chelyabinsk Airport after an intense in-flight fire destroyed the aircraft's aileron control cables and rods. The aircraft was departing Chelyabinsk for Perm on a ferry flight after delivering a cargo of cash. Shortly after takeoff, the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and cabin alongside multiple system failures and false alarms. As the fire spread through the electrical distribution blocks in the cargo hold ceiling, it heated the control runs until they failed under operational load. The loss of roll control, combined with the shutdown of both left-side engines due to fire damage, led the aircraft to bank heavily and strike a high-voltage power line before crashing into a field 11 kilometers from the runway.

In-flight Fire

Hewa Bora Airways Flight 122 suffered an uncontained engine failure during its takeoff roll from Goma International Airport. The crew was unable to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway, which had been significantly shortened by a previous volcanic eruption. The DC-9 overran the runway and plowed into a densely populated residential and market area. The accident resulted in 47 fatalities; while initial reports cited 40 deaths (3 passengers and 37 on the ground), the toll rose to 47 by April 19 as more remains were recovered and victims succumbed to injuries in the hospital.

Engine Failure

A Kata Air Transport Antonov An-32B crashed during an emergency return to Chișinău International Airport after the crew reported a transponder failure shortly after takeoff. During a visual approach at night, the aircraft descended prematurely, struck an ILS antenna and electrical wires, and crashed into a field approximately 200 meters short of the runway. All eight occupants, including four crew members and four technicians, were killed in the subsequent impact and post-crash fire.

Pilot Error

A Blue Wing Airlines Antonov An-28 crashed into a wooded hillside while attempting a go-around at the Lawa Antino Airstrip in Benzdorp, Suriname. The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Paramaribo carrying 17 passengers and 2 crew members. Eyewitness reports indicated that another aircraft was occupying the runway as the An-28 approached, forcing the pilot to abort the landing. During the subsequent go-around maneuver, the aircraft veered left and plunged nose-down into the jungle approximately 150 meters from the airstrip, followed by several explosions. All 19 people on board were killed.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Cessna 500 Citation I crashed into a residential property in Farnborough shortly after takeoff from Biggin Hill Airport, killing all five people on board, including racing drivers David Leslie and Richard Lloyd. The crew reported severe engine vibrations less than two minutes into the flight and attempted an emergency return. The investigation determined that the vibration likely originated from a faulty air cycle machine rather than the engines. During the emergency, the crew inadvertently shut down both engines, possibly due to a mechanical defect in the throttle quadrant. A subsequent attempt to restart both engines simultaneously failed to produce sufficient thrust before the aircraft struck a house.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Kazaviaspas Mil Mi-8AMT helicopter crashed in the Kyzylorda Region of Kazakhstan during a flood monitoring mission, resulting in five fatalities. The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, including thick fog and heavy snowfall, which led to a loss of visual orientation and subsequent impact with the ground.

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