Aviation Accident Summary Archive

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.

Weather

A Northrop B-2A Spirit stealth bomber crashed shortly after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base due to moisture-induced sensor failure. Heavy rain prior to the flight caused condensation to build up inside three skin-flush Port Transducer Units (PTUs), which provided distorted air-data to the flight control computers. During the takeoff roll, the computers calculated an inaccurate airspeed and a false negative angle of attack. This led the aircraft to rotate 12 knots slower than required; once airborne, the flight control system commanded a sudden 30-degree pitch-up maneuver. The aircraft entered an unrecoverable stall, and both crew members ejected successfully before the bomber impacted the ground and was destroyed by fire.

Sensor / Instrument Failure

Santa Barbara Airlines Flight 518 crashed into a mountain wall known as Indian Face shortly after departing Merida. The flight crew, rushing to make up for a delay, failed to wait for the aircraft's Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) to synchronize before takeoff. This left them without reliable heading or attitude information while flying through clouds in mountainous terrain. Disoriented and using an unauthorized departure route, the aircraft struck a rock wall at approximately 13,000 feet, killing all 46 people on board.

Pilot Error

Belavia Flight 1834 stalled and crashed seconds after liftoff when frost contamination on the wings caused an asymmetric loss of lift. During the takeoff roll at Zvartnots International Airport, the aircraft banked progressively to the left until the wingtip struck the ground. The CRJ100 then veered off the runway, rolled onto its back, and broke into two pieces before catching fire. While all 21 occupants survived, seven passengers sustained serious injuries. The survival of those on board was largely attributed to the rapid response of airport fire services who were on-site within 50 seconds.

Weather

A Boeing 727-200 performed a successful emergency belly landing in a swampy area after running out of fuel due to severe weather diversions. Despite the total loss of the aircraft, all 159 passengers and crew survived.

Weather

A Polish Air Force CASA C-295M transport aircraft crashed during a night approach to Mirosławiec Air Base in poor weather, killing all 20 people on board, including high-ranking military officials. The flight was returning attendees from the 50th Annual Aviation Safety Conference in Warsaw. During a second attempt at a Precision Approach Radar (PAR) approach, the crew suffered a total loss of spatial awareness, allowing the aircraft to enter an extreme left bank of 76 degrees. The aircraft struck trees and impacted the ground in a wooded area 1,300 meters short of the runway threshold.

Pilot Error

British Airways Flight 38 crash-landed just short of runway 27L at London Heathrow after both engines suffered an uncommanded reduction in thrust during the final approach. The investigation revealed that ice crystals, formed from water naturally present in the fuel during a long flight through exceptionally cold air, had accumulated and restricted the fuel flow at the Fuel Oil Heat Exchangers (FOHE). Despite the dual engine failure at low altitude, the flight crew managed to maintain control and clear the airport perimeter fence, resulting in no fatalities.

Mechanical Failure

A Transaven Let L-410UVP-E3 crashed into the Caribbean Sea after the crew reported a dual engine failure while en route to the Los Roques Archipelago. The aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 25 miles from its destination. Despite an extensive search, only the body of the co-pilot was recovered shortly after the accident. The main wreckage remained missing for over five years until it was discovered in June 2013 at a depth of 970 meters. All 14 people on board, including eight Italian tourists, one Swiss citizen, and five Venezuelans, are presumed dead.

Engine Failure

A TAROM Boeing 737-300 collided with a maintenance vehicle on the runway during its takeoff roll at Henri Coandă International Airport. The accident occurred in thick fog, which prevented the flight crew and air traffic controllers from seeing the vehicle, which was occupied by staff repairing a runway beacon. While the aircraft was severely damaged and written off, all 123 occupants survived without injury.

Human Factors (Operational)

Atlasjet Flight 4203 crashed into a hill during a night approach to Isparta Süleyman Demirel Airport, killing all 57 people on board (50 passengers and 7 crew). The aircraft, leased from World Focus Airlines, deviated from its intended flight path and struck high terrain approximately 12 kilometers west of the airport. The investigation revealed that the crew suffered from spatial disorientation and failed to follow the standard approach procedure for an airport not equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS). The accident was further complicated by the discovery that both flight recorders were inoperative at the time of the crash.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An Antonov An-26 cargo flight, registered 9Q-COS, crashed into the Kingasani neighborhood shortly after takeoff from Kinshasa, killing 21 people on board and at least 28 on the ground. The aircraft was reportedly owned by El Sam Airlift and chartered by Malift Air, with some sources also identifying it as leased from Africa One. The aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure of the right engine, involving the separation of propeller blades, which led to a loss of control and collision with trees and houses.

Mechanical Failure

One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 crashed during a failed go-around attempt in severe weather at Phuket International Airport. The aircraft encountered wind shear and heavy rain, leading the crew to initiate a go-around. However, the pilots failed to properly manage the engine power and flight path during the maneuver. The aircraft's speed decayed, and it entered a steep descent, striking an embankment north of Runway 27 and bursting into flames. The investigation revealed significant deficiencies in the airline's safety culture, pilot training, and crew fatigue management.

Human Factors (CRM)

An Antonov An-32B cargo aircraft crashed into a wooded area approximately 3 kilometers short of Kongolo Airport after experiencing engine trouble shortly after takeoff. The flight, operated by Great Lakes Business Company, was carrying 9 tons of minerals and 12 passengers despite being a cargo operation. After reporting engine issues approximately ten minutes into the flight, the crew attempted to return to the departure airport. During the emergency approach, the aircraft stalled, struck trees, and burst into flames. 14 of the 15 people on board were killed; a two-year-old boy was the sole long-term survivor, though initial reports indicated a second survivor who was also thrown from the wreckage.

Engine Failure

Air Moorea Flight 1121 crashed into the Pacific Ocean shortly after takeoff from Moorea, killing all 20 people on board. The investigation determined that the aircraft's elevator pitch-up control cable failed as the pilot retracted the flaps during the initial climb. The failure was caused by significant wear and tear on the stainless steel cables, which were subjected to an exceptionally high number of short-duration flight cycles and likely weakened by jet blast from larger aircraft while parked at Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport.

Mechanical Failure

Two news helicopters, Chopper15 (KNXV-TV) and Newschopper3 (KTVK), collided in mid-air while providing live coverage of a police pursuit in central Phoenix. The collision occurred at approximately 12:46 MST as both pilots were simultaneously performing reporting duties and tracking a suspect who had just abandoned his vehicle for a foot chase. The NTSB determined that the pilots' divided attention between flying, reporting, and monitoring multiple radio frequencies led to a failure to maintain visual separation. Both aircraft plummeted into Steele Indian School Park, killing all four journalists on board.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overran the runway at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, crossed a major highway, and crashed into a TAM Express warehouse and fuel station. The aircraft was landing with one deactivated thrust reverser on the right engine. During the landing roll, the flight crew failed to retard the right thrust lever to the idle position, causing the engine to continue producing forward thrust while the left engine was in reverse. This asymmetrical thrust made it impossible to stop the aircraft on the short, wet runway.

Pilot Error