Aviation Accident Summary Archive

China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrated in mid-air at 34,900 feet due to a catastrophic structural failure of the rear fuselage. The investigation revealed that a tailstrike incident 22 years prior had been improperly repaired. Instead of replacing the damaged skin according to Boeing's Structural Repair Manual, maintenance crews installed a 'doubler' plate over the damaged area, leaving weakened metal and fatigue cracks hidden beneath. Over two decades of pressurization cycles, these cracks grew until the fuselage could no longer withstand the stress of flight.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

EgyptAir Flight 843 crashed into a hillside in the Nahli area while attempting to land at Tunis-Carthage Airport during adverse weather conditions. The Boeing 737-500 was performing a VOR/DME approach to runway 11 in fog, rain, and blowing sand when the crew initiated a premature descent. The aircraft impacted terrain at an elevation of 750 feet, between 6.4 and 6.6 kilometers short of the runway. The crash resulted in 14 fatalities, including three crew members and 11 passengers, while 48 occupants survived the impact and subsequent fire in the rear section of the fuselage.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

China Northern Airlines Flight 6136 crashed into the Bohai Bay after a passenger intentionally started a fire in the cabin using gasoline. The aircraft was on approach to Dalian when the crew reported a fire and subsequently lost control. All 112 people on board were killed. Investigation revealed that a passenger, Zhang Pilin, had purchased seven life insurance policies before boarding and used plastic bottles filled with gasoline to commit arson in an act of suicide for insurance fraud.

Security / Sabotage

EAS Airlines Flight 4226 overran the runway during a high-temperature takeoff from Kano, Nigeria, and crashed into a densely populated residential area. The aircraft failed to achieve sufficient lift after rolling into the dirt at the end of the runway, which caused the engines to ingest massive amounts of dust. The crash killed 71 people on board and 78 people on the ground, making it the deadliest accident involving the BAC One-Eleven.

Pilot Error

A Rockwell Commander 112TC private aircraft struck the 26th and 27th floors of the Pirelli Tower in Milan, killing the pilot and two people inside the building. The pilot had previously reported technical difficulties with the aircraft's landing gear while approaching Linate Airport. The impact caused an explosion and a significant fire, initially sparking international fears of a terrorist attack due to the proximity in time to the September 11 attacks. Investigators later ruled out terrorism, focusing on the pilot's attempts to troubleshoot a mechanical issue while flying over a densely populated urban area. The three fatalities consisted of the pilot and two lawyers working inside the tower.

Other

Air China Flight 129 crashed into a mountain during a circling approach to Gimhae International Airport in poor weather. The flight crew lost situational awareness while attempting to land on runway 18R, failing to track their timing and position during the base turn. This led the aircraft to fly beyond the protected airspace and into the side of Mount Dotdae. The accident was the first fatal crash for Air China and remains one of the deadliest aviation disasters on South Korean soil.

Pilot Error

Iran Air Tours Flight 956 struck the Sefid Kouh mountains during a non-precision approach to Khorramabad in poor weather conditions. The aircraft was destroyed on impact, killing all 119 passengers and crew. The investigation highlighted the crew's failure to maintain situational awareness and adhere to minimum sector altitudes while attempting to land in heavy fog and snow.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

TAME Flight 120 crashed into the Cumbal Volcano in Colombia while attempting a non-directional beacon (NDB) approach to Tulcán, Ecuador. The aircraft was flying significantly faster than the recommended approach speed and initiated a turn with an insufficient bank angle, causing it to overshoot its intended path and strike the volcano in foggy conditions. All 94 people on board were killed.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Russian Interior Ministry Mil Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) while transporting high-ranking officials through Chechnya. The aircraft exploded and crashed near Shelkovskaya, killing all 14 people on board. The victims included Lieutenant General Mikhail Rudchenko, the Russian Deputy Interior Minister, and Major General Nikolai Goridov, the deputy commander of the Interior Ministry forces. The attack occurred during the guerrilla phase of the Second Chechen War and was attributed to Chechen separatists using a 9K38 Igla missile.

Military Action

Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 was forced to ditch in the Bengawan Solo River after both engines suffered a total flameout while flying through a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft encountered precipitation and hail densities that exceeded the engine's certification limits while at flight idle power. During attempts to restart the engines, the crew suffered a total loss of electrical power due to a poorly maintained battery, preventing the start of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The captain successfully ditched the aircraft in a shallow section of the river; however, the impact with the riverbed destroyed the rear cabin floor, resulting in the death of one flight attendant.

Weather

On January 5, 2002, a 15-year-old student pilot stole a Cessna 172R from St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport and intentionally crashed it into the Bank of America Plaza in downtown Tampa. The pilot, Charles J. Bishop, was the sole fatality; there were no injuries on the ground despite the aircraft impacting the 28th floor of the 42-story skyscraper. Investigators recovered a suicide note from the pilot's person expressing support for the September 11 attacks and claiming to act on behalf of Al Qaeda, though no actual links to terrorist organizations were found. The NTSB determined the cause was the unauthorized use of an aircraft for the purpose of committing suicide.

Other

A Britten-Norman Islander stalled and crashed into the Weser River shortly after takeoff from Bremerhaven Airport, killing eight of the nine people on board. The investigation determined that the pilot failed to adequately remove snow from the wings following a winter shower, leading to a critical loss of lift during the initial climb. The aircraft reached a maximum height of approximately 195 feet before losing altitude and impacting the water.

Pilot Error

A transatlantic flight was the target of a failed terrorist attack when a passenger attempted to detonate plastic explosives concealed in his shoes. Shortly after meal service, flight attendants and passengers discovered Richard Reid attempting to light a fuse protruding from his footwear. Reid was subdued and restrained by the cabin crew and passengers after a violent struggle. The aircraft, escorted by F-15 fighter jets, diverted to Boston where the perpetrator was arrested. The explosives, consisting of TATP and PETN, failed to ignite due to dampness caused by foot perspiration and rainy weather during the perpetrator's wait at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Security / Sabotage

Crossair Flight 3597 crashed into a wooded hillside during a night approach to Zurich Airport, killing 24 of the 33 people on board (28 passengers and 5 crew members). The accident occurred after the flight was redirected to runway 28 to comply with late-night noise abatement regulations. The captain deliberately descended the aircraft below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) without having the required visual contact with the runway or approach lights. The aircraft struck trees 4.05 kilometers short of the runway while the crew was attempting a late go-around maneuver.

Pilot Error

ELK Airways Flight 1007 crashed into marshland and trees approximately 1.5 kilometers short of the runway at Kärdla Airport during a domestic flight from Tallinn. The crew, encountering icing conditions, abandoned their planned instrument approach in favor of a visual approach without air traffic control clearance. During this transition, the aircraft maintained an excessive descent rate and insufficient airspeed, leading to a controlled flight into terrain. One passenger died on impact, and a 10 year old boy died of his injuries six days later.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Fishtail Air Eurocopter AS350 crashed into Rara Lake shortly after takeoff from Gamgadhi Army Base, killing four of the six people on board. The flight was a private charter carrying Princess Prekshya Shah of Nepal and her entourage. According to reports, the Princess requested the pilot to circle over the lake for a better view, and the aircraft plunged into the water while performing the turn. Two passengers survived the impact after being thrown from the helicopter mid-air.

Pilot Error

American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into a residential neighborhood in Belle Harbor shortly after takeoff from JFK Airport. The accident was caused by the in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer and rudder following excessive and unnecessary rudder pedal inputs by the first officer while attempting to counter wake turbulence from a preceding Boeing 747. All 260 people on board and five people on the ground were killed.

Pilot Error

Flightline Flight 101 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea following a suspected total electrical failure caused by a lightning strike. The aircraft was operating a charter flight from Barcelona to Oran when it encountered a severe thunderstorm. After requesting a course deviation to avoid the weather, the aircraft disappeared from radar. Investigators believe the lightning strike disabled critical flight systems, including instruments and elevator trim, which led to a loss of control or spatial disorientation in conditions of zero visibility and heavy turbulence.

Weather

A Scandinavian Airlines MD-87 collided with a Cessna Citation CJ2 on a fog-shrouded runway at Linate Airport. The Cessna had inadvertently taxied onto the active runway via the wrong taxiway due to inadequate signage and ground markings. After the collision, the MD-87 crashed into a baggage handling building.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 was accidentally shot down by a Ukrainian S-200 surface-to-air missile during a joint military exercise. The aircraft was cruising at 36,000 feet over the Black Sea when the missile, which had missed its intended target drone, locked onto the airliner instead. The warhead detonated approximately 15 meters above the aircraft, causing catastrophic structural damage and an immediate loss of control. All 78 people on board were killed when the aircraft crashed into the sea.

Other

A Russian Mil Mi-8 VIP transport helicopter was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Grozny, killing all 13 personnel on board. The victims included two high-ranking generals and eight colonels from the Russian General Staff and Ministry of Defence who were conducting a commission in the region. The aircraft was targeted shortly after departing Grozny for the Khankala airbase, from where the officers intended to return to Moscow.

Military Action

American Airlines Flight 11 was the first of four aircraft hijacked as part of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Five al-Qaeda terrorists breached the cockpit approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, fatally stabbing a passenger and injuring flight attendants. Lead hijacker Mohamed Atta took control of the aircraft, eventually flying it into the North Tower (WTC 1) of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact killed all 92 people on board and approximately 1,600 people on the ground and in the tower.

Security / Sabotage

United Airlines Flight 175 was a scheduled domestic flight hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists and deliberately crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The impact killed all 65 people on board and approximately 600-900 people within the building and on the ground. The crash was televised live globally as news crews were already filming the burning North Tower, which had been struck 17 minutes earlier by American Airlines Flight 11.

Security / Sabotage

American Airlines Flight 77 was a scheduled domestic flight hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists as part of the September 11 attacks. The hijackers took control of the aircraft approximately 31 minutes after takeoff and deliberately crashed it into the western side of the Pentagon. The impact and subsequent fire killed all 64 people on board (including the five hijackers) and 125 individuals inside the building.

Security / Sabotage