Aviation Accident Summary Archive

Si Fly Flight 3275, a United Nations charter flight, crashed into a mountain during its approach to Pristina International Airport, killing all 24 people on board. The investigation determined that the crew, suffering from significant fatigue, failed to follow standard approach procedures and safety altitudes in a mountainous region. The accident was further compounded by a military air traffic controller who forgot to track the flight and a disabled Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) that the airline had failed to repair.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

EgyptAir Flight 990 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean following a series of abrupt maneuvers and a steep dive from cruise altitude. The NTSB concluded that the crash was the result of the relief first officer's flight control inputs, though no motive was established. The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) disputed these findings, citing a potential mechanical failure in the elevator control system.

Pilot Error

A chartered Learjet 35A carrying professional golfer Payne Stewart crashed in South Dakota after flying for nearly four hours as a ghost flight. Shortly after departure, the aircraft suffered a loss of cabin pressure for undetermined reasons, leading to the rapid incapacitation of all six people on board due to hypoxia. The aircraft continued to fly on autopilot until it exhausted its fuel supply, eventually entering a near-vertical, high-speed descent into an open field.

Other

FedEx Express Flight 087 overran the runway and plunged into Subic Bay after the flight crew failed to correctly diagnose and respond to erroneous airspeed indications caused by clogged pitot tube drain holes. During the descent, a significant discrepancy developed between the captain's and first officer's airspeed displays, leading to an unstable, high-speed approach. Despite multiple warnings, including GPWS sink rate alerts and visual cues that the aircraft was too high and fast, the crew continued the landing. The aircraft touched down at excessive speed, failed to stop on the remaining runway, and crashed through the airport perimeter into the sea.

Pilot Error

An Air Botswana captain, Chris Phatswe, commandeered an ATR 42-320 and intentionally crashed it into two other parked ATR 42s at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. Phatswe, who had been grounded for medical reasons, circled the airport for approximately two hours while making demands and threatening to crash the aircraft. Despite negotiations led by the deputy commander of the Botswana Defence Force, Phatswe eventually dove the aircraft into the airline's remaining operational ATR fleet at high speed, killing himself and destroying all three aircraft. The incident effectively crippled the national carrier; it was left with only one non-operational aircraft.

Other · Multi-aircraft

Qantas Flight 1 overran Runway 21L at Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport during a heavy rainstorm, coming to rest 220 meters past the runway end. The accident was triggered by a series of crew coordination failures during a late go-around attempt that was subsequently cancelled. After the captain retarded the throttles to cancel the go-around initiated by the first officer, one engine remained at high power, which automatically disabled the aircraft's autobrake system. The 747 then aquaplaned on the flooded runway, colliding with a radio antenna and suffering a nose gear collapse before stopping on a perimeter road.

Human Factors (Operational)

Olympic Airways Flight 3838, a government flight carrying the Greek deputy foreign minister, experienced severe pilot-induced oscillations (PIO) during its descent into Bucharest. While descending through 15,000 feet, the autopilot disengaged; while the DFDR did not record the specific trigger, it is suspected the pilot flying inadvertently overrode the system while correcting a pitch trim issue. The resulting manual inputs at high speed, combined with a failed artificial feel system (Arthur unit) that remained in low-speed mode, led to ten violent pitch oscillations. These maneuvers generated g-forces between +4.7 g and -3.26 g, causing the cabin interior to be destroyed and fatally injuring seven unbelted passengers. The aircraft remained structurally intact and landed safely in Bucharest.

Human Factors (Operational)

Britannia Airways Flight 226A crashed during a second landing attempt at Girona Airport during a severe thunderstorm. After a destabilized approach in torrential rain, the airport's runway lighting failed for 11 seconds just as the aircraft reached 250 feet. The captain, losing visual reference, pushed the nose down, leading to a high-G impact that bounced the aircraft and damaged its electrical systems. The second impact caused the nose gear to collapse and triggered an uncommanded increase in engine thrust. The aircraft veered off the runway, broke into three sections, and came to rest in a field. While all occupants initially survived the impact, one passenger died five days later from internal injuries.

Human Factors (Operational)

Necon Air Flight 128, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, crashed after striking a telecommunications tower on Indrathan Hill during its approach to Kathmandu. The aircraft was performing a domestic flight from Pokhara when it hit the obstacle approximately 15 kilometers west of the airport. Following the collision, the aircraft went out of control and impacted a wooded area in the vicinity of Ramkot on Indrathan Hill. The crash killed all 15 people on board, including 10 passengers and 5 crew members.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Shortly after takeoff from Glasgow Airport, the left engine of a Cessna 404 Titan suffered a catastrophic failure of its accessory gear train. During the subsequent emergency, the commander mistakenly feathered the propeller of the functioning right-hand engine instead of the failed left engine. With no remaining thrust, the aircraft became incapable of maintaining altitude. The pilot attempted to return to the airport but lost control during a steep right turn, causing the aircraft to dive into the ground near Blackstoun Farm. Eight of the eleven people on board, including both pilots and six Airtours employees being positioned for a subsequent flight, were killed.

Pilot Error

LAPA Flight 3142 failed to lift off during its takeoff roll from Jorge Newbery Airport because the flight crew had forgotten to deploy the flaps. Despite a loud, intermittent takeoff configuration warning siren, the pilots continued the takeoff roll. The aircraft overran the runway, crossed a busy road, struck several vehicles and construction equipment, and came to rest in a golf course where it was destroyed by fire. The investigation highlighted a total breakdown in cockpit discipline, with the crew engaging in intense personal conversations and smoking while performing checklists.

Pilot Error

China Airlines Flight 642 crashed while attempting to land at Hong Kong International Airport during Tropical Storm Sam. Despite severe weather conditions and crosswinds exceeding company limits, the crew continued the approach. During the flare, the aircraft encountered a sudden increase in descent rate that the captain failed to arrest. The MD-11 struck the runway hard with its right main gear, causing the right wing to separate and the aircraft to flip onto its back, coming to rest inverted and on fire.

Pilot Error

A Pakistan Navy Breguet 1150 Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft was shot down by an Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter over the Rann of Kutch border region. The incident occurred just one month after the conclusion of the Kargil War, amid high regional tensions. Indian authorities claimed the aircraft had intruded 10 kilometers into Indian airspace and ignored signals to land, while Pakistan maintained the aircraft was on a routine training mission within its own territory. All 16 personnel on board were killed when the aircraft was struck by an air-to-air missile and crashed into the marshy terrain of the Kori Creek area.

Military Action

A ground crew member acting as a wing walker was fatally injured when he inadvertently walked into a rotating propeller while the aircraft was standing at the gate with both engines running. The station manager, a 31 year veteran of ground operations, was distracted by a shoulder mounted radio and looking toward the terminal when he entered the propeller danger area. The aircraft was operating with both engines running on the ramp due to a maintenance deferral of the number 1 DC generator, which prohibited single engine taxi operations to ensure normal braking capability remained available.

Human Factors (Operational)

All Nippon Airways Flight 61 was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Tokyo by Yūji Nishizawa, a 28-year-old passenger who sought to fly the Boeing 747 under Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge. Nishizawa exploited a security flaw at Haneda Airport to smuggle a 20-centimetre kitchen knife onto the aircraft. After gaining access to the cockpit, he forced the First Officer out and fatally stabbed Captain Naoyuki Nagashima when the captain resisted his demands. The hijacker took control of the aircraft, causing it to descend to an altitude of approximately 300 metres (980 feet) before he was subdued by crew members and an off-duty pilot. The aircraft returned to Haneda for an emergency landing; the captain was the sole fatality.

Security / Sabotage

On July 16, 1999, a Piper Saratoga II piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed into the Atlantic Ocean during a night approach to Martha's Vineyard, killing all three people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a descent over water at night, resulting from spatial disorientation. Kennedy, who was not instrument-rated, encountered hazy conditions that obscured the horizon, leading to a loss of situational awareness and a high-speed descent into the sea.

Pilot Error

Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8533, operated by Hinduja Cargo Services, crashed into the Champadevi Hills shortly after departing Kathmandu when the crew failed to adhere to the published Standard Instrument Departure (SID) procedure. During a climbing turn, the aircraft experienced an unexpected airspeed decay and inadvertent power reduction, causing it to lose altitude in mountainous terrain. The crew's slow response to Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) alerts and inadequate cockpit coordination led to the aircraft impacting a ridge at 7,550 feet, approximately 11 kilometers southwest of the airport.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An Irish Air Corps search and rescue helicopter, callsign Rescue 111, crashed into sand dunes at Tramore Strand while attempting to return to Waterford Airport in dense fog. The crew had been tasked to assist a pleasure boat in distress but encountered deteriorating weather that prevented a successful landing at their base. After two failed instrument approaches to the airport, the crew attempted an improvised coastal approach to visually locate the beach. During a turn at low altitude, the helicopter struck a 45-foot sand dune, killing all four crew members. The investigation highlighted factors including pilot fatigue, lack of fuel for a diversion, and the absence of a qualified air traffic controller at the airport.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

American Airlines Flight 1420 overran the runway at Little Rock National Airport while attempting to land during a severe thunderstorm. The aircraft struck a localizer array and a chain-link fence before colliding with an approach lighting system structure supporting the runway 22L approach lights. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the deaths of the captain and 10 passengers. The NTSB determined the crash was caused by the crew's decision to continue the approach into hazardous weather and their failure to ensure the ground spoilers were armed and extended after touchdown.

Pilot Error

Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316 crashed shortly after takeoff from Shanghai when the flight crew confused an altitude clearance given in meters for feet. Believing they were 3,000 feet above their assigned altitude, the captain initiated a violent nose-down input that resulted in an unrecoverable dive. The aircraft impacted an industrial zone, killing all three crew members on board and five people on the ground.

Human Factors (Operational)

Turkish Airlines Flight 5904, a Boeing 737-400 on a positioning flight to Jeddah, crashed into a field near Ceyhan nine minutes after takeoff from Adana. The aircraft entered a steep dive from an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) during a climb through severe thunderstorms. Investigators determined that the crew likely failed to activate the pitot-static anti-ice system, leading to erratic airspeed indications. The pilots became disoriented by the false data and were further distracted by the presence of panicked cabin crew members in the cockpit, ultimately losing control of the aircraft.

Human Factors (Operational)

A United States Air Force F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter was shot down by a Yugoslav S-125 Neva surface-to-air missile during Operation Allied Force. The aircraft was detected and tracked by the 3rd Battalion (specifically the 3rd Battery) of the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade using modified low-frequency radar and predictable NATO flight paths. The pilot, Lt. Col. Darrell Patrick 'Dale' Zelko, successfully ejected and was rescued by a combat search and rescue team approximately eight hours later. This remains the only recorded instance of a stealth aircraft being shot down in combat.

Military Action

Minerva Airlines Flight 1553, operating for Alitalia Express, overran the runway at Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport and plunged into the Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft landed long on runway 29 with a significant tailwind, failed to decelerate sufficiently, and crashed through a retaining wall before coming to rest in the water. Four people died, including one flight attendant and three passengers, while others were rescued from the partially submerged fuselage by airport emergency services and a 15 year old passenger who opened the emergency exit.

Pilot Error

China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509 crashed during its approach to Wenzhou after the elevator control system failed, causing an irrecoverable nose-down pitch. The investigation revealed that maintenance crews had installed incorrect self-locking nuts in the elevator assembly instead of the required castle nuts with cotter pins. During the flight, a nut spun off, allowing a connection bolt to fall out and leaving the pilots unable to control the aircraft's pitch. The plane entered a steep dive and impacted a farm field at high speed, killing all 61 people on board.

Human Factors (Maintenance)