Aviation Accident Summary Archive

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)

Thai Airways Flight 261 crashed during its third attempt to land at Surat Thani Airport in heavy rain and poor visibility. The aircraft stalled and impacted a swampy area short of the runway.

Pilot Error

A ground crewmember was fatally injured when she walked into the rotating propeller of a Saab 340A during engine start procedures at Memphis International Airport. The aircraft, operating as Northwest Airlink flight 5858, was preparing for departure with the No. 2 engine running. After signaling the flight crew to disconnect the ground power unit, the crewmember walked directly toward the unit located behind the right wing, passing through the propeller arc. The investigation determined the cause was the crewmember's inadvertent movement into the path of the rotating propeller, in violation of company safety manuals that prohibited walking under the wing while engines were operating.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Boeing 727 operated by Congo Airlines (also known as Lignes Aériennes Congolaises) was shot down by Tutsi rebels using a surface-to-air missile shortly after departing Kindu. The aircraft, which was carrying civilian evacuees, was targeted by rebels who claimed it was being used for military transport. The missile struck one of the rear engines, causing an in-flight fire and loss of control, resulting in a crash in the jungle of Lomami National Park.

Military Action

Lionair Flight 602 was shot down by a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) fired by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) shortly after departing Jaffna. The aircraft, an Antonov An-24RV leased from Gomelavia, disappeared from radar ten minutes into its flight to Colombo. Before contact was lost, the pilot reported a sudden loss of cabin pressure. All 55 people on board, including 48 passengers and 7 crew members, were killed. The wreckage remained undiscovered for 14 years until a former LTTE cadre provided information leading to the crash site off Iranaitivu Island.

Military Action

PauknAir Flight 4101 crashed into a mountain in Morocco during its approach to Melilla Airport in low visibility conditions. The aircraft, a BAe 146-100, impacted terrain at an elevation of 886 feet after the crew descended below the minimum safe altitude and failed to respond to Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) alerts. All 38 people on board were killed.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

An in-flight fire, caused by an electrical arc that ignited flammable insulation blankets, led to a total loss of control and the aircraft's impact with the Atlantic Ocean.

In-flight Fire

A Cubana de Aviación Tupolev Tu-154M failed to rotate during takeoff from Quito, overran the runway, and crashed into a residential area and soccer field. The accident was caused by the flight crew's failure to configure the aircraft's hydraulic systems for flight, rendering the elevators inoperative. The oversight occurred following a stressful 38 minute delay involving mechanical issues during engine start.

Pilot Error