Aviation Accident Summary Archive

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

Myanma Airways Flight 635 crashed into a hillside during a low-visibility approach to Tachileik Airport, killing all 36 people on board. The flight, primarily carrying military personnel and their families, disappeared from radar amid poor weather conditions. Initial search efforts were hampered by conflicting reports, including a false claim that the aircraft had landed safely in Laos. The wreckage was eventually discovered in a mountainous, densely forested area just two miles from the destination airport.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Proteus Airlines Beechcraft 1900D collided with a Cessna 177 Cardinal over Quiberon Bay after the commercial crew deviated from their flight plan to view the ocean liner SS Norway. The collision occurred because the Cessna's transponder was inactive, rendering it invisible to radar and the Beechcraft's (recently removed) TCAS, while the Proteus crew failed to maintain adequate visual lookout during a 360 degree turn.

Mid-air Collision · Multi-aircraft

A Boeing 737-200, leased from the Peruvian Air Force and operated for Occidental Petroleum, crashed into a dense wooded area during a night NDB approach to Andoas. The aircraft was carrying oil company employees and subcontractors when it descended below the minimum safe altitude in poor weather conditions, including heavy rain and limited visibility. The impact occurred approximately 3 kilometers short of the runway, resulting in the deaths of 75 of the 88 people on board.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Air France Flight 422, operated by a TAME Boeing 727 under a wet-lease agreement, crashed into the Cerro el Cable mountain shortly after departing Bogotá. The flight crew failed to execute a mandatory right turn required by the Girardot 1 departure procedure, instead continuing on the runway heading into mountainous terrain. The accident resulted in the deaths of all 53 people on board.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Philippine Airlines Flight 137 overran the runway at Bacolod City Domestic Airport after the flight crew failed to retard the number one engine to idle during landing. The aircraft was operating with the number one engine's thrust reverser inoperative per the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). Upon touchdown, the pilot retarded only the number two engine to reverse thrust while leaving the number one engine in the climb detent. This configuration inhibited the deployment of ground spoilers and caused the autothrottle to disengage, which commanded the number one engine to increase to climb power. The resulting asymmetrical thrust caused the aircraft to veer off the runway, jump a small river, and plow into a residential area, destroying approximately 30 houses. While all 130 occupants survived, three people on the ground were killed.

Pilot Error

An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727-200 crashed into a mountain during a low-visibility approach to Kabul International Airport, killing all 45 people on board. The flight, which originated in Sharjah and stopped in Kandahar, was operating in poor weather conditions including snow and rain. The accident occurred during the Taliban regime's control of Afghanistan, and the site was complicated by the presence of Soviet-era landmines. No formal accident report was ever released due to the country's international isolation at the time.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Formosa Airlines Flight 7623 crashed into the Taiwan Strait shortly after takeoff from Hsinchu Airport following a total loss of control. The crew initiated the flight despite a failure of the right-hand main electrical bus, which disabled the autopilot, the first officer's primary flight instruments (EFIS), and the yaw damper. While flying manually in dark, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), the captain became spatially disoriented and fatigued, failing to notice the aircraft entering a steepening right-hand bank. The crew's failure to follow the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and standard operating procedures led to the fatal loss of situational awareness.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Bell 212 helicopter, operated by Alpine Helicopters for the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), crashed into mountainous terrain near Aguacatán. Of the nine occupants on board, five were killed and four survived with injuries.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

China Airlines Flight 676 stalled and crashed into a residential neighborhood during a botched go-around at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. The flight crew inadvertently disconnected the autopilot while attempting to correct a high approach but failed to take manual control of the aircraft. This led to an extreme nose-up pitch and a subsequent deep stall from which the crew could not recover.

Pilot Error

A Sudanese Air Force Antonov An-32 carrying high-ranking government officials overshot the runway at Nasir Airport and plunged into the Sobat River. The aircraft was attempting to land in poor weather conditions characterized by fog and strong winds. The crew touched down too far down the runway, leaving insufficient distance to stop the turboprop. Of the 57 people on board, 27 died (though some sources report 26), primarily due to drowning, including Sudan's Vice President, Zubair Mohamed Salih.

Pilot Error

A United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler, callsign EASY 01, struck and severed the support cables of an aerial lift near Cavalese, Italy, during a low-altitude training mission. The aircraft was flying at approximately 470 to 540 knots at an altitude between 80 and 100 meters (260 to 330 feet), significantly below the mandated minimum altitude of 2,000 feet. The impact caused a cable car cabin containing 20 people to plunge over 80 meters to the ground, killing everyone on board. While all four crew members on the aircraft survived, the disaster resulted in 20 ground fatalities. The aircraft sustained damage to its right wing and tail but was able to return to Aviano Air Base.

Pilot Error

Cebu Pacific Flight 387 struck the slopes of Mount Sumagaya while on approach to Cagayan de Oro, killing all 104 people on board. The aircraft was performing an unscheduled stopover in Tacloban to deliver spare tires for another aircraft before continuing its journey. During the final leg, the flight deviated from its intended path in marginal weather conditions and impacted the mountain approximately 45 kilometers from the destination airport.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A United Airlines Boeing 747-122 encountered severe clear air turbulence approximately 870 nautical miles east-southeast of Narita, Japan, while en route to Honolulu. The aircraft experienced rapid vertical acceleration excursions, reaching +1.81 G followed by -0.82 G, which threw unbuckled passengers and crew against the cabin ceiling. One passenger was killed and 18 others sustained serious injuries, with over 160 others sustaining minor injuries. The investigation determined that the flightcrew inadvertently entered an area of turbulence that had not been forecast, and that a Japanese-speaking flight attendant failed to fully translate a critical safety advisory regarding seat belts. Although the NTSB officially classified the aircraft damage as 'Minor' due to a lack of structural failure, the aircraft was retired and written off for economic reasons following the accident, as it was already slated for salvage in early 1998 and the cost of interior repairs was not justified.

Weather

SilkAir Flight 185 entered a rapid, nearly vertical dive from its cruise altitude of 35,000 feet and crashed into the Musi River, killing everyone on board. The aircraft broke up in flight due to extreme forces as it exceeded the speed of sound during the descent. Both flight recorders had stopped functioning minutes before the dive began, leading to a highly contentious investigation. While the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) officially concluded that the evidence was insufficient to determine a cause, the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a dissenting opinion, stating the crash was the result of intentional pilot action, most likely by the captain.

Pilot Error

Aerosvit Flight 241, a Yakovlev Yak-42 chartered from Lviv Airlines, crashed into the Pierian Mountains during a missed approach to Thessaloniki. The flight crew, who were unfamiliar with the airport, became profoundly disoriented after failing to follow the published arrival procedure and overshooting the runway. A combination of an inoperative No. 1 VHF/NAV receiver, confusion over metric versus imperial distance units, and a lack of radar at the airport led the crew to fly away from the airport into mountainous terrain while believing they were established on a second approach.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Tajikistan Airlines Flight 3183 crashed into the desert during approach to Sharjah International Airport, killing 85 of the 86 people on board. The aircraft descended below its assigned altitude and the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) while the crew was distracted by turbulence and failed to adhere to standard approach procedures. The sole survivor was the flight navigator.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Sowind Air Flight 301 crashed into trees during a second approach to Little Grand Rapids in marginal weather conditions, including low ceilings and fog. The aircraft was being flown significantly below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) and was approximately 1,000 pounds over its maximum allowable weight. While maneuvering at low level, the crew increased engine power and executed abrupt banking maneuvers before striking terrain. The investigation highlighted systemic failures in the airline's safety management and inadequate oversight by Transport Canada.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)