Aviation Accident Summary Archive

Indian Airlines Flight 491 crashed shortly after takeoff from Aurangabad Airport after striking a high-clearance truck on a public road adjacent to the runway. The collision damaged the aircraft's left engine and flight controls, causing it to strike power lines and trees before breaking apart and catching fire. The investigation cited the captain's late rotation and poor takeoff technique, combined with the failure of airport authorities to regulate vehicle traffic on the road at the end of the runway.

Pilot Error

Indian Airlines Flight 427 was hijacked by a lone assailant shortly after departing Delhi for Srinagar on April 24, 1993. The aircraft, carrying 135 passengers and 6 crew members, was taken over by a hijacker armed with two pistols and a hand grenade who demanded to be flown to Kabul, Afghanistan. After Pakistan refused the aircraft entry into its airspace, the plane landed at Amritsar, India. Following a tense 11-hour standoff and failed negotiations, commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) stormed the aircraft in an operation code-named Operation Ashwamedh. The hijacker was killed within minutes; all 140 remaining hostages were rescued without injury.

Security / Sabotage

Japan Air System Flight 451 crashed during landing at Hanamaki Airport after encountering severe windshear associated with a passing cold front. The aircraft, piloted by a relatively inexperienced first officer, suffered a hard landing that caused the landing gear to puncture the fuel tanks, resulting in a fire. Despite the destruction of the aircraft, all occupants successfully evacuated. While official investigation records and some sources like ASN report 76 people on board, other sources including the JTSB and media transcripts indicate 77; between 19 and 20 people sustained injuries. The investigation cited pilot error, specifically the failure to initiate a timely go-around and the captain's poor supervision of the first officer, as contributing factors.

Pilot Error

China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 experienced a series of violent pitch oscillations over the Pacific Ocean after a relief crew member (likely the captain) accidentally deployed the leading-edge slats during cruise flight. The inadvertent slat extension caused the aircraft to pitch up abruptly, and the captain's subsequent manual recovery efforts led to severe over-corrections and a loss of approximately 5,000 feet of altitude. The violent G-forces tossed unrestrained passengers and crew around the cabin, resulting in two fatalities and 156 injuries. The aircraft eventually stabilized and performed an emergency landing at Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island, Alaska.

Human Factors (Operational)

A baggage handler was fatally injured when she walked into a rotating propeller while the aircraft was stationary at the gate with its engines running. The aircraft, an ATR-42 operating as American Eagle Flight 4127, was experiencing an electrical fault that had extinguished its external lighting, including the navigation and anti-collision lights. The baggage handler, who was on her second day in that role and was unfamiliar with turboprop aircraft, approached the right side of the fuselage to deliver baggage and walked directly into the windmilling propeller of the right engine. While 46 people were on board the aircraft (3 crew and 43 passengers), a total of 49 people were involved in the event including ground personnel.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Fairchild SA227-TT Merlin corporate aircraft crashed during an ILS approach to Tri-Cities Regional Airport, killing all four people on board, including NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki. The aircraft encountered icing conditions during descent, which led to a dual engine flameout. The NTSB determined that the pilot failed to follow established procedures for the engine anti-ice system and continuous ignition while operating in icing conditions, resulting in ice ingestion and loss of power. During the subsequent engine failure sequence, the pilot failed to maintain sufficient airspeed, resulting in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

Pilot Error

Japan Airlines Flight 46E, a Boeing 747 freighter operated by Evergreen International Airlines, suffered the in-flight separation of its number two engine shortly after departing Anchorage. The aircraft encountered severe mountain-wave turbulence at approximately 2,000 feet, which induced dynamic lateral loads that exceeded the structural capacity of the engine pylon. Despite the loss of the engine and significant leading-edge damage, the crew maintained control and successfully returned to Anchorage International Airport without injury to the three crew members and two passengers.

Structural Failure

Palair Macedonian Airlines Flight 301 crashed seconds after takeoff from Skopje Airport during a snowstorm. The aircraft experienced severe rolling oscillations immediately after lift-off, eventually banking 90 degrees to the right before the wingtip struck the ground. The investigation determined that the wings were contaminated by clear ice, which the crew and ground engineer failed to identify or treat with de-icing fluid. The crash was the deadliest in North Macedonia at the time.

Weather

An Iran Airtour Tupolev Tu-154M departing Tehran collided in mid-air with an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) Sukhoi Su-24MK. The military jet was part of a formation of five fighters performing maneuvers for the Iranian Revolution Commemoration Ceremony. The collision occurred as the Tu-154 was climbing and the Su-24 was on a visual approach to a parallel runway. Both aircraft were destroyed, and all 133 people on both aircraft were killed.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Lufthansa CityLine Flight 5634, operated by Contact Air under a wet-lease agreement, crashed 1,800 meters short of the runway at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport during a late-stage runway change. While conducting an ILS approach to runway 27, the crew was instructed to switch to runway 28 after a preceding Korean Air Boeing 747 damaged an engine pod upon landing, forcing a temporary runway closure. During the maneuver to line up with the new runway in instrument meteorological conditions, the aircraft entered a high sink rate and struck the ground tail-first, breaking into two sections.

Pilot Error

Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103, a Boeing 727, disintegrated during its approach to Tripoli International Airport. The official Libyan government report stated the aircraft collided with a Libyan Air Force MiG-23UB fighter jet during a training exercise. All 157 people on the Boeing 727 were killed, while the two crew members of the MiG-23 successfully ejected. The accident occurred exactly four years and one day after the Lockerbie bombing, leading to persistent allegations that the aircraft was intentionally destroyed by the Gaddafi regime to frame the West or deflect international pressure.

Mid-air Collision · Multi-aircraft

Martinair Flight 495 crashed during a landing attempt at Faro Airport in severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and windshear. The aircraft struck the runway with high sink rate and lateral force, causing the right main gear to collapse and the wing to separate, followed by a fire and fuselage breakup.

Pilot Error

During a pushback operation at La Guardia Airport, a ground crew member acting as the walker fell for unknown reasons and was fatally struck by the tug. The walker was positioned on the left side of the aircraft using a 15 foot headset cord, which restricted his ability to maintain a safe distance from the moving equipment. The tug driver observed the walker fall in his peripheral vision and stopped the vehicle immediately, but the tug struck the walker before coming to a complete stop.

Human Factors (Operational)

China Southern Airlines Flight 3943 crashed into Mount Tianma during descent after an undetected autothrottle malfunction led to a severe asymmetrical thrust condition. While descending towards Guilin at 7,000 feet, the captain attempted to level off the aircraft. During this maneuver, the number 2 engine power lever remained at idle while the number 1 engine advanced to maintain speed. The resulting power imbalance caused the aircraft to roll 90 degrees to the right and dive into the terrain, killing all 141 people on board.

Human Factors (Operational)

An Aero Caribbean Ilyushin Il-18D struck the side of Pico Isabel de Torres during a circling approach to Puerto Plata in nighttime instrument meteorological conditions. The aircraft was performing the second leg of a non-scheduled charter circuit (Puerto Plata–Santo Domingo–Puerto Plata–Havana). All 34 occupants, including a prominent Dominican chess team and their coach, were killed when the aircraft exploded on impact.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Vietnam Airlines Flight 474 crashed into a ridge on Ô Kha mountain during a domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang. The aircraft was operating in poor weather conditions associated with Cyclone Forrest when it descended below the minimum safe altitude and deviated approximately 6 kilometers from the W-13 airway. The wreckage was not located for eight days, during which time all but one passenger succumbed to their injuries or the elements. A subsequent rescue mission also ended in tragedy when a Mil Mi-8 helicopter crashed nearby, killing all seven people on board.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

El Al Flight 1862, a Boeing 747 freighter, crashed into an apartment complex in the Bijlmermeer neighborhood of Amsterdam after its two right-wing engines detached in flight. The accident was caused by the fatigue failure of a fuse pin in the number 3 engine pylon, which led to the engine breaking away and colliding with the number 4 engine, tearing it off as well. The loss of both engines on one side, combined with severe damage to the wing's leading edge and hydraulic systems, rendered the aircraft uncontrollable at low speeds. All four people on board and 39 people on the ground were killed, resulting in 43 total fatalities.

Mechanical Failure

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 was a scheduled international flight that crashed into a hillside while on approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. All 167 people on board were killed, making it the deadliest aviation accident on Nepalese soil.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Aeroflot Flight 2808 crashed into the village of Lebyazhy Lug during a poorly managed approach to Ivanovo Yuzhny Airport. The flight crew failed to maintain a stabilized approach, significantly overshooting the glideslope and localizer while maintaining excessive speed. Despite multiple deviations and the failure to configure the aircraft for landing in a timely manner, the crew attempted to salvage the landing rather than performing a go-around. The aircraft struck trees and buildings approximately 3 kilometers from the runway, killing everyone on board.

Pilot Error

A Yakovlev Yak-42D overran the runway during takeoff after the crew failed to set the horizontal stabilizer to the correct position. The aircraft failed to rotate properly, slammed back onto the runway, and struck an embankment at high speed, resulting in a massive fire and 108 fatalities.

Pilot Error

Thai Airways Flight 311 crashed into a mountain ridge north of Kathmandu while attempting to land in monsoon weather. The accident was caused by a combination of technical frustration regarding flap deployment, poor communication with air traffic control, and a loss of situational awareness by the flight crew.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar crashed and was destroyed by fire after the captain attempted to abort the takeoff while the aircraft was already airborne. The decision to reject the takeoff was prompted by a false stall warning caused by a defective Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor. Despite the total loss of the aircraft, all 292 occupants survived, largely due to a highly efficient evacuation led by the flight crew and off-duty flight attendants.

Human Factors (CRM)

GP Express Flight 861 crashed into a wooded ridge on Stanley Hill during an attempted instrument approach to Anniston Metropolitan Airport in fog and low-lying clouds. The flight crew, consisting of a captain on his first day of unsupervised revenue service (having completed Initial Operating Experience on June 3, 1992) and a relatively inexperienced first officer, lost situational awareness and failed to follow published instrument flight procedures. Instead of performing a standard procedure turn, the crew attempted to intercept the localizer from an excessive altitude and airspeed, eventually descending into terrain 7.5 miles northeast of the airport. The accident resulted in three fatalities (the captain and two passengers) and three serious injuries (the first officer and two passengers). The NTSB attributed the accident to management's failure to provide adequate training and operational support, resulting in an inadequately prepared crew.

Human Factors (Operational)

American Eagle Flight 5456 crashed into a swamp approximately 3/4 mile southwest of Eugenio María de Hostos Airport during a visual approach in heavy rain. The accident was caused by the inadvertent activation of the engine beta range (reverse thrust) in flight, which led to a sudden loss of control and a nose-low impact. Investigators determined that a mechanical beta blocking device, designed to prevent the power levers from moving aft of the flight idle position while airborne, had failed due to undetermined reasons, including suspected corrosion.

Mechanical Failure