Aviation Accident Summary Archive

On August 27, 1990, a Bell 206B JetRanger carrying blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton's entourage crashed into a ski hill shortly after departing the Alpine Valley Music Theatre. The helicopter was one of four aircraft transporting performers and staff to Chicago following a concert. In conditions of dense fog and low visibility, the pilot initiated a turn but failed to gain sufficient altitude to clear rising terrain. The aircraft struck a 300-foot ski slope approximately 0.6 miles from the takeoff point, killing all five occupants instantly. The NTSB determined the cause to be controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) due to the pilot's failure to avoid the hill while operating in reduced visibility.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

During climb at 17,300 feet, the left-hand windscreen blew out, causing an explosive decompression. The captain was partially sucked out of the aircraft and held by cabin crew while the co-pilot performed an emergency descent and landing. All on board survived.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

Aerolift Philippines Flight 075 crashed into a residential house in Parañaque shortly after takeoff from Manila, killing all 21 people on board and four members of a family on the ground for a total of 25 fatalities. During the initial climb, the aircraft suffered a failure of the right (number 2) engine. The crew attempted to return to the airport but failed to maintain adequate airspeed and altitude while the aircraft was in a high-drag configuration with the landing gear and flaps extended. The aircraft stalled, banked sharply to the right, and plunged into a suburban neighborhood at a steep angle.

Pilot Error

A Boeing 737-300 suffered a catastrophic center wing fuel tank explosion while preparing for departure at Manila. The aircraft was parked in high ambient temperatures (35 degrees Celsius) with its air conditioning packs running for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. These packs, located directly beneath the center fuel tank, heated the residual fuel and vapors within the tank. Shortly after pushback, the vapors ignited, causing an explosion that pushed the cabin floor upward and ruptured the wing tanks, leading to a fire that consumed the aircraft within four minutes. Eight passengers were killed and 82 others were injured.

Mechanical Failure

An RAF Avro Shackleton AEW2 crashed into the 800-foot peak of Maodal on the Isle of Harris during a military exercise, killing all 10 personnel on board. The aircraft was attempting an approach to RAF Benbecula in poor weather conditions with its radar deactivated for training purposes. The Board of Inquiry determined the aircraft was flown below a safe altitude for the prevailing weather, though it could not establish the specific reason for the crew's navigation error, which placed them 12 miles north of their reported position.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Widerøe Flight 839 crashed into the Norwegian Sea approximately one minute after departing Værøy Airport. The aircraft encountered extreme turbulence and wind shear generated by a nearby 500-meter tall mountain, which caused structural failure of the tail section. The crew initiated the flight despite reports of a moderate gale upon landing and peak gusts of 57 knots while parked, which exceeded both the aircraft's ground operation limits and the airport's specific departure restrictions. All five people on board were killed, and the accident led to the permanent closure of Værøy Airport for fixed-wing commercial operations.

Weather

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia carrying 7 people (3 crew and 4 passengers), collided head-on with a Civil Air Patrol Cessna 172 carrying 2 people at 5,000 feet near Gadsden, Alabama. The collision tore the right horizontal stabilizer from the Embraer, but the crew managed to maintain control and return to Northeast Alabama Regional Airport for a safe landing with no injuries. The Cessna 172 crashed into a field, killing both occupants. The NTSB determined the cause was an inadequate visual lookout by both flight crews, exacerbated by sun glare affecting the Cessna pilot's vision.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 727 struck and killed a pedestrian who had unauthorized access to the runway during the takeoff roll at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The captain observed the individual on the runway centerline after the aircraft had accelerated to approximately 105 knots. Despite an immediate evasive maneuver and an aborted takeoff, the pedestrian was struck by the left main landing gear. The aircraft sustained minor damage and there were no injuries to the 41 occupants on board.

Other

Indian Airlines Flight 605 crashed onto a golf course approximately 2,300 feet short of the runway during a visual approach to Bangalore. The aircraft entered a dangerous 'Open Descent' mode, causing the engines to remain at idle thrust while the pilots failed to monitor their rapidly decaying altitude and airspeed. Despite automated radio altitude call-outs, the crew did not advance the throttles until it was too late to prevent impact with an earthen embankment.

Pilot Error

A British Army Westland Gazelle AH1 was shot down by the Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade using heavy machine guns and automatic rifles during a reconnaissance flight near the border. The aircraft was lured into a trap by a diversionary motorcade, hit multiple times, and suffered a total loss of oil pressure, leading to a crash-landing in an open field. While the airframe was destroyed, all four occupants survived, with three sustaining injuries from the impact.

Military Action

On February 10, 1990, a Bell 206L LongRanger sightseeing helicopter plunged into the East River shortly after departing the East 34th Street Heliport. The pilot misjudged wind conditions, resulting in a downwind takeoff that caused the aircraft to settle into the water before reaching effective translational lift. Upon impact, the helicopter inverted and its emergency flotation system failed to deploy. While four occupants escaped or were rescued from the frigid water, a 13 year old passenger remained trapped submerged in the wreckage for approximately 20 minutes. He was eventually freed by police divers but died five days later from his injuries.

Pilot Error

A ground mechanic was fatally crushed between a tug and a Boeing 727 during a towing preparation at Indianapolis International Airport. The accident occurred when the tug operator, who was wearing a built-up steel-toe boot, failed to stop the vehicle while approaching the aircraft nose gear. Post-accident testing suggested the operator's specialized footwear may have become lodged under the brake pedal, preventing sufficient braking action to stop the tug before it struck the employee and the aircraft.

Human Factors (Operational)

Avianca Flight 052 crashed into a hillside on Long Island after exhausting its fuel supply during a second approach to JFK International Airport. The aircraft had been held for over an hour due to poor weather in the New York area. Despite the critical fuel state, the flight crew failed to use the word 'emergency' when communicating with air traffic control, leading controllers to underestimate the severity of the situation. After a missed approach due to windshear and poor visibility, all four engines flamed out, and the aircraft crashed 16 miles from the airport.

Human Factors (CRM)

Aeroflot Flight 6246 crashed during an emergency landing attempt following an intense in-flight fire in the rear baggage compartment. While cruising at 10,600 meters, a short circuit in the electrical wiring ignited a fire that quickly disabled critical flight instruments and recorders. The crew initiated an emergency descent toward Koltsovo Airport but was forced to perform a forced landing in a snow-covered field near Pervouralsk due to deteriorating conditions and smoke. The aircraft struck a sprinkler hydrant and trees, flipping onto its back and breaking apart, resulting in 27 fatalities.

In-flight Fire

United Express Flight 2415 crashed during an unstabilized ILS approach to Tri-Cities Airport, resulting in the deaths of all six people on board. The aircraft was positioned by air traffic control at an excessively high altitude and short distance from the runway, requiring a steep descent. During the attempt to capture the glidepath at low speed, the aircraft likely suffered a horizontal stabilizer stall exacerbated by ice accumulation on the airframe.

Pilot Error

KLM Flight 867, a scheduled service from Amsterdam to Tokyo with a stopover in Anchorage, suffered a total loss of power in all four engines after flying into a volcanic ash cloud generated by the eruption of Mount Redoubt. The Boeing 747-400, which was less than six months old, encountered the ash at Flight Level 250 while descending toward Anchorage. The ash melted in the high-temperature sections of the engines, forming a glass-like coating that caused all four General Electric CF6-80C2 engines to stall. After a harrowing descent of over 14,000 feet, the crew successfully restarted all four engines and performed a safe landing at Anchorage. Although there were no human fatalities, the aircraft sustained over $80 million in damage.

Weather

A Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules, operated by CIA front company Tepper Aviation, crashed during a clandestine night approach to a dirt runway in Jamba, Angola. The aircraft was delivering weapons and personnel to UNITA insurgents when it struck trees approximately 10 kilometers from the airport. The flight was being conducted at an extremely low altitude to avoid detection by MPLA radar systems. All five crew members and at least eight passengers were killed, though conflicting reports exist regarding the exact number of survivors and total fatalities due to the secretive nature of the mission.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Avianca Flight 203 was a domestic scheduled flight that was destroyed by an improvised explosive device five minutes after takeoff from Bogotá. The bombing was orchestrated by the Medellín Cartel, led by Pablo Escobar, in a failed attempt to assassinate presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo. The explosion, located near the center fuel tank, triggered a secondary fuel-air explosion that caused the aircraft to disintegrate in mid-air. All 107 people on board were killed, along with three people on the ground who were struck by falling debris.

Security / Sabotage

Korean Air Flight 175 crashed onto the runway at Gimpo International Airport immediately after liftoff, following an engine failure and loss of control. During the initial climb, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 30 meters before tilting sharply to the left. The captain attempted to abort the takeoff, but the aircraft impacted the runway, broke into two pieces, and caught fire. While all 48 occupants initially survived the impact and evacuation, one passenger died 12 days later from severe burn injuries.

Human Factors (Operational)

Aloha IslandAir Flight 1712 crashed into the mountainous terrain of northern Molokai after the captain elected to continue a night flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). The aircraft, carrying a local high school volleyball team and other passengers, was flying at an unauthorized altitude of 500 feet when it entered orographic clouds and struck a rocky slope. The investigation highlighted significant failures in airline management oversight, pilot training, and FAA surveillance during a period of rapid corporate expansion.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

China Airlines Flight 204 crashed into the Chiashan mountain range shortly after takeoff from Hualien Airport, killing all 54 people on board. The accident occurred because the flight crew executed a climb-out procedure intended for Runway 21 while actually departing from Runway 03. This resulted in the aircraft making a left turn toward high terrain instead of the required right turn toward the sea.

Pilot Error

TAN-SAHSA Flight 414 crashed into the Cerro de Hula mountain during a VOR/DME approach to Toncontín International Airport. The flight crew failed to follow the prescribed step-down procedure, instead maintaining a continuous descent that placed the aircraft well below the required safety altitudes. The impact occurred approximately 4.8 nautical miles from the runway threshold, killing 131 of the 146 people on board. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in Central American history.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A ground mechanic was fatally injured by a lightning strike while conducting pushback operations for a USAir DC-9-31 at Orlando International Airport. The mechanic was wearing a wired headset connected to the aircraft when lightning struck the tail of the airplane, traveling through the communication line. Although lightning had been observed in the area earlier, ground operations were initiated after a 15 minute period of no observed activity, despite the airline's safety manual prohibiting ground guide operations during periods of lightning.

Human Factors (Operational)

During a late-night takeoff in wet conditions, the aircraft veered left due to an improperly set rudder trim. The captain attempted to abort the takeoff after V1 speed, resulting in the aircraft overrunning the runway and plunging into Bowery Bay.

Pilot Error