Aviation Accident Summary Archive

American Airlines Flight 132 experienced an in-flight chemical fire in its mid-cargo compartment shortly before landing at Nashville. The fire was caused by the leakage of improperly packaged and undeclared hazardous materials, specifically a high-concentration hydrogen peroxide solution that reacted with a sodium orthosilicate-based mixture. The resulting exothermic reaction generated intense heat, causing the cabin floor to soften and smoke to enter the passenger cabin. Despite the captain's initial skepticism regarding the severity of the situation, the aircraft landed safely and was evacuated on a taxiway. All 126 occupants survived, though 18 sustained minor injuries during the incident and subsequent evacuation.

Other

Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286, operating as Continental Express, crashed into a snow-covered ridge during a non-precision approach to Durango, Colorado. The investigation revealed that the flight crew executed an unstable, excessively steep descent to save time, eventually flying below the published descent profile. A significant factor in the accident was the captain's impaired performance due to cocaine use 12 to 18 hours prior to the flight. The crash resulted in the deaths of both pilots and seven passengers, while eight others survived the impact and the harsh winter conditions.

Human Factors (Operational)

Aeroflot Flight 699 suffered a catastrophic structural failure during landing at Krasnovodsk Airport after an unstable approach led to a 4.8g heavy landing. The aircraft's tail section broke off from the fuselage upon impact, resulting in 11 passengers being thrown from the aircraft and killed. The investigation determined that the Captain failed to properly supervise an inexperienced co-pilot who was performing the landing, leading to a complete breakdown in crew resource management.

Human Factors (CRM)

China Southwest Airlines Flight 4146 crashed during its approach to Chongqing after an in-flight fire led to the separation of the number four engine. The fire was triggered by a mechanical failure in the engine's starter-generator, which overheated and severed a high-pressure oil line during a feathering attempt. The resulting conflagration weakened the engine mount until the engine fell from the wing, causing a total loss of control. Investigators attributed the disaster to systemic poor maintenance practices within the airline.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

Condor Flugdienst Flight 3782 was a charter flight that crashed into Dümentepe Hill during an ILS approach to Izmir, Turkey, killing all 16 people on board. The accident was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) caused by the flight crew following a false ILS side beam after failing to correctly execute a procedure turn. Investigation of the cockpit voice recorder revealed a significant breakdown in Crew Resource Management, as the captain spent the approach phase verbally abusing and distracting the first officer, who was the pilot flying.

Human Factors (CRM)

Finnair Flight 915 was a scheduled flight from Tokyo to Helsinki that narrowly avoided an explosion from an unidentified missile while flying over the Svalbard archipelago. The incident, which occurred during the Cold War, was witnessed by the flight deck crew but remained unreported to authorities for 27 years. In 2014, the surviving pilots came forward, alleging that a Soviet surface-to-air missile had been fired at the aircraft, exploding approximately 20 to 30 seconds before a potential impact. The Finnish government and aviation authorities had no official record of the event until the media disclosure.

Other

Air Littoral Flight 1919, operating for Air France, crashed into trees during a low-visibility ILS approach to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, killing all 16 people on board. The aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude and the glideslope while the crew was preoccupied with re-establishing the aircraft on the localizer after overshooting the centerline. Investigators determined the accident was a direct result of poor trajectory management and a breakdown in crew coordination, as neither pilot effectively monitored the aircraft's altitude or ILS deviations during the final stages of the flight.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Peruvian Navy Fokker F27, chartered to transport the Alianza Lima football team, crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a night approach to Lima. The crew was preoccupied by a landing gear indicator malfunction and, while attempting a second approach, flew the aircraft into the water due to spatial disorientation and poor cockpit coordination. Of the 43 people on board, only the pilot was rescued alive.

Pilot Error

A disgruntled former USAir employee, David A. Burke, used his unreturned airline credentials to bypass security with a .44 Magnum revolver. During the flight, he shot his former supervisor, a flight attendant, and both pilots before forcing the aircraft into a high-speed dive. The plane impacted a hillside at supersonic speeds, killing all 43 people on board.

Security / Sabotage

Korean Air Flight 858 was destroyed by a mid-air explosion over the Andaman Sea, killing all 115 people on board. The disaster was caused by a time bomb planted in an overhead bin by two North Korean agents who disembarked during a stopover in Abu Dhabi. The attack was orchestrated by the North Korean government to disrupt the upcoming 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Security / Sabotage

South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747 Combi nicknamed 'Helderberg', crashed into the Indian Ocean following an uncontrollable fire in the main deck cargo compartment. The aircraft was flying from Taipei to Johannesburg via Mauritius when a fire erupted in the Class B cargo area. Despite an emergency descent and attempts to manage the smoke, the fire caused catastrophic structural or systems failure, leading to the loss of all 159 people on board.

In-flight Fire

Ryan Air Services Flight 103 crashed short of the runway at Homer Airport after the flight crew failed to properly supervise the loading of the aircraft. The resulting aft center of gravity caused a total loss of control when the flaps were extended for landing. The aircraft struck the airport perimeter fence and slid on its belly, resulting in 18 fatalities among the 21 people on board.

Pilot Error

A Libyan Air Force Ilyushin Il-76M flying an evacuation shuttle out of the contested Aouzou Strip struck the ground on final approach to Sebha in poor visibility, about 13 km short of the airport. Forty-six of the forty-seven people on board were killed. One passenger, reported to have been riding on a truck bed carried in the hold, survived. No state investigation report was ever published; the accounts that exist attribute the crash to an incorrectly set altimeter.

Human Factors (Operational)

Continental Airlines Flight 1713 crashed during takeoff from Stapleton International Airport after a 27-minute delay following deicing allowed ice to reform on the wings. The aircraft, operated by a crew with limited experience on the DC-9, suffered a loss of control immediately after liftoff. During the takeoff roll in moderate snow, the First Officer rotated the aircraft too rapidly, causing the left wing to stall due to ice contamination. The wing struck the ground and separated, leading to a fuel-fed flash fire and the fuselage flipping inverted. The accident killed 25 passengers and 3 crew members (both pilots and one flight attendant), while 54 others survived.

Pilot Error

A United States Air Force A-7D Corsair II crashed into a Ramada Inn near Indianapolis International Airport following a catastrophic engine failure and subsequent pilot ejection. The aircraft suffered a sheared gear in the accessory gearbox at 31,000 feet, leading to a total loss of engine power. While attempting an emergency landing in poor visibility, the pilot was forced to eject at low altitude. The pilotless aircraft struck a bank building before crashing into the hotel lobby, igniting a massive fireball. All 10 fatalities were individuals on the ground, primarily hotel employees; the pilot survived the ejection.

Mechanical Failure

Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 460 crashed into Mount Crezzo during a climb in severe icing conditions. The aircraft, an ATR 42, experienced a loss of control characterized by violent rolling and anomalous pitch trim movements that prevented recovery. All 37 people on board were killed. The investigation highlighted the aircraft's vulnerability to icing and the crew's failure to maintain sufficient speed while climbing through known icing conditions.

Weather

Thai Airways Flight 365 stalled and crashed into the Andaman Sea during approach to Phuket after the crew became preoccupied with a nearby Dragonair aircraft. In a rush to secure landing priority, the Thai crew provided a false position report and subsequently allowed their airspeed to decay while maneuvering. Despite a stall warning from the stick shaker, the crew failed to execute a proper recovery at low altitude.

Pilot Error

Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport when the flight crew failed to configure the aircraft's flaps and slats for departure. The MD-82 stalled immediately after liftoff, rolling violently before striking a light pole and crashing onto Middlebelt Road. The accident resulted in 156 fatalities, including two people on the ground, leaving a four year old girl as the sole survivor from the aircraft. Investigators found that the crew had omitted the taxi checklist and that the Takeoff Warning System (TOWS) failed to alert them of the improper configuration due to a lack of electrical power to the central aural warning system.

Pilot Error

An Ilyushin Il-76M of the Libyan Air Force, registration 5A-DKK, was written off in a landing accident on approach to Sebha on 8 August 1987 while flying evacuation shuttles out of the Aouzou Strip during the Chadian-Libyan conflict. Both the BAAA and ASN entries record no fatalities. The airframe is a different one from the Il-76M lost near Sebha three months later with 46 dead.

Unknown

Air Afrique Flight 056 was hijacked by a Lebanese gunman, Hussein Ali Mohammed Hariri, during the final leg of a multi-stop journey from Brazzaville to Paris. The aircraft, carrying 158 people, was diverted to Geneva for refueling after departing Rome. The hijacker demanded the release of Mohammed Ali Hammadi and Abbas Ali Hamadei, two prisoners held in West Germany. To pressure authorities, Hariri murdered a French passenger. The crisis ended when passengers initiated an emergency evacuation, allowing Swiss security forces and crew members to overpower the hijacker.

Security / Sabotage

A Philippine Airlines Hawker Siddeley HS-748 crashed into the fog-shrouded slopes of Mount Ugu while on approach to Baguio City. The aircraft was operating a domestic flight from Manila when the pilot reported poor visibility due to monsoon conditions. The plane disappeared from radar approximately ten minutes before its scheduled arrival and was found five hours later, having struck the mountain about 180 meters below the summit. All 50 people on board were killed.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Aeroflot Flight 528 overran the runway at Berdiansk Airport after landing too deep and too fast on a water-contaminated surface. During the landing roll, the aircraft hydroplaned, leading the pilot to attempt a late go-around with insufficient runway remaining. The aircraft exited the runway, struck trees, and caught fire. The accident was driven by the crew's decision to land in weather conditions below minimums and significant failures in weather reporting and air traffic management.

Pilot Error

A Bakhtar Afghan Airlines Antonov An-26 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Mujahideen rebels while flying from Kandahar to Kabul. The aircraft was struck while transiting the Khost district, leading to a total loss of control and the deaths of 53 of the 55 people on board.

Military Action

Air New Zealand Flight 24 was hijacked on the tarmac at Nadi International Airport during a scheduled refueling stop. The hijacker, Amjad Ali, an airport refueller armed with melanite explosives, entered the cockpit and demanded the release of deposed Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra and his cabinet following a military coup. After a six hour standoff, the flight crew successfully overpowered Ali, who was then arrested by local authorities. All 129 occupants survived without injury.

Security / Sabotage