Aviation Accident Summary Archive

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

LOT Flight 5055 suffered a catastrophic uncontained engine failure while climbing through 26,000 feet. A faulty bearing in the number 2 engine caused the turbine shaft to disintegrate, sending debris into the adjacent number 1 engine and the rear fuselage. The resulting fire and structural damage severed the elevator control cables and caused an explosive decompression. Despite losing two engines and primary pitch control, the crew managed to turn the aircraft back toward Warsaw using the trim tabs. However, a fire in the cargo hold eventually weakened the tail structure and disabled the remaining controls, causing the aircraft to crash into the Kabaty Woods nature reserve just 5 kilometers from the runway.

Mechanical Failure

American Eagle Flight 5452 crashed short of the runway at Eugenio María de Hostos Airport after experiencing an asymmetric power condition during a visual approach. The investigation revealed that improper maintenance of the propeller flight idle blade angle and engine fuel flow caused one engine to produce significantly less thrust than the other. The pilots, who were flying an unstabilized approach, were unable to maintain control of the aircraft as it yawed and rolled before impacting the ground 643 feet short of the runway threshold. Both crew members were killed, while all four passengers survived with minor injuries.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

A Boeing 707 cargo flight crashed into a ridge during an ILS approach to Kansas City International Airport after the captain intentionally descended below the decision height. Despite two low-altitude warnings from air traffic control, the crew failed to arrest the descent until seconds before impact. The investigation revealed that the aircraft was significantly below the glideslope and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) failed to activate for unknown reasons. All four people on board, consisting of three crew members and one authorized passenger, were killed.

Pilot Error

Northwest Airlink Flight 2268 crashed during a visual approach to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after the captain intentionally used the propeller 'beta mode' to rapidly descend and decelerate. This maneuver, performed at low altitude and low airspeed, resulted in an asymmetric power condition and a violent loss of control. The aircraft banked steeply, struck the ramp area, collided with a catering truck, and burst into flames. Nine of the 19 occupants were killed, primarily due to smoke inhalation and burns exacerbated by the lack of fire-retardant seat cushions.

Pilot Error

Aeroflot Flight 505 crashed seconds after takeoff from Tashkent Airport after encountering wake turbulence generated by a heavy Ilyushin Il-76. The Yak-40, which departed only 66 to 75 seconds after the preceding aircraft, experienced a rapid, uncontrollable right roll at low altitude. The investigation highlighted inadequate separation standards at Tashkent Airport, which permitted one-minute intervals regardless of aircraft weight class, and crew haste that led to procedural violations.

Other

A SkyWest Airlines Metro II collided mid-air with a private Mooney M20C over a residential area in Kearns, Utah, while on final approach to Salt Lake City. The collision occurred after the Mooney instructor pilot entered the Salt Lake City Airport Radar Service Area (ARSA) without clearance. The air traffic controller, focused on separating IFR traffic, failed to detect the Mooney's primary radar target and did not issue a traffic advisory to the SkyWest crew. All eight people aboard the Metro II and both occupants of the Mooney were killed.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Aeroflot Flight 892 crashed into a forest during a landing approach to Berlin-Schönefeld Airport after the crew misinterpreted a radio message regarding a closed runway. Due to poor English proficiency, the radio operator believed the flight was cleared for runway 25R, which was actually closed for renovation. The crew's subsequent manual maneuvers to realign with the correct runway, 25L, resulted in a high rate of descent and a stall without sufficient engine power to recover.

Human Factors (Operational)