Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A Boeing Vertol 234LR Chinook crashed into the North Sea approximately 2.5 miles east of Sumburgh Airport following a catastrophic failure of the forward transmission. The failure caused a loss of rotor synchronization, leading the twin rotor systems to collide and the aircraft to break up in mid-air. Of the 47 people on board, only the captain and one passenger survived. The accident remains the deadliest civilian helicopter crash in European history.

Mechanical Failure

A Tupolev Tu-134A crashed during a scheduled stopover at Kurumoch Airport after the captain attempted to land the aircraft blindly to win a bet. The flight, which originated in Sverdlovsk and was bound for Grozny, ended in disaster when the captain curtained off the cockpit windows to perform an instrument-only approach without visual contact with the ground. The aircraft touched down with excessive force, causing the left wing to collapse and the fuselage to roll around its longitudinal axis, coming to rest upside down 214 meters from the point of touchdown.

Pilot Error

A Mozambican government Tupolev Tu-134 carrying President Samora Machel crashed into a hillside in the Lebombo Mountains of South Africa after the crew inadvertently followed a 37 degree turn away from their intended destination. The investigation determined that the crew likely tuned their navigation equipment to the wrong VOR frequency, mistaking the Matsapa beacon for the Maputo beacon. Despite a Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) alert sounding for 32 seconds, the crew failed to take corrective action, continuing their descent in darkness and cloud until impact.

Human Factors (CRM)

Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked on the ground at Karachi by four armed members of the Abu Nidal Organization. Disguised as airport security, the militants seized the aircraft during passenger boarding. The flight deck crew successfully escaped through a cockpit hatch, grounding the aircraft. After a 16-hour standoff, the onboard power failed and the hijackers opened fire on the passengers and detonated grenades. The massacre resulted in 21 deaths, though the quick actions of the cabin crew in hiding passports and opening emergency exits saved hundreds of lives.

Security / Sabotage

Aeroméxico Flight 498, a DC-9, was on approach to Los Angeles International Airport when it collided mid-air with a private Piper PA-28 Archer II over Cerritos. The Piper had inadvertently entered the Los Angeles Terminal Control Area (TCA) without clearance and was not equipped with a Mode C transponder. The collision sheared off the DC-9's horizontal stabilizer, causing it to plunge into a residential neighborhood. All 67 people on both aircraft and 15 people on the ground were killed.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

A Sudan Airways Fokker F-27 was shot down approximately 10 kilometers from Malakal Airport by Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) militants using a surface-to-air missile. All 60 people on board were killed in the crash.

Military Action

LIAT Flight 319 disappeared on August 3, 1986, while attempting to land at E. T. Joshua Airport during a severe rainstorm. The aircraft, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, encountered poor visibility and mountainous terrain before presumably crashing into the Caribbean Sea. Despite an extensive international search effort involving the coast guards of several nations, no wreckage or bodies were ever recovered. The government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines declared all 13 people on board dead six days after the disappearance.

Weather

Aeroflot Flight 2306 crashed during an emergency landing in a forest after an intense fire broke out in the rear cargo compartment. The crew initiated an emergency descent from cruising altitude through thick clouds and rain, but the fire's rapid spread and smoke in the cabin forced a premature landing in wooded terrain near Kopsa.

In-flight Fire

On June 18, 1986, a Grand Canyon Airlines de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter and a Helitech Bell 206B helicopter collided in mid-air over the Grand Canyon, killing all 25 people on both aircraft. The collision occurred at approximately 6,500 feet near the Tonto Plateau and Mencius Temple in visual meteorological conditions. The helicopter's main rotor struck the Twin Otter's nose gear and tail section, causing the tail to separate and both aircraft to plummet into the canyon. The NTSB determined the primary cause was the failure of both flightcrews to see and avoid each other, exacerbated by a lack of standardized routes and the concentration of air traffic over specific scenic points.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Air Lanka Flight 512 was destroyed by a time bomb while boarding at Bandaranaike International Airport, killing 21 people. The aircraft, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, had arrived from London via Zurich and Dubai and was preparing for its final leg to the Maldives. The explosion, which occurred at 09:10 local time, ripped the fuselage in two and scattered debris across the tarmac. Investigators determined the bomb was hidden in the aircraft's 'Fly Away Kit' or possibly within cargo. The device was reportedly timed to detonate mid-flight, but a delay caused by minor damage during baggage loading meant the aircraft was still on the ground when the blast occurred, likely preventing a much higher death toll.

Security / Sabotage

A catastrophic mid-air bombing was averted at London Heathrow Airport when El Al security discovered 1.5 kilograms of Semtex explosives hidden in the luggage of an unsuspecting pregnant passenger. The passenger, Anne-Marie Murphy, had been duped by her fiancé, Nezar Hindawi, into carrying the device, which was set to detonate while the aircraft was at cruising altitude over Austria. Murphy was six months pregnant at the time. The plot was linked to Syrian intelligence, leading to a major diplomatic crisis and the severance of UK-Syria relations.

Security / Sabotage

On April 5, 1986, an Eagle Air Piper PA-23-250 Aztec E crashed into the northern slopes of the Ljósufjöll mountain range in Iceland during a charter flight. The investigation by the Air Accident Committee and the Civil Aviation Administration concluded that the aircraft encountered a powerful downdraft, causing it to impact terrain at an altitude of approximately 700 meters. Five of the seven occupants were killed, including one survivor who died during the rescue operation while being transported down the mountain. The investigation highlighted a lack of up-to-date weather information available to the pilot as a significant contributing factor.

Weather

Mexicana Flight 940 suffered an in-flight breakup and crashed into a mountain after a tire explosion in the wheel well triggered a massive fire. The explosion was caused by the maintenance team's decision to fill a tire with compressed air instead of nitrogen, which, combined with overheated brakes, led to a chemical explosion.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

An Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-14M crashed into the Philippi Glacier during a ferry flight across Antarctica after encountering unforecast severe icing and hurricane-force headwinds. The adverse weather forced the crew to descend to 1,500 meters, where they encountered a jet stream that significantly reduced their ground speed and increased fuel consumption. Facing a critical fuel shortage and near-zero visibility due to whiteout conditions, the crew attempted an emergency landing on the glacier but collided with the surface, killing all six people on board.

Weather

The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight after a structural failure of the right Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The failure was caused by the inability of rubber O-rings to seal a joint in the booster due to record-low temperatures at the time of launch. This allowed pressurized hot gases to escape, eventually burning through the external fuel tank and causing a catastrophic structural breakup of the entire vehicle. All seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, were killed when the crew cabin impacted the Atlantic Ocean.

Human Factors (Operational)

VASP Flight 210 crashed after the flight crew inadvertently attempted to take off from a taxiway instead of the designated runway during conditions of dense fog. Upon realizing the error at high speed, the crew initiated a rejected takeoff, but the aircraft overran the taxiway and struck a dyke. The impact broke off the forward section of the fuselage and crushed the cockpit, resulting in the death of one passenger.

Pilot Error

An Aerovías Sud Aviation Caravelle crashed into a hill during its second approach to Santa Elena Airport, killing all 94 people on board. The flight was carrying tourists from Guatemala City to the Maya ruins at Tikal. After overshooting the runway on the first attempt due to excessive altitude, the aircraft impacted terrain approximately 8 kilometers from the airport during the subsequent approach. While the exact cause remains undetermined, investigators suspect low cloud cover and poor visibility led to pilot disorientation and controlled flight into terrain.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Douglas DC-8 carrying 248 U.S. Army soldiers stalled and crashed seconds after takeoff from Gander International Airport. The accident remains one of the most controversial in aviation history due to a split decision by the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB) regarding the cause.

Weather

On November 25, 1985, a Soviet Antonov An-12BP transport aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile while en route from Cuito Cuanavale to Luanda via Menongue, Angola. The aircraft, officially registered to Aeroflot but operated by a Soviet military detachment supporting FAPLA forces, was struck by a missile at approximately 10,000 feet. The explosion caused a cargo shift of two heavy tank engines, which altered the center of gravity and led to a loss of control. Forty-seven seconds after the initial impact, the port wing separated, and the aircraft crashed, killing all 23 people on board. South African Special Forces later claimed responsibility for the shoot-down, stating they used a captured Soviet-made 9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9) system during a covert operation.

Military Action

EgyptAir Flight 648 was hijacked by three members of the Abu Nidal Organization shortly after departing Athens. A mid-air shootout between an Egyptian sky marshal and the hijackers caused rapid depressurization, forcing the aircraft to land in Malta. After a tense standoff during which the hijackers executed several passengers, Egyptian Unit 777 commandos launched a raid that resulted in a catastrophic loss of life. The use of excessive explosives and the resulting fire, combined with grenades thrown by the hijackers, led to the deaths of 60 people, making it one of the deadliest hijacking rescues in history.

Security / Sabotage

A Dassault Falcon 50 executive jet and a Piper PA-28-181 Archer collided at approximately 1,500 feet over a residential area while both were in contact with Teterboro Tower. The Falcon was executing a VOR-DME Alpha circling approach to position for a landing on runway 19, while the Piper was transiting the airport traffic area from west to east. The collision resulted from a breakdown in air traffic control coordination and the inability of the jet crew to see and avoid the light aircraft due to misleading traffic advisories and the physiological limitations of night vision. Both aircraft crashed into the towns of Fairview and Cliffside Park, destroying several homes. The accident resulted in 6 fatalities: 2 occupants of the Falcon, 3 occupants of the Piper, and one person on the ground.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Henson Airlines Flight 1517, operating as a Piedmont Commuter flight, crashed into the southwest face of Hall Mountain during an instrument approach to Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. The aircraft struck terrain at an elevation of 2,400 feet in instrument meteorological conditions, killing all 14 people on board. The NTSB determined the flight crew committed a navigational error by using the incorrect navigational facility and failing to monitor their flight instruments. The investigation highlighted significant contributing factors, including non-standardized cockpit instrumentation across the airline's fleet, high ambient noise levels that hindered communication, and inadequate pilot training and experience.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Midwest Express Flight 105 crashed shortly after takeoff from Milwaukee following an uncontained failure of the right engine. Although the aircraft remained controllable after the initial explosion, the flight crew failed to coordinate their response, leading to a high angle of attack, a significant loss of airspeed, and an accelerated stall. The aircraft rolled 90 degrees to the right and crashed into a wildlife preserve, killing all 31 people on board.

Human Factors (CRM)

Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808, a scheduled service from Boston to Bangor, crashed during an intermediate stop approach to Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, killing all eight people on board, including 13-year-old peace activist Samantha Smith. The aircraft struck trees approximately 4,007 feet short of the runway threshold while in controlled flight. The NTSB determined that the crew attempted to continue an unstabilized approach after receiving a non-standard radar vector from air traffic control that resulted in an excessive intercept angle. The investigation also highlighted excessive cockpit noise levels in the Beechcraft 99, which likely hindered crew communication and coordination during the critical phase of flight.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)