Aviation Accident Summary Archive

Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down by a Soviet Su-15TM interceptor after the aircraft strayed significantly off course into prohibited Soviet airspace. The journey began at New York-JFK on August 31, 1983, for a multi-leg flight to Seoul via Anchorage. During the second leg on September 1, the Boeing 747 deviated from its assigned North Pacific route R-20 and overflew the Kamchatka Peninsula and Sakhalin Island. Soviet military authorities, mistaking the airliner for a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, ordered the shootdown. The aircraft was struck by at least one R-98 air-to-air missile, resulting in a decompression and loss of control. All 269 passengers and crew were killed when the aircraft crashed into the Sea of Japan near Moneron Island.

Military Action

Aeroflot Flight 5463 crashed into the western slope of Dolan Mountain during a night approach to Alma Ata. The accident was caused by a combination of air traffic control errors and the flight crew's failure to maintain a safe altitude over mountainous terrain. Despite receiving a ground proximity warning, the crew delayed evasive action until seconds before impact, resulting in the deaths of all 90 people on board.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Air Canada Flight 143 ran out of fuel at 41,000 feet due to a conversion error between metric and imperial units. The crew successfully glided the Boeing 767 to an emergency landing at a former air force base in Gimli.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

A British Airways Helicopters Sikorsky S-61N crashed into the sea while attempting a visual approach to St Mary's Aerodrome in poor visibility. The flight crew failed to notice and correct an unintentional descent from their intended altitude of 250 feet, eventually flying the aircraft into the water at approximately 80 to 100 knots. The accident resulted in 20 fatalities (19 passengers and one crew member) and was the deadliest civilian helicopter accident in the United Kingdom at the time.

Pilot Error

TAME Flight 173 crashed into a hillside during a visual approach to Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 people on board. Despite being cleared for an instrument approach, the crew opted for a direct visual approach in conditions with ground fog and low clouds. During the descent, the crew ignored multiple Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) alerts and descended below the minimum safe altitude. The aircraft struck a ridge with its tail just one mile from the runway. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in Ecuadorian history.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Chosonminhang Ilyushin Il-62M crashed into the Fouta Djallon mountain range in Guinea while attempting to land at Conakry International Airport. The aircraft was transporting North Korean construction workers and materials intended for the completion of the Palace of Nations conference hall. During its descent in poor weather conditions, the crew failed to monitor their altitude, resulting in a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) approximately 160 miles northwest of their destination. All 23 occupants were killed in what remains the deadliest aviation accident in Guinean history.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 suffered a catastrophic propeller separation while climbing through 19,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. The number four propeller detached, struck the fuselage, and tore an eight-foot gash in the belly, causing rapid decompression and jamming the primary flight and engine controls. Despite the loss of manual control and jammed throttles, the crew utilized the autopilot and creative engine management to perform a successful emergency landing at Anchorage International Airport with no fatalities.

Unknown

An in-flight fire originating in the aft lavatory led to a smoke-filled cabin and the loss of several electrical systems. The crew performed an emergency descent and landed at Cincinnati, but a flashover occurred shortly after the aircraft doors were opened for evacuation, killing 23 passengers who remained on board.

In-flight Fire

A Canadian CF-104 Starfighter crashed onto a federal highway during an air show at Rhein-Main Air Base, killing six people on the ground. The pilot, Captain Alan Stephenson, was performing a solo aerobatic display when he lost control during a low-speed turn. While the pilot successfully ejected, the aircraft struck a car carrying the Jürges family, resulting in the deaths of five family members at the scene and a sixth relative 81 days later. The accident led to significant changes in German air show regulations, specifically prohibiting jet displays in metropolitan areas.

Pilot Error

Eastern Air Lines Flight 855 suffered a near-total loss of power when all three engines failed due to oil exhaustion during a flight to the Bahamas. The oil loss was caused by the omission of O-ring seals on the master chip detectors during maintenance the previous night. After descending without power from 13,000 feet to approximately 4,000 feet, the crew successfully restarted the number 2 engine and performed a safe emergency landing in Miami.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

An Israeli Air Force F-15D Eagle successfully landed after losing its entire right wing in a mid-air collision with an A-4 Skyhawk during a training exercise. The collision occurred during dissimilar air combat training (DACT) when the two aircraft struck each other, causing the A-4 to disintegrate and the F-15 to lose all but two feet of its right wing. Despite an initial roll and an instructor's order to eject, the pilot engaged afterburners to regain control and landed the aircraft at twice the normal landing speed at Ramon Airbase.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Avensa Flight 007 crashed during a landing attempt in thick fog at Jacinto Lara International Airport, resulting in 23 fatalities. The Douglas DC-9-32 was conducting an ILS approach when it landed hard approximately 1,015 meters beyond the runway threshold. The excessive force caused the landing gear to collapse, and the aircraft subsequently skidded off the runway and exploded, breaking into two sections.

Pilot Error

Turkish Airlines Flight 158 undershot the runway at Ankara Esenboğa Airport during a landing attempt in heavy snow and gusty winds. The Boeing 727 struck the ground approximately 150 meters short of the runway threshold, broke into three sections, and caught fire. The accident resulted in 47 fatalities, primarily among passengers in the middle section of the aircraft, while all 7 crew members survived.

Weather

United Airlines Flight 2885, a DC-8 cargo flight, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport when the crew failed to correct a mistrimmed stabilizer. The investigation revealed that the captain had allowed the flight engineer, who was not qualified to act as a pilot, to occupy the first officer's seat and perform the takeoff. During the seat swap and subsequent taxi, the crew overlooked the stabilizer trim, which remained at 7.5 units airplane nose-up from the previous landing. Upon rotation, the aircraft pitched up excessively, stalled at approximately 1,000 feet, and rolled into a vertical bank before impacting the ground.

Pilot Error

CAAC Flight 2311 was destroyed by an in-flight fire that erupted during its final approach to Guangzhou. While the aircraft was successfully landed and brought to a halt, a rapid fire development in the cabin prevented the evacuation of all occupants. The fire was attributed to a passenger's discarded cigarette, which ignited materials near an oxygen tank in the rear of the cabin. Of the 69 people on board, 25 passengers died from asphyxiation before they could escape the burning fuselage, and 26 others (22 passengers and 4 crew members) sustained injuries.

Human Factors (Operational)

Aeronor Chile Flight 304 crashed during its approach to La Florida Airport following an engine malfunction. The aircraft struck a stone wall in the Alfalfares area, approximately 800 meters from the airport terminal, and was destroyed by a post-impact fire. All 46 people on board were killed. The accident occurred while the airport was conducting an emergency drill, leading to initial confusion among responders who mistook the real crash for part of the exercise.

Engine Failure

Aeroflot Flight 343 veered off the runway and crashed into a wooded ravine during landing at Luxembourg Findel Airport after a mechanical failure in the thrust reverser system. As the aircraft touched down, the thrust reverser on the number 1 engine failed to deploy while the number 4 engine reverser functioned normally, creating a severe asymmetrical thrust condition. The crew was unable to maintain directional control, and the aircraft struck a small building and trees before catching fire. Seven passengers were killed, and numerous others were injured.

Mechanical Failure

Japan Airlines Flight 792 suffered a catastrophic hydraulic failure shortly after takeoff from Shanghai when an emergency brake air bottle ruptured, severing 15 critical lines (13 hydraulic and 2 pneumatic). The crew attempted an emergency return to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport but, lacking flaps and effective wheel braking, the aircraft touched down at high speed and overran the runway. The DC-8 plunged into a drainage ditch, resulting in 39 injuries but no fatalities.

Mechanical Failure

A Bristow Helicopters Bell 212 crashed into the North Sea during a nighttime medical evacuation mission in severe weather. The helicopter was dispatched to winch an injured crewman from the seismic survey vessel Baffin Seal. While attempting to locate the vessel in driving rain and darkness, the aircraft struck the water at high speed in a nose-down, right-banked attitude. All six occupants, including two pilots, two winch crew, and two medical personnel, were killed. The investigation could not determine a specific cause for the loss of control or altitude, citing the extreme difficulty of low-level night operations in poor visibility.

Unknown

A Spantax DC-10 suffered a runway overrun and post-crash fire after the captain attempted to abort the takeoff past rotation speed. During the takeoff roll, the retread on the right nose gear tire detached, causing severe vibrations that the crew misidentified as a potential loss of flight control. The aircraft overran the runway at 110 knots, crossed a highway, and struck several vehicles and buildings before coming to rest and bursting into flames.

Human Factors (Operational)

A U.S. Army CH-47C Chinook carrying international parachutists for a world record attempt during Mannheim's 375th anniversary suffered a catastrophic transmission failure. Despite having only 33 seats, 46 people were on board after a decision was made to use one helicopter instead of two. The failure caused the counter-rotating rotor blades to lose synchronization and collide during an attempted emergency landing, leading to the disintegration of the rotor system and a vertical crash onto the A656 motorway. All 46 occupants were killed.

Mechanical Failure

An Aerolíneas Cóndor DHC-4 Caribou crashed into high terrain in the Andes while performing a scheduled domestic passenger flight. The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions, leading to spatial disorientation and a subsequent collision with a mountain near Valladolid. All 44 occupants were killed, and the wreckage was not reached by rescue teams for three days due to the remote location and persistent poor weather.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 overran the runway at Ishigaki Airport after a high-speed landing compounded by hydroplaning and the crew's decision to shut down both engines during the landing roll. The engine shutdown disabled the aircraft's anti-skid braking system, leading to tire bursts and reduced braking effectiveness. Although the aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire, all 138 occupants evacuated safely, with 67 sustaining injuries.

Pilot Error

On August 14, 1982, an Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134A and an Aeroflot Let L-410M collided on the runway at Sukhumi Babushara Airport. The Tu-134 was in its takeoff roll for a flight to Moscow when it struck the L-410, which had entered the runway to begin a flight to Kutaisi. The collision destroyed the smaller L-410, killing all 11 people on board. The Tu-134 sustained significant damage but all 82 occupants survived.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft