Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A Let L-410UVP-E Turbolet crashed near Pieri Airstrip following a dual engine failure. Approximately ten minutes after departure, the aircraft suffered an initial engine failure while climbing. During the crew's attempt to return to the airstrip, the second engine failed, leading to an aerodynamic stall and a near-vertical impact. All ten people on board were killed.

Engine Failure

United Airlines Flight 328 suffered a contained right engine failure shortly after departing Denver, resulting in a massive debris field over residential Broomfield, Colorado. A fan blade in the Pratt & Whitney PW4077 engine fractured due to metal fatigue, leading to the separation of the engine's inlet and cowling and sparking an in-flight fire. Despite the severe damage and falling debris hitting homes and vehicles, the flight crew successfully returned the aircraft to Denver International Airport with no injuries to the 239 people on board or those on the ground.

Mechanical Failure

A Beechcraft Baron carrying members of the Palmas Futebol e Regatas football club crashed shortly after takeoff from a private airstrip in Porto Nacional, Brazil. The aircraft failed to gain sufficient altitude, struck the ground in a wooded area, and was destroyed by a post-crash fire. All six occupants, including four players, the club president, and the pilot, were killed.

Human Factors (Operational)

Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after departure from Jakarta following a severe thrust asymmetry that led to a loss of control. The investigation revealed that a faulty autothrottle system caused the left engine thrust lever to reduce while the right remained fixed. The flight crew failed to monitor the resulting roll and thrust deviation, eventually losing control of the aircraft during a climb. All 62 people on board were killed.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 suffered a catastrophic uncontained failure of its number 2 engine shortly after takeoff from Novosibirsk. Debris from the engine severed critical electrical and control lines, leading to a total loss of radio communications, ADS-B, and braking systems. The crew performed an emergency return and overran the runway by 300 meters, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. All 14 occupants survived without injury.

Engine Failure

A Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter was shot down by Azerbaijani forces using a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) while flying in Armenian airspace near the border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The helicopter was providing an aerial escort for a convoy from the Russian 102nd Military Base when it was struck by a surface-to-air missile. The aircraft crashed in a gorge near the village of Yeraskh, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and serious injury to a third. Azerbaijan immediately claimed responsibility, stating the shootdown was an accident caused by heightened combat readiness and the helicopter's low-altitude flight in the dark near a conflict zone.

Military Action

A Ukrainian Air Force Antonov An-26Sh crashed during a training flight approach, killing 26 of the 27 people on board. The investigation identified a combination of technical failures—specifically in the engine control and temperature control systems—and systemic operational negligence, including unauthorized 'conveyor-style' touch-and-go landings and the presence of inexperienced cadets in the cockpit during a critical sensor malfunction.

Human Factors (Operational)

A South West Aviation Antonov An-26B cargo aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Juba Airport, killing nine of the ten people on board. The aircraft was reportedly overloaded with eight tons of cargo, significantly exceeding its maximum capacity of 5.5 tons. Investigators found the flight was operated illegally, as the aircraft lacked a valid airworthiness certificate and the airline did not hold a valid air operator's certificate.

Human factors

Air India Express Flight 1344, a repatriation flight under the Vande Bharat Mission, overran the runway at Kozhikode International Airport during its landing attempt in heavy rain and tailwinds. After aborting two initial approaches due to weather and visibility, the aircraft attempted a landing on Runway 10 but touched down approximately 1,000 meters beyond the threshold of the 2,850-meter tabletop runway. The aircraft failed to stop, plunged down a 35-meter embankment, and broke into sections. The investigation determined that the Pilot in Command (PIC) failed to adhere to standard operating procedures by continuing an unstabilized approach and ignoring a 'Go Around' call from the First Officer.

Pilot Error

A de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver and a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser collided in mid-air approximately two miles northeast of Soldotna Airport. The DHC-2 was operating a Part 135 charter flight with six people on board, while the PA-12 was a private flight piloted by Alaska State Representative Gary Knopp. All seven occupants across both aircraft were killed. The NTSB investigation highlighted the failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other, exacerbated by the PA-12 pilot's known vision impairment and the lack of traffic advisory systems on the charter aircraft.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 crashed into a residential area near Karachi after a series of catastrophic pilot errors. During an excessively high and fast approach, the crew disregarded multiple ATC warnings and automated alerts. In a state of high distraction, the pilots attempted to land with the landing gear retracted, causing the aircraft to skid on its engine nacelles for several hundred meters. The crew then initiated a go-around, but the engines had sustained terminal damage during the friction with the runway. Both engines failed during the climb, and the aircraft stalled and crashed into the Model Colony neighborhood while attempting to return for an emergency landing.

Pilot Error

A Kenyan-registered Embraer EMB-120RT Brasilia, operated by African Express Airways, was shot down by Ethiopian troops while on approach to Berdale, Somalia. The aircraft was performing a humanitarian cargo flight carrying medical supplies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethiopian soldiers, part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), mistakenly identified the aircraft as a potential suicide plane after it performed an unusual approach and go-around. All six people on board were killed when the aircraft was struck by a ZU-23 anti-aircraft cannon.

Military Action

A Harbin Z-9 military helicopter belonging to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison crashed into an electricity transmission tower during a training mission in heavy fog. The accident occurred in the Tai Lam Country Park area, causing a brief city-wide voltage dip and multiple lift malfunctions across Hong Kong. While the PLA officially confirmed only that an 'accident' occurred without releasing casualty figures, external reports indicate that all four crew members on board were killed, marking the first fatal aircraft accident involving Chinese troops in Hong Kong since the 1997 handover.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Utair Flight 595 suffered a main landing gear collapse after striking a snow bank 32 meters short of the runway threshold during an RNAV approach in extreme cold. The flight crew failed to apply necessary temperature corrections to their barometric altimeter readings, causing the aircraft to fly below the intended glide path. Upon transitioning to manual flight, the pilot was affected by visual illusions caused by the snow-covered terrain and a ravine, leading to a touchdown short of the paved runway surface. All 100 occupants evacuated safely, though the aircraft was written off.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Boeing 737-800 overran the runway while landing in severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and a significant tailwind. The aircraft skidded off the end of the runway, struck an antenna array and a small building, and slid down an embankment to a point 30 meters below runway elevation, breaking into three sections. The investigation cited pilot error, air traffic control errors, and windshear as the primary causes.

Pilot Error

Caspian Airlines Flight 6936 overran the runway at Mahshahr Airport, coming to rest on a nearby expressway after an unstabilized approach. Although all 144 occupants survived the accident, the aircraft was declared a total loss due to substantial structural damage sustained during the runway excursion and subsequent landing gear collapse. The investigation determined that the flight crew failed to execute a go-around despite a high-speed approach, a significant tailwind, and an overweight landing caused by carrying excessive fuel.

Pilot Error

A United States Air Force E-11A electronic surveillance aircraft crashed in a Taliban-controlled region of Afghanistan following a dual engine failure. The incident began when a turbine blade in the left engine broke, causing a catastrophic failure of that power plant. However, the flight crew misidentified the source of the emergency and mistakenly shut down the healthy right engine. Realizing the error too late, the crew was unable to restart either engine and could not maintain sufficient altitude to glide to a safe landing site. This resulted in a forced landing on rugged, snowy terrain that destroyed the aircraft and killed both airmen.

Pilot Error

A Sikorsky S-76B helicopter carrying retired NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and six other passengers crashed into hilly terrain in Calabasas during a flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The pilot encountered deteriorating weather conditions and low cloud ceilings, eventually entering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) despite the operator being certified only for VFR flight. While attempting to climb above the cloud layer, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation, leading to a rapidly descending left turn and high-energy impact with the ground. All nine people on board were killed.

Pilot Error

A Lockheed EC-130Q Hercules air tanker, operated by Coulson Aviation, stalled and collided with terrain while conducting aerial firefighting operations during the Australian Black Summer bushfires. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) determined that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence and low-level wind shear immediately following a partial retardant drop. These hazardous weather conditions, characterized by strong gusting winds and mountain wave activity, degraded the aircraft's climb performance at a critical low-altitude phase, leading to an aerodynamic stall from which recovery was not possible. All three crew members, who were U.S. residents, were fatally injured.

Weather

Shortly after takeoff, Delta Flight 89 experienced a compressor stall in the right engine. To reach a safe landing weight quickly, the crew dumped fuel at a low altitude over a densely populated area, including several schools.

Human Factors (Operational)

Shortly after takeoff from Tehran, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down by two surface-to-air missiles fired by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The incident occurred during a period of extreme regional tension following a U.S. drone strike and subsequent Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases.

Military Action

A Sri Lanka Air Force Harbin Y-12-II crashed into a hilly area near Haputale while conducting a routine surveillance mission. The aircraft, which had departed Weerawila for Ratmalana, was destroyed by impact and a post-crash fire, resulting in the deaths of all four personnel on board. One civilian on the ground was injured during the accident.

Under Investigation

On January 2, 2020, a Republic of China Air Force UH-60M Black Hawk carrying high-ranking military officials crashed into a mountainside in the Wulai District of New Taipei City. The flight was a routine VIP transport mission to visit personnel at the Dong'aoling Radar Station. Among the eight fatalities was General Shen Yi-ming, the Chief of the General Staff. The investigation identified poor weather conditions, specifically fog, and human factors involving weather reporting as primary contributors to the accident.

Human Factors (Operational)

Bek Air Flight 2100 crashed shortly after takeoff from Almaty International Airport when it failed to gain sufficient lift, struck the runway twice with its tail, and eventually collided with a two-story residential building. The investigation determined that the aircraft's wings were contaminated with ice, which the crew failed to detect or treat before departure.

Pilot Error