Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A Piper Aztec piloted by two-time Formula One World Champion Graham Hill crashed into trees on Arkley Golf Course while attempting to land at Elstree Airfield in thick fog. The aircraft, carrying five members of the Embassy Hill racing team, was destroyed by a post-impact fire, and all six occupants were killed. The investigation revealed that Hill was attempting a visual approach in conditions far below the required visibility minimums for Elstree, which lacked radio navigation aids. Furthermore, the aircraft was technically stateless and uninsured, and Hill's instrument and night flying ratings had expired.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

On November 20, 1975, an Aeroflot Antonov An-24B struck a hill during a low-visibility approach to Kharkiv International Airport. The aircraft was operating a scheduled domestic flight from Mineralnye Vody. All 19 people on board were killed when the aircraft impacted terrain approximately 20 km (12 miles) from the runway while flying below the established minimum descent altitude in thick fog.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Overseas National Airways Flight 032, a two-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF named 'HolidayLiner Freedom', was destroyed by fire after an uncontained engine failure caused by a massive bird strike during its takeoff roll at JFK Airport. As the aircraft accelerated through 100 knots, it struck a large flock of gulls, leading to the disintegration of the number 3 engine. The resulting debris caused multiple tire failures and severed hydraulic lines, which severely compromised the aircraft's braking and steering capabilities. Although the crew successfully steered the aircraft away from a blast fence, the DC-10 suffered a runway excursion and was consumed by an intense fire fueled by leaking kerosene. All 139 occupants, who were ONA employees being positioned for Hajj operations, evacuated safely, though 32 sustained injuries during the escape.

Bird Strike

Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 450 crashed into a residential hill in the Suchdol district of Prague during a low-visibility approach. The aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude while attempting to land at Prague Ruzyně Airport in heavy fog. The accident remains the deadliest aviation disaster on Czech soil.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM) Convair CV-440 crashed into a mountainside near Caranavi shortly after takeoff from Tomonoco, killing all 67 people on board. The aircraft was significantly overloaded, carrying 67 occupants in a cabin configured for 48 seats. Ten minutes into the flight, the pilot reported a loss of power while attempting to climb through the rugged terrain of the Andes. The aircraft struck trees, shearing off its outer wings, before the fuselage impacted a sloping hillside and was consumed by an intense fire.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan B.2 bomber exploded in mid-air over the residential town of Zabbar after a botched landing attempt at RAF Luqa. During the initial approach, the aircraft undershot the runway, shearing off its port undercarriage. The captain took control and attempted to climb for a second approach, but the impact had also pierced a fuel tank in the starboard wing, leading to a fire and a catastrophic mid-air explosion. The two pilots successfully ejected, but the five rear crew members were killed. Debris and burning fuel rained down on the town, killing one civilian on the ground and injuring 20 others.

Pilot Error

Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 150 crashed during a visual approach to Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in conditions that had deteriorated below weather minimums. The aircraft, a Fokker F28 Fellowship named Mahakem, encountered heavy fog while on final approach to runway 28. The aircraft struck coconut trees and impacted the ground approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) short of the runway, breaking into two sections. The accident resulted in 26 total fatalities: 25 occupants (all 4 crew and 21 passengers) and one person on the ground.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Wien Air Alaska Flight 99 crashed into Sevuokuk Mountain during a series of attempted instrument approaches in dense fog at Gambell, Alaska. The Fairchild F-27B struck the mountain at an elevation of 424 feet while the crew was attempting to locate the runway after multiple missed approaches. The investigation determined that the crew failed to adhere to company instrument approach procedures and attempted to land in weather conditions that were below authorized minimums.

Pilot Error

ČSA Flight 540, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashed into level desert terrain approximately 17 kilometers northeast of Damascus International Airport during a night approach. The aircraft broke up and caught fire on impact, resulting in the deaths of 126 of the 128 people on board. Despite investigations by Syrian, Czechoslovak, and Soviet authorities, no definitive cause for the descent below the safe altitude was established, though the accident is widely considered a case of Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT).

Unknown

A chartered Boeing 707 carrying Moroccan workers home for the holidays crashed into the Atlas Mountains during a night approach in heavy fog. The aircraft struck a mountain peak at 2,400 feet, causing a wing to separate and the plane to plummet into a ravine. All 188 people on board were killed, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Moroccan history and the deadliest involving a Boeing 707.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 crashed during an ILS approach to Runway 22L at JFK International Airport after encountering a severe microburst. The aircraft entered a high rate of descent and struck non-frangible approach light towers short of the runway, leading to a catastrophic breakup and fire. The accident is famous for leading to the discovery and naming of the 'microburst' phenomenon by Dr. Ted Fujita and the subsequent development of wind shear detection systems.

Weather

A Lockheed C-5A Galaxy participating in Operation Babylift suffered a catastrophic explosive decompression when the rear cargo door locks failed during climb. The resulting damage severed the majority of the aircraft's control cables, leaving the pilots with extremely limited control. Despite a heroic effort to return to the airport using differential engine thrust, the aircraft crashed into a rice paddy during an emergency landing attempt.

Mechanical Failure

A Royal Nepal Airlines Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter crashed seconds after takeoff from Kathmandu when the pilot attempted to fly with a ground lock pin still securing one of the ailerons. The aircraft, carrying the wife and daughter of mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, failed to maintain controlled flight during the initial climb. The pilot requested an immediate emergency landing but was unable to complete the turn, crashing into a ditch in the Boudhanath area behind the northern end of the runway. All five occupants, including the pilot, two Sherpa family friends, and the family's dog, were killed.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

A West German Air Force Transall C-160D crashed into the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) on the island of Crete while on a logistics flight from West Germany. The aircraft struck the mountain during a period of severe winter weather while on approach to Souda Air Base. All 42 people on board were killed.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Turkish Airlines Flight 345 crashed into the Sea of Marmara during a missed approach at Istanbul Yesilkoy Airport. The crew initiated a go-around after a sudden airport power failure extinguished the runway lights just as the aircraft touched down. While attempting to reposition for a second landing under visual flight rules in poor weather, the aircraft struck the water. The wreckage remained undiscovered for decades, with only small sections recovered by fishermen in 2009.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

On 17 January 1975, a Sikorsky S-55B helicopter operated by Þyrluflug hf. crashed near the Hjarðarnes farm in Hvalfjörður, Iceland, killing all seven people on board. The flight was transporting five employees of the Icelandic State Electricity company (RARIK) from Reykjavík to Snæfellsnes. Investigators determined that severe wind conditions at Hjarðarnes caused the aircraft to crash. Although the helicopter was believed to have been overloaded, the investigative committee and later the Supreme Court of Iceland concluded that the crash would have likely occurred regardless of the loading due to the extreme weather conditions.

Weather

On January 9, 1975, Golden West Airlines Flight 261, a de Havilland Twin Otter, collided mid-air with a Cessna 150 during its arrival to Los Angeles International Airport. The collision occurred at approximately 2,200 feet MSL near Whittier, California, in clear daylight conditions. Both aircraft were destroyed, and all 14 occupants across both planes were killed. The investigation highlighted the limitations of the see and avoid concept, particularly when exacerbated by sun glare and high-density VFR traffic environments.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Avensa Flight 358 crashed shortly after takeoff from Maturín Airport when the flight crew lost control of the aircraft. Approximately five minutes into the flight, after reaching an altitude of 1,500 meters, the pilots declared an emergency. The aircraft subsequently plunged into the ground about 32 kilometers from the city, killing all 77 people on board. Despite investigations by Venezuelan authorities and the NTSB, the exact cause of the loss of control remains undetermined.

Unknown

Martinair Flight 138, a chartered Douglas DC-8 carrying Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, crashed into the 'Seven Virgins' mountain range in Sri Lanka during its approach to Colombo. All 191 people on board were killed, making it the deadliest aviation accident in Sri Lankan history and the deadliest involving a DC-8 at the time.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Boeing 727 crashed into Mount Weather while on approach to Dulles International Airport during a storm. The crew misinterpreted the term 'cleared for the approach,' descending to the final approach altitude prematurely while still in mountainous terrain.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231, a ferry flight intended to pick up the Baltimore Colts football team, crashed in Harriman State Park after the crew failed to activate the pitot tube heaters. During the climb, the pitot tubes became blocked by ice, leading to erroneous airspeed and Mach indications. The crew misinterpreted these readings and the subsequent stick shaker activation, believing the aircraft was in an overspeed condition rather than a stall. Their improper corrective actions led to a high-altitude stall and a rapid, uncontrolled spiral descent from which recovery was impossible after structural failure of the horizontal stabilizer.

Pilot Error

Lufthansa Flight 540 was the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 747. Shortly after lifting off from Nairobi's Embakasi Airport, the aircraft suffered a severe aerodynamic stall and crashed approximately 1,120 meters past the runway. The investigation revealed that the flight crew failed to open the pneumatic valves required to deploy the leading-edge slats, and the aircraft's warning systems failed to alert them to this critical configuration error.

Pilot Error

Air Vietnam Flight 706 was a scheduled domestic flight that crashed following a hijacking by a South Vietnamese army officer. The hijacker, armed with two hand grenades, demanded to be flown to Hanoi. During an attempted emergency landing at Phan Rang Air Base, the aircraft overshot the base leg and lost control, plunging into the ground from 1,000 feet. All 75 people on board were killed.

Security / Sabotage

Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 was a scheduled flight from Charleston, South Carolina, to Chicago, Illinois, with an intermediate stop at Charlotte, North Carolina. The aircraft crashed during a VOR approach to Charlotte after the flight crew failed to maintain altitude awareness while engaged in non-essential conversation. The aircraft descended below the minimum crossing altitude for the final approach fix and continued its descent until it impacted terrain 3.3 miles short of the runway. The investigation highlighted a total breakdown in cockpit discipline, leading to the landmark implementation of the Sterile Cockpit Rule.

Human Factors (Operational)