Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A United States Air Force B-52G Stratofortress carrying four thermonuclear bombs collided with a KC-135A Stratotanker during a mid-air refueling operation at 31,000 feet. The collision occurred when the B-52 approached the tanker too quickly, causing the refueling boom to strike the bomber's fuselage and snap off its left wing. The KC-135 was destroyed in a massive explosion, killing all four crew members, while the B-52 broke apart, resulting in three fatalities among its seven crew members. The accident resulted in the release of four nuclear weapons, two of which suffered conventional explosive detonations upon impact, contaminating the Spanish countryside with plutonium.

Mid-air Collision · Multi-aircraft

Japan Air Lines Flight 813 experienced an uncontained failure of its number one engine shortly after departing San Francisco for Tokyo via Honolulu. The explosion caused severe structural damage, including the loss of nearly half of the left aileron and the loss of hydraulic pressure. Despite significant lateral control difficulties and an engine fire, the crew successfully diverted to Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, where all 41 occupants landed safely without injury.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

A U.S. Navy Douglas A-4E Skyhawk carrying a one-megaton B43 nuclear bomb rolled off the elevator of the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga and sank into the Philippine Sea. The pilot, Lieutenant (j.g.) Douglas M. Webster, was strapped into the cockpit as the aircraft was being moved from the hangar bay to the elevator during a training exercise. The aircraft, pilot, and weapon were never recovered and remain at a depth of approximately 16,000 feet. The incident, classified as a 'Broken Arrow,' was kept secret by the U.S. Department of Defense until 1989.

Human Factors (Operational)

A mid-air collision occurred between Eastern Air Lines Flight 853 and TWA Flight 42 over Carmel, New York, due to an optical illusion and altimeter discrepancies that led both crews to believe they were on a collision course.

Mid-air Collision

United Airlines Flight 227 crashed short of the runway at Salt Lake City after the captain conducted an excessively steep approach. Despite the first officer's attempt to add power, the captain initially blocked the input, leading to a high-sink-rate impact that ruptured fuel lines and ignited a fatal cabin fire.

Pilot Error

Aeroflot Flight 99 crashed into the frozen Lake Kilpyavr during a night approach to Murmansk in deteriorating weather. The flight crew mistook lights from a nearby neighborhood for runway lights, leading them to believe they were too high. In response, they increased their rate of descent and flew below the glidepath, impacting the ice 2,127 meters short of the runway. The fuselage broke in two and sank, while the cockpit came to rest in shallow water. Soldiers from a nearby beacon station rescued survivors from the freezing water, but 32 of the 64 occupants perished.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

American Airlines Flight 383 crashed into a wooded hillside during a visual approach to Greater Cincinnati Airport in deteriorating weather. The Boeing 727 descended below the required altitude while the crew was preoccupied with maintaining visual contact with the runway amidst rain and thunderstorms. The aircraft struck a slope in the Ohio River valley, 225 feet below the airport's elevation, resulting in 58 fatalities and 4 survivors.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Vickers Vanguard crashed during its third attempt to land in thick fog at London Heathrow Airport. After two missed approaches, the crew attempted a third landing but decided to overshoot (go-around) at the last moment. During the maneuver, the aircraft was rotated abruptly, causing it to dive into the runway and disintegrate. All 36 people on board were killed.

Pilot Error

A Boeing 707-121B, the first production 707 ever built, crashed into the side of Chances Peak on the island of Montserrat during a short flight from Martinique to Antigua. The aircraft was operating in poor weather conditions including thunderstorms and heavy rain. While attempting to navigate toward Antigua, the crew deviated from the direct track to avoid weather and subsequently descended below the safe minimum altitude before accurately establishing their position. The aircraft struck the mountain at 2,760 feet, just 242 feet below the summit, killing all 30 people on board.

Pilot Error

United Air Lines Flight 389 crashed into Lake Michigan during a night descent toward Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The aircraft was cleared to descend to and maintain 6,000 feet, but it continued past this altitude at a steady rate of 2,000 feet per minute until impacting the water. Despite an extensive investigation and the recovery of 82 percent of the wreckage, the Civil Aeronautics Board was unable to determine why the crew failed to level off at their assigned altitude. A leading theory suggests the pilots may have misread their three-pointer altimeters by 10,000 feet, which was a known vulnerability of that specific instrument design.

Unknown

Allegheny Airlines Flight 604 crashed shortly after takeoff from Williamsport Regional Airport following a catastrophic failure of the right engine. Although the crew successfully feathered the failing engine, the aircraft failed to maintain sufficient altitude and airspeed to clear a nearby ridge. The aircraft struck a hill at an elevation of 1,100 feet, skidded approximately 320 feet over the crest of the rise, and slid down a steep slope before being destroyed by a post-crash fire. All 40 occupants survived the impact and subsequent fire, largely due to the successful evacuation led by the flight attendant.

Pilot Error

A Vickers Viscount cargo flight crashed into the Thompson & Capper factory (often referred to as a mothball factory) during a radar-assisted approach to Liverpool International Airport. The aircraft was approximately half a mile from the runway threshold when it suddenly banked steeply to the right, rolled onto its back, and plunged through the roof of the facility. Both crew members and two factory workers on the ground were killed in the ensuing fire. Despite a full investigation, the specific reason for the sudden loss of control could not be determined.

Unknown

On July 11, 1965, an Avro 748 operated by Skyways Coach-Air overturned during a heavy landing at Lympne Airport. The aircraft encountered severe turbulence and drizzle during a radar-assisted approach, leading to a steeper than normal descent. Upon touchdown, the aircraft struck the ground heavily on its starboard undercarriage, causing the starboard wing and gear to separate. The nose wheels then dug into the soft grass runway surface, causing the aircraft to flip onto its back and slide for 400 yards. Both wings and the starboard tailplane were sheared off during the slide. Despite the total destruction of the airframe, all 52 occupants survived the accident.

Pilot Error

Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21 was destroyed by an in-flight explosion while cruising at 16,000 feet. A bomb, placed in the left aft lavatory, caused the tail section to separate from the fuselage, leading to an uncontrollable spiral and crash into a wooded area near Dog Creek. All 52 people on board were killed. Despite an extensive investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that identified four potential suspects among the passengers, no one was ever charged, and the motive remains unknown.

Security / Sabotage

A Royal Air Force Handley Page Hastings transport aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from RAF Abingdon when the elevator control system failed due to metal fatigue. The aircraft climbed steeply out of control, stalled, and dived into a field at Little Baldon, killing all 41 personnel on board, including 35 paratroopers and instructors.

Mechanical Failure

Continental Airlines Flight 12 overran the runway at Kansas City Municipal Airport after hydroplaning on a water-covered runway during heavy rain. Despite the aircraft breaking into three pieces after striking a blast mound, all 66 occupants survived. The investigation highlighted the dangers of short runways for jet aircraft and led to the widespread adoption of runway grooving to improve braking in wet conditions.

Weather

Pan Am Flight 843 suffered a catastrophic uncontained engine failure and fire shortly after takeoff from San Francisco, resulting in the loss of the number 4 engine and approximately 25 feet of the right outer wing. Despite the severe structural damage and a significant fuel fire, the flight crew successfully extinguished the blaze and performed an emergency landing at Travis Air Force Base. All 153 occupants survived without injury in what was widely described as a miracle landing. The failure was traced to improper maintenance procedures during an engine overhaul three days prior.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705, an inaugural service from Karachi to London, crashed during a night approach to Cairo International Airport. The aircraft descended well below the required altitude for its circuit and struck the ground approximately 20 kilometers south of the airport. The crash resulted in 121 fatalities, making it the deadliest accident involving a Boeing 720. While the investigation confirmed the aircraft was in a controlled descent, the specific reason for the crew failure to maintain adequate height remains undetermined.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Iberia Flight 401 crashed during a missed approach in heavy fog at Los Rodeos Airport after the aircraft struck ground vehicles near the runway. Despite being informed that visibility was below minimums, the pilot attempted multiple approaches. During a go-around from the second attempt, the aircraft collided with a scraper, a tractor, and a minivan, sustaining damage that prevented it from climbing and leading to a final impact in a nearby gorge.

Pilot Error

British United Airways Flight 1030X crashed during a second landing attempt at Jersey Airport in thick fog, killing 26 of the 27 people on board. The pilot attempted to land in visibility conditions significantly below the airline's authorized minimums. During the approach, the aircraft's starboard wing struck an approach lighting pole, causing the plane to roll inverted and crash into a field short of the runway. A single flight attendant, seated in the rear section that broke away upon impact, was the sole survivor.

Pilot Error

Aeroflot Flight 513 stalled and crashed less than two minutes after takeoff from Kuybyshev Airport when the aircraft's attitude indicator likely failed due to moisture ingress. The aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 40 to 50 meters before the angle of attack increased sharply, leading to a stall from which the crew could not recover. The flight was being operated by a trainee captain in the left seat and a check captain in the right seat, while the flight's designated Captain and Co-pilot remained in the passenger cabin during the departure. A total of 30 people died: all 9 crew members and 21 passengers (including 5 who succumbed to injuries in the hospital).

Sensor / Instrument Failure

Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from JFK Airport following an evasive maneuver to avoid a perceived collision with an oncoming Pan Am Boeing 707. The maneuver, performed in darkness over the ocean without a visible horizon, led to spatial disorientation and a loss of control.

Human Factors (Operational)

LAN Chile Flight 107 crashed into the Andes mountains after the pilot deviated from the approved flight plan and airline operations manual. The aircraft struck La Corona Mountain at flight level 120, approximately 1,200 feet below the summit, killing all 88 people on board. The victims included 22 members of the Antonio Varas football team.

Pilot Error

A U.S. Air Force KC-135A Stratotanker crashed into a residential neighborhood in north-eastern Wichita shortly after takeoff, killing all seven crew members and 23 people on the ground, while injuring at least 27 others. The aircraft, heavily laden with 31,000 gallons of jet fuel for a mid-air refueling mission, experienced severe yaw and a loss of control that the crew could not overcome. The resulting explosion and fire incinerated dozens of homes in a predominantly African American neighborhood, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in Kansas history.

Mechanical Failure