Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A Fairchild F-27 turboprop airliner operated by Avensa crashed into San Juan Mountain shortly after departing Porlamar Airport on February 25, 1962. The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight to Cumaná when it impacted the slope of the mountain while climbing. All 23 people on board, including 20 passengers and 3 crew members, were killed in the accident. Investigators determined that the crew failed to follow the published departure procedures for Porlamar Airport for unknown reasons, leading to the collision with terrain.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Aeroflot Flight 245 crashed near Millerovo after the flight engineer inadvertently deployed the flaps to the full 40 degree position while cruising at high speed. The resulting aerodynamic forces caused a violent pitch-down and an uncontrollable dive. High negative g-forces prevented the crew from reaching the controls to retract the flaps, leading to a high-speed impact that killed all 59 people on board.

Human Factors (Operational)

Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 322 crashed shortly after takeoff from Viracopos-Campinas International Airport during a scheduled international service to New York. The aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 100 meters before losing height and striking eucalyptus trees. The investigation concluded that the co-pilot was likely receiving flight instruction from the captain at the time, and the crew failed to follow proper instrument flight rules (IFR) and climb procedures during a night departure.

Pilot Error

A Zantop Air Transport Douglas DC-4 cargo flight crashed and burned during its landing at Covington-Greater Cincinnati Airport. Upon touchdown, the aircraft went out of control, veered off the runway, and came to rest in flames in a nearby orchard. Despite the destruction of the aircraft by fire, both crew members on board survived the accident with injuries.

Other

Imperial Airlines Flight 201/8, a military charter carrying 74 U.S. Army recruits, crashed during an attempted emergency landing at Byrd Field after three of its four engines failed. The investigation revealed that the flight crew mismanaged the fuel system, causing the two right-side engines to fail due to fuel starvation. During the subsequent emergency approach, a lack of command coordination and a failure to understand the aircraft's hydraulic systems led to a botched go-around, during which a third engine failed from overboosting. Although the impact was survivable, 77 occupants died from carbon monoxide asphyxiation in the resulting fire.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Douglas Dakota IV operated by Derby Aviation struck the side of Mount Canigó in the Pyrenees while en route from London to Perpignan, killing all 34 people on board. The aircraft was flying significantly below the required safety altitude for the region during a night flight in cloudy conditions. The official inquiry attributed the disaster to a navigational error, though the specific cause of the error could not be determined due to a lack of evidence. The investigation highlighted discrepancies in safety altitude calculations, the use of dead reckoning over radio navigation, and a flight plan that did not comply with French regulations.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Turkish Airlines Flight 835, a brand-new Fokker F27 Friendship, crashed into Karanlıktepe hill during its final approach to Ankara. The aircraft was approximately 18 kilometres short of the runway when it struck the terrain. The investigation determined that the flight was operating well below its designated altitude and outside the normal approach pattern for Esenboğa International Airport. Of the 29 people on board, only one passenger survived the impact.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A United Nations chartered Douglas DC-6B carrying Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld crashed during a night approach to Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, resulting in the deaths of 16 people. The aircraft was flying a circuitous route to avoid Congolese territory during the Congo Crisis and was maintaining radio silence for security. While performing a visual approach, the aircraft descended below the safe altitude and struck trees approximately 15 kilometers from the airport. Although the Rhodesian Commission of Inquiry attributed the crash to pilot error, the cause remains one of the most significant mysteries in aviation history, with persistent allegations of an external attack or sabotage. Fifteen occupants died at the scene, while one passenger, Sergeant Harold Julian, initially survived the impact but succumbed to his injuries five days later.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 crashed shortly after takeoff from Chicago-O'Hare International Airport when the aircraft entered an uncontrollable right bank. The Lockheed L-188C Electra reached an altitude of approximately 200 to 300 feet before striking power lines and a railroad embankment, cartwheeling into the ground. All 37 people on board were killed. The investigation revealed that a mechanical failure in the aileron boost assembly, caused by improper maintenance, prevented the pilots from correcting the roll.

Mechanical Failure

Two West German F-84F Thunderstreak fighter-bombers inadvertently crossed into East German airspace and flew deep into Soviet-controlled territory before successfully landing at West Berlin's Tegel Airport. The incident occurred during a NATO exercise when the pilots became disoriented due to a combination of a malfunctioning compass, stronger-than-forecasted winds, and a failure to monitor radio instructions while discussing their position. Despite being pursued by Soviet fighter jets, the pilots utilized heavy cloud cover and guidance from a Berlin air traffic controller to reach safety, sparking a major international diplomatic crisis and domestic political scandal in West Germany.

Human Factors (Operational) · Multi-aircraft

Air France Flight 2005 crashed into a hill during a night approach to Rabat-Sale Airport in thick fog, killing all 77 people on board. The investigation determined that the crew likely misread their Kollsman window altimeter, leading them to believe they were 1,000 feet higher than their actual altitude. Despite warnings from air traffic control that the non-directional beacon (NDB) was not aligned with the runway and that visibility had dropped below 100 meters, the crew continued the descent until the aircraft struck the ground four miles short of the runway.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A President Airlines Douglas DC-6B crashed into the River Shannon shortly after takeoff from Shannon Airport, killing all 83 people on board. The aircraft was on a non-scheduled flight from Düsseldorf to Chicago with a planned refueling stop at Gander. After departing runway 24 at night, the crew was cleared for a right-hand turn but instead entered a steep left-hand bank that exceeded 90 degrees. The aircraft plummeted into the river approximately 5,000 feet from the end of the runway. The accident remains the deadliest aviation disaster to occur on Irish territory.

Sensor / Instrument Failure

TWA Flight 529 crashed shortly after takeoff from Chicago Midway Airport when a critical bolt fell out of the elevator boost linkage. The resulting mechanical failure caused the aircraft to pitch up violently, enter an accelerated stall, and suffer structural failure of the horizontal stabilizer before impacting a field in Willowbrook, Illinois. All 78 people on board were killed.

Mechanical Failure

An Eagle Airways Vickers Viking, carrying a school group from Lanfranc Secondary Modern School in Croydon on a camping trip, crashed into the Holtaheia mountain during an instrument approach to Stavanger. The aircraft deviated significantly from its prescribed flight path for reasons that remain officially undetermined, though high winds and potential instrument misinterpretation are suspected factors. All 39 people on board, including 34 schoolboys, were killed in what was then Norway's deadliest aviation accident.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Malév Douglas C-47A Skytrain crashed into a residential building in the Zugló district of Budapest during a local sightseeing flight, killing all 27 people on board (23 passengers and 4 crew) and three individuals on the ground. The accident occurred after the flight crew performed a series of unauthorized, dangerous maneuvers at low altitude, including steep turns and wing rolls. During these maneuvers, the aircraft lost speed and stalled while inverted, subsequently entering a corkscrew spin before striking the roof of an apartment building at 224 Lumumba Street (now Róna Street). The aircraft did not catch fire upon impact, which prevented the total collapse of the building. Of the 23 passengers, 17 were adults and six were children.

Pilot Error

Alaska Airlines Flight 779, a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) charter originating at Paine Field and stopping at Travis AFB and Anchorage, was carrying 25,999 pounds of cargo to Tachikawa, Japan. It crashed 200 feet short of the runway at Shemya Air Force Base during a Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) in heavy fog. The investigation determined that critical airfield lighting, including the red approach lights and the first four pairs of runway lights, were inoperative at the time of the accident. The flight crew was never notified of these deficiencies during their stop in Anchorage, and the GCA controller failed to provide positive guidance when the aircraft drifted below the glidepath during the final stages of the approach.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 644 disintegrated in mid-air after encountering severe turbulence and cumulonimbus clouds while cruising at 15,700 feet. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-6, was flying south from Buenos Aires when it entered a zone of extreme weather that imposed loads exceeding the airframe's design limits. This resulted in the separation of the right wing, followed by a steep dive and high-speed impact with the ground near Pardo. All 67 people on board were killed. At the time of the occurrence, it was the deadliest aviation disaster in Argentine history and remains the deadliest accident in the airline's history.

Weather

A ČSA Ilyushin Il-18V crashed during an attempted diversion to Casablanca-Anfa Airport due to poor weather at its intended stop in Rabat. The aircraft struck the ground approximately 8 miles from the runway threshold. While the cause remains officially undetermined, the investigation's primary hypothesis was that the crew may have been attempting a 'fast let-down' in conditions of low visibility and deteriorating ceilings to maintain visual contact with the ground. All 72 passengers and crew were killed in the accident, which occurred just months after another ČSA flight with the same number crashed in West Germany.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

United Airlines Flight 859 veered off the runway and ignited after the port side engines failed to deploy their thrust reversers during landing at Stapleton International Airport. The aircraft had experienced a hydraulic failure earlier in the flight, but the landing was expected to be routine. Upon touchdown, the asymmetrical thrust caused by the failure of the left-side reverser buckets sent the plane into a construction zone, where it struck airport vehicles and ruptured a fuel tank. The accident resulted in 18 fatalities: 17 people on board and one person on the ground. The majority of deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning due to the post-crash fire.

Mechanical Failure

KLM Flight 823, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashed into high ground approximately 4 kilometers south of Cairo International Airport during a night approach. The aircraft was on the third leg of a multi-stop journey from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur (with scheduled stops in Munich, Rome, Cairo, and Karachi) when it struck a hill while performing a right-hand circuit to align with runway 34. The impact caused the aircraft to break into two sections and catch fire, resulting in the deaths of 20 of the 36 occupants. Investigators determined the pilot-in-command failed to monitor his flight instruments effectively during the visual maneuvering phase, allowing the aircraft to descend below the safe glide path.

Pilot Error

Air France Flight 406 disintegrated in mid-air over the Sahara Desert following the detonation of a nitrocellulose explosive device in the tail section. The Lockheed L-1649A Starliner, named De Grasse, was cruising at 20,000 feet when the explosion caused the empennage to fail, leading to a total structural breakup. All 78 occupants, including several high-ranking government officials from the Central African Republic and 18 children, were killed. The crash remains the deadliest accident involving the Lockheed Starliner type.

Security / Sabotage

A LAN-Chile Douglas DC-3 carrying members of the Green Cross professional football team crashed into the Andes mountains during the final leg of a domestic flight from Castro to Santiago. The aircraft disappeared after departing Temuco, following a crew report of icing conditions on the wings and propellers. While search teams located the tail section and some remains shortly after the disappearance in 1961, the main fuselage remained missing for over 50 years until it was rediscovered by mountaineers in 2015 at an altitude of approximately 3,200 meters. The accident resulted in the deaths of all 24 people on board, including eight players and the team's coach.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

CSA Flight 511 was a scheduled international flight from Prague that crashed in West Germany on March 28, 1961. The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-18V, was in the cruise phase of its flight when it entered a steep descent and broke apart before impacting the ground near Nuremberg. All 52 passengers and crew on board were killed. While the investigation suggested structural failure due to high-speed aerodynamic loads, the exact trigger for the initial loss of control remained a subject of debate between Western and Soviet-bloc investigators.

Structural Failure

Aeroflot Flight 068 crashed onto the frozen surface of Nizhneisetsky Pond after the crew inadvertently shut down their only functioning engine following a mechanical failure in the other. Shortly after takeoff from a stopover in Sverdlovsk, the right engine suffered a compressor blade failure, causing severe airframe vibrations. Unable to read their instruments due to the shaking, a crew member manipulated the left engine's throttle to identify the source of the trouble but accidentally shut it down. The aircraft lost all power and performed a forced landing on the ice, eventually sliding ashore and striking a holiday home and trees.

Human Factors (CRM)