Aviation Accident Summary Archive

Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff due to a series of uncommanded nose-down trim inputs triggered by a faulty Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor. The investigation revealed that the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a new flight control law on the 737 MAX, repeatedly pushed the nose down based on the erroneous data. The flight crew struggled to counteract the trim, unaware of the system's existence or how to disable it, eventually losing control of the aircraft.

Mechanical Failure

A Leonardo AW169 helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from the pitch of King Power Stadium, killing all five people on board, including Leicester City F.C. chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. The aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 430 feet before the tail rotor control linkage failed, causing a catastrophic loss of yaw control. The helicopter entered an uncontrollable right-hand spin and struck the ground in a stadium car park, where it was consumed by a post-impact fire. Investigators determined that four of the five occupants survived the initial impact but were unable to escape the wreckage due to disabling injuries and the intensity of the fire.

Mechanical Failure

Air India Express Flight 611 struck an ILS antenna and a brick perimeter wall during takeoff after the captain's seat backrest suddenly collapsed, causing an inadvertent reduction in engine thrust. As the aircraft accelerated through 117 knots, the reclining mechanism failed, throwing the captain backward and leading him to pull the thrust levers from 98% to 77% N1. The crew failed to notice the thrust reduction and continued the takeoff with insufficient power, resulting in a tailstrike and impact with airport infrastructure. Despite the impact, the crew initially reported to ATC that all systems were normal and continued toward Dubai. They only diverted to Mumbai after the airline, alerted by ground reports of debris and an inspection of the damage at the airport, insisted on a diversion.

Mechanical Failure

Air Niugini Flight 73 ditched into the Chuuk Lagoon 443 feet (135 meters) short of the runway during a heavy rainstorm. The flight crew lost situational awareness during an unstable RNAV approach, ignoring thirteen EGPWS aural alerts and a visual 'PULL UP' warning while descending at an excessive rate. Although 46 of the 47 occupants were rescued alive by local boaters and U.S. Navy divers, one passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt sustained fatal injuries and was recovered from the submerged wreckage three days later.

Human Factors (CRM)

On September 9, 2018, a South West Aviation Let L-410UVP crashed into Lake Yirol during an approach in heavy fog and poor visibility. The aircraft, which was operating a non-scheduled charter flight from Juba, impacted the water approximately 1.6 kilometers west of the Yirol airstrip. Of the 23 people on board, 20 were killed, including the Anglican Bishop of Yirol. Investigators determined the accident was a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) caused by the crew's decision to continue the approach in weather conditions below minimums and an incorrectly set altimeter that provided false altitude readings.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

UTair Flight 579 overran the runway at Sochi International Airport during a thunderstorm, crashing into a fence and coming to rest in the Mzymta River bed. The aircraft's left engine caught fire and the landing gear was destroyed, but all 170 occupants survived the evacuation. The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) determined the crew ignored multiple windshear warnings and attempted to land in weather conditions that prohibited doing so. While there were no fatalities among the 164 passengers or 6 crew members, an airport employee died of a heart attack during the emergency response.

Pilot Error

Xiamen Airlines Flight 8667 suffered a substantial runway excursion at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport during a second landing attempt in heavy rain and thunderstorms. The Boeing 737-800 drifted left of the centerline and exited the paved surface, resulting in the separation of the left engine and the collapse of the landing gear. All 165 occupants evacuated safely via emergency slides, but the aircraft was subsequently written off. The accident caused massive regional travel disruption, closing the airport's main runway for 36 hours and affecting approximately 250,000 passengers.

Pilot Error

A Horizon Air ground service agent with no formal pilot training stole a Bombardier Q400 from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and performed unauthorized aerial maneuvers before intentionally crashing into a wooded area on Ketron Island. The perpetrator, Richard Russell, used his credentials as a ground crew member to access the aircraft and a tow vehicle to reposition it for takeoff. During the 73-minute flight, he communicated with air traffic controllers, discussing his personal life and performing a large barrel roll over Puget Sound. Two F-15C Eagle fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the aircraft, but they did not fire upon it. The FBI investigation concluded the crash was an act of suicide and not related to terrorism.

Other

A historic Junkers Ju 52 crashed nearly vertically into a mountain basin after the pilots flew at a dangerously low altitude and airspeed into an area of expected alpine turbulence. The flight crew, seeking to provide passengers with a scenic view of the 'Martinsloch' rock window, entered a narrow valley with no alternative flight path or room to turn around. Encountering a sequence of downdrafts and updrafts, the aircraft stalled and entered a descending spiral. Due to the low altitude, there was insufficient space to recover before impacting the terrain. The investigation also cited a deficient safety culture at Ju-Air and inadequate supervision by authorities.

Pilot Error

Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431 crashed shortly after takeoff from Durango during a severe thunderstorm, resulting in no fatalities among the 103 occupants. The aircraft was struck by a microburst that produced low-altitude windshear, causing a sudden loss of airspeed and lift just as the plane reached an altitude of approximately 30 feet. The investigation also revealed a significant breach of protocol: the captain had allowed an unauthorized trainee pilot to occupy the right-hand seat and perform the takeoff while the actual first officer sat in the jump seat. The captain took control of the aircraft only five seconds before impact. Although the weather was the primary cause, the crew's situational awareness was compromised by this unauthorized instructional activity and a failure to adhere to sterile cockpit procedures.

Weather

A Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 encountered moderate convective turbulence while maneuvering in a holding pattern near West Palm Beach, Florida. The aircraft was deviating for weather when it was issued holding instructions, and the crew noted that conditions appeared clear when they entered the hold. During the encounter, one passenger sustained serious head injuries and one flight attendant received minor head injuries. The flight diverted to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, where it landed without further incident.

Weather

A Convair CV-340, recently restored for delivery to a Dutch museum, crashed into a factory building shortly after takeoff from Wonderboom Airport. The aircraft suffered a catastrophic left engine fire during the initial climb. Despite the visible fire and cockpit warnings, the crew failed to follow emergency checklists, did not activate the fire suppression system, and did not secure the engine. The fire caused structural damage to the left wing, leading to a loss of control during the attempted return to the airport. The Flight Engineer (LAME) died at the scene, and the Captain died 18 months later from his injuries. While the aircraft struck a factory, there were no ground fatalities.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Beechcraft C90B King Air crashed into an under-construction building in the Ghatkopar district of Mumbai during a maintenance test flight. The aircraft was returning to Juhu Airport in heavy rain when it stalled and entered an uncontrolled descent. All four occupants, including two pilots and two aircraft maintenance engineers, were killed. One pedestrian on the ground was also killed, and three others were injured. The investigation determined that the crew suffered from spatial disorientation while transitioning from instrument to visual flight conditions in deteriorating weather, compounded by an unexpected bank caused by differential engine power.

Human Factors (Operational)

On June 27, 2018, an Envoy Air Embraer 145 narrowly avoided a collision with an airport operations vehicle (VAN7) during its takeoff roll at Springfield-Branson National Airport. The incident occurred because the local controller cleared the flight for takeoff from Runway 14, which was currently under the operational control of the ground controller due to a NOTAM closing the runway for arrivals. While the aircraft was accelerating, the ground controller authorized the vehicle to cross the same runway, resulting in a near-miss that was reported by an unidentified pilot who observed the proximity and transmitted "truck, truck, truck" over the radio.

Human Factors (Operational)

Cubana de Aviación Flight 972, operated by Global Air, crashed shortly after takeoff from Havana when the flight crew failed to correctly calculate the aircraft's weight and balance. The aircraft was loaded such that its center of gravity was near the aft limit, but the crew used incorrect data to set the horizontal stabilizer trim. Upon liftoff, the aircraft entered an extreme nose-high attitude, stalled, and impacted the ground approximately 40 seconds later. Of the 113 people on board, only one passenger survived.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 suffered a catastrophic left engine failure while climbing through 32,000 feet, leading to the first US passenger airline fatality since 2009. A fan blade separated due to a fatigue crack, causing the engine inlet and fan cowl to disintegrate. Debris from the cowl struck the fuselage and shattered a cabin window, causing a rapid depressurization that partially ejected a passenger. The flight crew performed an emergency descent and landed safely at Philadelphia International Airport.

Engine Failure

An Algerian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76TD crashed shortly after takeoff from Boufarik Air Base, killing all 257 people on board. The aircraft was transporting military personnel and their families to Béchar and Tindouf when it came down in a field and burst into flames. Witnesses reported seeing one of the wings on fire before the aircraft lost altitude and impacted the ground.

Under Investigation

A private Bombardier Challenger 604 crashed into the Zagros Mountains during a flight from Sharjah to Istanbul, killing all 11 people on board. The accident occurred after a discrepancy between the pilots' airspeed indicators led to an inappropriate reduction in engine power, causing the aircraft to stall at cruise altitude. The flight crew, returning from a high-profile bachelorette party in Dubai, failed to correctly identify the instrument failure and mishandled the subsequent stall recovery.

Human Factors (CRM)

A doors-off sightseeing helicopter ditched into the East River after a passenger's supplemental safety harness tether inadvertently snagged and activated the emergency fuel shutoff lever, causing a total loss of engine power. While the pilot successfully performed an autorotation to the water, the helicopter capsized and sank within 11 seconds. All five passengers, who were secured by supplemental harnesses that required tools or complex maneuvers to release, were unable to escape the submerged cabin and drowned. The pilot, who was wearing only the manufacturer-provided restraint, was the sole survivor.

Human Factors (Operational)

Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704 crashed into the Mount Dena range during its approach to Yasuj, killing all 66 people on board. The flight crew descended below the minimum safe altitude (MSA) in poor weather conditions and encountered a severe mountain wave downdraft. The aircraft entered a stall condition at low altitude, and the crew failed to execute a proper stall recovery before impacting the mountainside. The investigation highlighted significant human factors, including poor cockpit resource management and the crew's decision to continue the approach despite weather conditions being below the airline's authorized minimums.

Human Factors (Operational)

United Airlines Flight 1175 experienced a catastrophic failure of the No. 2 (right) engine while in cruise flight at FL360, approximately 120 miles from Honolulu. A fan blade fractured due to low cycle fatigue, leading to the separation of the engine's inlet duct and fan cowls. The flight crew declared an emergency, performed a drift-down, and landed safely at HNL. The investigation revealed that the failed blade had shown indications of cracking during previous overhauls, but these were misidentified as 'paint' issues due to inadequate training and oversight of a specialized inspection technique.

Mechanical Failure

Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashed six minutes after takeoff from Moscow when the flight crew failed to activate the pitot tube heating systems, leading to ice blockages and erroneous airspeed indications. In the resulting confusion, the crew disconnected the autopilot and initiated a steep nose-down dive while reacting to conflicting speed data. The aircraft impacted a snowy field at high speed, killing all 71 people on board, including 65 passengers and six crew members. The investigation highlighted a low safety culture at the airline, including a systematic failure to follow the dark cockpit principle and inadequate training for unreliable airspeed scenarios.

Pilot Error

A Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopter crashed into a mesa during a private night flight, killing five of the six people on board. The aircraft was flying in dark night visual meteorological conditions over unpopulated ranchland when it impacted terrain in a level attitude. The sole survivor, who was seriously injured, managed to call for help using a cellphone. The pilot initially survived the impact and told a witness at the scene that he had 'flown into terrain' before he succumbed to his injuries during transport. The NTSB determined the cause to be the pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above mountainous terrain, resulting in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 suffered a runway excursion after landing at Trabzon Airport, skidding off the left side of the runway and sliding down a steep cliff. The aircraft came to rest in a precarious position just meters above the Black Sea, held in place by thick mud. While the right engine detached and fell into the water and the airframe was written off, all 168 passengers and crew were successfully evacuated with only minor injuries reported. According to pilot statements, the accident was triggered by an accidental activation of the Take-Off/Go-Around (TOGA) mode during the landing roll, which allegedly caused asymmetric thrust when one engine responded to the go-around command while the other remained in reverse thrust.

Human Factors (Operational)