Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A Boeing 737-800 overran the runway while landing in a thunderstorm at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, coming to rest in the shallow waters of the St. Johns River.

Pilot Error

The only surviving Northrop N-9M flying wing prototype was destroyed when it crashed into a prison yard shortly after takeoff from Chino Airport. The pilot, who was conducting a post-maintenance test flight, was fatally injured. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying straight and level before it pitched up, banked left, and then abruptly rolled right into a diving corkscrew turn. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the probable cause to be the pilot's loss of control for undetermined reasons; the extreme fragmentation of the wreckage prevented a definitive identification of the failure mode.

Other

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft's left Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor provided erroneous data, triggering the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The system repeatedly commanded nose-down trim, which the flight crew was unable to permanently counteract, leading to a high-speed dive and impact with terrain.

Mechanical Failure

A Douglas DC-3 crashed into a palm plantation during an emergency approach after the crew was unable to feather the propeller of a failing engine. The aircraft suffered a malfunction in the lubrication system of the number 1 engine, leading to a significant oil leak. Because the propeller could not be feathered, it continued to windmill, creating excessive drag and reducing the aircraft's speed below the minimum control threshold. All 14 occupants, including the mayor of Taraira, were killed when the aircraft impacted the ground at a high angle of descent and burst into flames.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

CommutAir Flight 4933, operating as United Express, landed in a snow-covered grassy area approximately 300 feet to the right of Runway 1 at Presque Isle International Airport. During a second instrument approach in moderate snow and freezing fog, the flight crew suffered from confirmation bias, continuing the descent below decision altitude despite not having positively identified the runway environment. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and landing gear, and three occupants were injured, but there were no fatalities.

Human Factors (Operational)

Atlas Air Flight 3591, a cargo flight operating for Amazon Prime Air, crashed into Trinity Bay during its approach to Houston after the first officer inadvertently activated the go-around mode. The resulting acceleration caused the first officer to experience a somatogravic illusion, leading him to believe the aircraft was pitching up dangerously. In response, he applied extreme nose-down elevator inputs, driving the aircraft into a steep dive. The captain failed to monitor the flightpath effectively or intervene in time to recover the aircraft. All three people on board, including a jumpseat passenger, were killed.

Human Factors (Operational)

On 11 February 2019, a Bell 206B JetRanger II crashed onto the Rodoanel Mário Covas highway in São Paulo after suffering an engine failure during a passenger transport flight. The helicopter was carrying prominent Brazilian journalist Ricardo Boechat and pilot Ronaldo Quatrucci. During an attempted emergency autorotation landing, the aircraft collided with a semi truck that was unable to brake in time, resulting in a fire and explosion. Both occupants of the helicopter were killed, and the truck driver sustained minor injuries. The investigation revealed the aircraft was being operated in a non-airworthy condition with an expired engine compressor module and without authorization for air taxi services.

Mechanical Failure

A Piper PA-46-310P Malibu (MSN 46-8408037, manufactured in 1984), carrying Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala, crashed into the English Channel after the pilot lost control during a manual turn in poor weather. The investigation revealed that the pilot was likely incapacitated by carbon monoxide poisoning leaking from the exhaust system into the cabin. The aircraft suffered an in-flight breakup due to excessive aerodynamic loads during the subsequent uncontrolled descent. The flight was an illegal commercial air taxi operation conducted by a pilot who lacked the necessary night flying qualifications and whose type rating had expired. The aircraft had undergone its last annual inspection just 11 flying hours prior to the accident.

Human Factors (Operational)

A Saha Airlines Boeing 707 cargo flight crashed after the crew mistakenly landed at Fath Air Base instead of their intended destination, Payam International Airport. The two airfields are located just a few kilometers apart with nearly identical runway alignments. The runway at Fath Air Base was only 1,300 meters long, which is significantly shorter than the 2,500 meters typically required for a Boeing 707. Consequently, the aircraft overran the runway, crashed through a perimeter wall, and collided with a residential house. The accident resulted in the deaths of 15 of the 16 crew members on board.

Pilot Error

On December 24, 2018, an AgustaWestland AW109S Grand helicopter carrying the Governor of Puebla, Martha Erika Alonso, and her husband, Senator Rafael Moreno Valle, crashed ten minutes after takeoff, killing all five people on board. The investigation revealed that the helicopter suffered a sudden, uncommanded roll to the left that caused it to invert and impact the ground. Investigators determined the crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the Stability Augmentation System (SAS) that the operator and maintenance provider had known about but failed to rectify, allowing the aircraft to fly in an unairworthy condition.

Mechanical Failure

Fly Jamaica Airways Flight 256 suffered a total hydraulic failure shortly after departure from Georgetown, Guyana. During the subsequent emergency landing, the aircraft overran the runway, crashed through the perimeter fence, and sustained substantial structural damage. While most occupants evacuated with minor injuries, one 86-year-old passenger died five days later from injuries sustained during the accident. The investigation identified poor maintenance practices and crew errors during the emergency landing as primary factors.

Mechanical Failure

A Boeing 747-412F freighter overran Runway 14 at Halifax Stanfield International Airport during a nighttime landing in tailwind conditions. The aircraft traveled 270 meters past the runway end, crossing a significant 2.8-meter embankment 166 meters past the runway end and striking approach light stanchions before coming to rest in a grassy area just short of a public road. The investigation determined that the crew was suffering from fatigue, which degraded their decision making and reaction times. During the landing roll, the number 1 engine thrust lever was inadvertently moved forward, causing the autobrakes to disengage and spoilers to retract, significantly increasing the required stopping distance.

Pilot Error

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)