Aviation Accident Summary Archive

A Nature Air Cessna 208B Grand Caravan stalled and crashed into a wooded hillside shortly after takeoff from Punta Islita Airport, killing all 12 people on board. The flight crew chose to depart toward rising terrain that likely exceeded the aircraft's climb capability and failed to execute a standard turn toward lower terrain used by a preceding flight. While attempting to maneuver out of a valley, the pilots allowed the airspeed to decay, leading to an aerodynamic stall at a steep bank angle.

Pilot Error

A de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver floatplane crashed into Jerusalem Bay shortly after takeoff, killing all six people on board, including the CEO of Compass Group and his family. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) determined that the pilot was likely incapacitated by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, which entered the cabin through holes in the firewall and cracks in the exhaust system. This incapacitation led the pilot to fly into a confined bay at low altitude and perform a steep turn that resulted in an aerodynamic stall from which recovery was impossible.

Pilot Error

West Wind Aviation Flight 282 crashed shortly after takeoff from Fond-du-Lac Airport due to severe ice contamination on the aircraft's critical surfaces. Despite encountering icing during the inbound flight and being aware of forecast ground icing, the crew attempted to depart without de-icing the aircraft. The ATR 42 suffered a significant loss of lift and increase in drag, leading to an uncommanded roll and subsequent loss of control just 17 seconds after liftoff. All 25 occupants initially survived the impact, but one passenger died 12 days later from his injuries. The investigation highlighted the systemic normalization of departing with contaminated surfaces at remote airports lacking adequate de-icing equipment.

Pilot Error

During a final approach to Nelkan Airport, the right-hand engine propeller blades uncommanded moved into a negative pitch angle (beta range), causing a sudden loss of speed and an aggressive roll to the right. The aircraft departed controlled flight at an altitude of approximately 150 meters and crashed into a forest 1.2 kilometers from the runway threshold. Six of the seven people on board were killed, including both pilots. The sole survivor was a three-year-old child who sustained serious injuries.

Mechanical Failure

Air France Flight 66 suffered a catastrophic uncontained engine failure while cruising over Greenland. The number 4 engine's fan hub shattered, causing the entire fan, air inlet, and fan case to separate from the aircraft. Despite significant vibrations and aerodynamic drag, the crew successfully diverted the Airbus A380, carrying 497 passengers and 24 crew members, to Goose Bay, Canada. The investigation identified a rare material fatigue phenomenon known as cold dwell fatigue in the titanium alloy fan hub as the cause.

Engine Failure

A Schweizer 269C-1 helicopter crashed during an attempted autorotation at Flying W Airport after the pilot lost throttle control in flight. The pilot, orientation passenger Troy Gentry, and ground witnesses observed that the engine twist-grip had no effect on engine RPM. After consulting with instructors on the ground, the pilot elected to shut down the engine and perform a power-off autorotation rather than a shallow run-on landing. The pilot initiated the autorotation too early and too far from the runway, subsequently failing to maintain rotor RPM. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted terrain 220 feet short of the runway.

Pilot Error

A Cessna U206G cargo flight, piloted by 22-year-old Joel Black, impacted mountainous terrain in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve after the pilot continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot, who was in his first season flying in Alaska, encountered low cloud ceilings and visibility while transiting the Alaska Range. Tracking data indicated a descent from over 7,000 feet to approximately 3,900 feet shortly before the aircraft struck trees and terrain in a level attitude. The NTSB determined the pilot failed to sufficiently assess weather conditions during preflight planning and made the decision to descend into an area of obscured terrain rather than turning back or diverting.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A United States Marine Corps KC-130T transport aircraft suffered a catastrophic mid-air breakup at 20,000 feet after a propeller blade failed due to fatigue cracking. The investigation revealed that the blade, which had been overhauled in 2011, contained pre-existing corrosion pitting and intergranular cracking that maintenance personnel at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex failed to remediate. When the blade liberated, it sliced through the left side of the fuselage, triggering a sequence of structural failures that caused the cockpit and forward fuselage to separate from the aircraft. All 16 personnel on board, consisting of 15 Marines and one Navy sailor, were killed when the remains of the aircraft crashed into a soybean field.

Human Factors (Maintenance)

An Air Canada Airbus A320, carrying 135 passengers and 5 crew members, nearly landed on a taxiway occupied by four fully loaded passenger aircraft after the flight crew mistook the taxiway for their assigned runway. During a visual approach at night, the pilots failed to realize that Runway 28L was closed and unlit, leading them to misidentify Runway 28R as 28L and Taxiway C as 28R. The aircraft descended to a minimum altitude of 59 feet above ground level, overflying the first two aircraft on the taxiway before initiating a go-around. The incident is widely considered the closest near-miss in modern aviation history, as the aircraft came within feet of colliding with the tails of the taxiing planes.

Pilot Error

A Myanmar Air Force Shaanxi Y8 transport aircraft stalled and entered an unrecoverable spin after encountering severe icing and sudden wind shear over the Andaman Sea. The flight was a regular military transport service carrying personnel and their family members, including children. All 122 people on board were killed when the aircraft impacted the water.

Weather

A Piper PA-23-250 stalled and crashed into water shortly after takeoff from San Juan when the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed and improperly managed a left yaw. Although the pilot reported a loss of engine power, post-accident examination found no mechanical malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation. The NTSB determined that the pilot likely confused miles per hour with knots on the airspeed indicator, rotating and attempting to climb at a speed significantly below the aircraft's best rate-of-climb speed, leading to an aerodynamic stall when the aircraft exited ground effect.

Pilot Error

Summit Air Flight 409, a cargo flight, crashed short of the runway at Lukla's Tenzing-Hillary Airport while attempting to land in dense fog. The aircraft descended below the required altitude during the final approach, and in a late attempt to climb back to the runway threshold, the crew induced an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft's left wing struck a tree approximately 180 feet short of the threshold before the fuselage impacted sloping terrain 100 feet short of Runway 06, killing both the Captain and First Officer.

Pilot Error

An Air Koryo Tupolev Tu-204-300 suffered a structural failure when a portion of its flaps detached during climb to cruise. The aircraft experienced severe vibrations, prompting the crew to perform an emergency return to Pyongyang. The flight landed safely with no injuries reported among the passengers or crew.

Mechanical Failure

A Learjet 35A stalled and crashed into a commercial building and parking lot while attempting a circle-to-land maneuver at Teterboro Airport. The investigation revealed a total breakdown of cockpit discipline, including the captain allowing an underqualified first officer to fly the aircraft in violation of company policy, a lack of approach briefing, and a failure to maintain airspeed during a late, unstabilized turn. Both pilots were killed, but no injuries occurred on the ground.

Pilot Error

A Short 330 cargo aircraft crashed short of the runway at Yeager Airport after the crew attempted an unstabilized circling approach in violation of company standard operating procedures. The captain initiated an excessive descent rate and aggressive maneuvering while attempting to align with the runway, leading to an impact with a steep, wooded hillside just before the runway threshold. Both crew members were killed in the crash and subsequent post-impact fire.

Pilot Error

A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Grant Aviation impacted a steep, snow-covered mountain while conducting a VFR mail flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The investigation determined that the pilot continued flight into mountainous terrain despite deteriorating visibility and mountain obscuration. Contributing to the accident were the operator's inadequate flight risk assessment processes and its failure to provide the pilot with required recurrent CFIT-avoidance simulator training.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Peruvian Airlines Flight 112 suffered a landing gear collapse and subsequent fire after landing at Francisco Carle Airport. The Boeing 737-300 experienced severe vibrations, known as shimmy, caused by mechanical failure in the shimmy damper systems of both main landing gear struts. This led to the fracture and collapse of the main gear, followed by the failure of all three landing gear legs. The aircraft veered off the runway and struck a perimeter fence, igniting a fire that destroyed the airframe. All 150 occupants successfully evacuated, though 39 sustained injuries.

Mechanical Failure

A South Supreme Airlines Antonov An-26B was destroyed by fire after colliding with a fire truck during a landing attempt at Wau Airport in poor visibility. Despite the aircraft being completely consumed by flames, all 45 occupants survived the accident, with approximately 37 people sustaining injuries.

Other

A Sikorsky S-92A search and rescue helicopter, call sign Rescue 116, crashed into Blackrock Island while supporting a medical evacuation mission. The aircraft was flying at 200 feet in poor weather and darkness when it struck the 282-foot island, which was not present in the helicopter's Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) database. All four crew members were killed in the impact and subsequent crash into the Atlantic Ocean.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter operated by Swan Aviation struck the Endem TV Tower in heavy fog shortly after departing Istanbul. The aircraft was carrying executives from Eczacibasi Holding to a meeting in Bozuyuk when it entered an area of severely restricted visibility. The crew failed to maintain adequate clearance from the tower, which was a known and charted obstacle. The collision caused the helicopter to crash onto the State Road D100 highway, killing all seven people on board.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

Ameristar Charters Flight 9363 overran the runway at Willow Run Airport after the captain initiated a high-speed rejected takeoff when the aircraft failed to rotate. The investigation revealed that the right elevator had become jammed in a full trailing-edge-down position while the aircraft was parked during a severe windstorm. Localized turbulence generated by a nearby large hangar caused the elevator to slam against its stops, forcing the geared tab linkage into an overcenter, locked position. Despite the overrun, all 116 occupants (110 passengers and 6 crew members) survived, largely due to the captain's decision to abort and the check airman's adherence to procedures.

Mechanical Failure

A Beechcraft B200 King Air crashed into a retail outlet centre shortly after takeoff from Essendon Airport, killing all five people on board. The investigation determined that the pilot failed to detect that the rudder trim was set to the full nose-left position during pre-flight checks. This misconfiguration caused a significant yaw to the left upon becoming airborne, leading to a loss of control and collision with the DFO Essendon shopping complex.

Pilot Error

A Boeing 747-412F cargo aircraft crashed into a residential village approximately 930 meters beyond the departure end of Runway 26 at Manas International Airport during a failed go-around. The aircraft, arriving from Hong Kong in thick fog, captured a false glideslope signal at a significantly higher altitude than the standard approach path. The autopilot maintained a 3 degree inertial descent path after losing the signal, leading the crew to believe they were on a correct approach to the runway. By the time the crew realized they were overflying the runway instead of landing on it and initiated a go-around, the aircraft was too low to clear rising terrain and buildings in the Dacha-SU village. The accident resulted in 39 fatalities, including all 4 crew members and 35 residents on the ground.

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)

A Russian Ministry of Defence Tupolev Tu-154B-2 crashed into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff from Sochi International Airport, killing all 92 people on board. The aircraft was transporting members of the Alexandrov Ensemble choir to Syria for a holiday performance. Investigators concluded the captain suffered from spatial disorientation, leading to incorrect control inputs during the initial climb at night.

Human Factors (Operational)