50 Worst Aviation / Air Disasters
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An aviation accident is an incident associated with the operation of an aircraft. It can take place anytime between the time any person boards the aircraft for flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a person is fatally or seriously injured. The aircraft sustains damage or structural failure and/or the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible. It can be associated with the operation of an aircraft, which could affect the safety of operations. The first known aviation fatalities are the deaths of balloonists Pilâtre de Rozier and Pierre Romain on 15 June 1785.
Approximately 80 percent of all aviation accidents occur shortly before, after, or during takeoff or landing, and are often described as resulting from 'human error' while mid-flight disasters are rare but not entirely unheard of.To date there are 5,287 accidents recorded in the plane crash database.
Listed below is the list of the top 50 aviation disasters.
United Airlines, Flight 175, a Boeing 767, on a scheduled flight from Boston to Los Angeles, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
1st(i) Worst Disaster
Date: September 11, 2001
Time: 10:03
Location: Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Operator: United Air Lines
Flight #: 93
Route: Newark - San Francisco
AC Type: Boeing B-757-222
Registration: N591UA
cn / ln: 28142/718
Aboard: 44 (passengers:37 crew:7)
Fatalities: 44 (passengers:37 crew:7)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The plane was hijacked after taking off from Newark International Airport, when the hijackers took control of the aircraft and turned the plane towards Washington D.C. After a struggle between the passengers and hijackers the plane crashed at a high rate of speed into a field in the Pennsylvania countryside. It was one of four planes that were hijacked the same day.
American Airlines, Flight 77, a Boeing 757, on a scheduled flight from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, moments after crashing into the Pentagon.
1st(ii) Worst Disaster
Date: September 11, 2001
Time: 09:45
Location: Arlington, Virginia.
Operator: American Airlines
Flight #: 77
Route: Washington D.C. - Los Angeles
AC Type: Boeing B-757-223
Registration: N644AA
cn / ln: 24602/365
Aboard: 64 (passengers:58 crew:6)
Fatalities: 64 (passengers:58 crew:6)
Ground Fatalities: 125
Details: This aircraft was hijacked after taking off from Dulles International Airport. The hijackers took control of the aircraft and deliberately crashed it into the Pentagon. It was again one of four planes that were hijacked the same day.
Wreckage of United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757, on a scheduled flight from Newark to San Francisco, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
1st(iii) Worst Disaster
Date: September 11, 2001
Time: 08:47
Location: New York City, New York
Operator: American Airlines
Flight #: 11
Route: Boston - Los Angeles
AC Type: Boeing 767-223ER
Registration: N334AA
cn / ln: 22332/169
Aboard: 92 (passengers:81 crew:11)
Fatalities: 92 (passengers:81 crew:11)
Ground Fatalities: 2750
Details: The aircraft was hijacked shortly after it took off from Logan International Airport in Boston, when the hijackers took control of the aircraft and deliberately crashed it into the north tower of the World Trade Center between the 94th and 99th floors at approximately 450 mph. After 102 minutes, the building collapsed. It was one of the four planes that were hijacked the same day.
1st(iv) Worst Disaster
Date: September 11, 2001
Time: 09:03
Location: New York City, New York
Operator: United Air Lines
Flight #: 175
Route: Boston - Los Angeles
AC Type: Boeing B-767-222
Registration: N612UA
cn / ln: 21873/41
Aboard: 65 (passengers:56 crew:9)
Fatalities: 65 (passengers:56 crew:9)
Ground Fatalities: 2750
Details: The plane was hijacked shortly after it left Logan International Airport in Boston. The hijackers took control of the aircraft and deliberately crashed it into the south tower of the World Trade Center between the 78th and 84th floors at approximately 550 mph. After 56 minutes, the building collapsed. It was one of four planes that were hijacked the same day.
The remains of a Pan Am B747 (top) and KLM B747 (bottom) in Tenerife
Canary Islands in the second worst aviation disaster in history, which killed a total of 583 people. The KLM 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 after the captain of the KLM plane started his takeoff roll without clearance
2nd Worst Disaster
Date: March 27, 1977
Time: 17:07
Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands
Operator: Pan American World Airways / KLM
Flight #: 1736/4805
Route: Tenerife - Las Palmas / Tenerife - Las Palmas
AC Type: Boeing B-747-121 / Boeing B-747-206B
Registration: N736PA/PH-BUF
cn / ln: 19643/11 / 20400/157
Aboard: 644 (passengers:614 crew:30)
Fatalities: 583 (passengers:560 crew:23)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: Both aircraft were diverted to Tenerife because of a bombing at Las Palmas Airport. After an extended delay, both planes were instructed to back track up the runway. The KLM plane reached its takeoff point while the Pan Am plane was still on the runway. The Pan Am plane continued up the runway missing the taxiway turnout. There was heavy fog on the runway. The KLM plane began its takeoff roll without permission with the Pan Am plane still on the runway. The KLM plane hit the Pan Am plane just as it was taking off. Both planes burst into flames. KLM 234 + 14 crew, Pan Am 326 + 9 crew killed. All aboard the KLM plane were killed. The Pan Am aircraft was named Clipper Victor. The KLM aircraft was named Rhine River.
The wreckage of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 that crashed on Mt. Osutaka, Japan. Five-hundred twenty people out of 524 aboard were killed.
Improper repairs by Boeing after a tail strike 7 years earlier, led to a rupture of the pressure bulkhead and loss of all controls.
3rd Worst Disaster
Date: August 12, 1985
Time: 18:56
Location: Mt. Osutaka, near Ueno Village, Japan
Operator: Japan Air Lines
Flight #: 123
Route: Tokyo - Osaka
AC Type: Boeing B-747-SR46
Registration: JA8119
cn / ln: 20783/230
Aboard: 524 (passengers:509 crew:15)
Fatalities: 520 (passengers:505 crew:15)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft suffered an aft pressure bulkhead failure at 23,900 ft. The aircraft had severe control difficulties with loss of all controls and eventually after 40 minutes, collided with a mountain. Improper repair of the bulkhead while being supervised by Boeing engineers after a tail strike in 1978 is the reason for this crash. Worst single plane disaster in aviation history. Kyu Sakamoto, 43, famous for his Japanese song "Sukiyaki" was killed in the accident.
The remains of a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 after a midair collision with a Kazastan Airlines Ilyushin 76 over New Delhi, India resulting in the loss of 349 lives. Reports vary but a misunderstanding of directions between the ATC and the Ilyus
4th Worst Disaster
Date: November 12, 1996
Time: 18:40
Location: Near Charkhidadri, India
Operator: Saudi Arabian Airlines / Kazakstan Airlines
Flight #: 763/1907
Route: New Delhi - Dhahran / Chimkent - New Delhi
AC Type: Boeing B-747-168B / Ilyushin IL-76TD
Registration: HZAIH/UN-76435
cn / ln: 22748/555/1023413428
Aboard: 349 (passengers:312 crew:37)
Fatalities: 349 (passengers:312 crew:37)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: Midair collision 17 km W of New Delhi, the capital city of India. The Saudi 747 had just taken off from New Delhi airport ascending to 14,000 feet while the Il-76 was descending. Neither aircraft was equipped with an Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS). The 747 had taken off from Delhi and had been cleared to climb to FL140. Meanwhile, the IL76, which was inbound to Delhi on the same airway, had been cleared to descend to FL150. However, due to a misunderstanding, the pilot and most of the cockpit crew of the IL76 believed the flight had been cleared to continue down to FL140. Three hundred and twelve aboard the B-747 and thirty-seven aboard the Il-76 were killed. The Il-76 descended below its assigned altitude. The death toll was reduced from 351 to 349 after Kazakstan Airlines reported 37 aboard rather than 39. The Indian accident report attributed the failure of most of the IL76 crew to correctly understand the situation to their lack of a working knowledge of English. Also contributing to the crew's decision to continue the descent below their clearance limit were poor cockpit resource management, a lack of leadership by the captain, a lack of co-ordination between the crew and a general casual attitude to the conduct of the flight.
Not many pieces of wreckage larger than 3 feet long could be found after a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed into a forest at a high rate of speed at Ermenonville, France. A defective latching mechanism on the cargo door caused it to fail in flight resu
5th Worst Disaster
Date: March 03, 1974
Time: 11:41
Location: Near Ermenonville, France
Operator: Turkish Airlines (THY)
Flight #: 981
Route: Paris - London
AC Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
Registration: TC-JAV
cn / ln: 46704/29
Aboard: 346 (passengers:334 crew:12)
Fatalities: 346 (passengers:334 crew:12)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, France. Climbing through FL110 the aircraft lost the rear cargo door, resulting in explosive decompression and damage to the cabin floor and control cables. The aircraft lost control and crashed in a forest at a high speed. The service subcontractor and the flight engineer neglected to check the locking mechanism through a recently installed viewport to verify the door was latched properly. In addition, although a service bulletin stipulated that the locking pin should be extended, it was mistakenly shortened causing the latch to release after the cabin was pressurized.
On June 12, 1972, an American Airlines DC-10 lost its cargo door shortly after taking off from Detroit Michigan. Using mainly engine thrust the crew was able to land safely. The cause was a defect in the latching mechanism on the door.
1 The bomb explodes at 0714 GMT on 23 June 1984 in a suitcase packed into cargo bin 52-left, which had been loaded at Vancouver. The explosion shattered a key bulkhead, sending the plane into a dive 2 The plane hits the sea, off the coast of Ireland
6th Worst Disaster
Date: June 23, 1985
Time: 07:15
Location: Atlantic Ocean, 110 miles West of Ireland
Operator: Air India
Flight #: 182
Route: Montreal - London
AC Type: Boeing B-747-237B
Registration: VT-EFO
cn / ln: 21473/330
Aboard: 329 (passengers:307 crew:22)
Fatalities: 329 (passengers:307 crew:22)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft broke up in flight and crashed into the ocean. Detonation of an explosive device in the forward cargo hold was the reason for the crash. Terrorist working in Vancouver, Canada, checked baggage with bombs onto two flights. One bag transferred at Toronto onto flight 182. The other would have been transferred at Tokyo onto another Air India flight, but exploded at the airport killing 2 baggage handlers. The aircraft was named "Kanishka."
The burned out hull of a Saudi Arabian Lockheed L-1011. Although the plane landed safely, all 301 aboard died before rescue crews could reach them. The fire started in the aft cargo compartment and the crew failed to take immediate steps to evacuate
7th Worst Disaster
Date: August 19, 1980
Time: 19:08
Location: Near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Operator: Saudi Arabian Airlines
Flight #: 163
Route: Riyadh - Jeddah
AC Type: Lockheed 1011-200 TriStar
Registration: HZ-AHK
cn / ln: 1169
Aboard: 301 (passengers:287 crew:14)
Fatalities: 301 (passengers:287 crew:14)
GroundFatalities: 0
Details: The flight experienced a fire in the aft cargo compartment 6 minutes after taking off from Riyadh. The plane returned to the airport and landed but because of a delay in evacuating the plane, all aboard were killed by smoke and fire. Half a minute before landing the captain decided not to order an emergency evacuation. When he landed, he did not stop immediately but instead proceeded to make a normal landing delaying the fire equipment from putting out the fire. It took a full twenty-three minutes after touchdown before the doors were opened. The reason for crash was failure of the captain to prepare the cabin crew for immediate evacuation upon landing and his failure in not making a maximum stop landing on the runway, with immediate evacuation.
8th Worst Disaster
Date: July 03, 1988
Time: 10:55
Location: Over the Persian Gulf, near Bandar Abbas, Iran
Operator: Iran Air
Flight #: 655
Route: Bandar Abbas - Dubai
AC Type: Airbus A300B2-203
Registration: EP-IBU
cn / ln: 186
Aboard: 290 (passengers:278 crew:12)
Fatalities: 290 (passengers:278 crew:12)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The civilian Iranian airliner was shot down by the U.S. Navy vessel U.S.S. Vincennes with surface-to-air missiles. The Vincennes was protecting other civilian ships in the area from Iranian gunboats. The Vincennes responded to hostile action taking place against a ship by Iranian gun boats. However, orders to the captain were to send a helicopter to investigate but maintain position. In fact, the ship headed towards the hostilities and penetrated 2nm inside Iranian territorial waters and after the helicopter was fired upon, engaged the enemy boats. The ill-fated airliner was delayed in leaving Bandar Abbas because of a problem with the passport of a passenger. Soon after taking off the target appeared on the radar of the Vincennes. Because the plane was late and confusion of time zones, the crew was not expecting an airliner in the area. When the target was first identified, it squawked both 2 (military) and 3 (civilian). The reason for this was the radar tracker ball was left in the vicinity of the Bandar Abbas airport and the radar was picking up both the airliner and a military F-14 jet fighter at the same time. Playing it safe, the plane was misidentified as a F-14 Iranian fighter. The aircraft did not respond to 10 radio challenges from the Vincennes. However, 7 were on military frequencies which the airliner could not pick up. Three were on the civil emergency frequency addressed to the so called military F-14. When the plane was nearing 10 miles from the ship, it was reported to the captain that the aircraft was descending. At that time the surface-to-air missiles were fired destroying the aircraft. At the inquiry computer data showed that the plane was never descending and actually was ascending at a steady rate. Incredibly, a military investigation concluded that although the U.S. government regretted the loss of human life, the captain and crew were not at fault and acted properly in shooting down the airliner.
9th Worst Disaster
Date: February 19, 2003
Time: 17:30
Location: Near Shahdad, Iran
Operator: Military - Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps
Route: Zahedan - Kerman
AC Type: Ilyushin Il-76MD
Registration: 15-22
cn / ln: 63471155
Aboard: 275 (passengers:257 crew:18)
Fatalities: 275 (passengers:257 crew:18)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The plane crashed into an 11,500 ft. mountain in poor weather, about 20 miles from its destination of Kerman. Besides the 18 crew members, the victims included Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
These pictures was taken by an amateur photographer seconds before an American Airlines DC-10 crashed at Chicago O'Hare Airport, after losing an engine during takeoff. Improper maintenance procedures was to blame.
10th Worst Disaster
Date: May 25, 1979
Time: 20:40
Location: Bullen Point, Alaska
Operator: Sea Airmotive
Route: Bullen Point - Deadhorse
AC Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-4A Caribou
Registration: N581PA
cn / ln: 253
Aboard: 3 (passengers:0 crew:3)
Fatalities: 3 (passengers:0 crew:3)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The cargo plane crashed in heavy crosswind while attempting to takeoff. Inadequate preflight preparation and/or planning is considered the reason for crash. Pilot in command failed to follow approved procedures,directives,etc. Cargo shifted.
The cockpit section of Pan Am Flight 103 which crashed at Lockerbie, Scotland after a bomb, planted by terrorists, exploded in the forward cargo area.
11th Worst Disaster
Date: December 21, 1988
Time: 19:03
Location: Lockerbie, Scotland
Operator: Pan American World Airways
Flight #: 103
Route: London - New York City
AC Type: Boeing B-747-121A
Registration: N739PA
cn / ln: 19646/15
Aboard: 259 (passengers:243 crew:16)
Fatalities: 259 (passengers:243 crew:16)
Ground fatalities: 11
Details: The aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after leveling off at FL 310 while on a flight from Heathrow Airport, London, to New York. The aircraft broke up with two main sections of wreckage coming down in the town of Lockerbie. Detonation of an explosive device in the forward cargo area planted by terrorists is the reason for the crash. Musician Paul Jeffreys was one among the killed. The aircraft was named "Clipper Maid of the Seas."
12th Worst Disaster
Date: September 01, 1983
Time: 18:26
Location: Near Sakhalin Island, Russia
Operator: Korean Airlines
Flight #: 007
Route: Anchorage - Seoul
AC Type: Boeing B-747-230B
Registration: HL-7442
cn / ln: 20559/186
Aboard: 269 (passengers:246 crew:23)
Fatalities: 269 (passengers:246 crew:23)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: On a flight from Alaska to South Korea, the airliner drifted off course and twice penetrated Soviet airspace. During the second penetration, the airliner was shot down by a Russian Su-15 Air Force fighter with air-to-air missiles. The aircraft crashed into international waters in the Sea of Japan. U.S. Representative from Georgia Lawrence McDonald was among the killed.
Three minutes after taking off and while in a climbing left turn, at 2,800 ft., parts of the plane, including the vertical stabilizer and rudder, fell from the aircraft.
13th Worst Disaster
Date: November 12, 2001
Time: 09:16
Location: Belle Harbor, Queens, New York
Operator: American Airlines
Flight #: 587
Route: New York City - Santo Domingo, Dominican Rep.
AC Type: Airbus A-300-605R
Registration: N14053
cn / ln: 420
Aboard: 260 (passengers:251 crew:9)
Fatalities: 260 (passengers:251 crew:9)
Ground Fatalities: 5
Details: Three minutes after taking off and while in a climbing left turn, at 2,800 ft., parts of the plane, including the vertical stabilizer and rudder, fell from the aircraft. The crew soon lost control of the plane which nose dived and crashed into a residential neighborhood. After flying into the wake turbulence of about two minutes into the flight, investigators believe a series of quick rudder swings by the copilot whipped the tail so severely that the fin broke off. The National Transportation Safety Board has found that pilot error was the probable cause. Sharply criticizing American Airlines Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program, the Board said that American Airlines' pilot training included a simulator exercise which could have caused the first officer to have an unrealistic and exaggerated view of the effects of wake turbulence, erroneously associate wake turbulence encounters with the need for aggressive roll upset recovery techniques and develop control strategies that would produce a much different -- and potentially surprising and confusing -- response if performed during flight. In addition, because of its high sensitivity, the Airbus A-300-600 rudder control system is susceptible to potentially hazardous rudder pedal inputs at higher airspeed.
The wreckage of a China Airlines Airbus 300 which crashed after the first officer inadvertently triggered the TOGA lever during a landing attempt at Nagoya Airport.
14th Worst Disaster
Date: April 26, 1994
Time: 20:16
Location: Near Komaki, Aichi, Japan
Operator: China Airlines (Taiwan)
Flight #: 140
Route: Taipe - Nagoya
AC Type: Airbus A300B4-622R
Registration: B-1816cn / ln: 580
Aboard: 271 (passengers:256 crew:15)
Fatalities: 264 (passengers:249 crew:15)
Ground Fatalities: 5
Details: While on ILS approach to Nagoya Airport, at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the first officer inadvertently triggered the TOGA (take-off-go-around) lever. The crew tried to override this situation by turning off the autothrottle and reducing air speed. The aircraft stalled, hit the runway tail first and burst into flames. The plane crashed because of an extreme out of trim configuration brought about by the fact that the tailplane setting had moved automatically and undetected to a maximum nose-up position. The plane climbed at a steep angle until it stalled. The crew could have saved the aircraft even in the final seconds had they reverted to basic flight procedures and switched off the autopilot.
15th Worst Disaster
Date: July 11, 1991
Time: 08:40
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Operator: Nationair (chartered by Nigeria Airways)
Flight #: 2120
Route: Jeddah - Sokoto
AC Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-8 Super 61
Registration: C-GMXQ
cn / ln: 45982/345
Aboard: 261 (passengers:247 crew:14)
Fatalities: 261 (passengers:247 crew:14)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: After taking off, fire was reported in the landing gear well. The aircraft crashed while trying to return to the airport. Loss of hydraulics and electrical systems after a fire, started in the wheel when two tires disintegrated due to under inflation of one tire. This caused a fire which ignited years of accumulated flammables in the DC-8's wheel well leading to an uncontrolable fire. The plane was allowed to leave with an under inflated tire. Twenty minutes prior to departure, the Nationair lead mechanic made a request for nitrogen to inflate the low tire. Nitrogen was not readily available and a delay would probably have to occur to procure it. The Nationair project manager, without conferring with the flight crew, released the plane.
Started out as an Antarctic sightseeing tour, ended in disaster, when this Air New Zealand DC-10 crashed into Mt
16th Worst Disaster
Date: November 28, 1979
Time: 12:49
Location: Near Mt. Erebus, Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Operator: Air New Zealand
Flight #: 901
Route: Auckland - Christchurch
AC Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
Registration: ZK-NZP
cn / ln: 46910/182
Aboard: 257 (passengers:237 crew:20)
Fatalities: 257 (passengers:237 crew:20)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft crashed into the slopes of Mt. Erebus while on sightseeing flight to Antarctica. An incorrect computer-stored flight plan resulted in a navigational error directing the flight towards Mt. Erebus. Because of overcast, the crew descended below authorized altitude. Contributing to the accident was the crew's inexperience with flying the Antarctic route. Information about the navigational errors was suppressed by officials.
This DC-8 crashed at Gander Newfoundland while attempting to takeoff, killing all 256 military passengers and crew aboard.
17th Worst Disaster
Date: December 12, 1985
Time: 06:45
Location: Gander, Newfoundland, Canada
Operator: Arrow Airways
Flight #: MF1285R
Route: Gander - Fort Campbell, KY
AC Type: McDonnell Douglas DC-8 Super 63PF
Registration: N950JW
cn / ln: 46058/433
Aboard: 256 (passengers:248 crew:8)
Fatalities: 256 (passengers:248 crew:8)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft stalled and crashed during takeoff. Two-hundred-forty-four members of the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky were killed in the accident. There is controversy surrounding this crash. The majority opinion of the board was that the cause of the sequence leading up to the stall and crash could not be determined, with icing a possibility. The minority opinion was that the crash was possibly caused by detonation of an explosive device of unknown origin in a cargo compartment which led to an in-flight fire and loss of control of the aircraft.
The accident happened 18 miles short of Medan Airport.
18th Worst Disaster
Date: September 26, 1997
Time: 13:34
Location: Buah Nabar, Indonesia
Operator: Garuda Indonesia Airlines
Flight #: 152
Route: Jakarta - Medan
AC Type: Airbus A300-B4-200
Registration: PK-GAI
cn / ln: 214
Aboard: 234 (passengers:222 crew:12)
Fatalities: 234 (passengers:222 crew:12)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft crashed into mountainous terrain 15 minutes before it was due to land at Medan on a flight from Jakarta. The aircraft crashed 20 miles from the airport. ATC error in directing the plane in the wrong direction was the reason for the crash of the plane into mountainous terrain that was obscured by smoke and haze due to forest fires in the area.
Flames of burning plane.
19th Worst Disaster
Date: July 17, 1996
Time: 16:35
Location: Off East Moriches, New York
Operator: Trans World Airlines
AC Type: Boeing B-747-131
cn / ln: N93119
Aboard: 230
Fatalities: 230
Ground fatalities: 0
Details: The wreckage and fuel from TWA Flight 800 burns in the Atlantic off East Moriches, New York. All 230 people aboard the Boing 747 perished in the crash after the center fuel tank exploded.
Reconstruction of the cockpit area of a Swissair MD-11 that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after experiencing an uncontrollable fire aboard
20th Worst Disaster
Date: September 02, 1998
Time: 21:30
Location: Off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
Operator: Swissair
Flight #: 111
Route: New York City - Geneva
AC Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Registration: HB-IWF
cn / ln: 48448/465
Aboard: 229 (passengers:215 crew:14)
Fatalities: 229 (passengers:215 crew:14)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft was on a flight from JFK Airport, New York to Geneva, Switzerland when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and requested an emergency landing at Halifax. The plane began dumping fuel and preparing for an emergency landing when it disappeared from radar and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Halifax. A fire in the entertainment system wiring started in a hidden area above the cockpit ceiling when arcing ignited the cover material made of thermal insulation blankets. This set off an in-flight fire that spread and increased in intensity until it led to the loss of the aircraft.. It was determined that aircraft certification standards for material flammability at the time of the accident were inadequate. Dr. Jonathan Mann, researcher in the fight against AIDS was killed in the crash.
Debris of Air France flight recovered from Atlantic Ocean.
Debris of Air France flight recovered from Atlantic Sea.
21st Worst Disaster
Date: June 01, 2009
Time: 00:15
Location: Atlantic Ocean, 570 miles northeast of Natal, Brazil
Operator: Air France
Flight #: 447
Route: Rio de Janeiro - Paris
AC Type: Airbus A330-203
Registration: F-GZCP
cn / ln: 660
Aboard: 228 (passengers:216 crew:12)
Fatalities: 228 (passengers:216 crew:12)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The Airbus went missing over the Atlantic Ocean on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France. The plane departed from Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport at 19:03 LT bound for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The last radio contact with the flight was at 01:33 UTC. The aircraft left CINDACTA III radar coverage at 01:48 UTC, flying normally at FL350. The aircraft reportedly went through a thunderstorm with strong turbulence at 02:00 UTC. At 02:14 UTC an automated message was received indicating a failure of the electrical system. The plane carried 12 crew members and 216 passengers.
This Korean Airlines Boeing 747 crashed while attempting to land at Guam in heavy rain.
22nd Worst Disaster
Date: August 06, 1997
Time: 01:42
Location: Agana, Guam
Operator: Korean Airlines
Flight #: 801
Route: Seoul - Guam
AC Type: Boeing B-747-300
Registration: HL-7468
cn / ln: 22487/605
Aboard: 254 (passengers:237 crew:17)
Fatalities: 229 (passengers:215 crew:14)
Ground Fatalities: 0
Details: The aircraft crashed into Nimitz Hill, 3 miles short of Runway 06R, while making a non-precision approach in heavy rain to A.B. Won Guam International Airport. The runway glide slope system was inoperative. In addition, the Minimum Safe Altitude Warning system (MSAW) was also not working due to a software problem. The captain’s failure to adequately brief and execute the non-precision approach and the first officer's and flight engineer's failure to effectively monitor and cross-check the captain’s execution of the approach was the reason for the disaster. Contributing to these failures were the captain's fatigue and Korean Air's inadequate flight crew training and also the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) intentional inhibition of the MSAW at Guam and the agency's failure to adequately manage the system.
23rd Worst Disaster
Date: January 08, 1996
Time: 12:43
Location: Kinshasa, Zaire
Operator: African Air
Route: Kinshasa - Kahemba
AC Type: Antonov AN-32B
Registration: RA-26222
cn / ln: 2301
Aboard: 6 (passengers:0 crew:6)
Fatalities: 2 (passengers:0 crew:2)
Ground Fatalities: 225
Details: The aircraft failed to gain altitude after taking off from N'Dolo Airport and ran off the runway and crashed into a market square. The plane was overloaded by 595 lbs. The aircraft certification was revoked and crew did not have authorization to fly. The number killed on the ground varies widely from different sources. The number of fatalities, 225, is derived from the publication Weekly Mail and Guardian in an article covering the court trial of the pilots, charging them with the deaths of 225 people. Some sources quote as many as 350 died.
