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World > Disasters

Aircraft Crashes

Find a list of the worst aircraft crashes in the world, including the Hindenburg disaster and the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. (See also Terrorist Attacks.)



1921
Aug. 24, England: British dirigible AR-2 broke in two on trial trip near Hull; 62 died.
1925
Sept. 3, Caldwell, Ohio: U.S. dirigible Shenandoah broke apart; 14 dead.
1930
Oct. 5, Beauvais, France: British dirigible R 101 crashed, killing 47.
1933
April 4, N.J.: U.S. dirigible Akron crashed; 73 died.
1937
May 6, Lakehurst, N.J.: German zeppelin Hindenburg destroyed by fire at tower mooring; 36 killed.
1945
July 28, New York City: U.S. Army bomber B-25 crashed into Empire State Building; 13 dead.
1953
June 18, near Tokyo: Crash of U.S. Air Force C-124 Globemaster killed 129 servicemen.
1956
June 30, Grand Canyon, Ariz.: TWA Super Constellation and United Airlines DC-7 collided over the Painted Desert, killing a total of 128 passengers and crew from both aircraft.
1960
Dec. 16, New York City: United DC-8 and Trans World Super Constellation collided and crashed, killing 134 in air and on ground.
1961
Feb. 15, nr. Brussels, Belgium: 72 on board and farmer on ground killed in crash of Sabena plane; U.S. figure skating team wiped out.
1962
March 4, Douala, Cameroon: Trans-African DC-7 crashed on takeoff, killing all 111 people aboard.
June 3, Paris: Chartered Air France Boeing 707 crashed after takeoff at Orly Airport, killing 130.
June 22, Grande-Teree Island, Guadeloupe: Air France Boeing 707 crashed, killing all 113 aboard.
1963
Nov. 29, Montreal: Trans-Canada Airlines DC-8F crashed after taking off. All 118 aboard died.
1965
May 20, Cairo: Pakistan International Airways 707 crashed on landing at airport; 124 killed.
1966
Jan. 24, Mont Blanc: Air India Boeing 707 crashed into a mountain in a fog; 117 dead.
Feb. 4, Tokyo: All-Nippon 727 jet crashed into Tokyo Bay as it approached airport, killing all 133 aboard.
March 5, near Gotemba City, Japan: BOAC Boeing 707 broke apart in flight and crashed into Mount Fuji; 124 dead.
Dec. 24, Binh Thai, South Vietnam: crash of military-chartered CL-44 into village killed 129.
1967
April 20, Nicosia, Cyprus: Chartered Swiss Globe Britannia Turboprop crashed while landing, killing 126.
1970
Feb. 15, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Dominican DC-9 plunged into Caribbean on takeoff; 102 dead.
July 3, near Barcelona, Spain: British charter Dan-Air Comet jet crashed into the sea while coming in for a landing at Barcelona; 112 dead.
July 5, Toronto: Air Canada DC-8 crashed on landing approach; 109 dead.
Nov. 14, Huntington, W.Va.: Chartered Southern Airways DC-9 crashed and burned on approach to Tri-State Airport; 75 dead, including entire Marshall University football team.
1971
July 30, Morioka, Japan: Japanese Boeing 727 and F-86 fighter collided in midair; 162 died.
Sept. 4, near Juneau, Alaska: Alaskan Airlines Boeing 727 crashed into Chilkoot Mountains; 109 killed.
1972
May 5, Palermo, Sicily: Alitalia DC-8 hit mountain, killing 115.
June 18, London: BEA Trident jetliner crashed after takeoff from Heathrow Airport. All 118 aboard were killed.
Aug. 14, East Berlin, East Germany: Soviet-built East German Ilyushin Il-62 plane crashed, killing 156.
Oct. 13, Moscow, Russia: Aeroflot Ilyushin IL-14 crashed during landing due to pilot fatigue and 176 people perish.
Dec. 3, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands: Spanish charter jet Convair 990-A jet carrying West German tourists crashed on takeoff; all 155 aboard killed.
Dec. 30, Miami, Fla.: Eastern Airlines Lockheed 1011 TriStar jumbo jet, Flight 401, crashed into Everglades; 101 killed, 75 survived.
1973
Jan. 22, Kano, Nigeria: 171 Nigerian Muslims returning from Mecca and 5 crewmen died in crash.
    
Feb. 21, Sinai: civilian Libyan Arab Airlines Boeing 727 shot down by Israeli fighters after it had strayed off course; 108 died, 5 survived. Officials claimed that the pilot had ignored fighters' warnings to land.
April 10, Hochwald, Switzerland: British airliner carrying tourists to Swiss fair crashed in blizzard; 106 dead.
July 11, Paris: Boeing 707 of Varig Airlines, en route to Rio de Janeiro, crashed near airport, killing 122 of 134 passengers.
1974
March 3, Paris: Turkish DC-10 jumbo jet crashed in forest shortly after takeoff; all 346 killed.
    
Dec. 4, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Dutch DC-8 carrying Muslims to Mecca killed all 191 when it crashed on landing approach.
1975
April 4, nr. Saigon, Vietnam: Air Force Galaxy C-5A crashed after takeoff, killing 172, mostly Vietnamese children.
    
Aug. 3, Agadir, Morocco: chartered Boeing 707, returning Moroccan workers home after vacation in France, plunged into mountainside; all 188 killed.
1976
Sept. 10, Zagreb, Yugoslavia: midair collision between British Airways Trident and Yugoslav charter DC-9 fatal to all 176 people aboard.
Sept. 19, Karatepe, Turkey: Turkish Airlines 727 crashes into mountainous terrain killing 154 people.
1977
March 27, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands: Pan American and KLM Boeing 747s collided on runway. All 249 on KLM plane and 333 of 394 aboard Pan Am jet killed. Total of 582 is highest for any type of aviation disaster.
1978
Jan. 1, Bombay: Air India 747 with 213 aboard exploded and plunged into sea minutes after takeoff.
Sept. 25, San Diego, Calif.: Pacific Southwest plane collided in midair with Cessna. All 135 on airliner, 2 in Cessna, and 7 on ground killed for total of 144.
    
Nov. 15, Colombo, Sri Lanka: chartered Icelandic Airlines DC-8, carrying 249 Muslim pilgrims from Mecca, crashed in thunderstorm during landing approach; 183 killed.
1979
May 25, Chicago: American Airlines DC-10 lost left engine upon takeoff and crashed seconds later, killing all 272 people aboard and 3 on the ground in worst U.S. air disaster.
Nov. 26, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Pakistan International Airlines 707 carrying pilgrims returning from Mecca crashed on takeoff; all 156 aboard killed.
Nov. 28, Mt. Erebus, Antarctica: Air New Zealand DC-10 crashed on sightseeing flight; 257 killed.
1980
Aug. 19, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: all 301 aboard Saudi Arabian jet killed when burning plane made safe landing but passengers were unable to escape.
1981
Dec. 1, Ajaccio, Corsica: Yugoslav DC-9 Super 80 carrying tourists crashed into mountain on landing approach, killing all 178 aboard.
1983
June 28, near Cuenca, Ecuador: Ecuadorian jetliner crashed in mountains, killing 119.
Aug. 30, nr. island of Sakhalin off Siberia: Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 shot down by Soviet fighter after it strayed off course into Soviet airspace. All 269 aboard killed. Secret Soviet documents released in Oct. 1992 reveal that the plane was flying a straight course for two hours with its navigational lights on and did not take evasive action. Crew was unaware of its location and never saw the Soviet fighter that downed them. The Soviet fighter did not give a warning by firing tracer bullets as originally claimed.
Nov. 27, Madrid: Colombian Avianca Boeing 747 crashed near Mejorada del Campó Airport, killing 181 people aboard. Eleven people survived.
1985
June 23, Atlantic Ocean: Air India 747 exploded over the ocean killing 329. The probable cause was a Sikh terrorist bomb.
Aug. 12, Japan: Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 crashed into a mountain, killing 520 of the 524 aboard. Highest death toll in a single-plane crash in aviation history.
Dec. 12, Gander, Newfoundland: a chartered Arrow Air DC-8 bringing American soldiers home for Christmas crashed on takeoff. All 256 aboard died.
1987
May 9, Poland: Polish airliner Ilyushin 62M, on charter flight to N.Y., crashed after takeoff from Warsaw, killing 183.
Aug. 16, Romulus, Mich.: Northwest Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80 crashed into a highway shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, killing 156 (including 2 on the ground). Girl, 4, only survivor.
Nov. 26, south of Mauritius: South African Airways Boeing 747 went down in rough seas; 160 died.
Nov. 29, Burma: Korean Air Boeing 747 jetliner exploded from bomb planted by North Korean agents and crashed into sea, killing all 115 aboard.
1988
July 3, Persian Gulf: U.S. Navy cruiser Vincennes shot down Iran Air Airbus A-300 after mistaking it for an attacking jet fighter; 290 killed.
Aug. 28, Ramstein Air Force Base, West Germany: 3 jets from Italian Air Force acrobatic team collided in midair during air show and crashed, killing 70 people, including the pilots and spectators on the ground.
Dec. 21, Lockerbie, Scotland: N.Y.-bound Pan-Am Boeing 747 exploded in flight from a terrorist bomb and crashed into Scottish village, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the ground. See Terrorist Attacks.
1989
June 7, Paramaribo, Suriname: a Surinam Airways DC-8 carrying 174 passengers crashed into the jungle while making a third attempt to land in a thick fog, killing 168 aboard.
July 19, Sioux City, Iowa: United Airlines DC-10 crashed during an emergency landing. Out of a total of 296 aboard, 111 were killed, 172 were injured, and 13 escaped unharmed.
1991
May 26, nr. Bangkok, Thailand: Austrian Lauda Air Boeing 767, en route to Vienna, crashed into jungle hilltop shortly after takeoff from Bangkok airport, killing all 223 aboard. Thailand's worst air disaster.
July 11, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Canadian-chartered DC-8 carrying pilgrims returning to Nigeria crashed after takeoff, killing 261 people.
1994
Jan. 3, Irkutsk, Russia: Russian Tupolev-154 crashes after taking off, killing all 124 people.
April 14, northern Iraq: two American F-15C fighter aircraft mistook two U.S. Army blackhawk helicopters for Russian-made Iraqi MI-24 helicopters and shot them down over no-fly zone, killing all 26 on board.
April 26, Nagoya, Japan: China Airlines Airbus A-300 from Taiwan crash-landed and exploded on the tarmac. Only 7 of the 271 passengers aboard survived.
June 6, Xian, China: China Northwest Airlines Tupolev-154 crashed 10 minutes after takeoff, killing all 160 aboard.
Sept. 8, nr. Aliquippa, Pa.: USAir Boeing 737 crashed into a ravine shortly before it was supposed to land at Pittsburgh International Airport. All 132 aboard were killed.
1995
Dec. 20, nr. Cali, Colombia: 160 people killed when American Airlines Boeing 757 crashed in Andean Mountains.
1996
Jan. 8, Kinshasa, Zaire: Russian-built Antonov-32 cargo plane crashed after takeoff from Kinshasa into the center of the city, killing over 350 people and injuring at least 470.
Feb. 6, off coast of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic: a Birgenair Boeing 757 en route to Germany, chartered by Dominican Alas Nacionales. crashed into Atlantic Ocean after takeoff, killing 189.
Feb. 29, near Arequipa, Peru: Faucett Airline Boeing 737 crashed into mountain as it prepared to land. All 117 passengers and crew were killed.
May 11, Everglades, Fla.: ValuJet DC-9 went down in swamp, killing 110. Cargo fire caused by oxygen generators missing safety caps.
July 17, off coast of Long Island, N.Y.: TWA Boeing 747-100, Flight 800, bound for Paris from N.Y., exploded over waters of eastern L.I. and crashed into Atlantic Ocean, killing all 230 aboard.
Aug. 29, Svalbard, Norway: A Tu-154, taking miners and their families to a Russian mining settlement on Spitsbergen, crashed into a mountaintop, killing a 141 on board, including 29 children.
Nov. 12, nr. New Delhi, India: shortly after takeoff, Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 collided in midair with Kazak Airlines Ilyushin 76 approaching the New Delhi airport. All 349 passengers and crew were killed; the world's worst midair collision.
1997
Aug. 6, Guam: Korean Air Boeing 747-300 from Seoul crashed into jungle near Agana International Airport, killing 228 people; 26 survived.
Sept. 26, nr. northern Indonesia: Indonesian Garuda Airlines A-300 Airbus jetliner crashed while approaching Medan Airport, Sumatra, killing all 234 people aboard.
1998
Feb. 2, Mindanao, Philippines: Cebu Pacific Air DC-9 crashed into a mountain; 104 dead.
Feb. 3, Mt. Cermis, Italy: low-flying U.S. Marine surveillance jet on training flight accidentally cut ski-lift cable-car line, causing all 20 people aboard to fall some 260 ft to their deaths.
Feb. 16, Taipei, Taiwan: China Airlines Airbus A-300 jumbo jet crashed while trying to land in fog at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, killing all 196 aboard and at least 6 people on the ground.
Sept. 2, off Nova Scotia, Canada: Swissair flight from N.Y. to Geneva crashed off Canadian coast, killing all 229 aboard. 136 Americans were on the McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
1999
Oct. 31, southeast of Nantucket Island: EgyptAir Boeing 767-300 on flight from N.Y. to Cairo crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 217 aboard.
2000
Jan. 30, off the Ivory Coast: Kenya Airways Airbus A-310, carrying 179 passengers and crew, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after takeoff from Abidjan. Ten people survived.
July 25, Gonesse, France: Air France Concorde jet en route to N.Y. crashed into a hotel after taking off from Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris; all 109 aboard and 4 on the ground were killed; first Concorde jet to crash since the plane went into commercial service in 1976.
Aug. 23, off Bahrain: Gulf Air Airbus A-320 on a flight from Cairo crashed into the Persian Gulf, killing all 143 aboard.
2001
July 4, Irkutsk, Russia: Russian Tupolev-154 crashed on its third approach to the runway for a refueling stop, killing all 145 people.
Sept. 11, New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville, Pa.: For the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, see Terrorist Attacks.
Oct. 8, Milan, Italy: Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) MD-87 jet bound for Copenhagen hit a Cessna aircraft during takeoff in a heavy fog at Milan's Linate airport. All 104 passengers and 6 crew aboard the airliner, as well as the four people in the smaller plane and four airport workers, were killed in what is one of Italy's worst air disasters
Nov. 12, Queens, N.Y.: American Airlines Airbus A-300, bound for the Dominican Republic, crashed into residential neighborhood minutes after taking off from JFK International Airport. All 260 people aboard and 5 on the ground were killed.
2002
Feb. 12, western Iran: Iranian airliner en route from Teheran to Khorramabad crashed into a mountain while trying to land, killing all 118 aboard. Overcast or foggy conditions may have contributed to the crash.
April 15, nr. Pusan, South Korea: Air China Boeing 767 en route from Beijing crashed into a forested hillside near airport, killing at least 115 people. Miraculously, 38 passengers survived. Poor weather conditions were blamed for the crash.
May 4, Kano, Nigeria: EAS Airline BAC 1-11 bound for Lagos plowed into a poor, densely populated suburb of Kano shortly after takeoff, killing 148. Dead included all 76 aboard and dozens on the ground.
May 7, Dalian Bay, northeast China: China Northern Airlines MD-82 jet crashed into the bay shortly after captain reported a fire in the cabin. Out of 103 passengers and 9 crew aboard, none survived.
May 25, nr. Pescadores off western Taiwan: China Airlines Boeing 747, bound for Hong Kong with 225 people aboard, broke apart in midair and plunged into sea 20 minutes after takeoff from Taipei. There were no survivors.
July 27, nr. Lviv, Ukraine: Russian-built Sukhoi-27 fighter jet crashed while performing an acrobatic maneuver during an air show. 83 people were killed, including 23 children; the 2 pilots ejected to safety. It is the worst air show disaster in history.
2003
Feb. 19, nr. Shahdad, Iran: Iranian military airplane, Ilyushin Il-76MD, carrying members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, crashed in the Sirach Mountains, killing all 276 on board, making this Iran's worst air disaster.
March 6, Tamanrasset, Algeria: An Algerian Boeing 737 crashed after takeoff from Tamanrasset, killing 102 people.
July 8, Port Sudan, Sudan: a Sudan Airways airplane, a Boeing 737, experienced technical difficulties shortly after takeoff and crashed while attempting to return to the Port Sudan airport. One child survived and 116 passengers and crew perished.
Dec. 25, Cotonou, Benin: a chartered Boeing 727 jet bound for Beirut, Lebanon, crashed after hitting a building on takeoff, killing at least 140 people.
2004
Aug. 24, Moscow, Russia: two Russian planes, both departing from Moscow's airport, crashed within minutes of each other, killing a total of 89 people. Explosives were found on both flights.
2005
Feb. 3, Kabul, Afghanistan: Afghan Kam Air, Boeing 737, bound to Kabul crashed in the mountains, killing 105.
Aug. 14, Athens, Greece: a Helios Airways, Boeing 737, en route from Cyprus to Athens lost cabin pressure and crashed when it ran out of fuel, killing all 121 on board.
Aug. 16, western Venezuela: a chartered West Caribbean Airways, MD-82, en route from Panama to Martinique, crashed in remote western Venezuela, killing all 160 on board.
Sept. 5, Medan, Indonesia: Mandala Airlines, Boeing 737, crashed soon after takeoff, killing 102 on board and 47 on the ground; 13 passengers survived.
Oct. 22, Lagos, Nigeria: after take-off from Lagos, a Nigerian Bellview Airlines Boeing 737-200 enroute to Abuja crashed, killing all 117.
Dec. 6, Tehran, Iran: Iranian military plane, a Lockheed C-130, crashed during an emergency landing the Tehran airport, hit an apartment building, and killed at least 115.
Dec. 10, Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Nigerian Sosoliso Airlines plane carrying 110 crashed during landing, killing 106.
Dec. 19, Miami, Fla.: Chalk's Ocean Airways, Grumman G73 seaplane, headed to the Bahamas, crashed into the ocean off Miami, killing all 20 on-board.
2006
May 3, Sochi, Russia: an Armavia (Armenian airline), Airbus A-320, crashed in the Black Sea en route to Sochi, killing all 113 aboard.
July 9, Siberia, Russia: a Russian airline S7 Airbus A-310 slid off the end of the runway just after landing in Irkutsk, killing 122 people.
July 10, Multan, Pakistan: a Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F-27 turboprop crashed minutes after take off, killing all 45 on board.
Aug. 22, Donetsk, Ukraine: a Pulkovo (Russian) airliner, TU 154, flying from the Black Sea resort town of Anapa to St. Petersburg , reported a fire on board and crashed in stormy weather, killing all 170, including 45 children, on board.
Aug. 27, Lexington, Ky.: Comair Flight 5191, a Bombardier commuter jet, crashed after attempting to take off on the wrong runway, killing 49.
2007
Jan. 1, Indonesia: Adam Air Flight KI-574, flying from Java to Manado, crashed in stormy weather and strong winds, killing all of the 102 people on board.
March 7, Yogyakarta, Indonesia: A Garuda Indonesia Airlines plane overshot the runway and crashed, killing 22 of the 140 people on board.
May 5, Doula, Cameroon: A Kenya-bound Kenya Airways plane took off in stormy weather and crashed moments later, killing all 114 people on board.
July 17, Sao Paulo, Brazil: An Airbus skidded off the runway at Congonhas Airport in rainy weather and crashed, killing at least 176 people. It was the worst aviation accident in Brazil's history, and the second in less than 10 months.
Sept. 16, Phuket, Bangkok: A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 plane, which took off from Bangkok, skids off the runway and bursts into flames during heavy rain in Phuket. At least 88 people are killed.
Nov. 30, western Turkey: A passenger jet, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83, crashed seven miles from its destination airport in Isparta, killing all 56 passengers.
2008
June 10, Khartoum, Sudan: A Sudan Airways airbus, flying from Amman to Khartoum, burst into flames when it skidded off the runway while landing in stormy weather, killing 32 passengers.
Aug. 20, Madrid, Spain: At least 153 people died when a 160-person passenger plane, flying from Barajas airport in Madrid to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, skidded off the runway during take-off and burst into flames.
Aug. 22, Utah: All 10 passengers of a twin-engine plane died when the Beech King Air A-100 crashed and caught fire near Canyonlands Field airport in southeastern Utah.
Aug. 25, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: An Itek Air Boeing 737 bound for Iran crashed and caught fire about 10 minutes after take-off, killing 68 out of the 90 passengers.
Sept. 1, eastern Congo: A Beechcraft plane carrying 15 passengers and 2 crew members crashed on a ridge in the eastern Congo, killing everyone on board.
Oct. 8, Nepal: A Yeti Airlines passenger plane, flying from Kathmandu to Lukla in eastern Nepal, burst into flames on the runway while landing in heavy cloud, killing 18 of the 19 people on board—only the Nepalese pilot survived.
Nov. 4, Mexico: All nine passengers and five people on the ground died when a Learjet crashed in Mexico City during afternoon rush hour. Turbulence from flying too close to a large passenger plane caused the Learjet to crash.
Nov. 16, Canada: Seven passengers died when a Grumman Goose amphibious aircraft crashed off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Dec. 8, California, U.S.: Three civilians died when a military fighter jet crashed into a house in San Diego about two miles from its airfield destination. The pilot, who survived the crash, had lost power in one engine and tried to reach the airfield on a single working engine.
2009
Jan. 15, New York City, U.S.: All 155 passengers and crew onboard US Airways Flight 1549 survived after their plane lost power in both engines and made an emergency landing in the Hudson River.
Feb. 7, Brazil: A twin turboprop plane, flying from Coari to Manaus, crashed into a river in the Amazon, killing 24 passengers. Four people survived and were able to swim clear of the wreckage.
Feb. 12, New York, U.S.: All 45 passengers and 4 crew members died when a Continental flight from Newark to Buffalo crashed five minutes outside Buffalo airport, damaging homes and killing one person on the ground.
Feb. 25, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Nine people died and at least 50 more were injured when a Turkish plane crashed during the landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol international airport. The plane carrying 134 passengers en route from Istanbul broke into three pieces but did not catch fire.
June 1, Brazil: In the worst aviation disaster since 2001, Air France Airbus A330 disappeared somewhere off the northeast coast of Brazil with 228 passengers on board, en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. No mayday signals were sent before crashing.
June 30, Indian Ocean: a Yemenia Jet, on its way to Comoros, crashed into the Indian Ocean in an attempt to land. There were 153 people on board, with only one survivor, a 14-year-old girl. Severe weather and turbulence are believed to have caused the crash.
July 15, Iran: a Caspian Airlines plane crashed en route from Tehran to Yerevan, Armenia, killing all 168 passengers on impact.
July 24, Iran: at least 16 people died when an Aria Air flight skidded off the runway and caught fire in Mashhad, Iran.
August 8, New York: a helicopter and plane collided over the Hudson River, killing all nine people on the private plane.
2010
April 10, Smolensk, Russia: All 96 passengers and crew onboard Polish Air Force Tu-154 were killed, including Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife, former president Ryszard Kaczorowski, other government officials and military officers. Also, on the plane were relatives of victims from the Katyn massacre. The plane was en route to Warsaw where passengers were going to attend an event for the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.

For more recent aircraft crashes see 2009 Disasters.


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