Air Crash Investigation (or just Mayday in some countries) is a Canadian documentary television program examining air crashes, near-crashes, hijackings, bombings, and other disasters.[1]
Throughout the episodes, the victims or relatives and friends of the victims are interviewed adding more information about the cases with their relatives. Additionally, retired aviation experts, pilots and researchers are interviewed about the tests and explain how these emergencies occurred and how they could have been prevented.
Episodes
Note:Episodes are ordered by their production number, not by their original air date.
On 24 February 1989, part of the right-side fuselage of United Airlines Flight 811 rips off, ejecting nine people from the aircraft and causing explosive decompression. The flight later lands safely at Honolulu without any more loss of life. It was later determined that an electrical short circuit caused the cargo door to open.
On 1 June 1999, American Airlines Flight 1420 tries to land at the Little Rock National Airport during a storm, but overruns the runway, killing 11 people. The crash was caused by the crew not arming the spoilers during their pre-landing checks.
On 2 September 1998, a fire breaks out on Swissair Flight 111 while in flight, damaging vital systems and causing the aircraft to crash into the Atlantic Ocean off Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, with no survivors. The fire was caused by faulty wiring in the on-board first-class and business-class entertainment systems.
On 2 October 1996, shortly after take off, the crew of Aeroperú Flight 603 are confused by false speed and altitude readings and contradictory warnings from the aircraft's air data system. In preparation for an emergency landing, the crew descend the aircraft, but unknowingly descend too far by relying on the false readings. The Boeing 757 crashes into the Pacific Ocean, killing everyone on board. The false readings and contradictory warnings were caused by duct tape over the static ports, which was used to protect the ports during maintenance, but was not removed afterwards.
On 31 January 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261's trimmable horizontal stabilizer jams and breaks from its control system. The aircraft dives inverted into the Pacific Ocean, killing all 88 on board. The stabilizer failed due to an improperly maintained jackscrew assembly. (This crash is later explored in the Season 22 episode 'Pacific Plunge').
On 24 August 2001, Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The pilots glide the aircraft to a safe landing at a naval base in the Azores. Improper maintenance work allowed a hydraulic line and a fuel line to rub together, resulting in a subsequent fuel line fracture and a leak.
On 10 June 1990, a cockpit window on British Airways Flight 5390 blows out, partially ejecting and injuring the captain through the hole. A member of the cabin crew clings to his legs as the co-pilot completes an emergency landing without any deaths. The captain is found to be still alive after being outside the cockpit for 21 minutes. The blowout was caused by a maintenance worker installing incorrectly sized bolts during maintenance work.
On 21 August 1995, a blade on the left-side propeller of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 breaks off. The imbalance of the rotating propeller causes the engine to partly tear itself from its mounting, creating excessive drag. The aircraft rapidly loses altitude and crashes, killing nine people. Chlorine deposits in the blade led to the development of corrosion pits and fatigue cracks, causing it to weaken and break.
On 24 December 1994, Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Algiers Airport. The four terrorists demand the aircraft be allowed to depart for Paris so they can blow up the aircraft over the Eiffel Tower, but the Algerian Army blocks the aircraft with vehicles and refuse to allow it to take off. Unable to carry out their plans, the terrorists kill three passengers over the next two days. The aircraft is then cleared to take off, but the crew diverts to Marseille Provence Airport. The hostage rescue team of the French Gendarmerie storms the aircraft, and after a gun battle in the cabin, the hijackers are killed, while everyone else survives.
On 1 July 2002, Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937 collides with DHL Flight 611 in German airspace near Überlingen, killing all 71 people on board the two aircraft. The crew of Flight 611 followed the on-board traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) instructions to initiate a descent. However, the crew of Flight 2937 followed the instructions of the air traffic controller instead of their TCAS and initiated a descent as well. Only one air traffic controller was on duty (covering two boards) for that block of airspace at the time of the collision—his co-worker was on his coffee break.
On 20 December 1995, American Airlines Flight 965 is en route to Cali, Colombia. The crew are asked if they would like to perform a straight-in approach to Cali. The pilots accept the offer, but as they are making the necessary changes, they inadvertently delete the waypoints from the flight plan in their flight management system, causing them to lose certainty of their exact position. Their mistakes cause the aircraft to fly into a mountain near Buga. Only four passengers and a dog survive.
On 25 January 1990, Avianca Flight 52 is delayed numerous times by bad weather en route and is dangerously low on fuel as it attempts a landing at New York City. Wind shear forces the crew to abort the approach just one mile from the runway. They initiate a go-around, but are directed back into a holding pattern by air traffic controllers who are unaware of the low fuel situation. The Boeing 707 then runs out of fuel, causing it to crash on Long Island.
On 28 April 1988, the upper half of the front fuselage of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 tears off, blowing out a flight attendant. The aircraft subsequently lands safely at Kahului, Hawaii. The fuselage failed from corrosion damage and improperly-repaired fatigue cracks.
On 22 November 2003, a surface-to-air missile is launched at a DHL Airbus A300, exploding the left wing and causing a massive loss of hydraulic fluid which immobilizes the flight control surfaces. The crew flies the aircraft by changing the engines' thrust for control and make a safe landing 16 minutes later.
On 12 August 1985, the aft pressure bulkhead bursts on a Boeing 747SR operating as Japan Airlines Flight 123, destroying the vertical stabilizer and severing all four of the aircraft's hydraulic systems. The crew keep the aircraft flying for 32 minutes until it clips Mount Takamagahara and crashes, killing all but four of the 524 people on board. The accident was caused by a faulty repair to the bulkhead after a much-earlier tailstrike incident.
On 7 April 1994, Auburn Calloway, a disgruntled employee, attempts to hijack Federal Express Flight 705 armed with hammers and a speargun. Despite sustaining serious injuries, the crew successfully subdues Calloway and returns the aircraft safely to Memphis International Airport.
On 11 December 1994, a bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434 on the second leg of a service from Manila to Tokyo via Cebu City, killing a passenger, injuring many people and damaging some of the aircraft's control systems. The crew successfully lands the aircraft at Naha Airport in Okinawa. Subsequent investigation determined that Ramzi Yousef, a terrorist, smuggled the bomb aboard the aircraft on the first leg of its flight.
On 3 July 1988, during the Iran–Iraq War, the USS Vincennes launches missiles which bring down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 people on board. The crew of the Vincennes claimed that they mistook the airliner for an Iranian Air Force Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter, but Iran believes that the US deliberately shot it down.
On 19 January 1995, lightning damages the tail rotor of Bristow Helicopters Flight 56C, forcing the crew to perform an emergency autorotation to a ditching in the sea. Despite the rough sea conditions, the 16 oil rig workers and 2 pilots are rescued by nearby ships.
On 31 October 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying from New York City to Cairo, killing all 217 people on board. The cause of the crash is disputed: the Egyptian government claims that the crash was caused by a mechanical failure with the elevators, but the US government claims the aircraft was deliberately crashed by the Relief First OfficerGameel Al-Batouti.
On 12 May 1989, a 69-car freight train goes out of control while descending from California's Cajon Pass. It derails in a residential neighbourhood of San Bernardino after reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Two residents and two train crew members are killed in the initial crash. More than a week later, an underground gasolinepipeline, damaged by earth-moving equipment during the post-crash clean-up, ruptures and sparks a fire that kills another two people. Clerks in Mojave had greatly underestimated the train's weight, and it had been assembled without enough locomotives to provide adequate braking. Additionally, several of the engines' brakes were completely inoperative, but this information was not passed on to the crews.
Note: This episode is labeled as a Crash Scene Investigation spin-off.
Type of train: Sixty-nine freight cars pulled by six locomotives (freight train)
On 23 March 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 stalls and crashes while en route to Hong Kong, killing all 75 people on board. The pilot's 15-year-old son accidentally disabled the autopilot while in the captain's seat, causing the aircraft to bank heavily to the right, inducing the stall.
On 26 September 2000, waves push the MS Express Samina off course, causing it to hit a group of rocks off Paros and sink, killing 80 people. Subsequent investigation showed that the ferry was on autopilot, with the crew not monitoring the ship's course. They were instead watching an association football match.
Note: This episode is labeled as a Crash Scene Investigation spin-off.
On 8 February 1986, a Via Rail passenger train and a 118-car Canadian National Railway freight train collide, killing 23 people. The freight train crew did not stop at a red railway signal on a section of a passing loop. An inquiry concluded that a "railroader culture", which prized loyalty and productivity at the expense of safety, had resulted in a tired and sick crew of three, including an engineer at extreme risk of a stroke or heart attack, to either fall asleep or be otherwise incapacitated, failing to stop the freight train.
Note: This episode is labeled as a Crash Scene Investigation spin-off.
On 23 November 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is forced to ditch after running out of fuel. The aircraft breaks up as the wings hit the water, killing 125 people. The aircraft had been hijacked and ran out of fuel because the hijackers did not believe the pilot's insistence that there was not enough fuel aboard to make it to the hijackers' planned destination, Australia.
On 2 August 2005, Air France Flight 358 overruns the runway, travels through the airport perimeter fence and plunges down a small ravine while attempting to land in a storm. All 309 passengers and crew survive. The causes of the crash were the aircraft deviating above the required approach path for its landing, touching down too far along the runway and the crew deploying the thrust reversers too slowly.
On 24 June 1982, British Airways Flight 9 experiences St. Elmo's fire en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Perth, Australia. A few minutes later, all four engines flame out. After descending, the crew successfully restarts the engines and lands safely. The St. Elmo's fire and engine flame-outs were caused by volcanic ash spewed by Galunggung in Indonesia during a major eruption.
On 2 June 1983, a fire breaks out on Air Canada Flight 797's toilet. An emergency landing is made in Cincinnati, but the aircraft is engulfed by flames on the runway, killing 23 people, including musician Stan Rogers. The opening of the aircraft's doors after the landing caused a flashover. The cause of the fire is unknown.
On 6 August 1997, during final approach for a night landing in Guam, Korean Air Flight 801 crashes into a hill while attempting a missed approach, killing 228 people. The causes were pilot error and the instrument landing system at Guam airport being temporarily out of service for maintenance work.
On 3 March 1991, a Boeing 737 operating as United Airlines Flight 585 suddenly rolls into a dive and crashes within eight seconds, killing all 25 people on board. On 8 September 1994, USAir Flight 427 also rolls and crashes within thirty seconds, killing all 132 people on board. On 9 June 1996, Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 also rolls unexpectedly in similar circumstances, but the crew successfully regains control of the aircraft and lands safely. The cause of all three incidents was a design flaw with the rudder's control system which allowed the rudder to suddenly and unexpectedly go to full deflection and jam due to thermal shock of the hydraulic control valve.
On 19 February 1985, China Airlines Flight 006's number four (right-side outer) engine flames out. As the crew tries to restart the engine, the Boeing 747SP enters a dive. The crew successfully regains control, restarts the engine and lands safely at San Francisco International Airport. The incident was caused by pilot error.
On 31 August 1986, Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a light aircraft over Cerritos, California, causing both to go out of control and crash, killing 82 people. The accident was caused by neither pilot making visual contact with the other aircraft and a lack of automated collision warning systems. The crash inspires the creation of the traffic collision avoidance system.
On 3 January 2004, Flash Airlines Flight 604 banks to the right just after takeoff and crashes into the Red Sea, killing all 148 people on board. The cause of this disaster is disputed, but suggested to be spatial disorientation on the part of the flight crew.
On 14 August 2005, air traffic controllers lose radio contact with Helios Airways Flight 522. Two fighters from the Hellenic Air Force intercept and investigate the flight and find all but one person on board not moving. A few moments later, the aircraft runs out of fuel and crashes, killing all 121 people on board. An incorrect cabin pressurization setting had caused everyone on board to succumb to hypoxia.
On 2 August 1985, Delta Air Lines Flight 191 crash-lands while on approach to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 8 of the 11 crew members, 128 of the 152 passengers on board, and one person on the ground. This accident was one of the few commercial air crashes in which the meteorological phenomenon known as a microburst was a direct contributing factor.
On 23 July 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 runs out of fuel at 41,000 feet (12,500m) altitude, about halfway through its flight from Montreal to Edmonton. The crew is able to glide the aircraft safely to an emergency landing at Gimli Industrial Park Airport, a former airbase at Gimli, Manitoba. An unserviceable fuel gauge and an error in converting between metric and imperial units caused the aircraft to be loaded with insufficient fuel prior to the flight.
On 12 June 1972, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating as American Airlines Flight 96 suffers an explosive decompression after a cargo door in the lower rear fuselage bursts open. The crew makes an emergency landing at Detroit without any loss of life. Nearly two years later, on 3 March 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashes near Senlis after suffering a similar sequence of events during a flight from Paris to London, killing all 346 people on board. A design flaw with the DC-10's cargo door locking mechanism was not rectified after the first accident, and the second DC-10's door opened during flight, causing the crash.
On 28 November 1987, a fire breaks out on South African Airways Flight 295 in the rear main cargo area as it is flying high above the Indian Ocean. The Boeing 747 combined passenger/cargo aircraft (Combi) crashes with no survivors. The exact cause of the fire is undetermined.
On 8 January 2003, Air Midwest Flight 5481 crashes into an aircraft hangar at Charlotte Douglas International Airport seconds after takeoff on a flight to Greenville. All 21 people on board die. Investigation showed that the pilots' controls had been improperly adjusted during maintenance, and that the aircraft was overloaded due to outdated formulae for calculation of passenger weights.
On 4 April 1977, Southern Airways Flight 242, a flight from Huntsville, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, flies through a severe thunderstorm and is hit by large hailstones. After both engines fail, the aircraft makes an emergency landing on a highway in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia. However, it collides with a gas station and explodes, killing 63 people on board and nine on the ground.
On 23 June 1985, Air India Flight 182 explodes in mid-air over the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 passengers and crew members on board. The investigation traced the cause of the explosion to be a bomb from the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa.
On 6 February 1996, Birgenair Flight 301 is scheduled to fly from Puerto Plata to Frankfurt. On takeoff, the captain finds that his airspeed indicator is not reading properly, though the co-pilot's indicator is showing the correct speed. The pilots become confused and believe that both indicators are malfunctioning, resulting in the aircraft stalling and crashing into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 189 people on board.
On 29 December 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 is on a flight to Miami International Airport. While making preparations to land, the crew are distracted by a faulty landing gear indicator light and accidentally disengage the autopilot while trying to resolve the problem. Flying at night, the crew fail to notice their descent until only seconds before crashing into the Everglades. Out of the 176 people on board, 101 are killed.
On 29 September 2006, Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 collides with a brand new business jet on its delivery flight over the Amazon. The Legacy manages to make a safe landing at an airbase, but the Gol jet crashes with no survivors. Air traffic controllers had cleared both aircraft to fly at the same altitude in opposite directions, and the Legacy's transponder was switched off, making both aircraft's traffic collision avoidance systems useless in preventing the collision.
This special looked at accidents and incidents where problems with the interface between crew members and on-board avionics were a factor and the causes of those problems.
On 25 May 2002, China Airlines Flight 611 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes into the Taiwan Strait 20 minutes after taking off from Taipei, killing all 225 people on board. A faulty repair to the lower rear skin of the aircraft following a tailstrike more than 20 years earlier had caused the entire tail section to weaken and fail.
On 21 December 1988, a bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 103, causing the aircraft to disintegrate in mid-air and the wreckage of the aircraft to crash into the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground.
On 8 September 1989, Partnair Flight 394 loses control, breaks up in mid-air, and crashes into the North Sea, killing all 55 people on board. The aircraft's vertical stabilizer had vibrated loose during flight due to excessive wear on sub-standard bolts, sleeves, and pins that had been illegally sold as "aircraft-grade."
On 12 November 1996, Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 collide in mid-air near New Delhi, India, killing all 349 people on both aircraft. The world's deadliest mid-air collision and the overall third-deadliest aircraft accident, the crash was caused by the crew members on the Kazakhstan Airlines aircraft failing to maintain the altitude assigned by air traffic control.
On 4 April 1975, a United States Air Force transport aircraft conducting the inaugural flight of Operation Babylift suffers an explosive decompression when the rear cargo door fails and crashes into a paddy field while attempting an emergency landing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. The investigation found that parts had been removed from the rear cargo doors and improperly replaced.
On 6 August 2005, Tuninter Flight 1153 runs out of fuel and ditches into the Mediterranean Sea, killing 16 people. It ran out of fuel because an incorrect type of fuel gauge had been installed, misleading the crew about how much fuel was on board.
On 1 January 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 crashes into the Makassar Strait in Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board. The crew inadvertently disengaged the autopilot while trying to fix a problem with the aircraft's inertial reference system, causing it to roll into an uncontrolled dive and break up during flight.
On 31 October 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184 loses control and crashes into a field while circling to land at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 68 people on board. The crash was caused by ice developing on the wings in a manner that the on-board deicing system could not remove.
This special looked at the role of air traffic controllers in the airline industry and examines the Next Generation Air Transportation System, a new technology meant to eliminate mid-air collisions by reducing overall dependence on radar and radio, as well as delegating some of the air traffic controllers' tasks to computers on board each aircraft.
This special looked at the role of bad weather in aviation disasters and examines the US Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, Missouri, to see how information on weather is transmitted to pilots in the sky.
On 22 August 1985, an engine of British Airtours Flight 28M fails during takeoff, puncturing a hole in the wing fuel tank and starting a fire. The crew successfully abandons the takeoff and stops the aircraft on the runway, but the fire spreads to the cabin. 55 people die before they can evacuate, mainly due to inhaling toxic smoke. The investigation found that a defective engine fuel injector failed and ruptured the fuel tank.
On 16 August 1987, shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 stalls and crashes just beyond the runway, killing all but one of the 155 people on board and two people on the ground. Subsequent investigation showed that the pilots failed to configure the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff. It was also discovered that the aural takeoff warning did not sound, but for unknown reasons.
On 26 June 1988, Air France Flight 296 fails to climb and crashes into trees after performing a flyby during an airshow at Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport, killing 3 people. The cause of the crash is disputed: the investigation blamed the pilot, but the captain himself claims that the cause was a problem with the fly-by-wire computer.
On 1 February 1991, USAir Flight 1493 collides with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569 on the runway at LAX, killing 35 people. An air traffic controller mistakenly assigned Flight 1493 to land on a runway where the SkyWest Airlines aircraft was waiting to take off.
In the early hours of 1 September 1983, during the Cold War, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 is shot down after violating Soviet Union airspace, killing all 269 people on board. The crew did not set the autopilot to the correct mode following takeoff, which caused the aircraft to stray off course.
On 10 March 1989, Air Ontario Flight 1363 crashes just after takeoff in snowy weather, killing 24 people. Three years later, on 22 March 1992, USAir Flight 405 also crashes just after takeoff in similar conditions to Flight 1363. The cause of both crashes was ice on the wings, which significantly reduced lift.
Type of aircraft: Flight 1363: Fokker F28-1000; Flight 405: Fokker F28-4000
On 20 January 1992, Air Inter Flight 148 flies into a mountain while circling to land at Strasbourg Airport, killing 87 people. An error made in programming the aircraft's autopilot, combined with a sudden wind change, caused it to descend more rapidly than expected.
On 19 December 2005, just seconds after takeoff from Miami, Florida, the right wing of Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 breaks off, causing the aircraft to crash into the sea, killing all 20 people on board. The cause of the crash was an improper repair of a fatigue crack in the wing.
On 24 November 2001, Crossair Flight 3597 crashes into a hill during final approach to Zürich, killing 24 of the 33 passengers and crew members on board. The cause of the crash was the pilot descending the aircraft below the minimum safe altitude for the approach.[3]
On 17 January 2008, British Airways Flight 38 is on its final approach to land, but when the autothrottles command increased thrust from the engines, the engines fail to respond. The captain raises one notch of flaps to give the aircraft a few more feet of flying distance; it crash-lands just short of the runway without any fatalities. The fuel flow to both engines was restricted because of ice crystals causing a blockage in the fuel-oil heat exchangers.
On 27 December 1991, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 crash-lands without loss of life in Gottröra moments after taking off due to both engines failing. Clear ice from the tops of the wings had been sucked into both engines, causing internal damage. An automatic system (of which the pilots were unaware) to increase the engines' thrust contributed to their failure.
Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-81(referred to in the episode as a McDonnell Douglas DC-9)
On 12 February 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 stalls at low altitude and dives into a residential area near Buffalo, New York. All 49 people on board the aircraft and one person on the ground are killed. Several critical errors made by the flight crew might have been the result of their fatigue.
On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 suffers a bird strike with a flock of Canada geese after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City, causing both engines to fail. Less than two minutes later, the pilots successfully ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River. All on board survive.
On 25 February 2009, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 stalls and crashes 1.5 kilometres from the runway while approaching Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Nine people, including the three cockpit crew members, are killed. A faulty radar altimeter permitted premature reduction of the engines' thrust, and the flight crew failed to notice the resulting drop in airspeed until it was too late.
On 17 July 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054 careens off runway 35L at Brazil's Congonhas Airport and crashes at high speed into a warehouse adjacent to a filling station, killing all 187 people on board the aircraft and 12 people on the ground. Incorrect engine throttle settings upon landing caused one engine to reverse thrust while the other increased power, causing the aircraft to lose control.
On 16 August 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 deep-stalls while cruising and crashes in rural Venezuela during a thunderstorm. Investigators determined that the pilots misinterpreted the stall as an engine failure and took no recovery action until it was too late.
On 12 December 1985, Arrow Air Flight 1285, carrying troops of the US Army's 101st Airborne Division, stalls and crashes just seconds after taking off from Gander International Airport in Canada, killing all 256 people on board. The cause of the crash remains disputed: the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB) concluded that ice on the wings, combined with miscalculated weight, was the cause, but a minority report claims an on-board explosion.
On 11 September 1991, Continental Express Flight 2574 tips into a dive and crashes into a field while initiating its landing sequence. All 14 people on board are killed. Improper maintenance allowed a section of the horizontal stabilizer to break loose during flight, after which the pilots had no control.
On 6 February 1958, British European Airways Flight 609, carrying members of the famed Manchester United association football team, club officials and journalists, crashes into a house about 300 meters from the end of the runway in Munich after it fails to become airborne, killing 23 of the 44 people on board. The cause of the crash was slush on the runway, which slowed the aircraft down and prevented it from reaching takeoff speed.
On 9 October 2002, the lower rudder segment of Northwest Airlines Flight 85 suddenly deflects to the left. The pilots divert the aircraft to a successful emergency landing at Anchorage, Alaska, by using engine thrust for control. The incident was attributed to a malfunction of the rudder's hydraulic control module.
On 22 December 1999, Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 crashes into a field at night about 55 seconds after taking off from London Stansted Airport on a flight to Milan, Italy, killing all four crew members on board. The causes of the crash were the captain following the indications of a malfunctioning attitude indicator and lack of communication amongst the crew members.
On 25 September 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 collides with a light aircraft while approaching San Diego International Airport and crashes in a residential area in California. All 137 people on the two aircraft and 7 people on the ground are killed.
On 11 July 1991, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 is taking off from King Abdulaziz International Airport with 247 Hajj pilgrims and 14 crew on board. Two under-inflated tires burst during the takeoff, starting a fire on the landing gear. The crew is unaware of the fire and retracts the gear after takeoff, causing the fire to spread. Encountering problems, the crew tries to return the aircraft to the airport, but it breaks up and crashes about three kilometres from the runway, with no survivors.
On 7 December 1987, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashes at the speed of sound on a mountainside in rural San Luis Obispo County, California. All 43 people on board are killed. Investigators found that passenger David Burke, a former USAir employee, took a gun on board the aircraft and shot the pilots in a murder-suicide plot to kill his former supervisor (who was also a passenger on board) after being fired from his job days earlier.
On 24 May 1988, TACA Flight 110 flies through a thunderstorm and both engines flame out. The captain manages to make a deadstick landing on a narrow grass levee in the Michoud area of eastern New Orleans, saving the lives of everyone on board.
On 8 October 2001, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 686 is taking off at Milan's Linate Airport in thick fog. On the runway, it collides with an Air Evex business jet bound for Paris, France. Flight 686 suffers major damage and crashes into a nearby building shortly afterwards. All 114 people on board the two aircraft are killed, along with 4 on the ground. The business jet's crew had made a wrong turn while taxiing in the fog and inadvertently taxied onto the runway.
On 19 July 1989, the tail-mounted number-two engine of United Airlines Flight 232 explodes, damaging all of the aircraft's hydraulic systems and leaving the flight controls unusable. By varying engine thrust, the pilots manage to crash-land the aircraft at the Sioux Gateway Airport in Iowa, saving the lives of 185 of the 296 people on board. Subsequent investigation traced the engine failure to a fatigue crack in the fan hub stemming from a defect introduced before the disk was even made (when the original titanium ingot used to make it was formed).
On 8 June 1983, Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8's number-four propeller separates, tearing a gash on the aircraft's underside, jamming the flight controls and causing a rapid decompression. The pilots manage to land the aircraft safely at Anchorage, Alaska. The propeller fell into the sea, and since it was never recovered, the cause of the accident has not been determined.
On 11 May 1996, 10 minutes after takeoff, ValuJet Airlines Flight 592 starts filling with smoke after a fire breaks out in the main cargo bay as it is flying over Miami. The aircraft crashes into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board. The cause of the fire was later determined to be an accidental triggering of a chemical oxygen generator illegally shipped as non-hazardous cargo.
On 31 October 2000, Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collides with construction equipment at Chiang Kai Shek airport in Taipei while attempting to take off on the wrong runway in a typhoon, killing 83 of the 179 people on board. Investigators concluded that the crash was caused by pilot error.
On 19 December 1997, while en route to Singapore, SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River in Indonesia after abruptly diving from its cruise altitude, killing all 104 passengers and crew members on board. The cause of the crash was disputed: a US investigation concluded that it was an act of murder–suicide by the captain; however, the Indonesian investigators were undetermined.
On 23 August 2005, TANS Perú Flight 204 crashes into a muddy swamp while attempting to land at Pucallpa Airport, Peru, in a thunderstorm, killing 40 of the 98 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots not following visual flight rules while the aircraft was being pushed by a downdraft.
On 30 June 1956, United Airlines Flight 718 and Trans World Airlines Flight 2 collide in mid-air over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, killing all 128 people on both aircraft. At the time, it was the deadliest-ever aviation accident, and would lead to major changes in the regulation of flight operations over the United States.
Note: This accident was previously featured as a special in the episode "System Breakdown" (S08E01).
On 25 May 1979, the number-one engine on American Airlines Flight 191 detaches moments after taking off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The aircraft banks to the left and crashes into an open field, killing all 271 people on board and 2 people on the ground. One of the mounting points in the pylon attaching the engine to the wing had suffered damage caused by faulty maintenance procedures.
On 28 December 1978, the crew of United Airlines Flight 173 are preoccupied with a landing gear problem as the aircraft circles in a holding pattern in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon. It runs out of fuel and crashes in a sparsely populated area, killing 10 of the 189 people on board. The pilot failed to acknowledge the warnings of the remaining crew regarding the aircraft's fuel state, while the remaining crew failed to adequately communicate the situation.
On 7 September 2011, Yak-Service Flight 9633, carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team, crashes shortly after takeoff at Yaroslavl, Russia, killing all but one of the 45 occupants. The investigation found that the pilots were not properly trained on the aircraft type and mishandled it during takeoff.
On 10 April 2010, a Polish Air Force VIP aircraft carrying the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński, his wife Maria Kaczyńska and other top officials, crashes in a wooded area while on final approach to Smolensk North Airport in heavy fog and low visibility. All 96 passengers and crew members on board are killed.
On 21 February 2008, Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 strays off course and flies into the side of a mountain shortly after takeoff, killing all 46 people on board. Investigators determined that the aircraft took off with inoperative navigation equipment due to the pilots' failure to do their pre-flight checklist.
On 1 June 2009, Air France Flight 447 stalls and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean while flying through a thunderstorm, killing all 228 people on board. The causes of the crash were incorrect airspeed readings due to ice blocking the aircraft's pitot tubes and inappropriate control inputs.
On 18 June 1972, British European Airways Flight 548 stalls and crashes in a field near Staines shortly after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport, killing all 118 people on board. The crash was attributed to the pilot retracting the aircraft's droops at too low an airspeed and failing to recognise the stall warnings.
On 6 June 1971, Hughes Airwest Flight 706 collides with a United States Marine Corps (USMC) fighter jet above the San Gabriel Mountains. A total of 50 people from the two aircraft are killed, with the backseat crewman of the USMC aircraft the only survivor.
On 10 January 2000, Crossair Flight 498 crashes just two minutes after takeoff from Zürich, Switzerland, while heading for Dresden, Germany, killing all 10 people on board. The investigation found that the pilots had suffered spatial disorientation.
On 13 January 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 stalls at 300 feet altitude, strikes a road bridge and crashes into the Potomac River, killing 78 people. The causes were ice on the wings and the pilots' failure to turn on the engines' anti-freeze system, causing erroneous engine instrument readings.
On 12 November 2001, just two months after the September 11 attacks, American Airlines Flight 587 spirals out of control shortly after taking off from John F. Kennedy Airport and crashes into Queens, killing all 260 people on board and five people on the ground. It was later determined that aggressive rudder use by the first officer in response to wake turbulence from a Boeing 747-400 that had taken off minutes earlier had caused the vertical stabilizer to detach from the aircraft.
On 15 September 1989, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft tasked with intercepting Hurricane Hugo over the Caribbean islands is jolted by strong winds, causing an engine to catch fire and fail. The pilots of the aircraft manage to make a safe emergency landing.
On 27 June 1980, Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870 crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea near the island of Ustica, Italy. All 81 people on board are killed. The top Italian criminal court eventually ruled on 23 January 2013 that a missile strike brought down the aircraft,[5] but controversy remains; some experts dispute this conclusion, arguing that an on-board bomb in the rear toilet was the cause. No definitive accident report was published.
On 27 November 2008, an aircraft on a post-maintenance test flight operating as XL Airways Germany Flight 888T stalls and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of France, killing all seven people on board. Improper maintenance work allowed water to enter the aircraft's angle of attack (AOA) sensors; the water then froze during flight, and the sensors stopped working. When the crew tried to test the stall warning system during flight, the aircraft stalled.
On 9 August 2007, Air Moorea Flight 1121 crashes shortly after taking off from Moorea Airport in French Polynesia, killing all 19 passengers and the pilot. A badly worn elevator control cable had failed completely in flight. As the force on the elevators changes with flap retraction, the cable broke after being overloaded. The situation was aggravated by the aircraft being repeatedly buffeted by jet blast from larger aircraft while parked, stressing the cables further.
On 4 November 2010, shortly after takeoff from Singapore, the number-two engine on Qantas Flight 32 partially disintegrates, causing serious damage to its left wing. The crew members overcome a number of resulting failures and make a safe emergency landing back at Singapore with no injuries among the 469 passengers and crew members. Investigators traced the engine failure to a manufacturing fault in an oil pipe.
Note: This is the 100th aircraft case investigated on Mayday.
On 8 January 1989, British Midland Flight 92 crashes onto the embankment of the M1 motorway near Kegworth, Leicestershire, UK. The aircraft was attempting to conduct an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport after one of its engines had failed. 47 of the 126 people on board died.
On 26 May 1991, the thrust reverser on the number one engine of Lauda Air Flight 004 deploys in flight without being commanded, causing the aircraft to spiral out of control, disintegrate, and crash about 100 miles northwest of Bangkok, with no survivors. Investigators later determined the cause of the false deployment to be a malfunction of an electronically-controlled hydraulic valve.
On 3 September 1989, the pilots of Varig Flight 254 enter an incorrect compass heading into their instruments before takeoff. Flying on autopilot once airborne, the aircraft heads west instead of north-northeast towards its destination. After some time, it is over a remote area of the Amazon jungle. The aircraft eventually runs out of fuel, and the pilot makes a belly landing in the jungle, during which the aircraft breaks up, killing 13 people.
On 6 June 1992, Copa Airlines Flight 201 enters a high-speed dive, breaks up in mid-air, and crashes into the Darién Gap 29 minutes after taking off from Tocumen International Airport, killing all 47 people on board. The incident was caused by faulty instrument readings, confusion among the pilots, and insufficient training.
On 31 July 1997, FedEx Express Flight 14 bounces, rolls to the right and crashes at Newark Liberty International Airport. All five of the people on board survive. On 23 March 2009, FedEx Express Flight 80 crashes on landing at Narita International Airport, Japan, in similar circumstances to that of Flight 14, killing both of the pilots.
On 16 July 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. dies when the Piper Saratoga light aircraft he is piloting crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in hazy conditions. His wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, are on board and are also killed. The NTSB concluded that the crash was caused by spatial disorientation resulting in pilot error.
On 25 July 2000, a Concorde operating as Air France Flight 4590 stalls and crashes into a hotel in Gonesse shortly after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle Airport, killing all of the 109 people on board and 4 on the ground. The aircraft had struck foreign debris left on the runway from a Continental Airlines DC-10, rupturing and igniting one of its fuel tanks and causing the left engines to fail.
On 4 November 2008, an official Mexican Interior Ministry Learjet 45 crashes in rush-hour traffic in central Mexico City. All nine occupants, including Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, are killed in the crash, along with seven people on the ground. The aircraft crashed due to a loss of control from wake turbulence from a Mexicana Boeing 767-300.
On 10 February 2011, Manx2 Flight 7100 crashes at Cork Airport in Ireland after the pilots lose control of the aircraft in an attempted go-around in heavy fog and low visibility. Six of the twelve people on board the aircraft are killed in the accident.
Note: The investigative team of this incident declined to co-operate with the program out of respect for the survivors and victims' families.[6]
On 20 August 2011, First Air Flight 6560, a charter flight, crashes near its destination of Resolute Bay Airport, Resolute, Nunavut, Canada, in poor weather conditions. Out of the fifteen passengers and crew members, only three survived.
On 8 March 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board. As of February 2015[update], no trace of the aircraft had been found, and speculation is that it crashed in the southern part of the Indian Ocean.
Note: This is the first time the series broadcast an episode about an accident not yet fully investigated. This episode did not air in Malaysia.
On 19 November 1996, United Express Flight 5925, operating for Great Lakes Airlines, lands at Quincy Regional Airport and collides with a light aircraft taking off from an intersecting runway. All 14 occupants on both aircraft initially survived, but died in a subsequent fire.
On 6 July 2013, while landing at San Francisco International Airport, Asiana Airlines Flight 214 strikes a seawall and crashes short of the runway. Of the 307 people on board, 2 passengers die at the crash scene; another dies shortly after in hospital.
Note: This accident was previously featured as a special in the episode "Getting out Alive" (S13E11).
On 4 October 1992, the two engines on El Al Flight 1862's right wing detach from the aircraft after it departs from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, damaging the right wing's hydraulic systems and a large portion of its leading edge. On approach, the flaps and slats on the left wing deploy while those on the right wing do not, due to the damage sustained. The aircraft rolls to the right and crashes into an apartment complex, killing all 4 on board and 39 on the ground.
On 3 September 2010, the pilots of UPS Airlines Flight 6 report a fire and declare an emergency shortly after taking off from Dubai International Airport. The crew tries to land back at the airport, but are unsuccessful. The aircraft flies over the airport and crashes into an unpopulated area nearby, killing both of the pilots. The fire was caused by the combustion of lithium-ion batteries.
On 10 October 2006, Atlantic Airways Flight 670 lands at Stord Airport, but overruns the runway and crashes after careening off a steep embankment. Four of the sixteen people on board are killed. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the aircraft's spoilers and hydroplaning.
On 20 August 2008, Spanair Flight 5022 stalls, banks to the right and crashes during its second takeoff attempt, killing 154 of the 172 people on board. The investigation determined that when the pilots retracted the flaps and slats during the delay, they forgot to re-extend them afterwards. It was also determined that the takeoff warning did not sound due to a possible failure of a relay.
On 7 March 2007, while landing at Yogyakarta at the end of a routine domestic flight from Jakarta, Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 hits the ground so hard that it bounces violently before running off the end of the runway, killing 21 of the 140 people on board. The aircraft was meant to land with the flaps extended to an angle of 40°, but it landed with flap extension of only 5°, which was aggravated by the Captain's insistence on landing the aircraft, even when it was travelling too fast.
On 5 April 1991, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 nose-dives into the ground while on landing approach to Glynco Jetport in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 people on board, including US Senator John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter. The accident was caused by a malfunction of the left engine's propeller control unit which led to incorrect pitch angles on the left propeller's blades.
On 31 October 1996, TAM Transportes Aéreos Regionais Flight 402 crashes into a heavily populated residential area seconds after takeoff from São Paulo–Congonhas Airport, killing all 95 people on board and 4 on the ground. The crash was attributed to the uncommanded deployment of a faulty thrust reverser on the right engine, which was aggravated by the co-pilot's forceful inputs on the right engine's throttle.
On 25 October 1999, a chartered Learjet 35 operated by Sunjet Aviation, carrying golfer Payne Stewart and his agents, flies off course shortly after takeoff. It runs out of fuel and crashes into a field in South Dakota, killing all 6 occupants on board. The investigation concluded that everyone on board suffered hypoxia due to an uncontrolled decompression, but the cause remains undetermined.
On 11 September 2001, during the September 11 attacks, American Airlines Flight 77 flies off course and crashes into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, after being hijacked. All the 64 people on board the aircraft, including the 5 hijackers, are killed, along with 125 people in the building.
On 27 March 1977, the deadliest-ever aviation accident occurs at Los Rodeos Airport (now known as Tenerife North Airport) in the Canary Islands. KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 collide on the runway in thick fog during the KLM aircraft's attempt to take off, killing 583 people.
Note: This accident was previously shown on the 2005 "Crash of the Century" special.[7] Although the program isn't regarded as a Mayday episode, Cineflix used the footage on few episodes of Mayday.
On 20 August 2007, China Airlines Flight 120 catches fire and explodes after landing and taxiing to the gate area at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan. However, all 165 people on board survive. The incident was attributed to a fuel leak caused by a bolt from the aircraft's right wing slat puncturing the right wing fuel tank.
On 30 July 1998, Proteus Airlines Flight 706 collides with a light aircraft during a detour over an ocean cruise liner and crashes into Quiberon Bay off the coast of Lorient, France. All 15 occupants on board the two aircraft die. The crew did not use the See and Avoid concept when they were operating under visual flight rules, and the pilot of the Cardinal had failed to turn on his aircraft's transponder, effectively making the aircraft invisible to radar systems on the ground.
On 19 January 1988, Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286, operating for Continental Express, crashes near Bayfield, Colorado, during final approach to Durango. Both crew members and seven of the fifteen passengers on board die in the accident.
On 24 March 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 enters a high-speed descent and crashes into the French Alps during a flight from Barcelona, Spain, to Düsseldorf, Germany. All 150 people on board are killed. The investigation concluded that the crash was caused by an act of murder-suicide by the co-pilot.
On 16 January 2002, on final approach to Yogyakarta at the end of a routine domestic flight from Ampenan, Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 suffers a double engine flameout while flying through a severe thunderstorm and ditches in the Bengawan Solo River. 59 of the 60 people on board survive.
On 28 December 2014, Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 stalls and crashes into the Java Sea while flying through a thunderstorm, killing all 155 passengers and 7 crew members on board. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the aircraft's rudder travel limiter unit and an inappropriate response by the pilots.
On 29 April 2013, National Airlines Flight 102 stalls and crashes into the ground just seconds after taking off from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, killing all seven crew members on board. The investigation determined that a vehicle in the aircraft's cargo bay had shifted, causing the loss of control.
On 1 December 1993, Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 crashes into a hillside while on final approach to Range Regional Airport in Minnesota, United States. All 16 passengers and 2 crew members on board are killed in the crash.
On 9 January 1997, Comair Flight 3272 spirals out of control and crashes nose-first while on final approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. All 29 passengers and crew members on board are killed. The investigation concluded that ice had built up on the aircraft's wings, causing the loss of control.
On 15 April 2002, Air China Flight 129 crashes into the side of a mountain while circling to land at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, during inclement weather. 129 of the 166 passengers and crew members on board are killed in the crash.
On 26 September 1997, Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 crashes into mountainous woodlands while trying to land at Polonia International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, in low visibility. All 234 people on board are killed. The investigation determined that the aircraft turned the wrong way during the approach due to a miscommunication between the pilots and air traffic control.
On 2 July 1994, USAir Flight 1016 crashes into a residential area while attempting to land at Charlotte Douglas International Airport during a thunderstorm, killing 37 of the 57 people on board. The investigation concluded that the aircraft encountered microburst-induced wind shear while the captain suffered somatogravic illusion, prompting the first officer to push the nose down and causing the crash.
On 4 February 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235 strikes a viaduct and crashes into the Keelung River shortly after takeoff from Taipei Songshan Airport, killing 43 of the 58 people on board. The causes of the crash were a malfunction of the number two engine and the pilots shutting down the wrong engine.
On 31 August 1999, LAPA Flight 3142 overruns the runway and crashes while taking off from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 63 of the 100 people on board and 2 on the ground. The investigation determined that the pilots forgot to extend the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff.
On 31 July 1992, Thai Airways International Flight 311 crashes into a mountain while on final approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, in poor weather conditions, killing all 99 passengers and 14 crew members on board.
On 16 February 2000, Emery Worldwide Flight 17 crashes into an automobile salvage yard shortly after taking off from Sacramento Mather Airport on a flight to Dayton, Ohio, killing all 3 crew members on board. The cause of the crash was a disconnection of the right elevator control tab.
On 23 July 2014, TransAsia Airways Flight 222 crashes into the village of Xixi while attempting to land at Magong Airport during inclement weather and low visibility, killing 48 of the 58 people on board and injuring 5 people in the village. The investigation found that the pilots intentionally descended below the minimum descent altitude.
On 31 August 1988, Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes beyond the runway while taking off from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 14 of the 108 people on board. The subsequent investigation determined that the pilots forgot to extend the aircraft's flaps and slats for takeoff.
On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disintegrates in mid-air and crashes while en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. The subsequent investigation concluded that a surface-to-air missile caused the in-flight break-up.
On 9 May 2012, an aircraft on a demonstration tour crashes into Mount Salak in the province of West Java. All 45 people on board are killed. The investigation concluded that the pilots were unaware of the presence of high ground in the area and ignored warnings from the terrain warning system.
On 14 November 1990, Alitalia Flight 404 descends too low and crashes into the woodlands of the Stadlerberg Mountain near Weiach, Switzerland, 5.2 nautical miles (9.6 kilometres) short of the runway during final approach to Zurich Airport. All 46 passengers and crew members on board are killed.
On 26 April 1994, China Airlines Flight 140 pitches upwards, enters an aerodynamic stall at low altitude and crashes approximately 340 feet east-northeast of the centreline of the runway while on final approach to Nagoya Airport in Nagoya, Japan. 264 of the 271 people on board are killed in the crash.
On 15 November 1987, Continental Airlines Flight 1713 stalls and crashes off the right side of the runway shortly after taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, on a scheduled flight to Boise, Idaho, killing 28 of the 82 people on board.
On 13 April 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 suffers a dual engine failure while nearing Hong Kong International Airport at the end of a flight from Juanda International Airport, Indonesia. The aircraft makes an emergency landing at almost twice the speed of a normal landing. All 322 people on board survive.
On 16 September 2011, a vintage fighter aircraft named The Galloping Ghost crashes into spectators during the Reno Air Races, killing the pilot, James Leeward, and 10 people on the ground. The cause of the crash were reused single-use locknuts in the left elevator trim tab system that loosened.
On 4 April 1994, KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 crashes into a field while attempting an emergency landing at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, killing 3 of the 24 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots' inadequate use of the flight controls during an asymmetric go-around.
On 18 August 1993, American International Airways Flight 808 stalls, rolls to the right and crashes into the ground 1 quarter of a mile short of the runway while manoeuvring onto final approach to Leeward Point Airfield in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. All 3 crew members on board survive.
On 7 August 1997, Fine Air Flight 101 stalls and crashes just seconds after taking off from Miami International Airport, killing all 4 people on board and 1 person on the ground. The causes of the crash were an improper loading of cargo and the pilots selecting an incorrect stabilizer trim setting.
On 31 March 1995, TAROM Flight 371 banks steeply to the left and crashes into a field shortly after taking off from Otopeni International Airport, killing all 60 people on board. The throttle of the port engine had returned to idle in-flight while the captain simultaneously became incapacitated, possibly due to a heart attack.
On 20 December 2008, Continental Airlines Flight 1404 veers off the side of the runway, skids across the taxiway and a service road and crashes into a ravine while taking off from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado. All 115 passengers and crew members on board survive.
On 14 September 2008, Aeroflot Flight 821 crashes into a ravine next to a railway line while on final approach to Perm International Airport in Perm, Russia, in poor weather conditions, killing all 88 people on board. The investigation concluded that the pilots suffered spatial disorientation.
On 28 November 2016, LaMia Flight 2933, carrying the Brazilian Chapecoense football squad, runs out of fuel and crashes into the side of a mountain after entering a holding pattern to land at José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, Colombia. 71 of the 77 people on board are killed.
On 7 January 1994, United Express Flight 6291, operating for Atlantic Coast Airlines, crashes 1.2 miles short of the runway during final approach to Port Columbus International Airport after entering a stall. The two pilots, the flight attendant, and two passengers are killed in the crash.
On 28 September 1992, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 crashes into a mountainside while on approach to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 167 people on board. The pilots had begun the descent too early after misreading the approach chart.
On 8 January 2016, West Air Sweden Flight 294 crashes near Lake Akkajaure in Sweden during a cargo flight from Oslo to Tromsø, Norway, killing both crew members. A malfunction in an inertial reference unit produced erroneous attitude indications and mislead the crew into a dive.
On 24 August 1999, Uni Air Flight 873 suffers an explosion in the cabin while landing at Hualien Airport, killing one passenger. Bleach bottles filled with gasoline, which were being transported by a passenger on the domestic flight, leaked inside the overhead bins, and were ignited by a nearby motorcycle battery.
On 3 December 1990, two Northwest Airlines jets collide in heavy fog at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after Flight 1482 mistakenly turns on to an active runway while Flight 299 is taking off. 8 of the 44 people on board Flight 1482 are killed; all 154 people on board Flight 299 survive.
On 18 May 2011, Sol Líneas Aéreas Flight 5428 stalls and crashes in Río Negro en route from Neuquén to Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, killing all 22 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots' failure to maintain airspeed while flying through severe icing conditions.
On 12 March 2009, Cougar Helicopters Flight 91 suffers an oil leak in the main gearbox while transporting oil rig workers from St. John's, Newfoundland. The helicopter ditches in the Atlantic Ocean during an attempt to return to land, killing all but one of the 18 people on board.
On 16 August 2015, Trigana Air Flight 267 crashes into a mountainside while nearing its destination of Oksibil Airport in Papua, Indonesia, killing all 54 people on board. The pilots had intentionally deviated from the standard flight path and deactivated the ground proximity warning system.
On 29 November 2013, LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470 enters a rapid descent into Namibia's Bwabwata National Park halfway from Maputo, Mozambique, to Luanda, Angola, killing all 33 people on board. The investigation concluded that the captain deliberately crashed the aircraft.
On 5 May 2007, Kenya Airways Flight 507 crashes during a thunderstorm shortly after takeoff from Douala International Airport in Cameroon, killing all 114 people on board. The pilots suffered spatial disorientation after their failure to engage the autopilot resulted in an excessive bank.
On 15 December 2014, Loganair Flight 6780 starts an uncontrolled descent while on approach to Sumburgh Airport in Scotland. The pilots regain control and make an emergency landing at Aberdeen, with no fatalities. After a lightning strike, the pilots wrongly assumed the autopilot was disengaged and tried to climb. The conflict caused the autopilot to set the elevator controls into a dive.
On 10 November 2015, ExecuFlight Flight 1526 enters an aerodynamic stall and crashes into an apartment building and an embankment during final approach to Akron Fulton International Airport in Akron, Ohio. Both crew members and all seven passengers on board are killed in the crash.
On 27 August 2006, Comair Flight 5191, operating for Delta Connection, crashes into a wooded area while taking off from Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky, killing all but the first officer on board. The pilots lost situational awareness and inadvertently taxied onto the wrong runway.
On 29 October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 enters a nosedive and crashes into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on a flight to Pangkal Pinang. All 181 passengers and 8 crew members on board are killed in the crash.
On 17 April 2018, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 makes an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport after its left engine explodes. A passenger dies after being partially ejected from the aircraft. The engine failure was caused by a fatigue crack in a fan blade.
On 12 March 2018, US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 skids off the runway, travels through the airport perimeter fence, and crashes into a football field during landing at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. 51 of the 71 people on board are killed in the accident.
On 6 February 1991, a military aerial refueling aircraft loses both engines from under the left wing while on a combat mission in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, causing serious flight control problems and forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. The incident was attributed to wake turbulence from a passing KC-135.
On 9 June 1995, Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 suffers a landing gear malfunction during final approach to Palmerston North Airport in New Zealand. The aircraft descends until it crashes into hilly terrain as the pilots try to resolve the problem. 4 of the 21 people on board are killed.
On 18 June 1998, Propair Flight 420 crashes while attempting to conduct an emergency landing at Montréal–Mirabel International Airport after an in-flight fire causes its left wing to fail, killing all 11 people on board. It was later determined that the aircraft's left brakes overheated during takeoff.
On 14 August 2013, UPS Airlines Flight 1354 clips the tops of trees and crashes into a hillside about one nautical mile short of the runway during final approach to Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. Both crew members on board are killed in the crash.
On 19 March 2016, Flydubai Flight 981 enters a rapid descent and crashes nose-first at Rostov-on-Don Airport in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, after aborting its second landing attempt in poor weather conditions. All 55 passengers and 7 crew members on board are killed.
On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 crashes off the right side of the runway while attempting to land at Faro Airport in Faro, Portugal, in severe weather conditions, killing 56 of the 340 people on board. The accident was caused by microburst-induced wind shear in combination with pilot errors.
On 23 February 2008, a stealth bomber of the United States Air Force named the Spirit of Kansas enters a stall and crashes on the runway just moments after takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Both crew members survive after being successfully ejected from the aircraft.
On 31 March 1992, Trans-Air Service Flight 671 suffers an in-flight separation of its two right engines while en route to Kano, Nigeria, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing at Istres-Le Tubé Air Base in France. The number three engine detached due to metal fatigue and tore off the number four engine.
On 31 January 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261's trimmable horizontal stabilizer jams and breaks from its control system during a flight to San Francisco. The aircraft enters a dive and crashes inverted into the Pacific Ocean. All 88 passengers and crew members on board are killed.
Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Cutting Corners" (S01E05) and as a special in the episode "Fatal Flaw" (S06E02).
On 4 April 1979, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 841 enters a spiral dive while en route to Minnesota. The pilots regain control and make an emergency landing at Detroit, with no fatalities. A leading-edge slat had failed due to the pilots extending the slats at cruising speed.
On 11 October 1983, Air Illinois Flight 710 crashes into an open pasture area near Pinckneyville, Illinois, in poor weather while en route to Southern Illinois Airport, killing all 10 people on board. The cause of the crash was the pilots' mismanagement of an electrical problem.
On 13 December 1994, Flagship Airlines Flight 3379, operating for American Eagle, enters an aerodynamic stall and crashes into a wooded area during a missed approach to Raleigh–Durham International Airport in North Carolina. The 2 pilots and 13 of the 18 passengers are killed.
On 19 October 2004, Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, operating for AmericanConnection, crashes short of the runway while on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport in Missouri, killing 13 of the 15 people on board. The pilots had descended below the minimum safe altitude under the effects of fatigue.
On 8 February 1989, Independent Air Flight 1851, a charter flight from Bergamo, Italy to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, strikes Pico Alto on approach for a stopover at Santa Maria Airport in the Azores due to a series of errors by the pilots and air traffic control. All 144 passengers and crew are killed.
On 12 August 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123's aft pressure bulkhead bursts, destroying the vertical stabilizer and severing all four of the aircraft's hydraulic systems. The crew keep the aircraft flying for 32 minutes until it crashed into Mount Takamagahara, killing all but four of the 524 people on board. The accident was caused by a faulty repair to the bulkhead after a much-earlier tailstrike incident.
Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Out of Control" (S03E03) and as a special in the episode "Fatal Flaw" (S06E02).
On 13 October 2011, Airlines PNG Flight 1600 crashes near the mouth of the Gogol River in Papua New Guinea after a dual engine failure, killing 28 of the 32 people on board. The investigation found that the pilots had inadvertently caused both propellers to overspeed.
On 11 November 2018, Air Astana Flight 1388 suffers severe control issues on a repositioning flight from Lisbon, Portugal to Almaty, Kazakhstan after the aileron control cables were installed incorrectly. The crew manages to make an emergency landing at Beja Airbase, saving the lives of all 6 on board.
On 14 May 2018, the cockpit windshield of Sichuan Airlines Flight 8633 fails, causing an explosion decompression which partially sucks the first officer out of the aircraft. The captain is able to make an emergency landing at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, saving all 128 on board.
On 24 February 1989, United Airlines Flight 811's right-side fuselage partially rips off, ejecting nine people from the aircraft and causing explosive decompression. The flight later lands safely at Honolulu without any more loss of life. It was later determined that an electrical short circuit caused the cargo door to open.
Note: This accident was previously featured in the episode "Unlocking Disaster" (S01E01) and as a special in the episode "Ripped Apart" (S06E01).
On 17 October 2019, PenAir Flight 3296 overruns the runway on landing at Unalaska Airport in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska, killing one passenger. The accident was caused by incorrect wiring of the wheel speed transducer harnesses on the left main landing gear.
On 16 February 1995, Air Transport International Flight 782 crashes into the ground after failing to takeoff from Kansas City International Airport in Missouri, killing all 3 pilots. The flight crew failed to understand a three-engine takeoff procedure due to improper training.
On 13 May 2019, a floatplane operated by Mountain Air Service collides with another floatplane operated by Taquan Air over George Inlet in Alaska, United States. All five people on board the Beaver and one passenger on board the Otter are killed in the accident.
On 16 February 1998, China Airlines Flight 676 attempts a go-around while on approach to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in poor weather conditions, but crashes into a residential area after entering a stall. All 196 people on board and 6 people on the ground are killed.
On 26 August 2003, Colgan Air Flight 9446 crashes into water shortly after takeoff from Barnstable Municipal Airport, killing both pilots. The causes of the crash were an improper replacement of the forward elevatortrim cable and the pilots not following checklist procedures.
On 19 August 1980, Saudia Flight 163 suffers an in-flight fire in the cargo hold. Despite returning to Riyadh International Airport, the flight crew fail to perform an emergency evacuation, and the aircraft bursts into flames on a taxiway. All 301 people on board die from smoke inhalation.
On 10 March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes near the town of Bishoftu shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, killing all 157 people on board. A faulty angle of attack sensor had accidentally activated the aircraft's MCAS system.
