List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft 1960 – 1989

This page is a list of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft from 1960 to 1989.

Contents
1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979
1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989

1960[change | change source]

January 6 – National Airlines Flight 2511, a Douglas DC-6B bound from New York to Miami, crashes near Bolivia, North Carolina, when a bomb planted on board explodes in mid-air; all 34 people on board are killed.
January 18 – Capital Airlines Flight 20, a Vickers Viscount, en route from Washington National Airport to Norfolk International Airport crashes near Holdcroft, Virginia due to engine failure caused by icy conditions; all 50 on board are killed.
January 19 – Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 871, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashes while on approach to Esenboğa Airport, Ankara, Turkey, killing all 42 on board; an undetermined descent was to blame for the first fatal crash of the Sud Caravelle.
January 21 – Avianca Flight 671, a Lockheed Constellation, crashes on landing at Sangster International Airport, Jamaica, killing 2 of 7 crew and 35 of 39 passengers on board in Jamaica's worst aviation accident.
February 25 – The 1960 Rio de Janeiro air crash: A United States Navy Douglas R6D-1 (DC-6A) collides with Real Transportes Aéreos Flight 753, a Douglas DC-3, over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; of the 38 occupants of the American aircraft, 3 survive, and all 26 passengers and crew of the Brazilian aircraft are killed.
March 17 – Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710, a Lockheed L-188 Super Electra en route from Chicago to Miami, Florida, breaks apart at 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and crashes near Tell City, Indiana, killing all 63 on board.
June 10 – Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538, a Fokker F-27, crashes into the ocean near Mackay, Queensland, Australia, killing all 29 on board in Australia's worst civilian air disaster. This crash was responsible for the mandatory installation of cockpit voice recorders in airliners in Australia, followed by the rest of the world.
July 15 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 372, a C-47 Skytrain, crashes into a mountain near Jimma, Ethiopia, killing the pilot.
September 26 – Austrian Airlines Flight 901, a Vickers Viscount, crashes short of runway 07 at Sheremetyevo International Airport. 31 of the 37 passengers and crew on board are killed.
October 4 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 375, a Lockheed L-188 Super Electra, crashes on takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport into Winthrop Bay, after multiple bird strikes; 62 of 72 aboard die.
October 29 – The Cal Poly football team plane crash: a chartered Curtiss C-46 crashes on takeoff at the Toledo Express Airport in Toledo, Ohio, with the loss of twenty-two people including sixteen players on the California Polytechnic State University football team.
December 16 – The 1960 New York mid-air collision: United Airlines Flight 826, a Douglas DC-8, and TWA Flight 266, a Lockheed Super Constellation, collide in mid-air over Staten Island in New York; all 128 aboard the two planes and six people on the ground are killed. This is the first crash in which a flight recorder was used to provide details in a crash investigation. The accident was the deadliest U.S. commercial aviation disaster at the time.

1961[change | change source]

January 3 – Aero Flight 311, a Douglas DC-3, crashes into woods near Koivulahti, Finland, killing all 25 on board.
February 15 – Sabena Flight 548, a Boeing 707, crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team: a runaway stabilizer is thought to have been the cause of the first fatal accident involving a 707 in regular passenger service.
March 28 – ČSA Flight 511, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashes in Gräfenberg, West Germany. All 52 passengers and crew on board are killed.
April 3 - LAN Chile Flight 210, a Douglas DC-3, crashes in the Andes, killing all 24 on board including footballers and coaching staff from the CD Green Cross Chilean football team.
May 10 – Air France Flight 406, a Lockheed Starliner, crashes into the Sahara Desert near the Edjele oilfield in Algeria after a bomb goes off on board. All 78 passengers and crew are killed in the crash.
May 30 – Viasa Flight 897, a Douglas DC-8, crashes shortly after taking off from Lisbon Portela Airport. All 61 passengers and crew on board are killed.
June 12 – KLM Flight 823, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashes while on approach to Cairo International Airport due to pilot error; 20 of 36 on board die.
July 11 – United Airlines Flight 859, a Douglas DC-8, crashes on landing at Stapleton International Airport, killing 17 passengers and one person on the ground.
July 19 – Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 644, a Douglas DC-6, crashes half an hour after takeoff from Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina. All 67 passengers and crew on board are killed.
August 9 – The Holtaheia Accident: An Eagle Airways Vickers VC.1 Viking crashes at Holta, Strand, Norway, killing all 39 on board, including 36 people from the Archbishop Lanfranc School.
September 1 – TWA Flight 529, a Lockheed Constellation L-049 propliner, abruptly pitches up and crashes shortly after takeoff from Chicago's Midway Airport, killing all 73 passengers and 5 crew on board; a 5/16 inch bolt that fell out of the elevator control linkage just before the crash is blamed.
September 11 – A President Airlines Douglas DC-6 crashes shortly after takeoff from Shannon Airport en route to Gander due to loss of control caused by possible pilot error, killing all 83 passengers and crew on board. The crash remains the worst in Irish territory.
September 12 – Air France Flight 2005, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashes on approach to Rabat–Salé Airport, killing all 71 people and 6 crew on board.
September 17 – Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashes on takeoff from Chicago as a result of a maintenance error causing the ailerons to become detached from the control wheels; all 37 on board die.
September 18 – 1961 Ndola United Nations DC-6 Crash, a Douglas DC-6B, carrying Dag Hammarskjöld, 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations crashes near Ndola, killing all 16 on board.
September 23 – Turkish Airlines Flight 835, a Fokker F27 Friendship crashes while on approach to Esenboğa Airport; 28 of the 29 passengers and crew on board perish in the crash.
October 7 – In the 1961 Derby Aviation crash, a Douglas Dakota crashes into Canigou mountainside en route to Perpignan from London, killing all 34 aboard.
November 8 – Imperial Airlines Flight 201/8, a Lockheed Constellation L-049, crashes on landing at Byrd Field near Richmond, Virginia; all 74 passengers—mostly new US Army recruits being flown to their base for training—die of carbon monoxide asphyxiation, along with three crew members; the captain and flight engineer survive by escaping the burning wreckage.
November 23 – Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 322, a de Havilland Comet, crashes in Campinas, Brazil, shortly after takeoff, killing all 12 crew and 40 passengers on board.
November 30 – Ansett-ANA Flight 325, a Vickers Viscount, crashes into Botany Bay, Australia, 9 minutes after takeoff, killing all 15 people on board.

1962[change | change source]

February 25 – In the 1962 Avensa Fairchild F-27 accident, the plane crashes into San Juan mountain on Margarita Island, killing all 23 on board.
March 1 – American Airlines Flight 1, a Boeing 707, crashes in Jamaica Bay, Queens, New York, due to a rudder malfunction, killing all 95 passengers and crew on board.
March 4 – Caledonian Airways Flight 153, a Douglas DC-7, crashes into a jungle swamp at Douala, Cameroon, killing all 111 on board.
March 8 – A Turkish Airlines Fairchild F-27 crashes into the Bolkar Mountains while on approach to Adana Airport; all 11 on board die.
March 16 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation chartered by the United States military, and carrying 96 American soldiers en route to South Vietnam, disappears over the western Pacific.
May 6 – In the 1962 Channel Airways Dakota accident, a Douglas Dakota flies into a hill on the Isle of Wight in bad weather, 12 killed.
May 22 – Continental Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 707, breaks up in mid-air near Unionville, Missouri, after a passenger's bomb exploded in the lavatory; all 45 people on board are killed.
June 3 – Air France Flight 007, a chartered Boeing 707, overruns the runway on takeoff and burns down after the pilot rejected takeoff, killing many of Atlanta, Georgia's civic and cultural leaders; two flight attendants are the only survivors, as 130 die in the worst single-aircraft accident to that date.
June 22 – Air France Flight 117, an international scheduled multi-leg Boeing 707 crashes in a forest hill on the island of Guadeloupe, while approaching Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport; 113 die in that accident with no survivors; the cause of the crash is never determined.
June 30 – Aeroflot Flight 902, a Tupolev Tu-104, is shot down by a missile near Voznesenka, Krasnoyarsk Krai; all 84 die in Russia's worst air accident at that time.
July 7 – Alitalia Flight 771, a Douglas DC-8, hits high terrain while descending due to navigation error near Junnar, Maharashtra, India; all 94 die.
July 19 – United Arab Airlines Flight 869, a de Havilland DH-106 Comet 4C on an international scheduled flight from Hong Kong to Cairo via Bangkok, crashes into the Khao Yai mountain while descending to Bangkok; all 26 die.
July 22 – Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 301, a Bristol Britannia, crashes during an attempted "go-around" following a three-engined approach at Honolulu International Airport, killing 27 of 40 on board.
November 23 – United Airlines Flight 297, a Vickers Viscount 745D, crashes near Ellicott City, Maryland, following a bird strike; all 17 people on board die.
November 30 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 512, a Douglas DC-7B, crashes as a result of pilot error during a missed approach at New York's Idlewild Airport; 25 of 51 on board are killed.
December 19 – A LOT Polish Airlines Vickers Viscount crashes on approach to Warsaw-Okecie Airport due to loss of control, killing all 33 passengers and crew on board.

1963[change | change source]

February 12 – Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705, a Boeing 720, breaks up in turbulence associated with a severe thunderstorm and crashes into the Everglades; all 43 passengers and crew members on board are killed.
July 2 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 121, a Martin 4-0-4, crashes near Rochester, New York, while attempting takeoff, killing seven of the 43 people on board.
July 3 – New Zealand National Airways Corporation Flight 441, a Douglas DC-3 en route from Whenuapai Airport, Auckland to Tauranga, crashes into the Kaimai Ranges; all 23 aboard die, making it the worst air disaster in mainland New Zealand to date.
July 27 – United Arab Airlines Flight 869, a de Havilland Comet 4C, crashes into the sea while on approach to Bombay Airport, India, killing all 63 on board.
August 21 – An Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-124 ditches in the Neva river in Leningrad after engine failure; there are no fatalities among the 52 on board, but the aircraft is destroyed.
September 4 – Swissair Flight 306, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashes near Dürrenäsch, Switzerland, due to an in-flight fire, killing all 80 on board.
November 8 – Aero Flight 217, a Douglas DC-3, crashes in poor visibility near the Mariehamn Airport, killing 22 out of 25 on board.
November 29 – Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831, a Douglas DC-8, crashes shortly after takeoff from Montreal/Dorval Airport, killing all 118 people on board.
December 8 – Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707, is struck by positive lightning and crashes near Elkton, Maryland, killing all 81 people on board.

1964[change | change source]

February 25 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 304, a Douglas DC-8 flying from New Orleans International Airport to Washington National Airport, crashes into Lake Pontchartrain, killing all 51 passengers and seven crew aboard.
February 29 – British Eagle International Airlines Flight 802, a Bristol Britannia, crashes into a mountain near Innsbruck, Austria. All 75 passengers and 8 crew are killed in the crash.
May 7 – Pacific Air Lines Flight 773, a Fairchild F27, crashes near San Ramon, California, killing all 44 aboard, after a passenger shoots both the captain and first officer before turning the gun on himself.
June 20 – Civil Air Transport Flight 106, a Curtiss C-46, crashes near Shenkang, Taiwan, killing all 57 on board.
July 9 – United Airlines Flight 823, a Vickers Viscount, crashes near Parrottsville, Tennessee, after a fire on board; all 39 passengers and crew die.
September 2 – Aeroflot Flight 721, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashes into a hillside while on approach to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport due to pilot error, killing 87 of 93 on board.
November 15 – Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114, a Fairchild F27, flies into a mountain in poor weather while on a nighttime approach to Las Vegas, Nevada; all 29 aboard perish when the plane crashes only 10 feet (3 m) below a ridge.
November 20 – Linjeflyg Flight 277, a Convair CV-340, crashes during the approach to Engelholm, Sweden, when, in instrument meteorological conditions, the crew abandons the set procedure and descends prematurely; 31 people are killed; 12 survive.
November 23 – TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 707, suffers engine failure and crashes at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, killing 50 of 73 on board; the cause is an inoperative thrust reverser.
December 24 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 282, a Lockheed Constellation, crashes near San Bruno, California, after an unexplained course deviation, killing the crew of three.

1965[change | change source]

February 6 – LAN Chile Flight 107, a Douglas DC-6, crashes shortly after takeoff from Santiago-Los Cerrillos Airport in Santiago, Chile. All 87 passengers and crew on board are killed.
February 8 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 663, a Douglas DC-7B on takeoff, overreacts in avoiding Pan Am Flight 212 (a Boeing 707) on approach, loses control, and crashes into the ocean several miles off Jones Beach State Park, New York, killing all 84 on board.
April 14 – British United Airways Flight 1030X, a Douglas C-47, crashes on landing at Jersey Airport due to pilot error; of the 27 passengers and crew on board, only a flight attendant survives.
May 5 – Iberia Airlines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, crashes after striking a tractor on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife, during a go-around in foggy weather; 30 of 49 passengers and crew die.
May 20 – PIA Flight 705, a Boeing 720, crashes on descent to Cairo International Airport, killing 119 of 125 on board in the worst-ever accident involving the 720.
July 1 – Continental Airlines Flight 12, a Boeing 707, runs off the end of the runway at Kansas City Downtown Airport, breaking into three pieces; all 66 on board survive.
July 8 – Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near 100 Mile House, British Columbia, after the explosion of a device in the lavatory; all 46 passengers and six crew aboard perish.
July 10 – A Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748 crashes on landing at Lympne Airport, Kent, United Kingdom, due to a waterlogged runway; all 52 on board survive; this crash marks the first loss of the Avro 748/HS 748.
August 16 – United Airlines Flight 389, a Boeing 727, crashes into Lake Michigan at night, after the pilots apparently misread their altimeters; all 24 passengers and six crew perish in the first fatal crash of the Boeing 727.
September 17 – Pan Am Flight 292, a Boeing 707, crashes into Chances Peak, Montserrat, in stormy weather; all 30 on board die.
November 8 – American Airlines Flight 383, a Boeing 727, crashes while on approach to Greater Cincinnati airport; of the 62 people on board, one flight attendant and three passengers survive.
November 11 – United Airlines Flight 227, a Boeing 727, crashes short of the runway during landing at Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah; 43 of 91 aboard are killed.
November 11 – Aeroflot Flight 99, a Tupolev Tu-124, crashes near Murmansk, Russia, due to pilot error, killing 32 of 64 on board.
December 4 – The 1965 Carmel mid-air collision; Eastern Air Lines Flight 853, a Lockheed Super Constellation, collides with TWA Flight 42, a Boeing 707 over Carmel, New York. Flight 42 makes an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport; Flight 853 is forced to crash land on Hunt Mountain near Danbury, Connecticut, killing three passengers and one of the pilots on board. No casualties are reported on board Flight 42.

1966[change | change source]

January 15 – Avianca Flight 4, a Douglas C-54, suffers engine failure and crashes off Cartagena, Colombia, killing 56 of the 64 on board.
January 24 – Air India Flight 101, a Boeing 707–437, crashes into the southwest face of Mont Blanc in France; all 106 passengers and 11 crew are killed. Sixteen years earlier Air India Flight 245 had crashed in almost exactly the same spot.
January 28 – Lufthansa Flight 005, a Convair 440, crashes at Bremen Airport; all 46 on board perish.
February 2 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17, a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter, crashes near Faridpur, Bangladesh, Pakistan; of the 23 on board, only a passenger survives.
February 4 – All Nippon Airways Flight 60, a Boeing 727-100, crashes into Tokyo Bay, Japan; all 133 aboard are killed in Japan's worst air disaster at that time.
March 4 – Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 402 (CP402), a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-43, crashes on landing at Tokyo International Airport in Japan, killing 64 passengers and crew; eight passengers survive.
March 5 – BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707 bound for Hong Kong, breaks up in mid-air and crashes at Mount Fuji near Gotenba, Japan, killing all 124 passengers and crew.
March 18 – United Arab Airlines Flight 749, an Antonov An-24, crashes while attempting to land at Cairo International Airport. All 30 passengers and crew on board are killed.
April 22 – American Flyers Flight 280, an Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashes into a hill short of Ardmore Municipal Airport in Oklahoma, United States. 83 of the 98 passengers and crew on board are killed.
April 27 – LANSA Flight 501, a Lockheed L-749A Constellation, crashes into a mountain in Tomas District, Peru, killing all 49 passengers and crew on board.
August 6 – All 42 on board are killed when Braniff Flight 250, a BAC One-Eleven, flies into an active squall line and breaks apart in mid-air near Falls City, Nebraska.
September 1 – Britannia Airways Flight 105, a Bristol Britannia, crashes on approach to Jože Pučnik Airport, Slovenia, due to an incorrectly set altimeter, killing 98 of 117 passengers and crew on board.
September 22 – Ansett-ANA Flight 149, a Vickers Viscount, crashes near Winton, Queensland, Australia, killing all 24 people on board.
October 1 – West Coast Airlines Flight 956 crashes with 18 fatalities 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south of Wemme, Oregon, marking the first loss of a Douglas DC-9.
November 13 – All Nippon Airways Flight 533, a NAMC YS-11, plunges into Seto Inland Sea after an overrun at Matsuyama Airport, Shikoku, Japan, killing all 50 passengers and crew; this crash is the first loss of a YS-11.
November 15 – Pan Am Flight 708, a Boeing 727, crashes near Berlin, Germany; all three crew members are killed.
November 24 – TABSO Flight 101, an Ilyushin IL-18B, crashes into a wooded hillside shortly after takeoff from Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, killing all 82 aboard.

1967[change | change source]

February 16 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 708, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashes on landing at Sam Ratulangi Airport, killing 22 of 84 passengers on board; all 8 crew survive.
March 5 – Lake Central Flight 527, a Convair 340, crashes near Marseilles, Ohio, after a propeller detaches and severs the fuselage, causing a loss of control; all 38 on board die.
March 5 – Varig Airlines Flight 837, a Douglas DC-8, crashes while on approach to Roberts International Airport due to pilot error, killing 51 of 90 on board as well as 5 on the ground.
March 9 – TWA Flight 553, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, collides with a Beechcraft Baron near Dayton, Ohio, killing all 26 on both planes.
March 13 – South African Airways Flight 406, a Vickers Viscount 818, crashes into the sea while on approach to East London, South Africa, killing all 25 passengers and crew on board; the pilot of the plane suffered a fatal heart attack while on approach and the co-pilot was unable to regain control of the aircraft.
April 20 – The 1967 Nicosia Britannia disaster: a Globe Air-operated Bristol Britannia on a charter flight in bad weather near Lakatamia, Cyprus, killing 126 of the 130 on board.
June 4 – In the Stockport air disaster, a British Midland Canadair C-4 Argonaut carrying passengers returning from Palma de Mallorca is on approach to Manchester Airport when an engine loses power because of a design failure in the aircraft's fuel system; of the 84 passengers aboard, 72 were killed
June 23 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 40, a BAC One-Eleven, crashes in Blossburg, Pennsylvania, killing all 34 people on board.
June 30 – Thai Airways International Flight 601, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashes into the sea on landing at Kai Tak Airport, killing 24 of 80 on board.
July 19 – Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, a Boeing 727 departing from Asheville, North Carolina, crashes shortly after takeoff after a mid-air collision with a twin-engine Cessna 310 on instrument approach to Asheville; all 82 passengers and crew on both aircraft die.
September 5 - ČSA Flight 523, an Ilyushin Il-18D flight from Prague Ruzyně International Airport, Czechoslovakia, to Havana, crashed after takeoff from a refuelling stop in Gander, Canada, killing 37 of 69 people on board.
October 12 – Cyprus Airways Flight 284, a De Havilland Comet, is destroyed by a bomb over the Mediterranean; all 66 passengers and crew perish in the crash.
November 4 – Iberia Airlines Flight 062, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashes at Black Down Hill, Sussex, United Kingdom; all 37 passengers and crew are killed.
November 6 – TWA Flight 159, a Boeing 707, overruns the runway at Greater Cincinnati Airport and catches fire; all on board escape the aircraft, but a passenger dies four days later.
November 16 – Aeroflot Flight 2230, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashes just after takeoff from Koltsovo Airport, killing all 107 passengers and crew on board in the worst-ever accident involving the Il-18; the cause of the crash remains undetermined.
November 20 – TWA Flight 128, a Convair 880, crashes in Constance, Kentucky, on approach to Greater Cincinnati Airport, killing 70 of 82 persons on board.

1968[change | change source]

March 6 – Air France Flight 212, a Boeing 707, crashes into the northwestern slope of La Soufrière Mountain in Guadeloupe with the loss of all 63 lives on board.
March 24 – Aer Lingus Flight 712, a Vickers Viscount 803, crashes off the Irish coast; all 61 on board perish.
April 8 – BOAC Flight 712, a Boeing 707, suffers an engine fire after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport; the plane makes an emergency landing at Heathrow, but five of 127 aboard die in the resulting fire.
April 20 – South African Airways Flight 228, a Boeing 707, crashes just after takeoff from Strijdom International Airport, Windhoek, South West Africa (now Namibia), due to pilot error; of the 128 on board, only 5 survive.
May 3 – Braniff Flight 352, a Lockheed L-188A Super Electra en route from Houston, Texas to Dallas, breaks up in mid-air in a thunderstorm and crashes near Dawson, Texas; killing its five crew and 80 passengers. Nine years earlier Braniff Flight 542 crashes 49 miles (79 km) away in Buffalo.
May 22 – Los Angeles Airways Flight 841, a Sikorsky S-61L, crashes near Paramount, California, resulting in the loss of 23 lives.
July 1 – Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253A, a Douglas DC-8, is forced to land in the Soviet Union; on board are over 200 American troops bound for Vietnam.
July 3 – In the 1968 BKS Air Transport Heathrow crash, an Airspeed Ambassador freight aircraft experiences metal fatigue and crashes while landing, striking two unoccupied British European Airways airliners. Six of the freighter's crew of eight are killed, as are eight racehorses being transported. All Airspeed Ambassadors are grounded until a redesign strengthens the flaps. One of the BEA aircraft is repaired but is lost in the 1972 Staines air disaster.
July 23 – Three members of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijack El Al Flight 426 from Rome to Tel Aviv. Diverting to Algiers the negotiations extend over forty days. Both the hijackers and the hostages go free.
August 14 – Los Angeles Airways Flight 417, a Sikorsky S-61L prototype, crashes in Compton, California, resulting in the loss of 21 lives.
September 11 – Air France Flight 1611, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle, is shot down by a missile near Nice, France, killing all 95 passengers and crew on board.
October 25 – Northeast Airlines Flight 946, a Fairchild 227, crashes near Etna, New Hampshire, killing 32 passengers and crew.
November 22 – Japan Airlines Flight 2, a Douglas DC-8, ditches in San Francisco Bay as a result of pilot error, all on board survive.
December 2 – Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55, a Fairchild F-27B, crashes into Pedro Bay, Alaska. All 39 passengers and crew on board are killed.
December 12 – Pan Am Flight 217, a Boeing 707, crashes near Caracas, Venezuela, as a result of pilot error; all 51 on board die.
December 24 – Allegheny Airlines Flight 736, a Convair CV-580, crashes while on approach to Bradford Regional Airport. 20 of the 47 passengers and crew on board are killed.
December 27 – North Central Airlines Flight 458, a Convair CV-580, crashes into a hangar at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, killing 27 of the 45 people on board and one person on the ground.
December 31 – MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750, a Vickers Viscount, crashes near Port Hedland in Western Australia, killing all 26 people on board.

1969[change | change source]

January 5 – Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701, a Boeing 727-100C, arriving at London Gatwick Airport from Frankfurt Airport crashes into a house in dense fog, killing 48 of the 62 persons aboard; a married couple living at the house also die, but their baby survives.
January 6 – Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, a Convair CV-580, crashes while on approach to Bradford Regional Airport. 11 of the 28 passengers and crew on board are killed.
January 13 – Scandinavian Airlines Flight 933, a Douglas DC-8, crashes into Santa Monica Bay due to pilot error, killing 15 of 45 on board.
January 18 – United Airlines Flight 266, a Boeing 727, en route from Los Angeles to Milwaukee loses all electrical power and crashes into Santa Monica Bay; six crew and 32 passengers are killed.
February 18 – Hawthorne Nevada Airlines Flight 708, a Douglas DC-3, crashes near Lone Pine, California, killing all 35 people on board.
February 24 – Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 104, a Handley Page Dart Herald, suffers engine failure and crashes while on approach to Tainan Airport, Taiwan; all 36 on board die.
March 5 - Prinair flight 277, a de Havilland Heron, crashes into mountainous territory at Luquillo, Puerto Rico, killing all 19 people on board; 2 crew and 17 passengers.
March 16 – Viasa Flight 742, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30, crashes on takeoff from Maracaibo, Venezuela. All 84 passengers on board, plus 71 people on the ground are killed in the crash. At 155 people dead, it was the worst aviation disaster in history at that time.
March 20 – In the 1969 Aswan Ilyushin Il-18 crash, a United Arab Airlines flight crashes while attempting to land at Aswan International Airport. 100 of the 105 passengers and crew on board are killed.
April 2 – LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165, an Antonov An-24, crashes in southern Poland, killing all 53 people on board.
April 28 – LAN Chile Flight 160, a Boeing 727, crashes near Colina, Chile; all 60 on board survive.
June 4 – Mexicana Flight 704, a Boeing 727, crashes near Salinas Victoria in Mexico. All 79 passengers and crew on board are killed.
August 29 – In the TWA Flight 840 hijacking, two operatives from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine force a Boeing 707 to land at Damascus, Syria; all passengers are released except for two passengers who are released two months later; there are no casualties to the 127 on board, but the aircraft's nose section is blown up.
September 9 – Allegheny Airlines Flight 853, a Douglas DC-9, collides in flight with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee and crashes near Fairland, Indiana, killing all 83 occupants aboard the two aircraft.
September 12 – Philippine Airlines Flight 158, a BAC One-Eleven, crashes on approach to Manila International Airport, killing 45 of the 47 passengers and crew on board.
November 19 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 411, a Fairchild 227, crashes near Glens Falls, New York, killing all 14 people on board.
November 20 – Nigeria Airways Flight 825, a Vickers VC-10, crashes on approach to Lagos International Airport killing all 87 passengers and crew on board.
December 4 – Air France Flight 212, a Boeing 707-328B, crashes into the sea shortly after takeoff from Simón Bolívar International Airport with the loss of all 62 on board.
December 8 – Olympic Airways Flight 954, a DC-6, crashes into Mt. Paneio while on approach to Athens-Ellinikon International Airport. All 90 passengers and crew on board are killed.

1970[change | change source]

January 5 - In the Spantax Convair crash; five of the ten people on board were killed when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Stockholm Arlanda Airport.
February 4 – Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 707, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, crashes near Loma Alta, Argentina, killing all 37 on board.
February 15 – In the Dominicana DC-9 air disaster; all 102 persons on board are killed when the aircraft crashes shortly after takeoff from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
February 21 – A bomb in the cargo hold of Swissair Flight 330, a Convair CV-990, detonates nine minutes after takeoff from Zurich International Airport, Switzerland; all 38 passengers and nine crew perish.
March 31 – Japan Airlines Flight 351, a Boeing 727, is hijacked to North Korea by a Japanese Red Army faction.
April 21 – Philippine Airlines Flight 215, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, explodes in mid-air and crashes 75 mi (121 km) north of Manila; killing all 36 on board; a bomb is suspected.
May 2 – ALM Flight 980, a Douglas DC-9 operated by Overseas National Airways, ditches near St. Croix, Virgin Islands, killing 23, including two infants and one crew member; 40, including 4 crew members, survive.
July 3 – The 1970 Dan-Air de Havilland Comet crash takes place near Girona, Spain, due to a navigation error, killing all 112 on board.
July 5 – Air Canada Flight 621, a Douglas DC-8, explodes following a failed landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, with 109 fatalities.
August 9 – LANSA Flight 502, a Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop, crashes and burns shortly after takeoff from Cuzco, Peru, killing 99 people on the plane and two on the ground; among the dead are 49 U.S. high school exchange students.
August 12 – China Airlines Flight 206, a NAMC YS-11, crashes in thick fog and a severe thunderstorm into Yuan Mountain, near Taipei International Airport, killing 14 of 31 people on board.
September 6 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine orchestrates the Dawson's Field hijackings of El Al Flight 219 (Boeing 707), Pan Am Flight 93 (Boeing 747), Swissair Flight 100 (Douglas DC-8), TWA Flight 741 (Boeing 707), and (on September 9) BOAC Flight 775 (Vickers VC10); the unprecedented scale of the incident draws international outrage and plays a major role in instigating the eventual widespread implementation of air passenger screening, heretofore done only haphazardly and inconsistently; Flight 93 is the first ever loss of the Boeing 747.
October 2 – In what is known as the Wichita State Crash, a Martin 4-0-4 aircraft crashes near Silver Plume, Colorado; it is one of two planes carrying the Wichita State University football team to Logan, Utah, for a match. Of the 40 people on board, 31 are killed.
November 14 – Southern Airways Flight 932, a chartered Douglas DC-9, crashes on approach at Tri-State Airport in Huntington, West Virginia, killing all 75 on board, including 37 players of the Marshall University football team and all but one of the coaching staff.

1971[change | change source]

January 22, 31 – Two nearly identical accidents 9 days apart: 1971 January 22 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash and 1971 January 31 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crash, in which two An-12s crash due to icing while on approach to Surgut International Airport; all (14 and 7 respectively) on board are killed.
May 23 – Aviogenex Flight 130, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes while landing at Rijeka Airport due to pilot error, killing 78 of the 83 on board.
June 6 – A United States Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II fighter jet collides with Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a Douglas DC-9, which crashes into the San Gabriel Mountains near Duarte, California, killing all 49 people aboard; the pilot of the Phantom also dies, while his radar intercept officer successfully bails out.
June 7 – Allegheny Airlines Flight 485 crashes while on approach to New Haven Regional Airport. 28 of the 31 passengers and crew on board are killed in the accident.
July 3 – Toa Domestic Airlines Flight 533, a NAMC YS-11, hits Yokotsudake (Yokotsu Mountain) near Hakodate Airport, Hokkaidō, Japan, killing all 68 passengers and crew in the worst ever disaster involving the YS-11.
July 30 – All Nippon Airways Flight 58, a Boeing 727-200, collides with a JSDF F-86 fighter jet at Shizukuishi near Morioka, Japan, killing all 162 passengers and crew; the JSDF pilot parachutes to safety, and is later arrested by local police on suspicion of colliding with a civilian aircraft.
July 30 – Pan Am Flight 845, a Boeing 747-100, attempted takeoff from San Francisco while using incorrect takeoff speeds for the selected runway and flap position, resulting in a collision with approach lighting structures as the plane began lifting off the runway. The flight then dumps fuel and returns for an emergency landing at SFO, with only one of its four hydraulic/flight control systems still functional. Two passengers are seriously injured by the damage from the initial impact during takeoff, and 27 others suffer injuries during the evacuation.
September 4 – Alaska Airlines Flight 1866, a Boeing 727, crashes into a mountain in the Tongass National Forest near Juneau, Alaska, killing all 111 on board.
September 6 – Paninternational Flight 112, a BAC One-Eleven, suffers dual engine failure just after takeoff and crashes onto the A7 near Hamburg Airport, killing 22 of 121 on board.
October 2 – British European Airways Flight 706, a Vickers Vanguard, breaks up in mid-air due to corrosion and crashes near Aarsele, Belgium, killing all 63 passengers and crew on board.
November 10 – In the 1971 Indian Ocean Vickers Viscount crash, a Merpati Nusantara Airlines plane crashes into the Indian Ocean off Padang, Indonesia, in bad weather, killing all 66 on board.
November 24 – A man reported as D. B. Cooper hijacks Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727, out of Portland, Oregon, releasing the passengers in exchange for US$200,000 and four parachutes; the crew takes off with Cooper on board, and he parachutes from the plane; Cooper is never found and his fate remains unknown, although a roll of bills from his ransom is found in a riverbed many years later.
December 24 – LANSA Flight 508, a Lockheed L-188 Electra en route from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, breaks apart in mid-air after being set aflame by lightning; it crashes in the Amazon Rainforest and 91 people die; one German teenage girl, Juliane Koepcke, survives after falling two miles (3 km) down into the rainforest strapped to her seat; she walks through the jungle for 10 days until being rescued by local lumbermen.

1972[change | change source]

January 7 – Iberia Airlines Flight 602, a Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle, crashes into a mountain while on approach to Ibiza Airport in Spain, killing all 104 passengers and crew on board.
January 26 – JAT Flight 367, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, suffers a bomb explosion in mid-air; 27 of 28 on board are killed; Vesna Vulović, the only survivor, is entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the longest fall without a parachute, over 33,000 feet (10,000 m).
February 22–23 – Lufthansa Flight 649, a Boeing 747 en route from Tokyo to Frankfurt, is hijacked during the Delhi-Athens leg and forced to divert to Aden, where all 182 passengers and crew are released in exchange for a $5 million ransom.
March 3 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 405, a Fairchild F-27, crashes near Albany, New York, while descending to land, killing 16 of the 48 people on board and 1 on the ground.
March 14 – Sterling Airways Flight 296, a Sud Caravelle, crashes near Kalba, United Arab Emirates due to pilot error; all 112 on board die in the worst air disaster in the history of the United Arab Emirates.
March 19 – EgyptAir Flight 763, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes on approach to Aden International Airport, killing all 30 passengers and crew.
May 5 – Alitalia Flight 112, a Douglas DC-8 en route from Leonardo da Vinci Airport to Palermo International Airport, Italy, crashes into Mount Longa some 5 km (3.1 mi) south-west of Palermo, killing all 115 passengers and crew on board; it remains the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy.
May 18 – Aeroflot Flight 1491, an Antonov An-10, suffers in-flight structural failure on approach to Kharkiv Airport in Ukraine; all 122 passengers and crew on board are killed.
June 12 – American Airlines Flight 96, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, suffers explosive depressurisation when one of its cargo doors fails in mid-flight; the crew manages an emergency landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport where all 67 on board are evacuated safely.
June 14 – Japan Airlines Flight 471, a Douglas DC-8 en route from Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, to Palam International Airport (now Indira Gandhi International Airport) in New Delhi, India, crashes outside of New Delhi, killing 82 of 87 occupants on board and an additional 3 on the ground.
June 15 – A carry-on suitcase bomb explodes on Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, a Convair 880, at 29,000 feet (8,800 m) over Vietnam; all 81 on board perish.
June 18 – British European Airways Flight 548, a Hawker Siddeley Trident, undergoes a series of stalls as a result of pilot error, followed by a deep stall, crashing near Staines, United Kingdom; all 118 on board are killed.
June 24 – Prinair Flight 191, a De Havilland Heron, over-rotates because of pilot error and crashes in Ponce, Puerto Rico, killing 5 of 20 people on board.
June 29 – In the 1972 Lake Winnebago mid-air collision, North Central Airlines Flight 290, a Convair CV-580, and Air Wisconsin Flight 671, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, collide over Lake Winnebago near Appleton, Wisconsin, killing all 13 people on board the two aircraft.
July 2 – Pan Am Flight 841 was hijacked en route to Saigon; the hijacker was killed at a fake re-fuelling stop.
August 14 – The 1972 Königs Wusterhausen air disaster: an Interflug Ilyushin Il-62, crashes near Königs Wusterhausen, all 156 passengers and crew are killed in Germany's worst air disaster.
August 16 – A Burma Airways Douglas C-47 crashes into the sea off Thandwe, Burma, killing 25 of 28 on board.
September 24 – Japan Airlines Flight 472, a Douglas DC-8 with 122 on board, overruns the runway after landing at the wrong airport; no fatalities.
October 13 – Aeroflot Flight 217, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashes on approach to Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, USSR. All 174 passengers and crew on board are killed.
October 13 – Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a Fairchild F-27, crashes in the Andes; passengers survive for 72 days by feeding on the dead.
October 29 – Lufthansa Flight 615 is hijacked by sympathizers of Black September in order to extort the release of the three surviving perpetrators of the Munich massacre.
November 15 – Ansett Airlines Flight 232, a Fokker F27 Friendship, was hijacked. Plane landed at Alice Springs Airport. The perpetrator killed himself after a shootout with the police. 1 of 32 on board killed.
December 3 - Spantax Flight 275, a Convair 990 Coronado, crashed in Tenerife while taking off in almost zero visibility. All 155 passengers and crew on board were killed.
December 8 – United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737, crashes after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 43 of 60 people on board and 2 people on the ground; among those killed was Dorothy Hunt, wife of Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt. The crash is the first fatal crash involving the 737-200.
December 8 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631 entered a heavy rainstorm on approach to Rawalpindi and crashes into a hillside. The airliner broke into three pieces. All 26 people aboard perished on the hillside.
December 20 – In the 1972 Chicago-O'Hare runway collision, Delta Airlines Flight 954, a Convair CV-880, and North Central Airlines Flight 575, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, collide, killing 10 people and injuring 17.
December 23 – Braathens SAFE Flight 239, a Fokker F-28, crashes in Asker upon landing at Fornebu airport, Oslo, Norway, killing 40 of 45 people on board.
December 29 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, crashes in the Florida Everglades, killing 103 of 176 people on board; the crew is distracted by a faulty gear-down light, resulting in controlled flight into terrain; this is the first crash of a widebody aircraft and the first loss of a Lockheed Tristar.

1973[change | change source]

January 22 – In the Kano air disaster, a Boeing 707 crashes while attempting to land at Kano International Airport in Nigeria, killing 176 of the 202 passengers and crew on board.
January 29 – An EgyptAir Ilyushin Il-18 crashes in the Kyrenia mountain range while on approach to Nicosia International Airport; all 37 on board die.
February 21 – Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114, a Boeing 727, strays off course and is shot down by Israeli jets in the Sinai war zone, killing 108 of 113 people on board.
March 3 – Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashes short of the runway at Sheremetyevo International Airport, killing all 25 on board.
April 10 – Invicta International Airlines Flight 435, a Vickers Vanguard 952 from Bristol Lulsgate to Basle, flies into a hillside near Hochwald, Switzerland, somersaults and breaks up, killing 108 with 37 survivors.
May 31 – Indian Airlines Flight 440, a Boeing 737, crashes while on approach to Palam Airport in New Delhi, India. 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board are killed in the accident.
June 20 – Aeroméxico Flight 229, a Douglas DC-9, crashes into the side of Las Minas Mountain while on approach to Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport; all 27 on board die.
July 11 – Varig Flight 820, a Boeing 707, experiences an onboard fire and crashes near Paris, France, killing 123 out of 134 on board.
July 22 – Pan Am Flight 816, a Boeing 707, crashes shortly after takeoff from Faa'a's airport Tahiti, French Polynesia, killing 77 out of 78 on board.
July 23 – Japan Air Lines Flight 404, a Boeing 747, is hijacked after takeoff from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands; one hijacker is killed and the flight's purser injured by a grenade blast; after several days and multiple flight legs, the passengers are released in Benghazi, Libya, and the aircraft is blown up on the ground; this is the first loss of a Boeing 747-200.
July 23 – Ozark Air Lines Flight 809, a Fairchild-Hiller FH-227, crashes short of the runway at St. Louis International Airport due to windshear from a thunderstorm, killing 38 of 44 on board.
July 31 – Delta Air Lines Flight 723, a Douglas DC-9, descends prematurely and crashes on final approach to Boston Logan International Airport, killing all 89 on board; probable cause is unstabilized final approach by the flight crew.
August 13 – Aviaco Flight 118, a Sud Caravelle, en route from Madrid to A Coruña crashes while approaching A Coruña Alvedro airport, in Montrove, 2 km from the airport; all 85 on board die, and 1 on the ground.
September 11 – JAT Airways Flight 769, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashes into Mt. Maganik near Kolašin, Montenegro, killing all 41 on board.
September 27 – Texas International Airlines Flight 655, a Convair 600, crashes into Black Fork Mountain while avoiding thunderstorms, killing all 11 passengers and crew on board.
September 30 – Aeroflot Flight 3932, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashes shortly after takeoff from Koltsovo Airport in Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union. All 108 passengers and crew on board are killed.
October 13 – Aeroflot Flight 964, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashes while on approach to Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow, Soviet Union. All 122 passengers and crew on board are killed.
November 3 – National Airlines Flight 27, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 with 128 on board, suffers an uncontained engine failure at 39,000 feet 65 miles southwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Debris from the engine puncture the fuselage and a passenger is blown out of the aircraft, but the aircraft is able to land safely with no other casualties.
December 17 – In the 1973 Rome airport attacks and hijacking, gunmen hijack a Lufthansa-operated Boeing 737 en route to Munich.

1974[change | change source]

January 26 – Turkish Airlines Flight 301 crashes after takeoff from Izmir Cumaovasi Airport due to wing icing; of the 73 on board, only 7 survive.
January 30 – Pan Am Flight 806, a Boeing 707-320B, crashes on approach to Pago Pago International Airport on American Samoa. 97 of the 101 passengers and crew on board are killed.
March 3 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashes in the Ermenonville forest near Senlis, France, after the rear underfloor cargo door opens in mid-flight; all 346 on board die.
March 15 – In the 1974 Sterling Airways Tehran Caravelle accident, a Sterling Airways Sud Aviation Caravelle experienced a landing gear failure at Mehrabad International Airport. The aircraft caught fire and 15 passengers were killed.
April 18 – Court Line Flight 95, a BAC One-Eleven, collides with a Piper Aztec on the runway at London Luton Airport, killing the pilot of the Aztec; there are no casualties on board the One-Eleven, but the aircraft is substantially damaged; the Aztec is written off.
April 22 – Pan Am Flight 812, a Boeing 707-320B, crashes into mountainous terrain 42.5 nautical miles (78.7 km) northwest of Denpasar, Bali. All 107 passengers and crew on board are killed.
September 8 – TWA Flight 841, a Boeing 707, breaks up after a bomb explodes in the cargo hold and plunges into the Ionian Sea, killing all 88 on board.
September 11 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 212, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes on approach to Charlotte, North Carolina; 72 of 82 people on board are killed.
September 15 – Air Vietnam Flight 706, a Boeing 727, is hijacked and crashes in Phan Rang, Vietnam; all 75 on board die.
November 20 – Lufthansa Flight 540 crashes shortly after takeoff in Nairobi, Kenya; 59 of 157 on board are killed in the first crash of a Boeing 747.
December 1 – TWA Flight 514, a Boeing 727 inbound to Dulles International Airport, crashes into Mount Weather in Bluemont, Virginia, killing all 85 passengers and 7 crew.
December 4 – Martinair Flight 138, a Douglas DC-8 on a charter flight, crashes into a mountain shortly before landing, on approach to Katunayake, Sri Lanka, for a refueling stop; killing all aboard – 182 Indonesian hajj pilgrims bound for Mecca, and 9 crew members.
December 22 – Avensa Flight 358, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, suffers dual engine failure after takeoff and crashes near Maturín, Venezuela, killing all 77 on board.

1975[change | change source]

January 9 – Golden West Airlines Flight 261, a De Havilland Twin Otter, collides with a Cessna 150 near Whittier, California, killing all 14 people in both aircraft.
January 30 – Turkish Airlines Flight 345, a Fokker F-28, crashes into the Sea of Marmara after a missed approach; all 42 on board die; the cause is never determined.
March 31 – Western Airlines Flight 470, a Boeing 737, overruns the runway at Casper/Natrona County International Airport and crashes into a ditch; all 99 on board survive.
June 24 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66, a Boeing 727, encounters wind shear on final approach and strikes approach lights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing 112 of 124 people on board.
August 3 – The Agadir air disaster: an Air Maroc-operated Boeing 707 owned by Royal Jordanian Airlines crashes while on approach to Agadir, Morocco due to pilot error; all 188 on board die in the worst ever accident involving the Boeing 707.
August 20- ČSA Flight 540, a Ilyushin Il-62 crashes while on approach to Damascus, Syria. 126 of the 128 passengers and crew on board die in the accident.
August 30 – Wien Air Alaska Flight 99, a Fairchild F-27, crashes into Seuvokuk Mountain, Alaska, while on approach to Gambell Airport, killing 10 of 32 on board.
September 1 – Interflug Flight 1107, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes while on approach to Leipzig, killing 27 of 34 on board.
September 24 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 150, a Fokker F-28 Fellowship, crashes while on approach to Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in foggy weather; 25 of 61 on board die; one person on the ground also dies.
September 30 – Malév Flight 240, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes on approach near Lebanon, killing all 60 people on board.
October 30 – Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 450, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes on approach in Prague suburb, killing 75 of 120 on board.

1976[change | change source]

January 1 – Middle East Airlines Flight 438, a Boeing 720, crashes in Saudi Arabia when a bomb explodes in the forward baggage compartment, killing all 81 people on board.
January 3 – Aeroflot Flight 2003, a Tupolev Tu-124, crashes just after takeoff from Vnukovo Airport due to instrument failure, killing all 61 passengers and crew on board and one person on the ground.
April 27 – American Airlines Flight 625, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, killing 37 of 88 people on board.
June 1 – Aeroflot Flight 418, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes into a mountain side on the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea; all 45 on board die.
June 27 – Air France Flight 139, an Airbus A300, is hijacked from Athens by two Palestinians and two Germans who divert the flight to Libya and then to Uganda, where the plane is met by pro-Palestinian forces from Idi Amin's government; Israeli troops eventually storm the airport in Operation Entebbe, killing hijackers and Ugandan soldiers and freeing all but three of the hostages; Israeli colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of Benjamin Netanyahu, is also killed in the raid.
July 28 – Czechoslovakia Airlines Flight 001, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashes near Bratislava in Czechoslovakia, killing 76 of 78 people on board.
August 15 – SAETA Flight 232, a Vickers Viscount 785D, goes missing mid-route from Quito to Cuenca, Ecuador; all 4 crew members and 55 passengers are killed, but the scene remains undiscovered for over 26 years until February 2003, when climbers on the eastern face of the stratovolcano Chimborazo come upon the site.
September 10 – 1976 Zagreb mid-air collision between British Airways Flight 476, a Hawker Siddeley Trident, and Inex-Adria Flight 330, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, near Zagreb, Yugoslavia, kills all 176 people on board both aircraft.
September 19 – Turkish Airlines Flight 452, a Boeing 727, crashes into a hillside near Karatepe, Turkey, while on approach to Antalya Airport; all 154 passengers and crew die.
October 6 – Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, a Douglas DC-8, is bombed by anti-Castro militants and crashes near Bridgetown, Barbados, killing all 73 people on board.
October 12 – Indian Airlines Flight 171, a Sud Caravelle, crashes while attempting an emergency landing at Bombay Airport; all 95 passengers and crew on board are killed.
November 23 – Olympic Airways Flight 830, a NAMC YS-11A, crashes into a mountain in Greece in low visibility, killing all 50 on board.
December 25 – EgyptAir Flight 864, a Boeing 707, crashes into an industrial complex near Bangkok, Thailand, due to pilot error; all 52 on board are killed as well as another 19 on the ground.

1977[change | change source]

January 15 – Skyline Sweden-operated Linjeflyg Flight 618, a Vickers Viscount 838, crashes in Kälvesta, Sweden, just outside Stockholm, killing all 22 on board.
March 27 – in the Tenerife airport disaster, KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, both Boeing 747s, collide on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport; 583 of 644 people on board both aircraft are killed in the worst accident in the history of commercial aviation.
April 4 – Southern Airways Flight 242, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crash-lands on a highway near New Hope, Georgia, after encountering a dual engine failure in a thunderstorm; 63 of 85 aboard are killed, along with 9 people on the ground.
April 27 – an Aviateca Convair 240 crashes near Guatemala City, Guatemala, due to a maintenance error, killing all 28 people on board.
May 14 – in the 1977 Dan-Air Boeing 707 crash, a Boeing 707 crashes near Lusaka, Zambia, due to structural failure, killing all 6 on board.
May 27 – Aeroflot Flight 331, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashes while on approach to Havana, Cuba, killing 68 out of 70 people on board, plus one person on the ground. It remains the second-worst air accident in Cuba's history.
September 27 – Japan Airlines Flight 715, a Douglas DC-8, flies into a hillside while on approach to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, killing 34 of 79 on board.
September 28 – Japan Airlines Flight 472, a Douglas DC-8, is hijacked after taking off from Mumbai, India, by Japanese Red Army (JRA) terrorists, who force the aircraft to land in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where they demand US$6,000,000 and the release of nine imprisoned JRA members being held in Japan; the Japanese government complies and all of the hostages are eventually released.
October 13 – Lufthansa Flight 181, a Boeing 737, is hijacked by four Palestinian members of the PFLP, who kill the captain; subsequently, German police commandos from GSG 9 storm the aircraft, killing three of the hijackers and capturing the fourth, with no other casualties.
October 20 – in the 1977 Convair CV-300 crash, the airliner chartered by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd runs out of fuel en route to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, crashing five miles (8 km) north of Gillsburg, Mississippi, in a swampy pine forest while trying to reach an alternate airport; band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve and Cassie Gaines, plus assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick and the two pilots of the aircraft, are killed in the accident.
November 19 – TAP Portugal Flight 425, a Boeing 727, overruns the runway at Madeira Airport and plunges over a steep bank, bursting into flames and killing 131 of the 164 people on board.
December 2 – in the 1977 Benghazi Libyan Arab Airlines Tu-154 crash, a Tupolev Tu-154 leased from Balkan Bulgarian Airlines crashes near Benghazi, Libya, due to fuel starvation, killing 59 of 165 on board.
December 4 – Malaysian Airline System Flight 653, a Boeing 737, is hijacked under mysterious circumstances; minutes later, the airliner crashes in a swamp near Tanjung Kupang, Malaysia, at a steep angle, killing all 100 people aboard.
December 17 – United Airlines Flight 2860, a Douglas DC-8, crashes in the Wasatch Range in Utah, killing the three crew on board.
December 18 – SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 10R, crashes into the sea while on final approach to Madeira Airport, killing 36 people.

1978[change | change source]

January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashes into the Arabian Sea as a result of instrument malfunction and pilot error; all 213 passengers and crew die.
February 11 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200, from Edmonton crashes at Cranbrook Airport after one thrust reverser did not fully stow following an aborted landing, killing 42 of the 48 people on board.
March 1 – Continental Airlines Flight 603, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashes on takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport after a tire blows on the left main landing gear, causing it to collapse; of 200 on board, two die at the time and two others die of their injuries three months later.
March 3 - A Línea Aeropostal Venezolana Hawker Siddeley HS 748 crashes on departure from Simón Bolívar International Airport, Venezuela; all 46 on board are killed.
March 16 – In the 1978 Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-134 crash, a Tupolev Tu-134 crashes near the village of Gabare, Bulgaria, killing all 73 people on board.
April 20 – Korean Air Lines Flight 902, a Boeing 707, is shot down by Soviet fighter planes; the plane crash-lands near the Soviet Union's border with Finland; two of the 109 people on board are killed, the rest are subsequently released.
May 8 – National Airlines Flight 193, a Boeing 727, lands short on approach to Pensacola, Florida, United States, in Escambia Bay, as a result of pilot error; three passengers out of fifty-eight people on board drown.
June 26 – Air Canada Flight 189, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes on takeoff in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, because of tire failure; Two of the 107 passengers and crew on board die.
June 26 – Helikopter Service Flight 165, a Sikorsky S-61, crashes into the North Sea while en route to Statfjord oil field due to fatigue failure of a rotor, killing all 18 on board.
August 30 – In the LOT Flight 165 hijacking, two East German citizens hijack a Tupolev Tu-134, and force it to land at Tempelhof Airport; there are no casualties to the 63 passengers on board.
September 3 – Air Rhodesia Flight 825 from Kariba to Salisbury is shot down by a SA-7 surface-to-air missile; eighteen of the fifty-six passengers initially survive the emergency landing, 10 are subsequently killed by Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) militants.
September 25 – PSA Flight 182, a Boeing 727, collides with a Cessna 172 over San Diego, California, United States; all 135 aboard the airliner, both pilots of the Cessna, and 7 people on the ground are killed, making this the worst aviation disaster in California history, and the deadliest mid-air collision in North America.
November 15 – Icelandic Airlines Flight LL 001, a Douglas DC-8 on a charter flight, crashes into a coconut plantation while on approach to Katunayake, Sri Lanka, for a refueling stop; 183 out of 262 people on board are killed.
December 23 – Alitalia Flight 4128, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea when on approach to Palermo International Airport in Palermo, Italy. Of the 129 passengers and crew, 108 are dead.
December 28 – United Airlines Flight 173, a Douglas DC-8, runs out of fuel while circling near Portland, Oregon, United States, as the crew investigates a light indicating a problem with the landing gear; the plane crashes in a suburban area damaging two unoccupied houses, killing 10 and injuring 24 of the 181 on board.

1979[change | change source]

January 30 – Varig Flight 967, a Boeing 707 bound for Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, disappears over the Pacific Ocean 125 miles (201 km) after takeoff from Narita International Airport; the cause for the disappearance remains unknown, as neither survivors (6-man flight crew) nor wreckage have ever been found.
February 12 – Air Rhodesia Flight 827, a Vickers Viscount on a flight between Kariba and Salisbury, is shot down by Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army militants using a SA-7 (Strela 2) surface-to-air missile shortly after take off in similar circumstances to Flight 825 five month earlier; all 55 passengers and 4 crew are killed.
March 13 – Alia Royal Jordanian Flight 600 crashes following a missed approach at Doha International Airport, Qatar; 44 of the 64 on board are killed.
March 17 – Aeroflot Flight 1691, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashes near Vnukovo International Airport while attempting to make an emergency landing after a fire alarm is reported, killing 58 of 119 on board.
March 29 – Quebecair Flight 255, a Fairchild F-27 bound for Montreal, crashes minutes after takeoff from Quebec City as it was attempting to return to the airport following the explosion of its number 2 engine, killing 17 of the 24 people on board.
April 4 – TWA Flight 841, a Boeing 727, goes into a dive over Saginaw, Michigan, following the loss of the number 7 slat; despite the loss of 34,000 feet (10,000 m) in altitude within 63 seconds, all 89 passengers and crew survive an emergency landing at Detroit after the first officer regains control of the plane at 5,000 feet (1,500 m).
May 25 – American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashes upon takeoff from O'Hare International Airport after its left engine becomes detached from the wing, killing all 271 on board and 2 on the ground in the worst single-aircraft accident on U.S. soil.
June 17 – Air New England Flight 248, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashes near Camp Greenough, Massachusetts, while on approach to Barnstable Municipal Airport, killing the pilot.
July 11 – A Garuda Indonesia Fokker F28 strikes a volcano on approach to Medan Airport, Indonesia, killing all 61 on board.
July 31 – Dan-Air Flight 0034, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, fails to become airborne at Sumburgh Airport, Scotland, due to a maintenance error, killing 17 of 44 on board.
August 11 – The 1979 Dniprodzerzhynsk mid-air collision between two Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134s kills 178.
October 8 – Swissair Flight 316 crashes after overrunning the runway at Athens-Ellinikon International Airport, killing 14 of the 154 passengers and crew on board.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, strikes a vehicle on a closed runway in dense fog at Mexico City, Mexico; 72 die.
November 15 – American Airlines Flight 444, a Boeing 727, takes off with a bomb planted in the cargo hold by the Unabomber. The bomb fails to detonate, giving off large quantities of smoke. Twelve passengers are treated for smoke inhalation, but all 78 on board survive.
November 26 – PIA Flight 740, a Boeing 707, crashes after a fire in the cabin in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; all 145 passengers and 11 crew die.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, collides with Mount Erebus, Antarctica, during a sightseeing flight, killing all 257 people on board; this crash is also known as the Mount Erebus Disaster.
December 23 – A Turkish Airlines Fokker F28 crashes into a hillside near Kuyumcuköy, Ankara, Turkey, while on approach to Esenboğa Airport; of the 45 on board, only 4 survive.

1980[change | change source]

January 21 – Iran Air Flight 291, a Boeing 727, crashes into the Alborz Mountains near Tehran, Iran, amid a snowstorm on approach to Mehrabad International Airport; of the 128 people on board, no one survives.
February 21 – Advance Airlines Flight 4210, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200, crashes shortly after takeoff from Sydney Airport, following failure of one engine due to water in the fuel, killing all 13 people on board.
March 14 – LOT Flight 7, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashes near Warsaw, Poland, after the No. 2 engine disintegrates and severs the elevator and rudder control lines; all 87 on board are killed.
April 12 – Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes into a hill near Florianópolis, Brazil, killing 55 of 58 on board.
April 25 – Dan-Air Flight 1008, a Boeing 727, crashes into a mountain near Tenerife, Spain, killing all 138 passengers and 8 crew on board.
April 27 – Thai Airways Flight 231, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, crashes while on approach to Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand, in severe weather, killing 44 of 53 on board.
June 27 – Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Italy, killing all 81 people on board.
July 7 – Aeroflot Flight 4227, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes shortly after takeoff from Almaty International Airport, killing all 163 people on board.
August 19 – Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, lands at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when a fire breaks out on board; the evacuation of the plane is delayed and all 301 on board die.
September 12 – In the Florida Commuter Airlines crash, a Douglas DC-3 ditches into the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, killing all 34 on board.
November 19 – Korean Air Flight 015, a Boeing 747, crashes on landing at Gimpo International Airport. 15 of the 226 passengers and crew on board are killed.
November 21 – Continental Micronesia Flight 614, a Boeing 727 with 73 on board, crashes on landing at Yap International Airport; all on board survive.
December 22 – Saudia Flight 162, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, suffers an explosive decompression over Qatar, killing two passengers who are blown out of the aircraft; the cause is traced to a fatigue failure of a main landing gear wheel flange.

1981[change | change source]

March 28 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 206, a Douglas DC-9, is hijacked by Komando Jihad, the pilot is killed; all others survive.
May 2 – Aer Lingus Flight 164, a Boeing 737, is hijacked while on approach to London Heathrow Airport. The hijacker demanded to be taken to Iran. The plane landed at Le Touquet – Côte d'Opale Airport. After a nearly 10-hour stand-off the hijacker was arrested. All 108 survived.
May 7 – Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 901, a BAC One-Eleven, crashes near Aeroparque Jorge Newbery after losing control in a thunderstorm, killing all 31 on board.
June 26 – Dan-Air Flight 240, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, crashes near Nailstone, Leicestershire, due to failure of the baggage door, causing rapid decompression and loss of control; all 3 crew on board die.
July 20 – Somali Airlines Flight 40, a Fokker F27 Friendship, crashes shortly after takeoff from Mogadishu International Airport. All 50 passengers and crew on board are killed.
July 27 – Aeromexico Flight 230, a DC-9, makes a hard landing at Chihuahua Airport, breaks up and a fire breaks out, killing 32 of the 66 people on board.
August 13 – In the G-ASWI North Sea ditching, a Bristow Helicopters Westland Wessex suffers engine failure and ditches in the North Sea, killing all 13 on board.
August 22 – Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103, a Boeing 737, disintegrates during flight and crashes near Taipei, Taiwan; severe corrosion in the fuselage structure leads to explosive decompression and disintegration at high altitude; all 110 on board are killed.
August 24 – Aeroflot Flight 811, an Antonov An-24, collides in mid-air with a Soviet Air Force Tupolev Tu-16 over the Zavitinsky District, Russia, killing 31 of 32 on board the An-24 and all six on board the Tu-16.
August 26 – Aeropesca Colombia Flight 221, a Vickers Viscount, flies into Mount Santa Elena, killing all 50 people on board.
October 6 – NLM CityHopper Flight 431, a Fokker F28 Fellowship, is destroyed in flight by a tornado near Rotterdam, killing all 17 people on board.
November 17 – Aeroflot Flight 3603, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes while attempting to land at Noril'sk Airport due to crew error and CFIT, killing 99 of the 167 passengers and crew on board.
December 1 – Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81, crashes in the mountains while approaching Campo dell'Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica, killing all 180 on board.

1982[change | change source]

January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737, crashes into the frozen Potomac River after takeoff from Washington National Airport, Virginia, United States; five on board survive; 74 on board and 4 on the ground die, including one initial survivor who dies after ensuring that the other crash survivors are rescued from the frozen river.
January 23 – World Airways Flight 30, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, overshoots the runway at Boston, Massachusetts, United States; two passengers are reported missing.
February 9 – Japan Airlines Flight 350, a Douglas DC-8-61, crashes on approach to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Japan; of the 166 passengers and 8 crew, 24 passengers are killed.
March 11 – Widerøe Flight 933, a de Havilland Canada Twin Otter, crashes into the Barents Sea near Mehamn, killing all 15 on board; this accident sparked conspiracy theories in Norway.
March 20 – In the 1982 Garuda Fokker F28 crash, the Fokker F28 overruns the runway in bad weather at Tanjung Karang-Branti Airport; all 27 are killed when the aircraft bursts into flames.
March 26 – Aeropesca Colombia Flight 217, a Vickers Viscount, hits a mountain in Colombia; all 21 on board are killed.
April 26 – CAAC Flight 3303, a Hawker Siddeley Trident, crashes into a mountain near Yangsuo while on approach to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, China, in heavy weather; all 112 on board die.
June 8 – VASP Flight 168, a Boeing 727, crashes into a hillside in Brazil, killing all 137 on board.
June 12 – A TABA Fairchild FH-227 crashes at Tabatinga Airport, Brazil; all 44 on board are killed.
June 21 – Air India Flight 403, a Boeing 707, crashes at Sahar International Airport in Bombay, India, while landing during a heavy rainstorm; 15 of 99 passengers and 2 of 12 crew are killed.
June 24 – British Airways Flight 9, a Boeing 747-200, flies through a cloud of volcanic ash south of Java; all engines fail in flight, forcing the plane to glide; the crew is able to restart the engines and make a safe landing.
June 28 – Aeroflot Flight 8641, a Yakovlev Yak-42, breaks-up in mid-air and crashes near Mozyr, Belarus due to a failure in the jackscrew mechanism caused by metal fatigue, killing all 132 on board in the first loss of and the deadliest accident involving the Yak-42. The crash remains the worst in Belarus.
July 6 – Aeroflot Flight 411, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashes after takeoff from Sheremetyevo International Airport; all 90 on board are killed.
July 9 – Pan Am Flight 759, a Boeing 727, crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, United States, shortly after takeoff; all 145 on board and 8 people on the ground are killed.
September 1 – An Aerolíneas Cóndor de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou flies into high ground in the Andes, Ecuador; all 44 on board are killed.
September 13 – Spantax Flight 995, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, is destroyed by a fire after an aborted takeoff at Málaga Airport, Spain; 50 of the 294 on board die.
December 9 – Aeronor Flight 304, a Fairchild F-27, crashes near La Florida Airport, Chile; all 46 on board are killed.
December 24 – CAAC Flight 2311, a Ilyushin Il-18B, catches fire before landing at Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou, China, resulting 25 deaths of 69 on board though it successfully lands on the runway.

1983[change | change source]

January 16 – Turkish Airlines Flight 158, a Boeing 727, lands about 50 metres (160 ft) short of the runway at Ankara Esenboğa Airport, Turkey, in driving snow, breaks up and catches fire; 47 passengers are killed, all seven crew and 13 passengers survive the accident with injuries.
March 11 – In the 1983 Avensa Douglas DC-9 crash, a Douglas DC-9 crashes at Barquisimeto Airport, Venezuela, killing 22 passengers and one crew.
May 5 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 855,a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, loses power from all engines 30 minutes after takeoff from Miami International Airport; the pilot is able to return to Miami after restarting one engine; no casualties are reported on board.
June 2 – Air Canada Flight 797, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, catches fire during flight over Kentucky; 23 of 46 passengers die from smoke inhalation even after the crew successfully lands the aircraft in Cincinnati, Ohio.
July 11 – A TAME Boeing 737-200 crashes into a hill near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 on board.
July 16 – A British Airways Sikorsky S-61 helicopter crashes into the sea off the Isles of Scilly; 20 of 26 people on board die, in the worst helicopter accident in the United Kingdom to this date and results in a review of helicopter safety.
July 23 – Air Canada Flight 143, a Boeing 767, runs out of fuel above Manitoba because of a miscalculation; the crew successfully glides the aircraft to a safe landing at a former Air Force base (and current drag strip) at Gimli, Manitoba; the aircraft becomes known as the Gimli Glider.
August 30 – Aeroflot Flight 5463, a Tupolev Tu-134A, crashes into a mountain while approaching Alma-Ata Airport, killing all 90 on board.
September 1 – Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a Boeing 747, is shot down by Soviet fighter planes near Sakhalin and Moneron Island after straying into Soviet airspace; all 269 people on board are killed.
September 23 – Gulf Air Flight 771, a Boeing 737, crashes near Mina Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, after a bomb planted by the Abu Nidal Organization detonates on board; all 112 people on board perish.
October 11 – Air Illinois Flight 710, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, crashes near Pinckneyville, Illinois, due to electrical problems. All 10 passengers and crew on board are killed.
November 8 – A TAAG Angola Airlines Boeing 737 is shot down just after takeoff from Lubango Airport; all 130 on board die.
November 18 – Aeroflot Flight 6833, a Tupolev Tu-134, is hijacked by seven Georgians attempting to defect from the Soviet Union; the aircraft is stormed by Alpha Group who arrest four hijackers; three are executed while the fourth receives a jail sentence; of the 71 on board (including the hijackers), eight die; the aircraft is written off.
November 27 – Avianca Flight 011, a Boeing 747, strikes a hill because of a navigational error while attempting to land in Madrid, Spain; of the 192 passengers and crew aboard, 11 survive.
December 7 – In the Madrid runway disaster, an Iberia Boeing 727 collides with an Aviaco McDonnell Douglas DC-9 on a runway at Madrid–Barajas Airport; 51 people aboard the Boeing 727 and all 42 people aboard the DC-9 are killed.
December 18 – Malaysian Airline System Flight 684, a Airbus A300 crashes at Kuala Lumpur Airport in Malaysia. There are no fatalities of the 247 people on board.
December 20 – Ozark Air Lines Flight 650, a DC-9, collides with a snow plow in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; all on board survive, however the driver of the snow plow is killed.

1984[change | change source]

January 10 – A Balkan Bulgarian Tupolev Tu-134 crashed into a forest near Sofia, Bulgaria, during a snowstorm killing all 50 people on board.
March 22 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501, a Boeing 737, suffers an uncontained engine failure during takeoff from Calgary; all passengers and crew are safely evacuated, but the plane burns to the ground.
August 5 - A Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27-600 crashed into a marsh near Zia International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh while landing in poor weather. With a total death toll of 49 people, it is the deadliest aviation disaster to occur on Bangladeshi soil.
August 30 – Cameroon Airlines Flight 786, a Boeing 737, with 109 passengers and 7 crew on board, suffers an uncontained engine failure during taxi for takeoff at the Douala, Cameroon airport, starting a fire; two people die as the plane burns to the ground.
October 11 – Aeroflot Flight 3352, a Tupolev Tu-154B, crashes on landing at Tsentralny Airport, Omsk, Russia. One hundred and seventy-four passengers and four people on the ground perish in the crash.
December 6 – PBA Flight 1039, an Embraer 110 Bandeirante with 13 passengers and crew on board, crashes on takeoff at Jacksonville, Florida, killing all aboard.
December 23 – Aeroflot Flight 3519, a Tupolev Tu-154B, crashes at Krasnoyarsk Airport while attempting an emergency landing following an engine fire, killing 110 of 111 on board.

1985[change | change source]

January 1 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 980, a Boeing 727, impacts Mount Illimani in Bolivia, killing all 29 people on board.
January 21 – Galaxy Airlines Flight 203, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashes shortly after takeoff from Reno-Cannon International Airport in Reno, Nevada, due to an improperly secured air start door, killing all but one of the 71 people on board.
February 1 – Aeroflot Flight 7841, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes 6.2 miles east of Minsk National Airport after both engines failed due to ice ingestion, killing 58 of 80 on board.
February 19 – China Airlines Flight 006, a Boeing 747SP en route from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, suffers an engine flameout off the coast of California and dives 30,000 feet (9,100 m) before regaining control and landing safely at San Francisco International Airport.
February 19 – Iberia Airlines Flight 610, a Boeing 727, crashes into a television broadcast antenna installed on the summit of Monte Oiz while approaching Bilbao Airport, Spain, killing all 141 passengers and 7 crew on board.
May 3 – Aeroflot Flight 8381, a Tupolev Tu-134, collides with a Soviet Air Force Antonov An-26; both aircraft crash near Zolochev, Ukraine, killing all 94 on board both aircraft.
June 14 – TWA Flight 847, a Boeing 727, is hijacked by Lebanese militants; one passenger is murdered during the three-day ordeal.
June 21 – Braathens SAFE Flight 139, a Boeing 737, is hijacked by Stein Arvid Huseby, who demands to make a political statement; all crew and passengers survive.
June 23 – Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 en route from Montréal–Mirabel International Airport to London Heathrow Airport, is destroyed over the Atlantic Ocean near Ireland by a bomb planted by Sikh extremists, killing all 329 people on board.
July 10 – Aeroflot Flight 7425, a Tupolev Tu-154B, stalls while cruising at 38,000 ft (11,582 m) and enters an unrecoverable spin, killing all 200 aboard.
August 2 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, crashes on approach to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport because of wind shear from a sudden microburst thunderstorm; of the 163 passengers and crew aboard, 26 survive.
August 12 – Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, crashes into Mount Osutaka after catastrophic failure of the pressure hull severs all hydraulic lines and renders the aircraft uncontrollable, killing 520 of 524 people on board. To date, it is the worst single-aircraft disaster in history.
August 22 – British Airtours Flight 28M, a Boeing 737, aborts its takeoff from Manchester Airport, England, because of an engine fire; while 82 passengers and crew escape alive, 55 are killed, most from smoke inhalation.
August 25 – Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808, a Beech 99, crashes near Auburn, Maine, United States, killing all eight people on board.
September 4 – In the 1985 Bakhtar Afghan Airlines Antonov An-26 shootdown, an Antonov An-26 is shot down over Afghanistan, killing all 52 people on board.
September 6 – Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes shortly after takeoff from General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, because of engine failure and pilot error, killing all 31 people on board.
November 23 – EgyptAir Flight 648, a Boeing 737, is hijacked by Palestinian militants. Egyptian special forces storm the plane on the island of Malta. The incident kills 58 out of 90 passengers and all but one of the hijackers.
December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a Douglas DC-8, crashes shortly after takeoff from Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, killing all 256 passengers and crew on board, making it the worst air disaster to occur on Canadian soil to date.
December 19 – Yakutsk United Air Group Flight 101/435, an Antonov An-24, is hijacked by the co-pilot en route from Takhtamygda to Chita and diverted to China. The aircraft lands safely at Qiqihar Airport with no casualties to the 51 on board.

1986[change | change source]

AeroMéxico Flight 498 falling to the ground immediately after a mid-air collision with a Piper Cherokee.

March 31 – Mexicana Flight 940, a Boeing 727, crashes into high ground near Santiago Maravatío, Mexico. All 167 passengers and crew are killed in the worst ever air disaster involving the Boeing 727.
April 2 – TWA Flight 840, a Boeing 727, is bombed by Palestinian militants, killing four of the 121 people on board, the plane manages to land safely in Athens.
May 3 – Air Lanka Flight 512, a Lockheed L-1011, is bombed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, killing 21 of 148 on board.
May 3 – China Airlines Flight 334, a Boeing 747, is hijacked by the Pilot. The Pilot subdue the two other crew members and changed heading to land in Guangzhou. All 3 on board survived.
June 18 – Grand Canyon Airlines Flight 6, a De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, collides with a Bell 206 helicopter over the Tonto Plateau, killing all 25 on board both aircraft.
July 2 – Aeroflot Flight 2306, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes near Syktyvkar, Russia, while attempting an emergency landing following a fire in the cargo hold, killing 54 of 92 on board.
August 31 – In the 1986 Cerritos mid-air collision, Aeroméxico Flight 498, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, collides with a Piper Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft and 15 people on the ground.
September 5 – Pan Am Flight 73, a Boeing 747, is hijacked on the ground at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan, by Palestinian militants. Twenty people die after a shootout occurs inside the plane.
October 20 – Aeroflot Flight 6502, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes in Kuybyshev (now Samara), Russia, due to pilot error, killing 70 of 94 people on board.
November 6 – In the 1986 British International Helicopters Chinook crash, a Boeing 234LR Chinook crashes on approach to Sumburgh Airport, Shetland Islands; of 47 people on board, 45 perish.
December 12 – Aeroflot Flight 892, a Tupolev Tu-134A, crashes near Schonefeld Airport, East Berlin after the crew misunderstands instructions from ATC, killing 72 of 82 on board; two initially survive, but die later.
December 25 – Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737, is hijacked by Hezbollah militants while en route to Amman, Jordan. A confrontation with security forces causes the plane to crash, killing 63 of the 106 people on board.

1987[change | change source]

January 3 – Varig Flight 797, a Boeing 707, crashes near Abidjan because of engine failure. Out of the 52 passengers and crew on board, there was only 1 survivor.
January 15 – Skywest Airlines Flight 1834, a Swearingen Metro II, collides in mid-air with a private Mooney M-20 near Salt Lake City, killing all 10 on board both aircraft.
January 16 – Aeroflot Flight 505, a Yakovlev Yak-40, crashes into the ground at Tashkent, Uzbekistan, after encountering a wake vortex from an Ilyushin Il-76 that had taken off one and a half minutes earlier, killing all nine on board.
March 4 – Northwest Airlink Flight 2268, a CASA 212, crashes while attempting to land at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Michigan, killing 9 of the 19 passengers and crew on board.
April 4 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 035, a Douglas DC-9, crashes while on approach to Medan Airport; 23 of 45 on board die.
May 8 – American Eagle Flight 5452, a CASA C-212, crashes while landing at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, due to maintenance issues and pilot error. All four passengers survived, both crew are killed.
May 9 – LOT Flight 5055, an Ilyushin Il-62M, crashes near Warsaw during landing because of engine failure. All 183 passengers and crew members perish in the accident.
June 19 – Aeroflot Flight 528, a Yakovlev Yak-40, overruns the runway on landing at Berdyansk, Ukraine, killing 8 of 29 on board.
June 27 – Philippine Airlines Flight 206, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, crashes on the slopes of Mount Ugo, Benguet, as it begins its approach to Loakan Airport in Baguio City; all 50 passengers and crew are killed. Poor visibility is blamed for the crash.
August 16 – Northwest Airlines Flight 255, an McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes on takeoff from Detroit as a result of pilot error. Of 155 on board, 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan is the only survivor. 2 people on the ground in a car also were killed.
August 31 – Thai Airways Flight 365, a Boeing 737, crashes into the ocean off the coast of Thailand as a result of pilot error. All 83 passengers and crew perish.
October 15 - Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 460, a ATR 42-312, crashed into a mountain 15 minutes after take off. Pilot error. All 37 on board perish.
November 15 – Continental Airlines Flight 1713, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes on takeoff during a snowstorm at Denver's Stapleton International Airport, killing 25 passengers and 3 crew.
November 28 – South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747, crashes into the Indian Ocean after a fire in the cargo hold. All 159 aboard die.
November 29 – Korean Air Flight 858, a Boeing 707, crashes into the Andaman Sea after a bomb explodes on board. All 115 people on board are killed.
December 7 – Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771, a BAe 146, is hijacked and deliberately crashes near Cayucos, California, by a disgruntled airline employee. All 43 people on board, including the hijacker, are killed.
December 13 – Philippine Airlines Flight 443, a Shorts 360-300, crashes into Mt. Gurain on the island of Mindanao. All 15 passengers and crew on board are killed.

1988[change | change source]

January 2 – Condor Flight 3782, a Boeing 737, crashes into a mountain near Seferihisar, Turkey, due to a navigation error, killing all 16 on board.
January 18 – China Southwest Airlines Flight 4146, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashes while on approach to Chongqing Airport in China. All 108 passengers and crew on board are killed.
January 19 - Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286, a Swearingen SA.227AC Metro III, crashes while on approach to Durango-La Plata Airport. Nine of the 17 passengers and crew on board are killed.
February 19 – AVAir Flight 3378, a Swearingen Metroliner III, crashes on take off from Raleigh-Durham Airport due to pilot error, killing all 12 on board.
March 4 – TAT Flight 230, a Fairchild FH-227, crashes near Fontainebleau, France, killing all 23 on board; an electrical problem is suspected.
March 17 – Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727, crashes into terrain near Cúcuta, Colombia after takeoff as a result of pilot error. All 142 people on board die.
April 5 – Kuwait Airways Flight 422, a Boeing 747, is hijacked (by Lebanese guerillas demanding the release of Shi'ite prisoners held by Kuwait) en route from Bangkok to Kuwait, leading to a hostage crisis lasting 16 days and encompassing three continents. The flight, initially forced to land at Mashhad in northeastern Iran, travels 3,200 miles to Larnaca (Cyprus) and finally to Algiers. 2 passengers are shot dead by the hijackers. The remainder of the 112 passengers and crew, including three members of the Kuwaiti royal family, are eventually released and the hijackers allowed to leave Algeria.
April 28 – Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737, suffers explosive decompression during flight but manages to land safely. Of 95 people on board, one flight attendant is blown out of the plane and killed, and several passengers are injured.
May 6 – Widerøe Flight 710, a Dash 7, crashes in Torghatten, Norway, in thick fog, killing all 36 passengers in the worst-ever Dash 7 accident.
May 24 – TACA Flight 110, a Boeing 737, suffers dual engine failure due to water ingestion; the aircraft lands safely at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans; all on board survive.
June 12 – Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 46, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes short of the runway at Libertador General Jose de San Martin Airport, killing all 22 on board.
June 26 – Air France Flight 296, an Airbus A320, makes a low pass over Mulhouse-Habsheim Airport in landing configuration during an air show and crashes into trees at the end of the runway. Of 130 passengers aboard, 3 die.
July 3 – Iran Air Flight 655, an Airbus A300, is shot down over Iranian waters by the missile cruiser USS Vincennes; all 290 people on board are killed.
July 13 – The 1988 British International Helicopters Sikorsky S-61N crash: a Sikorsky S-61 ditches in the North Sea due to an engine fire; all 21 on board survive.
August 31 – CAAC Flight 301, a Hawker Siddeley Trident operating a Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport flight, runs off the runway. 7 of the 89 passengers and crew on board are killed.
August 31 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1141, a Boeing 727, crashes on takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as a result of pilot error; of 108 people on board, 12 passengers and two crew members are killed.
September 9 – Vietnam Airlines Flight 831, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashes on approach to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. 76 of the 90 passengers and crew on board are killed.
September 15 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 604, a Boeing 737, crashes on takeoff after suffering multiple bird strikes; 35 of 98 passengers die, all 6 crew survive.
October 17 – Uganda Airlines Flight 775 crashes while attempting to land at Roma-Fiumicino Airport. 33 of the 52 passengers and crew on board are killed.
October 19 – Indian Airlines Flight 113, a Boeing 737, crashes on approach 2.6 km short of the runway in poor visibility in Ahmedabad, India, killing 133 of the 135 people on board.
November 2 – LOT Flight 703, an Antonov An-24, crashes on approach to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, killing one passenger, all others survive.
December 21 – Pan Am Flight 103, a Boeing 747, disintegrates in the air over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, after a terrorist bomb explodes on board. All 259 people on board and 11 on the ground are killed. The incident is also known as the Lockerbie air disaster.

1989[change | change source]

January 8 – British Midland Flight 92, a Boeing 737, crashes near Kegworth, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, after one of its engines loses a fan blade and fails. Of the 118 passengers and 8 crew, 79 survive. The incident became known as the Kegworth air disaster and is the first loss of a Boeing 737-400.
February 8 – Independent Air Flight 1851, a Boeing 707, crashes into a hill on approach to Santa Maria, the Azores. All 144 people on board are killed.
February 19 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 66, a Boeing 747 crashes near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on approach to land, killing all four on board. The crash is caused by miscommunication between ATC and the crew.

February 24 – United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747, suffers an explosive decompression shortly after takeoff from Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, caused by a cargo door that burst open during flight. Of 355 people on board, nine passengers are blown out of the plane, but the crew manage to land safely at Honolulu.
March 10 – Air Ontario Flight 1363, a Fokker F28, crashes immediately after takeoff from Dryden, Ontario, Canada, because of ice on the wings, killing 24 of 69 people on board.
June 7 – Surinam Airways Flight 764, a Douglas DC-8, crashes while attempting to land in heavy fog at Paramaribo, Suriname. The plane hits trees and flips upside down, killing 176 of 187 people on board.
July 19 – United Airlines Flight 232, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, suffers a complete hydraulic system failure over Iowa, United States, after the tail-mounted engine disintegrates. The crew maintains partial control of the aircraft using differential throttle, bringing it to a crash landing on the runway of the Sioux City, Iowa, airport. Of the 296 people on board, 111 die.
July 27 – Korean Air Flight 803, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashes while attempting to land in heavy fog at Tripoli, Libya. 75 of the 199 passengers and crew on board plus 4 people on the ground are killed in the accident.
August 3 – Olympic Aviation Flight 545, a Shorts 330-220, crashes into Mount Kerkis in Greece. All 34 passengers and crew on board are killed.
August 25 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, a Fokker F27, disappears on a flight with 54 on board; the wreckage has never been found.
September 3 – Cubana de Aviación Flight 9646, an Ilyushin Il-62M, crashes while trying to take off from José Martí International Airport in Havana, Cuba. All 126 people on board the aircraft plus 45 people on the ground are killed in the crash.
September 3 – Varig Flight 254, a Boeing 737, runs out of fuel because of incorrect navigation and crashes in the Brazilian jungle, killing 13 of the 54 people on board.
September 8 – Partnair Flight 394, a Convair 580, crashes into the North Sea after its tail section falls off in mid-air. All 55 people on board perish. The disaster is blamed on counterfeit aircraft parts.
September 19 – UTA Flight 772, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, explodes in mid-air over the Sahara desert when a bomb hidden in its forward cargo hold detonates. All 170 people on board are killed. Responsibility for the bombing is later traced back to Abdullah Senussi, the brother-in-law of Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, whose government in 2003 agrees to pay compensation to the victims.
September 20 – USAir Flight 5050, a Boeing 737, overruns the runway after a tire on a nosewheel bursts; two passengers die.
October 21 – Tan-Sahsa Flight 414, a Boeing 727, crashes into a mountain known as Cerro de Hula near Tegucigalpa, Honduras, due to pilot error; 127 of 146 on board die.
October 26 – China Airlines Flight 204, a Boeing 737, crashes into the Chia Shan mountain range after takeoff from Hualien Airport due to pilot error; all 54 on board perish.
November 27 – Avianca Flight 203, a Boeing 727, explodes in mid-air over Colombia, killing all 107 people on board and three people on the ground. The Medellín Cartel claimed responsibility for the attack.
December 15 – KLM Flight 867, a Boeing 747 flying from Amsterdam to Anchorage, Alaska, flies through a cloud of volcanic debris, subsequently losing power from all four engines. The crew is able to restart the engines and land the plane safely.

Related pages[change | change source]