New Delhi: Over 35 people have died in the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that occurred near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25. The Embraer 190 jet travelled from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia. The plane was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members.
Several plane crashes have hit the aviation industry, some of which shocked and killed many. The worst crash happened at the airport, which killed 583 people. The incident occurred at the airport disaster in Tenerife, an island in Spain, on March 27, 1977. It is still one of the worst aviation disasters in the history. This article looks at the eight worst plane crashes in aviation history that shook the world.
Worst Plane Crashes in Aviation History
Tenerife airport disaster (Fatalities: 583)
Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Fatalities: 520)
Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 (Fatalities: 349)
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (Fatalities: 346)
Air India Flight 182 (Fatalities: 329)
Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 163 (Fatalities: 301)
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (Fatalities: 298)
Iran Air Flight 655 (Fatalities: 290)
Tenerife airport disaster
The Tenerife airport disaster on March 27, 1977, is still the worst aviation accident in terms of passenger fatalities. A KLM Boeing 747 collided with a taxiing Pan Am 747 at Los Rodeos Airport in Spain, killing 583 people. All 234 people on the KLM flight and 335 out of 396 on the Pan Am flight died. The KLM captain mistakenly thought he had clearance for takeoff, which was the leading cause of the accident. Contributing factors included a terrorist incident that led to many flights being diverted to a small airport and dense fog. This disaster prompted major air traffic control communication changes and flight crew training to prevent similar accidents.
Japan Airlines Flight 123
Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashed on August 12, 1985, killing 520 people. This accident has the highest number of fatalities for a single aircraft. The Boeing 747 experienced an explosive decompression due to a poorly repaired aft pressure bulkhead. This failure occurred mid-flight and destroyed most of the tail, cutting off all hydraulic lines, which made the plane almost uncontrollable. The pilots managed to keep the plane flying for 32 minutes after the failure before it crashed into a mountain. All 15 crew members and 505 of the 509 passengers died. It was discovered that there were no survivors, which delayed the rescue operation. However, the medical teams later found that several passengers likely survived the impact. However, four passengers survived the crash.
Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907
On November 12, 1996, Saudia Flight 763, a Boeing 747, collided mid-air with Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76, over Charkhi Dadri, near Delhi, India. The accident happened because the Kazakh pilot flew lower than the assigned altitude. All 349 people on both planes died. This remains the deadliest mid-air collision in history without any survivors. The Ramesh Chandra Lahoti Commission investigated the causes and suggested creating the “semi-circular rule” to stop aircraft from flying in opposite directions at the same altitude. India’s Civil Aviation Authorities made it a requirement for all planes flying to and from India to have a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).
Turkish Airlines Flight 981
On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed in a forest northeast of Paris, France. The plane flew to London and crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly airport. All 346 people on board died. Investigators found that the cargo door came off, which caused the cabin to lose pressure quickly. This sudden change led to the floor above collapsing. The collapse severed the control cables, leaving the pilots unable to control the elevators, the rudder, and one of the engines. As a result, the plane went into a steep dive and crashed.
Air India Flight 182
On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 flying from Toronto and Montreal to London and Delhi, crashed off the southwest coast of Ireland after a bomb went off in the cargo hold. All 329 people on board, including 307 passengers and 22 crew members, died. One passenger checked in under the name “M Singh”. However, Singh did not get on the flight, yet his suitcase with the bomb was loaded onto the plane. “M Singh” was never found or identified. An extremist group carried out the bombing. At that time, this was the deadliest terrorist attack involving an aeroplane.
Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 163
On August 19, 1980, Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011, was involved in the deadliest aviation accident that did not include a crash. After a fire started in the back baggage area, the crew had to land the plane in Riyadh. The fire spread through the ceiling and into the passenger cabin. Although the crew landed the aircraft safely, the captain did not stop right away to order everyone to leave. Instead, he taxied off the runway. By that time, all 301 passengers and crew had lost consciousness from the smoke and could not open any doors to get out. They all died from suffocation. Afterwards, the aircraft caught fire and was completely destroyed.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777-200ER, was shot down over Eastern Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board, including 283 passengers and 15 crew members, died. The crew were all Malaysians, and most passengers were from the Netherlands. After the crash, Igor Girkin, the leader of a separatist militia, claimed responsibility for shooting down a Ukrainian military transport plane in a social media post but later removed it.
Iran Air Flight 655
On July 3, 1988, Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down by two missiles from the USS Vincennes, a US Navy guided missile cruiser, over the Strait of Hormuz. All 290 people on board died. A series of mistakes led the crew of the USS Vincennes to identify the airliner as an Iranian fighter jet mistakenly.
This article recounts eight of the deadliest plane crashes in aviation history, detailing each tragedy’s circumstances, casualties, and lasting impacts. From the Tenerife airport disaster, the deadliest single event, to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the article highlights the devastating consequences of both accidents and acts of terrorism, underscoring crucial lessons learned about aviation safety and security. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
