List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
Accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft grouped by the year that the incident or accident occurred. This list is also available grouped: by airline, by location, alphabetically. See also: Accidents and incidents in aviation. List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners grouped by airline.
This list is not complete! For more exhaustive lists, see the Aircraft Crash Record Office or the Air Safety Network. Airlines seem to be remembered by their worst accidents, and in that sense this list presents a good overview, but it is far from being complete.
- December 21 The French dirigible Dixmude exploded over the Mediterranean Sea en route from Cuers-Pierrefeu to Algeria after being struck by lightning. All 52 crew members on board perished.
- A United Airlines Boeing 247 was destroyed by a bomb over Chesterton, Indiana, in the first proven case of air sabotage.
- May 6 - The Zeppelin Hindenburg, with 97 persons on board, burst into flames and crashed while attempting a landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey, USA. Twenty-two air-crew members, thirteen passengers, and one member of the ground crew were killed.
- November 16 - A Sabena Junkers Ju 52 en route from Cologne, Germany to London via Brussels crashed near Ostende, Belgium with 11 on board. All aboard were killed, including the Grand Duke and eight-months pregnant Grand Duchess of Hesse and their two small sons.
- July 12 – An Eastern Air Lines flight en route from Boston, Massachusetts to Miami with stops in Washington, DC and Columbia, SC collided with a US Army B-25 Mitchell bomber about 3,000 feet above Syracuse, SC (about 20 miles from Florence, SC). The commercial pilot, G. D. Davis, landed his craft in a cornfield nearby. One passenger, an infant, was killed. The bomber exploded; two died and one was able to parachute safely.
- October 3 – A Berlin-bound 4 engine Douglas C-54 named 'Flagship New England' crashed into a mountainside outside of Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The flight, operated by American Overseas Airlines was carrying many wives and children of US Army personnel serving in post-war Germany. All 39 people on board died. At the time, it was the worst accident of its kind among US civilian airlines.
- December 25 – At least three planes crashed independently amidst heavy fog in Shanghai, China.
- January 26, A KLM Douglas Dakota crashed after takeoff from Copenhagen, killing all 22 onboard, including Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden.
- August 2 – Lancastrian Star Dust crashes in Chile.
- October 24 - United Airlines Flight 608 DC-6 (NC37510) en route to Chicago from Los Angeles caught fire and then crashed while attempting an emergency landing at the Bryce Canyon, Utah airport.
- January 30 - British South American Airways Avro Tudor IV "Star Tiger" (G-AHNP) en-route from the Azores to Bermuda disappeared without trace. At last contact the plane was estimated to be just under 2 hours away from landing.
- June 17 - United Airlines Flight 624 DC-6 (NC37506) crashed near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.
- July 17 - Catalina seaplane "Miss Macao" (VR-HDT), operated by a Cathay Pacific subsidiary, with 23 passengers and 3 crew on board flying from Macau to Hong Kong was hijacked mid-way over the Pearl River Delta by a group of 4 hijackers attempting to rob the passengers on board. The pilot was attacked and the aircraft lost control during the ensuing struggle in the cockpit. The subsequent crash killed all on board except one passenger, who was later identified to be the lead hijacker. This is the first known case of airliner hijack.
- October 2, Bukken Bruse disaster. Flying boat crashes upon landing in Trondheim. Bertrand Russell is among the survivors.
- October 20 – KLM Constellation air disaster (Prestwick, Scotland)
- September 9 – Canadian Pacific Airlines DC-3 exploded in mid-flight en route from Quebec City to Baie-Comeau as the result of an on board bomb, killing all 23 on board. See Albert Guay affair.
- October 27 – Air France Lockheed Constellation crashed in the Azores – 48 died including French boxing star Marcel Cerdan and the young concert violinist, Ginette Neveu.
- November 1 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 537, a Douglas C-54B-10-DO, en route from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. collided with a P-38 fighter on its final approach to National Airport. Both planes crashed, killing all 55 people on board the Douglas. The P-38 pilot, Eric Rios Bridaux, survived. Bridaux was a Bolivian Air Force pilot. Among the dead were Congressman George J. Bates and former Congressman Michael J. Kennedy.
- April 25 – Cubana de Aviacion Douglas DC-4 departed Miami, Florida en route to Havana, Cuba collided in air with a United States Navy Beech SNB-1 Kansan (39939) at an altitude of 4000 feet off Key West killing all 5 crew members and 34 passengers on board.
- June 22 – Pan American World Airways Flight #151, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation named the "Clipper Great Republic" en route from Accra, Ghana to Monrovia, Liberia crashed at 1050 feet into a hill near Sanoyea, Liberia while on approach 54 miles from the airport. There were no survivors amongst the 31 passengers and 9 crew members.
- July 21 – A Canadian Pacific Airlines Douglas C-54A-10-DC departed Vancouver, British Columbia for Anchorage, Alaska but disappeared en route without a trace. Eventually, all 37 on board would be declared legally dead.
- December 16 – A Miami Airlines Curtiss C-46F-1-CU departed Newark, New Jersey bound for Tampa, Florida but caught fire and crashed in Elizabeth, New Jersey attempting to return to the airport. All 56 people on board died.
- May 26 – A BOAC 4-engined Handley Page Hermes IV (reg G-ALDN) aircraft with 10 passengers on board, crash-landed in the Sahara Desert, 1,300 miles off-course on a flight between Tripoli and Kano. All passengers and crew survived the initial crash landing, but the First Officer later died of injuries sustained in the crash.
- May 2 – A De Havilland Comet crashed soon after take-off from Calcutta – first of a series of crashes that led to Comet 1 fleet being grounded and eventually scrapped. This may be the first known crash of a passenger jetliner.
- September 1, Air France Lockheed 749C Constellation flew into Mt. Cemet in the French Alps killing all 42 people on board including renowned French classical violinist Jacques Thibaud.
- March 13, BOAC Lockheed Constellation, "Belfast", arrived at Singapore from Sydney, Australia, and crashed on landing at the Kallang Airport, killing 32 passengers and 1 crew.
- July 23, Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4 (VR-HEU) flying from Hong Kong to Bangkok was shot at by an air force fighter from the People's Republic of China south of Hainan Island above the South China Sea. The aircraft ditched on the sea and 10 of the 18 passengers died. The survivors were rescued by a US Naval ship.
- September 5, KLM Flight 633, KLM Lockheed Super Constellation, "Triton", ditched after takeoff from Shannon Airport
- April 11 - Air India "Kashmir Princess" flight bombed.
- July 27 – El Al Constellation shot down over Bulgaria, 58 killed.
- October 6 – United Airlines Flight 409
- November 1 – United Airlines Flight 629 (mass murder by Jack Gilbert Graham)
- June 30 – United Airlines Flight 718, a DC-7, flying from Los Angeles to Chicago and TWA Flight 2, a Constellation flying from Los Angeles to Kansas City, collided over the Grand Canyon. The 58 passengers and crew on the DC-7, and the 70 passengers and crew on the Constellation were all killed. The pilots had both requested permission to fly in undesignated airspace to give their passengers a better view and the crash was attributed to the pilots not seeing each other until it was too late.
- February 1 – Northeast Airlines Flight 823 crashed on takeoff in a snowstorm.
- February 6 – British European Flight 609 (Munich air disaster)
- August 14 - KLM Flight 607-E en route from Brussels to New York exploded over the Atlantic Ocean killing all 99 passengers and crew on board, among them 6 members of the Egyptian fencing team
- February 3 – American Airlines Flight 320 crashed into the East River, New York City due to pilot error.
- November 16 - National Airlines flight 967 crashed into the Gulf of Mexico while on a flight from Tampa to New Orleans. It was reported to have been caused by a bomb planted on the aircraft by Dr. Richard Spears.
- January 6 – National Airlines Flight 2511 from New York to Miami, a propeller driven DC-6B, crashed near Bolivia, North Carolina after an on board explosion. A bomb was thought to have been planted by Julian A. Frank, a New York lawyer, who was heavily insured. Thirty-four people died, none survived.
- March 17 – Northwest Airlines Lockheed Electra lost a wing due to propeller whirl mode and crashed in southern Indiana near Tell City. All 63 on board including the crew perished. The 63 victims were impacted in a 30-foot deep crater, which became their final resting place. A monument marks the grave with the names of the victims and the date of the tragedy.
- December 16 – The 1960 New York air disaster: United Airlines Flight 826, a DC-8, and TWA Flight 266, a Super Constellation, collided over Staten Island in New York. All 134 on board the two planes, and six people on the ground were killed.
- January 3 - Aero flight 311 crashed in the woods in the village of Koivulahti near Vaasa, Finland. All 25 on board were killed.
- February 15 – Sabena Flight 548 in Brussels, Belgium, killing the entire United States figure skating team. Probable Cause: runaway stabilizer (Boeing 707-329)
- March 1 – American Airlines Flight 1, a Boeing 707, crashed in Jamaica Bay, Queens, New York and 95 died.
- March 4 – Caledonian Flight 153, a Douglas DC-7C crashed into a jungle swamp at Douala, Cameroon, 111 died.
- March 16 – Flying Tigers Line Flight 739, chartered by the US military, disappeared over the western Pacific. It was carrying 96 US soldiers en route to South Vietnam.
- May 22 – Continental Airlines Flight 11
- June 3 – Air France Chateau de Sully at Orly Airport
- November 30 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 512 pilot error on missed approach.
- August 21 - Soviet Aeroflot's Tupolev 124 ditching in Neva river in Leningrad
- December 8 – Pan Am Flight 214 struck by positive lightning
- May 7 – Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 - After a passenger shot both the pilot and co-pilot before turning the gun on himself, crashed killing all 44 aboard.
- December 24 - Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 crashed near San Bruno, California after an unexplained course deviation.
- February 8 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 forced to take evasive action on takeoff to avoid colliding with another commercial aircraft, lost control and crashed. All 84 persons on board are killed.
- August 6 – Braniff Airlines Flight 250 flies into an active squall line and the plane breaks apart in midair. Crashes near Falls City, NE. All 42 on board killed.
- March 9 - TWA Flight 553 collides with a Beechcraft Baron near Dayton, Ohio killing all 26 on both planes.
- June 4 - Stockport Air Disaster, Stockport, UK. A British Midland C4 Argonaut (a version of the Douglas DC-4) carrying passengers returning from Palma de Mallorca was on the approach to Ringway Airport when its engines lost power due to pump failure.
- March 24 – Aer Lingus Flight 712 crashes off the Irish coast.
- July 1 - Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253 is forced to land in the Soviet Union. On board are over 200 American troops bound for Vietnam.
- April - In the Seaboard World Airlines landing at Marble Mountain incident a Douglas DC-8 Super 63 lands at a helicopter airstrip in Vietnam
- September 9 - Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 DC-9 (N988VJ) collided in flight at 3550 feet with a Piper PA-28 and crashed near Fairland, Indiana killing all 83 occupants aboard the two aircraft.
- March 31 – Japan Airlines Flight 351
- February 15 – Dominicana DC-9 air disaster
- February 21 – Swissair Flight 330
- July 3 – Dan-Air Comet jet crashed into the Montseny mountains near Barcelona, Spain, killing 112
- July 5 – Air Canada Flight 621 DC-8 exploded following a failed landing at Toronto Int'l Airport (now Pearson), with 109 fatalities.
- August 9 - LANSA Cuzco Crash - LANSA Lockheed Electra OB-R-939 crashed and burned shortly after takeoff from Cuzco, Peru, killing 99 people on the plane and 2 on the ground; among the dead were 49 American high school exchange students
- September 6 – Dawson's Field hijackings of El Al 219, Pan Am 93, SwissAir 100, TWA 74, and (on September 9) BOAC 775.
- November 14 – Southern Airways Flight 932, a charter, crashed on approach at Tri-State/Milton Airport in Huntington, West Virginia, en route from Kinston, North Carolina, killing all 75 on board, including the entire coaching staff and 37 members of the Marshall University football team.
- July 30 - All Nippon Airways Boeing 727-281 crashed after colliding with a Japan Air Force F86 fighter jet in flight. 163 killed.
- November 24 – A man using the name Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 out of Portland, Oregon. In exchange for $200,000 and four parachutes he released the passengers. The crew took off and he parachuted from the plane. He was never found.
- December 24 – LANSA Flight 508, a Lockheed Electra OB-R-941 enroute from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, breaks apart in mid-air after being set aflame by lightning. It crashes in the Amazonian Rainforest and 91 people die; the sole survivor is Juliane Koepcke, a 17-year old girl who survives a fall from 2 miles and 10-day walk through the jungle before being found by hunters. Her mother, famous ornithologist Maria Koepcke, dies; director Werner Herzog had narrowly missed being on the same flight.
- January 26 – JAT Yugoslav Flight 364
- June 12 - American Airlines Flight 96, a DC-10, suffered explosive decompression when one of its cargo doors failed in flight. The crew managed an emergency landing at Detroit, Michigan, and everyone on board evacuated safely.
- June 15 - Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z
- June 18 – British European Airways Flight 548 (Staines air disaster)
- June 24 – Prinair Flight 191
- October 13 – Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 (The Andes flight disaster), see also Alive: The Miracle of the Andes.
- December 23 – Braathens Flight 239
- December 29 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401
- February 21 – Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114, shot down by Israeli jets in the Sinai.
- July 11 – Varig Flight 820 on board fire and crash landing.
- December 17 – Pan Am Flight 110
- March 3 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (Ermenonville air disaster)
- September 8 – TWA Flight 841 destroyed by a bomb in the cargo hold.
- September 15 – Air Vietnam Flight 706 hijacked and crashes.
- November 20 – Lufthansa Flight 540 crashed and caught fire shortly past the runway on take-off. This was the first ever crash involving a Boeing 747.
- December 4 – A chartered Martinair DC-8 Series 55F hits Seven Virgins mountain range in Maskeliya, Sri Lanka, 191 killed.
- September 11 - Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed on approach to Charlotte, NC airport, 72 people killed
- June 24 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 struck approach lights on its final approach into New York Kennedy.
- September 30 – Malév Flight 240 was shot down near Lebanon.
- January 1 - Middle East Airlines Flight 438, a Boeing 720, aircraft over Saudia Arabia when bomb exploded in the forward baggage compartment, aircraft destroyed killing 81.
- April 27 – American Airlines Flight 625, a Boeing 727, crashed on approach to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
- October 6 – Cubana Flight 455, a Douglas DC-8, bombed by Anti-Castro terrorists.
- September 10 – A mid-air collision occurs between a British Airways Trident and an Inex-Adria DC-9, near Zagreb, Yugoslavia killing 176.
- January 15- Commercial Airliner crashes just outside Bromma Airport in Stockholm. It slides onto a parking lot killing all 22 on board. To date it is the worst disaster in Swedish aviation history.
- March 27 – KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 (Tenerife disaster), the worst accident in the history of commercial aircraft.
- April 4 - Southern Airways Flight 242 crash-landed on a highway after engine failure, 62 out of 85 aboard killed, 8 ground fatalities.
- September 28 – Japan Airlines Flight 472 hijacked after takeoff from Mumbai by Japanese terrorists.
- October 13 – Lufthansa Flight 181 is hijacked by four Palestinians, members of the PFLP.
- December 4 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 hijacked in mysterious circumstances.
- December 13 – National Jet Services DC-3 charter, crashed on takeoff from Evansville, Indiana en route to Nashville International Airport (BNA), killing all 29 on board, including the entire University of Evansville basketball team.
- January 1 – Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea due to instrument malfunction and pilot error.
- April 20 – Korean Air Flight 902 shot down by Soviet fighter planes.
- May 8 - National Airlines Flight 193 landed short on approach into Pensacola, Florida in Escambia Bay due to pilot error.
- June 26 – Air Canada Flight 189 crashed on takeoff due to tire failure.
- September 25 – PSA Flight 182 collided with a Cessna over San Diego.
- November 15 – Icelandair DC-8 Super 63CF ploughs into a coconut plantation in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, 184 killed, 78 survivors.
- December 28 – United Airlines Flight 173 ran out of fuel while circling in near Portland, Oregon to investigate a light indicating a problem with the landing gear. The plane crashed in a wooded area, killing 10 and injuring 24 of the 181 on board.
- Feb 12 - Air Rhodesia Flight 827, a Vickers Viscount shot down by a SAM-7 missile shortly after take-off from Kariba Airport, Rhodesia, 59 killed.
- May 25 – American Airlines Flight 191, a Douglas DC-10, crashed on takeoff from O'Hare International Airport after catastrophic mechanical failure, killing all 271 on board and two on the ground; worst pre-9/11 aviation disaster in U.S. history.
- August 11 - Collision of two Aeroflot Tupolev aircraft. ATC separation error. 178 killed.
- November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901, a Douglas DC-10 hit high ground Mount Erebus, Antarctica, 257 killed. Known as the Mount Erebus disaster.
- March 14 – LOT Flight 007 a Ilyushin Il-62 from New York crashed on approach to Warszawa-Okecie Airport caused by the damage from an engine disintegration.
- June 27 – Itavia Flight 870 crashed into the sea near Italy, in controversial circumstances.
- July 7 – Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154B2 crashed on takeoff from Alma-Ata, Kasakastan. All 166 passengers and crew aboard were killed.
- August 22 - Far Eastern Air Transport Boeing 737-222 broke up during flight. Severe corrosion in the fuselage structure which led to an explosive decompression and breakup at high altitude. All 110 on board were killed.
- October 6 - NLM Cityhopper Flight 431 destroyed by a tornado near Rotterdam.
- November 16 - Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154B crashed while on final approach to Norilsk after the elevator failed. 99 on board were killed.
- December 1 - Inex-Adria Aviopromet MD-80 crashed into Mt. San Pietro while approaching Campo Dell'Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica killing all 173 passengers and 7 crew. It was and still is the worst accident involving an MD-80.
- January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90, crashed into frozen Potomac River
- January 23 – World Airways Flight 30, landed long at Boston, Massachusetts, two missing presumed dead.
- June 23 – British Airways Flight 9, flew through cloud of volcanic dust south of Java; all engines failed. Was able to restart engines and make safe landing.
- July 9 – Pan Am Flight 759, crashed in Kenner, Louisiana shortly after takeoff.
- September 13 - Spantax Flight 995, crashed after an aborted takeoff in Malaga, Spain; this DC-10 overshot the runway, crossed a four lane highway and killed three people in vehicles, and burst into flames in a field. Fifty people died.
- June 2 – Air Canada Flight 797, a DC-9, caught fire in air over Kentucky. 23 out of 41 passengers died from smoke inhalation even after the crew successfully landed the aircraft.
- July 11 – a TAME Boeing 727 scrapes a mountain peak and explodes while attempting to land at Cuenca, Ecuador. All 118 people on board died.
- July 16 – a British Airways Sikorsky S-61 helicopter crashed into the sea off the Isles of Scilly. Twenty people died, making it the worst helicopter accident in the UK for several years and sparking a review of helicopter safety. It later became known as the Sikorsky S-61 disaster.
- July 23 – Air Canada Flight 143, a Boeing 767, ran out of fuel above Manitoba due to a miscalculation. The crew successfully glided the aircraft to a safe landing at a former air force base at Gimli, Manitoba, hence the aircraft became known as the Gimli Glider.
- September 1 – Korean Air Flight 007, a Boeing 747, was shot down by Soviet fighter planes near Sakhalin island after accidentally violating Soviet airspace. All 269 people on board were killed.
- September 23 – Gulf Air Flight 771, a Boeing 737, crashed near Mina Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates after a bomb planted by the Abu Nidal Organisation detonated on board. All 117 people on board perished.
- November 8 – an Angola Airlines Boeing 737 was shot down over Huíla province, Angola by rebels. All 130 passengers and crew died.
- November 27 – Avianca Flight 11, a Boeing 747, impacted a hill while attempting to land at Madrid, Spain, due to a navigational error. Of the 192 passengers and crew aboard, 11 survived.
- December 7 – Iberia Flight 350 (a Boeing 727) collided with Aviaca Flight 134 (a DC-9) which had strayed onto its takeoff runway at Madrid, Spain during heavy fog. 51 on the 727 and all 42 aboard the DC-9 were killed.
- January 10 – a Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashed into a forest near Sofia, Bulgaria during a snowstorm. All 50 people on board died.
- March 22 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501, a Boeing 737 suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure during takeoff from Calgary. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated, but the plane burned to the ground
- August 5 – a Bangladesh Biman Fokker F-27 crashed while attempting to land at Dacca, Bangladesh. All 49 passengers and crew were killed.
- August 5 – an Aeroflot Antonov An-12 flew into a hailstorm over Nawabshah, Pakistan which damaged its engines. The plane broke up during a steep descent, killing all 24 passengers and crew.
- October 11 – Aeroflot Flight 3352, a Tupolev Tu-154, hit two cleaning vehicles on the runway while taking off from Omsk, Russia. Four crew and one passenger out of 179 survived.
- December 23 – Aeroflot Flight 3519, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed while attempting to land at Kranoyarsk, Russia, after an engine caught fire. All 110 people on board died.
- January 1 - Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 impacted Mount Illimani in Bolivia at 19,600 feet killing 29
- February 19 - China Airlines Flight 006 encountered an engine flameout off the coast of California and plunged 30,000 feet before regaining control and landing in San Francisco.
- June 14 – TWA Flight 847, a Boeing 727, was hijacked by Lebanese militants. One passenger was murdered during the three-day ordeal.
- June 23 – Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747, was bombed by a Sikh militant. It crashed into the ocean near Ireland, killing all 329 people on board.
- August 2 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed Tristar crashed on approach to Dallas-Fort Worth airport due to wind shear from a sudden thunderstorm. Of the 163 passengers and crew aboard, 29 survived.
- August 12 – Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, crashed into Mount Osutaka after catastrophic failure of the tailplane severed all hydraulic lines and rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. 520 people were killed. To date, it is the worst single-aircraft disaster in history.
- August 22 – British Airtours Flight 28M, a Boeing 737, aborted its takeoff from Manchester, England due to an engine fire. While 63 passengers and crew escaped alive, 53 were killed, most from smoke inhalation.
- September 4 – Ariana Afghan Airlines Antonov An-26 shot down by terrorists near Kandahar, killing all 47 passengers and 5 crew.
- September 6 – Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a DC-9 crashed after takeoff from Milwaukee due to engine failure and pilot error. All 31 people on board were killed.
- November 23 – EgyptAir Flight 648, a Boeing 737 was hijacked by Palestinian militants. It was stormed on Malta by Egyptian special forces. The incident killed 58 out of 90 passengers, and all but one of the hijackers.
- December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a DC-8 crashed after takeoff in Newfoundland due to unknown causes. All 256 passengers and crew died, making it the worst air disaster in Canada to date.
- March 31 – Mexicana Flight 940, a Boeing 727 crashed into high ground near Maravatio, Mexico.
- April 2 – TWA Flight 840, a Boeing 727 was bombed by Palestinian militants, killing four passengers. The plane managed to land safely in Athens.
- August 31 – Aeromexico Flight 498, a DC-9, collided with a Piper Cherokee light aircraft over Los Angeles. 82 people died, including 15 on the ground.
- September 5 – Pan Am Flight 73, a Boeing 747, was hijacked on the ground at Karachi Airport, Pakistan by Palestinian militants. About twenty passengers and crew died during a shootout inside the plane.
- December 25 – Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737, was hijacked by Hezbollah militants en route to Amman, Jordan. An on board shootout with security forces caused the plane to crash, killing 63 of the 106 people on board.
- 3 January – Varig Flight 797, a Boeing 707, crashed into the jungle near Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire due to an engine fire. 51 people died.
- August 16 – Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed on takeoff from Detroit due to pilot error. 154 died, one person (an infant) survived.
- May 9 – LOT Flight 5055, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashed near Warsaw, Poland, after an engine fire. All 183 people on board died.
- August 31 – Thai Airways Flight 365, a Boeing 737, crashed into the ocean off the coast of Thailand due to pilot error. All 83 passengers and crew perished.
- November 28 – South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747 crashed into the Indian Ocean after a fire in the cargo hold. All 159 aboard died.
- November 29 – Korean Air Flight 858, a Boeing 707, crashed into the Andaman Sea after a bomb exploded on board. All 115 people on board were killed.
- December 7 – Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771, a BAe 146 was hijacked and deliberately crashed near Cayucos, California by a disgruntled airline employee. All 43 people on board, including the hijacker, were killed.
- March 17 – Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727, crashed into terrain near Cúcuta, Colombia after takeoff due to pilot error. All 142 people on board died.
- April 28 – Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737 suffered explosive decompression inflight, but landed safely. One stewardess was blown out of the plane and killed, several passengers were injured.
- July 3 – Iran Air Flight 655, an Airbus A300 was controversially shot down over Iranian waters by the missile cruiser USS Vincennes near Dubai. All 290 people on board were killed.
- August 31 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1141, a Boeing 727, crashed on takeoff from Dallas due to pilot error, killing ten passengers and two crew members.
- December 21 – Pan Am Flight 103, a Boeing 747, crashed near Lockerbie, Scotland after a terrorist bomb exploded on board. All 259 people on board, plus several on the ground, were killed. The incident became known as the Lockerbie air disaster.
- January 8 – British Midlands Flight 92, a Boeing 737 crashed near Leicester after one of its engines lost a turbine blade and failed. Of the 118 passengers and 8 crew, 79 survived. The incident became known as the Kegworth air disaster.
- February 24 – United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747, suffered an explosive decompression shortly after takeoff from Honolulu, Hawaii, caused by a cargo door which burst open during flight. Nine passengers were sucked out of the plane, but the pilots managed to land safely at Honolulu.
- March 10 – Air Ontario Flight 1363, a Fokker F-28, crashed immediately after takeoff from Dryden, Ontario due to icing on the wings. 24 people were killed.
- June 7 – Surinam Airways Flight PY764, a DC-8, crashed while attempting to land in heavy fog at Paramaribo, Suriname. The plane hit trees and flipped upside down, killing 176 people.
- July 19 – United Airlines Flight 232, a Douglas DC-10, suffered a complete hydraulics failure over Iowa. Despite the crew's attempts to control the aircraft using only the throttle, it crashed on the runway of Sioux City, Iowa, killing 111 of the 296 people on board.
- September 3 – Varig Flight 254, a Boeing 737, ran out of fuel due to incorrect navigation and crashed in the Brazilian jungle, killing 12 of the 48 passengers on board.
- September 8 – Partnair Flight 394, a Convair 580, crashed into the North Sea after its tail section fell off in midair. All 55 people on board perished.
- September 19 – UTA Flight 772, a DC-10, exploded in mid-air over the Sahara desert when a bomb hidden in its forward cargo hold exploded. All 170 people on board were killed. Responsibility for the bombing was later traced back to the brother of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who, in 2003, agreed to pay compensation to the victims.
- November 27 – Avianca Flight 203, a Boeing 727, exploded in mid-air over Colombia, killing 107 people on board as well as several on the ground. The Medellín Cartel claimed responsibility for the attack.
- January 25 – Avianca Flight 52, a Boeing 707, ran out of fuel and crashed while attempting to land at New York. Of the 158 people on board, 85 survived.
- June 10 – British Airways Flight 5390, a BAC 1-11, suffered explosive decompression over Didcot, Oxfordshire, England when one of the front windscreen panes blew out, blowing the pilot partially out of the cockpit. The co-pilot managed to land the aircraft safely at Southampton Airport.
- August 2 – British Airways Flight 149, a Boeing 747, was captured and later destroyed by Iraqi soldiers in the opening stages of the invasion of Kuwait. There were no documented fatalities.
- February 1 – USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737, hit a Fairchild Metro commuter plane waiting to take off from the same runway the Boeing plane was landing on (at Los Angeles). 34 people, including all the Metro and 22 of the USAir passengers were killed.
- March 3 – United Airlines Flight 585, a Boeing 737, crashed while attempting to land at Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing all 25 people on board. The cause was never clearly identified, although problems with the 737's control system were suspected.
- March 26 – Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked by Pakistani militants en route to Singapore, where, upon landing, it was stormed by Singapore Special Operations forces. All the hijackers were killed in the operation, with no fatalities amongst the passengers and crew.
- May 26 – Lauda Air Flight 004, a Boeing 767, disintegrated in mid-air over Uthai Thani Province, Thailand, killing all 223 people on board. It was later found that a thrust reverser had accidentally deployed in flight, causing the disaster.
- July 11 - A Nationair DC-8-61 chartered by Nigeria Airways to transport Nigerian pilgrims to Mecca caught fire and crashed shortly after takeoff from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 on board. Underinflated tires burst and caught fire during the takeoff roll, and were subsequently retracted into the fuselage. Here the fire spread, leading to a progressive failure of the aircraft systems and its structure before the aircraft could return to the airport for an emergency landing.
- December 27 – Both engines of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751, a MD-81, failed shortly after takeoff from Stockholm, Sweden. The pilots successfully made an emergency landing in a nearby field, injuring 25 passengers but not incurring a single fatality.
- March 22 – USAir Flight 405, a Fokker F-28 crashed on takeoff from New York due to ice buildup. 27 of the 51 people on board were killed.
- July 31 – A Thai Airways Airbus A310 crashed 22.5 miles (36 km) from Kathmandu, Nepal. All 14 crew and 99 passengers were killed.
- September 28 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268, an Airbus A300 crashed near Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 12 crew and 155 passengers.
- October 4 – El Al Flight 1862 (a Boeing 747 cargo) crashed into high-rise apartment buildings in Amsterdam when two of its engines detached from the wing. 43 people, including the plane's crew of 3, were killed. The incident became known as the Bijlmerramp (Bijlmer disaster).
- December 21 – Martinair MP 495 crashed in Faro, Portugal killing 54 people and injuring 106.
- September 21 – Transair Georgian Airline Crash (21 September) - An airliner was hit on approach to Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport by a surface-to-air missile. The plane crashed into the Black Sea, killing all five crew members and 22 passengers.
- September 22 – Transair Georgian Airline Crash (22 September) - Another plane, carrying refugees from the besieged city, was shot down on take-off from the airport. The plane crashed on the runway, killing 106 of the 132 people on board.
- 4 November A China Airlines Boeing 747-409 overran the Kai Tak Airport runway 13 while landing during a typhoon. The wind was gusting to gale force at the time. Despite the plane's unstable approach the captain did not go around. It touched down more than 2/3 down the runway and was unable to stop before the runway ran out.
- March 23 - Aeroflot Flight 593, an Airbus A310, crashed into a wooded hillside in Siberia. All 75 passengers and crew were killed.
- April 26 – China Airlines Flight 140, an Airbus A300, crashed while landing at Nagoya, Japan due to pilot error. 264 people of the 271 on board died.
- July 2 – USAir Flight 1016, a DC-9, crashed while attempting to land at Charlotte, North Carolina during a thunderstorm. 37 of the 51 people on board were killed.
- July 19 – Alas Chiricanas Flight 00901, an Embraer EMB-110, exploded in mid-air over Panama, killing all 21 people on board. Investigators concluded that a suicide bomber had caused the plane to explode, although motives and affiliation of the bomber remain unclear.
- September 8 – USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737, crashed while attempting to land at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing all 133 people on board. Investigations showed a fault in the aircraft's rudder was to blame for the crash.
- October 31 – American Eagle Flight 4184, an ATR 72, crashed while waiting to land at Chicago, Illinois, due to ice buildup on its wings. All 68 people on board died.
- December 11 – a bomb exploded on board Philippine Airlines Flight 434, a Boeing 747, killing one passenger. The crew succeeded in making an emergency landing at Naha, Okinawa.
- December 24 – Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus A300 was hijacked on the tarmac at Algiers, Algeria by the militant group GIA. After a two-day standoff, the plane was allowed to fly to Marseille, France, where it was stormed by French commandos.
- March 31 – Tarom Flight 371, an Airbus A310 crashed into a field near Baloteşti, Romania, killing all 60 people on board.
- June 5 – Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 crashed during approach on Palmerston North, New Zealand.
- July 11 – A Cubana de Aviación Antonov An-24 crashed into the Caribbean off the southeastern coast of Cuba, killing 44 people.
- August 21 – Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 crashed in a field in Carrollton, Georgia
- December 13 – a Romavia Antonov AN-24 (registration YR-AMR) crashes on takeoff from Verona, Italy, due to overloading and ice buildup. All 50 people on board are killed.
- December 18 – Trans Service Airlift Lockheed L-188 crash: a Lockheed L-188 Electra crashes on takeoff from Jamba, Angola, due to overloading. 141 of the 144 people on board are killed.
- December 20 – American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757, crashed into a mountain while approaching Cali, Colombia. Of the 156 passengers and 8 crew on board, only 4 people and a dog survived.
- January 8 - An African Air Antonov 32 crashed into a busy street market after failing to takeoff in Kinshasa, Zaire killing an estimated 350 people.
- February 6 – Birgenair Flight 301 A malfunction with the pilot's air speed indicator, and the crew's improper handling of the stick shaker's stall warning, caused the plane to crash into the ocean, killing all 13 crew members and 176 passengers.
- February 29 – Faucett Flight 251, a Boeing 737, crashed while attempting to land at Arequipa, Peru. All 123 people on board died.
- May 11 – ValuJet Flight 592, a DC-9, crashed in the Everglades, Florida, due to a fire in its cargo hold. All 110 passengers and crew perished.
- July 6 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1288, during the takeoff from Pensacola, Florida, the left engine of an MD-88 sustained an uncontained failure, causing pieces of the engine to penetrate the cabin, killing 2 of the 137 passengers.
- July 17 – TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747, exploded in mid-air off Long Island, New York, killing all 230 people on board.
- August 29 – Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801 crashes on Svalbard killing 141.
- October 2 – AeroPeru Flight 603, a Boeing 757, crashes into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru, due to maintenance error. All 70 people on board were killed.
- October 31 - TAM Flight 402, a Fokker 100, crashes on São Paulo, Brazil, killing 98 (89 passengers, 6 crew and 13 people on the ground). The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff into a residential area striking a building. Uncommanded deployment of the thrust reverser on the right engine.
- November 12 – Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763, a Boeing 747, collided in mid-air with a Kazakhstan Air Lines Ilyushin 76 cargo jet near Delhi, India. The death toll of 349 makes this the worst air-to-air collision to date.
- November 23 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, a Boeing 767 was hijacked over Kenya. The aircraft ran out of fuel, and the pilot attempted to ditch the aircraft off the coast of the Comoros Islands. Of the 175 people on board, 123 were killed, one of the few times there were survivors from a large aircraft crash into water.
- January 9 – Comair Flight 3272, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia crashes near Monroe, Michigan during a snowstorm killing all 29 on board.
- February 1 – An Air Senegal Avro 748 crashes shortly after takeoff in Tambacoumba, Senegal killing 25 of the 52 on board.
- March 18 – A Stavropol Airlines Antonov An-24 crashes near Cherkessk, Russia killing all 50 on board.
- May 8 – A China Southern Airlines Boeing 737 made a hard landing at Huangtian, China during poor weather and crashed. Of the 74 on board 35 were killed.
- June 6 – A Bazair Vickers Viscount crashes near Irumu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a cabin fire. All 27 on board died.
- July 11 – A Cubana de Aviación Antonov An-24 crashes into the ocean shortly after taking off from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba killing all 44 on board.
- July 17 – A Sempati Air Fokker F27 crashes in Bandung, Indonesia while attempting an emergency landing after an engine fire. Of the 50 people on board, 30 died.
- August 6 – Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747, crashes during while attempting to land in heavy rain in Hagåtña, Guam. Of the 254 people on board, 228 died.
- September 3 – A Vietnam Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia while attempting to land in heavy rain. Of the 66 passengers and crew members only one survived.
- September 12 – A TMK Air Commuter de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter flies into a hill near Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo killing all 22 on board.
- September 26 – Garuda Indonesia Airlines Flight 152, an Airbus A300, crashes into a mountain near Buah Nabar Indonesia killing all 234 on board
- October 10 – An Austral Lineas Aeras McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashes in Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay killing all 74 on board.
- December 9 – A Tajikistan Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crashes while attempting to land in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates killing 85 of the 86 people on board.
- December 17 – An Aerosweet Airlines Yakovlev Yak-42 crashes into Mount Olympus near Fotina, Greece killing all 70 people on board.
- December 19 – SilkAir Flight 185, a Boeing 737, abruptly crashed into the Musi River near Palembang, Indonesia killing all 102 people on board.
- December 28 – A United Airlines Boeing 747 encounters turbulence over the Pacific Ocean off Japan killing one person.
- January 13 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Antonov An-12 crashed near Tor Kach, Pakistan after it ran out of fuel in poor weather. All 51 people on board died.
- January 27 – A Myanmar Airways Fokker F27 crashed while taking off from Yangon, Myanmar killing 16 of the 45 people on board.
- February 2 – Cebu Pacific Flight 387 crashes into a mountain near Pagalungan in the Philippines. All of the 104 passengers and crew members were killed.
- February 16 – China Airlines Flight 676, an Airbus A300, crashed into a residential area while attempting to land in Taipei, Taiwan. All 196 people on board were killed, in addition to seven on the ground.
- March 19 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 hit a mountain near Charasyab, Afghanistan while descending to land. All 45 on board died.
- March 22 – Philippine Airlines Flight 137, an Airbus A320, overshot the end of the runway while landing at Bacolod City in the Philippines, plowing through several houses. None of the passenger were harmed, but three people on the ground were killed, and several more injured.
- April 20 – Air France Flight 422, a Boeing 727, crashed into a mountain near Bogotá, Colombia, while attempting to land, killing all 53 people on board.
- May 26 – An MIAT Mongolian Airlines Antonov An-24 crashed into a mountain near Erdenet, Mongolia. All 28 people on board died.
- August 21 – A Lumbini Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashed in a mountainous region near Ghorepani, Nepal. All of the 18 people on board were killed.
- August 24 – A Myanmar Airways Fokker F27 crashed in Manibagi, Myanmar during poor weather. All 44 people on board were killed. It has also been reported that there may have been survivors that were tortured to death by local villagers that thought the aircraft carried military personnel.
- August 29 – A Cubana de Aviación Tupolev Tu-154 crashed during takeoff into buildings in Quito, Ecuador. Seventy-five of the 90 people on board died as well as 10 on the ground.
- September 2 – Swissair Flight 111, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashed into the sea near Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada, due to a fire in the cockpit. All 229 people on board perished.
- September 2 – A Permaviatrans Antonov An-26 was shot down by UNITA rebels over Angola. All 24 people on board were killed.
- September 25 – A Paukn Air BAe 146 crashed near Nador, Morocco killing all 38 people on board.
- September 29 – A Lion Air Antonov An-2 was shot down by LTTE rebels and crashed into the sea off Mannar, Sri Lanka. All 55 people on board were killed.
- October 10 – A Congo Airlines Boeing 727 was shot down by Tutsi rebels near Kindu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All 41 on board died.
- December 11 – Thai Airways Flight 261, an Airbus A-310, crashed during poor weather near Surat Thani, Thailand. Of the 146 people on board, 102 were killed.
- February 24 – A China Southwest Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crashes in Rui'an, China while descending to land at an airport. All 61 passengers and crew members were killed.
- June 1 – American Airlines Flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, skidded off the runway on landing at Little Rock, Arkansas during strong winds. Eleven of 145 on board died.
- July 24 – All Nippon Airways Flight 61, a Boeing 747 was hijacked by a passenger, Yuji Nishizawa, wielding a knife. After fatally stabbing the captain, he was overpowered by the crew and the co-pilot landed the plane safely at Haneda, Japan.
- August 7 – A TACV Cabo Verde Airlines Dornier Do 228 (charter from the Cape Verde Coast Guard) crashed into a cliff on Santo Antão, Cape Verde during poor weather. All 18 people on board were killed.
- August 22 – Mandarin Airlines Flight 642, an McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashed on landing at Hong Kong during Tropical Storm Sam. Of the 315 people on board, three died.
- August 24 – On board an Uni Air McDonnell Douglas DC-9 a fire starts in an overhead luggage compartment over Hualien Taiwan. The fire was cause by the accidental ignition fumes from a bottle of household cleaner. One person died.
- August 31 – LAPA Boeing 737 overshoots the runway in Buenos Aires, Argentina and crashes into a golf course. Of the 103 people on board, 64 are killed as well as ten on the ground.
- September 23 – Qantas Flight 1, a Boeing 747, overshoots the runway upon landing in Bangkok, Thailand. None of the 410 people on board were seriously injured.
- October 31 – EgyptAir Flight 990, a Boeing 767 on its way Cairo, Egypt, was deliberately crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Nantucket, Massachusetts by the co-pilot as a way of committing suicide. All 217 passengers and crew members on board were killed.
- November 9 – TAESA Flight 725, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes near Uruapan, Mexico killing all 18 on board.
- December 11 – A SATA International British Aerospace APT crashed on São Jorge Island in the Azores. All 35 people on board were killed.
- December 21 – A Cubana de Aviacon McDonnell Douglas DC-10 overshot the runway in Guatemala City, Guatemala and crashes into homes. Of the 314 people on board, 16 die as well as two people in the homes.
- December 24 – Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked en route to Delhi, India. After stopovers in Lahore and Dubai, it landed in Kandhar (Afghanistan), where after several days of negociations, all the hostages were released in exchange for the release of three senior Islamic fighters held by India.
- December 25 – A Cubana de Aviacon Yakovlev Yak-42 crashes into a mountain near Bejuma, Venezuela killing all 22 on board.
- January 13 – An Avisto Shorts 360 ditches in the ocean near Marsa el-Brega, Libya after both engines failed; 22 of the 41 people on board died.
- January 30 – Kenya Airways Flight 431, an Airbus A310, carrying 169 passengers and 10 crew members, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Côte d'Ivoire after takeoff from Abidjan. Only ten people survived.
- January 31 – Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-83, crashes into the Pacific Ocean off Point Mugu, California after problems with its horizontal stabilizer. All 83 passengers and 5 crew members are killed.
- March 5 – Southwest Airlines Flight 1455, a Boeing 737, overran the runway in Burbank, California. Of the 142 people on board 43 are injured, two seriously.
- April 19 – Air Philippines Flight 541, a Boeing 737, crashes in Samal Island in the Philippines during a landing attempt. All 131 on board were killed.
- May 21 – An Executive Airlines BAe Jetstream 3101-31 near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania killing all 19 on board.
- June 22 – A Wuhan Airlines Xian Yunshuji Y-7-100C is struck by lightning over Shitai, China and explodes. Part of the plane crashes into a farmhouse and another into the Hanjiang River. All 44 people on the aircraft were killed as well as seven people who drowned after their boat capsized when the aircraft hit the river.
- July 8 – An Aerocaribe British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 32EP crashed in heavy fog near Villahermosa, Mexico. All 19 people on board were killed.
- July 17 – Alliance Air Flight 7412, a Boeing 737, crashed into government housing in Patna, India as it approached the airport, killing 55 of the 58 on board and five people on the ground. The crash was blamed on loss of control due to pilot error.
- July 25 – Air France Flight 4590, an Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde, crashed during takeoff from Paris, France after its fuel tank caught fire. All 9 crew members and 100 passengers were killed as well as four people on the ground. This crash led to the Concorde being grounded for two years, and, indirectly, to its eventual retirement.
- July 27 – A Royal Nepal Airlines de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashes into the Siwalik Hills range near Jodhura, Nepal, killing all 25 on board.
- August 12 – A Staer Air Antonov An-26 crashes near Tshikapa, Democratic Republic of the Congo during an attempted landing. All 21 passengers and six crew members are killed.
- August 23 – Gulf Air Flight 072, an Airbus A320, crashes into the Persian Gulf off Manama, Bahrain while attempting to land. All 143 passengers and eight crew members were killed.
- October 6 – AeroMéxico Flight 250, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, misses the runway while landing at Reynosa, Mexico during bad weather. All of the 88 people on board survived, but four people on the ground were killed when the aircraft crashed into homes and vehicles.
- October 31 – An Aca-Ancargo Antonov An-26 explodes in flight near Monaquimbundo, Angola. UNITA rebels claim to have shot it down. All 44 people on board died.
- October 31 – Singapore Airlines Flight 006, a Boeing 747 hits construction equipment after using a closed runway for takeoff in Taipei, Taiwan and crashes, killing 83 out of 179 people on board.
- November 15 – An Asa Pesada Antonov An-26 crashes near Luanda, Angola. All 57 people on board are killed.
- November 20 – An American Airlines Airbus A300 takes off from Miami, Florida and goes back and lands after the cabin pressure could not be maintained at 16,000 ft. Upon landing, the aircraft fails to depressurize and a door explodes open killing a flight attendant.
- January 25 – A Rutaca Douglas DC-3 aircraft crashes shortly after taking off from Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela killing all 20 passengers and four crew members.
- March 24 – Air Caraïbes Flight 1501, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashes into a home while attempting to land on the island of Saint-Barthélemy. All of the 17 passengers and two crew members died as well as one person on the ground.
- May 17 – A Qeshm Air Yakovlev Yak-40 aircraft crashes into a mountain during poor weather conditions near Sari, Iran killing all 25 passengers and five crew members on board.
- July 3 – A Vladivostokavia Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft crashes while attempting to land at Irkutsk, Russia, killing all 145 on board.
- August 24 – Air Transat Flight 236 runs out of fuel over the Atlantic Ocean and makes an emergency landing in the Azores islands. Upon landing some of the tires blew out causing a fire that was extinguished by emergency personal on the ground. None of the 304 people on board the Airbus A330 were seriously injured.
- September 11 – American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, with 92 people on board is hijacked after taking off from Boston, Massachusetts and is flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York. All on board are killed as well as hundreds more on the ground and in the building.
- September 11 – United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767, with 65 people on board is hijacked after taking off from Boston, Massachusetts and is flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York. All on board are killed as well as hundreds more on the ground and in the building.
- September 11 – American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757, with 64 people on board is hijacked after taking off from Dulles International Airport and is flown into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. All on board are killed as well 125 people in the building and on the ground.
- September 11 – United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757, with 44 people on board is hijacked after taking off from Newark, New Jersey. After the hijackers struggled with passengers the aircraft crashed in a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania killing all on board.
- September 12 – A charted Aero Ferinco LET 410 aircraft crashes after taking off from Chichen Itza, Mexico killing all 19 on board.
- October 4 – Siberia Airlines Flight 1812, a Tupolev Tu-154, is shot down by Ukrainian missile over the Black Sea. All 66 passengers and 12 crew members were killed.
- October 8 – Scandinavian Airlines Flight 686, an McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashes into a Cessna business jet on take-off from Milan, Italy. The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 then swerves into a baggage handling building and catches fire. All 110 people on board Scandinavian Airlines Flight 686 die as well as all four in the Cessna. Four people on the ground are also killed.
- November 12 – American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300, crashes into Queens a neighborhood of New York City, New York just after take off, after the plane's vertical tail fin snapped. All 251 passengers and nine crew members on board were killed as well as five people on the ground.
- November 19 – A chartered IRS Aero Ilyushin Il-18 aircraft crashes in Kalyazin, Russia killing all 27 on board.
- November 24 – Crossair Flight 3597, a BAe 146, Birchwil, Switzerland while attempting to land in Zürich. Of the 28 passenger and five crew members on board, 21 passengers and three crew members died.
- December 22 – On board American Airlines Flight 63, a Boeing 767, a passenger, Richard Reid, attempts to detonate explosives hidden in his shoe, but fails and is subdued by passengers and crew. The plane landed safely in Boston, Massachusetts.
- January 14 – Lion Air Flight JT-386, a Boeing 737, crashes while attempting to take off from Riau, Indonesia. All 103 on board survived.
- February 12 – Iranair Tours Flight 956, a Tupolev Tu-154 crashes into a mountain near Khorramabad, Iran. All 108 passengers and 9 crew members are killed. (See Iranair Tours for more information.)
- February 27 – Ryanair Flight 296, a Boeing 737, catches fire on one of its engines while landing in London. All passengers and crew are safely evacuated with no injuries.
- April 15 – Air China Flight 129, a Boeing 767, crashes into a hill during a landing attempt at Busan, South Korea in misty conditions. Of the 155 passengers and 11 crew, 38 survived.
- May 4 – EAS Airlines Flight 4226, a BAC 1-11 crashes into a number of buildings in Kano, Nigeria after taking off. Of the 77 people on board the aircraft, 74 were killed along with 75 on the ground.
- May 7 – China Northern Airlines Flight 6136, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-82, crashed near Dalian, China, after a passenger apparently set fire to the cabin with gasoline. All 103 passengers and 9 crew members were killed.
- May 7 – EgyptAir Flight 843, a Boeing 737, crashes near Tunis, Tunisia while landing in rough weather. Of the 62 people on board, 14 died.
- May 25 – China Airlines Flight 611, a Boeing 747, disintegrated above the Taiwan Strait, apparently due to metal fatigue. All 206 passengers and 19 crew members were killed.
- July 1 – Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937, a Tupolev 154 with 57 passengers and 14 crew members on board collided with a DHL Boeing 757 cargo plane with 2 pilots on board near Lake Constance, Germany. All people on both planes perished.
- July 1 - America West Airlines Flight 556, an Airbus 319, was ordered back to the terminal at Miami, Florida after security screeners reported the pilots were drunk. The passengers were allowed to fly to Phoenix, Arizona on other airlines, while the pilots were eventually sentenced to prison.
- July 4 – A Prestige Airlines Boeing 707 en route to Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo from N'Djamena, Chad crashes while trying to perform an emergency landing due to a mechanical problem in Bangui, Central African Republic. Of the 27 people on board, 25 were killed.
- August 30 – A Rico Taxi Aéreo Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia crashes in Rio Branco, Brazil while attempting to land during a rain storm. Only eight of 31 on board survive.
- November 6 – Luxair Flight 9642, a Fokker 50, crashes short of the runway while landing near Niederanven, Luxembourg in foggy conditions. Of the 19 passengers and three crew members on board, only two survive.
- November 11 – Laoag International Airlines Flight 585, a Fokker F27 ditches into Manila Bay after the pilot declares an emergency. Nineteen of the 35 people on board were killed.
- December 23 – An Aeromist-Kharkiv Antonov An-140 crashes near Isfanan, Iran killing all 38 passengers and six crew members.
- January 8 – A Turkish Airlines Avro RJ-100 aircraft crashes during landing near Diyarbakir, Turkey killing 71 of the 75 passengers and four of the five crew members.
- January 8 – Air Midwest Flight 5481, a Beechcraft 1900D crashes on takeoff from Charlotte North Carolina in the United States; all 19 passengers and 2 pilots were killed.
- January 9 – A TANS Peru Fokker F28 crashes into a mountain close to its destination Chachapoyas, Peru killing all 46 on board.
- March 6 – Air Algerie Flight 6289, a Boeing 737 veers off the runway on takeoff in Tamanrasset, Algeria; 96 of the 97 passengers and all 6 crew members perish.
- April 1 – A Cubana de Aviación Antonov An-24 was forced to fly to Key West, Florida by a man with hand grenades. No one was injured.
- May 26 – A Ukrainian-Mediterranean Airlines Yakovlev 42D crashes near Macka, Turkey killing all 75 on board.
- July 8 – Sudan Airways Flight 139, a Boeing 737, crashes shortly after taking off from Port Sudan, Sudan. The plane crashed into a hill while attempting an emergency landing; 116 of the 117 people on board were killed.
- July 19 – A Ryan Blake Air Charter Swearingen SA-226T Metro II carrying tourists crashes into Mount Kenya, Kenya killing all 14 on board.
- August 24 – Tropical Airways Flight 1301 crashes after taking off from Cap-Haïtien, Haiti; all 19 passengers and two crew members are killed.
- December 25 – Union des Transports Aériens de Guinée Flight 141, a Boeing 727, overshoots the runway upon landing at Cotonou, Benin and crashes onto the beach on the Bight of Benin, killing 151 of the 163 occupants.
- January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 604, a Boeing 737, crashes into the Red Sea, killing all 135 passengers and 13 crew members.
- January 13 – An Uzbekistan Airways Yakovlev Yak-40 aircraft crashes while attempting to land in Tashkent, Uzbekistan killing all 32 passengers and six crew members.
- February 10 – A Kish Air Fokker F-50 crashes during landing at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 43 of the 46 people on board died.
- May 9 – American Eagle Flight 5401 is damaged by high winds during landing in San Juan, Puerto Rico injuring 13 people.
- May 14 – A Rico Linhas Aereas Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia crashes near Manaus, Brazil killing all 33 on board.
- June 8 – A Gabon Express Avro 748 aircraft crashes shortly after taking off from Libreville, Gabon killing 19 of the 30 people on board. (See Gabon Express for more information.)
- August 24 – Siberia Airlines Flight 1047, a Tu-154 explodes in midair while flying over Rostov Oblast, Russia killing all 38 passengers and 8 crew members on board.
- August 24 – Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303, a Tu-134 explodes in midair while flying over Tula Oblast, Russia killing all 34 passengers and 9 crew members on board the aircraft.
- October 19 – Corporate Airlines Flight 5966, a Handley Page Jetstream, crashes near Kirksville, Missouri in the United States; 13 of the 15 people on board died.
- November 21 – China Eastern Flight 5210, crashed near Baotou, China after takeoff due to snow and ice on control surfaces. All 53 on board and two people on the ground killed.
- November 30 – Lion Air Flight 538, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crash lands in Solo City, Indonesia, killing 25 of the 154 people on board.
- February 3 – Kam Air Flight 904, a Boeing 737, crashes in a snowstorm in Afghanistan. All 96 passengers and eight crew members died.
- March 16 – A Regional Airlines Antonov An-24 aircraft carrying oil workers to Varandey, Russia crashed five kilometers from the runway. A mixture of bad weather and pilot error caused the crash. Twenty-six of the 45 passengers died as well as two of the seven crew members.
- April 12 – A GT Air de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 aircraft crashes in Indonesia, all 18 on board die.
- May 25 – A chartered Maniema Union Antonov An-28 aircraft, owned by Victoria Air, crashed into a mountain near Walungu, Democratic Republic of the Congo about 30 minutes after takeoff. All of the 22 passengers and 5 crew members were killed.
- July 16 – An Ecuatair Antonov AN-24B crashed shortly after takeoff from Baney, Equatorial Guinea killing all 54 passengers and 6 crew members.
- August 2 – Air France Flight 358, an Airbus A340 skids off a runway in Toronto, Ontario, while landing and catches fire; all 309 on board escaped without fatalities or serious injuries, but the aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire.
- August 6 – A Tuninter ATR-72 crashes in the Mediterranean Sea off Palermo, Italy, killing 16 of the 39 on board. (See Tuninter for more information.)
- August 10 – A Copterline Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashes off Tallinn, Estonia killing all 14 on board.
- August 14 – Helios Airways Flight 522, a Boeing 737 crashes near Kalamos, Greece with 115 passenger and 6 crew members on board; there were no survivors.
- August 16 – West Caribbean Airways Flight 708, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashes in western Venezuela. All on board, 152 passengers and 8 crew members, died.
- August 23 – TANS Peru Flight 204, a Boeing 737, crashes near Pucallpa, Peru. Of the 92 passengers on board, 40 died as well as four of the six crew members.
- September 5 – Mandala Airlines Flight 091, a Boeing 737, crashes in Medan, Indonesia, killing 103 of the 111 passengers and all 5 crew members on the plane and an additional 47 people on the ground.
- September 21 – JetBlue Airways Flight 292, an Airbus A320, makes an emergency landing in Los Angeles, California in the United States. All 139 passengers and six crewmember escaped unharmed.
- October 22 – Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737, crashes in central Nigeria killing all of the 114 people on board.
- December 7 – A passenger disembarking American Airlines Flight 924, a Boeing 757, in Miami, Florida is shot and killed by an air marshal when the marshal believes he hears the man say he has a bomb.
- December 8 – Southwest Airlines Flight 1248, a Boeing 737, slides off the runway during landing at Midway Airport in Chicago, Illinois in heavy snow. None of the people on board were injured, but the plane hit two automobiles on the ground, killing a six-year-old boy in one of them.
- December 10 – Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 with 110 people on board, crashes during landing in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Of the 110 all but three are killed.
- December 19 – Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101, a Grumman Mallard, crashes off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida, killing all 20 on board.
- December 23 – An Azerbaijan Airlines Antonov An-140 crashes into the Caspian Sea shortly after taking off from Baku, Azerbaijan; all 23 on board were killed.
- March 18 – While landing in Madrid, Spain, an Air Algeria Boeing 737's right landing gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off the runway and injured about 45 of the 108 on board. There were no fatalities.
- March 31 – A Team Air Let L410 crashed near Rio Bonito in Brazil and caught fire. All of the 19 people on board were killed.
- May 3 – Armavia Flight 967, an Airbus A320, crashed in the Black Sea near the Russian city of Sochi, killing all 113 on board.
- July 9 – S7 Airlines Flight 778, an Airbus A310, crashed into a concrete barricade and caught fire on landing in Irkutsk, Russia. 124 people died, leaving 79 survivors.
- July 10 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688, a Fokker F27 turboprop, crashed into a wheat field near Multan, Pakistan 10 minutes after taking off, killing all 41 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
- August 22 – Pulkovo Airlines Flight 612, a Tupolev Tu-154 crashes near Donetsk, Ukraine killing all 170 people on board.
- August 27 – Comair Flight 5191, a CRJ-100, crashes during takeoff near Lexington, Kentucky killing 49 of the 50 people on board.
- September 1 – An Iran Air Tours Tu-154 carrying 148 people crashes while attempting to land in Mashad, Iran killing 29 people.
See also
External links
- "Air disasters timeline" at BBC News
- PlaneCrashInfo.com
- Air Accidents Investigation Branch (UK)
- AirDisaster.Com Accident Database (For the latest crashes, sorted by year)
- FAA Preliminary Accident and Incident Reports