Timeline

A chronological view of aviation's most significant accidents. Each disaster contributed to the safety improvements that protect millions of passengers today.

1970s
1974

Turkish Airlines Flight 981

A DC-10's cargo door blew off shortly after takeoff from Paris, causing explosive decompression and floor collapse that severed flight controls, killing all 346 aboard in aviation's deadliest single-aircraft accident at the time.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10
Ermenonville, France
346 fatalities
Mechanical
1977

Tenerife Airport Disaster

Two Boeing 747 jumbo jets collided on a foggy runway at Los Rodeos Airport, killing 583 people in the deadliest aviation accident in history.

Boeing 747
Tenerife, Spain
583 fatalities
Human Error
1978

United Airlines Flight 173

A DC-8 ran out of fuel and crashed while the captain focused on a landing gear problem, killing 10—but the accident birthed Crew Resource Management and revolutionized how pilots work together, saving countless lives.

McDonnell Douglas DC-8
Portland, United States
10 fatalities
Human Error
1979

American Airlines Flight 191

The left engine and pylon separated from a DC-10 during takeoff at Chicago O'Hare, causing loss of control and the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history with 273 fatalities.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10
Chicago, United States
273 fatalities
Mechanical
1980s
1980

Saudia Flight 163

After smoke warnings, the crew made a successful emergency landing in Riyadh, but inexplicably failed to evacuate for over 20 minutes, resulting in all 301 people dying from smoke inhalation in a tragedy that should have had survivors.

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
301 fatalities
Human ErrorOther
1985

Japan Airlines Flight 123

A catastrophic bulkhead failure caused explosive decompression and loss of control, resulting in the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history with 520 fatalities.

Boeing 747SR
Mount Takamagahara, Japan
520 fatalities
Mechanical
1988

Pan Am Flight 103

A terrorist bomb destroyed a 747 over Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on the ground, exposing critical gaps in aviation security and triggering fundamental changes in baggage screening worldwide.

Boeing 747
Lockerbie, Scotland
270 fatalities
Other
1989

United Airlines Flight 232

After total hydraulic failure left the DC-10 nearly uncontrollable, exceptional crew resource management enabled a crash landing that saved 184 of 296 lives—a feat once thought impossible.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10
Sioux City, United States
112 fatalities
MechanicalHuman Error
1990s
1996

TWA Flight 800

A Boeing 747 exploded over the Atlantic Ocean 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 aboard and triggering one of aviation's most controversial investigations into fuel tank safety.

Boeing 747
East Moriches, United States
230 fatalities
Mechanical
1996

Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision

Two aircraft collided in mid-air near Delhi when a Kazakhstan Airlines flight descended into the path of a climbing Saudi Arabian Airlines 747, killing all 349 people aboard both planes.

Boeing 747 / Ilyushin Il-76
Charkhi Dadri, India
349 fatalities
Human ErrorOther
2000s
2000

Alaska Airlines Flight 261

When the horizontal stabilizer jackscrew failed due to inadequate maintenance, pilots fought desperately to control the MD-83, even attempting to fly it inverted, before it plunged into the Pacific Ocean killing all 88 aboard.

McDonnell Douglas MD-83
Point Mugu, United States
88 fatalities
MechanicalHuman Error
2000

Air France Flight 4590

A tire burst during takeoff triggered a catastrophic chain reaction that destroyed the supersonic Concorde, killing all 109 aboard and 4 on the ground—the only fatal crash of the iconic aircraft and the beginning of its end.

Concorde
Gonesse, France
113 fatalities
MechanicalOther
2009

Air France Flight 447

Pitot tube icing led to automation disconnect and pilot confusion, resulting in a high-altitude stall that lasted over three minutes before the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 aboard.

Airbus A330
Atlantic Ocean, Brazil
228 fatalities
Human ErrorWeather
2010s
2015

Germanwings Flight 9525

When the captain left the cockpit, the co-pilot locked the door and deliberately flew the A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 aboard and exposing critical gaps in pilot mental health oversight.

Airbus A320
Prads-Haute-Bléone, France
150 fatalities
Human ErrorOther
2019

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302

A faulty angle-of-attack sensor triggered the MCAS system on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, leading to loss of control and crash six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard and grounding the entire MAX fleet worldwide.

Boeing 737 MAX 8
Bishoftu, Ethiopia
157 fatalities
MechanicalOther