1970 • January 1 —
Serviços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul Flight 114, a Sud Aviation Caravelle SE 210, was hijacked by six members of VAR-Palmares. From Montevideo, the plane was diverted to Havana where the hijack stopped after 47 hours. All 28 occupants survived. • January 5 —
A Spantax Convair 990 Coronado crashed shortly after takeoff from Stockholm's Arlanda Airport when the flight crew lost control of the aircraft; five of the ten people on board were killed. • January 29 —
Aeroflot Flight 145, a Tupolev Tu-124V, crashed into a wooded hill, killing 11 of the 38 occupants. • February 4 –
Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 707, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 operating a multi-leg flight from Paraguay to Argentina, crashed near Loma Alta when the pilots lost control of the aircraft due to severe turbulence; all 37 passengers and crew were killed. • February 4 –
TAROM Flight 35, an Antonov An-24 on a domestic route from Bucharest to Oradea, crashed on Mount Vlădeasa, killing 20 of the 21 people on board. • February 6 –
Aeroflot Flight U-45, an Ilyushin Il-18 operating a domestic flight in Uzbekistan, crashed into a mountain on approach to Samarkand International Airport due to ATC error; 92 of the 106 people on board were killed. • February 15 –
Dominicana de Aviación Flight 603, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed shortly after takeoff from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, due to a dual-engine failure; all 102 people on board were killed. • February 21 –
Swissair Flight 330, a Convair CV-990 bound for Tel Aviv, Israel, en route to Hong Kong, crashed when a bomb detonated in the cargo hold nine minutes after takeoff from Zurich International Airport, Switzerland; all 38 passengers and nine crew were killed. • March 14 —
Paraense Transportes Aéreos Flight 903, a Fairchild F-27, crashed during descent in the Guajará Bay, killing 37 of the 39 on board. • March 17 –
Eastern Air Lines Shuttle Flight 1320, a Douglas DC-9-31 flying from Newark, New Jersey, to Boston, Massachusetts, was hijacked by a suicidal man who shot both pilots before being subdued; the captain made a successful emergency landing in Boston, where the hijacker was arrested; the co-pilot died from his injuries. • March 31 –
Japan Airlines Flight 351, a Boeing 727 operating a domestic flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka, was hijacked by a Japanese Red Army faction who forced the crew to proceed to North Korea after releasing 21 passengers at Fukuoka Airport; the hijackers eventually surrendered and all 129 people on board the flight were unharmed. • April 1 –
Aeroflot Flight 1661, an Antonov An-24 operating a domestic flight in Russia, crashed on climbout after departing from Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport, due to a collision with a weather balloon; all 45 passengers and crew were killed. • April 4 — A Royal Air Maroc Caravelle
crashed while attempting to avoid a town in Berrechid, Morocco, killing 61 of the 81 on board, and possibly four more who were reported to have later died in hospital. • April 21 –
Philippine Airlines Flight 215, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 operating a domestic flight from Cauayan Airport to Manila International Airport, exploded in mid-air and crashed north of its destination, killing all 36 on board; a bomb was most likely responsible for the crash. • May 2 –
ALM Flight 980, a Douglas DC-9 operated by Overseas National Airways, ditched into the Caribbean Sea near St. Croix, Virgin Islands, due to fuel exhaustion after several unsuccessful landing attempts at St. Maarten in the Dutch Antilles; 23 of the 63 people on board were killed. • July 3 –
Dan-Air Flight 1903, a de Havilland Comet 4 operating a flight from Manchester, England, to Barcelona, Spain, crashed near Arbúcies in Catalonia on approach to El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport; all 112 people on board were killed. • July 5 –
Air Canada Flight 621, a Douglas DC-8 operating a flight from Montreal, Canada, to Los Angeles, United States, crashed during a failed landing attempt at its scheduled stopover at Toronto Pearson International Airport, killing all 109 on board. • July 22 —
Olympic Airways Flight 255 was hijacked by six members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and possibly the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front. They demanded the release of seven Palestinians held in Greece for three terrorist incidents including
El Al Flight 253. The Greek authorities accepted the demands, and all 55 people survived. However, it was the basis of the
Dawson's Field hijackings. • July 27 –
Flying Tiger Line Flight 45, a Douglas DC-8, crashed just short of Naha Airport, killing all four crew members on board. • August 9 –
LANSA Flight 502, a Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop operating a domestic flight in Peru, crashed shortly after takeoff from Cusco's Quispiquilla Airport due to engine failure, killing 99 of the 100 people on board, including 49 U.S. high school exchange students, as well as two on the ground. • August 12 –
China Airlines Flight 206, a NAMC YS-11, crashed into Yuan Mountain in thick fog during a severe thunderstorm, while on approach to Taipei International Airport; 14 of the 31 people on board lost their lives. • September 2 –
Aeroflot Flight 3630, a Tupolev Tu-124 en route from southern Russia to Lithuania, crashed after the pilots lost control of the aircraft at cruise altitude between Rostov-on-Don Airport and Vilnius Airport, on the second leg of the flight; all 37 passengers and crew were killed. • September 3 –
Aeroflot Flight Sh-4 crashed on Mount Airy-Tash, while flying from Fruzne to Dushnabe. All 21 people on board were killed in the first hull loss of the Yakolev Yak-40. • September 6 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine orchestrated 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 drew international outrage and contributed to the eventual widespread implementation of systematic air passenger screening; Pan Am Flight 93 was the first ever loss of the Boeing 747. • September 8 –
Trans International Airlines Flight 863, a Douglas DC-8 on a re-positioning flight, crashed during takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, killing all 11 crew members. • September 26 –
Flugfélag Islands Flight 704, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed into an island while approaching Vágar Airport in clouds; eight occupants were killed and 26 survived. • October 2 –
A chartered Martin 4-0-4 airliner crashed into a mountain near Silver Plume, Colorado, United States, while carrying members of the Wichita State University football team to Logan, Utah, for a game; 31 of the 40 people on board were killed. • October 15 –
Aeroflot Flight 244, an Antonov An-24 flying from Georgia to Abkhazia along the Black Sea coast, was hijacked by a Lithuanian national and his 13-year-old son. They killed one flight attendant and forced the plane to divert to Trabzon, Turkey, where they surrendered to the Turkish government; this was the first known successful airline hijacking in the Soviet Union. • November 14 –
Southern Airways Flight 932, a chartered Douglas DC-9 flying from North Carolina to West Virginia, United States, crashed on approach to Huntington's Tri-State Airport due to pilot error; all 75 on board were killed, including 37 players of the Marshall University football team and eight of the coaching staff. • November 27 –
Capitol International Airways Flight C2C3/26, a chartered Douglas DC-8 scheduled to fly from McChord Field to Cam Ranh Air Base, crashed on takeoff from Alaska after a stopover, resulting in the deaths of 47 out of the 229 people on board. • December 28 –
Trans Caribbean Airways Flight 505 crashed after overshooting the runway at St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, after a flight from New York. Two of the 55 on board were killed, and 51 of the survivors were injured. • December 31 –
Aeroflot Flight 3012, an Ilyushin Il-18V, banked steeply to the right during takeoff due to improper aircraft configuration and began losing altitude. It then impacted nose-first and slid another 210 m. According to Aviation Safety Network, 6 out of 86 people died while some source said all 88 occupants died.
1971 • January 18 –
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 130, an Ilyushin Il-18D, crashed during approach after it deviated from the course, killing 45 of the 47 occupants. • January 22 –
An Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crashed due to icing while on approach to Surgut International Airport, RSFSR, Soviet Union, killing all 14 on board. • January 23 –
A Korean Air Lines Fokker F27 was hijacked and was forcefully diverted to North Korea. During the struggle, the co-pilot and the hijacker was killed by a gernade. The captain successfully landed the plane in a beach. • January 30 – In the
1971 Indian Airlines hijacking, a Fokker F-27 Friendship 100 operating a domestic passenger flight was hijacked en route from Srinagar to Jammu and flown to Lahore in Pakistan, where the passengers and crew were released and the plane subsequently destroyed. • January 31 –
An Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crashed due to icing while on approach to Surgut International Airport, RSFSR, Soviet Union. All seven on board were killed. • March 31 –
Aeroflot Flight 1969, an Antonov An-10, crashed on approach to Voroshilovgrad Airport (now Luhansk Airport), Ukrainian SSR, following an unexplained structural failure of the right wing, killing all 65 on board. • May 23 –
Aviogenex Flight 130, a Tupolev Tu-134 flying from London's Gatwick Airport to Rijeka Airport in Yugoslavia, crashed on landing at its destination due to an optical illusion, killing 78 of the 83 people on board. • June 6 –
Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a Douglas DC-9 operating a domestic flight from Los Angeles, California, to Seattle, Washington, United States, collided with a US Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II fighter jet and crashed into the San Gabriel Mountains near Duarte, California, killing all 49 people on board; the fighter jet pilot was also killed, but the Radar Intercept Officer successfully bailed out. • June 7 –
Allegheny Airlines Flight 485, a Convair CV-580 operating a multi-leg domestic flight between Washington, D.C., and Virginia in the United States, crashed on approach to Tweed New Haven Airport, Connecticut, killing 28 of the 31 people on board. • June 11 –
TWA Flight 358, a Boeing 727, was hijacked Gregory White demanding a machine gun, $75,000, and being diverted to North Vietnam. He soon surrendered by the FBI after being wounded. A passenger was killed of the 26 occupants. • July 3 –
Toa Domestic Airlines Flight 63, a NAMC YS-11 operating a domestic flight in Japan, crashed into Yokotsu Mountain near Hakodate Airport on Japan's Hokkaidō island, killing all 68 passengers and crew in the worst-ever disaster involving the YS-11. • July 25 –
Aeroflot Flight 1912, a Tupolev Tu-104 operating a multi-leg domestic flight between Odessa and Vladivostok in the Soviet Union, landed hard and crashed short of the runway at Irkutsk Airport, killing 97 of the 126 people on board. • July 30 –
All Nippon Airways Flight 58, a Boeing 727-200 operating a domestic flight from Sapporo to Tokyo, Japan, collided with a JASDF F-86 Sabre fighter jet at Shizukuishi near Morioka, killing all 162 passengers and crew on board; the F-86 pilot parachuted to safety, but was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. • July 30 –
Pan Am Flight 845, a Boeing 747-100 flying from Los Angeles, California, United States, to Tokyo, Japan, collided with approach lighting structures on taking off from its intermediate stop, San Francisco International Airport, and then crashed after turning back to attempt an emergency landing at the same airport; there were no fatalities but 29 of the 199 passengers were injured. • August 28 –
Malév Flight 731, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashed into Øresund off the coast of Denmark, about from Copenhagen Airport, during a heavy rainstorm. Of the 34 people on board, only two survived. • September 4 –
Alaska Airlines Flight 1866, a Boeing 727 operating a flight from Anchorage, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington, United States, crashed 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 flying from Hamburg, Germany, to Málaga, Spain, suffered dual engine failure shortly after takeoff and crashed onto the motorway near Hamburg Airport, killing 22 of the 121 people on board. • September 16 –
Malév Flight 110, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashed while on approach to Kiev-Borispol Airport, Ukrainian SSR, in foggy weather, killing all 49 passengers and crew. • October 2 –
British European Airways Flight 706, a Vickers Vanguard turboprop flying from London's Heathrow Airport to Salzburg, Austria, broke up in mid-air and crashed near Aarsele, Belgium, after suffering explosive decompression, killing all 63 people on board. • October 10 –
Aeroflot Flight 773, a Tupolev Tu-104, broke up and crashed near Baranovo, Naro-Fominsky District, Russia, when a bomb placed in the cabin exploded; all 25 on board died. • November 10 –
A Merpati Nusantara Vickers Viscount 828 crashed in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on approach to Tabing Airport in Padang, due to poor visibility in bad weather; all 69 people on board were killed. • November 12 –
Aeroflot Flight N-63, an Antonov An-24, stalled and crashed near Vinnitsa Airport, Ukrainian SSR, during a go-around in foggy weather, killing all 48 people on board. • November 20 –
China Airlines Flight 825, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, exploded in mid-air and crashed into the Taiwan Strait while on a flight from Taipei to Hong Kong, due to a terrorist bomb, killing all 25 people on board. • November 24 –
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, a Boeing 727 flying from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, United States, was hijacked by an unidentified person who parachuted from the aircraft mid-flight after extorting US$200,000 of ransom money from the US government; the aircraft landed safely and all 41 on board were unharmed, but the perpetrator has never been apprehended. • November 27 –
TWA Flight 106, a Boeing 727-31, was hijacked by three armed in order to go to Havana, Cuba. None of the 51 occupants were injured. • December 1 –
Aeroflot Flight 2174, an Antonov An-24, lost control and crashed on approach to Saratov Airport due to wing icing, killing all 57 on board. • December 3 –
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 712, a Boeing 720, was hijacked by Jean Kay, a 28 year old French humanitarian activist, with his members. He controlled the aircraft and landed while demanding the control tower medical supplies. Two police arrested him and there are no fatalities among the 28 occupants. • December 24 –
LANSA Flight 508, a Lockheed L-188 Electra en route from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, broke up in mid-air during a thunderstorm and crashed in the Amazon rainforest; of the 92 on board, the sole survivor was a German teenager who fell strapped to her seat, and then walked for 10 days through the rainforest before being rescued by local lumbermen.
1972 • January 7 –
Iberia Airlines Flight 602, a Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle flying from Valencia to Ibiza, crashed into a mountain while on approach to Ibiza Airport, killing all 104 passengers and crew. • January 21 – a Turkish Airlines DC-9
crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Adana Airport, killing one of the five crew members. • January 26 –
JAT Flight 367, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, suffered a bomb explosion in mid-air, killing 27 of the 28 on board; Vesna Vulović, the only survivor, was entered in the
Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the longest fall without a parachute, over . • February 22 –
Lufthansa Flight 649, a Boeing 747 en route from Tokyo to Frankfurt, was hijacked during the Delhi–Athens leg and forced to divert to Aden, South Yemen, where all 182 passengers and crew were released in exchange for a $5 million ransom. • March 3 –
Mohawk Airlines Flight 405, a Fairchild F-27 flying from New York City to Albany, New York, crashed while descending to land at Albany County Airport, killing 16 of the 48 people on board and one on the ground. • March 14 –
Sterling Airways Flight 296, a Sud Caravelle flying from Colombo, Ceylon, to Copenhagen, Denmark, crashed near Kalba in the United Arab Emirates due to pilot error; all 112 on board died. This was the worst air disaster in the history of the UAE. • March 19 –
EgyptAir Flight 763, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 flying from Egypt to South Yemen, crashed on approach to Aden International Airport, killing all 30 passengers and crew. • April 18 –
East African Airways Flight 720, a
Vickers VC10, crashed after overshooting the runway on takeoff. There were 43 deaths and 67 survivors. • May 4 –
Aeroflot Flight B-608, a Yakovlev Yak-40, encountered a snowstorm with a strong downdraft. The plane rapidly descended, clipped the tops of trees, lost speed, and crashed, killing all 18 on board. • May 5 –
Alitalia Flight 112, a Douglas DC-8 operating a domestic flight from Rome to Palermo, Italy, crashed into Mount Longa some southwest of its destination, killing all 115 passengers and crew; it remains the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy. • May 5 –
Eastern Air Lines Flight 175, a Boeing 727, was hijacked by a man named Frederick Hahneman. After switching planes due to a mechanical issue, Hahneman forced the pilots to fly over Honduras airspace and jumped out of the plane with a parachute. He surrendered 28 days later. • May 8 –
Sabena Flight 571, a Boeing 707 flying from Brussels to Tel Aviv, was hijacked by members of the Black September Organisation demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel; during a commando raid the hijackers were killed or captured and one hostage terminally injured, the others freed. • May 18 –
Aeroflot Flight 1491, an Antonov An-10, suffered an in-flight structural failure on approach to Kharkiv Airport in Ukraine and crashed. All 122 passengers and crew were killed. • May 30 –
Delta Air Lines Flight 9570, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 on a training flight, crashed due to
wake turbulence from another aircraft, killing all 4 crew members. • June 12 –
American Airlines Flight 96, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, suffered explosive depressurisation when one of its cargo doors failed mid-flight; the crew performed an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport, Michigan, where all 67 on board were evacuated safely. • June 14 –
Japan Airlines Flight 471, a Douglas DC-8 en route from Bangkok, Thailand, to New Delhi, India, crashed on approach to Palam Airport, killing 82 of the 87 on board and three people on the ground. • June 15 – A carry-on suitcase bomb exploded on
Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, a Convair 880, at over Vietnam; all 81 on board died. • June 18 –
British European Airways Flight 548, a Hawker Siddeley Trident, underwent a series of stalls due to pilot error, followed by a deep stall, and crashed near Staines, United Kingdom; all 118 on board were killed. • June 24 –
Prinair Flight 191, a de Havilland Heron, overrotated because of pilot error and crashed in Ponce, Puerto Rico, killing five of the 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, collided over Lake Winnebago near Appleton, Wisconsin, killing all 13 people on board the two aircraft. • July 2 –
Pan Am Flight 841, a Boeing 747 en route from San Francisco to Saigon, South Vietnam, was hijacked over the South China Sea by a political protester; the hijacker was killed at a fake refuelling stop and no one else was harmed. • July 5 –
Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 710, a Boeing 737-200, was hijacked by two people. The plane landed at San Francisco, where the FBI stormed into the plane and ended the hijacking. Of 84 occupants, three were killed including the hijackers. • July 29 – Avianca Flight 630
collided in mid-air over Mámbita, Colombia, with Avianca Flight 626. All 38 people on board both DC-3s were killed. • July 29 to August 2 –
Delta Air Lines Flight 841, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-51, was hijacked by five people who boarded with their three children. Their demand was accepted and the plane flew to Algeria, where the 86 hostages were released. All 101 people survived. • August 14 – In the
1972 Königs Wusterhausen air disaster, an Interflug Ilyushin Il-62 flying from East Germany to Bulgaria, crashed near Königs Wusterhausen, to the southeast of Berlin; all 156 passengers and crew were killed. This was Germany's worst air disaster. • August 16 – A
Burma Airways Douglas C-47 crashed into the sea shortly after departing from Thandwe Airport in Burma, killing 25 of the 28 on board. • August 31 –
Aeroflot Flight 558, an Ilyushin Il-18 en route from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, to Moscow in the Soviet Union, crashed following an in-flight fire; all 102 people on board were killed. • September 24 –
Japan Airlines Flight 472, a Douglas DC-8 flying from London to Tokyo with 122 on board, overshot the runway after landing at the wrong airport; there were no fatalities. • October 1 –
Aeroflot Flight 1036, an Ilyushin Il-18V, crashed into the Black Sea during takeoff from Sochi International Airport in the Soviet Union, for reasons unknown; all 109 passengers and crew were killed. • October 13 –
Aeroflot Flight 217, an Ilyushin Il-62 flying from Paris to Moscow, crashed on approach to Sheremetyevo International Airport for reasons unknown; all 174 passengers and crew on board were killed. • October 13 –
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a Fairchild F-27 en route from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashed in the Andes due to pilot error; 29 of the 45 on board lost their lives, and the remaining 16 survived for 72 days by feeding on the dead. • October 21 –
Olympic Airways Flight 506, a NAMC YS-11 en route from Corfu, crashed into the sea and later sank, on approach to Athens; 37 of the 53 people on board were killed. • October 27 –
Air Inter Flight 696Y, a Vickers Viscount 724 en route from Lyon to Clemont-Ferrand, crashed near Noirétable, France, killing 60 of the 68 people on board. • October 29 –
Lufthansa Flight 615, a Boeing 727 en route from Damascus to Frankfurt, was hijacked by sympathizers of
Black September who demanded the release of the three surviving perpetrators of the Munich massacre; the ensuing stand-off was eventually resolved and there were no casualties. • October 30 –
Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 327, a Fokker F27 Friendship on a domestic flight from Naples to Bridinisi, with a stopover in Bari, crashed due to pilot error near Poggiorsini, in the Apulia region, killing all 27 people on board. • November 10 –
Southern Airways Flight 49, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15, was hijacked by three people. The plane went to many places and ended up diverted to Havana, Cuba, where hijackers were arrested by the Cuban authorities. All 38 occupants survived. • • November 15 –
Ansett Airlines Flight 232, a Fokker F27 Friendship operating a domestic flight in Australia, was hijacked on approach to Alice Springs; after landing at the airport, the perpetrator fatally shot himself during a confrontation with the police. • November 28 –
Japan Air Lines Flight 446, a Douglas DC-8 operating an international flight from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Tokyo, Japan, via Moscow, USSR, stalled and crashed after rotation from Sheremetyevo International Airport, due to pilot error; 62 of the 76 people on board were 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 were killed. . (1972) • December 8 –
United Airlines Flight 553, a Boeing 737, crashed after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 43 of 60 people on board and two people on the ground; one of the fatalities was Dorothy Hunt, wife of Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt. The crash was the first fatal crash involving the 737-200. • December 8 –
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631, a Fokker F27, crashed into a mountain, halfway through its flight in Pakistan, killing all 31 passengers and crew. • December 8 -
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 708, a Boeing 720-060B, was involved in a hijacking incident when seven members of the Eritrean Liberation Front tried to gain control of the aircraft. During the process, some sky marshals on board the aircraft opened fire killing six of the seven hijackers. Also, a grenade from the hijackers exploded on board the aircraft, damaging some control systems. The aircraft managed to land back at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The seventh hijacker later died in hospital due to his injuries. • December 20 – In the
1972 Chicago–O'Hare runway collision, Delta Air Lines Flight 954, a Convair CV-880, and North Central Airlines Flight 575, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, collided on the runway due to ATC communication errors, killing 10 people and injuring 17. • December 23 –
Braathens SAFE Flight 239, a Fokker F-28 operating a domestic flight in Norway, crashed into terrain in Asker on approach to Oslo Airport, Fornebu, killing 40 of the 45 people on board. • December 29 –
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar flying from New York to Miami, crashed in the Florida Everglades when the crew was distracted by a faulty gear-down light, resulting in the deaths of 101 of the 176 people on board. This was the first crash of a widebody aircraft and the first loss of a Lockheed Tristar. • December 31 – An American Express Leasing Douglas DC-7
crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico, while en route from San Juan to Managua. All five on board were killed.
1973 • January 2 –
Pacific Western Airlines Flight 3801, a Boeing 707-321C on a cargo flight from Athens to Edmonton, crashed on approach to its destination. All five people on board were killed. • January 21 –
Aeroflot Flight 6263, an Antonov An-24, lost control for unknown reasons, broke up and crashed while on approach to Perm Airport, killing all 39 on board. • January 22 – In the
Kano air disaster, a Boeing 707 crashed while attempting to land at Kano International Airport in Nigeria, killing 176 of the 202 passengers and crew on board. • January 29 –
EgyptAir Flight 741 crashed in the Kyrenia mountain range in Northern Cyprus while on approach to Nicosia International Airport; all 37 on board died. • February 19 –
Aeroflot Flight 141, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed short of the runway at Prague Ruzyně Airport for unknown reasons, killing 66 of 100 on board. • February 21 –
Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114, a Boeing 727, strayed off course and was shot down by Israeli jets in the Sinai war zone, killing 108 of 113 people on board. • February 24 –
Aeroflot Flight 630, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashed from Ura-Tube, Tajikistan, due to loss of control as a result of pilot error, killing all 79 on board. • February 28 –
Aeroflot Flight X-167, a Yakovlev Yak-40, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 32 on board. • March 3 –
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 307, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashed short of the runway at Sheremetyevo International Airport, killing all 25 on board. • March 5 – In the
Nantes mid-air collision, an Iberia McDonnell Douglas DC-9 collided with a Spantax Convair CV-990. All 68 people on board the DC-9 were killed, while the CV-990 was able to make a successful emergency landing at Cognac – Châteaubernard Air Base. • April 10 –
Invicta International Airlines Flight 435, a Vickers Vanguard 952 flying from Bristol Lulsgate to Basle, crashed into a hillside near Hochwald, Switzerland, then somersaulted and broke up, killing 108 with 37 survivors. • April 23 –
Aeroflot Flight 2420, a Tupolev Tu-104B, was hijacked by a man who demanded to go to Stockholm, Sweden. Due to lack of fuel, and no permission to fly to Stockholm being given by the Leningrad ATC, the crew decided to land at Leningrad. When the hijacker realized what was happening, he detonated a bomb 30 seconds before the aircraft landed. The hijacker and one crew member died. • May 11 –
Aeroflot Flight 6551, an Ilyushin Il-18, broke up and crashed south of Semipalatinsk (now Semey), Kazakhstan, following an unexplained loss of control; all 63 on board were killed. • May 18 –
Aeroflot Flight 109, a Tupolev Tu-104, was hijacked en route to Chita from Irkutsk; the hijacker detonated a bomb and the aircraft crashed east of Lake Baikal, killing all 81 on board. • May 30 –
SAM Colombia Flight 601, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, was hijacked by two football players. After negotiation and ineffective actions, they surrendered. All 88 occupants survived. • May 31 –
Indian Airlines Flight 440, a Boeing 737, crashed while on approach to Palam Airport in New Delhi, India. 48 of the 65 passengers and crew on board were killed in the accident. • June 10 – In the
1973 Royal Nepal Airlines DHC-6 hijacking, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Royal Nepal Airlines was hijacked after takeoff from Biratnagar Airport, Nepal. The hijackers forced the pilot to land in a grass field in Forbesganj, Bihar, India. All 19 occupants survived. • June 20 –
Aeroméxico Flight 229, a Douglas DC-9, crashed into the side of Las Minas Mountain while on approach to Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport; all 27 on board were killed. • July 11 –
Varig Flight 820, a Boeing 707, experienced an onboard fire and crashed near Paris, France, killing 123 out of the 134 on board. • July 22 –
Pan Am Flight 816, a Boeing 707, crashed shortly after takeoff from Faa's International Airport, French Polynesia, killing 77 out of the 78 on board. • July 23 –
Japan Air Lines Flight 404, a Boeing 747, was hijacked after takeoff from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands; one hijacker was killed, while the flight purser was injured by a grenade blast; after several days and multiple flight legs, the passengers were released in Benghazi, Libya, and the aircraft was blown up on the ground; this was the first loss of a Boeing 747-200. • July 23 –
Ozark Air Lines Flight 809, a Fairchild-Hiller FH-227, crashed 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, descended prematurely and crashed on final approach to Boston Logan International Airport, killing all 89 on board; the probable cause was determined to be an unstabilized final approach by the flight crew. • August 13 –
Aviaco Flight 118, a Sud Caravelle en route from Madrid to A Coruña, crashed in Montrove 2 km from the airport, killing all 85 on board and one on the ground. • August 18 –
Aeroflot Flight A-13, an Antonov An-24, crashed near Baku, Azerbaijan, after striking a cable on an oil rig following an engine failure, killing 56 of the 64 on board. The accident remains the deadliest in Azerbaijan. • August 27 – An Aerocondor Lockheed L-188 Electra
struck a mountain after takeoff from Bogotá, killing all 42 on board. • August 28 –
TWA Flight 742, a Boeing 707, experienced severe porpoising oscillations during a descent over the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles; all on board initially survived, but a passenger died two days later from injuries sustained in the accident. • September 8 –
World Airways Flight 802, a Douglas DC-8-63CF, crashed on approach into Cold Bay Airport, Alaska. All six occupants were killed. • September 11 –
JAT Airways Flight 769, a Sud Aviation Caravelle, crashed into Mt. Maganik near Kolašin, Montenegro, killing all 41 on board. • September 27 –
Texas International Airlines Flight 655, a Convair 600, crashed into Black Fork Mountain while avoiding thunderstorms, killing all 11 passengers and crew. • September 30 –
Aeroflot Flight 3932, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashed shortly after takeoff from Koltsovo Airport in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), Russia, after the pilots became disorientated following an electrical failure; all 108 on board died. • October 13 –
Aeroflot Flight 964, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashed while on approach to Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia, after the pilots became disorientated following an electrical failure; all 122 on board died in the deadliest accident involving the Tu-104. • November 2 –
Aeroflot Flight 19, a Yakovlev Yak-40, was hijacked ten minutes before landing at Bryansk Airport, Russia. The aircraft was then diverted to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport where it was stormed by the authorities; one of the four hijackers was killed and a second committed suicide, while the other two hijackers survived, along with all passengers and crew. • November 3 –
National Airlines Flight 27, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 with 128 on board, suffered an uncontained engine failure at 39,000 feet 65 miles (104 km) southwest of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Debris from the engine punctured the fuselage and a passenger was blown out of the aircraft, but the aircraft was able to land safely with no other casualties. • November 3 –
Pan Am Flight 160, a Boeing 707 operating a cargo flight, crashed after smoke in the cockpit prevented the crew from maintaining control of the aircraft while attempting an emergency landing at Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts; all three crew members died. • November 25 –
KLM Flight 861, a Boeing 747, was hijacked over Iraq. The hijackers forced the crew to land at several different airports, the last one being Dubai International Airport, where the hijackers surrendered to the authorities. All 264 people on board survived. • December 16 –
Aeroflot Flight 2022, a Tupolev Tu-124, crashed near Karacharovo, Russia, after entering a nosedive following a failure in the horizontal stabilizer, killing all 51 on board. • December 17 –
Iberia Flight 933, a Douglas DC-10, crash-landed on the runway of Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts, after colliding with the approach lighting system short of the runway threshold. All 168 on board survived, but three occupants received serious injuries. • December 17 – In the
1973 Rome airport attacks and hijacking, armed gunmen killed two people in the terminal, then firebombed Pan Am Flight 110, a Boeing 707, killing 30 inside the aircraft. The gunmen then hijacked Lufthansa Flight 303, a Boeing 737 en route to Munich, killing two more before landing and surrendering in Kuwait. • December 22 – In the
1973 Royal Air Maroc Sud Aviation Caravelle crash, a Sud Aviation Caravelle operated by Sobelair crashed into Mount Mellaline near Tanger-Boukhalef Airport, Morocco, killing all 106 on board.
1974 • January 6 –
Commonwealth Commuter Flight 317, a Beechcraft Model 99A, crashed short of the runway on approach to Johnstown–Cambria County Airport, Pennsylvania, following a premature descent, killing 12 of the 17 on board. • January 6 –
Aeroflot Flight H-75, an Antonov An-24B, crashed while entering an uncontrolled dive, killing all 24 on board. • January 26 –
Turkish Airlines Flight 301, a Fokker F28-1000, stalled and crashed after takeoff from Izmir Cumaovasi Airport due to wing icing; of the 73 on board, only six survived. • January 30 –
Pan Am Flight 806, a Boeing 707-320B, crashed on approach to Pago Pago International Airport, American Samoa, due to pilot error after encountering a microburst 97 of 101 on board died. • February 22 –
Delta Air Lines Flight 523, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30, was hijacked by Samuel Byck, who planned to attempt to kill Richard Nixon. Byck killed a police officer on the ground before boarding the plane, where he shot both the pilots, killing one; Byck was subsequently shot by police, then killed himself. • March 3 –
Turkish Airlines Flight 981, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed in the Ermenonville forest near Senlis, France, after the rear underfloor cargo door opened mid-flight; all 346 on board were killed. • March 13 –
Sierra Pacific Airlines Flight 802, a Convair CV-440, crashed shortly after takeoff from Eastern Sierra Regional Airport, near Bishop, California, while transporting a movie crew to Burbank. All 36 on board were killed. • March 15 –
Sterling Airways Flight 901, a Sterling Airways Sud Aviation Caravelle, suffered a landing gear failure at Mehrabad International Airport. The right wing contacted the runway, rupturing the fuel tank and starting a fire that killed 15 of 92 passengers; all four crew survived. • April 4 – A Wenela Air Services Douglas DC-4
crashed near Francistown, Botswana, killing 78 of the 84 people on board. • April 18 –
Court Line Flight 95, a BAC One-Eleven, collided with a Piper Aztec on the runway at London Luton Airport, killing the pilot of the Aztec; there were no casualties on board the One-Eleven, but the aircraft was substantially damaged; the Aztec was written off. • April 22 –
Pan Am Flight 812, a Boeing 707-320B, crashed into mountainous terrain northwest of Denpasar, Bali, due to instrument failure and pilot error, killing all 107 on board. • April 27 – An Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-18
crashed shortly after takeoff from Pulkovo Airport, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, due to loss of control following engine failure; all 109 on board died. • July 10 – An
EgyptAir Tupolev Tu-154 crashed near Cairo International Airport during a training flight, killing all six crew members. • September 8 –
TWA Flight 841, a Boeing 707, broke up and plunged into the Ionian Sea after a bomb exploded in the cargo hold; all 88 on board died. • September 11 –
Eastern Air Lines Flight 212, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed on approach to Charlotte, North Carolina; 72 of 82 people on board were killed. • September 15 –
Air Vietnam Flight 706, a Boeing 727, was hijacked and crashed in Phan Rang, Vietnam, following an aborted landing; all 75 on board died. • October 30 -
Panarctic Oils Flight 416, a Lockheed L-188 Electra carrying Petro-Canada employees, crashed in the Byam Channel while en route from Edmonton to Rea Point; 32 of the 34 people on board were killed. • November 20 –
Lufthansa Flight 540 crashed shortly after takeoff in Nairobi, Kenya; 59 of 157 on board were killed. This was the first crash of a Boeing 747. • December 1 –
Northwest Airlines Flight 6231, a Boeing 727, stalled and crashed 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, due to wing icing caused by pilot error, killing the three crew. • December 1 –
TWA Flight 514, a Boeing 727 inbound to Dulles International Airport, crashed into Mount Weather in Bluemont, Virginia, killing all 92 on board. • December 4 –
Martinair Flight 138, a Douglas DC-8 on a charter flight, crashed into a mountain on approach to Katunayake, Sri Lanka, for a refuelling stop; all the passengers – 182 Indonesian hajj pilgrims bound for Mecca – and all nine crew members died. • December 22 –
Avensa Flight 358, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, suffered dual engine failure after takeoff and crashed near Maturín, Venezuela, killing all 75 on board.
1975 • January 9 –
Golden West Airlines Flight 261, a de Havilland Twin Otter, collided with a Cessna 150 near Whittier, California, killing all 14 people in both aircraft. • January 15 –
Malev Flight 801A, an Ilyushin Il-18, entered a steep dive during the go-around as an effect of spatial disorientation, killing all 9 crew members - the only occupants. • • January 17 – A Sikorsky S-55 helicopter operated by Þyrluflug
crashed due to wind conditions and overloading, while en route from Reykjavik and Vegamót. All seven people on board were killed. • January 30 –
Turkish Airlines Flight 345, a Fokker F-28, crashed into the Sea of Marmara after a missed approach; all 42 on board died, and the cause was never determined. • February 3 –
197 people fell ill on board a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 en route from Anchorage, Alaska, to Copenhagen, Denmark, after consuming an in-flight meal contaminated with
Staphylococci; 144 people were hospitalized, making it the largest food poisoning incident on board a commercial airliner. • March 31 – A charter Pilatus PC-6 Porter operated by Royal Nepal Airlines
crashed near Boudha Stupa, Nepal, while en route from Kathmandu to Phaplu. All five people on board died, including the wife and daughter of Sir Edmund Hillary, for whom the flight was chartered. • June 24 –
Eastern Air Lines Flight 66, a Boeing 727, encountered wind shear on final approach and struck approach lights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, killing 113 of 124 people on board. • July 15 –
Aeroflot Flight E-15, a Yakovlev Yak-40, crashed into a mountain while gaining altitude to go-around, killing all 40 occupants. • July 31 –
Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 134, a Vickers Viscount 837, crashed on approach after being hit by a downdraft, killing 27 out of 75 occupants. • August 3 – The
Agadir air disaster: an Air Maroc-operated Boeing 707 owned by Royal Jordanian Airlines crashed while on approach to Agadir, Morocco, due to pilot error; all 188 on board died. This was the worst accident involving the Boeing 707. • August 20 –
ČSA Flight 540, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashed while on approach to Damascus, Syria; 126 of the 128 passengers and crew on board died in the accident. • August 30 –
Wien Air Alaska Flight 99, a Fairchild F-27, crashed 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, crashed while on approach to Leipzig, killing 27 of 34 on board. • September 24 –
Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 150, a Fokker F-28, crashed in foggy weather while on approach to Palembang, Indonesia; 25 of 61 on board died, plus one person on the ground. • September 30 –
Malév Flight 240, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed on approach near Lebanon, killing all 60 people on board. • October 5 –
Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 706, a Boeing 737-287C, was hijacked as a cover-up for 30 guerillas to escape from the failure of Operation Primicia. No one of the 108 people died. • October 6 –
Connair Flight 1263, a de Havilland DH-114 Heron, crashed near Cairns airport, Australia, after a flight from Mount Isa. All 11 people on board were killed. • October 30 –
Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 450, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed on approach in a Prague suburb, killing 79 of 120 on board. • November 12 –
Overseas National Airways Flight 032, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF, initiated a rejected takeoff after being struck by a large flock of gulls. All 139 on board survived, but 32 people were injured due to the post-crash fire. • November 17 –
Aeroflot Flight 6274, an Antonov An-24, crashed into the steep slope of Mount Apshara during the descent, killing all 38 on board. • November 26 – In the
1975 Michigan mid-air incident, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 (as American Airlines Flight 182) nearly collided with a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar (as TWA Flight 37). The pilot of Flight 182, Guy Eby, lowered the plane after realising the danger, saving all 319 occupants.
1976 near a gas station • January 1 –
Middle East Airlines Flight 438, a Boeing 720, crashed in Saudi Arabia after a bomb exploded in the forward baggage compartment, killing all 81 people on board. • January 3 –
Aeroflot Flight 2003, a Tupolev Tu-124, crashed just after takeoff from Vnukovo Airport, due to instrument failure, killing all 61 passengers and crew on board and one person on the ground. • January 15 – In the
Taxi Aereo el Venado Douglas DC-4 accident, a Douglas DC-4 crashed into a mountain in Colombia, killing all 13 on board. • February 9 –
Aeroflot Flight 3739, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashed on takeoff from Irkutsk after the aircraft rolled to the right, killing 24 of 114 on board. • March 6 –
Aeroflot Flight 909, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashed near Voronezh due to loss of control following an electrical failure, killing all 111 on board. • April 5 -
Alaska Airlines Flight 60, a Boeing 727, overshot the runway at Ketchikan International Airport due to pilot error. One person was killed and 49 were injured. • April 27 –
American Airlines Flight 625, a Boeing 727, crashed on approach to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, killing 37 of 88 people on board. • May 15 –
Aeroflot Flight 1802, an Antonov An-24, crashed near Viktorovka, Chernigov Region, due to loss of control following an unexplained rudder deflection, killing all 52 on board. • May 21 – Six hijackers stormed the BAC One-Eleven-527FK operated as
Philippine Airlines Flight 116, and then diverted to Zamboanga Airport in the Philippines. Negotiation continued until May 23, when the authorities stormed the plane. Ten passengers and three of the hijackers were killed. • June 1 –
Aeroflot Flight 418, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed into a mountainside on the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea for reasons unknown; all 46 on board died. • June 4 –
Air Manila Flight 702, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashed shortly after takeoff from NAS Agana, Guam, due to engine failure and pilot error, killing all 45 on board; one person on the ground also died when a car was struck by the aircraft. • June 6 – In the
1976 Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash, a GAF N-22B Nomad crashed into the sea on approach into Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Malaysia. All 11 passengers and crew were killed. Several local political leaders were on board at the time. • June 27 –
Air France Flight 139, an Airbus A300, was hijacked from Athens by two Palestinians and two Germans who diverted the flight to Libya and then to Uganda, where the plane was met by pro-Palestinian forces from Idi Amin's government; Israeli troops eventually stormed the airport in Operation Entebbe, killing hijackers and Ugandan soldiers and freeing all but three of the hostages; Israeli colonel Yonatan Netanyahu was also killed in the raid. • July 28 –
ČSA Flight 001, an Ilyushin Il-18, crashed near Bratislava in Czechoslovakia, killing 76 of 78 people on board. • August 15 –
SAETA Flight 232, a Vickers Viscount 785D, went missing en route from Quito to Cuenca, Ecuador; all four crew members and 55 passengers were killed, but the site of the crash remained unknown for 26 years until its discovery in October 2002 by climbers on the eastern face of the stratovolcano Chimborazo. • August 23 –
EgyptAir Flight 321 was hijacked by three armed terrorists. The plane landed in Luxor where the aircraft was stormed. Everyone survived. • September 9 – In the
1976 Anapa mid-air collision, Aeroflot Flight 7957, an Antonov An-24, collided with Aeroflot Flight S-31, a Yakovlev Yak-40, over the Black Sea off Anapa due to ATC and crew errors, killing all 70 on board both aircraft. • September 10 – In the
1976 Zagreb mid-air collision, British Airways Flight 476, a Hawker Siddeley Trident, and Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 550, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, collided near Zagreb, Yugoslavia, killing all 176 people on board both aircraft. • September 10 –
TWA Flight 355, a Boeing 727-231, was hijacked by five members of "Fighters for Free Croatia". All 46 occupants (including five hijackers) survived, but a NYPD officer was killed. • September 19 –
Turkish Airlines Flight 452, a Boeing 727, crashed into a hillside near Karatepe, Turkey, while on approach to Antalya Airport; all 154 passengers and crew died. • October 6 –
Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, a Douglas DC-8, was bombed by anti-Castro militants and crashed near Bridgetown, Barbados, killing all 73 people on board. • October 12 –
Indian Airlines Flight 171, a Sud Caravelle, crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Bombay Airport; all 95 passengers and crew on board were killed. • October 13 – A Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Boeing 707
crashed on takeoff from El Trompillo airport, Bolivia. All three crew members were killed, along with 88 people on the ground. • November 23 –
Olympic Airways Flight 830, a NAMC YS-11A, crashed into a mountain in Greece in low visibility, killing all 50 on board. • November 28 –
Aeroflot Flight 2415, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sheremetyevo International Airport, due to crew disorientation following artificial horizon failure, killing all 73 on board. • December 17 –
Aeroflot Flight N-36, an Antonov An-24, crashed on approach to Kiev-Zhuilany Airport, killing 48 of 55 on board. • December 25 –
EgyptAir Flight 864, a Boeing 707, crashed into an industrial complex near Bangkok, Thailand, due to pilot error; all 52 on board were killed as well as another 19 on the ground.
1977 • January 13 –
Aeroflot Flight 3843, a Tupolev Tu-104 operating a flight from Khabarovsk Novy Airport, Soviet Union, to Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan, crashed in a field just short of its destination due to an engine fire; all 90 people on board were killed. • January 13 -
Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1045, a Douglas DC-8 operated by Japan Airlines, stalled and crashed after takeoff from Anchorage International Airport. The plane was heading to Tokyo Haneda Airport. All five people on board were killed. • January 15 –
Linjeflyg Flight 618, a Skyline Vickers Viscount 838 operating a multi-leg domestic flight in Sweden, crashed in the district of Kälvesta, western Stockholm, due to atmospheric icing, killing all 22 people on board. • February 15 –
Aeroflot Flight 5003, an Ilyushin Il-18 operating a domestic flight in the western Soviet Union, crashed due to pilot error after a missed approach to Mineralnye Vody Airport, killing 77 of the 98 people on board. • March 17 – A British Airtours Boeing 707
crashed due to engine failure after takeoff. All four occupants survived. • March 27 – In the
Tenerife airport disaster, two Boeing 747s, KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in heavy fog; 583 of the 644 people on board the two aircraft were killed; all 61 of the survivors suffered injuries. This was the deadliest accident in the history of commercial aviation. • March 29 –
Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 516, a de Havilland DHC-6-30, crashed into a mountain, killing 13 of the 23 on board. • March 30 –
Aeroflot Flight H-925, a Yakovlev Yak-40, collided with a concrete pole and banked hard before crashing into the ground, killing all 8 out of 28 people • April 4 –
Southern Airways Flight 242, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 flying from northwest Alabama to Atlanta, Georgia, crash-landed on a highway near New Hope, Georgia, after encountering dual engine failure in a thunderstorm; 63 of the 85 people on board were killed, as well as nine on the ground. • April 12 –
Delta Air Lines Flight 1080, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar operating a domestic flight in California, United States, experienced a loss of pitch control during takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport, due to a malfunctioning elevator; the aircraft was able to land safely with no casualties. • May 7 – Two Aeroflot Antonov An-2s
collided near Tavda, Russia, killing all 29 people on board both aircraft. • May 14 – A
Dan-Air Boeing 707 crashed near Lusaka Airport, Zambia, after a multi-leg flight from London's Heathrow Airport, via Athens and Nairobi, due to structural failure; the one passenger and five crew members were killed. • May 27 –
Aeroflot Flight 331, an Ilyushin Il-62 operating a multi-leg flight from Moscow, Soviet Union, to Havana, Cuba, crashed due to pilot error while on approach to José Martí International Airport, killing all but two of the 69 people on board. • July 10 – Two people
hijacked a Tupolev Tu-134, registered CCCP-65639. The hijackers demanded to go to Stockholm, Sweden, but landed at Helsinki, Finland, due to fuel starvation. All 75 occupants (including 2 hijackers) survived. • July 20 –
Aeroflot Flight B-2, an Avia 14, crashed shortly after takeoff from Vitim Airport, Russia, due to pilot and ATC errors; of the 40 on board, only one passenger survived. • September 21 –
Malév Flight 203, a Tupolev Tu-134, was a passenger flight from Istanbul to Budapest with a scheduled stop in Bucharest. It crashed near Otopeni Airport in Bucharest, killing 29 people of the 53 on board. • September 27 –
Japan Airlines Flight 715, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 operating a multi-leg flight from Tokyo to Singapore, crashed into a hillside due to pilot error while on approach to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Malaysia, killing 34 of the 79 people on board. • September 28 –
Japan Airlines Flight 472, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 bound for Tokyo, was hijacked by Japanese Red Army (JRA) militants shortly after departing from Bombay, India, and forced to land in Dhaka, Bangladesh; the hijackers' demands were eventually met, and all 151 passengers and crew were released unharmed. Among the five hijackers (who also survived), four years before Flight 472, Osamu Maruoka also hijacked a Boeing 747-246B operated as Japan Air Lines Flight 404. • October 13 –
Lufthansa Flight 181, a Boeing 737 flying from Mallorca to Germany, was hijacked over the Mediterranean Sea by members of the PFLP (a Palestinian revolutionary organization) who killed the pilot; the aircraft eventually landed in Mogadishu where it was stormed by German police commandos; three of the hijackers were killed, while the fourth was captured, and there were no other fatalities. • October 13 – The cargo hatch of
Aeroflot Flight 75, a Yakovlev Yak-40, unexpectedly opened during cruising, ejecting two passengers. The plane landed with 20 survivors remaining. • October 20 – A
Convair CV-240 chartered by Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed into a heavily wooded swamp in Amite County, Mississippi, United States, while en route from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, due to fuel exhaustion; four of the 24 passengers and both crew members were killed. • October 29 –
Vietnam Civil Aviation Flight 509, a Douglas DC-3, was hijacked by four armed Vietnamese hijackers seeking asylum in Singapore. The flight firstly diverted to U-Tapao Air Base, then landed at Seletar Air Base where hijackers surrendered after negotiating with Singapore officials for five hours. Of the 36 occupants, 2 crew members were killed in the first aircraft hijacking on a Vietnam Airlines's aircraft, and also the first aircraft hijacking after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. • November 19 –
TAP Portugal Flight 425, a Boeing 727 operating a multi-leg flight from Belgium to Portugal, plunged over a steep bank and burst into flames after overshooting the runway at Madeira Airport, due to pilot error, killing 131 of the 164 people on board. • November 21 –
Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 9, a BAC One-Eleven 420EL, crashed into a mountain at Cerro Pichileufú, Argentina, killing 46 out of 79 people on board. • December 2 – A
Libyan Arab Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crashed near Benghazi, Libya, due to fuel exhaustion, while en route from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia, to Benina International Airport in Libya; 59 of the 165 people on board lost their lives. • December 4 –
Malaysian Airline System Flight 653, a Boeing 737 operating a flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, crashed into a swamp near Tanjung Kupang, Johor, as a result of a failed hijacking attempt; all 100 people on board were killed. • December 13 –
Air Indiana Flight 216, a Douglas DC-3 carrying the Evansville University Purple Aces basketball team on a charter flight from Evansville, Indiana, to Nashville, Tennessee, crashed shortly after takeoff due to overloading and pilot error, killing all 29 passengers and crew. • December 18 –
United Airlines Flight 2860, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 flying from San Francisco, California, to Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, crashed in the Wasatch mountain range in Utah, killing the three crew. • December 18 –
SA de Transport Aérien Flight 730, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle operating a flight from Geneva, Switzerland, to Madeira, Portugal, crashed into the sea while on final approach to its destination, due to pilot error, killing 36 of the 57 people on board. • December 19 – A Vieques Air Link Britten-Norman
crashed en route from the US Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, killing five of the 10 people on board.
1978 being recovered from Escambia Bay • January 1 –
Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747, crashed into the Arabian Sea as a result of instrument malfunction and pilot error, killing all 213 passengers and crew. • February 11 –
Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200 arriving from Edmonton, crashed at Cranbrook Airport, Canada, after one thrust reverser did not fully stow following an aborted landing, killing 43 of the 49 people on board. • March 1 –
Continental Airlines Flight 603, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed on takeoff from Los Angeles International Airport after a tire blew out on the left main landing gear, causing it to collapse; of 200 on board, two died at the time and two others died of their injuries three months later. • March 3 – A
Línea Aeropostal Venezolana Hawker Siddeley HS 748 crashed on departure from Simón Bolívar International Airport, Venezuela, due to a possible instrument failure; all 46 on board were killed. • March 9 – A man tried to hijack
China Airlines Flight 831, a Boeing 737-200 en route from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong. The plane landed safely in Hong Kong; among the 101 on board, the only fatality was the hijacker. • March 13 – A man claiming to have a bomb hijacked
United Airlines Flight 696. The plane first landed at Oakland, California, and the passengers and cabin crew were released. The plane then flew to Denver, Colorado, where the hijacker surrendered. All 75 occupants survived. • March 16 –
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 107, a Tupolev Tu-134, crashed near the village of Gabare, Bulgaria, killing all 73 people on board. • April 20 –
Korean Air Lines Flight 902, a Boeing 707, was shot down by Soviet fighter planes; the plane crash-landed near the Soviet Union's border with Finland; two of the 109 people on board were killed; the rest were subsequently released. • May 8 –
National Airlines Flight 193, a Boeing 727, on approach to Pensacola, Florida, United States, ditched in Escambia Bay, as a result of pilot error; three passengers out of 58 people on board drowned. • May 19 –
Aeroflot Flight 6709, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed in a field near Maksatikha, Russia, after all three engines failed due to fuel starvation, killing four of 134 on board. • May 23 – A Tupolev Tu-144D
crash-landed during a test flight. The aircraft experienced an in-flight fire due to a fuel leak, which also caused two engines to shut down. With another engine having failed, the plane made a belly landing in a field near Yegoryevsk, killing two out of eight occupants. • June 26 –
Air Canada Flight 189, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed on takeoff in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, because of tire failure; two of the 107 passengers and crew on board died. • June 26 –
Helikopter Service Flight 165, a Sikorsky S-61, crashed into the North Sea while en route to Statfjord oil field, due to a fatigue failure of a rotor, killing all 18 on board. • June 28 –
Vietnam Civil Aviation Flight 501, a Douglas DC-4, was hijacked by four men armed with Makarov pistols, knives and grenades. The hijackers engaged in a gunfight with the crew and security personnel. The plane safely landed at Da Nang International Airport.. Of the 67 onboard, 4 hijackers died (3 during the gunfight and 1 while taxiing) in the second hijacking of a Vietnam Airlines plane. • August 9 –
Olympic Airways Flight 411, a Boeing 747-200, nearly crashed in downtown Athens following an uncontained engine failure during takeoff. The plane regained enough speed to return safely to
Ellinikon International Airport, and none of the 418 passengers or crew suffered serious injuries. • August 30 – In the
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking, two East German citizens hijacked a Tupolev Tu-134 and forced it to land at Tempelhof Airport; there were no casualties to the 63 passengers on board. • September 3 –
Air Rhodesia Flight 825 from Kariba to Salisbury was shot down by an SA-7 surface-to-air missile; 18 of the 56 passengers initially survived the emergency landing; 10 were subsequently killed by Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) militants. • September 7 - An Air Ceylon HS 748 was
bombed on the ground at Jaffna Airport. All three crew members on board survived. • September 25 –
Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, a Boeing 727, collided with a Cessna 172 over San Diego, California, United States; all 135 on board the airliner, both pilots of the Cessna, and seven people on the ground were killed, making this the worst aviation disaster in California history, and the deadliest
mid-air collision in
North America. • September 26 –
Air Caribbean Flight 309, a Beechcraft Model 18, crashed on approach to San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to wake turbulence caused by an L-1011. All six people on board were killed. • September 30 –
Finnair Flight 405 was hijacked during a domestic flight from Helsinki to Oulu. The Sud Aviation Caravelle was flown to Amsterdam in the Netherlands where, after being paid, the hijacker released all 49 people on board. • October 7 –
Aeroflot Flight 1080, a Yakovlev Yak-40, crashed shortly after takeoff from Koltsovo Airport, due to an engine failure caused by ice ingestion, killing all 38 on board. • October 23 –
Aeroflot Flight 6515, an Antonov An-24B, crashed after entering an uncontrolled dive due to an engine failure, killing all 26 on board. • November 15 –
Icelandic Airlines Flight 001, a Douglas DC-8 on a charter flight, crashed into a coconut plantation while on approach to Katunayake, Sri Lanka, for a refuelling stop; 183 out of 262 people on board were killed. • December 4 –
Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300, crashed near Buffalo Pass, Colorado, after encountering severe weather conditions. Two out of the 22 on board were killed. • December 17 –
Indian Airlines Flight 403, a Boeing 737-2A8, overshot the runway after entering a stall during takeoff, killing one out of 132 on board and three more on the ground. • December 20 –
Indian Airlines Flight 410, a Boeing 737-200, was hijacked by two people who claimed to be members of the Indian Youth Congress. None of the 132 occupants (including the two hijackers) died. • December 21 – Robin Oswald hijacked
TWA Flight 541 in order to free Garrett Brock Trapnell. He then surrendered after negotiations, and all 87 on board survived. • December 23 –
Alitalia Flight 4128, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea when on approach to Palermo International Airport, Italy. Of the 129 passengers and crew, 108 died. • December 28 –
United Airlines Flight 173, a Douglas DC-8, ran out of fuel while circling near Portland, Oregon, United States, as the crew investigated a light indicating a problem with the landing gear; the plane crashed in a suburban area damaging two unoccupied houses, killing 10 and injuring 24 of the 181 on board.
1979 • January 30 –
Varig Flight 967, a Boeing 707 bound for Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean after takeoff from Narita International Airport, Japan; the cause remains unknown, as neither survivors (six-man flight crew) nor wreckage have ever been found. • February 7 –
Vietnam Civil Aviation Flight 226, an Antonov An-24, carying 36 people, was hijacked by 6 people to take refuge. A lieutenant killed 4 hijackers and the other two surrendered, ending the hijack • February 12 –
Air Rhodesia Flight 827, a Vickers Viscount on a flight between Kariba and Salisbury, was shot down shortly after takeoff by Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army militants using an SA-7 (Strela 2) surface-to-air missile in similar circumstances to
Flight 825 five months earlier; all 55 passengers and four crew were killed. • February 17 –
Air New Zealand Flight 4374, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed while on approach into Auckland International Airport, New Zealand. The captain and one passenger were killed. • March 13 –
Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines Flight 600, a Boeing 727, crashed following a missed approach at Doha International Airport, Qatar; 44 of the 64 on board were killed. • March 17 –
Aeroflot Flight 1691, a Tupolev Tu-104, crashed near Vnukovo International Airport while attempting to make an emergency landing after a fire alarm was reported; 58 of 119 on board died. • March 26 – An Interflug Ilyushin Il-18
crashed on takeoff from Luanda, Angola, killing all 10 people on board. • March 29 –
Quebecair Flight 255, a Fairchild F-27 bound for Montreal, crashed minutes after takeoff from Quebec City as it was attempting to return to the airport following the explosion of its number two engine, killing 17 of the 24 people on board. • April 4 –
TWA Flight 841, a Boeing 727, went into a dive over Saginaw, Michigan, plunging in altitude within 63 seconds. The plane made an emergency landing in Detroit after the first officer regained control of the plane at ; all 89 passengers and crew survived • April 23 –
SAETA Flight 011, a Vickers Viscount, crashed in a mountainous region of Pastaza, Ecuador, killing all 57 people on board. • May 25 –
American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed upon takeoff from O'Hare International Airport after its left engine detached from the wing, killing all 271 on board and two on the ground in the worst single-aircraft accident on U.S. soil. • May 30 –
Downeast Flight 46, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed on approach into Knox County Regional Airport, Maine. Of the 18 occupants, 17 were killed. • June 17 –
Air New England Flight 248, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed near Camp Greenough, Massachusetts, while on approach to Barnstable Municipal Airport, killing the pilot. • June 20 –
American Airlines Flight 293, a Boeing 727, was hijacked shortly before it landed in Chicago. After letting the passengers and most of the crew members go, the hijacker forced the remaining crew members to fly back to New York City, where he demanded and received a Boeing 707 to fly him initially to Johannesburg, South Africa, but later to Ireland. After arriving at Shannon Airport, he surrendered to the Irish authorities. • July 11 – A Garuda Indonesian Airways Fokker F-28
struck a mountain while on approach to Medan, Indonesia, killing all 61 on board. • July 26 –
Lufthansa Cargo Flight 527, a Boeing 707, crashed into a mountain shortly after takeoff from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing all three crew members. • July 31 –
Dan-Air Flight 0034, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, failed 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 killed 178. • August 29 –
Aeroflot Flight 5484, a Tupolev Tu-124, broke up in mid-air after experiencing loss of control due to an unexplained release of the flaps, killing all 63 people on board. • September 14 –
Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 12, a Douglas DC-9, crashed into a rocky mountainside during an attempted landing at Cagliari-Elmas Airport, Italy, killing all 31 people on board. • October 7 –
Swissair Flight 316, a Douglas DC-8-62, crashed after overshooting the runway at Athens-Ellinikon International Airport, killing 14 of the 154 passengers and crew. • October 31 –
Western Airlines Flight 2605, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, struck a vehicle on a closed runway in dense fog at Mexico City, Mexico; 72 of the 88 on board died. • November 11 –
Transportes Aéreos Españoles Flight 297, a Sud Aviation Caravelle flying from Salzburg to Las Palmas, was forced to make an emergency landing in Valencia after the crew reportedly spotted a UFO on a collision course with the plane. All 109 passengers of the plane were unharmed. • November 15 –
American Airlines Flight 444, a Boeing 727, took off with a bomb planted in the cargo hold by the Unabomber. The bomb failed to detonate, instead giving off large quantities of smoke. Twelve passengers were treated for smoke inhalation, and all 78 on board survived. • November 26 –
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 740, a Boeing 707, crashed after a fire in the cabin in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; all 145 passengers and 11 crew died. • November 28 –
Air New Zealand Flight 901, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, crashed into 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 crashed on a hillside near Kuyumcuköy, Ankara, Turkey, while on approach to Esenboğa Airport; of the 45 on board, only four survived. == 1980s ==