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List of fatal accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft in the United States

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This is a list of fatal commercial aviation accidents and incidents in or in the vicinity of the United States or its territories.

It comprises a subset of both the list of accidents and incidents involving airliners in the United States and the list of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft.

It does not include fatalities due to accidents and incidents solely involving private aircraft or military aircraft.

All incidents involving commercial aircraft in the United States are investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

List

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Date Fatalities Injuries Survivors Flight(s) or incident Location State or territory Aircraft Summary
January 1, 2024 1 0 0 2024 Salt Lake City passenger death incident Salt Lake City Utah Airbus A220-100 A passenger entered the airport grounds unauthorized from the terminal and climbed inside the engine of Delta Air Lines Flight 2348, which was being de-iced prior to departure.
June 23, 2023 1 0 0 2023 San Antonio ground crew suicide incident San Antonio Texas Airbus A319 A ground crewman was ingested into an engine of the aircraft operating Delta Air Lines Flight 1111.
December 31, 2022 1 0 0 2022 Montgomery ground crew incident Montgomery Alabama Embraer 175 An airline worker was pulled into the engine of the parked aircraft and killed.
September 4, 2022 10 0 0 2022 Mutiny Bay DHC-3 Otter crash Mutiny Bay near Whidbey Island Washington de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter Carrying tourists, the seaplane nosedived and crashed for unknown and undetermined reasons.
May 7, 2020 1 0 58 Southwest Airlines Flight 1392 Austin Texas Boeing 737-700 A man who had illegally entered the airfield was struck by the plane as it was landing.
January 26, 2020 9 0 0 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash Calabasas California Sikorsky S-76B The chartered helicopter flight crashed in heavy fog, with the cause under investigation. Former NBA player Kobe Bryant, his daughter and baseball coach John Altobelli were killed.
October 17, 2019 1 12 41 PenAir Flight 3296 Amaknak Island Alaska Saab 2000 The aircraft overshot the runway during landing, killing one passenger.
May 13, 2019 6 10 10 2019 Alaska mid-air collision George Inlet Alaska de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter Two commercial floatplanes conducting sightseeing tours collided in mid-air.
February 23, 2019 3 0 0 Atlas Air Flight 3591 Trinity Bay, near Anahuac Texas Boeing 767-300ER The cargo aircraft crashed during final approach.
August 10, 2018 1 0 0 2018 Horizon Air Q400 incident Ketron Island Washington Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 A Horizon Air employee stole an aircraft and committed suicide by intentionally crashing it over an hour later.
April 17, 2018 1 8 148 Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 near Bernville Pennsylvania Boeing 737-700 The aircraft experienced a contained engine failure with debris penetrating the fuselage; one passenger was partially ejected from the aircraft and later died of her injuries.
August 14, 2013 2 0 0 UPS Airlines Flight 1354 Birmingham Alabama Airbus A300F4-600R The cargo aircraft crashed short of the runway during landing because of pilot error.
July 7, 2013 10 0 0 2013 Rediske Air DHC-3 Otter crash Soldotna Alaska de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter The charter flight stalled and crashed during takeoff; the cause has not been determined.
July 6, 2013 3 187 304 Asiana Airlines Flight 214 San Francisco California Boeing 777-200ER The aircraft crashed short of the runway during landing because of pilot error.
March 8, 2013 2 0 0 ACE Air Cargo Flight 51 Muklung Hills, 17 miles NE of Dillingham Alaska Beachcraft 1900C The cargo aircraft crashed into a mountain during approach because of pilot error.
February 12, 2009 50 4 0 Colgan Air Flight 3407 Clarence Center New York Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 The aircraft crashed into a house during approach due to the flight crew's improper response to an impending stall, killing all on board and one in the house.
August 27, 2006 49 1 1 Comair Flight 5191 Lexington Kentucky Bombardier CRJ 100ER The aircraft mistakenly attempted to take off using an incorrect runway that was too short, causing it to overrun the runway and crash.
December 19, 2005 20 0 0 Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 Government Cut channel, off of Miami Beach Florida Grumman G-73 Mallard The aircraft experienced in-flight structural failure caused by metal fatigue cracking and poor maintenance and crashed, killing everyone on board.
December 8, 2005 1 12 103 Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 Chicago Illinois Boeing 737-700 The aircraft overran the runway at Chicago-Midway during a snowstorm because reverse thrust was not applied in a timely manner. Everyone aboard survived, but the plane crashed into a vehicle outside the airport and killed a child in the car.
October 19, 2004 13 2 2 Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 Kirksville Missouri British Aerospace Jetstream 32 The aircraft crashed on approach because of pilot error.
October 14, 2004 2 0 0 Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 near Jefferson City Missouri Bombardier CRJ200 The ferry flight suffered dual-engine failure at high altitude and a subsequent crash caused by the crew's reckless flying.
August 13, 2004 1 1 1 Air Tahoma Flight 185 Florence Kentucky Convair CV-580 Mismanagement of fuel tanks caused a dual-engine flameout, and the cargo aircraft then crashed during approach, killing the first officer.
August 26, 2003 2 0 0 Colgan Air Flight 9446 Yarmouth Massachusetts Beechcraft 1900D Because the crew did not perform a preflight checklist, faulty maintenance on the trim system was not detected and the ferry flight crashed shortly after takeoff.
January 8 , 2003 21 1 0 Air Midwest Flight 5481 Charlotte North Carolina Beechcraft 1900D Overweight and with faulty maintenance to its elevator system, the plane entered an unrecoverable stall just after takeoff.
November 12, 2001 265 1 0 American Airlines Flight 587 Belle Harbor, Queens, New York City New York Airbus A300B4-600R The aircraft lost its vertical stabilizer shortly after takeoff as a result of the first officer's extreme rudder inputs during wake turbulence and crashed into a neighborhood in Queens, killing all on board and five on the ground.
September 11, 2001 44 0 0 United Airlines Flight 93 Shanksville Pennsylvania Boeing 757-222 One of four aircraft involved in the September 11 attacks. After being hijacked by four Al-Qaeda terrorists with the intention of being crashed into either the United States Capitol building or the White House, passengers on board the flight partially regained control of the aircraft before crashing into a field at high speed, killing all 44 people on board including the four hijackers.
September 11, 2001 189 106 0 American Airlines Flight 77 Arlington Virginia Boeing 757-223 One of four aircraft involved in the September 11 attacks. After being hijacked by five Al-Qaeda terrorists it was deliberately crashed into the west wall of the Pentagon, resulting in the deaths of all 64 people on board including the five hijackers, as well as an additional 125 people in the Pentagon. 106 people on the ground suffered from injuries of varying severity.
September 11, 2001 0679 c. 679 (2,763 total combined with American Airlines Flight 11) 6,000 c. 6,000 – c. 25,000 (combined with American Airlines Flight 11) 0 United Airlines Flight 175 New York City New York Boeing 767-200 One of four aircraft involved in the September 11 attacks. After being hijacked by five Al-Qaeda terrorists it was deliberately crashed into the South Tower of World Trade Center, resulting in the deaths of all 65 people on board including the five hijackers, as well as an estimated 614 people in the South Tower when it subsequently collapsed as a result of the crash. Thousands of people on the ground suffered from injuries of varying severity.
September 11, 2001 1,700 c. 1,700 (2,763 total combined with United Airlines Flight 175) 6,000 c. 6,000 – c. 25,000 (combined with United Airlines Flight 175) 0 American Airlines Flight 11 New York City New York Boeing 767-200ER One of four aircraft involved in the September 11 attacks. After being hijacked by five Al-Qaeda terrorists it was deliberately crashed into the North Tower of World Trade Center, resulting in the deaths of all 92 people on board including the five hijackers, as well as an estimated 1,600 people in the North Tower when it subsequently collapsed as a result of the crash. Thousands of people on the ground suffered from injuries of varying severity.
August 11, 2000 1 1 125 Southwest Airlines Flight 1763 in flight toward Salt Lake City Utah Boeing 737-700 In an apparent case of air rage, a man opened the cockpit door and was then subdued by eight others and died of asphyxiation as a result.
February 16, 2000 3 0 0 Emery Worldwide Flight 17 Rancho Cordova California McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71 The cargo aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff after the right elevator control tab detached because of faulty maintenance, causing loss of pitch control.
January 31, 2000 88 0 0 Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Pacific Ocean, near Anacapa Island California McDonnell Douglas MD-83 The aircraft lost pitch control when an inadequately lubricated jackscrew tore loose, causing it to crash into the ocean while preparing for an emergency landing.
October 31, 1999 217 0 0 EgyptAir Flight 990 Atlantic Ocean, 62 miles south of Nantucket Massachusetts Boeing 767-300ER The aircraft crashed into the ocean because of deliberate flight-control inputs by the relief first officer, though Egyptian authorities maintain that there was an underlying mechanical cause.
June 1, 1999 11 110 134 American Airlines Flight 1420 Little Rock Arkansas McDonnell Douglas MD-82 After the crew opted not to divert to another airport in inclement weather, the aircraft overran the runway when the spoilers were not deployed upon landing.
August 7, 1997 5 2 0 Fine Air Flight 101 Miami Florida McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61F Improperly loaded cargo resulted in faulty stabilizer trim settings that caused the aircraft to pitch over uncontrollably, stall and crash just after takeoff.
August 6, 1997 229 25 25 Korean Air Flight 801 Bijia Peak, Asan-Maina, near Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Guam Boeing 747-3B5 The aircraft experienced a controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error, air traffic control error, and inclement weather. The ATC Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) system was deliberately modified so as to limit spurious alarms and could not detect an approaching aircraft that was below minimum safe altitude.
January 9, 1997 29 0 0 Comair Flight 3272 Raisinville Township Michigan Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia The crew's decision to not activate the deicing boots because of their unwarranted fear of ice bridging caused the aircraft to crash.
November 19, 1996 14 0 0 United Express Flight 5925 Gilmer Township Illinois Beechcraft 1900C The aircraft collided with a private aircraft on the runway, killing all aboard both aircraft.
July 17, 1996 230 0 0 TWA Flight 800 New York Bight near East Moriches New York Boeing 747-100 The plane's center fuel tank exploded because of a short circuit, destroying the aircraft in midair shortly after takeoff.
July 6, 1996 2 5 140 Delta Air Lines Flight 1288 Pensacola Florida McDonnell Douglas MD-88 The aircraft experienced an uncontained engine failure during takeoff, with debris penetrating the fuselage and killing two passengers.
May 11, 1996 110 0 0 ValuJet Flight 592 Everglades Florida McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 Expired oxygen generators caused a rapidly spreading fire that caused the crew to lose control, crashing into the Everglades.
August 21, 1995 9 20 20 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 near Carrollton Georgia Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia The aircraft suffered failure of one of the propeller blades, causing failure of the engine and loss of lift on that side that prevented the plane from maintaining altitude. All occupants survived the initial crash, but 9 died in the ensuing fire.
December 13, 1994 15 5 5 Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 Morrisville North Carolina Jetstream 32 During approach, the captain incorrectly determined an engine had failed and then improperly attempted a single-engine go-around leading to a stall and crash.
November 22, 1994 2 8 140 TWA Flight 427 Bridgeton Missouri McDonnell Douglas MD-82 The aircraft struck a Cessna 441 Conquest II during its takeoff roll, killing both occupants in the Cessna but causing only minor injuries aboard the larger aircraft. The Cessna was taxiing on the incorrect runway.
October 31, 1994 68 0 0 American Eagle Flight 4184 near Roselawn Indiana ATR 72 The aircraft experienced severe icing from freezing rain that overwhelmed the deicing systems of the aircraft and caused roll excursions, the second of which was unrecoverable due to insufficient remaining altitude.
September 8, 1994 132 0 0 USAir Flight 427 Hopewell Township Pennsylvania Boeing 737-300 The aircraft experienced a rudder hardover during approach that was found to be due to a design flaw, causing an unrecoverable aerodynamic stall.
July 2, 1994 37 20 20 USAir Flight 1016 near Charlotte North Carolina McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 The aircraft experienced windshear during landing due to a microburst and failed to successfully execute an aborted landing to recover from it.
January 7, 1994 5 3 3 United Express Flight 6291 Gahanaa Ohio British Aerospace Jetstream 41 The aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall during a poorly executed approach from which the pilots were unable to recover.
December 1, 1993 18 0 0 Northwest Airlink Flight 5719 east of Hibbing Minnesota British Aerospace Jetstream 31 The aircraft crashed into terrain during approach due to failure of the crew to maintain spatial and altitude awareness.
June 8, 1992 3 3 3 GP Express Flight 861 near Anniston Alabama Beechcraft Model 99 The crew attempted an approach and lost situational awareness, crashing into a hill.
March 22, 1992 27 21 24 USAir Flight 405 Flushing Bay, near Queens, New York City New York Fokker F28 Fellowship The aircraft did not generate sufficient lift during takeoff due to excessive ice buildup on the wings and crashed shortly beyond the runway. Delays during taxiing caused too much time to elapse since deicing.
January 3, 1992 2 2 2 CommutAir Flight 4281 near Gabriels New York Beechcraft 1900C The aircraft descended below glideslope during approach and crashed due to pilot error.
September 11, 1991 14 0 0 Continental Express Flight 2574 near Eagle Lake Texas Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia The aircraft suffered loss the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer while descending due to a critical mistake made during maintenance, causing an unrecoverable dive.
July 10, 1991 13 6 2 L'Express Airlines Flight 508 Birmingham Alabama Beechcraft Model 99 The aircraft suffered loss of control during a landing approach during severe thunderstorm activity. Blame was placed on the crew for continuing the approach under such conditions.
April 5, 1991 23 0 0 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 Brunswick Georgia Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia The aircraft experienced a loss of control due to a malfunction of the left engine propeller control unit, which was attributed to a design flaw.
March 3, 1991 25 1 0 United Airlines Flight 585 Colorado Springs Colorado Boeing 737-200 The aircraft experienced a loss of control during approach due to a rudder hardover caused by a design flaw. The cause was not determined until after investigation of a similar later incident, USAir Flight 427.
February 1, 1991 35 29 66 Los Angeles runway disaster Los Angeles California Boeing 737-300, Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner USAir Flight 1493 crashed during landing into SkyWest Flight 5569, which had mistakenly been given approval by air traffic control to hold for takeoff on the same runway. All aboard the SkyWest flight, as well as 23 aboard the USAir flight, perish.
December 3, 1990 8 10 190 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision Romulus Michigan McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14, Boeing 727-200 Advanced Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 mistakenly entered an active runway during intense fog and was struck by Northwest Airlines Flight 299 during its landing. Eight aboard Flight 1482 were killed.
April 9, 1990 2 0 7 Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2254 Gadsden Alabama Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia The aircraft experienced a mid-air collision with a Cessna 172, killing both occupants of the Cessna, while there were no injuries aboard the commercial flight and it made a successful landing in spite of loss of its right horizontal stabilizer.
January 25, 1990 73 85 85 Avianca Flight 52 Cove Neck New York Boeing 707-320B The aircraft crashed while attempting to land in poor weather due to fuel exhaustion. The crew was blamed for failure to properly declare a fuel emergency.
December 26, 1989 6 0 0 United Express Flight 2415 Pasco Washington British Aerospace Jetstream 31 The aircraft crashed during approach, likely due to ice buildup on the control surfaces combined with the low speed and high descent angle of the approach.
September 20, 1989 2 21 61 USAir Flight 5050 Bowery Bay, Queens, New York City New York Boeing 737-400 The aircraft attempted to abort a takeoff after a tire blowout caused by improper use of the nosewheel tiller to correct a mistrimmed rudder, but overshot the runway and crashed into Bowery Bay.
July 19, 1989 112 171 184 United Airlines Flight 232 Sioux City Iowa McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 The aircraft crash landed on the runway during an emergency landing after suffering an uncontained engine failure attributed to defective titanium alloy used in its construction, leading to substantial loss of hydraulics and flight controls. The crew was commended for executing excellent crew resource management, which reduced the severity of the crash and mitigated the extent of the fatalities.
January 24, 1989 9 38 346 United Airlines Flight 811 Pacific Ocean near Honolulu Hawaii Boeing 747-100 The aircraft experienced explosive decompression when a cargo door opened unexpectedly midflight, which was eventually attributed to flaws in the door's design, causing some seats to be expelled from the aircraft. The flight was able to make an emergency landing in Honolulu.
August 31, 1988 14 76 94 Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 Euless Texas Boeing 727-200 Advanced The aircraft crashed during takeoff due to improper takeoff configuration. Contributing to the accident was failure of the aircraft's take-off warning system.
April 28, 1988 1 65 94 Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Kahului Hawaii Boeing 737-200 The aircraft experienced an explosive decompression due to metal fatigue and failure of maintenance procedures to detect it. A flight attendant was ejected from the aircraft.
February 19, 1988 12 0 0 AVAir Flight 3378 Cary North Carolina Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff due to an excessive rate of turn on the part of the crew during the climb.
January 19, 1988 9 7 8 Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 Bayfield Colorado Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The aircraft crashed during approach due to descent below the approach profile during a rapid descent.
December 7, 1987 43 0 0 Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 near Cayucos California British Aerospace 146 The aircraft was hijacked and deliberately crashed.
November 15, 1987 28 28 54 Continental Airlines Flight 1713 Denver Colorado McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 The aircraft crashed during takeoff due to ice buildup and over-rotation by the first officer. The excessive icing was caused by miscommunication with air traffic control on the part of the crew and ensuing delays after deicing, and the decision to not undergo deicing a second time.
August 16, 1987 156 6 1 Northwest Airlines Flight 255 Detroit Michigan McDonnell Douglas MD-82 The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff due to failure of the crew to properly configure the aircraft for takeoff; contributing to the accident was lack of power to the takeoff warning system.
May 8, 1987 2 4 4 American Eagle Flight 5452 Mayagüez Puerto Rico CASA C-212 Aviocar The aircraft crashed during approach likely due to loss of thrust from one of the engines attributed to poor maintenance. Contributing to the accident was the pilot flying an unstabilized approach.
March 4, 1987 9 20 10 Northwest Airlink Flight 2268 Romulus Michigan CASA C-212 Aviocar The aircraft crashed during approach due to the pilot flying an unstabilized approach, specifically the captain's use of the beta propeller mode which caused asymmetric power at low speed.
January 15, 1987 10 0 0 Skywest Airlines Flight 1834 Kearns Utah Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The flight experienced a mid-air collision with a Mooney M-20 private aircraft after it entered restricted airspace. Primary blame was placed upon air traffic control for not preventing the collision.
August 31, 1986 82 8 0 Aeroméxico Flight 498 Cerritos California McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 The flight experienced a mid-air collision with a Piper PA-28-181 Archer private aircraft after it entered restricted airspace. Equal blame was placed upon air traffic control and the pilot of the Piper for not preventing the collision.
June 18, 1986 25 0 0 Grand Canyon Airlines Flight 6 Grand Canyon National Park Arizona de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The sightseeing flight experienced a mid-air collision with a Bell 206 helicopter over the Grand Canyon.
September 23, 1985 14 0 0 Henson Airlines Flight 1517 Grottoes Virginia Beechcraft Model 99 The aircraft crashed during approach due to navigational errors made by the crew and failure to adequately monitor their instruments.
September 6, 1985 31 0 0 Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105 Milwaukee Wisconsin McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 The aircraft suffered an uncontained engine failure shortly after takeoff and then crashed due to inappropriate response by the crew to the loss of thrust.
August 25, 1985 8 0 0 Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 Auburn Maine Beechcraft Model 99 The aircraft crashed during approach due to the pilot flying an unstabilized approach; contributing to the mishap was poor assistance from air traffic control.
August 2, 1985 137 28 27 Delta Air Lines Flight 191 Irving Texas Lockheed L-1011 TriStar The aircraft experienced a microburst during approach and crashed, striking a car and killing most passengers in the process, as well as the occupant in the car.
January 21, 1985 70 1 1 Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 Reno Nevada Lockheed L-188 Electra The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff due to the crew's inability to maintain control of the aircraft during an emergency landing precipitated by vibrations caused by an open air start access door left open by the ground crew.
December 6, 1984 13 0 0 PBA Flight 1039 Jacksonville Florida Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante The aircraft was thought to have experienced a malfunction of either its elevator control or trim systems, leading to detachment of the horizontal stabilizer due to overstress caused by the crew's attempts to correct the loss of pitch control.
December 20, 1983 1 2 86 Ozark Air Lines Flight 650 Sioux Falls South Dakota McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 The aircraft collided with a runway snowplow during landing, killing its driver.
October 11, 1983 10 0 0 Air Illinois Flight 710 near Pinckneyville Illinois Hawker Siddeley HS 748 The aircraft experienced complete loss of electrical power shortly after takeoff and eventually crashed into terrain while trying to navigate in the dark without instrumentation; the captain was blamed for attempting to continue to the flight's destination rather than executing an emergency landing at the departure airport.
June 2, 1983 23 16 23 Air Canada Flight 797 Hebron Kentucky McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 A fire developed in an aft lavatory, eventually filling the plane with smoke and destroying some electrical cables. The plane made a successful emergency landing, but during evacuation a flashover occurred that caused the death of half the original occupants.
January 11, 1983 3 0 0 United Airlines Flight 2885 Romulus Michigan Douglas DC-8-54F The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff due to an excessive stabilizer trim setting; contributing to the accident was the captain's decision to allow the flight engineer to perform the takeoff.
August 11, 1982 1 16 273 Pan Am Flight 830 Pacific Ocean, inbound to Honolulu Hawaii Boeing 747-100 A bomb exploded underneath a passenger's seat. The passenger died, but the plane landed safely in Honolulu.
July 9, 1982 153 4 0 Pan Am Flight 759 Kenner Louisiana Boeing 727-200 The aircraft experienced a microburst shortly after takeoff, causing a rapid, unrecoverable descent. All on board and 8 on the ground were killed.
January 23, 1982 2 39 210 World Airways Flight 30 Boston Massachusetts McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF The aircraft touched down far past the displaced threshold, leaving the aircraft insufficient runway to stop due to severe icing, and came to a stop in Boston Harbor. Two passengers were never found and are presumed to have drowned.
January 13, 1982 78 9 5 Air Florida Flight 90 Potomac River, Washington, D.C. District of Columbia Boeing 737-200 The aircraft experienced severe icing while taxiing and stalled immediately after takeoff, crashing into the 14th Street Bridge, killing 4 on the bridge and all but 5 aboard the aircraft. Primary blame was placed on the crew's improper responses to the icing conditions.
June 20, 1980 13 2 2 Air Wisconsin Flight 965 near Valley Nebraska Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner SA226-TC Metro II The aircraft suffered a dual-engine flameout due to high levels of water ingestion from severe precipitation, leading to a loss of control.
June 17, 1979 1 4 or 5 9 Air New England Flight 248 Yarmouth Massachusetts de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The aircraft crashed during approach, killing only the pilot.
May 30, 1979 17 1 1 Downeast Flight 46 Rockland Maine de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The aircraft crashed after descending below glideslope during approach in poor visibility.
May 25, 1979 273 2 0 American Airlines Flight 191 Des Plaines Illinois McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 The left engine separated from the aircraft during takeoff due to improper maintenance, damaging the left wing and causing its leading-edge slats to retract, leading to an unrecoverable asymmetric aerodynamic stall. Two on the ground were also killed. It remains the deadliest commercial aircraft accident in the United States, and the second-deadliest incident involving commercial aircraft in the United States, after the 9/11 attacks.
December 28, 1978 10 24 179 United Airlines Flight 173 Portland Oregon McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61 The aircraft crashed due to fuel exhaustion caused by the crew's failure to adequately monitor its fuel while trying to troubleshoot issues with its landing gear, itself attributed to poor maintenance.
September 25, 1978 144 9 0 PSA Flight 182 San Diego California Boeing 727-200, Cessna 172 The Boeing 727 experienced a mid-air collision with a private aircraft during approach due to their failure to strictly adhere to air traffic control procedures, killing everyone aboard both aircraft as well as 7 on the ground.
May 8, 1978 3 11 55 National Airlines Flight 193 Escambia Bay, near Pensacola Florida Boeing 727-200 The crew attempted a non-precision approach in poor visibility, improperly responded to a ground proximity alarm, and the aircraft landed in the water short of the runway.
March 1, 1978 4 29 196 Continental Airlines Flight 603 Los Angeles California McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 The aircraft suffered a tire blowout and then overran the runway during the aborted takeoff attempt.
December 18, 1977 3 0 0 United Airlines Flight 2860 near Fruit Heights Utah Douglas DC-8F-54 The cargo flight experienced electrical issues including inoperable landing gear lights and entered a holding pattern to address the issue, but crashed into the Wasatch Mountains due to inadequate communication with air traffic control.
December 13, 1977 29 0 0 Air Indiana Flight 216 Evansville Indiana Douglas DC-3 The pilot failed to remove the gust locks on the right aileron and rudder before takeoff, and the baggage compartment was overloaded, which together caused the aircraft to crash during takeoff. The passengers were the Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team.
October 20, 1977 6 20 20 Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash near Gillsburg Mississippi Convair CV-240 The aircraft crashed due to fuel exhaustion caused by the crew's failure to adequately monitor its fuel. Lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines died in the crash.
April 4, 1977 72 22 22 Southern Airways Flight 242 New Hope Georgia McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 The aircraft suffered dual-engine failure due to high water intake during a hail storm, executed a forced landing on a state highway, and crashed into buildings, killing 63 aboard the aircraft as well as 9 on the ground.
April 27, 1976 37 39 51 American Airlines Flight 625 St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands Boeing 727-100 The aircraft touched down too far down the runway due to improper flap settings and attempted a go around, but then aborted it, failing to utilize reverse thrust in a timely manner and overran the runway.
August 30, 1975 10 22 22 Wien Air Alaska Flight 99 Gambell Alaska Fairchild F-27 The aircraft went through several missed approaches in heavy fog and crashed into a mountain. The crew was blamed for improper adherence to instrument flight rules.
June 24, 1975 113 11 11 Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 Queens, New York City New York Boeing 727-200 The aircraft experienced windshear caused by a microburst during approach.
January 9, 1975 14 0 0 Golden West Airlines Flight 261 Whittier California de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The flight experienced a mid-air collision with a Cessna 150. A major factor in the accident was the position of the sun at the time.
December 1, 1974 92 0 0 TWA Flight 514 Mount Weather, near Bluemont Virginia Boeing 727-200 The aircraft crashed during an unstabilized approach when the aircraft descended prematurely.
December 1, 1974 3 0 0 Northwest Airlines Flight 6231 Haverstraw New York Boeing 727-200 The crew of the ferry flight failed to activate the pitot tube heaters, leading to atmospheric icing of the tubes and erroneous airspeed readings. The crew then reacted improperly by raising the nose of the aircraft, causing a stall and a subsequent spin from which the crew did not recover.
September 11, 1974 72 9 10 Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 Charlotte North Carolina McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 The crew failed to maintain sufficient altitude awareness during approach in poor visibility, largely due to distracting themselves with impertinent conversation. The accident was the first to eventually precipitate the sterile cockpit rule.
January 30, 1974 96 5 5 Pan Am Flight 806 Pago Pago American Samoa Boeing 707-321B The aircraft encountered windshear caused by a microburst during approach and failed to recognize in a timely manner and correct the ensuing excessive descent rate.
January 6, 1974 12 5 5 Commonwealth Commuter Flight 317 Richland Township Pennsylvania Beechcraft Model 99A The captain descended prematurely below glideslope during approach and the aircraft stalled, possibly caused by using a low approach airspeed.
November 3, 1973 1 24 127 National Airlines Flight 27 65 miles SW of Albuquerque New Mexico McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 The aircraft suffered an uncontained engine failure with fragments penetrating the fuselage; one passenger was ejected from the aircraft. The flight subsequently completed a successful emergency landing in Albuquerque.
September 27, 1973 11 0 0 Texas International Airlines Flight 655 Black Fork Mountain Arkansas Convair CV-600 The captain attempted to deviate the flight's route around a severe thunderstorm, bringing them in an area with higher terrain, but did not increase altitude and the flight eventually struck a mountain. A major factor in the accident was that the flight was conducted under visual flight rules at night with no air traffic control while en route.
September 8, 1973 6 0 0 World Airways Flight 802 King Cove Alaska McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63F The captain of the cargo flight failed to adhere to procedures for the instrument approach, straying off-course and crashing into Mount Dutton.
July 31, 1973 89 0 0 Delta Air Lines Flight 723 Boston Massachusetts McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 The crew continued with an unstabilized approach in poor visibility, failing to adequately monitor their altitude, descending below glideslope and crashing short of the runway. Contributing to the accident were the likely improper settings of the flight director made by the crew.
July 23, 1973 38 6 6 Ozark Air Lines Flight 809 Normandy Missouri Fairchild-Hiller FH-227 The flight encountered severe vertical windshear during approach, causing a rapid descent and crash. Contributing to the accident was the captain's decision to continue with the approach in spite of the (albeit limited) severe weather reports.
December 29, 1972 101 75 75 Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Everglades Florida Lockheed L-1011 TriStar The captain inadvertently changed the autopilot settings while the crew was preoccupied with determining whether the landing gear was down, causing a slow descent that was not noticed until just before the crash.
December 20, 1972 10 17 128 1972 Chicago-O'Hare runway collision Chicago Illinois McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, Convair 880 Delta Flight 954, operating the Convair, experienced miscommunication with air traffic control and were crossing a runway in poor visibility when North Central Airlines Flight 575, operating the DC-9, were in their takeoff roll on the same runway. The DC-9 attempted to fly over the Convair but struck it and then crash landed back on the runway. Ten passengers aboard the DC-9 died in the ensuing fire.
December 8, 1972 45 18 18 United Airlines Flight 553 Chicago Illinois Boeing 737-200 The captain executed an unstabilized approach, beginning it too high and executing a rapid descent using the spoilers, but failed to retract them after reaching the desired altitude and entered a stall to which he failed to properly respond.
June 29, 1972 13 0 0 1972 Lake Winnebago mid-air collision over Lake Winnebago near Neenah Wisconsin Convair CV-580, de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Both aircraft were operating under visual flight rules under sunny conditions, each failing to detect the other or take evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision.
June 24, 1972 5 15 15 Prinair Flight 191 Ponce Puerto Rico de Havilland DH.114 Heron 2B The aircraft landed without assistance from air traffic control, which was unavailable at the time, then attempted a go-around but the pilot over-rotated leading to a stall at low altitude.
May 30, 1972 4 0 0 Delta Air Lines Flight 9570 Fort Worth Texas McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 The training flight crashed during approach due to severe wake turbulence caused by a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 ahead of the flight. The accident led to aircraft spacing standards behind heavy aircraft.
March 3, 1972 17 35 32 Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 Albany New York Fairchild Hiller FH-227 The crew encountered problems with the left engine during approach and attempted to shut it down, but were unable to feather the propeller, leading to asymmetric drag and loss of control of the aircraft. Contributing to the accident was the unstabilized approach and lack of altitude awareness that transpired while the crew was preoccupied with the left engine.
September 4, 1971 111 0 0 Alaska Airlines Flight 1866 Haines Borough Alaska Boeing 727 The aircraft descended prematurely during approach and crashed into the Chilkat Range due to misleading navigational information.
June 7, 1971 28 0 3 Allegheny Airlines Flight 485 New Haven Connecticut Convair CV-580 The captain attempted to execute a visual approach in poor visibility, forcing him to descend below the minimum allowed descent altitude, and the aircraft crashed short of the runway. It is believed that everyone except the captain initially survived the crash, but all but 3 died in the ensuing fire while attempting to exit the aircraft.
June 6, 1971 50 0 1 Hughes Airwest Flight 706 San Gabriel Mountains, near Duarte California McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II The F-4 of the Marine Corps was flying under visual flight rules but failed to see the commercial aircraft in time to avoid a mid-air collision. The only survivor was the radar intercept officer of the F-4, who successfully ejected.
November 14, 1970 75 0 0 Southern Airways Flight 932 Huntington West Virginia McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 The aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude during approach and crashed short of the runway. The charter flight was carrying the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team.
October 2, 1970 31 9 9 Wichita State University football team plane crash near Loveland Pass, 8 miles west of Silver Plume Colorado Martin 4-0-4 The company president, serving as first officer, attempted to fly a poorly planned scenic route and the aircraft entered a box canyon from which it was unable to climb out, crashing into a mountain ridge. Among the fatalities were 14 members of the Wichita State University football team.
March 17, 1970 1 2 72 Eastern Air Lines Shuttle Flight 1320 inbound to Boston Massachusetts McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 A suicidal hijacker shot both the captain and first officer. The first officer was able to get control of the gun and shoot the perpetrator before succumbing to his wounds. The captain then obtained the gun and hit the assailant and proceeded to safely land the plane. The perpetrator was arrested.
November 19, 1969 14 0 0 Mohawk Airlines Flight 411 Fort Ann New York Fairchild Hiller FH-227 The captain executed an improper instrument approach, entering a downdraft near terrain at low altitude that caused an unrecoverable descent.
September 9, 1969 83 0 0 Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 Moral Township Indiana McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31, Piper PA-28 Cherokee The Piper was operating under visual flight rules and failed to see the faster DC-9 in time to avoid a mid-air collision.
March 5, 1969 19 0 0 Prinair Flight 277 Fajardo Puerto Rico de Havilland DH.114 Heron 2B The location of the aircraft was mistook by air traffic control, leading to premature directions to descend that led to a crash into terrain that was not visible to the crew until just before the collision.
February 18, 1969 35 0 0 Hawthorne Nevada Airlines Flight 708 Mount Whitney, near Lone Pine California Douglas DC-3 The flight was operating under visual flight rules, but entered weather and terrain conditions necessitating instrument flight rules and crashed into Mount Whitney.
January 18, 1969 38 0 0 United Airlines Flight 266 Santa Monica Bay, off Santa Monica California Boeing 727-22C The aircraft lost all electrical power shortly after takeoff in a series of events, leading to loss of altitude and situational awareness by the crew and a crash into the bay. It is unclear why the backup electrical system was not activated, or if it were, why it failed to function as well.
January 13, 1969 15 17 30 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933 Santa Monica Bay, off Santa Monica California McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 The crew became distracted during approach by lack of confirmation that the nose gear was properly deployed and lost situational awareness; this combined with a series of other mistakes led to the aircraft crashing into the bay.
January 6, 1969 11 17 17 Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 Lafayette Township Pennsylvania Convair CV-580 The aircraft crashed during an instrument approach in winter weather for undetermined reasons.
December 27, 1968 28 24 18 North Central Airlines Flight 458 Chicago Illinois Convair CV-580 The captain is believed to have become disoriented with respect to the approach lights and attempted a go-around, but the aircraft climbed to the point of causing a stall and crashed into a hangar, killing 1 and injuring 6 on the ground.
December 24, 1968 20 27 27 Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 Bradford Pennsylvania Convair CV-580 The crew lost altitude awareness during approach while trying to visually locate the runway, descending below the minimum descent altitude and striking trees.
December 2, 1968 39 0 0 Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 Pedro Bay Alaska Fairchild F-27 The aircraft encountered severe turbulence and experienced structural failure in the right wing due to the presence of fatigue cracks that went unnoticed during maintenance, leading to an unrecoverable spiraling dive.
October 25, 1968 32 10 10 Northeast Airlines Flight 946 Etna New Hampshire Fairchild Hiller FH-227 The aircraft crashed into terrain during approach because it was flying 600 feet below its required altitude, apparently due to confusion of the part of the crew.
August 14, 1968 21 0 0 Los Angeles Airways Flight 417 Compton California Sikorsky S-61L The helicopter experienced failure of the blade rotor system, where one blade struck the fuselage, leading to a loss of balance and failure of all five rotor blades and subsequent separation of the rear fuselage and tail.
May 22, 1968 23 0 0 Los Angeles Airways Flight 841 Paramount California Sikorsky S-61L The helicopter lost a rotor blade due to structural failure caused by manufacturing defects, leading to loss of control of the aircraft.
May 3, 1968 85 0 0 Braniff Flight 352 near Dawson Texas Lockheed L-188A Electra The captain chose to fly into a severe thunderstorm, then attempted to execute a steep 180-degree turn to escape the weather, exceeding the structural limits of the aircraft, which caused it to break apart in mid-air.
November 20, 1967 70 12 12 TWA Flight 128 Constance Kentucky Convair 880 The aircraft crashed short of the runway during an attempted visual approach in poor weather due to its descent below the minimum altitude.
November 6, 1967 1 10 35 TWA Flight 159 Erlanger Kentucky Boeing 707-131 The aircraft experienced a compressor stall in an engine due to crossing the jet blast of another aircraft stuck perpendicular to the runway; believing a collision had occurred, the first officer attempted an aborted takeoff but overran the runway. One passenger later died of their injuries.
July 19, 1967 82 0 0 Piedmont Airlines Flight 22 Hendersonville North Carolina Boeing 727-22, Cessna 310 The aircraft experienced a mid-air collision with the Cessna shortly after takeoff. Primary blame was placed on the Cessna pilot in one of the first investigations conducted by the NTSB. The investigation was revisited decades later after concerns were raised that the role of air traffic control and factors aboard the Boeing were not adequately considered; the original findings were upheld.
June 23, 1967 34 0 0 Mohawk Airlines Flight 40 Blossburg Pennsylvania BAC One-Eleven A valve in the auxiliary power unit failed, starting a fire that reached the tail and loss of pitch control.
March 10, 1967 4 0 0 West Coast Airlines Flight 720 near Klamath Falls Oregon Fairchild F-27 The aircraft accumulated significant amounts of snow and ice while waiting for takeoff and crashed shortly after becoming airborne, presumably due to a stall.
March 9, 1967 26 0 0 TWA Flight 553 Concord Township Ohio McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15, Beechcraft Baron The flight was operating under visual flight rules and experienced a mid-air collision during a descent, with neither aircraft detecting the other in time to avoid a collision.
March 5, 1967 38 0 0 Lake Central Flight 527 near Marseilles Township Ohio Convair 880 A propeller detached from the plane and heavily damaged the fuselage during approach, presumably due to loss of a piston due to excessive wear attributed to a manufacturing defect, leading to a loss of control.
October 1, 1966 18 0 0 West Coast Airlines Flight 956 near Wemme Oregon McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 The aircraft descended below its cleared altitude during approach and crashed.
August 6, 1966 42 0 0 Braniff Flight 250 near Falls City Nebraska BAC One-Eleven The aircraft entered severe thunderstorms and encountered a strong updraft, causing the right tailplane, vertical stabilizer, and later the right wing to fail, leading to a complete loss of control.
April 22, 1966 83 0 0 American Flyers Flight 280 Ardmore Oklahoma Lockheed L-188C Electra The pilot in command became incapacitated due to a health issue during approach and the plane overshot the runway.
December 4, 1965 4 49 108 1965 Carmel mid-air collision Carmel New York Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation, Boeing 707-131B Eastern Air Lines Flight 853, flying the Constellation, approached TWA Flight 42, flying the Boeing, which appeared to be at the same altitude. Evasive maneuvers by both aircraft led to a mid-air collision. The Boeing safely made an emergency landing while the Constellation crashed, with 4 fatalities.
November 11, 1965 43 35 48 United Airlines Flight 227 Salt Lake City Utah Boeing 727-22 The crew executed an unstabilized approach, descending at roughly three times the normal descent rate, and crashed short of the runway. The captain was blamed for not effectively managing the approach. All aboard initially survived the crash, with the fatalities occurring due to the subsequent fire.
November 8, 1965 58 4 4 American Airlines Flight 383 Constance Kentucky Boeing 727-23 The crew descended prematurely during approach in deteriorating weather and crashed short of the runway due to their loss of altitude awareness.
August 16, 1965 30 0 0 United Airlines Flight 389 Lake Michigan, 20 east of Fort Sheridan Illinois Boeing 727-22 The aircraft crashed during a routine descent; it is suspected the crew misread their altimeters by 10,000 feet.
February 8, 1965 84 0 0 Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 Atlantic Ocean, off of Wantagh New York Boeing 727-22 The crew executed a steep right bank shortly after takeoff to avoid an apparently imminent collision with Pan Am Flight 212, which is believed to have caused spatial disorientation that prevented the pilot from recovering before striking the water.
December 24, 1964 3 0 0 Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 San Bruno California Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation The aircraft deviated from its departure course for unknown reasons into an area of elevated terrain and crashed shortly after takeoff.
November 15, 1964 29 0 0 Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114 near Sloan Nevada Fairchild F-27 The aircraft struck the top of a ridge during approach and exploded; an inappropriately labeled chart is blamed.
July 9, 1964 39 0 0 United Airlines Flight 823 near Parrottsville Tennessee Vickers Viscount 745D A fire occurred in the passenger cabin and spread, leading to a loss of control.
May 7, 1964 44 0 0 Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 near Danville California Fairchild F-27 A passenger entered the cockpit and shot the captain and then the first officer and finally himself, causing the aircraft fall out of control in a murder-suicide. The incident led to an FAA requirement to keep the cockpit door locked during flight in most circumstances.
March 1, 1964 85 0 0 Paradise Airlines Flight 901A near Lake Tahoe California Lockheed L-049 Constellation The pilot attempted a visual approach in poor weather and visibility, then likely attempted a missed approach and diversion to another airport, but struck terrain near the lake.
February 25, 1964 58 0 0 Eastern Air Lines Flight 304 Lake Pontchartrain, near New Orleans Louisiana Douglas DC-8 It was concluded that a malfunctioning pitch trim compensator caused the crew to trim the horizontal stabilizer in a manner that led to a loss of control during severe turbulence.
December 8, 1963 81 0 0 Pan Am Flight 214 Elkton Maryland Boeing 707-121 The aircraft was struck by lightning which is believed to have ignited fuel vapors in one of the fuel tanks, causing an explosion that destroyed one of the wings and led to loss of control.
July 2, 1963 7 36 36 Mohawk Airlines Flight 121 Rochester New York Martin 4-0-4 The aircraft attempted to takeoff in poor weather under threats from the captain's superiors and encountered windshear, leading to a loss of control and the left wing impacting the ground.
June 3, 1963 101 0 0 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 293 Clarence Strait, near Annette Island Alaska Douglas DC-7C The aircraft crashed off the coast for unknown reasons.
February 12, 1963 43 0 0 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 705 Everglades Florida Boeing 720 The aircraft encountered poor weather and experienced severe vertical air drafts shortly after takeoff, causing rapid ascents and descents, causing the aircraft to break up during a steep dive.
November 30, 1962 25 26 Eastern Airlines Flight 512 New York City New York Douglas DC-7B The crew attempted a go-around in poor visibility, but failed to use sufficient power or rotation to stop the descent.
November 23, 1962 17 0 0 United Airlines Flight 297 near Ellicott City Maryland Vickers Viscount 745D The aircraft suffered a bird strike that severely damaged the left horizontal stabilizer, leading to a loss of control.
July 22, 1962 27 13 13 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 301 Honolulu Hawaii Bristol Britannia 314 The crew attempted a go-around but insufficient altitude remained for the aircraft to climb successfully.
May 22, 1962 45 0 0 Continental Airlines Flight 11 near Unionville Missouri Boeing 707-124 A suicidal passenger exploded a bomb in a lavatory causing loss of the tail and a crash.
March 1, 1962 95 0 0 American Airlines Flight 1 Jamaica Bay, Queens, New York City New York Boeing 707-123B The aircraft experienced an uncommanded rudder movement due to a manufacturing defect shortly after takeoff, crashing into the bay.
November 8, 1961 77 2 2 Imperial Airlines Flight 201/8 near Richmond Virginia Lockheed L-049E Constellation Numerous errors and poor judgement by the crew led to loss of engine power and loss of control during approach from which they were unable to recover.
September 17, 1961 37 0 0 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 Chicago Illinois Lockheed L-188C Electra Improper maintenance led to failure of the control cable to the ailerons, causing an uncontrollable right bank shortly after takeoff and eventual crash.
September 1, 1961 78 0 0 TWA Flight 529 Willowbrook Township Illinois Lockheed L-049 Constellation It was concluded that loss of a bolt from the elevator control mechanism caused an abrupt pitch up, leading to a stall and crash shortly after takeoff.
July 21, 1961 6 0 0 Alaska Airlines Flight 779 Shemya Alaska Douglas DC-6A The aircraft crashed short of the runway during approach, attributed to improper guidance by air traffic control and lack of approach and runway lighting.
July 11, 1961 18 84 105 United Airlines Flight 859 Denver Colorado Douglas DC-8-12 Both left engines failed to generate reverse thrust after landing and instead continued to generate forward thrust, causing the aircraft to depart the runway and break apart, leading to a fire.
January 28, 1961 6 0 0 American Airlines Flight 1502 Atlantic Ocean, 5 miles from Montauk New York Boeing 707-123 The aircraft experienced a loss of control for undetermined reasons.
December 16, 1960 134 0 0 1960 New York mid-air collision New York City New York Douglas DC-8-11, Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation United Flight 826, operating the DC-8, exceeded its clearance given by air traffic control and collided with TWA Flight 266, operating the Super Constellation. The DC-8 crashed on Staten Island, while the Super Constellation crashed in Brooklyn, ultimately killing everyone on board as well as 6 on the ground.
October 29, 1960 22 26 26 California Polytechnic State University football team plane crash Swanton Township Ohio Curtiss C-46 Commando The aircraft crashed during takeoff due to a premature liftoff by the pilot. Contributing factors were that the aircraft was overloaded and partial loss of power from one engine.
October 4, 1960 62 10 10 Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 Boston Massachusetts Lockheed L-188A Electra The aircraft suffered severe engine damage due to a bird strike during takeoff that led to an unrecoverable asymmetric stall. A possible contributing factor was improper maintenance to the first officer seat that may have led to inadvertent control inputs during the emergency.
March 17, 1960 63 0 0 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710 Tobin Township Indiana Lockheed L-188C Electra The aircraft came apart in mid-air, believed to be due to development of wing flutter.
January 18, 1960 50 0 0 Capital Airlines Flight 20 Holdcroft Virginia Vickers Viscount 745D The aircraft experienced severe icing which caused complete engine failure; the crew was able to restart one engine but this generated asymmetric thrust that was unable to generate sufficient lift, leading to a crash.
January 6, 1960 34 0 0 National Airlines Flight 2511 near Bolivia North Carolina Douglas DC-6B Dynamite detonated on board causing a mid-air explosion and destruction of the aircraft. A suicide bombing is suspected.
December 1, 1959 25 1 1 Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 South Williamsport Pennsylvania Martin 2-0-2 A malfunction of the aircraft's compass led the aircraft off course during a missed approach and the flight crashed into terrain.
November 16, 1959 42 0 0 National Airlines Flight 967 Gulf of Mexico, southeast of Pensacola Florida Martin 2-0-2 The aircraft is believed to have suffered an in-flight explosion, suspected to be due to a bomb.
October 30, 1959 26 1 1 Piedmont Airlines Flight 349 near Crozet Virginia Douglas DC-3 The aircraft crashed into terrain during approach due to a navigational error by the pilot.
September 29, 1959 34 0 0 Braniff Flight 542 near Buffalo Texas Lockheed L-188A Electra The aircraft came apart in mid-air, initially for unknown reasons, but was eventually believed to be due to development of wing flutter after a similar accident, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710.
August 15, 1959 5 0 0 American Airlines Flight 514 Calverton New York Boeing 707-123 The aircraft developed excessive yaw during approach, which the crew failed to recognize and correct.
May 12, 1959 31 0 0 Capital Airlines Flight 75 Chase Maryland Vickers Viscount 745D The aircraft encountered severe turbulence which caused a steep descent that led to failure of the aircraft's fuselage.
February 3, 1959 4 0 0 The Day the Music Died near Clear Lake Iowa Beechcraft Bonanza The charter flight was operating under visual flight rules in poor visibility and weather and the pilot (who was not qualified for instrument flight rules) became disoriented, leading to a crash. In addition to the pilot, musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper were killed. The song "American Pie" refers to the incident.
February 3, 1959 65 8 8 American Airlines Flight 320 New York City New York Lockheed L-188A Electra The aircraft descended below glideslope during approach in poor weather and crashed short of the runway.
January 8, 1959 10 0 0 Southeast Airlines Flight 308 Holston Mountain Tennessee Douglas DC-3A The crew made a navigational error during approach and struck the mountain.
August 15, 1958 25 9 9 Northeast Airlines Flight 258 Nantucket Massachusetts Convair CV-240 The crew attempted an approach using visual flight rules under poor visibility that precluded such an approach and crashed short of the runway.
April 21, 1958 49 0 0 United Airlines Flight 736 Enterprise Nevada Douglas DC-7, North American F-100 Super Sabre The two aircraft approached each other at high speed and were unable to avoid a mid-air collision.
April 6, 1958 47 0 0 Capital Airlines Flight 67 Saginaw Bay, near Freeland Michigan Vickers Viscount 745D The plane experienced severe icing which led to an unrecoverable stall during approach.
November 8, 1957 44 0 0 Pan Am Flight 7 Pacific Ocean, en route to Honolulu Hawaii Boeing 377 Stratocruiser The flight disappears from radio contact and does not arrive in Hawaii; debris and bodies are located weeks later. The cause was not determined, though the investigation found high levels of carbon monoxide in many of the human remains.
February 1, 1957 20 78 81 Northeast Airlines Flight 823 Queens, New York City New York Douglas DC-6A The aircraft deviated left from its assigned heading during climbout and struck terrain. Spatial disorientation on the part of the captain while flying in the clouds is blamed.
July 9, 1956 1 5 34 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 304 over Flat Rock Michigan Vickers Viscount 724 A propeller detached from its engine and one blade penetrated the fuselage, killing one passenger. The flight then made a successful emergency landing.
June 30, 1956 128 0 0 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision Grand Canyon Arizona Douglas DC-7, Lockheed L-1049A Super Constellation Both flights were operating under visual flight rules and failed to detect the other, leading to a mid-air collision. The accident spurred the creation of the Federal Aviation Administration.
June 20, 1956 47 0 0 Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 (June 1956) Atlantic Ocean, off of Asbury Park New Jersey Lockheed L-1049E Super Constellation The aircraft had trouble with an engine and was returning for an emergency landing when a fire started and the aircraft lost control.
April 2, 1956 5 2 33 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2 Puget Sound, off of Point Robinson Washington Boeing 377 Stratocruiser The flight engineer inadvertently left the cowl flaps on the engines open during takeoff, which disrupted airflow over the wings and led to decreased lift. Unknown at the time and unable to fly normally, the captain elected to ditch the aircraft in Puget Sound; all aboard initially survived but 5 later died of their injuries.
April 1, 1956 22 14 14 TWA Flight 400 Moon Township Pennsylvania Martin 4-0-4 The aircraft experienced a fire warning in one of the engines just after takeoff due to a malfunction of the exhaust system that blew exhaust onto a temperature sensor, causing the first officer to shut down the engine. The captain stopped the first officer from manually feathering the engine, and the autofeather device did not feather the engine, leading to asymmetric drag and a crash.
November 1, 1955 44 0 0 United Airlines Flight 629 Longmont Colorado Douglas DC-6B Dynamite was placed in checked luggage and detonated in flight.
October 6, 1955 66 0 0 United Airlines Flight 409 near Centennial Wyoming Douglas DC-4 The aircraft struck terrain for undetermined reasons.
April 4, 1955 3 0 0 1955 MacArthur Airport United Airlines crash Islip New York Douglas DC-6 The training flight attempted to simulate a single engine failure during takeoff, but actually caused reverse thrust in the engine leading to a loss of control.
March 26, 1955 4 0 19 Pan Am Flight 845/26 Pacific Ocean, 35 miles west of the Oregon coast Oregon Boeing 377 Stratocruiser An engine separated from the aircraft, forcing the aircraft to be ditched.
March 20, 1955 13 22 22 American Airlines Flight 711 near Springfield Missouri Convair CV-240 The crew is thought to have lost altitude awareness during approach, leading to a crash short of the runway.
February 19, 1955 16 0 0 TWA Flight 260 Sandia Mountains New Mexico Martin 4-0-4 The aircraft struck terrain at the initial stages of approach. A variety of causes were considered possible but the cause was not definitively determined.
January 12, 1955 15 0 0 1955 Cincinnati mid-air collision Hebron Kentucky Martin 2-0-2, Douglas DC-3 TWA Flight 694, operating the Martin 2-0-2, collided in mid-air after takeoff with a privately owned DC-3 that entered airport airspace without clearance.
October 29, 1953 19 0 0 BCPA Flight 304 near Woodside California Douglas DC-6 The aircraft crashed into terrain during approach due to an apparent failure of the crew to correctly execute an instrument approach.
September 16, 1953 28 0 0 American Airlines Flight 723 Colonie New York Convair CV-240 The aircraft descended too low during approach in poor visibility and struck a set of radio towers.
July 12, 1953 58 0 0 Transocean Air Lines Flight 512 Pacific Ocean, approximately 340 nm east of Wake Island, en route to Honolulu Hawaii Douglas DC-6A The aircraft was lost in the ocean for undetermined reasons.
February 14, 1953 46 0 0 National Airlines Flight 470 Gulf of Mexico, 20 miles off Fort Morgan Alabama Douglas DC-6 The aircraft is believed to have encountered severe weather and crashed.
June 28, 1952 2 0 60 American Airlines Flight 910 Dallas Texas Douglas DC-6 The aircraft collided with a private Temco Swift during approach. Primary blame was placed on the private aircraft, which was operating under visual flight rules.
April 11, 1952 52 0 17 Pan Am Flight 526A Atlantic Ocean, about 11 miles NW of San Juan Puerto Rico Douglas DC-4 Both starboard engines failed due to inadequate maintenance, causing the crew to ditch shortly after takeoff.
February 11, 1952 33 34 34 National Airlines Flight 101 Elizabeth New Jersey Douglas DC-6 The propeller governor of engine #3 malfunctioned and caused the engine to go into reverse during climb-out, while engine #4 was feathered, leading to a loss of control and a crash into an apartment, where 4 occupants were killed.
January 22, 1952 30 0 0 American Airlines Flight 6780 Elizabeth New Jersey Convair CV-240 The aircraft crashed during approach for unknown reasons; 7 on the ground were killed in addition to everyone aboard.
December 29, 1951 26 14 14 Continental Charters Flight 44-2 near Napoli New York Curtiss C-46 Commando The aircraft struck terrain in poor weather and visibility due to the crew attempting to fly under visual flight rules in inappropriate conditions and at an insufficient altitude.
December 16, 1951 58 0 0 1951 Miami Airlines C-46 crash Elizabeth New Jersey Curtiss C-46 Commando The right engine developed a mechanical failure and a fire during and after takeoff, eventually causing a loss of control.
August 24, 1951 50 0 0 United Airlines Flight 615 near Decoto California Douglas DC-6B The pilot ignored instrument approach procedures and attempted to rely on an automatic direction finder which led the plane off course and below the necessary altitude, leading to a crash into terrain.
June 30, 1951 50 0 0 United Airlines Flight 610 near Fort Collins Colorado Douglas DC-6 The crew apparently made a navigational error during approach, missing a turn and flying into terrain.
April 25, 1951 43 0 0 Cubana de Aviación Flight 493 Key West Florida Douglas DC-4, Beechcraft SNB-1 Kansan Both aircraft were operating under visual flight rules in good visibility but failed to detect each other, leading to a mid-air collision.
January 14, 1951 7 11 21 National Airlines Flight 83 Philadelphia Pennsylvania Douglas DC-4 The aircraft touched down far down the runway in icy conditions and overran the runway.
June 23, 1950 58 0 0 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 Lake Michigan, off Benton Harbor Michigan Douglas DC-4 The flight disappeared for unknown reasons; later debris and body fragments were found on the surface.
March 7, 1950 15 0 0 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 307 Minneapolis Minnesota Martin 2-0-2 The aircraft struck a flagpole during approach due to pilot error.
November 29, 1949 28 16 18 American Airlines Flight 157 Dallas Texas Douglas DC-6 The crew made a series of mistakes during an approach after the loss of one engine, striking the runway tail-first.
November 1, 1949 55 1 1 Eastern Air Lines Flight 537 Alexandria Virginia Douglas DC-4, Lockheed P-38 Lightning The P-38 attempted to land without clearance, which led to a mid-air collision. The only survivor was the pilot of the P-38.
July 12, 1949 35 13 13 Standard Air Lines Flight 897R Chatsworth California Curtiss C-46 Commando The pilot descended below the minimum altitude during approach in poor visibility, with the right wing clipping the side of a hill and instigating a crash.
June 7, 1949 53 0 28 1949 Strato-Freight Curtiss C-46A crash Atlantic Ocean, near San Juan Puerto Rico Curtiss C-46 Commando Installation of incorrect spark plugs caused the right engine to fail during takeoff, causing insufficient lift for takeoff, and the aircraft settled into the ocean.
December 28, 1948 32 0 0 1948 Airborne Transport DC-3 disappearance Atlantic Ocean, en route to Miami Florida Douglas DST The flight disappeared for unknown reasons.
August 29, 1948 37 0 0 Northwest Airlines Flight 421 Fountain City Wisconsin Martin 2-0-2 The left wing experienced structural failure of the left wing due to fatigue, causing a crash.
June 17, 1948 43 0 0 United Airlines Flight 624 Conyngham Township Pennsylvania Douglas DC-6 The crew responded to a false fire warning in the cargo hold by discharging the fire extinguisher without opening the pressure release valves, which caused a buildup of carbon dioxide in the cockpit that led to crew incapacitation and a crash.
March 12, 1948 30 0 0 Northwest Airlines Flight 4422 Mount Sanford Alaska Douglas C-54 Skymaster The flight deviated from its proper airway and crashed into the mountain.
January 28, 1948 32 0 0 1948 Los Gatos DC-3 crash Diablo Range, west of Coalinga California Douglas DC-3 The left engine developed a fire that eventually spread and caused failure of the airframe.
October 26, 1947 18 0 0 Pan Am Flight 923 Annette Island Alaska Douglas DC-4 The flight struck a mountain for unknown reasons.
October 24, 1947 52 0 0 United Airlines Flight 608 Bryce Canyon National Park Utah Douglas DC-6 A fire ignited during fuel transfer due to a design flaw, leading to an in-flight breakup of the airframe and loss of control during an emergency approach.
June 13, 1947 50 0 0 Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 410 near Charles Town West Virginia Douglas DC-4 The pilot descended below the prescribed minimum altitude during approach and struck terrain.
May 30, 1947 53 0 0 Eastern Air Lines Flight 605 near Bainbridge Maryland Douglas C-54 Skymaster The aircraft suddenly lost control for undetermined reasons.
May 29, 1947 43 5 5 United Airlines Flight 521 Queens, New York City New York Douglas DC-4 The pilot attempted an aborted takeoff but overran the runway.
January 12, 1947 18 1 1 Eastern Air Lines Flight 665 Galax Virginia Douglas DC-3 The aircraft struck terrain in poor weather due to disorientation and poor navigation on the part of the pilot.
July 11, 1946 5 1 1 TWA Flight 513 Bern Township Pennsylvania Lockheed L-049 Constellation A fire erupted in the baggage compartment due to faulty wiring, causing a loss of control.
January 6, 1946 3 5 16 Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 105 Birmingham Alabama Douglas DC-3 The aircraft attempted to land from above glideslope and with too high a speed and overran the runway.
October 5, 1945 2 13 National Airlines Flight 16 Lakeland Florida Lockheed 18-50 Lodestar The pilot attempted a missed approach too late and overran the runway.
June 20, 1944 7 0 0 TWA Flight 277 Fort Mountain, Baxter State Park Maine Douglas C-54 Skymaster The flight drifted off course in poor weather and struck mountainous terrain.
February 10, 1944 24 0 0 American Airlines Flight 2 Mississippi River, 18 miles SW of Memphis Tennessee Douglas DC-3 The flight crashed for unknown reasons.
October 15, 1943 11 0 0 American Airlines Flight 63 (Flagship Missouri) Centerville Tennessee Douglas DC-3 The aircraft developed severe icing which eventually made it unable to maintain altitude, causing it to strike terrain.
July 28, 1943 20 2 2 American Airlines Flight 63 (Flagship Ohio) near Trammel Kentucky Douglas DC-3 The flight lost control due to severe turbulence and a downdraft caused by a thunderstorm.
January 21, 1943 19 0 0 Pan Am Flight 1104 near Ukiah California Martin M-130 The flight became off-course in poor weather at night and struck a mountain.
October 23, 1942 12 0 2 American Airlines Flight 28 Chino Canyon near Palm Springs California Douglas DC-3, Lockheed B-34 Lexington The DC-3 was struck by the B-34 as its pilot was attempting to get closer to it to establish visual communication with the first officer, as the two were friends. The DC-3 lost control and crashed, killing all on board, while the B-34 landed successfully with minor damage.
January 16, 1942 22 0 0 TWA Flight 3 Potosi Mountain Nevada Douglas DC-3 The captain executed an improper flight plan, incorporating a heading appropriate for a different takeoff airport, that caused the aircraft to strike terrain at its cruising altitude. Among the fatalities was actress Carole Lombard.
October 30, 1941 14 1 1 Northwest Airlines Flight 5 Moorhead Minnesota Douglas DC-3 The aircraft developed severe icing on its wings and crashed. The captain was the sole survivor, though he would die a year later in another aviation accident.
February 26, 1941 8 8 8 Eastern Air Lines Flight 21 Morrow Georgia Douglas DC-3 The aircraft struck terrain during approach due to improperly set altimeters.
August 31, 1940 25 0 0 Lovettsville air disaster Lovettsville Virginia Douglas DC-3 The aircraft is believed to have crashed due to a lightning strike.
January 21, 1939 3 10 10 1939 Imperial Airways flying boat ditching Atlantic Ocean, en route from New York City New York Short Empire The aircraft landed in the ocean because of engine failure due to icing and sank.
January 13, 1939 4 0 0 Northwest Airlines Flight 1 near Miles City Montana Lockheed Model 14H Super Electra A fire rapidly developed in the cockpit shortly after takeoff, possibly due to a fuel leak from a cross-feed fuel valve, and overwhelmed the crew and caused a loss of control.
March 1, 1938 9 0 0 1938 Yosemite TWA crash Yosemite National Park California Douglas DC-2 The flight encountered severe weather and crashed into a mountain. The aircraft was not located until three months later.
January 11, 1938 7 0 0 Samoan Clipper Pago Pago American Samoa Sikorsky S-42 The crew attempted to dump fuel in preparation for an emergency landing due to an oil leak, but a fire ignited and caused an explosion.
January 10, 1938 10 0 0 Northwest Airlines Flight 2 Bridger Mountains, near Bozeman Montana Lockheed Model 14H Super Electra The aircraft is believed to have crashed due to failure of the empennage due to aeroelastic flutter, likely caused by weather-induced turbulence.
May 6, 1937 36 62 Hindenburg disaster NAS Lakehurst, Manchester Township New Jersey Hindenburg-class airship The hydrogen-filled airship caught fire and was destroyed while trying to dock. One person on the ground was also killed.
March 25, 1937 13 0 0 TWA Flight 15A Upper St. Clair Township Pennsylvania Douglas DC-2 The aircraft is believed to have crashed due to ice accumulation on the control surfaces.
January 12, 1937 5 8 Western Air Express Flight 7 near Newhall California Boeing 247D The aircraft went off-course in poor visibility and struck a ridge.
December 27, 1936 12 0 0 United Airlines Trip 34 near Newhall California Boeing 247D The pilot flew too low during approach and struck terrain.
August 5, 1936 8 0 0 Chicago and Southern Flight 4 St. Louis Missouri Lockheed Model 10B Electra The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff presumably due to a lack of altitude awareness due to fog.
April 7, 1936 12 2 2 TWA Flight 1 Cheat Mountain, Wharton Township Pennsylvania Douglas DC-2 The aircraft went off-course and crashed into terrain in poor visibility.
January 14, 1936 17 0 0 American Airlines Flight 1 near Goodwin Arkansas Douglas DC-2 The aircraft crashed for undetermined reasons.
October 7, 1935 12 0 0 United Airlines Trip 4 near Hecla Wyoming Boeing 247D The pilot is believed to lost spatial awareness and crashed into terrain.
May 6, 1935 5 8 8 TWA Flight 6 near Atlanta Missouri Douglas DC-2 The aircraft crashed into terrain due to low visibility.
February 23, 1934 8 0 0 1934 United Airlines Boeing 247 crash Wasatch Mountains, 35 miles east of Salt Lake City Utah Boeing 247 The aircraft crashed into terrain in poor weather.
October 10, 1933 7 0 0 1933 United Airlines Boeing 247 mid-air explosion near Chesterton Indiana Boeing 247D The aircraft suffered a mid-air explosion due to a bomb in the baggage compartment and crashed. It was the first confirmed act of air sabotage in commercial aviation.
March 31, 1931 8 0 0 1931 Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 crash Bazaar Township Kansas Fokker F-10 The wooden wing separated from the body of the aircraft during flight due to deterioration of the glue from moisture, leading to a crash. Legendary Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne was among those killed.
July 21, 1919 13 27 2 Wingfoot Air Express crash Chicago Illinois Type FD dirigible The aircraft caught fire and crashed, killing 3 aboard the dirigible and 10 on the ground.

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