From MH17 to Jeju Air: 10 aviation disasters that shook the world
Despite statistically being the safest way to travel around the globe, there have been many disasters that have shaken the world since 1974
Despite the airplanes being known as the safest way to travel globally, there have been several catastrophic accidents since 1974 that have caused authorities to revise and re-evaluate flight safety measures repeatedly, says The Economic Times.
Below are the 10 aviation disasters that have left a mark on the history of global air travel.
Jeju Air Flight Crash in South Korea
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On December 29, 2024, Jeju Air flight 7C2216, with 181 people on board, crashed while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Korea. The plane veered off the runway and collided with a wall before exploding into flames. "All but two passengers are feared dead after a Jeju Air flight burst into flames at Muan International Airport." The crash killed 85 people, and two survivors, including a passenger and a crew member, are currently being treated in hospital.
The Yeti Airlines ATR 72 Crash
On January 15, 2023, a tragic crash occurred in Nepal when a Yeti Airlines ATR 72, en route to Pokhara, went down just before landing, killing all 72 people aboard. This included 15 foreign nationals, two infants, four crew members, and several other passengers. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error, with the investigation revealing that the power was mistakenly cut, leading to an aerodynamic stall. This incident became one of Nepal's deadliest aviation accidents in three decades.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) Shot Down
The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on July 17, 2014, remains one of the most tragic and high-profile events in aviation history. The Boeing 777-200ER was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was struck by a missile over Eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. A Dutch court later convicted three men for their roles in the incident. "The court handed down sentences of life imprisonment to the Russian nationals Igor Girkin and Sergey Dubinsky and a Ukrainian, Leonid Kharchenko," who were found guilty of downing the plane and murdering everyone onboard.
The Air India Flight 182 Bombing
On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 travelling from Canada to India, was brought down by a bomb in the cargo hold. The bomb exploded off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people aboard. Of the passengers, 24 were Indian citizens, and the majority of the remaining 268 were Canadian nationals of Indian descent. The bombing, perpetrated by an extremist group, marked one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in aviation history. "One passenger checked in under the name 'M Singh'. However, Singh did not get on the flight, yet his suitcase with the bomb was loaded onto the plane."
Air France Flight 447 – A Decade-Long Investigation
On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447, a long-haul flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, vanished into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 passengers and crew members. The cause of the crash was initially unclear, but it was later discovered that faulty airspeed sensors and pilot error contributed to the tragic event. After years of investigation, it was revealed that the crash was due to a combination of factors, including the aircraft's stall during a turbulent flight. The airline, along with aviation authorities, faced heavy scrutiny, resulting in changes to training protocols for pilots.
The 1977 Tenerife Airport Disaster
The Tenerife airport disaster on March 27, 1977, remains the deadliest accident in aviation history. A KLM Boeing 747 collided with a Pan Am 747 on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Spain, killing 583 people. The disaster occurred after a miscommunication between the control tower and the pilots, compounded by dense fog that reduced visibility. The accident led to major improvements in air traffic control communication protocols and flight crew training, helping to prevent similar tragedies.
The Deadliest Mid-Air Collision
On November 12, 1996, Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 collided with Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 in mid-air over Charkhi Dadri, India. The collision resulted in 349 deaths, making it the deadliest mid-air accident in history. The Kazakh pilot's failure to maintain the assigned altitude led to the crash. Following the disaster, the Indian government mandated the installation of Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS) on all planes operating in Indian airspace.
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 – A Design Flaw
On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 crashed in a forest northeast of Paris after a cargo door failed due to a design flaw. The DC-10 aircraft was en route from Paris to London when the cargo door detached mid-flight, leading to a rapid loss of cabin pressure. This caused a collapse of the floor above, severing critical control cables and causing the aircraft to lose control. All 346 people aboard died. Following this disaster, safety regulations around cargo door design were revised to ensure better structural integrity.
Japan Airlines Flight 123 – A Faulty Repair
Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, crashed on August 12, 1985, after an explosive decompression caused by a poorly repaired tail section. The plane's tail section had been repaired following a previous incident, but the repair work was faulty, leading to catastrophic failure mid-flight. The decompression destroyed the aircraft's tail and severed hydraulic lines, leaving the pilots unable to control the plane. Despite the crew's efforts to keep the plane in the air for 32 minutes, the crash resulted in 520 fatalities, making it the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in history.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – The Ongoing Mystery
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, a Boeing 777-200, disappeared from radar screens during its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 people on board. Despite extensive search efforts, the cause of the disappearance remains unsolved, and the incident continues to captivate public attention. Theories about the plane's fate range from hypoxia (a sudden loss of oxygen) to sabotage, but without concrete evidence, the mystery remains one of aviation's most haunting.
