List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft

Accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft grouped by the year that the incident or accident occurred. This list is also available grouped: by airline, by location, alphabetically, by death toll.

See also: Accidents and incidents in aviation. List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners grouped by airline.

This list is not complete! For more exhaustive lists, see the Aircraft Crash Record Office or the Air Safety Network. Airlines seem to be remembered by their worst accidents, and in that sense this list presents a good overview, but it is far from being complete.

1931

• March 31 - Transcontinental & Western Air flight 599 crashes near Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, killing all eight aboard; among those killed is Notre Dame University football coach Knute Rockne.

1933

• October 10 – A United Airlines Boeing 247 is destroyed by a bomb over Chesterton, Indiana in the first proven case of air sabotage on a commercial aircraft; all seven on board are killed.

1937

Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei Hindenburg, LZ-129, bursting into flames

• May 6 – A Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei flight, the Zeppelin Hindenburg, LZ-129, bursts into flames and crashes while attempting a landing at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst in New Jersey; of the 97 people on board, 35 are killed as well as one person on the ground.
• November 16 – A Sabena Junkers Ju 52 crashes near Ostende, Belgium killing all 11 on board, including the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse.

1938

• August 24 - Omori air disaster:Japanese Flying School Hanriot HD-1 and Japan Airlines Transportation Universal collide over Omori,Tokyo killing the 5 crew and 40 people on the ground.
• January 10 - Northwest Airlines Flight 2 crashes near Bozeman, Montana, killing all ten on board; the machine with which the manufacturer measured aircraft component vibration is found to be inaccurate, causing the aircraft to be more prone to flutter than thought.

1939

• January 13 - Northwest Airlines Flight 1 crashes on takeoff from Miles City, Montana, killing all four on board. The aircraft's cross-feed fuel valve leaked fuel into the cockpit and an intense fire broke out.

1940

• June 14 - An Aero Junkers Ju52-3/mge aircraft flying from Tallinn, Estonia to Helsinki, Finland was shot down by two Soviet bombers over the Gulf of Finland. At the time, Finland was not at war with any country.

1941

• February 26 - Eastern Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-3, crashes while descending to land at Atlanta, Georgia killing 16 of 25 aboard; World War I hero and Eastern Air Lines president Eddie Rickenbacker is among the survivors.

1945

• July 12 – An Eastern Air Lines flight en route from Boston, Massachusetts to Miami with stops in Washington, DC and Columbia, SC collides with a US Army B-25 Mitchell bomber about 3,000 feet above Syracuse, SC; the commercial pilot lands in a cornfield nearby, but one passenger, an infant, is killed; the bomber explodes, killing two, one parachutes safely.

1946

• October 3 – A Berlin-bound 4 engine Douglas C-54 named 'Flagship New England' crashed into a mountainside outside of Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador. The flight, operated by American Overseas Airlines, was carrying many wives and children of US Army personnel serving in post-war Germany. All 39 people on board died. At the time, it was the worst accident of its kind among US civilian airlines.
• December 25 – At least three planes crashed independently amidst heavy fog in Shanghai, China.

1947

• January 26, A KLM Douglas Dakota crashed after takeoff from Copenhagen Airport (called Kastrup Airport at the time), killing all 22 on board, including Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden.
• August 2 – Lancastrian Star Dust crashes in Chile.
• October 24 - United Airlines Flight 608 DC-6 (NC37510) en route to Chicago from Los Angeles caught fire and then crashed while attempting an emergency landing at the Bryce Canyon, Utah airport.

1948

• January 30 - British South American Airways Avro Tudor IV "Star Tiger" (G-AHNP) en-route from the Azores to Bermuda disappeared without trace. At last contact the plane was estimated to be just under 2 hours away from landing.
• March 12 - Northwest Airlines Flight 4422 crashed into Mount Sanford, Alaska Territory killing 30.
• June 17 - United Airlines Flight 624 DC-6 (NC37506) crashed near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.
• July 17 - Catalina seaplane "Miss Macao" (VR-HDT), operated by a Cathay Pacific subsidiary, with 23 passengers and 3 crew on board flying from Macau to Hong Kong was hijacked mid-way over the Pearl River Delta by a group of 4 hijackers attempting to rob the passengers on board. The pilot was attacked and the aircraft lost control during the ensuing struggle in the cockpit. The subsequent crash killed all on board except one passenger, who was later identified to be the lead hijacker. This is the first known case of airliner hijack.
• October 2, Bukken Bruse disaster. Flying boat crashes upon landing in Trondheim. Bertrand Russell is among the survivors.
• October 20 – KLM Constellation air disaster (Prestwick, Scotland)

1949

• May 4 - A plane carrying the Torino F.C. football team (see also Grande Torino) crashes into the Superga hills near Turin, killing all 31 on board, including 18 players. See Superga air disaster.
• May 7 - A Philippine Air Lines was destroyed by a time bomb, killing all 13 aboard.
• September 9 – Canadian Pacific Airlines DC-3 exploded in mid-flight en route from Quebec City to Baie-Comeau, Quebec as the result of an on board bomb, killing all 23 on board. See Albert Guay affair.
• October 27 – Air France Lockheed Constellation crashed in the Azores – 48 died including French boxing star Marcel Cerdan and the young concert violinist, Ginette Neveu.
• November 1 – Eastern Airlines Flight 537, a Douglas DC-4, collided with a P-38 fighter on its final approach to National Airport. All 55 people on board the DC-4 died. Among the dead were Congressman George J. Bates, New Yorker cartoonist Helen Hokinson, and former Congressman Michael J. Kennedy.

1950

• June 24 – Northwest Airlines Flight 2501 with 58 people on board disappears without a trace over Lake Michigan.
• August 31 – TWA Flight 903, a Lockheed Constellation 749A, crashed in the desert about 65 miles NNW of Cairo, Egypt, while returning due to an engine fire. All 55 on board were killed.

1951

• April 25 – Cubana de Aviacion Flight 493, a Douglas DC-4 en route from Miami, Florida to Havana, Cuba, collided in air with a United States Navy Beech SNB-1 Kansan (39939) at an altitude of 4000 feet off Key West. All 39 on board the DC-4 and all four on board the SNB-1 are killed.

• June 22 – Pan American World Airways Flight #151, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation named the "Clipper Great Republic" en route from Accra, Ghana to Monrovia, Liberia crashed at 1050 feet into a hill near Sanoyea, Liberia while on approach 54 miles from the airport. There were no survivors amongst the 31 passengers and 9 crew members.

• July 21 – A Canadian Pacific Airlines Douglas C-54A-10-DC departed Vancouver, British Columbia for Anchorage, Alaska but disappeared en route without a trace. Eventually, all 37 on board would be declared legally dead.

• December 16 – A Miami Airlines Curtiss C-46F-1-CU departed Newark, New Jersey bound for Tampa, Florida but caught fire and crashed in Elizabeth, New Jersey attempting to return to the airport. All 56 people on board died.

1952

• April 28 - Pan American World Airways Flight 202, a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, crashes in a remote area of Brazil on its way from Buenos Aires, Argentina to New York City via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The No. 2 propeller failed, causing damage to various control surfaces. All 50 on board are killed.

• May 26 – A BOAC 4-engined Handley Page Hermes IV (reg G-ALDN) aircraft with 10 passengers on board, crash-landed in the Sahara Desert, 1,300 miles off-course on a flight between Tripoli and Kano. All passengers and crew survived the initial crash landing, but the First Officer later died of injuries sustained in the crash.

1953

• May 2 – A De Havilland Comet crashed soon after take-off from Calcutta – first of a series of crashes that led to Comet 1 fleet being grounded and eventually scrapped. This may be the first known crash of a passenger jetliner.
• September 1, Air France Lockheed 749C Constellation flew into Mt. Cemet in the French Alps killing all 42 people on board including renowned French classical violinist Jacques Thibaud.
• October 29, British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines / Flight 304 a Douglas DC-6 (VH-BPE) named Resolution crashed into King’s Mountain at an altitude of 1,950 feet, 7-1/2 miles southeast of Half Moon Bay, on its approach to the San Francisco International Airport killing all 11 passengers, including American pianist William Kapell, and a crew of eight.

1954

• January 10, BOAC Flight 781, de Havilland Comet (G-ALYP) flying from Rome to London (on the last leg of a flight from Singapore), disintegrated in mid-flight, killing all 29 passengers and 6 crew. The accident was eventually discovered to have been caused by metal fatigue from repeated pressurization and depressurization of the fuselage.
• March 13, BOAC Lockheed Constellation, "Belfast", arrived at Singapore from Sydney, Australia, and crashed on landing at the Kallang Airport, killing 32 passengers and 1 crew.
• April 8, South African Airways Flight 201, de Havilland Comet (G-ALYY) flying from Rome to Cairo (eventually bound for Johannesburg), disintegrated in mid-flight, killing all 14 passengers and 7 crew. This accident, like the earlier BOAC Flight 781, was eventually discovered to have been caused by metal fatigue from repeated pressurization and depressurization of the fuselage.
• July 23, Cathay Pacific Douglas DC-4 (VR-HEU) flying from Hong Kong to Bangkok was shot at by an air force fighter from the People's Republic of China south of Hainan Island above the South China Sea. The aircraft ditched on the sea and 10 of the 18 passengers died. The survivors were rescued by a US Naval ship.
• September 5, KLM Flight 633, KLM Lockheed Super Constellation, "Triton", ditched after takeoff from Shannon Airport. 28 people were killed in the aftermath of the accident.

1955

• April 11 - Air India "Kashmir Princess" flight bombed. 16 people were killed and 3 survived.
• July 27 – El Al Constellation shot down over Bulgaria, 58 killed.
• October 6 – United Airlines Flight 409 crashes near Centennial, Wyoming, killing all 66 onboard.
• November 1 – United Airlines Flight 629 bombed by Jack Gilbert Graham. all 44 onboard were killed in the explosion.

1956

• April 2 - Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2, a Boeing Stratocruiser, ditched into Puget Sound after takeoff from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The cowl flaps were incorrectly set for takeoff. Four passengers and one flight attendant died, likely of hypothermia while waiting for rescue.

• June 30 – United Airlines Flight 718, a DC-7, flying from Los Angeles to Chicago and TWA Flight 2, a Constellation flying from Los Angeles to Kansas City collided over the Grand Canyon. The 58 passengers and crew on the DC-7, and the 70 passengers and crew on the Constellation were all killed. The pilots were flying in uncontrolled airspace; the crash was attributed to the pilots not seeing each other.

• July 9 - a Trans-Canada Airlines Vickers Viscount, CF-TGR, shed a propeller blade over Flat Rock, Michigan. The blade entered the passenger cabin, killing one. This was the first known incident in which a turbo-prop engine shed a propeller in passenger service.

1957

• February 1 – Northeast Airlines Flight 823 crashes during a snowstorm shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport.

1958

• February 6 – British European Flight 609 crashes during take-off from Munich-Riem airport, killing 23, including 8 Manchester United footballers.
• August 14 - KLM Flight 607-E en route from Brussels to New York crashes into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 99 passengers and crew on board, including 6 members of the Egyptian fencing team; the probable cause is undetermined but is thought to be an overspeeding propeller.

1959

• February 3 – American Airlines Flight 320 crashes into the East River, New York City due to pilot error.

• November 16 - National Airlines Flight 967 crashes into the Gulf of Mexico while on a flight from Tampa to New Orleans; reportedly caused by a bomb planted on the aircraft by Dr. Richard Spears.

1960

• January 6 – National Airlines Flight 2511 from New York to Miami, a propeller driven DC-6B, explodes in mid-air and crashes near Bolivia, North Carolina. The accident was caused by a bomb allegedly planted by Julian A. Frank, a New York lawyer, who was heavily insured; all thirty-four people on board are killed.
• March 17 – A Northwest Airlines Lockheed Electra lost a wing due to propeller whirl mode and crashed in southern Indiana near Tell City. All 63 on board including the crew perished. The 63 victims were impacted in a 30-foot deep crater, which became their final resting place. A monument marks the grave with the names of the victims and the date of the tragedy.
• October 4 - Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 crashed on takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport. The aircraft had struck a flock of starlings seconds after lifting off, damaging three engines, clogging the Pitot tubes, and obstructing the pilots' view. The aircraft crashed into Winthrop Bay; 62 of 72 aboard died.
• December 16 – The 1960 New York air disaster: United Airlines Flight 826, a DC-8, and TWA Flight 266, a Super Constellation, collided over Staten Island in New York. All 134 on board the two planes, and six people on the ground were killed.

1961

• January 3 - Aero DC-3, flight 311 that was being flown by a drunken pilot stalled in the woods in the village of Koivulahti (Kvevlax in Swedish) near Vaasa, Finland. All 25 on board were killed. The accident remains the worst in Finnish aviation history.
• February 15 – Sabena Flight 548, a Boeing 707 crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team. A runaway stabilizer is thought to have been the cause. The crash was the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 707 in regular passenger service.
• September 17 - Northwest Airlines Flight 706, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashed on takeoff from Chicago, Illinois, killing 37. A maintenance error caused the ailerons to become detached from the control wheels.

1962

• March 1 – American Airlines Flight 1, a Boeing 707, crashed in Jamaica Bay, Queens, New York and 95 died.
• March 4 – Caledonian Flight 153, a Douglas DC-7C, crashed into a jungle swamp at Douala, Cameroon, 111 died.
• March 16 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, chartered by the US military, disappeared over the western Pacific. It was carrying 96 US soldiers en route to South Vietnam.
• May 22 – Continental Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 707, near Unionville, Missouri.
• June 3 – Air France Charter Flight Chateau de Sully a Boeing 707 at Orly Airport killing many of Atlanta Georgia's civil and cultural leaders.
• November 23 - United Airlines Flight 297, a Vickers Viscount 745D, crashes near Ellicott City, Maryland, USA after a bird strike, killing all 17 people on board.
• November 30 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 512 crashes due to pilot error on missed approach.

1963

• February 1 - Middle East Airlines Flight 265 - Vickers Viscount and Turkish Air Force C-47 CBK28 collide in Ankara, Turkey killing 87.
• August 21 - Soviet Aeroflot's Tupolev 124 ditching in Neva river in Leningrad
• July 3 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 121, a Martin 404, crashes near Rochester, New York while attempting a takeoff killing seven of the 43 people on board.
• November 8 A Finnair DC-3 crashed near Mariehamn, Åland Islands, during poor visibility, due to a malfunctioning altimeter, killing 22 passengers and crew.
• December 8 – Pan Am Flight 214 struck by positive lightning

1964

• May 7 – Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 - After a passenger shot both the pilot and co-pilot before turning the gun on himself, crashed killing all 44 aboard.
• December 24 - Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 crashed near San Bruno, California after an unexplained course deviation.

1965

• February 8 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 forced to take evasive action on takeoff to avoid colliding with another commercial aircraft, lost control and crashed. All 84 persons on board are killed.
• March 31 – Iberia Airlines Convair CV-440-62, crashes into the sea on approach to Tangier killing 50 of 53 occupants; the crash is blamed on a stall due to 'undetermined reasons'.

1966

• August 6 – Braniff Airlines Flight 250 flies into an active squall line and the plane breaks apart in midair. Crashes near Falls City, NE. All 42 on board killed.

1967

• March 9 – TWA Flight 553 collides with a Beechcraft Baron near Dayton, Ohio killing all 26 on both planes.
• June 4 – Stockport Air Disaster, Stockport, UK. A British Midland Canadair C4 Argonaut carrying passengers returning from Palma de Mallorca was on the approach to Ringway Airport when an engine lost power due to a design failure in the aircraft's fuel system. 72 of 84 on board died.
• June 23 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 40, a BAC One-Eleven, crashes in Blossburg, Pennsylvania killing all 34 people on board.
• July 19 - Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, a Boeing 727 from Asheville, North Carolina to Roanoke, Virginia crashes shortly after departure, after colliding in midair with a twin-engine Cessna 310 on instrument approach to the same airport, killing all 82 passengers and crew on both aircraft.

1968

• March 24 – Aer Lingus Flight 712 crashes off the Irish coast.
• May 3 - Braniff Flight 352, a Lockheed L-188A Electra enroute from Houston, Texas to Dallas, crashes in a thunderstorm, killing its 5 crew and 80 passengers.
• July 1 – Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253 is forced to land in the Soviet Union. On board are over 200 American troops bound for Vietnam.
• October 25 - Northeast Airlines Flight 946 crashes near Etna, New Hampshire, killing 32 passengers and crew.

1969

• February 18 – Hawthorne Nevada Airlines Flight 708, a Douglas DC-3, crashes near Lone Pine, California, killing all 35 people on board.
• April – In the Seaboard World Airlines landing at Marble Mountain incident a Douglas DC-8 Super 63 lands at a helicopter airstrip in Vietnam
• September 9 – Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 DC-9 (N988VJ) collided in flight at 3550 feet with a Piper PA-28 and crashed near Fairland, Indiana killing all 83 occupants aboard the two aircraft.
• November 19 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 411 crashes near Glens Falls, New York killing all 14 people on board.

1970

• March 31 – Japan Airlines Flight 351 Boeing 727 Domestic JAL flight hijacked to North Korea by Red Army Faction
• February 15 – Dominicana DC-9 air disaster Contaminated fuel causes dual engine failure shortly after takeoff.
• February 21 – Swissair Flight 330 Convair CV-990 Bomb in cargo hold detonates 9 minutes after takeoff.
• May 2 - Overseas National Airways DC-9, operated by Air ALM as Flight 980, ditched nearby the Island of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, killing 23 including 2 infants and 1 crewmember; 40 including 4 crewmembers survived.
• July 3 – Dan-Air Comet jet crashed into the Montseny mountains near Barcelona, Spain, killing 112
• July 5 – Air Canada Flight 621 DC-8 exploded following a failed landing at Toronto Int'l Airport (now Pearson), with 109 fatalities.
• August 9 - LANSA Cuzco Crash - LANSA Lockheed Electra OB-R-939 crashed and burned shortly after takeoff from Cuzco, Peru, killing 99 people on the plane and 2 on the ground; among the dead were 49 American high school exchange students
• September 6 – Dawson's Field hijackings of El Al 219, Pan Am 93, SwissAir 100, TWA 74, and (on September 9) BOAC 775.
• October 2: A chartered Martin 4-0-4 twin-prop airliner, N464M, crashes just over ten miles west of Silver Plume, Colorado, killing 30 of those on board including the coach and 13 members of the Wichita State football team, en route to play Utah State. Cause was controlled flight into terrain due to poor flight planning.
• November 14 – Southern Airlines Flight 932, a chartered DC-9-31, N97S, crashed on approach at Tri-State/Milton Ferguson Airport in Huntington, West Virginia, en route from Kinston, North Carolina, killing all 75 on board, including the entire coaching staff and 37 members of the Marshall University football team.

1971

• July 30 - An All Nippon Airways Boeing 727-281 crashed after colliding with a Japan Air Force F86 fighter jet in flight. 163 killed.
• November 24 – A man using the name Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 out of Portland, Oregon. In exchange for $200,000 and four parachutes he released the passengers. The crew took off and he parachuted from the plane. He was never found although a roll of bills from his ransom was found in a riverbed many years later.
• December 24 – LANSA Flight 508, a Lockheed Electra OB-R-941 enroute from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, breaks apart in mid-air after being set aflame by lightning. It crashes in the Amazonian Rainforest and 91 people die; the sole survivor is Juliane Koepcke, a 17-year old girl who survives a fall from 2 miles and 10-day walk through the jungle before being found by hunters. Her mother, famous ornithologist Maria Koepcke, dies; director Werner Herzog had narrowly missed being on the same flight.

1972

• January 26 – JAT Yugoslav Flight 364 DC-9 Bomb exploded while enroute from Copenhagen to Zagreb. One survivor now entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for surviving the highest fall without a parachute - over 10,000 meters.
• March 3 – Mohawk Airlines Flight 405, a Fairchild FH227B twin-engine turboprop, crashes near Albany, New York while descending to land, killing 16 people on board and 1 on the ground.
• June 12 - American Airlines Flight 96, a DC-10, suffered explosive decompression when one of its cargo doors failed in flight. The crew managed an emergency landing at Detroit, Michigan, and everyone on board evacuated safely.
• June 15 - Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z Convair CV-880 Suitcase bomb in cabin exploded at 29,000 feet over Vietnam.
• June 18 – British European Airways Flight 548 (Staines air disaster)
• June 24 – Prinair Flight 191
• October 13 – Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 (The Andes flight disaster), see also Alive: The Miracle of the Andes.
• December 23 – Braathens Flight 239
• December 29 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Lockheed L-1011 Crash in the Florida Everglades. Crew distraction with faulty gear down light resulting in controlled flight into terrain. First crash of a wide-body aircraft. Salvaged aircraft parts resulted in reports of paranormal activity on craft with salvaged parts installed.

1973

• February 21 – Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114, off course Boeing 727 shot down by Israeli jets in the Sinai War Zone.
• July 11 – Varig Flight 820 Boeing 707 on board fire and crash landing near Paris, France.
• December 17 – Pan Am Flight 110 Boeing 707 attempted hijacking while at gate in Rome, Italy. Aircraft severely damaged at gate and never departed.

1974

• March 3 – Turkish Airlines Flight 981 DC-10 crashes in the Ermenonville forest near Senlis, France after the rear underfloor cargo door was incorrectly latched; 346 on board die.
• September 8 – TWA Flight 841 is destroyed by a bomb in the cargo hold; 88 on board are killed.
• September 15 – Air Vietnam Flight 706 is hijacked and crashes; 75 on board die.
• November 20 – Lufthansa Flight 540 crashes shortly after takeoff, the first ever crash involving a Boeing 747; 59 of 157 on board are killed.
• December 4 – A chartered Martinair DC-8 Series 55F hits the Seven Virgins mountain range in Maskeliya, Sri Lanka; 191 are killed.
• September 11 - Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 DC-9 crashes on approach to the Charlotte, North Carolina airport; 72 people are killed.

1975

• June 24 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 66 Boeing 727 encountered wind shear on final approach and struck approach lights at New York Kennedy.
• September 30 – Malév Flight 240 Tupolev Tu-154 was shot down near Lebanon.

1976

• January 1 - Middle East Airlines Flight 438, a Boeing 720, aircraft over Saudia Arabia when bomb exploded in the forward baggage compartment, aircraft destroyed killing 81.
• April 27 – American Airlines Flight 625, a Boeing 727, crashed on approach to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.
• September 10 – A mid-air collision occurs between a British Airways Trident and an Inex-Adria DC-9, near Zagreb, Yugoslavia killing 176.
• September 19 - A THY Boeing 727 crashed into a mountain in Turkey killing 154.
• October 6 – Cubana Flight 455, a Douglas DC-8, bombed by Anti-Castro terrorists.

1977

Tenerife disaster

• January 15 – A Skyline Sweden Vickers Viscount 838 crashes in Kälvesta, Sweden just outside Stockholm killing all 22 on board.
• March 27 – KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 collide in the Tenerife disaster, the worst accident in the history of commercial aircraft.
• April 4 - Southern Airways Flight 242 DC-9 crash-landed on a highway after dual engine failure encountered in a thunderstorm, 62 out of 85 aboard killed, 8 ground fatalities.
• April 28 - An Aviateca Convair 240 crashes near Guatemala City, Guatemala killing all 28 people on board
• May 14 - an IAS Cargo Boeing 707 crashes near Lusaka, Zambia, killing all 6 on-board.
• May 27 - an Aeroflot Ilyushin, crashes on approach in Havana. It remains the second worst accident in Cuba's history.
• September 28 – Japan Airlines Flight 472, a Douglas DC-8, is hijacked after taking off from Mumbai, India by Japanese Red Army (JRA) terrorists. The terrorists forced the plane to land in Dhaka, Bangladesh were they demanded a US$6 million and the release of nine imprisoned JRA members being held in Japan. The Japanese government complied and all of the hostages were eventually released.
• October 13 – Lufthansa Flight 181 is hijacked by four Palestinians, members of the PFLP.
• October 20- Lynyrd Skynyrd's chartered Convair 240 airliner, registered N55VM, departs from Greenville, South Carolina's Downtown Airport, runs out of fuel en route to next concert and crashes five miles north of Gillsburg, Mississippi in a swampy pine forest while trying to reach an alternate airport. They were only 48 miles short of the destination, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when they had fuel starvation. Four members of the band and crew are killed, as are both pilots. Lead singer and founder of the band, Ronnie Van Zant, dies at the crash site.
• November 19 - TAP Boeing 727 overran runway at Funchal, Madeira Islands and exploded killing 131.
• December 4 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 653 hijacked in mysterious circumstances.
• December 13 – National Jet Services Douglas DC-3 charter crashed on takeoff from Evansville, Indiana en route to Nashville International Airport (BNA), killing all 29 on board, including the entire University of Evansville basketball team.

1978

• January 1 – Air India Flight 855 crashed into the Arabian Sea due to instrument malfunction and pilot error.
• April 20 – Korean Air Flight 902 shot down by Soviet fighter planes.
• May 8 - National Airlines Flight 193 landed short on approach into Pensacola, Florida in Escambia Bay due to pilot error.
• June 26 – Air Canada Flight 189 crashed on takeoff due to tire failure.
• September 25 – Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 collided with a Cessna over San Diego.
• November 15 – Icelandair DC-8 Super 63CF ploughs into a coconut plantation in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, 184 killed, 78 survivors.
• December 28 – United Airlines Flight 173 ran out of fuel while circling in near Portland, Oregon to investigate a light indicating a problem with the landing gear. The plane crashed in a wooded area, killing 10 and injuring 24 of the 181 on board.

1979

• Feb 12 - Air Rhodesia Flight 827, a Vickers Viscount shot down by a SAM-7 missile shortly after take-off from Kariba Airport, Rhodesia, 59 killed.
• May 25 – American Airlines Flight 191, a Douglas DC-10, crashed on takeoff from O'Hare International Airport after catastrophic mechanical failure, killing all 271 on board and two on the ground; worst pre-9/11 aviation disaster in U.S. history.
• August 11 - Collision of two Aeroflot Tupolev aircraft. ATC separation error. 178 killed.
• November 26 - Pakistan International Airlines Flight 740, a Boeing 707 (AP-AWZ) crashed after fire in the cabin. All 156 on board died (145 passengers and 11 crew).
• November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901, a Douglas DC-10 hit high ground Mount Erebus, Antarctica, 257 killed. Known as the Mount Erebus disaster.

1980

• March 14 – LOT Flight 007 a Ilyushin Il-62 from New York crashed on approach to Warszawa-Okecie Airport caused by the damage from an engine disintegration.

• June 27 – Itavia Flight 870 crashed into the sea near Italy, in controversial circumstances.

• July 7 – Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154B2 crashed on takeoff from Alma-Ata, Kasakastan. All 166 passengers and crew aboard were killed.

• August 19 - Saudia Flight 163 lands at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia when a fire breaks out, killing all 301 onboard.

1981

• August 22 - Far Eastern Air Transport Boeing 737-222 broke up during flight. Severe corrosion in the fuselage structure which led to an explosive decompression and breakup at high altitude. All 110 on board were killed.

• October 6 - NLM Cityhopper Flight 431 destroyed by a tornado near Rotterdam.

• November 16 - Aeroflot Tupolev TU-154B crashed while on final approach to Norilsk after the elevator failed. 99 on board were killed.

• December 1 - Inex-Adria Aviopromet MD-80 crashed into Mt. San Pietro while approaching Campo Dell'Oro Airport in Ajaccio, Corsica killing all 173 passengers and 7 crew. It was and still is the worst accident involving an MD-80.

1982

• January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737, crashed into frozen Potomac River after take-off from Washington National Airport. Cause was improper power-settings due to incorrect instrument readings - engine de-icing heat had been inadvertantly left off.
• January 23 – World Airways Flight 30, landed long at Boston, Massachusetts, two missing presumed dead.
• April 26 - CAAC Trident 2E crashed into a mountain while on approach to Guilin, killing all 112 people on board
• June 8 - VASP Flight 168, a Boeing 727, crashed into a hillside in Brazil, killing all 137 on board
• June 23 – British Airways Flight 9, flew through cloud of volcanic dust south of Java; all engines failed. Was able to restart engines and make safe landing.
• July 9 – Pan Am Flight 759, crashed in Kenner, Louisiana shortly after takeoff.
• September 13 - Spantax Flight 995, crashed after an aborted takeoff in Málaga, Spain; this DC-10 overshot the runway, crossed a four lane highway and killed three people in vehicles, and burst into flames in a field. Fifty people died.

1983

• June 2 – Air Canada Flight 797, a DC-9, caught fire in air over Kentucky. 23 out of 41 passengers died from smoke inhalation even after the crew successfully landed the aircraft at Cincinnati, Ohio. Renown Canadian folk singer Stan Rogers died while helping other passengers evacuate the aircraft.
• July 11 – a TAME Boeing 727 scrapes a mountain peak and explodes while attempting to land at Cuenca, Ecuador. All 118 people on board died.
• July 16 – a British Airways Sikorsky S-61 helicopter crashed into the sea off the Isles of Scilly. Twenty people died, making it the worst helicopter accident in the UK for several years and sparking a review of helicopter safety. It later became known as the Sikorsky S-61 disaster.
• July 23 – Air Canada Flight 143, a Boeing 767, ran out of fuel above Manitoba due to a miscalculation. The crew successfully glided the aircraft to a safe landing at a former air force base at Gimli, Manitoba, hence the aircraft became known as the Gimli Glider.
• September 1 – Korean Air Flight 007, a Boeing 747, was shot down by Soviet fighter planes near Sakhalin island after accidentally violating Soviet airspace. All 269 people on board were killed.
• September 23 – Gulf Air Flight 771, a Boeing 737, crashed near Mina Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates after a bomb planted by the Abu Nidal Organisation detonated on board. All 117 people on board perished.
• November 8 – an Angola Airlines Boeing 737 was shot down over Huíla province, Angola by rebels. All 130 passengers and crew died.
• November 27 – Avianca Flight 11, a Boeing 747, impacted a hill while attempting to land at Madrid, Spain, due to a navigational error. Of the 192 passengers and crew aboard, 11 survived.
• December 7 – Iberia Flight 350 (a Boeing 727) collided with Aviaca Flight 134 (a DC-9) which had strayed onto its takeoff runway at Madrid, Spain during heavy fog. 51 on the 727 and all 42 aboard the DC-9 were killed.

1984

• January 10 – a Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashed into a forest near Sofia, Bulgaria during a snowstorm. All 50 people on board died.
• March 22 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501, a Boeing 737 suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure during takeoff from Calgary. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated, but the plane burned to the ground
• August 5 – a Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F-27 crashed while attempting to land at Dacca, Bangladesh. All 49 passengers and crew were killed.
• August 5 – an Aeroflot Antonov An-12 flew into a hailstorm over Nawabshah, Pakistan which damaged its engines. The plane broke up during a steep descent, killing all 24 passengers and crew.
• October 11 – Aeroflot Flight 3352, a Tupolev Tu-154, hit two cleaning vehicles on the runway while taking off from Omsk, Russia. Four crew and one passenger out of 179 survived.
• December 23 – Aeroflot Flight 3519, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashed while attempting to land at Krasnoyarsk, Russia, after an engine caught fire. All 110 people on board died.

1985

Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash site

• January 1 - Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 impacted Mount Illimani in Bolivia at 19,600 feet killing 29
• January 21 – Galaxy Airlines Flight 203, a Lockheed L-188 Electra 4-engine turboprop, crashes in Reno, Nevada while attempting to return to the airport to troubleshoot a noise, killing 70 of the 71 people on board; it is later discovered the air start door was not properly secured.
• February 19 - an Iberia Boeing 727 crashed after hitting a television antenna installed on the summit of Monte Oiz while landing in Bilbao, killing 148 people.
• February 19 - China Airlines Flight 006 encountered an engine flameout off the coast of California and plunged 30,000 feet before regaining control and landing in San Francisco.
• June 14 – TWA Flight 847, a Boeing 727, was hijacked by Lebanese militants. One passenger was murdered during the three-day ordeal.
• June 23 – Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747, was bombed by a Sikh militant. It crashed into the ocean near Ireland, killing all 329 people on board. This remains Canada's worst air disaster.
• August 2 – Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed Tristar crashed on approach to Dallas-Fort Worth airport due to wind shear from a sudden thunderstorm. Of the 163 passengers and crew aboard, 29 survived.
• August 12 – Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, crashed into Mount Osutaka after catastrophic failure of the tailplane severed all hydraulic lines and rendered the aircraft uncontrollable. 520 people were killed. To date, it is the worst single-aircraft disaster in history.
• August 22 – British Airtours Flight 28M, a Boeing 737, aborted its takeoff from Manchester, England due to an engine fire. While 63 passengers and crew escaped alive, 53 were killed, most from smoke inhalation.
• September 4 – Ariana Afghan Airlines Antonov An-26 shot down by terrorists near Kandahar, killing all 47 passengers and 5 crew.
• September 6 – Midwest Express Airlines Flight 105, a DC-9 crashed after takeoff from Milwaukee due to engine failure and pilot error. All 31 people on board were killed.
• November 23 – EgyptAir Flight 648, a Boeing 737 was hijacked by Palestinian militants. It was stormed on Malta by Egyptian special forces. The incident killed 58 out of 90 passengers, and all but one of the hijackers.
• December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a DC-8 crashed after takeoff in Newfoundland due to unknown causes. All 256 passengers and crew died, making it the worst air disaster in Canada to date.

1986

• March 31 – Mexicana Flight 940, a Boeing 727 crashed into high ground near Maravatio, Mexico.
• April 2 – TWA Flight 840, a Boeing 727 was bombed by Palestinian militants, killing four passengers. The plane managed to land safely in Athens.
• August 31 – Aeromexico Flight 498, a DC-9, collided with a Piper Cherokee light aircraft over Los Angeles. 82 people died, including 15 on the ground.
• September 5 – Pan Am Flight 73, a Boeing 747, was hijacked on the ground at Karachi Airport, Pakistan by Palestinian militants. About twenty passengers and crew died during a shootout inside the plane.
• December 25 – Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737, was hijacked by Hezbollah militants en route to Amman, Jordan. An on board shootout with security forces caused the plane to crash, killing 63 of the 106 people on board.

1987

• January 3 – Varig Flight 797, a Boeing 707, crashed into the jungle near Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire due to an engine fire. 51 people died.
• May 9 – LOT Flight 5055, an Ilyushin Il-62, crashed near Warsaw, Poland, after an engine fire. All 183 people on board died.
• August 16 – Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, 25 miles west of Detroit due to pilot error. 154 died, one person (a four year old girl) survived.
• August 31 – Thai Airways Flight 365, a Boeing 737, crashed into the ocean off the coast of Thailand due to pilot error. All 83 passengers and crew perished.
• November 28 – South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747 crashed into the Indian Ocean after a fire in the cargo hold. All 159 aboard died.
• November 29 – Korean Air Flight 858, a Boeing 707, crashed into the Andaman Sea after a bomb exploded on board. All 115 people on board were killed.
• December 7 – Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771, a BAe 146 was hijacked and deliberately crashed near Cayucos, California by a disgruntled airline employee. All 43 people on board, including the hijacker, were killed.

1988

The damage on Aloha Airlines Flight 243.

• March 17 – Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727, crashed into terrain near Cúcuta, Colombia after takeoff due to pilot error. All 142 people on board died.
• April 28 – Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737 suffered explosive decompression inflight, but landed safely. One stewardess was blown out of the plane and killed, several passengers were injured.
• July 3 – Iran Air Flight 655, an Airbus A300 was controversially shot down over Iranian waters by the missile cruiser USS Vincennes near Dubai. All 290 people on board were killed.
• August 31 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1141, a Boeing 727, crashed on takeoff from Dallas due to pilot error, killing ten passengers and two crew members.
• September 9th - Vietnam Airln Tu-134 crashed near Don Muang, 76 passengers were killed. However ,14 have survived
• December 21 – Pan Am Flight 103, a Boeing 747, crashed near Lockerbie, Scotland after a terrorist bomb exploded on board. All 259 people on board, plus 11 on the ground, were killed. The incident became known as the Lockerbie air disaster.

1989

• January 8 – British Midlands Flight 92, a Boeing 737 crashed near Leicester after one of its engines lost a turbine blade and failed. Of the 118 passengers and 8 crew, 79 survived. The incident became known as the Kegworth air disaster.

The damage on United Airlines flight 811

• February 24 – United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747, suffered an explosive decompression shortly after takeoff from Honolulu, Hawaii, caused by a cargo door which burst open during flight. Nine passengers were sucked out of the plane, but the pilots managed to land safely at Honolulu.
• March 10 – Air Ontario Flight 1363, a Fokker F-28, crashed immediately after takeoff from Dryden, Ontario due to icing on the wings. 24 people were killed.
• June 7 – Surinam Airways Flight PY764, a DC-8, crashed while attempting to land in heavy fog at Paramaribo, Suriname. The plane hit trees and flipped upside down, killing 176 people.
• July 19 – United Airlines Flight 232, a Douglas DC-10, suffered a complete hydraulics failure over Iowa. Despite the crew's attempts to control the aircraft using only the throttle, it crashed on the runway of Sioux City, Iowa, killing 111 of the 296 people on board.
• September 3 – Varig Flight 254, a Boeing 737, ran out of fuel due to incorrect navigation and crashed in the Brazilian jungle, killing 12 of the 48 passengers on board.
• September 8 – Partnair Flight 394, a Convair 580, crashed into the North Sea after its tail section fell off in midair. All 55 people on board perished.
• September 19 – UTA Flight 772, a DC-10, exploded in mid-air over the Sahara desert when a bomb hidden in its forward cargo hold exploded. All 170 people on board were killed. Responsibility for the bombing was later traced back to Abdullah Sanussi, the brother-in-law of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, whose government in 2003 agreed to pay compensation to the victims.
• November 27 – Avianca Flight 203, a Boeing 727, exploded in mid-air over Colombia, killing 107 people on board as well as several on the ground. The Medellín Cartel claimed responsibility for the attack.

1990

• January 25 – Avianca Flight 52, a Boeing 707, ran out of fuel and crashed while attempting to land at New York. Of the 158 people on board, 85 survived.
• June 10 – British Airways Flight 5390, a BAC One-Eleven, suffered explosive decompression over Didcot, Oxfordshire, England when one of the front windscreen panes blew out, blowing the pilot partially out of the cockpit. The co-pilot managed to land the aircraft safely at Southampton Airport.
• August 2 – British Airways Flight 149, a Boeing 747, was captured and later destroyed by Iraqi soldiers in the opening stages of the invasion of Kuwait. There were no documented fatalities.

1991

• February 1 – USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737, hit a Fairchild Metro commuter plane waiting to take off from the same runway the Boeing plane was landing on (at Los Angeles). 34 people, including all the Metro and 22 of the USAir passengers were killed.
• March 3 – United Airlines Flight 585, a Boeing 737, crashed while attempting to land at Colorado Springs, Colorado, killing all 25 people on board. The cause was never clearly identified, although problems with the 737's control system were suspected.
• March 26 – Singapore Airlines Flight 117 was hijacked by Pakistani militants en route to Singapore, where, upon landing, it was stormed by Singapore Special Operations forces. All the hijackers were killed in the operation, with no fatalities amongst the passengers and crew.
• May 26 – Lauda Air Flight 004, a Boeing 767, disintegrated in mid-air over Uthai Thani Province, Thailand, killing all 223 people on board. It was later found that a thrust reverser had accidentally deployed in flight, causing the disaster.
• July 11 - A Nationair DC-8-61 chartered by Nigeria Airways to transport Nigerian pilgrims to Mecca caught fire and crashed shortly after takeoff from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 on board. Underinflated tires burst and caught fire during the takeoff roll, and were subsequently retracted into the fuselage. Here the fire spread, leading to a progressive failure of the aircraft systems and its structure before the aircraft could return to the airport for an emergency landing.
• September 11 - Continental Express Flight 2574 crashed on descent in Eagle Lake, Texas, September 11, 1991, killing all 14 people on board. Maintenance crews switched during repairs to the horizontal stabilizer, leaving 47 bolts missing. Reformers pointed to this error and called for development of a "safety culture."
• December 27 – Both engines of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751, a MD-81, failed shortly after takeoff from Stockholm, Sweden. The pilots successfully made an emergency landing in a nearby field, injuring 25 passengers but not incurring a single fatality.

1992

• March 22 – USAir Flight 405, a Fokker F-28 crashed on takeoff from New York due to ice buildup. 27 of the 51 people on board were killed.
• July 31 – A Thai Airways Airbus A310 crashed 22.5 miles (36 km) from Kathmandu, Nepal. All 14 crew and 99 passengers were killed.
• September 28 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268, an Airbus A300 crashed near Kathmandu, Nepal, killing all 12 crew and 155 passengers.
• October 4 – El Al Flight 1862 (a Boeing 747 cargo) crashed into high-rise apartment buildings in Amsterdam when two of its engines detached from the wing. 43 people, including the plane's crew of 3, were killed. The incident became known as the Bijlmerramp (Bijlmer disaster).
• December 21 – Martinair MP 495 crashed in Faro, Portugal killing 54 people and injuring 106.

1993

• September 21 – Transair Georgian Airline Crash (21 September) - An airliner was hit on approach to Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport by a surface-to-air missile. The plane crashed into the Black Sea, killing all five crew members and 22 passengers.
• September 22 – Transair Georgian Airline Crash (22 September) - Another plane, carrying refugees from the besieged city, was shot down on take-off from the airport. The plane crashed on the runway, killing 106 of the 132 people on board.
• 4 November A China Airlines Boeing 747-409 overran the Kai Tak Airport runway 13 while landing during a typhoon. The wind was gusting to gale force at the time. Despite the plane's unstable approach the captain did not go around. It touched down more than 2/3 down the runway and was unable to stop before the runway ran out.

1994

• March 23 - Aeroflot Flight 593, an Airbus A310, crashed into a wooded hillside in Siberia. All 75 passengers and crew were killed.
• April 26 – China Airlines Flight 140, an Airbus A300, crashed while landing at Nagoya, Japan due to pilot error. 264 people of the 271 on board died.
• July 2 – USAir Flight 1016, a DC-9, crashed while attempting to land at Charlotte, North Carolina during a thunderstorm. 37 of the 51 people on board were killed.
• July 19 – Alas Chiricanas Flight 00901, an Embraer EMB-110, exploded in mid-air over Panama, killing all 21 people on board. Investigators concluded that a suicide bomber had caused the plane to explode, although motives and affiliation of the bomber remain unclear.
• September 8 – USAir Flight 427, a Boeing 737, crashed while attempting to land at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing all 133 people on board. Investigations showed a fault in the aircraft's rudder was to blame for the crash.

The remains of American Eagle Flight 4184

• October 31 – American Eagle Flight 4184, an ATR 72, crashed while waiting to land at Chicago, Illinois, due to ice buildup on its wings. All 68 people on board died.
• December 11 – a bomb exploded on board Philippine Airlines Flight 434, a Boeing 747, killing one passenger. The crew succeeded in making an emergency landing at Naha, Okinawa.
• December 24 – Air France Flight 8969, an Airbus A300 was hijacked on the tarmac at Algiers, Algeria by the militant group GIA. After a two-day standoff, the plane was allowed to fly to Marseille, France, where it was stormed by French commandos.

1995

• January 11 – Intercontinental de Aviación Flight 256, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, bursts into flame and crashes while descending to land at Cartagena, Colombia. Of the 52 people on board, 51 were killed.
• March 31 – Tarom Flight 371, an Airbus A310, crashes near Baloteşti, Romania killing all 60 on board.
• June 5 – Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 crashes during a landing approach and crashes near Tararua Range, New Zealand killng four of the 21 people on board.
• June 8 – ValuJet Flight 597, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, experiences an engine failure upon taking off from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. Of the 62 people on board, seven were injured.
• August 9 – Aviateca Flight 901, a Boeing 737, crashes into Mt. Chichontepec, El Salvador during a thunderstorm killing all 65 people on board.
• August 21 – Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia, crashes in a field near Carrollton, Georgia in the United States. Of the 29 people on board, ten were killed.
• September 9 – A SATENA CASA C.212 Aviocar crashes during an attempted landing near La Macarena, Colombia killing 21 of the 22 people on board.
• September 15 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133, a Fokker F50 overruns the runway in Tawau, Malaysia killing 34 of the 53 people on board.
• September 21 – An MIAT Mongolian Airlines Antonov An-24 crashes into a mountain near Mörön, Mongolia killing 42 of the 43 people on board.
• November 13 – Nigeria Airways Flight 357, a Boeing 737, veers off the runway and catches fire in Kaduna, Nigeria. Of the 137 people on board, nine are killed.
• December 3 – Cameroon Airlines Flight 3701, a Boeing 737, crashes during an attempted landing near Douala, Cameroon killing 72 of the 78 on board.
• December 5 – An Azerbaijan Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashes shortly after takeoff while attempting to make an emergency landing near Nakhichevan City, Azerbaijan killing 54 of the 82 people on board.
• December 7 – Dalavia Far East Airways Flight 3949, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes a mountain near Grossevichi, Russia killing all 98 people on board.
• December 7 – An Air Saint Martin Beech 1900D crashes in Port-au-Prince, Haiti while descending to land, killing all 20 people on board.
• December 13 – A Romavia Flight 166, an Antonov An-24 crashes shortly after taking off from Verona, Italy killing all 50 people on board.
• December 18 – A Trans Service Airlift Lockheed L-188 Electra crashes after taking off from Jamba, Angola, due to overloading. Of the 144 people on board, 141 were killed.
• December 20 – American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757, crashes into a mountain while approaching Santiago de Cali, Colombia. Of the 164 people on board, only 4 people and a dog survived.

1996

• January 8 - An African Air Antonov An-32 crashed into a busy street market after failing to take off in Kinshasa, Zaire. Of the six people on board, two were killed as well as 225-350 people on the ground.
• February 6 – Birgenair Flight 301, a Boeing 757 with 189 people on board crashes into the ocean off Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic shortly after taking off. All of the passengers and crew members on board were killed.
• February 29 – Compañia de Aviación Faucett Flight 251, a Boeing 737, crashes into a hill while attempting to land at Arequipa, Peru. All 123 people on board died.
• April 5 – A Krasnoyarskie Avialinii Ilyushin Il-76 near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia due to fuel starvation killing all 20 people on board.
• May 3 – A Federal Airlines Antonov An-24 crashes near Haj Yousif, Sudan during a sand storm killing all 53 people on board.
• May 11 – ValuJet Airlines Flight 592, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed near Miami, Florida, due to a fire in its cargo hold. All 110 people on board were killed.
• June 13 – Garuda Indonesia Flight 865, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10, over runs the run way during a takeoff attempt in Fukuoka, Japan killing three of the 275 people on board.
• July 6 – Delta Air Lines Flight 1288, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, experiences an engine failure during takeoff at Pensacola, Florida. The left engine sustained an uncontained failure, causing pieces of the engine to penetrate the cabin, killing 2 of the 142 people on board.
• July 17 – TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747, explodes in mid-air above the ocean off East Moriches, New York, killing all 230 people on board.
• August 29 – Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801, a Tupolev Tu-154 crashes into a mountain on Spitsbergen, an island in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, killing all 141 on board.
• September 25 –
• October 2 – Aeroperu Flight 603, a Boeing 757, crashes into the ocean off Pasamayo, Peru, due to a maintenance error. All 70 people on board were killed.
• October 31 – TAM Linhas Aéreas Flight 402, a Fokker F100, crashes into a residential area in São Paulo, Brazil shortly after takeoff, killing all 95 people on board as well as three people on the ground.
• November 12 – Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763, a Boeing 747, collided in mid-air with a Air Kazakhstan Ilyushin Il-76 cargo jet near Charkhidadri, India killing all 312 on board the Boeing 747 and all 37 on board the Ilyushin Il-76.
• November 23 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, a Boeing 767, is hijacked over Kenya. The aircraft ran out of fuel, and the pilot attempted to ditch the aircraft in the ocean off Moroni, Comoros. Of the 175 people on board, 123 were killed.

1997

• January 9 – Comair Flight 3272, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia crashes near Ida, Michigan in Monroe County during a snowstorm killing all 29 on board.
• February 1 – An Air Senegal Avro 748 crashes shortly after takeoff in Tambacoumba, Senegal killing 25 of the 52 on board.
• March 18 – A Stavropol Airlines Antonov An-24 crashes near Cherkessk, Russia killing all 50 on board.
• May 8 – A China Southern Airlines Boeing 737 made a hard landing at Huangtian, China during poor weather and crashed. Of the 74 on board 35 were killed.
• June 6 – A Bazair Vickers Viscount crashes near Irumu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a cabin fire. All 27 on board died.
• July 11 – A Cubana de Aviación Antonov An-24 crashes into the ocean shortly after taking off from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba killing all 44 on board.
• July 17 – A Sempati Air Fokker F27 crashes in Bandung, Indonesia while attempting an emergency landing after an engine fire. Of the 50 people on board, 30 died.
• August 6 – Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747, crashes during while attempting to land in heavy rain in Hagåtña, Guam. Of the 254 people on board, 228 died.
• September 3 – A Vietnam Airlines Tupolev Tu-134 crashes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia while attempting to land in heavy rain. Of the 66 passengers and crew members only one survived.
• September 12 – A TMK Air Commuter de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter flies into a hill near Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo killing all 22 on board.
• September 26 – Garuda Indonesia flight 152, an Airbus A300, crashes into a mountain near Buah Nabar Indonesia killing all 234 on board
• October 10 – Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 2553, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashes in Nuevo Berlín, near Fray Bentos, Uruguay, killing all 74 on board.
• December 9 – A Tajikistan Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crashes while attempting to land in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates killing 85 of the 86 people on board.
• December 17 – An Aerosweet Airlines Yakovlev Yak-42 crashes into Mount Olympus near Fotina, Greece killing all 70 people on board.
• December 19 – SilkAir Flight 185, a Boeing 737, abruptly crashed into the Musi River near Palembang, Indonesia killing all 102 people on board.
• December 28 – A