Controlled flight into terrain - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) describes an accident in which an airworthy aircraft

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

, under pilot

Aviator

An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...

control, is unintentionally flown into the ground, a mountain, water, or an obstacle. The term was coined by engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

s at Boeing

Boeing

The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

in the late 1970s. The pilots are generally unaware of the danger until it is too late.

According to Boeing, CFIT is a leading cause of airplane accidents involving the loss of life, causing over 9,000 deaths since the beginning of the commercial jet age. CFIT was identified as a cause of 25% of USAF Class A Mishaps between 1993 and 2002.

Causes

While there are many reasons why a plane might crash into terrain, including bad weather and navigation equipment problems, it is claimed that pilot error is the single biggest factor leading to a CFIT incident.

Even highly experienced professionals may commit CFIT due to fatigue, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation. CFIT is considered a form of spatial disorientation, where the pilot(s) do not correctly perceive their position and orientation with respect to the Earth's surface.

The incidents often involve a collision with terrain such as hills or mountains, and may occur in conditions of clouds or otherwise reduced visibility. CFIT often occurs during aircraft descent to landing, near an airport. CFIT may be associated with subtle equipment malfunctions. If the malfunction occurs in a piece of navigational equipment and it is not detected by the crew, it may mislead the crew into improperly guiding the aircraft despite other information received from all properly functioning equipment, or despite clear sky visibility that should have allowed the crew to easily notice ground proximity (compare tunnel vision

Tunnel vision

Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision.- Medical / biological causes :Tunnel vision can be caused by:...

).

Some pilots, convinced that advanced electronic navigation systems coupled with flight management system

Flight management system

A flight management system is a fundamental part of a modern airliner's avionics. An FMS is a specialized computer system that automates a wide variety of in-flight tasks, reducing the workload on the flight crew to the point that modern aircraft no longer carry flight engineers or navigators. A...

computers, or over-reliance on them, are partially responsible for these accidents, have called CFIT accidents "computerized flight into terrain".

Solutions

Traditionally adequate procedures

Procedure (term)

A procedure is a sequence of actions or operations which have to be executed in the same manner in order to always obtain the same result under the same circumstances ....

and crew coordination and communication (CRM

Crew Resource Management

Crew resource management or Cockpit resource management is a procedure and training system in systems where human error can have devastating effects. Used primarily for improving air safety, CRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit...

) as well as control or surveillance by air traffic services

Air traffic control

Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...

may reduce the likelihood of CFIT.
In order to prevent the occurrence of CFIT accidents, manufacturers and safety regulators developed terrain awareness and warning system

Terrain awareness and warning system

A terrain awareness and warning system aims to prevent "Controlled Flight Into Terrain" accidents. The actual systems in current use are known as ground proximity warning system and enhanced GPWS. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration developed the TAWS term to encompass all current and...

s (TAWS). The first generation of these TAWS systems is known as a ground proximity warning system

Ground Proximity Warning System

A ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...

(GPWS), which uses a radar altimeter

Radar altimeter

A radar altimeter, radio altimeter, low range radio altimeter or simply RA measures altitude above the terrain presently beneath an aircraft or spacecraft...

to assist in calculating terrain closure rates. This system has now been further improved with the addition of a GPS

Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...

terrain database and is known as an enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS). This and the older system have mandatory pilot procedures and actions following any caution or warning event.
Smaller aircraft often use a GPS database of terrain to provide terrain warning. The GPS database contains a database of nearby terrain and will present terrain that is near the aircraft in red or yellow depending on its distance from the aircraft.

Statistics show that aircraft fitted with a second-generation EGPWS have not suffered a CFIT accident if TAWS or EGPWS are properly handled (there are at least three CFIT accidents of planes with EGPWS/TAWS: Garuda Indonesia Flight 200

Garuda Indonesia Flight 200

Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 was the scheduled domestic passenger flight of a Boeing 737-497 operated by Garuda Indonesia between Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The aircraft crashed and burst into flames while landing at Adisucipto International Airport on March 7, 2007...

, 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash

2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash

The 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on 10 April 2010, when a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish Air Force crashed near the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board...

, Mirosławiec air accident). As of 2007, 5% of the world's commercial airlines still lack a TAWS, leading to a prediction of two CFIT accidents in 2009.
The U.S. FAA has also conducted a study about civilizing 3D military thrust vectoring to recover jet liners from catastrophes.

Notable accidents

Many notable accidents have been ascribed to CFIT.

Flight	Date	Comments
TWA Flight 3 TWA Flight 3 TWA Flight 3 was a twin-engine Douglas DC-3-382 propliner, registration NC1946, operated by Transcontinental and Western Air as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from New York, New York, to Burbank, California, via Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Louis, Missouri; Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las...	January 16, 1942	Hollywood movie star Carole Lombard Carole Lombard Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s... was one of the victims.
Star Dust airliner	August 2, 1947	Due to a misjudgment of position, the flight crew appear to have believed that the aircraft was approaching the airport of Santiago, when in fact it was still above Tupungato Tupungato Tupungato, one of the highest mountains in South America, is a massive stratovolcano dating to Pleistocene times. It lies on the border between the Chilean Metropolitan Region and the , near a major international highway about 80 km east of Santiago, Chile. It is located about south of Monte... mountain in the Andes. The plane vanished shortly after its last transmission estimating the time of its arrival at Santiago. Its wreckage was discovered fifty years later.
Superga air disaster Superga air disaster The Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...	May 4, 1949	The entire Torino A.C. Torino F.C. Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football.... football team was killed in a collision with the hill of Superga Superga Superga is a hill situated on the south bank of the Po River to the east of Turin in north-west Italy. At 672 metres above sea level, it is one of the most prominent of the hills which form an amphitheatre around the city.... , near Turin.
Pan Am Flight 151 Pan Am Flight 151 On June 22, 1951, Pan Am Flight 151, flown by the Lockheed L-049 Constellation propliner Clipper Great Republic crashed into a West African hill at an elevation of near the village of SanoyieThe village is spelled "Sanoye" in the official CAB accident report, but four spelling variations are...	June 21, 1951
British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Flight 304 BCPA Flight 304 British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines Flight 304/44 was a Douglas DC-6 named Resolution and registered VH-BPE, on a flight from Sydney, Australia, to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada, with scheduled stops at Nadi , Canton Island, Honolulu and San Francisco...	October 29, 1953	American pianist William Kapell William Kapell William Kapell was an outstanding American pianist who was killed in the crash of a commercial airliner.-Biography:... was one of the victims.
Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 was a Canadair North Star on a scheduled flight from Vancouver to Calgary . The plane crashed into Mount Slesse near Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, on 9 December 1956 after encountering severe icing and turbulence over the mountains...	December 9, 1956
Northeast Airlines Flight 823 Northeast Airlines Flight 823 Northeast Airlines Flight 823 was a scheduled flight departing from New York City's LaGuardia Airport en route to Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida on February 1, 1957, but crashed shortly after takeoff...	February 1, 1957
1958 Bristol Britannia 312 crash	December 24, 1958
American Airlines Flight 320 American Airlines Flight 320 American Airlines Flight 320, registration N6101A, was a Lockheed L-188A Electra en route from Chicago Midway International Airport to New York City's LaGuardia Airport on February 3, 1959. It crashed into the East River on approach; 65 of the 73 on board died. It was the first crash for the...	February 3, 1959
The Day the Music Died The Day the Music Died On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...	February 3, 1959	Musicians Buddy Holly Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll... , Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist.... , and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson The Big Bopper Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star... killed, along with the pilot.
TAA Fokker Friendship disaster TAA Fokker Friendship disaster The crash of Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538, also known as the TAA Fokker Friendship disaster, was the second largest loss of life in an Australian aircraft accident, with 29 deaths. It occurred on 10 June 1960 at Mackay, Queensland, Australia...	June 10, 1960
Alitalia Flight 771 Alitalia Flight 771 Alitalia Flight 771 was a multi-leg Douglas DC-8-43 international scheduled flight from Sydney via Darwin, Bangkok, Bombay, Karachi and Tehran to Rome with 94 on board...	July 7, 1962
United Airlines Flight 389 United Airlines Flight 389 United Airlines Flight 389 was a scheduled flight from LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York, to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. On August 16, 1965, at approximately 21:21 EST, the Boeing 727 crashed into Lake Michigan east of Fort Sheridan, near Lake Forest, while descending...	August 16, 1965
American Airlines Flight 383 American Airlines Flight 383 American Airlines Flight 383 was a nonstop flight from New York to Cincinnati on November 8, 1965. The aircraft was a Boeing 727-123 aircraft with 62 people on board. The aircraft crashed on approach to the Greater Cincinnati Airport...	November 8, 1965
Iberia Airlines Flight 062 Iberia Airlines Flight 062 Iberia Airlines Flight 062 was a twin-engined Sud Aviation Caravelle registered EC-BDD operating a scheduled flight from Malaga Airport, Spain, to London Heathrow Airport...	November 4, 1967	British film and television actress June Thorburn June Thorburn June Thorburn was a popular English actress whose career was cut short by her death in an air crash.-Early life:Thorburn was born in Karachi when the city was still in a non-independent India... was one of the victims.
TWA Flight 128 TWA Flight 128 TWA Flight 128 was a domestic U.S. Flight en route from Los Angeles, CA to Boston, MA with scheduled stops at Cincinnati, OH and Pittsburgh, PA. The flight had been cleared for an ILS approach to Runway 18, and had cleared the outer marker...	November 20, 1967
South African Airways Flight 228 South African Airways Flight 228 South African Airways Flight 228 was a scheduled flight from Jan Smuts International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa to London Heathrow International Airport that flew into the ground soon after take-off after a scheduled stopover in Windhoek, South West Africa . Five passengers survived...	April 20, 1968	Incorrect flap retraction sequence after take-off; problems reading a drum-type altimeter
Southern Airways Flight 932	November 14, 1970	Crashed near Huntington, West Virginia Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at... , killing all 75 on board, including 37 members of the Marshall University Marshall University Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.... Thundering Herd football team. The crash was the subject of the 2006 feature film, We Are Marshall We Are Marshall We Are Marshall is a 2006 American drama film directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that killed 37 football players on the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team as well as five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters and... .
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, also known as the Andes flight disaster, and in South America as Miracle in the Andes was a chartered flight carrying 45 people, including a rugby team, their friends, family and associates that crashed in the Andes on October 13, 1972...	October 13, 1972	Known less formally as the Andes flight disaster, October 13, 1972 to December 23, 1972, during which stranded snow-bound survivors resorted to cannibalism Cannibalism Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy... . The incident became the subject of feature films Alive (1993 film) Alive is a 1993 American movie based upon Piers Paul Read's 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, which details the story of a Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972.The film was... and best-selling books Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors is a 1974 book by the British writer Piers Paul Read documenting the events of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.-Story:... .
Braathens SAFE Flight 239	December 23, 1972
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 1 jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades on the night of December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities...	December 29, 1972	The cockpit crew became fixated on a faulty landing gear light and had failed to realize that the autopilot Autopilot An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles... had been switched off. The distracted crew did not recognize the plane's slow descent and the otherwise completely airworthy aircraft struck swampy ground in the Everglades Everglades The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee... , killing 101 out of 176 passengers and crew. This accident became the subject of books and made-for-television movies.
Delta Air Lines Flight 723 Delta Air Lines Flight 723 Delta Air Lines Flight 723 was a DC-9-31 twin-engine jetliner, registration N975NE, operating as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Burlington, Vermont to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, with an intermediate stop in Manchester, New Hampshire...	July 31, 1973
TWA Flight 514 TWA Flight 514 TWA Flight 514, registration N54328, was a Boeing 727-231 en route from Indianapolis, Indiana, and Columbus, Ohio, to Washington Dulles International that crashed into Mount Weather, Virginia, on December 1, 1974. All 85 passengers and 7 crew members were killed.The flight was originally destined...	Dec 1, 1974
Air New Zealand Flight 901 Air New Zealand Flight 901 Air New Zealand Flight 901 was a scheduled Air New Zealand Antarctic sightseeing flight that operated between 1977 and 1979, from Auckland Airport to Antarctica and return via Christchurch...	November 28, 1979	Crashed into Mount Erebus Mount Erebus Mount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost historically active volcano on Earth, the second highest volcano in Antarctica , and the 6th highest ultra mountain on an island. With a summit elevation of , it is located on Ross Island, which is also home to three inactive volcanoes, notably Mount... , Antarctica on November 28, 1979. There is still disagreement over the exact causes of the crash, but it is commonly accepted that a changing of preprogrammed coordinates, the pilots' loss of situational awareness and whiteout Whiteout (weather) Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand. The horizon disappears completely and there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation... conditions at the time were contributory factors leading to the crash. All 257 people on the plane were killed.
Dan-Air Flight 1008 Dan-Air Flight 1008 Dan-Air Flight 1008 was a Boeing 727-46 that crashed on the 25 April 1980 while on approach to Tenerife North Airport, Canary Islands, Spain, at the end of a charter flight from Manchester. The aircraft flew into high terrain when it turned the wrong way in a holding pattern. The aircraft was...	April 25, 1980	Crashed into high terrain in Tenerife Tenerife Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the... after turning the wrong way in a holding pattern. All 146 people aboard were killed.
Mt. San Pietro disaster	December 1, 1981	Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308, flying from Ljubljana, Slovenia, to Ajaccio, Corsica, crashed into mountains shortly before it was scheduled to land. All 180 people on board were killed.
Avianca Flight 011 Avianca Flight 011 Avianca Flight 011, registration HK-2910 , was a Boeing 747-283B on an international scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt via Paris, Madrid, and Caracas to Bogotá....	November 27, 1983
Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 On January 1, 1985, Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 struck Mount Illimani at an altitude of . The flight took off from Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción, Paraguay and was destined for El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia...	January 1, 1985	Struck Mount Illimani in Bolivia at an altitude of 19,600 feet. The flight took off from Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Asunción, Paraguay, and intended to reach El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia. All 19 passengers and 10 crew were killed on impact.
1986 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash	October 19, 1986	Mozambican Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest... president Samora Machel Samora Machel Samora Moisés Machel was a Mozambican military commander, revolutionary socialist leader and eventual President of Mozambique... and 33 others were killed.
Avianca Flight 410 Avianca Flight 410 Avianca Flight 410 was a flight that crashed at 13:17 on March 17, 1988, near Cúcuta, Colombia. The aircraft was a Boeing 727-21 operated by Avianca, the national airline of Colombia. Flight 410 was a regular scheduled domestic passenger flight from Cúcuta-Camilo Daza International Airport to...	March 17, 1988
Indian Airlines Flight 113 Indian Airlines Flight 113 Indian Airlines Flight 113 was a flight operating from Mumbai to Ahmedabad that crashed on its final approach to Ahmedabad airport on 19 October 1988, killing 130 people . The plane's pilots, Captain Deepak Nagpal and Commander Dallaya both perished in the crash...	October 19, 1988	The aircraft hit an electric mast in Ahmedabad, India, five miles (eight km) out on approach in poor visibility. All six crew members and 124 of 129 passengers were killed.
Independent Air Flight 1851 Independent Air Flight 1851 In 1989, Independent Air Flight 1851, a Boeing 707-331B on an American charter flight from Bergamo, Italy to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, struck Pico Alto on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores for a scheduled stopover...	February 8, 1989
Flying Tiger Line Flight 66 Flying Tiger Line Flight 66 On February 19, 1989, a Boeing 747-249F operating as Flying Tiger Flight 66 was flying an international cargo flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...	February 19, 1989	The aircraft was on an international cargo flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and crashed shortly before landing. The crew descended below approach altitude and crashed into a hill. All four crew members were killed.
Surinam Airways Flight PY764 Surinam Airways Flight PY764 Surinam Airways Flight 764 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport in Suriname on a Surinam Airways DC-8...	June 7, 1989
Indian Airlines Flight 605 Indian Airlines Flight 605 Flight 605 was a flight on 14 February 1990 that crashed on its final approach to Bangalore airport, killing 92 people.The flight, IC-605, took off from Mumbai at 11:58 for a flight to Bangalore. At 12:25 Bangalore approach was contacted and prevailing weather at Bangalore was passed on to the crew...	February 14, 1990	Crashed short of the runway during final approach to Bangalore Bangalore Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and... , killing 92 on board.
Air Inter Flight 148 Air Inter Flight 148 Air Inter Flight 148 was a scheduled airline flight on 20 January 1992 that crashed in the Vosges Mountains, near Mont Sainte-Odile, while circling to land at Strasbourg Airport. 87 of the 96 onboard were killed....	January 20, 1992	Crashed into Mt. Ste. Odile in the Vosges Mountains Vosges mountains For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne... whilst on approach into Strasbourg Strasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... Entzheim Airport.
Thai Airways International Flight 311 Thai Airways International Flight 311 Thai Airways International Flight 311 was a flight from Bangkok, Thailand's Don Mueang International Airport to Kathmandu, Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport. On 31 July 1992, an A310-304 on the route, registration HS-TID, crashed on approach to Tribhuvan. All 113 on board were killed.Flight...	July 31, 1992	Crashed on approach to Kathmandu. All 111 people on board were killed, 59 days before the PIA Flight 268 PIA Flight 268 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 was an Airbus A300B4-203, registration AP-BCP, which crashed on approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on 28 September 1992. All 167 on board were killed.... accident at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport Tribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international... (see next item),
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 PIA Flight 268 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 268 was an Airbus A300B4-203, registration AP-BCP, which crashed on approach to Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on 28 September 1992. All 167 on board were killed....	September 28, 1992	Crashed on approach to Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport Tribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international... . The approach to Kathmandu is difficult, as the airport is located in an oval-shaped valley surrounded by mountains. Flight 268 was approximately 900 feet below the designated approach path and crashed into a steep cloud-covered hillside. All 167 people on the plane were killed.
SAM Colombia Flight 505 SAM Colombia Flight 505 SAM Colombia Flight 501 was a SAM Colombia Boeing 727-46 that crashed on the 19th of May 1993 killing all 132 onboard, including several Panamanian dentists on their way to a convention. The crew reported over the Abejorral NDB beacon at FL160, approaching Medellín. The flight was then cleared to...	May 19, 1993	Crashed near Mt. Panamo Frontino, killing the 132 people on board the Boeing 727 Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
Asiana Airlines Flight 733 Asiana Airlines Flight 733 Asiana Air Flight 733 was an Asiana Airlines passenger flight between Seoul, South Korea and Mokpo that crashed into Mt. Ungeo at 800 feet on July 26, 1993...	July 26, 1993	While approaching in bad weather, a Boeing 737 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... -500 crashed into a mountain near Mokpo Mokpo Mokpo is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Mokpo has frequent train service to Seoul and is the terminus for a number of ferry routes serving islands in the adjacent Yellow Sea... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... . 68 of 106 on board were killed.
Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 Ansett New Zealand Flight 703 was an Ansett New Zealand scheduled passenger transport flight from Auckland Airport to Palmerston North. On 9 June 1995, the Dash 8 aircraft flying this route crashed west of the Tararua Ranges and 16 km east of Palmerston North airport, during an instrument...	June 5, 1995
American Airlines Flight 1572 American Airlines Flight 1572 American Airlines Flight 1572, registration N566AA, was a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 flying from Chicago O'Hare that was damaged while landing short of the runway at Hartford's Bradley International Airport on November 12, 1995.-Flight history:...	November 12, 1995
American Airlines Flight 965 American Airlines Flight 965 American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757 registered , was a scheduled flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia, which crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia on December 20, 1995, killing 151 passengers and 8...	December 20, 1995	Crashed into a mountain near Cali Santiago de Cali Santiago de Cali , simply referred to as Cali, is a city in western Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca Department. With a population of 2.5 million, Cali is the third largest city in the country. It has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the country because... , Colombia. The crew failed to recognize a series of navigational errors they had made, and forgot that they had deployed the air brakes Air brake (aircraft) In aeronautics, air brakes or speedbrakes are a type of flight control surface used on an aircraft to increase drag or increase the angle of approach during landing.... . All eight crew members and 152 of the 156 passengers were killed.
1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash 1996 Croatia USAF CT-43 crash On April 3, 1996, a United States Air Force CT-43A crashed on approach to Dubrovnik, Croatia while on an official trade mission. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-253 built as a T-43 navigation trainer, was carrying United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and 34 other people, including The New York...	April 3, 1996	A modified Boeing 737 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... crashed into a mountain in Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... . One of the victims was United States Secretary of Commerce United States Secretary of Commerce The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"... Ron Brown Ron Brown (U.S. politician) Ronald Harmon "Ron" Brown was the United States Secretary of Commerce, serving during the first term of President Bill Clinton. He was the first African American to hold this position... .
Vnukovo Flight 2801	August 29, 1996	All 141 people aboard a Tupolev Tu-154M were killed, when the aircraft crashed into Operafjellet Operafjellet Operafjellet is a mountain on Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. It is tall and is located on the north side of Adventfjorden. It is named for the amphitheatre-shape of the mountain on the western side, with the peak Tenoren sticking up... during approach to Svalbard Airport Svalbard Airport Svalbard Airport, Longyear is the main airport serving Svalbard in Norway. It is located 1.6 nautical miles northwest of Longyearbyen, and it is the northernmost airport in the world with public scheduled flights. The first airport near Longyearbyen was constructed during World War II... , Longyear Longyear Longyear may refer to:Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Norway's Svalbard archipelagoBarry Longyear, , US science fiction author and screenwriter*John Munroe Longyear , the founder of Longyearbyen... , Svalbard Svalbard Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the... , Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... . This airport does not provide any approach service.
Aeroperú Flight 603 AeroPeru Flight 603 Aeroperú Flight 603 was a scheduled flight from Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru , to Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile , which crashed on October 2, 1996....	October 2, 1996
Korean Air Flight 801 Korean Air Flight 801 Korean Air Flight 801 crashed on August 6, 1997, on approach to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam ....	August 6, 1997
Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 was a scheduled domestic Indonesian passenger flight from Jakarta to Medan Sumatra operated by state owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. On September 26, 1997, the Airbus A300 flying this route, registered PK-GAI, crashed into woodlands 29 km from Medan in low...	September 26, 1997	An Airbus A300 Airbus A300 The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS... , registered PK-GAI, crashed in Pancur Batu, Pematang Siantar, North Sumatera. Became the worst air disaster in Indonesian aviation history.
1996 New Hampshire Learjet crash 1996 New Hampshire Learjet crash The 1996 New Hampshire Learjet crash involved a Learjet 35A which disappeared on Christmas Eve 1996 near Dorchester, New Hampshire. The crash created the longest missing aircraft search in the state's history, lasting almost three years...	December 24, 1996	Found November 13, 1999
Crossair Flight 3597 Crossair Flight 3597 Crossair Flight LX 3597 was an Avro RJ100 regional airliner, registration HB-IXM, on a scheduled flight from Berlin, Germany to Zurich, Switzerland that crashed during its approach to land at Zurich Airport on 24 November 2001...	November 24, 2001	Flight from Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... to Zurich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... that crashed during its landing approach, killing 24 people.
Air China Flight 129 Air China Flight 129 Air China Flight 129 was a flight from Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing, People's Republic of China to Gimhae International Airport, Busan, South Korea. On April 15, 2002, the jet on this route crashed into a hill near Busan, killing 129 of 166 on board...	April 15, 2002
Kam Air Flight 904 Kam Air Flight 904 Kam Air Flight 904 was involved in a deadly aviation disaster over the Pamir mountains of Afghanistan in February 2005. The incident took place shortly after 4:00 p.m.local time on February 3, when a private Kam Air Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft went missing in Afghanistan during a domestic flight...	February 3, 2005
2006 Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crash 2006 Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crash On 19 January 2006 an Antonov An-24 aircraft operated by the Slovak Air Force crashed in northern Hungary, near the village of Hejce and town of Telkibánya. The airplane was carrying Slovak peacekeepers from Kosovo. Of the 43 people on board, there was only one survivor...	January 19, 2006
Armavia Flight 967 Armavia Flight 967 Armavia Flight 967 was a flight operated by Armavia, the largest international airline of Armenia on May 3, 2006, from Yerevan in Armenia to Sochi, a Black Sea coastal resort city in Russia...	May 3, 2006
Steve Fossett Steve Fossett James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...	Sep 3, 2007
Atlasjet Flight 4203 Atlasjet Flight 4203 Atlasjet Flight 4203 was a scheduled flight from Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport to Isparta Süleyman Demirel Airport in Isparta, Turkey. On November 30, 2007 it crashed outside the town of Keçiborlu, 18 km from Isparta at around 01:36 EET...	November 30, 2007
Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518 was an ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop aircraft, registration YV1449, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Mérida, Venezuela to Caracas that crashed into the side of a mountain on 21 February 2008, shortly after takeoff. There were 43 passengers on board, with a...	February 21, 2008
Polish Air Force Tu-154 Flight 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash The 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on 10 April 2010, when a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish Air Force crashed near the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board...	April 10, 2010	President Lech Kaczyński Lech Kaczynski Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość... on board
2010 Israeli helicopter disaster in Romania 2010 Israeli helicopter disaster in Romania The 2010 Israeli helicopter disaster in Romania was an Aviation accident which occurred on 26 July 2010 when an IAF Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion Yas'ur helicopter crashed during a training flight at high altitude in the Carpathian mountains, near the city of Brasov in Romania...	July 26, 2010	6 IAF IAF IAF may refer to the following air forces:* Indian Air Force* Indonesian Air Force* Iraqi Air Force* Israeli Air Force* Italian Air ForceIAF may also refer to:* International of Anarchist Federations* Indian Armed Forces... and 1 Romanian Air Force Romanian Air Force The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade... officers were killed.
Airblue Flight 202 Airblue Flight 202 Airblue Flight 202 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight which crashed on 28 July 2010 near Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, killing all 146 passengers and six crew on board. It is the deadliest air accident to occur in Pakistan to date...	July 28, 2010	Crashed into the Margalla Hills near Islamabad, Pakistan
RusAir Flight 9605 RusAir Flight 9605 RusAir Flight 9605 was a scheduled RusAir flight, operated as a RusLine service between Domodedovo International Airport and Petrozavodsk Airport using Tupolev Tu-134A-3 equipment, that crashed on approach to Petrozavodsk shortly after 23:40 local time on 20 June 2011, killing 45 people and...	Jun 21, 2011	Crashed near Petrozavodsk Airport (PES, ULPB) Petrozavodsk Airport Petrozavodsk Airport is a joint civil-military airport in Russia located northwest of Petrozavodsk in Besovets, Shuya Rural Settlement . It services small airliners. It is a minor airfield with 12 parking stands and a small amount of tarmac space.The airfield has seen military use as an... . Tu-134 RA-65691.

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Causes

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Notable accidents

See also

External links