Nepal Plane Crash Worst Biggest Plane Crashes In History Of Aviation Disasters

The devastating Nepal plane crash on Sunday left at least 68 of the 72 dead. Five Indians were among the victims. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident. But the tremendous loss of lives can never be compensated for. In fact, this was Nepal’s biggest aircraft disaster in recent history in terms of the lives lost.

Here are 10 of the worst plane crashes in history.

TENERIFE AIRPORT DISASTER (1977) – 583 DEATHS

The Tenerife Airport Disaster is considered to be the deadliest plane crash in aviation history. On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747s collided on the runway at Tenerife Airport in the Canary Islands. The crash was caused by a series of miscommunications and errors, which resulted in the death of 583 people. The disaster was particularly devastating because it could have been prevented if proper communication protocols had been in place.

JAPAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 123 (1985) – 520 DEATHS

Japan Airlines Flight 123 was a Boeing 747 that crashed on August 12, 1985, in Japan. The crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the plane’s rear pressure bulkhead. The failure caused the plane’s tail to fall off, causing the plane to crash into Mount Takamagahara. The crash resulted in the deaths of 520 people, making it the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history.

CHARKHI DADRI MID-AIR COLLISION (1996) – 349 DEATHS

The Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision occurred on November 12, 1996, in India. The crash was caused by a miscommunication between the pilots of a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 349 people on board both planes. This disaster was one of the deadliest mid-air collisions in history and highlighted the need for improved communication and collision avoidance systems.

TURKISH AIRLINES FLIGHT 981 (1974) – 346 DEATHS

Turkish Airlines Flight 981 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 that crashed on March 3, 1974, in France. The crash was caused by a design flaw in the plane’s cargo door, which resulted in the door blowing off during flight. The crash resulted in the deaths of 346 people, making it the deadliest aviation accident in European history at the time.

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 191 (1979) – 273 DEATHS

American Airlines Flight 191 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 that crashed on May 25, 1979, in Chicago. The crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the plane’s left engine, which caused the engine to fall off the plane during takeoff. The crash resulted in the deaths of 273 people, making it the deadliest aviation accident in the United States at the time.

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 763 (1991) – 312 DEATHS

Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763 was a domestic flight that took off from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 12, 1991. The plane collided mid-air with a Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907, which was en route from Shymkent to New Delhi. The crash occurred over the city of Charkhi Dadri, India and resulted in the deaths of all 312 passengers and crew on board Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 763, as well as all 27 passengers and crew on Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907. The cause of the accident was determined to be a failure of the air traffic control system.

SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 163 (1980): 301 DEATHS

Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight 163 was a tragic accident that occurred on August 19, 1980. The flight, which was en route from Jeddah to Riyadh, caught fire shortly after takeoff. Despite the efforts of the flight crew and passengers, all 301 people on board were killed. The cause of the fire was determined to be a malfunction in the aircraft’s air conditioning system. This disaster was one of the worst in aviation history and resulted in significant changes to aircraft safety regulations.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT MH370 (2014) – 239 PRESUMED DEATHS

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board. The fate of the plane and its passengers remains a mystery. Theories about what happened range from a hijacking or terrorist attack to a mechanical failure or pilot error. The lack of concrete evidence and the ongoing investigation continue to fuel speculation and conspiracy theories about the fate of MH370.

GARUDA INDONESIA FLIGHT 152 (1997): 234 DEATHS

Garuda Indonesia Flight 152 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Jakarta to Medan, Indonesia, that crashed on September 26, 1997. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-300, struck a mountain while on approach to Medan’s Polonia International Airport, killing all 234 passengers and crew on board. The crash was determined to be caused by a combination of factors including pilot error, poor weather conditions, and inadequate navigation equipment. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in Indonesia’s history.

AIR FRANCE FLIGHT 447 (2009): 228 DEATHS

Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled commercial flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France that crashed on June 1, 2009. The Airbus A330-203 aircraft, carrying 228 people, disappeared from radar over the Atlantic Ocean. Despite an extensive search and rescue operation, only 50 bodies were recovered. The crash was caused by a series of errors made by the pilot and co-pilot, including their failure to properly respond to a malfunction in the aircraft’s speed sensors. The disaster resulted in one of the deadliest aviation accidents in history, with 228 fatalities.

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 232 (1989) – 112 DEATHS

United Airlines Flight 232 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 that crashed on July 19, 1989, in Sioux City, Iowa. The crash was caused by a mechanical failure in the plane’s tail-mounted engine, which caused the engine to disintegrate and damage the plane’s control systems. The crash resulted in the deaths of 112 people, but it is considered a miracle that 185 people survived.

Apart from these crashes, there have been other air disasters which have been no less in sheer magnitude of loss of lives. Here are a few of them.

AIR INDIA FLIGHT 182 (1985) – 329 DEATHS

Air India Flight 182 was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by the airline Air India from Montreal, Canada, to London, UK, via Toronto and Dublin. On June 23, 1985, the Boeing 747-237B serving the flight was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 329 people on board, including 268 Canadian citizens, 27 British citizens and 24 Indian citizens. The bombing was perpetrated by Sikh militants in response to the Indian government’s operation Blue Star, an Indian military operation aimed at removing separatist Sikh militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 17 (2014) – 298 DEATHS

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down on July 17, 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 298 passengers and crew on board were killed. The majority of the passengers were Dutch, but there were also passengers from Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Philippines and Canada. An international investigation led by the Netherlands concluded that the aircraft was shot down by a Buk missile launched from territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The incident led to a significant escalation of the ongoing War in Donbass. The crash was a major international incident and led to increased tensions between Russia and the countries that lost citizens in the crash.

IRAN AIR FLIGHT 655 (1988) – 290 DEATHS

Iran Air Flight 655 was a scheduled passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai that was shot down by the USS Vincennes on July 3, 1988. The Vincennes mistook the civilian Airbus A300 for an attacking Iranian F-14 fighter jet. All 290 passengers and crew on board the flight were killed in the incident, which occurred in Iranian airspace. The United States apologized for the incident but denied that it was a deliberate attack, claiming that the Vincennes crew had made an error in identification.