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Adam Air Flight 574 |
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Adam Air Flight 574
Date: January 1, 2007
Location: Sulawesi, Indonesia
Aircraft: Boeing 737-400
Aboard: 102
Fatalities: no survivors have been found.
Synopsis: Adamair 571, an aged Boeing 737 leased by this startup discount carrier, left Jakarta for Manudo, on the Island of Sulawesi, on January 1, 2007. The aircraft encountered thunderstorms, which are common this time of year, and diverted to avoid them. Then the aircraft disappeared from radar. Portions of wreckage have been found floating in the Straits but no main wreckage has been found, nor have the black boxes been located. No survivors have been found. Again, there are obvious similarities with past 737 accidents, most often blamed on the vertical stabilizer. |
Alaska
Airlines Flight 261
Date: January 31, 2000
Location: Pt. Mugu, California
Aircraft: Boeing MD-83
Aboard: 88
Fatalities: 88
Synopsis: Flight 261 departed
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico bound for San Francisco. In flight, the
plane experienced severe instability, due primarily to the installation
of a worn-out screw on the tail's horizontal elevator. After
Alaska denied permission for the aircraft to land at LAX, the
tail failed off Point Mugu and the aircraft crashed in the Pacific
Ocean. There were no survivors. |
Air
France - Concorde Flight 4590
Date: July 25, 2000
Location: Paris, France
Aircraft: Aerospatiale Concorde
V. 101
Aboard: 109
Fatalities: 113
Synopsis: Departing from Paris,
the Concorde ran over a strip of titanium which had fallen off
a Continental DC-10 moments earlier. The Concorde's pressurized
tire ripped apart, showering pieces of rubber through the wing
tanks and igniting a fire invisible to the pilot's in the cockpit.
The aircraft crashed a minute after departing Charles de Gaulle
Airport. All aboard the aircraft and four on the ground were
killed. |
Air
New Zealand Flight 2337
Date: March 29, 1995
Location: Hamilton, New Zealand
Aircraft: Beech Queen Air 65-A80-8800
Aboard: 6
Fatalities: 6
Synopsis: The Beech Queen Air
Excalibur - operated by Kiwi West Aviation - departed Hamilton,
NZ for New Plymouth, NZ when thirteen minutes into the flight
it stalled and spun from a low altitude trajectory after both
engines failed due to fuel starvation. The aircraft-type, criticized
by the NTSB for its confusing fuel controls which had caused
crashes in the U.S., was never modified by its manufacturer,
Beech. |
American
Eagle Flight 4184
Date: October 31, 1994
Location: Roselawn, Indiana
Aircraft: ATR-72-212
Aboard: 68
Fatalities: 68
Synopsis: The aircraft, while
descending in a holding pattern at 8000 feet, experienced an
uncommanded roll and loss of control of the aircraft due to structural
icing. The pilot's operating manual lacked adequate information
concerning the known effects of frozen precipitation on the stability
and control characteristics of the aircraft. |
Air
Philippines Flight 541
Date: April 19, 2000
Location: Samal Island, Philippines
Aircraft: Boeing 737-200
Aboard: 131
Fatalities: 131
Synopsis: AP 541, a worn-out 737 leased by Chicago leasing firm,
AAR, crashed on an island in Davao Bay on Mindanao. The aircraft
had been discarded by Southwest after extensive service but continued to
operate without the necessary major maintenance. AAR refused to release
maintenance funds. Boeing refused to provide flight manuals. Nonetheless,
the aircraft was put into commuter service in the Phillipines.
Immediately after the accident, Air Phillipines had the wreckage
destroyed and buried.
The firm fought to keep the case in the United
States and after the Illinois Supreme Court held jurisdiction in
Chicago. O'Reilly & Danko now has 25 clients before the trial court.
A trial date is expected in 2007.
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Ansett
Airlines Flight 703
Date: June 9, 1995
Location: Palmerston, New Zealand
Aircraft: de Havilland DHC-8-102
Aboard: 18
Fatalities: 5
Synopsis: Flight 703 crashed
in the hills some 16 km east of Palmerston North Aerodrome when
the pilot's attempted an instument approach in bad weather. During
this approach, the Ground Proximity Warning System - manufactured
by Sunstrand - failed and the aircraft slid onto a hilltop short
of the runway. |
Arrow
Airways Flight MF1285R
Date: December 12, 1985
Location: Near Gander Newfoundland,
Canada
Aircraft: Douglas DC-8 Super
63PF
Aboard: 256
Fatalities: 256
Synopsis: The aircraft, carrying
U.S. military personnel, crashed during takeoff. Though it appears
the pilots lost control of the aircraft due to airframe icing,
some evidence suggests the detonation of an explosive device
in a cargo compartment may have caused the crash. |
Big
Island Air, Inc. Flight 58
Date: September 25, 1999
Location: Volcano, Hawaii
Aircraft: Piper PA-31-350 (Chieftan)
Aboard: 10
Fatalities: 10
Synopsis: The pilot and all
nine passengers were killed when they crashed into the northeast
slope of the Mauna Loa Volcano during a sight-seeing tour. The
pilot attempted an illegal instrument flight across the central
saddle between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Sadly, this crash was
yet another in a series of accidents in Hawaii where tour aircraft
and helicopters crashed into terrain after dangerously low flight. |
Comair
Airlines Flight 3272
Date: January 09, 1997
Location: Monroe, Michigan
Aircraft: Embraer EMB-120RT
Aboard: 29
Fatalities: 29
Synopsis: Flight 3272 crashed
19 nm southwest of Detroit's Wayne County Airport in freezing
rain. The aircraft's de-icing system was unable to remove the
ice accumulation on the leading edges. After the crash, it was
determined the FAA's testing and certification of the deicing
system were deficient. In addition, the pilots had not been briefed
by the airline on appropriate emergency procedures. |
EgyptAir
Flight 990
Date: October 31, 1999
Location: off Nantucket, MA
Aircraft: Boeing 767-366-ER
Aboard: 217
Fatalities: 217
Synopsis: Flight 990 departed
JFK bound for Cairo, Egypt. Sixty miles south of Nantucket, MA,
the airplane entered a steep vertical descent and ultimately
crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The cause of the crash continues
to be hotly disputed: the NTSB contends the most likely scenerio
was actions by the first officer, while the Egyptian Government
suspects the elevator system malfunctioned. All aboard the aircraft
were killed. |
United
Airlines Flight 811
Date: February 24, 1989
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Aircraft: Boeing B-747-122
Aboard: 356
Fatalities: 9
Synopsis: After a stopover
in Honolulu from Los Angeles, Flight 811, bound for Sydney, Australia,
lost a forward lower cargo door in-flight. The loss of the door
resulted in explosive decompression and failure of the No. 3
and 4 engines. Nine passengers were sucked out of the plane and
lost at sea, but the plane landed safely. The cargo door malfuncted
due to a faulty switch which permitted the door actuator latches
to move towards the unlatched position after the door had been
closed. |
TWA
Flight 843
Date: July 30, 1992
Location: Jamaica, NY
Aircraft: Lockheed L-1011-385-1
Aboard: 292
Fatalities: 0
Synopsis: TWA flight 843 slid
into the bay at the end of Boston's Logan Airport after an aborted
take-off on an icy runway. |
TWA
Flight 800
Date: July 17, 1996
Location: East Moriches, NY
Aircraft: Boeing 747-131
Aboard: 230
Fatalities: 230
Synopsis: Flight 800 left JFK
for Charles De Gaulle Airport when, shortly after take-off, it
experienced a fuel/air explosion in the center wing fuel tank
and subsequent structural break-up over the Atlantic. According
to the NTSB a short circuit allowed excessive voltage to enter
the engine and engine design flaws could not reduce heat transfer
or render the fuel vapor in the tank inflammable. |
Turkish
Airlines Flight 981
Date: March 3, 1974
Location: Bois d'Ermenonville,
France
Aircraft: Douglas DC-10-10
Aboard: 346
Fatalities: 346
Synopsis: Flight 981 crashed
shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris. An explosive
decompression damaged the cabin floor and control cables when
the plane lost its rear cargo door. The aircraft crashed into
a nearby forest at high velocity. Prior to takeoff, both the
service subcontractor and the flight engineer neglected to check
the cargo door's locking mechanism through a recently installed
viewport. Additionally, a recent service bulletin required the
locking pin to be lengthened; on this aircraft, it was mistakenly
shortened. |
Sun
Valley Airlines, Inc. Flight 115
Date: February 20, 1972
Location: Fairfield, ID
Aircraft: Beech 65B-80
Aboard: 5
Fatalities: 5
Synopsis: A Sun Valley Airlines
commuter flight from Hailey to Boise, Idaho experienced a catastrophic
engine failure in-flight. The subsequent fire resulted in the
loss of the aircraft's left wing. The engine failure was the
result of improper maintenance. |
Pan
American World Airways Flight 806
Date: January 30, 1974
Location: Pango Pango, American
Samoa
Aircraft: Boeing B-707-321B
Aboard: 101
Fatalities: 97
Synopsis: The aircraft, on
approach to Pango Pango International Airport, crashed into the
treeline just short of the runway when the crew failed to correct
an excessive rate of descent during ILS approach. Most aboard
the aircraft survived the impact but succumbed to the post-crash
fire. |
Pan
American World Airways Flight 1736 /
KLM Flight - 4805
Date: March 27, 1977
Location: Tenerife, Canary
Islands
Aircraft: Boeing B-747-121
/ B-747-206B
Aboard: 644
Fatalities: 583
Synopsis: A bomb explosion
at Las Palmas Airport diverted both aircraft to Tenerife, where
they experienced an extended delay. The Pan Am plane, instructed
to taxi on the runway, missed the runway due to heavy fog. Meanwhile,
the KLM plane, without clearance, taxied to the end of the runway
to takeoff. The collision which occurred moments after the KLM
plane left the runway resulted in the largest death toll in aviation
history. |
Sierra
Pacific Airlines Flight 802
Date: March 13, 1974
Location: Bishop, California
Aircraft: Convair 440
Aboard: 36
Fatalities: 36
Synopsis: A David Wolper film
crew, bound for LAX, crashed outside Bishop, California. The
take-off from Bishop, located in a deep valley, was uniquely
difficult in two ways: the airway was without any usuable radio
signal below 12,000 feet and the departure procedure permitted
only a two mile deviation when climbing to safe altitude. The
FAA clerk who drafted the procedure never visited the field;
rather, he relied entirely on sectional charts. In pitch darkness,
with no margin for error, the safe navigation of a plane the size
of the Convair proved impossible. |
Flash Airlines Flight 604
Date: January 3, 2004
Location: Sharm el-Sheikh
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Aboard: 148
Fatalities: 148
Synopsis: This 737 departed Sharm-El-Shiekh in nighttime VFR
conditions with a full load of French holidaymakers. The aircraft
was observed to climb steadily to roughly 5,000ft and then to roll
and crash into the sea. No survivors were found. There were no distress signals.
The black box was discovered but the findings were hotly
disputed by the Egyptian aviation authorities and Boeing and Honeywell.
No agreement has resulted as to the cause of the accident although
there are obvious similarities to the previous 737 disasters at
Colorado Springs and Pittsburgh. The firm represented 9 passengers and
several crew in this air disaster, which was settled with these clients in March
2005 for a confidential sum in eight figures. As to the passengers
represented by another U.S. law firm, all claims were dismissed later
by a federal court.
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American Airlines Flight 587
Date: January 3, 2004
Location: Belle Harbor, New York
Aircraft: Airbus A300-600
Aboard: 251
Fatalities: 265 (Including 5 on the ground)
Synopsis: This Airbus 300-600 departed JFK and lost its vertical
stabilizer, crashing in the residential neighborhood of Belle Harbor,
New York. The crash occurred either because the pilots overreacted to
wake turbulence or the composite construction of the rudder failed.
The NTSB is not yet sure. The firm represented 22 families of passengers
and has successfully settled these cases in a confidential sum.
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Pan
American Flight 816
Date: July 22, 1973
Location: Papeete, Tahiti
Aircraft: Boeing 707-321B
Aboard: 79
Fatalities: 78
Synopsis: Flight 861, bound
for Los Angeles, crashed into the Pacific thirty seconds after
take-off from Tahiti. It is possible the cause of the accident
was an instrumentation failure that diverted the attention of
the crew. Notably, one passenger survived when he was ejected
through a hole in the airplane's structure post-impact. |
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