Aviation Disasters
Record of Disasters
Each entry documents a disaster — what happened, why it happened, and what changed afterward. Safety progress in aviation has been bought, in part, with these lives.
4 events · 932 fatalities recorded
- 2020-01-08
Ukraine International Airlines — PS752
Boeing 737-800
Boeing176fatalitiesPS752 was a scheduled international passenger flight that was shot down minutes after takeoff from Tehran. All 176 people on board — including 55 Canadian citizens, 30 permanent residents of Canada, and nationals from Iran, Ukraine, Sweden, Afghanistan, and the UK — were killed. The disaster had profound political and diplomatic consequences.
- 2014-07-17
Malaysia Airlines — MH17
Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing298fatalitiesMH17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was struck by a missile over eastern Ukraine during the ongoing armed conflict. All 298 occupants were killed, including 80 children. The disaster prompted a landmark international criminal investigation and ongoing efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
- 2009-06-01
Air France — AF447
Airbus A330-200
Airbus228fatalitiesAF447 disappeared over the South Atlantic during a night flight through a storm system. The flight recorders were not recovered until 2011, two years later. The accident exposed critical gaps in pilot training for high-altitude stall recovery.
- 1996-07-17
Trans World Airlines — TWA 800
Boeing 747-100
Boeing230fatalitiesTWA 800 exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff. The four-year NTSB investigation was among the most extensive in aviation history. Its findings fundamentally changed how regulators and manufacturers approach fuel tank safety.