Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

Top 5 Biggest Worst Air Crash And Disasters In The World History

It seems as though aviation accidents and disasters are becoming more and more frequent with the Germanwings incident rocking the world by storm. Decades after commercial flights became common though, there have been accidents and death tolls connected with travel. In this article, you will find out the top 5 worst air crash and disasters.

5. Turkish Airlines Flight 981

5. Turkish Airlines Flight 981

Killing 346 people, the crash of the Turkish Airlines Flight 981 occurred in Paris, France wherein the plane landed in a forest with zero survivors to speak of. If you have ever wondered what happens if door of the plane opens mid air, you should know that this is what happened with the Turkish flight. When the door was detached, an explosive decompression occurred, resulting to another collapse in the plane. This would not be a problem, except the collapse damaged several control cables, making it near impossible for pilots to control the engine, rudder, and various other plane parts.

4. Saudi Flight 763 and Air Kazakhstan Flight 1907

Saudi Flight 763 and Air Kazakhstan Flight 1907

Killing a total of 349 people, this accident involved two planes and occurred entirely off-ground. The two planes were flying over India in 1996 when they crashed into each other due to the same altitude of travel. Now, this is one true disaster since there is really no huge fault between the two flights. A learning experience, the crash was the reason for the TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System), preventing planes from occupying the same altitude on-air while going from opposite directions.

3. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

Fairly recent, the MH17 flight occurred in July 2014 and horrified the whole nation. The death toll for this was 283 people from various countries. Now, you might say that compared to #4 and #5, the MH17 only had a 283 deaths, but the reason for MH17’s failed flight evens up the odds. According to reports, the plane was shot down while it was traveling along Ukraine.

2.  JAL Flight 123

JAL Flight 123

The accident happened in 1985 of August to the Japan Airlines Flight 123. This involved a Boeing 747 with a death toll of 520. The explosion happened mid-air and an investigation of the flight revealed that it was because of a dysfunction aft pressure bulkhead. The bulkhead was originally repaired but incorrectly, making the plane incredibly hard to control. Impressively enough, the pilot managed to keep the plane on air for half an hour but eventually crashed into a mountain. There were four survivors to the flight.

1. Tenerife Disaster

Tenerife Disaster

The Tenerife Disaster did not exactly happen mid-air, but the staggering death toll of 583 people definitely places it at the top of this list. The accident occurred in 1977 of March in a Tenerife Airport where two planes crashed. The KLM Boeing 747 was trying to take off when it collided with a taxiing Pan Am 747, resulting to a fiery collapse with zero survivors. In this case, the accident occurred due to negligence with the Boeing 747 trying to take off without any clearance.

Accidents do happen – but keep in mind that many flights today occur in relative safety, if not comfort. Make sure to do your research about flights before deciding to board or purchase a plane ticket.

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