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Fatal Events Since 1970 for Air Canada

The following events are those involving at least one passenger death where the aircraft flight had a direct or indirect role. Excluded would be events where the only passengers killed were stowaways, hijackers, or saboteurs.

1. 5 July 1970; Air Canada DC8-63; Toronto, Canada: The aircraft was approaching for a normal landing when its descent rate increased shortly before touchdown, possibly due to the premature deployment of the ground spoilers. The crew attempted to recover, and the number four engine struck the runway and broke away. The aircraft was able to climb after losing the engine, but after several explosions the number three engine and part of the right wing separated when the aircraft was at about 3,000 feet (910 meters). The aircraft subsequently crashed, killing all nine crew members and 100 passengers.

2. 26 June 1978; Air Canada DC9-32; Toronto, Canada: The aircraft had a rejected takeoff after a tire burst. Tire debris was ingested into engine two, causing compressor stalls. Two of the 102 passengers were killed after the aircraft overran the runway.

3. 3 June 1983; Air Canada DC9-32; Near Cincinnati, OH: The aircraft had an in flight cabin fire that led to an emergency landing. Of the 41 passengers, 23 were killed as a result of the fire and smoke.

   23 July 1983; Air Canada 767; near Gimli, Manitoba: The aircraft ran out of fuel after the crew miscalculated the weight of fuel onboard. The aircraft made an emergency landing on an abandoned airfield. There were no serious injuries. This was not a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

   16 December 1997; Air Canada CRJ-100ER; Fredericton, Canada: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Toronto to Fredericton. Visibility at the arrival airport was limited by heavy fog. After the crew disconnected the autopilot shortly before touchdown, they attempted to abort the landing. The aircraft stalled and crashed during the attempted go-around. The aircraft contacted the ground to the left of the runway, crossed the runway, became briefly airborne after striking a ditch to the right of the runway, and finally came to rest after striking some trees. The aircraft was destroyed, but none of the three crew or 39 passengers were killed. This was not a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

   10 January 2008; Air Canada A319; near Cranbrook, Canada: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Victoria, BC to Toronto, ON. The aircraft had a possible encounter with moderate to severe turbulence while in the vicinity of the Canadian Rockies. The crew diverted to Calgary, where injured passengers and crew members were treated for minor injuries. The aircraft was not seriously damaged, and there were no fatalities among the five crew members or 83 passengers. This was not a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com, and was included because of the significant media coverage generated by the event.
   Related Resources: Turbulence Risks

   Podcasts About the Event
   Audio: MP3

   Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

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   Air Canada A319 Turbulence Event

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   28 January 2008; Air Canada 767-300; over Atlantic Ocean en route Toronto to London: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight between Toronto, Canada and Heathrow Airport in London, carrying 146 passengers and nine crew members. According to the incident report, the first officer had arrived late for his flight, with the captain having already completed all preflight preparations before the first officer's arrival.

   During the early phases of the flight, the first officer left the flight deck several times for short periods, and made it clear to the captain that he was tired.

   At one point, the captain allowed the first officer to take a controlled rest break in cockpit. Over an hour later, as the aircraft was near the midpoint of its ocean leg, the first officer began to display unusual behavior, including rambling and disjointed conversation.

   The first officer left the cockpit again, and after he returned he didn't follow proper cockpit reentry procedures, and also neglected to fasten his seat belt. It became apparent to the captain that the first officer was suffering from an unknown medical condition which impaired his ability to carry out his required duties on the flight deck. The captain summoned the lead flight attendant to get the first officer removed from the cockpit. The lead flight attendant removed the first officer with the help of other flight attendants. One of those flight attendants sustained a wrist injury during the removal.

   After the removal of the first officer, the captain had the lead flight attendant check to see if there were any flight crew members among the passengers. None were on board, but one of the flight attendants held a commercial multiengine license, and she assisted the captain as the flight diverted to Shannon, Ireland.

   This was not a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com, and was included because of the significant media coverage generated by the event.

   Podcast about the event

   Related Resources:Incident report from the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit

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