Saudi Arabian Airlines plane crashes

The following are significant events involving the airline or its subsidiares since 1970. The numbered events are those involving at least one airline passenger death where the aircraft flight had a direct or indirect role, and where at least one of the dead passengers was not a stowaway, hijacker, or saboteur.

1. 19 August 1980; Saudia L1011-200; HZ-AHK; flight SV163; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Riyadh to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and the crew turned back shortly after takeoff after a fire broke out in the aft cargo compartment. The aircraft was able to execute a safe landing, but the crew was unable to open the emergency exits due to the smoke and fire. All 14 crew members and 287 passengers were killed.
   More about this event
   Lockheed L1011 plane crashes

2. 23 December 1980; Saudia L1011-200; HZ-AHJ; flight 162; Arabian Gulf, near Saudi Arabia: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia to Karachi, Pakistan, and during the climb phase of the flight, while the aircraft was off the coast of Qatar, a fatigue failure of a main landing gear inboard wheel flange resulted in the rupture of the aircraft's pressure hull and a subsequent explosive decompression. Two of the 288 passengers were ejected out of the aircraft as a result of the decompression. None of the 20 crew members were killed.
   More about this event
   Lockheed L1011 plane crashes

3. 12 November 1996; Saudi Arabian Airlines 747-100; HZ-AIH; flight SV763; near Charkhi Dadri, India: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from New Delhi, India to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The departing 747 had a midair collision with an inbound Kazakhstan Air Lines Ilyushin 76 jet, which was operating as a cargo flight, about seven minutes after the 747 had departed New Delhi. The collision occurred near Charkhi Dadri, about 60 miles (96 km) west of New Delhi. The Ilyushin 76 apparently had descended below its assigned altitude of FL150. All 23 crew members and 289 passengers on the 747 were killed. The 10 crew members and 27 passengers on the Ilyushin were also killed.
   More about this event
   Boeing 747 plane crashes
   Plane crashes of airlines of the former Soviet Union

4. 8 September 2005; Saudi Arabian Airlines 747-300; flight SV781; Colombo, Sri Lanka:
   While taxiing for takeoff on an international flight from Colombo to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, air traffic controllers received an anonymous telephone call concerning a possible bomb on the aircraft. The crew was informed about this call and elected to perform an emergency evacuation. As a result of the evacuation, there were 62 injuries among the 430 passengers and 22 crew members. One of the passengers died as a result of injuries received during the evacuation, and 19 passengers were hospitalized. No explosive devices were found after a search of the aircraft.
   Boeing 747 plane crashes

Plane crashes involving airlines of Africa and the Middle East