1997 Airline safety and security review

This review includes important safety or security related occurrences from 1997. There are two types of events in this review, numbered events and significant events. Numbered events must meet the following criteria:

  • There is at least one passenger fatality,
  • The flight was open to the general public, and
  • The aircraft was a large jet or turboprop driven model that is typically used in airline service.

Significant events are those that don't meet the criteria for a numbered event, but would likely be of interest to airline passengers and the aviation safety and security community. These events may include non-fatal airline accidents, events unrelated to an airline flight, hijackings, military actions, criminal activities, or acts of sabotage.

Definitions used by AirSafe.com

  1. 9 January 1997; Delta Connection (Comair) Embraer Brasilia; N265CA; flight 3272; near Ida, MI: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Cincinnati, OH to Detroit, MI when it crashed shortly before dusk in a field about 20 miles (32 km) south of the Detroit Metropolitan airport. The weather at the time was overcast with snow, visibility 1.5 miles (2.4 km), and light winds. The flight crew did not have any unusual communications with air traffic control prior to the crash. The NTSB determined that the crash was due in part to a loss of control due to the icing conditions experienced by the aircraft. All three crew members and 26 passengers were killed.
    Delta Air Lines plane crashes since 1970
    Embraer Brasilia plane crashes

  2. 19 April 1997; Merpati Nusantara BAe ATP; PK-MTX; flight MZ106; near Tanjung Pandan, Indonesia: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Tanjung Pandan to Jakarta, Indonesia departed controlled flight at about 2000 feet during approach and crashed short of the runway. Four of the five crew members and 11 of the 48 passengers were killed.

  3. 8 May 1997; China Southern Airlines 737-300; B-2925; flight 3456; Shenzhen, China: The aircraft landed at night during a heavy rainstorm at Shenzhen-Huangtian airport after a scheduled domestic flight from Chongqing, China. The aircraft apparently broke up and caught fire after it veered off the runway. Seven of the nine crew members and 33 of the 65 passengers were killed.
    Crashes since 1970 for PRC jet airliners
    737 plane crashes

  4. 6 June 1997; Bazair Viscount; 9Q-CWL, near Bunia, Zaire: The aircraft, which was on a nonscheduled domestic flight from Bunia to Kisangani, Zaire, crashed about 25 miles (40 km) west of the departure airport. All three crew members and 20 passengers were killed.

  5. 9 July 1997; Transportes Aéreos Regionais (TAM) Fokker 100; PT-WHK; flight 283; near São Jose dos Campos, Brazil: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from São Jose dos Campos to São Paulo and experienced an explosion shortly after takeoff in the rear of the passenger cabin, blowing one passenger out of the aircraft. The explosion was of undetermined origin and blew out about a 10 by 5 foot (3 by 1.5 meter) section of the right rear of the fuselage. One passenger died as a result of either the explosion or the 7900 foot (2400 meter) fall. Six of the 54 other passengers were injured, and none of the five crew members were killed.
    TAM plane crashes since 1970
    Fokker 100 plane crashes

  6. 17 July 1997; Sempati Air F27-600; PK-YPM; flight 304; near Badung, Indonesia: The aircraft, which was leased from Trigana Air Service was on a scheduled domestic flight from Bandung to Jakarta, Indonesia. One engine apparently failed shortly after takeoff. The flight crew attempted to land the aircraft at a nearby military airfield, but the aircraft hit a wall in a housing complex and crashed in a field about 650 feet (200m) short of the runway. All five crew members and 23 of the 45 passengers were killed.

  7. 2 August 1997; Continental Airlines Boeing 757-200; Lima, Peru: During passenger boarding, an elderly passenger in a wheelchair was assisted up the rear portable stairs by a gate agent. The passenger was instructed by the gate agent to remain at the top of the steps while the agent loaded the wheelchair into the cargo bin. However, the passenger continued to walk into the aircraft, through the aft galley and then through the catering door. The passenger fell to the tarmac through a space between the catering truck and the airplane. The passenger died from the fall injuries. The eight crew members and 141 other passengers were not injured.
    Continental Airlines plane crashes since 1970
    757 plane crashes

  8. 5 August 1997; Korean Air 747-300; HL7468, flight KE801; Agana, Guam USA: The aircraft, which was on a scheduled international flight from Seoul, South Korea to Agana, Guam (USA) crashed about three miles (4.8 km) short of the runway during a night time approach in heavy rain. Fourteen of the 17 crew members and 214 of the 237 passengers were killed.
    Korean Air plane crashes since 1970
    747 plane crashes

  9. 10 August 1997; Formosa Airlines Dornier 228-212; B-12256; flight 7601; Matsu Island, Taiwan: The aircraft, which was on a scheduled domestic flight from Taipei to Matsu Island, Taiwan, abandoned the first approach due to bad visibility and high winds. On the second approach, the aircraft then flew into a 300m high mountain and burst into flames. Both crew members and all 14 passengers were killed.
    Dornier 228 plane crashes

  10. 3 September 1997; Vietnam Airlines Tu-134B; VN-A120; flight 815; Phnom Penh, Cambodia: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The aircraft carried out an approach during heavy rain and crashed about one half mile (800 meters) short of the runway. All six crew members and 59 of the 60 passengers were killed.

  11. 6 September 1997; Royal Brunei Airlines (Merpati Intan) Dornier 228-212; 9M-MIA; flight BI238; near Miri, Malaysia: The aircraft was inbound on a scheduled international flight from from Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei to Miri, Malaysia during a night flight under visual conditions when it crashed into a hill. Both crew members and all eight passengers were killed.
    Dornier 228 plane crashes

  12. 26 September 1997; Garuda Indonesia Airways A300B4; PK-GAI; flight GA152; near Medan, Indonesia: The aircraft, which was on a scheduled domestic flight from Jakarta to Medan, Indonesia, was on approach to Medan when it crashed in a mountainous area about 19 miles (30 km) from the airport. Extensive smoke and haze from numerous forest fires caused reduced visibility in the area. All 12 crew members and 222 passengers were killed.
    Garuda Indonesia Airways plane crashes since 1970
    A300 plane crashes

  13. 10 October 1997; Austral Lineas Aereas DC9-32; LV-WEG; flight AU2553; near Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay: The aircraft crashed during a night approach in stormy weather. The aircraft, which was on a scheduled domestic flight, departed Posadas, Argentina and crashed about 280 miles (448 km) from Buenos Aires, its intended destination. All five crew members and 69 passengers were killed.
    Austral plane crashes since 1970
    DC9 plane crashes

    12 October 1997; Long-EZ; N555JD; Pacific Grove, CA: Singer, songwriter, and actor John Denver was killed when he crashed the aircraft he was piloting after it ran out of fuel just off the coast at Pacific Grove, CA. Denver apparently lost control of the aircraft while attempting to manipulate the fuel selector handle. Denver had recently purchased the aircraft and had about a half-hour orientation flight the day before the accident. The NTSB cited Denver's unfamiliarity with the aircraft and his failure to have the aircraft refueled as causal factors in the accident. Denver was the sole occupant of the aircraft. This accident did not involve an airline aircraft.
    More details about this accident
    Other crashes involving celebrities

  14. 9 December 1997; Sowind Air Bandeirante; C-GVRO; flight 301; Little Grand Rapids, Canada: The aircraft, which was on a scheduled domestic flight from Winnipeg to Little Grand Rapids, Canada crashed short of the runway during an approach in freezing rain and fog. One of the two crew members and three of the 15 passengers were killed.
    Bandeirante plane crashes

  15. 13 December 1997; Servicios y Transportes Aereos (STAP) Metro III; CP-1635; La Veriente, Bolivia: The aircraft was on a nonscheduled domestic flight from La Vertiente to Santa Cruz/ Venezuela. The aircraft crashed about 1000 feet (300m) beyond the end of the runway departure, possibly due to engine failure. One of the two crew members and nine of the 17 passengers were killed.

  16. 15 December 1997; Tajikistan Airlines Tupolev 154B; EY-85281; flight 3183; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: The aircraft was on approach to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates after an unscheduled international flight form flight from Dushanbe, Tajikistan when it crashed in a river about 8 miles (13 km) from the airport. Six of the seven crew members and all 79 passengers were killed. The sole survivor was the navigator, Sergei Petrov.
    Sole survivor plane crashes
    Crashes of airlines of the former Soviet Union

  17. 17 December 1997; AeroSvit Yak-42; UR-42334; flight 241; near Salonica, Greece: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Odessa, Ukraine to Thessaloniki, Greece, and was in a holding pattern when it impacted high ground. All eight crew members and 62 passengers were killed.

  18. 19 December 1997; SilkAir 737-300; 9V-TRF; flight 185; near Palembang, Indonesia: The aircraft crashed in a river about 35 miles (56 km) north of Palembang, Indonesia while en route on a scheduled international flight between Jakarta, Indonesia and Singapore. All seven crew members and 97 passengers were killed.
    Singapore Airlines and SilkAir plane crashes since 1970
    737 plane crashes

  19. 28 December 1997; United Airlines 747-100; N4723U; UA826; over Pacific Ocean near Japan: The aircraft encountered severe turbulence during cruise about two hours after departing Japan. One of the 346 passengers was killed. None of the 23 crew members were killed but three sustained serious injuries.
    United Airlines plane crashes since 1970
    747 plane crashes


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1997 Airline safety and security review
http://www.airsafe.com/events/fatal97.htm -- Revised: 18 October 2015