The Most Recent Fatal or Significant US Plane Crashes

The Most Recent Fatal or
Significant US Plane Crashes

The following are the most recent fatal or significant airliner events, listed with the most recent event first, that involved a U.S. carrier, or involving any air carrier flying to or from the U.S. In each event, at least one passenger was killed.. The numbered events include all of those involving either jet passenger flights and turboprop accidents involving models with more than 10 passengers seats where the aircraft involved are used in airline service in North America and western Europe, and where at least one passenger was killed. The passenger fatalities in the numbered events may be due to accidents, hijackings, sabotage, or military action. The events that are not numbered may or may not include fatalities, and are included because they meet the criteria of a significant event as defined by AirSafe.com

23 March 2009; FedEx Express (FedEx) MD-11F; near Tokyo, Japan: The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Guangzhou, China to Narita Airport near Tokyo, Japan. The aircraft bounced on landing, and contacted the runway a second time nose wheel first before rolling to the left, contacting the runway with its left stabilizer and wing, and catching fire. The aircraft ended up in an inverted position. Both crew members were killed. (Note: Event dates are determined by the date at the location of the event.)

This plane crash was a cargo flight, and resulted in no fatalities, and is not a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com, but is included because of the seriousness of the event.
Other FedEx Express Plane Crashes
Other MD-11 Plane Crashes

Watch or listen to the AirSafe.com report on this plane crash below:
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23 March 2009 Crash of a FedEx Express MD-11 near Tokyo

22 March 2009; Pilatus PC-12; Butte, Montana: The aircraft was on an unscheduled flight from Orville, CA to Bozeman, MT. The pilot changed the flight plane to Butte, MT, and the aircraft crashed about 500 feet (150 meters) from the airport. All 14 on board were killed, several of them children.

This plane crash involved a non-airline flight, and is not a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com, but is included because of the seriousness of the event. According to the NTSB, there have been at least six previous fatal accidents in the US involving the Pilatus PC-12.

12 February 2009; Continental Connection (Colgan Air) Dash 8 Q-400; near Buffalo, NY: The aircraft, a scheduled flight from Newark, NJ and operated by Colgan Air, crashed in a residential area about five miles from the airport. At least one house on the ground was destroyed. All 44 passengers and four crew members were killed, along with one person on the ground.
Previous Continental Crashes
Wikipedia Entry About this Event

Listen to AirSafe.com's Initial Report on this Accident

Continental Connection Crash in Buffalo

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For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

15 January 2009; US Airways A320-200, New York, NY: The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight from New York (LaGuardia) to Charlotte, NC The aircraft struck a flock of birds shortly after takeoff and experienced a loss of power to both engines. The crew was able to successfully ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River near midtown Manhattan. The aircraft reached an maximum altitude of about 3200 feet before it began to descend. After ditching, all five crew members and 150 passengers evacuated the aircraft. One passenger sustained serious injuries. This event is not numbered because it is considered a significant event as defined by AirSafe.com. The following pages have background information about the airline, the aircraft model, and other issues related to this crash:
Previous US Airways Crashes
Other Significant A320 Events
Bird Strike Hazards to Aircraft
Jet Airliner Ditching Events
Wikipedia Entry About this Event
Bird Strike Videos
Bird Strike Study from the AirSafe.com Foundation

Listen to AirSafe.com's Initial Report on this Accident

Crash of US Airways Flight 1549

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For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

20 December 2008; Continental Airlines 737-500; Denver, CO: The aircraft, which was on a scheduled flight to Houston's Intercontinental Airport, departed the runway during takeoff and skidded across a taxiway and a service road before coming to rest in a ravine several hundred yards from the runway. The aircraft sustained significant damage, including a post crash fire, separation of one engine and separated and collapsed landing gear. There were about 38 injuries among the 110 passengers and five crew members, including two passengers who were seriously injured. Because this did not involve the death of an airline passenger, this is a significant event as defined by AirSafe.com.
Other Continental Events
Wikipedia Entry About this Event

AirSafe.com's Update on the Accident Investigation

Continental Airlines Accident in Denver

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For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

8 December 2008; USMC F/A-18D; Near San Diego, CA: A US Marine Corps F/A-18D jet based at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station crashed during approach about two miles short of the runway. The pilot successfully ejected, but four people, two children, their mother, and grandmother were killed in one of the two houses destroyed by the jet. No one else on the ground was injured. More details are available on AirSafeNews.com.

Because this did not involve the death of an airline passenger, this is a significant event as defined by AirSafe.com.

USMC F/A-18 Crash in San Diego

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Other Videos from This Crash
Other AirSafe.com Videos.

19 September 2008; Global Exec Aviation Learjet 60; Columbia, SC: Travis Barker, former drummer for the music group Blink-182, Adam Goldstein, more widely known as DJ AM, and two other passengers were in a Learjet 60 aircraft that was on a chartered flight from Columbia, South Carolina to Van Nuys airport in Los Angeles. The crash, which happened shortly before midnight, occurred during takeoff. The crew was unable to stop the aircraft before it departed the runway. The plane struck a series of antennas and lights, crashed through a fence, crossed a nearby highway, and came to rest on an embankment where it burst into flames. The crash and subsequent fire killed both flight crew members and two of the four passengers.

AirSafe.com Audio and Video Podcasts About this Event
Audio: MP3

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

Initial AirSafe.com Report on this Event

For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

More Details on This Event
Other Celebrity Plane Crashes

12 January 2008; Senator Barack Obama; Gulfstream 2; Chicago, IL: United States Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama was a passenger in a Gulfstream 2 aircraft that collided with another aircraft on the ground at Midway Airport in Chicago. Senator Obama, members of his campaign staff, and Secret Service agents had just flown in from Nevada, where he had been campaigning. The left wingtip of the Gulfstream hit the right wingtip if a parked and unoccupied Cessna 208 aircraft. The impact was so minor that no one on the plane noticed any damage until later. Additional Resources
Additional details about the event
Podcast About This Event
Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | Google Video | YouTube

Video Report on this Sen. Obama Incident

For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

11 October 2006; Cirrus SR-20; New York, NY: New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor Tyler Stanger were killed when their aircraft crashed into a 50-story building on the upper east side of Manhattan. There were no fatalities on the ground. Because this event did not cause a passenger fatality on an airliner, it is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com. This event is being treated as a major accident investigation by the NTSB, which is unusual for events involving a single private aircraft. It is likely that this treatment is due to the ongoing security concerns surrounding aircraft crashes into buildings in large U.S. cities.
More Details on the Lidle Accident
Celebrity Plane Crashes
27 August 2006; Delta Connection (Comair) CRJ-100; Lexington, KY: The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Lexington, KY to Atlanta, GA. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, about one half mile (800 m) from the end of the departure runway. The event occurred shortly before sunrise, and there was no reported precipitation at the time of the event. The aircraft took off on a shorter runway that is typically used by smaller private aircraft rather than the airport's main runway.
Two of the three crew members and all 47 passengers were killed.
Fatal events involving Delta Airlines
Fatal events Canadair CRJ aircraft
Fatal events with a sole survivor
19 December 2005; Chalk's Ocean Airways Grumman G-73T Mallard; Miami, FL: The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Miami to the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced an apparent structural failure that resulted in the right wing separating from the aircraft. The aircraft crashed into Biscayne Bay just off Miami Beach.
Both crew members and all 18 passengers, including three infants,were killed.

8 December 2005; Southwest Airlines 737-700; Chicago, IL: The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Baltimore to Chicago's Midway Airport. After landing, the crew was unable to stop the aircraft on the runway, going off the runway, through the airport's barrier fence and onto a nearby street. At some point during this event, the nose wheel collapsed. The aircraft struck at least two vehicles, with the impact causing fatal injuries to a six year old boy who was a passenger in one of the vehicles. None of the five crew members or 95 passengers were seriously injured. This was the first serious accident involving the 737-700. Because this event did not cause a passenger fatality, it is not counted as a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

7 December 2005; American Airlines 757; Miami, Fl: The aircraft had arrived from Medellin, Colombia, and was on a roughly two hour stopover in Miami before continuing to Orlando. It is alleged that one of the passengers, a 44-year old U.S. citizen, claimed to have a bomb in his carry on luggage. Air marshals confronted the man on the jetway and shot him after he appeared to reach into his bag. The man died sometime later as a result of his wounds. No explosive was found in the bag. It was reported that this passenger had previously arrived in Miami on an American flight from Quito, Ecuador and had cleared U.S. customs before boarding the Orlando flight. No one else was injured in this event. This is the first time sine 9/11 that air marshals have fired a weapon on or near an aircraft. Because this passenger death was due at least in part to the deliberate actions of that passenger, this does not constitute a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.
Fatal 757 Events

21 September 2005; JetBlue Airways A320-200; Los Angeles, CA:
Shortly after takeoff on a domestic scheduled flight from Burbank, CA to New York, the crew became aware of a problem with the front landing gear. The wheels on the landing gear were locked in an incorrect position, leading the crew to divert to Los Angeles for an emergency landing. The landing, broadcast live by CNN and many other television networks, was visually spectacular but did not result in any serious damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries among the 140 passengers and six crew members.
This event was not considered an accident by either the FAA or NTSB and is in fact an airliner landing on a malfunctioning landing gear occurs several times a year around the world. This event was considered to be a significant event by AirSafe.com because of the extraordinary media attention paid to the event both during the emergency and in the days following. One reason for the interest was the fact that many of the passengers were able to view live images of their aircraft until shortly before landing.
Fatal Airbus A320 Events

18 March 2005; American Airlines 767; en route from Los Angeles to New York JFK: The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Los Angeles to JFK airport in New York when a passenger allegedly assaulted a flight attendant. The 48 year old passenger was then restrained by the cabin crew using flexible handcuffs. Reportedly, seven passengers also helped to restrain the passenger during the latter stages of the flight. At some point, the passenger had difficulty breathing. After landing at JFK, the unconscious passenger was then taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The New York City medical examiner's office later ruled the death an accident that was caused acute cocaine and alcohol intoxication, which was aggravated by heart trouble. No other crew members or passengers were seriously injured or killed. Because this passenger death was due at least in part to the deliberate actions of that passenger, this does not constitute a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.

28 November 2004; Canadair Challenger; Montrose, CO : The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic flight from Montrose, CO to South Bend, IN. The aircraft crashed during takeoff, reportedly skidded sideways off the runway, going through a fence before hitting a roadway and catching fire. The force of the crash separated the cockpit from the rest of the fuselage. There was light snow and mist reported at the time of the accident. Two of the three crew members and one of the three passengers passengers were killed

Dick Ebersol, president of NBC Sports and the husband of actress Susan Saint James, was seriously injured in the crash. Among the fatalities was the couple's 14-year old son. Reportedly at the time of the crash, misty rain and sleet were falling after a snowstorm and the runway had about a quarter inch of ice and slush. Prior to the fatal flight, the pilot had reportedly declined to have the plane deiced. On the previous leg of the flight, the aircraft had transported Ebersol, Saint James, and two of their children from California to Montrose, CO. Saint James had left the aircraft at Montrose.
Details of the Ebersol Event
19 October 2004; AmericanConnection (Corporate Airlines) BAe Jetstream 32; near Kirksville, MO: The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from St. Louis to Kirksville when it crashed about four miles (6.4 km) south of the destination airport. According to the National Weather Service, visibility was about four miles at the time of the crash, with low clouds created a 300-foot ceiling.
Both crew members and 11 of the 13 passengers were killed.
Fatal American Airlines Events
8 January 2003; US Airways Express Beech 1900; Charlotte, NC:
The aircraft crashed into a maintenance hanger at the airport shortly after it departed for a flight to Greenville, SC. Both pilots and all 19 passengers were killed in the crash. The aircraft was operated for US Airways Express by Air Midwest.
Fatal US Airways/US Airways Express Events
Fatal Beech 1900 Events
NTSB Accident Summary
NTSB Accident Report
Additional NTSB Background Information

18 July 2002; U.S. Forest Service Consolidated-Vultee P4Y; near Estes Park, CO: The aircraft, which was maneuvering to deliver fire retardant on the Big Elk wildfire northwest of Lyons, Colorado, lost control and crashed after the left wing separated in flight. The airplane had flown seven previous air attack missions on the fire that day. Prior to the accident mission, the airplane was loaded with approximately 2,000 gallons of fire retardant, and 550 gallons of fuel. The wings of the aircraft separated from the fuselage near the wing roots just as the crew was finishing dumping its load of fire retardant. According to a pilot in a following aircraft, there was a fire near the fuselage as the wing failed inboard of the number two engine. At the time of the accident, there was no turbulence in the area and Both flight crew members were killed in the crash.
NTSB investigation update of 24 September 2002
Accident information from the NTSB
Fatal PBY event from 1984
Fatal PBY event from 1985

17 June 2002; U.S. Forest Service C130A; near Walker, CA: The aircraft, which was being used in a fire-fighting role, broke apart in flight while executing a fire retardant delivery near Walker, California. The wings of the aircraft separated from the fuselage near the wing roots just as the crew was finishing dumping its load of fire retardant. A fire ignited in the area of the separated wings as the fuselage plunged into the ground. The three flight crew members were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. This aircraft, which had been originally manufactured in 1957, is a former U.S. Air Force aircraft that entered civilian service in 1988. The aircraft over 20,000 flight hours.
NTSB investigation update of 24 September 2002
Accident information from the NTSB
Fire fighting C130A wing separation event from 2000 (France)
Fire fighting C130A wing separation event from 1994 (U.S.)
Photo of aircraft after wing separation, plus related data
Earlier photo of accident aircraft
12 November 2001; American Airlines A300; Queens, New York: The aircraft was on a flight from New York to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic when it crashed into a residential neighborhood just outside JFK airport. The aircraft experienced an in-flight breakup, with the vertical fin and one engine landing away from the main impact site. The crash damaged or destroyed several homes, and killed five people on the ground.
All nine crew members and 251 passengers, including five infants, on the aircraft were killed.
Fatal A300 Events
Fatal American Airlines Events
Accident Investigation Details
11 September 2001; American Airlines 767 (Flight 11); World Trade Center, New York: The aircraft was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles when it was hijacked and flown into one of the World Trade Center Towers. Another jet, a United Airlines 767, was hijacked and crashed into the other tower. Both towers later collapsed.
All 11 crew members, 76 passengers, and five hijackers were killed, as were untold numbers of people on the ground.
Fatal American Airlines Events
Fatal 767 Events
Attack on New York and Washington
11 September 2001; United Airlines 767 (Flight 175); World Trade Center, New York: The aircraft was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles when it was hijacked and flown into one of the World Trade Center Towers. Another jet, an American Airlines 767, was hijacked and crashed into the other tower. Both towers later collapsed.
All nine crew members, 51 passengers, and five hijackers were killed, as were untold numbers of people on the ground.
Fatal United Airlines Events
Fatal 767 Events
Attack on New York and Washington
11 September 2001; American Airlines 757 (Flight 77); The Pentagon, Arlington, VA: The aircraft was on a flight from Dulles to Los Angeles when it was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon, collapsing part of the structure.
All six crew members, 53 passengers, and five hijackers were killed.
Fatal American Airlines Events
Fatal 757 Events
Attack on New York and Washington
11 September 2001; United Airlines 757 (Flight 93); near Pittsburgh, PA: The aircraft was on a flight from Newark to San Francisco when it was hijacked. However, the aircraft crashed outside Pittsburgh.
All seven crew members, 34 passengers, and four hijackers were killed.
Fatal American Airlines Events
Fatal 757 Events
Attack on New York and Washington

29 March 2001; Airborne Charter Gulfstream III; Aspen CO: The private jet was approaching Aspen's Sardy Field after a flight from Los Angeles, CA when it crashed near the airport. There was light snow and fog in the area at the time of the crash and the aircraft was executing an instrument approach at about 7 p.m local time. All three crew members and 15 passengers were killed. Airborne Charter is owned by Cinergi Pictures Entertainment. Cinergi credits include films such as "Die Hard with a Vengence," "Tombstone," "Evita" and "Nixon."
This event did not involve an airline aircraft.
NTSB Accident Synopsis
NTSB Accident Report

27 January 2001; Beechcraft King Air; near Denver, CO: Two Oklahoma State basketball players, an OSU basketball executive and five staffers and broadcasters associated with the program were killed when their plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Jefferson County airport near Denver, CO. The two crew members were also killed. The charted aircraft was bound for Stillwater, Oklahoma when it took off during snowy conditions.
Sports Illustrated report of the accident
Fatal Aircraft Accidents Involving Athletes
31 October 2000; Singapore Airlines 747-400; Taipei, Taiwan:
The aircraft crashed and burned shortly after takeoff Tuesday night in Taipei on a scheduled flight bound for Los Angeles. The aircraft reportedly attempted to take off on a runway that was undergoing repairs and struck construction equipment on the runway. There was rain and wind in the area from an approaching typhoon at the time of the crash.
There were 78 fatalities among the 159 passengers and four fatalities among the 20 crew members on the aircraft.
Crash Details

16 October 2000; Cessna 335; near St. Louis, MO: The governor of Missouri, Mel Carnahan, along with two others were apparently killed in the crash of a small private plane about 25 miles (40 km) south of St. Louis. The aircraft had departed from the St. Louis area about 7 p.m. local time and was transporting the governor to a campaign stop in New Madrid, Missouri. The accident occurred at about 7:30 p.m., shortly after the pilot had reported a problem with one of the aircraft's instruments. The accident occurred at night and there was rain and fog in the area.
NTSB accident report

11 August 2000; Southwest Airlines 737; en route from Las Vegas, NV to Salt Lake City, UT: The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City when about 20 minutes before landing, a 19 year old passenger became belligerent and attempted to enter the cockpit. While being escorted back to his seat, the 19 year old attacked another passenger. A number of other passengers subdued him until the aircraft landed. After landing, the now unconscious passenger was removed from the aircraft and he died several hours later. The medical examiner found traces of drugs in the dead passenger's system, but listed the cause of death as suffocation. The death was classified as a homicide, but none of the passengers involved in the incident were charged with a crime. No other crew members or passengers were seriously injured or killed. Because this passenger death was due at least in part to the deliberate actions of that passenger, this does not constitute a fatal event as defined by AirSafe.com.
25 July 2000; Air France Concorde near Paris, France: The aircraft was on a charter flight from Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris to JFK airport in New York. There was apparently a problem with at least one of the engines, either during takeoff or shortly after takeoff. The aircraft caught fire and crashed into a hotel near the airport.
All 100 passengers and nine crew members were killed. Four people on the ground were also killed.
Related accident details
Air France fatal passenger events since 1970
21 May 2000; Executive Airlines BAe Jetstream 31; near Wilkes-Barre, PA: The aircraft crashed about eight miles (12.8 km) from the airport while maneuvering for its second landing attempt. The second landing was attempted during a period of reduced visibility after a charter flight from Atlantic City, NJ. Both crew members and all 17 passengers were killed.
NTSB accident report
Fatal Jetstream events