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By: BBC
Two plane crashes have occurred in the last two days. A military C-130 Hercules plane carrying 125 people crashed in Colombia, killing 34 people. In New York, Air Canada flight AC8646 collided with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night, killing two pilots and injuring several others.
This is the latest in a series of deadly air crashes. Deep mourning has gripped India after the fatal crash of an Air India flight, bound for London and carrying 242 passengers. The plane crashed on Thursday, June 12, 2025, shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport in western India.
The disaster has claimed the lives of more than 200 people, with initial reports indicating that 204 bodies have been recovered. The number of survivors and those on the ground at the time of the crash is still unknown, as investigations continue to determine the full extent of the tragedy. The plane crashed into a building used as a residence and hospital, with accounts from victims indicating that some survivors escaped by jumping from a second-story window.
Among the passengers, there were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, 7 Portuguese, and 1 Canadian. These latest accidents add to the long list of tragic incidents in the history of aviation, reminding the world of the dangers that exist despite great advances in the sector.
Leaving aside these accidents, these are among the five worst plane crashes in the world, according to various networks including Cartoskills and PTC News.
1. Pan Am Flight 1736 and KLM Flight 4805 – 583 deaths
This disaster, remembered as the worst aviation accident in history, occurred in Tenerife, Canary Islands on March 27, 1977. Two Boeing 747 aircraft collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Canary Islands.
This incident resulted in the deaths of 583 people. Due to the complex interaction of various factors, including organizational influences, environmental conditions, and unsafe practices that led to this accident, the Tenerife disaster has become a textbook example for reviewing the processes and systems used in aviation accident investigation and accident prevention.
2. Japan Airlines Flight 123 – 520 deaths
Japan Airlines Flight 123 was en route from Haneda Airport, Tokyo, to Osaka International Airport, Japan. On Monday, August 12, 1985, the Boeing 747SR aircraft on this flight suddenly exploded 12 minutes into takeoff. 32 minutes later, the aircraft crashed into two peaks of Mount Takamagahara in Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Tokyo, near Mount Osutaka.
3. Saudi Arabian Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 – 349 deaths
This is the deadliest mid-air collision between two aircraft. It occurred over the village of Charkhi Dadri, west of New Delhi, India on 12 November 1996.
The planes involved were a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747-100B flying from Delhi to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 flying from Chimkent, Kazakhstan, to Delhi.
The crash killed all 349 people on board both aircraft, making it the world’s deadliest mid-air collision, the deadliest aviation accident to occur in India, and the third-deadliest plane crash in aviation history.
4. Turkish Airlines Flight 981 – 346 deaths
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 was a scheduled flight from Istanbul Yesilköy Airport to London Heathrow Airport with an intermediate stop at Paris, Orly Airport. On March 3, 1974, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft on the flight crashed into the Ermenonville forest outside Paris, killing all 346 people on board.
At the time, it was the worst airliner accident in aviation history. It remains the fourth-worst airliner accident in aviation history, the second-worst without survivors, the worst single-aircraft accident without survivors, and the second-worst aviation accident in Europe.
5. Air India Flight 182 – 329 deaths
Air India Flight 182 was operating on the Vancouver–Toronto–Montreal–London–Delhi route. On June 23, 1985, the Boeing 747-237B operating the flight was hit by a bomb at an altitude of 31,000 feet (9,400 meters). It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean over Irish airspace.
It was the first major 747 airliner to be blown up. A total of 329 people were killed, including 268 Canadians, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian citizens. The incident was the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.
It was the deadliest terrorist attack involving an aircraft until the September 11, 2001 attacks. It is also cited as the deadliest airliner bombing.
The bombing of Air India Flight 182 occurred at the same time as the bombing of Narita Airport. Investigators believe there was a connection in the planning of the two incidents.
6. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 – 298 deaths
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down in 2014 while en route to Amsterdam from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The crash occurred over Ukraine, which was witnessing a military conflict between government forces and rebels.
The plane had 298 people on board, including citizens of the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries, who lost their lives.
The MH17 crash has become one of the worst aviation accidents related to armed conflict, being offered as an example of the dangers that can arise in conflicts.
7. Iran Air Flight 655 – 290 deaths
Iran Air Flight 655 crashed in 1988 in the Persian Gulf, killing all on board after being mistakenly shot down by the United States.
The plane was en route to Dubai from Tehran and was carrying 290 passengers, all of whom were civilians, including women, children, and various families.
This military mistake sparked widespread grief and anger around the world, leading to further negotiations between Iran and the United States.
The crash of Iran Air 655 is considered one of the worst aviation accidents related to armed conflict, and it demonstrated how military mistakes can affect innocent civilians.
