Historical Events tagged with "airplane"

Turns out history loves a label—battles, breakthroughs, and the occasional disaster, all neatly tagged for your browsing pleasure. Because sometimes you just need every weird invention in one place.

Accidents & Tragedies

Widerøe Flight 933 crashes into Barents Sea

March 11th, 1982 43 years ago

Widerøe Flight 933, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, crashed into the Barents Sea near Gamvik, Norway, killing all 15 people on board. The flight was en route from Mehamn to Tromsø when it encountered difficulties in inclement weather conditions leading to the tragic accident.

Continue Reading
Accidents & Tragedies

Turkish Airlines Flight 452 Plane Crash

September 19th, 1976 48 years ago

Turkish Airlines Flight 452, a scheduled flight from Istanbul to Ercan, crashed into the Taurus Mountains near Karatepe, Turkey, due to a combination of navigation errors and poor weather conditions. All 154 passengers and crew members aboard were killed in the incident. The aircraft was a Douglas DC-10, which was operating under challenging circumstances, including reduced visibility. This tragedy prompted significant discussions surrounding flight safety and procedures.

Continue Reading
Accidents & Tragedies

Hijacking and Crash of Air Vietnam Flight 706

September 15th, 1974 50 years ago

Air Vietnam Flight 706 was hijacked while en route from Da Nang to Saigon. The hijackers, armed and determined, took control of the aircraft, leading to a chaotic attempt to land. The situation escalated, resulting in the plane crashing near the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, killing all 75 individuals on board, including passengers and crew.

Continue Reading
Crime & Law

Samuel Byck's Aircraft Hijacking Attempt

February 22nd, 1974 51 years ago

Samuel Byck attempted to hijack a plane at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, intending to crash it into the White House to assassinate President Richard Nixon. Armed with a gun and explosives, Byck took hostages and demanded a flight crew. After a standoff with police, he was shot and subsequently committed suicide.

Continue Reading
Crime & Law

Scandinavian Airlines Hijacking Incident

September 15th, 1972 52 years ago

A Scandinavian Airlines System domestic flight was taken hostage during its journey from Gothenburg to Stockholm. The hijackers forced the aircraft to land in Malmö Bulltofta Airport, creating a tense standoff involving authorities and the passengers. The incident garnered nationwide attention as it unfolded, revealing the heightened vulnerabilities in air travel security at that time.

Continue Reading
Crime & Law

D. B. Cooper Hijacks Plane for Ransom

November 24th, 1971 53 years ago

In a daring act of hijacking, a man identifying himself as Dan Cooper boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines flight in Washington state, claiming to possess a bomb. He demanded $200,000 in ransom, which was successfully delivered once the flight landed. After releasing the passengers, he instructed the flight crew to take off again. During a severe thunderstorm, Cooper parachuted out of the plane with the ransom money, disappearing without a trace. Despite extensive investigations, he has never been found.

Continue Reading
Accidents & Tragedies

Aeroflot Flight N-63 Crashes Near Vinnytsia

November 12th, 1971 53 years ago

Aeroflot Flight N-63, a domestic passenger flight, tragically crashed while approaching Vinnytsia Airport in Ukraine. The incident occurred when the aircraft faced challenges during landing, leading to a catastrophic failure that resulted in the loss of 48 lives. The reasons behind the crash involved a combination of pilot error and adverse weather conditions, culminating in this devastating air disaster.

Continue Reading
Accidents & Tragedies

LANSA Flight 502 Fatal Crash Post-Takeoff

August 9th, 1970 54 years ago

LANSA Flight 502 crashed shortly after takeoff from Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco, Peru, killing 99 of the 100 passengers onboard along with two individuals on the ground. The crash occurred due to adverse weather conditions and an almost immediate loss of control of the aircraft. The tragic event highlights the importance of aviation safety and regulation in mountainous regions, where weather can pose significant challenges.

Continue Reading
Accidents & Tragedies

Aeroflot Flight 2230 crash at Koltsovo Airport

November 16th, 1967 57 years ago

Aeroflot Flight 2230, a domestic flight, crashed shortly after takeoff from Koltsovo Airport in Sverdlovsk, Russia, resulting in the deaths of 107 people on board. The aircraft, a Tupolev Tu-104, was en route to the city of Leningrad when it encountered severe turbulence and began to lose altitude rapidly. Despite the crew's attempts to regain control, the plane crashed just a few kilometers from the airport, highlighting the challenges of flying in adverse weather conditions.

Continue Reading