List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Commercial Aircraft (Falling Skies)

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft between 1919 and 2018. This page is part of the Falling Skies timeline.

1919

 * July 21 – The Goodyear dirigible Wingfoot Air Express catches fire and crashes into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago, Illinois, while carrying passengers to a local amusement park, killing thirteen people: three out of the five on board and ten others on the ground, with 27 others on the ground being injured.
 * August 2 – A Caproni Ca.48 crashes at Verona, Italy, during a flight from Venice to Taliedo, Milan, killing all on board (14, 15, or 17 people, according to different sources).

1920

 * December 14 – A Handley Page Transport Handley Page O/400 hits a tree and crashes at Golders Green, London, after failing to gain height following takeoff, killing four out of eight on board.

1922

 * April 7 – In the first mid-air collision of airliners, a de Havilland DH.18A, G-EAWO, operated by Daimler Hire Ltd., collides with a Farman F.60 Goliath, F-GEAD, operated by Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens (CGEA), over the Thieulloy-St. Antoine road near Picardie, France, killing all seven people on both aircraft.

1923

 * September 14 – A Daimler Airway de Havilland DH.34 crashes at Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, England, after stalling while attempting an emergency landing, killing all five on board.

1926

 * August 18 – An Air Union Blériot 155 crashes while attempting an emergency landing at College Farm, Hurst, Aldington, England, due to engine failure, killing three of 15 on board; the pilot initially survives, but dies a day later.

1929

 * June 17 – An Imperial Airways Handley Page W.10 ditches in the English Channel due to engine failure, killing seven of 13 on board.
 * November 6 – A Junkers G 24 crashes near Marden Park, Godstone, Surrey, England; of the 8 on board; only one passenger survives.

1930

 * February 10 – An Air Union Farman F.63 Goliath crashes during an emergency landing at Marden Airfield, Marden, Kent, England, following failure of the right tailplane, killing two of six on board.
 * October 5 – On its maiden voyage from England to British India, the British civil airship R101 crashes and burns in Allonne, Oise, France, while flying at low altitude at night in a rainstorm, killing 48 out of 54 on board, the worst civil airship disaster in history.

1931

 * March 21 – An Australian National Airways Avro 618 Ten, Southern Cloud, disappears in severe weather on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne, killing all eight on board in Australia's first significant airline disaster; the crash site in the Snowy Mountains remains undiscovered until 1958.
 * March 31 – A Transcontinental & Western Air Fokker F-10 Trimotor crashes near Bazaar, Kansas, after a wing breaks off in flight, killing all eight aboard, including University of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne.

1933

 * March 28 – The 1933 Imperial Airways Dixmude crash in Belgium of an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy II is the first suspected case of air sabotage; all 15 on board are killed.
 * October 10 – The United Airlines crash near Chesterton: a Boeing 247 is destroyed by a bomb over Chesterton, Indiana, United States, in the first proven case of air sabotage on a commercial aircraft; all seven on board are killed.
 * December 30 – In the 1933 Imperial Airways Ruysselede crash in Belgium, an Avro Ten collides with a radio mast, killing all 10 on board.

1934

 * February 23 - A United Air Lines Boeing 247 crashes into a Utah canyon in bad weather, killing all eight on board.
 * May 9 – An Air France Wibault 282T crashes into the English Channel off Dungeness, Kent, killing all six on board.
 * July 27 – A Swissair Curtiss T-32 Condor II crashes near Tuttlingen, Germany, after a wing separates in a thunderstorm, killing all 12 passengers and crew on board.
 * October 2 – A Hillman's Airways de Havilland Dragon Rapide crashes into the English Channel off Folkestone, Kent, due to pilot error, killing all seven on board.

1935

 * May 6 - TWA Flight 6, a Douglas DC-2 flying from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Kansas City, Missouri, flying at low altitude through poor visibility at night while desperately low on fuel, crashes near Atlanta, Missouri, killing five out of thirteen on board, including a U.S. Senator. The political aftermath transforms U.S. civil air regulation.
 * October 7 – United Airlines Trip 4, a Boeing 247D, crashes near Silver Crown, Wyoming, United States, due to pilot error; all 12 on board die.
 * December 10 – A SABENA Savoia-Marchetti S.73 crashes near Tatsfield, Surrey, England, due to pilot error, killing all 11 on board.

1936

 * June 16 – In the Havørn Accident, a Norwegian Air Lines Junkers Ju 52 crashes into Lihesten mountain in Hyllestad, Norway, killing all seven on board.
 * August 5 – Chicago and Southern Flight 4, a Lockheed Model 10 Electra, crashes after takeoff due to pilot error, killing all eight on board.
 * December 9 – A KLM Douglas DC-2 crashes on takeoff from Croydon Airport, England; 15 of 17 on board die.
 * December 27 – United Airlines Trip 34, a Boeing 247, crashes at Rice Canyon (near Newhall, California, United States) due to pilot error, killing all 12 on board.

1937

 * January 12 – Western Air Express Flight 7, a Boeing 247, crashes into a mountain near Newhall, California, United States. Five of the 13 people aboard die, including famed adventurer, author and filmmaker, Martin Johnson.
 * May 6 – The Zeppelin Hindenburg bursts into flames and crashes while attempting a landing at Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States; of the 97 people on board, 35 are killed; one person on the ground also dies.
 * November 16 – A Sabena Junkers Ju 52 crashes near Ostend, Belgium, killing all 11 on board, including the Grand Duke Georg Donatus and Grand Duchess Cecilie of Hesse.

1938

 * January 10 – Northwest Airlines Flight 2, a Lockheed L14H Super Electra, crashes near Bozeman, Montana, United States, killing all 10 on board; the machine with which the manufacturer measured component vibration is found to be inaccurate, causing the aircraft to be more prone to flutter than thought.
 * H.86 crashes on takeoff from Jersey Airport due to pilot error; all 13 passengers and crew die as well as one person on the ground.

1939

 * January 13 – Northwest Airlines Flight 1, a Lockheed L14H Super Electra, crashes on descent to Miles City, Montana, United States, killing all four on board; the aircraft's cross-feed fuel valve leaked fuel into the cockpit and an intense fire broke out.
 * January 21 – Imperial Airways Short Empire flying boat Cavalier makes an emergency landing 285 mi southeast of New York in the North Atlantic due to loss of power and later sinks; three of 12 on board die.
 * August 13 – A Pan Am Sikorsky S-43 crashes into Guanabara Bay, Brazil, due to loss of control following engine failure, killing 12 of 14 on board.

1940

 * June 14 – In the Kaleva shootdown, an Aero Junkers Ju 52 en route from Tallinn, Estonia to Helsinki, Finland, is shot down by two Soviet bombers over the Gulf of Finland during peacetime; all nine aboard die.
 * August 31 – In the Lovettsville air disaster, Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19, a Douglas DC-3A, crashes at Lovettsville, Virginia, United States, killing all 25 on board.
 * November 8 – A Deutsche Luft Hansa Junkers Ju 90 crashes near Schönteichen, Saxony, Germany, after ice formed on the tail, killing all 29 passengers and crew on board.

1941

 * February 26 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-3, crashes while descending to land at Atlanta, Georgia, United States, killing eight of 16 aboard; World War I hero and Eastern Air Lines president Eddie Rickenbacker is among the survivors.
 * October 30 – American Airlines Flight 1 a Douglas DC-3, stalled and crashed at Lawrence Station, Ontario, Canada while attempting to find a place to land, killing all 20 on board; the cause of the crash was not determined.
 * October 30 – Northwest Airlines Trip 5, a Douglas DC-3, crashed at Moorhead, Minnesota in fog due to icing; of the 15 on board, only the pilot survived.

1942

 * October 23 – American Airlines Flight 28, a Douglas DC-3, crashes near Palm Springs, California, United States, after being struck by a U.S. Army Air Corps Lockheed B-34 bomber; all 12 aboard the airliner die, while the bomber lands safely with minor damage.

1943

 * January 21 – Pan Am Flight 1104, a Martin M-130 nicknamed the Philippine Clipper, crashes into a mountain near Boonville, California, United States, killing all 19 passengers and crew, including Rear Admiral Robert H. English, Commander, Submarines, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC).

1944

 * February 10 – American Airlines Flight 2, a Douglas DC-3, crashes into the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Tennessee, United States, for reasons unknown, killing all 24 occupants (21 passengers and three crew members).

1946

 * January 6 – Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 105, a Douglas DC-3, crashes in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, killing three of the four crew members; the flight attendant and all 16 passengers survive.
 * March 10 – The 1946 Australian National Airways DC-3 crash near Hobart, Tasmania, kills all 25 on board.
 * July 11 – TWA Flight 513, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation, crashes near Reading, Pennsylvania, United States, after a fire in the baggage compartment; of the six crew on board, only one survives.
 * August 7 – British European Airways Flight 530, a Douglas C-47, crashes into Mistberget mountain near Eidsvoll, Norway; killing three of five crew; all 10 passengers survived.
 * October 3 – An American Overseas Airlines Douglas C-54 crashes into mountainous terrain after takeoff from Stephenville, Newfoundland, killing all 39 passengers and crew on board.
 * November 14 – In the 1946 KLM Douglas DC-3 Amsterdam accident, a Douglas DC-3 crashes while attempting to land at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands; all 26 passengers and crew on board are killed.
 * December 19 – In the 1946 Railway Air Services Dakota crash, a Douglas DC-3 crashes shortly after taking off from Northolt Airport, England and comes to rest on top of a house. All 5 occupants survive the crash without injury.
 * December 28 – TWA Flight 6963, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation, crashes near Shannon Airport due to an inaccurate altimeter caused by maintenance errors, killing nine of 23 on board.

1947

 * January 11 – The 1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 crash: a BOAC Douglas C-47A crashes into Barley Hill near Stowting, Kent, United Kingdom, due to fuel starvation, killing eight of 16 on board.
 * January 12 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 665 Douglas C-49 flies into high ground near Galax, Virginia, when the pilot loses his bearings, killing all but one of 19 aboard.
 * January 25 – In the 1947 Croydon Dakota accident, a Spencer Airways Douglas C-47A fails to get airborne at Croydon Airport, United Kingdom, and crashes into a parked ČSA aircraft; 12 of the 22 on board are killed.
 * January 26 – In the 1947 KLM Douglas DC-3 Copenhagen accident, a Douglas DC-3 crashes shortly after takeoff from Kastrup Airport in Denmark; all 22 passengers and crew on board are killed.
 * February 15 – An Avianca Douglas DC-4 crashes into Mount El Tabalazo due to pilot error, killing all 53 passengers and crew on board.
 * May 29 – United Airlines Flight 521, a Douglas DC-4, crashes on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, New York, United States, due to pilot error; 42 of 48 on board die.
 * May 30 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 605, a Douglas DC-4, loses control and crashes near Bainbridge, Maryland, United States, killing all 53 passengers and crew on board in the deadliest airliner crash in United States history at the time.
 * June 13 – Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 410, a Douglas DC-4, crashes into Lookout Rock, in the West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains of the United States en route from Pittsburgh to Washington DC; all 50 passengers and crew are killed.
 * June 19 – Pan Am Flight 121, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation, crashes in the Syrian desert, en route from Karachi to Istanbul, killing 14 of the 36 on board.
 * August 2 – In the 1947 BSAA Star Dust accident, a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian named Star Dust disappears over the Andes after transmitting an enigmatic coded message ("STENDEC"); the fate of the plane remained a mystery until the crash site was located in 2000; four crew and nine passengers are killed.
 * August 28 – In the Kvitbjørn disaster, a Norwegian Air Lines Short Sandringham flying boat struck a mountain near Lødingsfjellet, Norway, killing all 35 on board.
 * October 24 – United Airlines Flight 608, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near Bryce Canyon Airport, Utah, United States, when fire caused by a design flaw destroys the aircraft; all 52 on board die in the first hull loss of the DC-6.

1949

 * January 17 – In the BSAA Star Ariel disappearance, a British South American Airways Avro Tudor IV disappears without a trace en route from Bermuda to Jamaica with 20 on board. The loss of the aircraft, along with the 1948 BSAA Star Tiger disappearance remain unsolved to this day, with the resulting speculation helping to develop the Bermuda Triangle legend.
 * February 19 – A British European Airways Douglas Dakota collides with a RAF Avro Anson over Exhall, Warwickshire, killing all 14 on board both aircraft.
 * March 10 – A Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crashes on takeoff from Coolangatta airstrip, killing all 21 on board.
 * May 4 – In the Superga air disaster, an Italian Airlines Fiat G.212 CP carrying the Torino football team crashes into the Superga hills near Turin, killing all 31 on board.
 * June 7 – In the 1949 Strato-Freight Curtiss C-46A crash, a Curtiss Wright C-46A-50 Modified D, crashes into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Of the 81 passengers and crew on board, 53 are killed.
 * July 2 – A MacRobertson Miller Airlines Douglas DC-3 crashes on takeoff from Perth, Western Australia, killing all 18 on board.
 * July 12 – Standard Air Lines Flight 897R, a Curtiss C-46, crashes at Chatsworth, California, due to pilot error, killing 35 of 48 on board.
 * August 19 – A British European Airways Douglas DC-3 crashes into a hillside near Oldham, United Kingdom; of the 32 on board, only eight survive.
 * September 9 – Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 108, a Douglas DC-3, explodes over Cap Tourmente near Sault-au-Cochon, Quebec, due to a bomb planted by Albert Guay; all four crew members and 19 passengers on board are killed.