A plane is a machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the gravity by using the Dynamic Lift of an airfoil. Common examples of aircraft include airships, helicopters, and airplanes. Planes are of different size, some weigh up to 600 tonnes and measure a length of 75 meters. Although plane crashes are sporadic, they are considered fatal as passengers on board rarely survive. The world has experienced some deadly crashes, here is a list of the top three plane crashes that have shaken the world.
1. Tenerife Airport Disaster, 583 dead
According to Aviation Disasters, the worst plane crash in history occurred On March 27, 1977, killing 535 passengers. The collision occurred when a Boeing 747 passenger jets, Pan Am Flight 1736 and KLM Flight 4805 collided on the runway at Tenerife North Airport ( previously known as Los Rodeos Airport), on the island of Spain. Both planes had been diverted to the airport as their destination port had experienced a terrorist attack. Bad weather and congestion of aircraft at Tenerife airport made communication from the control tower difficult. The poor communication made crews of KLM take off without a takeoff clearance from the air traffic control, On the other hand, the Pam Am Flight was landing using the same runway as KLM.
The two met in a head to head collision killing 569 passengers and 14 crew.
2. Japan Airlines Flight 123, 520 dead
According to the Guardian, a Japanese Boeing 747SR airline crashed, killing 520 passengers, on August 12, 1985. The plane took off at 6:12 PM and after 12 minutes of flight, it suffered an explosive decompression.
The pilot broadcasted a distress signal to the Tokyo Area Control Center and he was directed to make an emergency landing at Nagoya Airport. Although the decision to land at Nagoya airport was safe, it was too late because the plane had begun up and down oscillation. The pilots tried to stabilize the flight using differential engine thrust, but it was unsuccessful.
After descending 20,000 feet, the plane moved into the mountains and became undetectable from the radar at 6:56 p.m. The plane crashed after its left-wing trimmed a mountain edge, only a bomb-like sound was recorded on the black box, and all 524 passengers died.
3. Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision, 349 dead
According to the New York Times, two aircraft crashed at Charkhi Dadri, India on November 12, 1996, killing 349 passengers. The accident involved a Saudi Boeing 747-100B and a Kazakhstan Ilyushin II-76 Airline. The planes met head-on, in mid-air. After the investigation, it was concluded that the Kazakhstanian craft was frying on the wrong flight corridor and both crafts were flying at an equal altitude of 14000 feet. All the 349 passengers on board and crew died. The Indian government call for a six-day mourning period.
