On this page you will find profiles of select commercial aviation accidents. These profiles were developed from extensive research of the official accident reports, eye witness accounts and news archives. All accounts are factual and based soley on the known facts of the official record of the accident investigation. Only limited commentary is provided, when appropriate and supported by my aviation safety background.
Air France Concorde (F-BTSC) was operating flight AF4590 from Paris de Gaulle to New York JFK Airport. During takeoff the aircraft struck FOD on the runway which caused a blowout of one of the aircraft's tires. The debris from the disintegrated tire punctured a portion of the wing fuel tank, igniting a fire. The fire and ingested debris caused both port engines to fail and the aircraft was unable to maintain flight and crashed into a hotel on the outskirts of Paris.
Sabena 548, Boeing 707-320 OO-SJB - Berg, Belgium February 15, 1961
Sabena-Belgian World Airlines Boeing 707-320 (OO-SJB) was operating flight SN548 from New York Idlewild to Brussels-Zaventem Airport. During the final approach to the runway the captain experienced control difficulty and aborted the landing. After a series of left hand 360's at about 600 ft. the aircraft's bank angle approached 90 degrees and the aircraft lost altitude rapidly and crashed into the ground.
South African Airways 295, Boeing 747-200B Combi ZS-SAS - Indian Ocean November 28, 1987
South African Airways Boeing 747-200B Combi (ZS-SAS) was operating flight SA295 from Taipei, Taiwan to Johannesburg South Africa with an enroute refueling stop in Mauritius. About 2 hours from landing in Mauritius the flight crew became aware of a fire in the main deck cargo compartment. The attempts to put out the fire were unsuccessful and the resulting damage from the fire caused the airplane to crash into the Indian Ocean.
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The author is an independent aviaion consultant with 7 years of industry experience and holds a Masters Degree in Aviation Safety from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
