Most crashes happen because of human negligence. When we board a plane, we put the safety of our lives in the hands of the pilot and hope they would do their job just perfectly.
The truth is that over the years the world witnessed horrific plane crashes that could be easily avoided had it not been for the mistakes made by the pilots.
Aeroflot Flight 593, 1994
The Tragic Crash of Aeroflot Flight 593
On March 23, 1994, tragedy struck when an Aeroflot flight traveling from Moscow to Hong Kong crashed in Siberia, killing all 75 people on board.
Investigations later revealed that the crash resulted from a critical error made by the relief pilot, Yaroslav Kudrinsky. In a shocking lapse of judgment, he allowed his children—12-year-old Yana and 15-year-old Eldar—into the cockpit and let them sit in the captain’s chair.
At first, the children’s interactions with the controls had no impact, as the plane was in autopilot mode. However, when Eldar unknowingly held the control column down for 30 seconds, it forced the aircraft into manual control, altering its flight path.
By the time the captain and co-pilots realized what had happened, the Airbus A310 was already in an uncontrollable descent. As panic set in, Kudrinsky frantically ordered his children to leave the cockpit.
“Go to the back! Go to the back, Eldar!” he shouted. “You see the danger, don’t you?”
The black box recording captured the sheer desperation in his voice as he tried to reassure his crew: “Get out now! All is normal.” But by then, recovering the aircraft was impossible.
The plane crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range, leaving behind a devastating lesson on the dangers of cockpit interference.
TransAsia Airways Flight 235, 2015
The Tragic Crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 235
In February 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235 met a devastating fate when it struck a highway bridge in Taiwan before crashing into the Keelung River.
The accident occurred just moments after takeoff from Taipei’s Songshan Airport. Investigations later revealed that one of the plane’s engines lost power. In a tragic mistake, the pilot accidentally shut down the only functioning engine, leaving the aircraft without thrust.
The crash claimed the lives of 48 passengers, while 15 miraculously survived.
The pilot’s chilling final words, recorded in the cockpit, were: “Wow, pulled back the wrong side throttle.”
Tuninter Flight 1153, 2009
After the plane flying for Bari, Italy, from Djerba, Tunisia ran out of fuel because of a mechanical error, the pilot and the co-pilot prayed instead of putting emergency procedures into place. As a result, the plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
A couple of years later, the pilot and the co-pilot were found guilty over the death of sixteen passengers on their flight and were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
As per the Guardian, the pilot, Captain Shafik Al Gharbi, was heard calling for the help of “Allah and Muhammad his prophet.”
Evidence showed that the crew did try to regain control over the plane, but they ultimately panicked and let the crash to take place. 23 of the passengers survived after being pulled out of the water.
KLM and Pan Am collision
One of the deadliest accidents in the history of aviation occurred in March 1977. Two Boeing 747s – KLM Flight 1736 and Pan Am Flight 1736 – smashed into one another at Tenerife Airport.
This horrific accident resulted in the deaths of 583 people.
The reason that led to this tragedy was miscommunication between the KLM flight crew and Air Traffic Control.
While the Pan Am plane still being on the runway, the KLM plane attempted takeoff. Dense fog obscured visibility, preventing both aircraft from seeing each other.
Airblue Flight 202, Islamabad
On July 28, 2010, this domestic passenger flight crashed near Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. It resulted in the deaths of all 146 passengers and six crew members.
It is believed that this tragedy could have been avoided had the co-pilot questioned the repeated errors of the pilot.
As per the Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, the co-pilot had endured humiliation from his superior throughout the flight, leading to a loss of self-esteem.
The captain’s behavior towards the co-pilot was “harsh and snobbish.” He even disregarded the weather warnings from Air Traffic Control. Unfortunately, the co-pilot failed to challenge the captain as the situation unfolded. Struggling against severe monsoon weather, the captain succumbed to panic. Ultimately, he lost control of the aircraft, with the co-pilot failing to intervene. This resulted in the plane crashing into the Margalla Hills.
Air Florida Flight 90, 1982
The many errors, including the one of failing to switch on the de-icing system, led the Air Florida Flight 90, from Washington DC to Florida’s Fort Lauderdale, end with a crash into the Potomac River, killing 74 people.
Taking off in a snowstorm, the crew initially attempted to address ice buildup by employing a misguided technique of using reverse thrust, rather than returning to the gate for proper de-icing procedures. Further, they failed to abort the takeoff despite detecting a power issue.
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, 1972
The Tragic Crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401
On December 29, 1972, just days after Christmas, an Eastern Airlines Tristar jet tragically crashed into the Florida Everglades.
During the flight from New York’s JFK to Miami, the pilot and co-pilot became distracted by a faulty landing gear indicator light. As they focused on troubleshooting the issue, someone accidentally bumped a lever, unknowingly disengaging the autopilot.
By the time the crew realized the plane was losing altitude, it was too late.
The crash claimed 101 lives, including the captain, while 75 people survived.
This heartbreaking tragedy serves as a reminder of how small mistakes can lead to devastating consequences.
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