The world's worst air crash occurred at the Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. This catastrophic event, known as the Tenerife airport disaster, took place on March 27, 1977.
The Tenerife Airport Disaster
The collision involved two Boeing 747 passenger jets: KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736. It remains the deadliest accident in aviation history, with a staggering 583 fatalities. The crash resulted from a series of unfortunate circumstances, including dense fog, miscommunications, and a high-traffic situation at the small regional airport due to diversions from a bomb threat at another nearby airport.
Details of One Involved Aircraft
One of the aircraft involved in this tragic event was a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight. Key details for this particular aircraft are summarized below:
| Detail | Description |
|---|---|
| Registration | PH-BUF |
| Flight Origin | Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands |
| Destination | Gran Canaria Airport, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands |
| Occupants | 248 |
This particular aircraft had 248 occupants on board, all of whom perished in the collision. The other aircraft, Pan Am Flight 1736, carried 396 people, with 335 fatalities and 61 survivors.
Significance
The Tenerife disaster led to significant changes in international air safety regulations and procedures, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, standard phraseology, and improved cockpit resource management to prevent similar tragedies. It stands as a stark reminder of the complexities and potential dangers in air travel, even with highly advanced technology and rigorous safety protocols.
For more information on this pivotal event in aviation history, you can refer to the Tenerife airport disaster on Wikipedia.
