In aviation jargon, a plane accident describes any event that results in injuries, fatalities, or damage to the aircraft. By contrast, an incident covers any situation that could have turned disastrous but didn’t. For example, a crash qualifies as an accident, while a cockpit display failure that never leads to a crash is merely an incident.
The Top 10 Freak Airplane Incidents
10. Brocklesby Midair Collision
On September 29, 1940, two Royal Australian Air Force Avro Anson trainers collided high above Brocklesby, New South Wales, during a routine exercise. The lower aircraft’s pilot and reconnaissance officer bailed out immediately, as did the reconnaissance officer from the upper plane.
This left only Leading Aircraftman Leonard Fuller, the pilot of the upper aircraft, on board. Rather than spiraling into a fatal dive, the two planes remained locked together, one perched atop the other.
Although the upper plane’s engines had quit, the lower aircraft’s power kept both machines airborne. Fuller quickly realized he could control the lower engines simply by maneuvering his own aircraft.
Using this unconventional setup, he guided the coupled pair for roughly 8 kilometres (5 mi) before safely landing at Brocklesby. The lower aircraft was written off after the landing, while the upper one was repaired and returned to service.
9. British Airways Flight 5390
On June 10, 1990, British Airways Flight 5390 was cruising from Birmingham to Málaga when its cockpit windshield catastrophically shattered at over 5,200 m (17,000 ft). The sudden decompression sucked Captain Timothy Lancaster out of his seat belt, but flight attendant Nigel Ogden grabbed his waist and prevented a full‑blown ejection.
Simultaneously, Lancaster’s legs struck the controls, disengaging the autopilot and sending the aircraft into a dive. The first officer managed to pull the plane out of the plunge, yet half of Lancaster’s body remained draped over the cockpit canopy. The pressure differential also began pulling Ogden toward the opening, and a second crew member clutched his belt to keep him on board.
With Lancaster’s face pounding the shattered windshield, the crew debated whether to release him, fearing he might be sucked into the engine. Ultimately, they held on, and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Southampton, where Lancaster survived with fractures and frostbite. No other major injuries were reported.
8. Philippine Airlines Flight 812
On May 25, 2000, Philippine Airlines Flight 812, carrying 278 passengers and 13 crew, was hijacked in a D.B. Cooper‑style stunt by gun‑wielding Augusto Lakandula. He ordered the pilots to return to Davao, then demanded they lower altitude so he could jump.
Before leaping, Lakandula robbed passengers of cash and begged the crew to teach him how to use his makeshift parachute. One pilot noticed the parachute lacked a rip cord and fashioned a replacement from a curtain sash. After depressurizing the cabin and opening the rear door, a crew member pushed Lakandula out; he vanished with his gun and a single shoe.
Lakandula never survived the jump. His remains were later discovered in a forest, while the stolen money vanished. The parachute apparently deployed initially but failed, sending him plummeting to his death.
7. Israeli Air Force F-15 And A-4 Midair Collision
During a 1983 mock dogfight over Israel’s Negev desert, an F‑15 Eagle collided with an A‑4 Skyhawk. The impact ignited an explosion, and the Skyhawk pilot ejected safely.
The F‑15 entered a rapid spin, hurtling toward the ground. Trainee pilot Zivi Nedivi ignored orders to bail out, attempting to regain control despite the aircraft having lost its right wing.
Amazingly, Nedivi managed to land the crippled jet at a nearby base, only realizing the extent of the damage after shaking his instructor’s hand. Even McDonnell Douglas initially claimed a one‑winged F‑15 couldn’t stay aloft. The fighter received a replacement wing and returned to service within two months.
6. Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870
On June 27, 1980, Aerolinee Itavia Flight 870 vanished over the Mediterranean en route from Bologna to Palermo, crashing near Ustica Island and killing all 77 passengers and four crew. The cause remains a contentious mystery dubbed the “Ustica Massacre.”
Initial theories ranged from mechanical failure to terrorism, but a 1989 commission concluded the aircraft was shot down by a missile. Italian President Francesco Cossiga controversially claimed a French missile was responsible, despite evidence pointing to an Italian weapon.
Speculation grew that the plane was caught in crossfire between NATO and Libyan jets, especially after a Libyan MiG‑23 wreckage was found in Calabria weeks later. Five Italian Air Force officials linked to the case died under suspicious circumstances. In 2011, an Italian civil tribunal ruled the aircraft was missile‑struck and ordered the government to pay €100 million for the cover‑up.
5. British Airways Flight 009
On June 24, 1982, British Airways Flight 009 departed Kuala Lumpur for Perth when, while cruising over Java, all four engines flamed out. Captain Eric Moody first noticed smoke rising from the cabin floor, followed by a peculiar glow—St. Elmo’s fire—on the windshields.
St. Elmo’s fire, caused by static electricity, illuminated the front of the engines as they appeared to burn internally. One after another, the engines failed, turning the Boeing 747 into a massive glider with 247 souls aboard.
Moody calmly informed passengers of the loss, urging them to stay composed while he and his first officer worked to restart the engines. After about 15 minutes, all four engines sputtered back to life, and the aircraft diverted to Jakarta for an emergency landing.
Investigations revealed volcanic ash from Mount Galunggung had clogged the engines. The ash solidified enough after a brief period, allowing the crew to restart the turbines and bring the aircraft safely down.
4. Uberlingen Midair Collision
On July 1, 2002, a Russian Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev 154, carrying 69 passengers—including 45 students—collided mid‑air with a DHL Boeing 757 cargo plane above the German town of Uberlingen.
The tragedy stemmed from conflicting commands: the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) instructed the DHL aircraft to descend and the Tupolev to climb, but Swiss controller Peter Nielsen, unaware of the cargo plane, ordered the Tupolev to descend as well.
The resulting collision killed everyone aboard the Tupolev and both pilots of the DHL plane. The disaster was blamed on Swiss ATC, which had its collision‑avoidance system disabled and was staffed by a single controller that night.
Among the victims was Russian architect Vitaly Kaloyev, who lost his wife and two children. Consumed by grief, Kaloyev tracked down Nielsen’s address and stabbed the controller to death, seeking personal vengeance.
3. Helios Airways Flight 522
On August 14, 2005, Helios Airways Flight 522 departed Cyprus for Prague, only to crash in Greece, killing all 121 aboard. Post‑crash analysis showed that the cabin had become hypoxic, rendering passengers and crew unconscious hours before impact.
Technicians had inadvertently left a critical air‑conditioning setting unchanged, causing reduced oxygen levels. When the cabin alarm sounded, the pilots misinterpreted the warning, failing to recognize the hypoxia.
The aircraft, still on autopilot, continued climbing despite the automatic deployment of oxygen masks. Locked bullet‑proof cockpit doors—standard after 9/11—prevented crew from accessing the cockpit. Two Hellenic Air Force F‑16s intercepted the plane, and one pilot reported seeing flight attendant Andreas Prodromou enter the cockpit, but the aircraft soon ran out of fuel and crashed. Autopsies revealed many occupants were alive but unconscious at impact.
2. US Navy KA-6D Partial Ejection
On July 9, 1991, a US Navy KA‑6D tanker launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln for a mid‑air refueling drill. The crew consisted of Lieutenant Mark Baden (pilot) and Lieutenant Keith Gallagher (bombardier/navigator).
Minutes after takeoff, Gallagher’s ejection seat fired, but he became trapped between the aircraft’s glass canopy and the cabin. His upper body pierced the canopy, exposing him to fierce winds, while his lower half remained inside, helmet knocked off.
Gallagher attempted a second ejection, but the parachute had tangled around the tail fin, preventing deployment. After six tense minutes, Baden executed a safe landing, finally realizing the severity of the incident.
For his decisive actions, Baden earned an Air Medal. Gallagher suffered shoulder damage and temporary paralysis, sidelining him for six months.
1. EgyptAir Flight 990
On October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990 took off from New York en route to Cairo, only to disintegrate while still over U.S. airspace, killing all 217 passengers and crew.
The U.S. authorities concluded that the breakup resulted from structural stress after a pilot, Gamil el‑Batouty, allegedly attempted suicide by forcing the aircraft into a steep dive. Captain Ahmed el‑Habashi reportedly wrested control, pulling the plane back to 7,300 m (24,000 ft), where it ultimately fractured from the stress.
Egyptian officials reject the suicide theory, insisting the aircraft was brought down by a timed bomb allegedly deployed by Israel’s Mossad, targeting 34 generals and 20 pilots returning from U.S. training. The controversy endures, with competing narratives and lingering questions.