Some of the most terrifying disasters in human history have occurred in the aviation sector, including deadly mid-air crashes, fatal takeoff failures, and terrorist attacks. Aircraft safety, engineering, and foreign policy were all drastically altered as a result of these disasters, which claimed many lives. With huge body counts, technological failures, or security breaches that altered air travel forever, the following is a list of the deadliest airline accidents, which includes the most recent tragedy involving Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad (2025).
Tenerife Airport Disaster (1977)
Deaths: 583
Summary: As far as aviation accidents go, this one is still the worst. The Canary Islands’ Los Rodeos Airport was the site of a tragic crash between two Aircraft 747 jumbo planes, one belonging to KLM and the other to Pan Am. Because of heavy fog, a failure to communicate with air traffic control, and the captain’s rush to go, the KLM jet started taking off before the Pan Am plane had finished taxiing. Nearly everyone on board perished as both planes went up in flames as a result of the collision. Out of 396 people on board the Pan Am aircraft, just 61 made it to safety.
Japan Airlines Flight 123 (1985)
Deaths: 520
Summary: A Boeing 747SR on a domestic trip from Tokyo to Osaka crashed because of a bad repair from an earlier tail-strike event. The rear pressure bulkhead broke, causing an explosive decompression that ripped off the vertical stabilizer and cut off all four hydraulic systems. The crew tried to steer the plane using engine thrust for 32 minutes, but it crashed onto Mount Takamagahara. The disaster is still the deadliest one that just involved one plane.
Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision (1996)
Deaths: 349
Summary: Approaching New Delhi from 14,000 feet, a Boeing 747 operated by Saudi Arabian Airlines and an Ilyushin Il-76 owned by Kazakhstan Airlines collided. The Kazakh crew flew lower than instructed due to poor communication and limited English proficiency. Both aircraft went down in the sky, wreaking havoc on the farms below. As a result of this incident, TCAS had to be implemented in Indian airspace.
Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (1974)
Deaths: 346
Summary: This DC-10 crashed into the Ermenonville Forest on its way from Paris to London because a design defect caused the back cargo door to burst open mid-flight. The ensuing drop in pressure cut the wires that controlled the elevators and rudders. The manufacturer didn’t do enough to fix problems with the identical cargo door mechanism that had happened before.
Air India Flight 182 (1985)
Deaths: 329
Summary: A bomb placed in checked luggage caused a Boeing 747 aircraft from Canada to India to detonate in the air. The plane broke apart off the coast of Ireland because Sikh militants had planted it as part of a larger terrorist operation. It is still the greatest aircraft accident involving Air India and the worst act of aviation terrorism before 9/11.
Saudia Flight 163 (1980)
Deaths: 301
Summary: A fire broke out in the back cargo hold of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar not long after it took off from Riyadh. The crew came back and landed safely, but they curiously delayed the evacuation. When the doors were opened, all 301 people inside were already too hot and smoky. The disaster showed that there were big holes in the rules for removing and keeping people safe from fire.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (2014)
Deaths: 298
Summary: A surface-to-air missile launched from land held by pro-Russian rebels shot down a Boeing 777 flying over eastern Ukraine. The missile hit the cockpit, killing the crew right away and breaking the plane apart in the air. Everyone on board, including the crew, died. The incident brought attention to the dangers of flying over war zones on commercial planes.
Iran Air Flight 655 (1988)
Deaths: 290
Summary: During rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, the USS Vincennes, a warship of the United States Navy, mistakenly launched a missile at a commercial Airbus A300, thinking it was an Iranian fighter jet. The airliner was in Iranian airspace while traveling on a scheduled trip from Bandar Abbas to Dubai. All the 299 people on board died. Although it did not issue a formal apology, the United States administration did express regret at length.
American Airlines Flight 191 (1979)
Deaths: 273
Summary: The left engine of a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 failed to receive enough maintenance and fell loose from its wing shortly after takeoff from Chicago O’Hare Airport. Damage to the hydraulic lines caused by the malfunctioning engine made steering impossible. The plane went around and crashed into a neighboring field, where it burst into flames. It is the deadliest U.S. airline disaster to this day.
Pan Am Flight 103 (1988)
Deaths: 270
Summary: A terrorist bomb went off in the cargo hold of a Boeing 747 going from London to New York. The plane broke apart in the air above Lockerbie, Scotland. There were 259 individuals on board and 11 persons on the ground who died. The inquiry found that Libyan agents were responsible, which had a lasting impact on geopolitics.
Recent Addition:
Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Summary & Death Toll
Shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Flight AI171) departed Ahmedabad for London. The plane went down in the Meghani area, hitting a building where doctors from BJ Medical College reside.
Confirmed Death Toll: 265 people, including 230 passengers, 2 pilots, and 10 cabin crew. One survivor was found in seat 11A and is under treatment.
Key Highlights:
- The crash occurred minutes after takeoff, the aircraft remained low and struck residential quarters.
- The aircraft was heavily fueled, causing a major explosion and fire.
- Multiple buildings were damaged; many civilians were injured.
- Emergency services and NDRF teams were deployed immediately.
- PM Modi, President Murmu, and other dignitaries expressed condolences.
- Tata Group announced Rs 1 crore compensation per deceased.
- Investigation underway; experts suggest possible dual engine failure or bird strike.
- Airport operations have resumed partially, Vande Bharat trains have been deployed for stranded travelers.