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→Accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft: Moved flight 1121 from structural failures to section on control system failures, since it was a control cable failure. Added brief descriptor for each category/section. Added Aeromexico after the PSA entry. Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit |
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==Accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft==
Incidents where disabled, damaged, and/or failed control systems were a significant or primary cause of the accident.
===Controls damaged by engine failure===
In these incidents, a failure of propulsion systems (engine, fan, propeller, pumps) caused damage to control systems. ‘’(Engine mounting failures are covered under structural failures, below).’’
*[[Eastern Air Lines Flight 935]], a [[Lockheed L-1011 TriStar]], on September 22, 1981. Suffered an uncontained failure of the No. 2 engine on takeoff from Newark, New Jersey. The crew were able to land the aircraft safely at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] with some limited use of the outboard spoilers, the inboard ailerons and the horizontal stabilizer, plus the differential engine power of the remaining two engines.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR82-05.pdf |title=Aircraft Accident Report |access-date=2014-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615031242/http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR82-05.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-15 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
*[[Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8]], a [[Lockheed L-188 Electra]], on 8 June 1983. Flying over [[Cold Bay, Alaska]], the plane's number 4 engine propeller detached itself from the engine and cut a hole in the plane as it flew underneath it. The resultant damage inflicted by the propeller caused an explosive decompression, severed cables connected to the plane's throttles and control surfaces and left the flight deck crew of three with only autopilot that had no lateral control. After managing to wrench the ailerons and elevators into minimal working condition, the crew tried to land at Anchorage at high speed. They had to make a go-around, but landed on the second attempt, saving all 10 passengers on board.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001214X43286 |title=DCA83AA029 |publisher=Ntsb.gov |date=1983-06-08 |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref>
*[[LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055]], an [[Ilyushin Il-62]]M, on 9 May 1987. According to the Polish investigatory commission, the cause of the crash was the disintegration of an engine shaft due to faulty bearings inside engine No. 2, which seized, causing extensive heat. This in turn caused the consequent damage to engine No. 1, [[rapid decompression]] of the fuselage, and a fire in the cargo hold, as well as the loss of elevator controls and progressive electrical failures. Zygmunt Pawlaczyk decided to return to [[Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport|Warsaw Okecie Airport]] using only [[trim tab]]s to control the flight of the aircraft. He lost his struggle to land about 5 km from the runway in the Kabacki Forest. All 172 passengers and 11 crew members perished.<ref>Gero 1997, p. 199.</ref>
*[[United Airlines Flight 232]], a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], on 19 July 1989. A fan disk in the No. 2 engine fractured, severing most of the flight controls. [[Dennis E. Fitch|Dennis Fitch]], a [[Deadheading (aviation)|deadheading]] DC-10 instructor who had studied the case of [[Japan Airlines Flight 123|JAL Flight 123]], was able to help the pilots steer the aircraft using throttle differential. Despite the break-up of the aircraft on landing, 175 of 285 passengers and 10 of the 11 crew members survived.<ref>Gero 1997, p. 210.</ref>
*[[Baikal Airlines Flight 130]], a [[Tupolev Tu-154]], on 3 January 1994. When starting the engines before takeoff, the pilots noticed a warning light signaling dangerous rotation of the starter in engine #2. Believing the warning to be false, they decided to take off anyway. During the initial climb, the starter failed and a fire broke out in the #2 engine. The fire damaged all three hydraulic lines, rendering the plane uncontrollable. After 12 minutes of the crew trying to control the sliding trajectory of the plane, it eventually crashed into a dairy farm near Mamony town at 500 km/h, killing all 124 people aboard and one man on the ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/24202438/The-monument-on-the-site-of-the-crash-of-Flight-130 |title=The monument on the site of the crash of Flight 130 | memorial |publisher=Wikimapia.org |date=1994-01-03 |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref>
===Controls damaged by structural failure===
In these incidents, a failure of structural components (bulkheads, doors, struts, mounts, spars, hull) subsequently damaged control systems.
*[[American Airlines Flight 96]], a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], on 12 June 1972. The failure of the rear cargo door caused an [[explosive decompression]], which in turn caused the rear main cabin floor to collapse and severed flight controls. The pilots had only limited [[aileron]]s and [[Elevator (aircraft)|elevator]]s; the rudder was jammed. The number two engine also ran down to idle at the time of decompression. The aircraft landed safely at [[Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport|Detroit-Metropolitan Airport]].<ref>Gero 1997, p. 125.</ref>
*[[Turkish Airlines Flight 981]], a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], on 3 March 1974. Similar to American Airlines Flight 96, the flight experienced an [[explosive decompression]], when flying over the town of [[Meaux]], France, caused by a rear cargo door failure. The rear main cabin floor collapsed and severed all flight controls. While the plane went into a vertical dive, the captain called for "Speed!" meaning increasing engine thrust to pull the plane's nose up. The plane began to level out, but had lost too much altitude and slammed into the [[Ermenonville Forest]]. All 346 people on board were killed upon impact, and it became the worst single aircraft disaster without survivors, and the fourth deadliest [[List of accidents and disasters by death toll#Aviation|aviation death count]] ever.<ref>"Accident Details". ''[http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/8-1976%20TC-JAV.pdf Accident to Turkish Airlines DC-10 TC-JAV in the Ermenonville Forest on 3 March 1974 Final Report] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602014551/http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/8-1976%20TC-JAV.pdf |date=2 June 2011 }}''. French State Secretariat for Transport. 1. Retrieved on 13 February 2011.</ref>
*[[Delta Air Lines Flight 1080]], a [[Lockheed L-1011 Tristar]], on April 12, 1977, suffered a structural failure of a bearing assembly controlling the aircraft's left stabilizer, which caused it to jam in a full trailing edge up configuration. The plane pitched violently upwards and the pilots could not counteract the pitching force even when pressing the control column fully down. This caused the plane to lose speed rapidly and nearly stall. The pilot managed to regain control by using the Tristar's tail engine at maximum power and lowering the thrust on the wing engines in order to generate differential thrust. The airliner landed at [[Los Angeles International Airport]], with all 41 passengers and 11 crew being unharmed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1978/10/08/the-saving-of-flight-1080/bc18f021-691d-4b19-8041-dc03a089bf6d/|title=The Saving Of Flight 1080|date=1978-10-08|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-05-19|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
*[[American Airlines Flight 191]], a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10]], on 25 May 1979. The failure of the #1 engine mounting pylon and subsequent separation of the engine from the aircraft resulted in severed hydraulic lines and electrical system damage. The left wing [[Leading-edge slat|slats]] retracted due to the loss of hydraulic pressure and aerodynamic forces, while the right wing slats remained extended. The damaged electrical system prevented the slat retract indicators and [[stick-shaker]] on the [[yoke]] from functioning, so the crew was not alerted to the slat retraction nor impending stall. All 271 on board were killed, as well as two on the ground at [[O'Hare International Airport]] in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]].
*[[Japan Airlines Flight 123]], a [[Boeing 747]], on 12 August 1985. A faulty repair years earlier had weakened the aircraft's rear pressure bulkhead, which failed in flight. The [[vertical stabilizer]] and much of the aircraft's [[empennage]] was blown off during the decompression. The decompression also ruptured all four hydraulic lines which controlled the aircraft's mechanical flight controls. The pilots were able to continue flying the aircraft with very limited control, but after 32 minutes the aircraft crashed into a mountain, killing 520 of the 524 people aboard in the deadliest single aircraft disaster in history.<ref>Gero 1997, p. 189.</ref>
*[[American Airlines Flight 587]], [[Airbus A300]], November 12, 2001. This was the second-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history, with 251 passengers and 9 crew members killed, as well as five people on the ground. According to the NTSB, the aggressive use of the rudder controls by the first officer stressed the composite vertical stabilizer until it separated from the aircraft. The complete loss of the vertical stabilizer meant the loss of all rudder control. As the pilots struggled to control the aircraft, it entered a flat spin. The resultant forces caused the engines to separate from the aircraft, and it slammed into the ground 14 seconds later.
*[[Air Transat Flight 961]], an [[Airbus A310]], on 6 March 2005, catastrophic structural failure: the rudder detached from the aircraft with a loud bang and the aircraft began a [[dutch roll]]. The pilots regained enough control, albeit with difficulty on controlling the aircraft laterally, to land the aircraft safely at Varadero-Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport.<ref>[http://www.bst.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2005/a05f0047/a05f0047.pdf Flight 961 – Official accident report]. www.bst.gc.ca Retrieved: 1 June 2010</ref>
*[[Air Moorea Flight 1121]], a [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]], on 9 August 2007. Deterioration of the elevator cable from frequent takeoffs and landings, and likely jet-blast from larger aircraft, caused the cable to snap one minute after takeoff. The plane then nosedived and crashed into the ocean near [[Moorea-Temae Airport]] soon afterwards, killing all 19 passengers and the sole pilot.▼
===Control system mechanical failures===
In these incidents, there was a failure of control system components themselves (e.g. cables, hydraulics, flaps, slats, ailerons, rudder, stabilizer, trim tabs, auto-pilot). ‘’(Control system fatigue failures are here, improperly installed or adjusted in the next section)’’
*[[United Airlines Flight 585]], [[Boeing 737]], March 3, 1991. The hydraulic servo that controlled the rudder had an un-commanded actuation, resulting in a [[Boeing 737 rudder issues|"hardover"]] where the rudder unexpectedly reversed. All 20 passengers and 5 crew members were killed when the pilots were unable to regain control, and the aircraft slammed into the ground and exploded.
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*[[Northwest Airlines Flight 85]], a [[Boeing 747-400]], on 9 October 2002. Midway through a flight from [[Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport]] to [[New Tokyo International Airport]], the aircraft suffered a rudder hardover event due to metal fatigue, jamming the lower rudder fully to the left. By manipulating the upper rudder, the crew was able to perform a successful landing at [[Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport]] with no loss of life.
▲*[[Air Moorea Flight 1121]], a [[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]], on 9 August 2007. Deterioration of the elevator cable from frequent takeoffs and landings, and likely jet-blast from larger aircraft, caused the cable to snap one minute after takeoff. The plane then nosedived and crashed into the ocean near [[Moorea-Temae Airport]] soon afterwards, killing all 19 passengers and the sole pilot.
===Control failures due to maintenance errors===
In these incidents, the failure of control system components was caused by improper installation or adjustment of control systems components by maintenance personnel.
* [[Air Astana Flight 1388]], an [[Embraer E-Jet family|Embraer ERJ-E190]], November 11th 2018. The aircraft suffered severe control issues from an incorrectly installed aileron cable shortly after taking off from Alverca Air Base, [[Portugal]]. The flight crew struggled to control the plane for about 90 minutes. During that period, they lost control of their aircraft multiple times but found they could gain more control by activating direct mode for flight controls which disconnects the FCM (flight control module). This greatly increased controllability of the pitch and yaw-[[Aircraft principal axes|axes]], but control of the roll axis was still limited. After 90 minutes and two unsuccessful landing attempts, the flight crew managed to land the plane at [[Beja Airport]]. Everyone aboard survived the incident, but one suffered a leg injury.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Embraer ERJ-190LR (ERJ-190-100 LR) P4-KCJ Lisbon |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20181111-0 |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref>
* [[Emery Worldwide Airlines Flight 17]], a [[Douglas DC-8|McDonnel Douglas DC-8]], February 16th, 2000. Crashed shortly after taking off from [[Sacramento Mather Airport|Sacremento Mather Airport]]. The crash killed all three crew members. The investigation found that a control rod to the [[Elevator (aeronautics)|right elevator control tab]] detached, causing a loss of pitch control while taking off. The disconnection was caused by the failure to properly secure and inspect the attachment bolt during prior maintenance.
*[[Air Midwest Flight 5481]], a [[Beechcraft 1900D]], on 8 January 2003. On takeoff from [[Charlotte/Douglas International Airport]], the aircraft pitched up and stalled, despite the captain attempting to push the yoke for full elevator down. The aircraft smashed into a US Airways hangar 37 seconds later, killing all 21 passengers and crew aboard and injuring one person on the ground. The NTSB found out that the plane had been overweight and that during maintenance, the tension turnbuckles that governed elevator movement had been set incorrectly by an inexperienced mechanic. This caused the elevators to lose control authority upon takeoff.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/2004/AAR0401.pdf |title=Loss of Pitch Control During Takeoff Air Midwest Flight 5481 Raytheon (Beechcraft) 1900D, N233YV Charlotte, North Carolina January 8, 2003 |date= |access-date=2014-03-08}}</ref>
===Controls damaged by explosive device/weapons===
*[[Philippine Airlines Flight 434]], a [[Boeing 747]], on 11 December 1994. The hydraulics were damaged by a bomb in the passenger cabin.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19941210-0 Flight 934 – Aviation Safety Network] aviation-safety.net Retrieved: 1 June 2010.</ref>
*[[DHL shootdown incident in Baghdad]] on 22 November 2003. The [[Airbus A300]] DHL aircraft, hit by a [[surface-to-air missile]], was the first jet airliner to land safely without any hydraulics using only engine controls.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20031122-0 Aviation Safety Network] aviation-safety.net Retrieved: 1 June 2010.</ref>
===Controls damaged by pilot error===
In these incidents, an error by the pilot resulted in structural and control system damage, including catastrophic failure.
*[[Pan Am Flight 845]], a [[Boeing 747]], on 30 July 1971. When taking off from [[San Francisco International Airport]], the plane struck the [[approach lighting system]] after taxiing onto a much too short runway. After the impact, the plane continued into the takeoff roll, though its fuselage, landing gear, and 3 out of 4 hydraulic systems were badly damaged. After making a full circle over the Pacific Ocean for an hour and 42 minutes and dumping fuel, the plane made a hard emergency landing at San Francisco, ending on its tail. All 218 passengers survived with a few minor injuries.<ref>[[National Transportation Safety Board]] (24 May 1972), {{usurped|[https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070621014610/http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR72-17.pdf Aircraft Accident Report]}}, retrieved 27 March 2014</ref>
*[[Aerosucre Flight 157]], a [[Boeing 727-200|Boeing 727-2J0F]], on 20 December 2016. The plane was overweight and in an incorrect takeoff configuration when it took off from [[Germán Olano Airport]], where it overran the runway and struck a perimeter fence, a tree and a [[sentry box]]. The 727 also crossed a road, almost killing several people on the ground who narrowly avoided being struck by it before becoming airborne. The plane lost its right main landing gear, power from engine 3, and all of its hydraulic systems, as well as having damage to the inboard right flap. The plane struggled to maintain flight as it entered a right turn before crashing into the ground. Initially, 2 out of the six people on board survived, but one later died of his injuries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-2J0 (F) Advanced HK-4544 Puerto Carreño-Germán Olano Airport (PCR) |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20161220-0 |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=aviation-safety.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crash: Aerosucre B722 at Puerto Carreno on Dec 20th 2016, overran runway on takeoff |url=https://avherald.com/h?article=4a25fb25&opt=0 |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=avherald.com}}</ref>
*[[American Airlines Flight 587]],
===Controls damaged by mid-air collision===
These incidents describe mid-air collisions that mainly damaged control systems, which may or may not have been recoverable.
*[[Eastern Air Lines Flight 853]], December 4, 1965: collision with [[TWA Flight 42]]. Flight 853, a [[Lockheed Super Constellation]], collided with Flight 42, a [[Boeing 707]], damaging the 707's wing and the Constellation's tail. The damage to Flight 853 left the Constellation controllable only by adjusting the throttles. Despite the damage, the crew was able to perform a crash landing on a mountain, with 50 of the 54 occupants surviving the crash. The captain survived the crash and escaped, but died trying to save a passenger who remained in the wreckage. The 707 made a successful emergency landing at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]].
*[[Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182]], September 25, 1978. The [[Boeing 727]] collided with a [[Cessna 172]] light aircraft over San Diego, CA. The damage to the 727's right wing control surfaces and control system hydraulics made the aircraft uncontrollable. All 135 people aboard the 727, both pilots in the Cessna, and 7 people on the ground were killed, for a total of 144 fatalities.▼
▲*[[Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182]], September 25, 1978. The [[Boeing 727]] collided with a [[Cessna 172]]
[[Aeroméxico Flight 498]], August 25, 1986, [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]]. In an accident strikingly similar to PSA 182, a private, single engined [[Piper PA-28 Cherokee|Piper Cherokee Archer]] strayed into the TCA control area, and collided with the DC-9’s vertical stabilizer, separating it and much of the rudder. Without the vertical stabilizer, the DC-9 entered an inverted dive and slammed into a residential area, killing all 58 passengers and 6 crew, plus 15 fatalities on the ground. The pilot and two passengers in the Piper were decapitated when they slammed into the DC-9’s vertical stabilizer. This incident and PSA 182 led to the creation of tightly regulated [[Class B airspace]] around the nation’s busiest airports.
== Accidents and incidents involving military aircraft{{efn|Not including experimental flights}} ==
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