Deadliest Airline Crashes in US History
America's Deadliest Airline Crashes
You may be aware of the recent, devastating midair collision near Washington, DC between an Army helicopter and a jetliner that took the lives of all 67 people on board. This horrific accident has now been considered the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century.
Fatal crashes involving commercial aircraft in the US are actually rare—but not unheard of. Here are some of the deadliest commercial plane crashes in America, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
January 13, 1982
During the brisk of winter, in January of 1982, an Air Florida flight crashed into the 14th Street Bridge and plummeted into the Potomac River, taking the lives of 70 passengers and four crew members.
Seven occupied vehicles on the bridge were also struck, causing four additional fatalities.
The crash was apparently caused by bad weather.
July 9, 1982
Later in the year, a Pan American World Airways flight crashed shortly after takeoff near New Orleans, Louisiana. It collided with trees and houses, and took the lives of 145 people onboard, as well as people on the ground.
The plane had apparently been forced down by a microburst shortly after takeoff.
August 2, 1985
A few short years later, during a horrific thunderstorm, a Delta Air Lines flight crashed as it was approaching the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. It struck a car and two water tanks on impact.
Sadly, 136 passengers and crew members perished in the accident, and 25 others were severely injured. One person on the ground also died.
August 16, 1987
In 1987, a Northwest Airlines flight crashed just after taking off in Romulus, Michigan. It struck light poles and a rental car facility before its devastating impact on the ground. The crash took the lives of 148 passengers and six crew members.
On the ground, two people perished and five others were injured.
The sole survivor was a four-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. At the time, this tragic accident was the second-deadliest aviation accident in the US.
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