Buzz
In one of Dean Koontz’s gripping thrillers, a lone survivor recounts the nightmare of a devastating plane crash. These 10 real-life emergency landings, captured on video, are even more spine-chilling because they actually occurred.
10. Alaska Airlines Flight 1288
On August 20, 2023, amidst Tropical Storm Hilary, passengers aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1288 faced intense fear as their Boeing 737 encountered landing gear issues, compelling the pilot to execute a perilous landing at John Wayne Airport.
The aircraft remained on the runway instead of proceeding to the gate, and passengers were transported to the terminal via buses. The FAA investigation revealed a collapse in the left main landing gear, though the cause remained undetermined. Thankfully, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
Abhinav Amineni, who captured the incident on video, confessed that he “was panicking,” fearing that sparks on the runway might signal an imminent fire. His footage vividly conveys the anxiety he and other passengers experienced during the rough landing in the dark, with sparks flying past the speeding plane on the wet runway.
9. LOT Polish Airlines Flight LO16
After a six-year investigation, Poland’s State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation determined that the landing gear failure on LOT Polish Airlines Flight L012’s Boeing 747 on November 1, 2011, stemmed from a mix of mechanical malfunctions and human errors. Design flaws and procedural oversights also played a role.
As the plane circled to burn fuel, firefighters prepared the runway with flame retardant. An ABC News clip of the crash-landing at Warsaw airport captures the aircraft skidding on its belly, spewing sparks and smoke. Firefighters quickly doused the plane with water, preventing a potential fire.
Passengers, safely inside the terminal, lauded Captain Tadeusz Wrona’s skill, with one describing the landing as so “masterful” it felt as if the 747 had touched down “on its wheels.” All 220 passengers and 11 crew members, who had departed from Newark, escaped unharmed.
8. Red Air Flight 203
According to NBC News, a Red Air McDonnell Douglas MD-82, carrying 126 passengers, crash-landed at Miami International Airport on June 21, 2022, and erupted in flames. Three individuals sustained minor injuries. Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze and address the aircraft’s fuel spill.
The fire was likely triggered by the collapse of the plane’s front landing gear. Footage accompanying the NBC News report captures the aircraft’s fiery, smoke-filled landing, the swift response of emergency crews, and firefighters working to control the flames.
7. Cathay Pacific Flight 780
A bulletin from the Civil Aviation Department’s Accident Investigation Department outlines the events of the April 13, 2010, crash-landing of Cathay Pacific Flight 780’s Airbus A330-342. As the plane approached Hong Kong International Airport with 309 passengers and 13 crew members, the pilot declared an emergency, citing “control issues with both engines.”
Despite the challenging conditions, Captain Malcolm Waters and First Officer David Hayhoe managed to land the Airbus, though at a ground speed of 230 knots (around 265 mph or 167 km/h). Upon confirming “fire and smoke near the wheels,” the commander ordered an emergency evacuation. While there were no fatalities, one passenger sustained serious injuries.
The Mayday: Air Disaster video recreates the event, immersing viewers in the cockpit and cabin alongside the frightened pilots, passengers, and flight attendants.
6. Air France Flight 358
A CBC article recounts the August 2, 2005, crash landing of Air France Flight 358’s Airbus A340-313, noting that the plane “skidded off the runway.” Canada’s Federal Transport Minister Jean Lapierre called the absence of fatalities or injuries a “miracle.” Despite no deaths, 12 people suffered serious injuries, with some passengers convinced they would not survive.
A Disaster Breakdown video provides additional insights into the Paris-to-Toronto flight, attributing the crash-landing to severe weather and pilot errors. The plane overshot the runway by 300 meters, and flight attendants opted not to open two doors due to the fire risk, complicating the situation.
5. Qantas Flight 72
A 7NEWS Spotlight video recounts the events of November 7, 2008, when Qantas Flight 72, en route from Singapore to Perth, encountered a critical issue. Captain Kevin Sullivan, a former U.S. Navy Top Gun pilot, received an alert that the autopilot had disengaged, followed by conflicting stall and overspeed warnings. The plane then began a “violent downward pitch,” with Sullivan remarking that the aircraft’s “automation… was trying to kill us.”
As the plane plunged toward the Indian Ocean, unrestrained passengers and flight attendant Fuzzy Maiava were hurled against the ceiling, with two losing consciousness. All remained pinned until Sullivan released the control stick, allowing the plane to stabilize and causing those airborne to fall back.
Multiple systems, including the primary flight computer, automatic brake, auto-trim function, and third trim, had failed. Over 100 passengers sustained injuries, some critical. Sullivan opted to land at Learmonth, a Royal Australian Air Force base. Despite orders to fasten seat belts, Caroline Southcott struggled due to a broken back and a severely fractured ankle, requiring extensive surgery.
Despite fears that the automated system might seize control again, Sullivan successfully landed the plane. Walking through the cabin, he was deeply affected by the injuries and trauma suffered by passengers, leading him to retire from flying.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau identified “incorrect data” as the cause of the in-flight emergency but could not determine the origin or reason behind it.
4. Asiana Airlines Flight 214
On July 6, 2013, Asiana Flight 214, carrying 292 passengers, was nearing the end of its overnight journey from Seoul to San Francisco when the crew received a warning that the Boeing 777-200ER was flying too low. Trainee pilot Lee Kang-koo and his instructor, Lee Jeong-min, attempted to climb, but it was too late. The plane struck the ground short of the runway, tearing off its tail.
The front section of the aircraft slid along the runway before stopping abruptly. Fears of an explosion arose as the engine caught fire, threatening the fuel tanks. Without an evacuation slide, passengers climbed down the fuselage to escape. Firefighters battled the flames and assisted the injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board cited multiple probable causes, including the crew’s mishandling of the descent during the visual approach and their failure to initiate a go-around despite recognizing the plane’s unsafe altitude and speed. Of the 310 people onboard, 3 lost their lives, and 187 were injured, 49 severely.
3. United Airlines Flight 232
On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232, a DC-10 en route from Denver to Chicago, experienced an explosion that severed its hydraulic lines, rendering the flight controls inoperable. Captain Alfred C. Haynes, First Officer William Records, and Second Officer Dudley Dvorak managed to stabilize the plane by “adjusting the thrust” of the single functioning engine on each wing. An off-duty flight instructor among the 284 passengers and 11 crew members assisted in the cockpit by operating the throttles.
The crew aimed to land in Sioux City, Iowa. As the Des Moines Register noted, “It was not a smooth landing.” Unable to reduce speed, the plane’s right wing struck the runway, causing a fuel spill. The aircraft split into four sections, with the main fuselage sliding into a cornfield and catching fire.
Tragically, 112 passengers lost their lives. Two nearby hospitals, supported by the Iowa National Guard, treated the 184 survivors. Soldiers assisted in search-and-rescue operations and triage efforts.
2. U.S. Bangla Flight 211
The final report on the March 12, 2018, crash of U.S. Bangla Flight 211’s Bombardier Q400 revealed that the pilot, Abid Sultan, likely suffered from “disorientation and a total loss of situational awareness.” The crash claimed the lives of all 4 crew members and 45 of the 67 passengers, with additional fatalities occurring later in hospitals due to injuries sustained.
The report highlighted other contributing factors, such as risky attempts to “align the aircraft with the runway… at extremely close proximity and low altitude,” without considering a “go-around” maneuver, which remained feasible until the final moments before landing.
A Smithsonian Channel video details how, nearing the end of the 90-minute flight from Dhaka to Nepal, the plane overshot Kathmandu Airport, heading toward mountainous terrain. The control tower supervisor redirected the aircraft, instructing the pilot to circle back and land on the southbound runway. The turn was executed, but the plane ended up misaligned to the right of the runway.
During multiple attempts to correct the approach, Sultan initially aligned the plane with the taxiway before mistakenly targeting the control tower instead of the runway. The aircraft narrowly missed the tower but crashed into a field 1,443 feet (440 meters) from the runway, erupting in flames.
9. Flying Tiger 923
Engine number three of the Flying Tiger, a 73-ton Lockheed 1049H Super Constellation carrying 76 passengers, was engulfed in flames, spewing fire and molten metal fragments as an alarm blared. Captain John Murray commanded the use of an extinguisher, temporarily resolving the September 23, 1962, emergency—or so it seemed to passengers and crew.
However, as Eric Lindner notes, flight engineer Garrett “failed to close the no. 3 engine firewall,” sparking a “chain reaction” of mechanical failures that left the plane with only two of its four engines functional. Stranded nearly 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) from land, the Flying Tiger had no choice but to crash-land in the Atlantic Ocean. A Popular Mechanics article likened the impact to “hitting a cement runway.”
The situation worsened as rain began to fall, reducing visibility. Murray faced the daunting task of landing between waves to prevent the wings from snapping or the plane from breaking apart upon hitting the water at 120 mph (193 km/h).
Despite the challenges, Murray successfully executed the landing, and all onboard survived the impact and evacuated. Tragically, only 48 of the 76 passengers and crew endured the seven-hour ordeal in the freezing waters, while 28 drowned. An Aviation Horrors video documented their terrifying experience.
