According to the Israeli newspaper Ynet, the aviation industry operates based on rigorous procedures, backup systems, and multiple layers of safety protection. Nevertheless, human error, rare incidents, unexpected decisions, and unbelievable coincidences have created moments more bizarre than any scenario. These events have gone down in history and continue to fascinate researchers, flight crews, and aviation enthusiasts alike.
Flying without a roof
On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines Flight 243 took off from Hilo bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. About 20 minutes later, at an altitude of approximately 7,300 meters, a large section of the upper fuselage of the Boeing 737 suddenly detached. Part of the passenger cabin was exposed like an open-top car flying through the air, subjected to strong winds, noise, and a sudden drop in pressure.
Flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing, who was standing in the aisle at the time, was sucked out, and her body was never found. Despite the risk of the plane breaking apart, the crew landed safely at Kahului Airport on Maui. The remaining crew members all survived, although dozens were injured. The investigation determined that metal corrosion and long-standing damage to the aircraft's fuselage contributed to the incident. One of the contributing factors was the aircraft's extensive takeoff and landing cycles in a marine environment.
The captain was sucked out of the plane and survived.
On the morning of June 10, 1990, British Airways Flight 5390 took off from Birmingham bound for Malaga, carrying 81 passengers and 6 crew members. Approximately 13 minutes later, at an altitude of about 5,200 meters, a window on the front side of Captain Tim Lancaster burst open due to a pressure difference. He was thrown from his seat, his upper body flung out of the aircraft while his legs remained trapped in the cockpit. Flight attendant Nigel Ogden rushed to restrain Captain Lancaster, and other crew members joined in, holding him down for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, co-pilot Alastair Atchison single-handedly piloted the plane and made an emergency landing in Southampton. Following the incident, Mr. Lancaster survived despite multiple injuries including broken bones, bruises, and frostbite. The investigation revealed that the windshield had been recently replaced and that 84 of the 90 screws holding it in place were undersized. The remaining 6 screws were also the wrong size.
The fighter jet landed on its own.
On February 2, 1970, a U.S. Air Force F-106 Delta Dart fighter jet took off from Montana for a training flight. During a practice dogfight, the aircraft entered a sideways spin, continuously losing altitude. All attempts to regain control failed, and the pilot ejected. However, the pilot's departure from the aircraft actually shifted the weight and balance, allowing the F-106 to free itself from the spin.
The aircraft stabilized and landed gently in a snow-covered field near the town of Big Sandy. The plane sustained only minor damage, was repaired, and returned to service. It is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The four engines switched off and then started again.
On June 24, 1982, British Airways Flight 9, en route from London to Auckland with stops in Asia and Australia, was flying at night at an altitude of approximately 11,300 meters over Indonesia when the crew saw a blue light around the windows, smelled strong smoke, and noticed dust hovering above the wings. Within minutes, all four engines stopped working one after another. The plane had unknowingly flown into the ash cloud of Mount Galunggung.
The 747 turned into a giant glider. The crew repeatedly tried to restart the engines and prepare for the possibility of a sea landing. As the plane emerged from the ash cloud, the engines gradually started working again. The cockpit windows were so worn down by ash that they were almost invisible, but the crew still landed safely in Jakarta without casualties.
Ground staff steal passenger plane.
On the evening of August 10, 2018, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (USA), Richard Russell, a 28-year-old ground staff member of Horizon Air, boarded an unmanned Bombardier Q400, started the engine, taxied onto the runway, and took off. Russell did not have a pilot's license and there was no evidence that he had received formal flight training. However, due to the nature of his work, he was familiar with some of the aircraft's systems (the FBI discovered he had watched flight training videos online).
For over an hour, Russell circled over Puget Sound, performing aerobatic maneuvers. He conversed, at times calmly, with air traffic controllers trying to persuade him to land. At 8:46 p.m., the plane crashed on Ketron Island. The FBI found no accomplices, terrorist motives, or other conspiracy. Flight data indicated the crash was intentional, and investigators concluded Russell committed suicide.
Passengers can watch live television coverage of their own flight.
On September 21, 2005, JetBlue Flight 292 took off from Burbank, California, bound for New York. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot discovered that the nose landing gear of the Airbus A320 would not retract; both wheels were rotating sideways and locked at a 90-degree angle to the direction of flight. The plane diverted to Los Angeles and circled for several hours to reduce weight.
Through their personal screens on the JetBlue flight, passengers watched live broadcasts of the very plane they were on circling, along with expert analysis of the likelihood of a safe landing (passengers later reported that watching the program only increased their anxiety). The television broadcast was cut off before landing. The pilot made the landing gear touch down first, keeping the nose of the plane pointing upwards for as long as possible before descending to the runway. As a result, the tire ripped, sparks and flames erupted from under the nose of the plane, but the plane came to a safe stop and no one was injured.
Pilot lets son fly the plane.
On March 23, 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 from Moscow to Hong Kong was flying steadily on autopilot. At that time, the reserve captain brought his two sons into the cockpit of the Airbus A310 and had them sit in the pilot's seat one after the other, touching the controls. The 15-year-old son exerted too much force and pulled the control stick, enough to partially disable the autopilot system on the tilt axis. The system didn't shut off completely immediately, so the crew didn't realize what was happening. The plane gradually tilted to one side at an increasing angle.
Upon detecting the anomaly, the crew faced rapid changes in altitude, speed, and loss of control. At times, they nearly stabilized the aircraft, but further adjustments caused it to lose speed. With insufficient altitude to recover, the A310 crashed in Kemerovo, Siberia, killing all 75 people on board. The investigation concluded that the primary cause was an unintentional partial disconnection of the autopilot system after an unauthorized person took the pilot's seat.
"Gimli Roller Coaster"
On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143, flying from Montreal to Edmonton with a stopover in Ottawa, was a relatively new Boeing 767 in the fleet. The airline was transitioning from the British to the metric system. A malfunctioning fuel gauge required manual fuel calculation. The error lay in using pounds per liter instead of kilograms per liter. As a result, the crew believed the aircraft had more fuel than it actually did. At an altitude of 12,500 meters, both engines failed. Captain Bob Pearson and First Officer Maurice Quintal realized they couldn't reach their intended destination. They chose to land at a former military base in Gimli, where a runway had been converted into a racetrack and was occupied. Captain Pearson managed to land the 767 despite the nose landing gear collapsing during landing, but fortunately, no one was killed. The aircraft was repaired, returned to service, and has been nicknamed "The Gimli Glider" ever since.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/diem-lai-nhung-su-co-hang-khong-ky-la-post1391034.html
