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Crash Investigations: Aircraft Accident Reports Explained

20 investigationsNTSB, BEA, ATSB, AAIB, AAIASB, BFU and othersFrom the official reportsUpdated Sep 2026

When an airliner crashes, an independent State body such as the NTSB in the United States, the BEA in France or the AAIB in the United Kingdom investigates what happened and why, and publishes its findings in a final report. Under ICAO Annex 13 the sole objective of that investigation is to prevent future accidents, not to apportion blame or liability.

These pages explain the official reports for pilots and students. Each one sets out the flight, the accident sequence, what the investigators examined and found, the probable cause in their own words, the safety recommendations and what changed, and the lessons for crews today, with the theory linked in the v1prep Library and question banks to train it. Every fact comes from the report itself. Where an investigation is still open the page says so, and gives no cause as settled.

The investigations

All 20CRM 12Human factors 11Engine failure 7Loss of control 6Survival 6Automation 4Flight controls 4Maintenance 4Stall 3Air data 2Approach and landing 2Fatigue 2Fire 2Fuel 2Icing 2Incapacitation 2Pressurisation 2Structural failure 2Ditching 1Mid-air collision 1Runway incursion 1Spatial disorientation 1
The Boeing 767 freighter N1217A.
NTSB · 2019

Atlas Air Flight 3591

· Boeing 767-375BCF (converted freighter)
A 767 freighter's go-around mode engaged by accident in turbulence; the first officer, disoriented, pushed the aeroplane into a steep dive, and 32 seconds after the mode change it struck the bay.
Loss of controlSpatial disorientationAutomationCRMHuman factors
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 registered N772SW on the ground at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
NTSB · 2018

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380

· Boeing 737-7H4 (737-700)
How a fatigue crack in one CFM56-7B fan blade led to a lost cabin window, a rapid decompression and an emergency landing at Philadelphia.
Engine failurePressurisationStructural failureSurvival
A Germanwings Airbus A320 registered D-AIPX photographed at Barcelona airport.
BEA · 2015

Germanwings Flight 9525

· Airbus A320-211
The BEA's findings on the deliberate descent of an A320 into the French Alps, the co-pilot's medical certification and the reinforced cockpit door that kept the captain out.
IncapacitationHuman factors
An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200ER, registration HL7742.
NTSB · 2013

Asiana Airlines Flight 214

· Boeing 777-200ER
A 777 crew on a visual approach to San Francisco unintentionally left the autothrottle in HOLD at idle, noticed the decaying airspeed only at about 200 ft and struck the seawall after a late go-around.
Approach and landingAutomationCRMFatigueHuman factors
A Qantas Airbus A380 registered VH-OQA climbing away after take-off.
ATSB · 2010

Qantas Flight 32

· Airbus A380-842
How a manufacturing flaw in an oil pipe led to a turbine disc burst on an A380, and how a five-pilot crew worked through the damage and landed at Singapore.
Engine failureFireCRM
An Air France Airbus A330-200, registration F-GZCP, on the ground at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
BEA · 2009

Air France Flight 447

· Airbus A330-203
A temporary loss of airspeed indications at FL350 led to inappropriate control inputs, a stall that the crew never identified and the loss of all 228 people on board.
Loss of controlStallAir dataAutomationCRM
A Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 twin turboprop airliner, registration N208WQ, in Continental Connection colours.
NTSB · 2009

Colgan Air Flight 3407

· Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400)
A Q400 slowed into its stick shaker on a night approach in icing conditions; the captain's aft column inputs stalled the wing and he pulled against the stick pusher.
Loss of controlStallIcingFatigueCRM
A US Airways Airbus A320, registration N106US.
NTSB · 2009

US Airways Flight 1549

· Airbus A320-214
Both engines of an A320 ingested Canada geese at 2,818 ft above ground; the crew glided to a ditching on the Hudson River and all 155 people on board survived.
Engine failureDitchingCRMSurvival
The Qantas Airbus A330-303 registered VH-QPA.
ATSB · 2008

Qantas Flight 72

· Airbus A330-303
Faulty angle of attack spikes from one of three air data units, and a rare gap in the flight control software, made an A330 pitch down twice in cruise, injuring many unbelted occupants.
Air dataFlight controlsAutomationSurvival
A British Airways Boeing 777-236ER registered G-YMMM at London Heathrow.
AAIB · 2008

British Airways Flight 38

· Boeing 777-236ER
How ice that built up inside a Boeing 777's fuel system on a cold flight from Beijing blocked the fuel flow to both engines on final approach to Heathrow.
FuelEngine failureApproach and landingSurvival
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 landing on runway 22 at Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, Kentucky.
NTSB · 2006

Comair Flight 5191

· Bombardier CL-600-2B19 (CRJ-100)
Cleared for runway 22 at Lexington, a CRJ crew lined up in the dark on runway 26, less than half as long, and crashed beyond its end.
Runway incursionHuman factorsCRM
The Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 5B-DBY.
AAIASB · 2005

Helios Airways Flight 522

· Boeing 737-31S (737-300)
A 737 left Larnaca with its pressurisation in manual; the crew mistook the cabin altitude horn, lost consciousness from hypoxia, and the aircraft flew on autopilot until its fuel ran out.
PressurisationIncapacitationMaintenanceCRMHuman factors
A DHL Boeing 757 freighter at Brussels Airport.
BFU · 2002

Überlingen Mid-Air Collision

· Tupolev Tu-154M and Boeing 757-200 freighter (757-23APF)
Two jets cleared at FL360 collided near Lake Constance at night after a late ATC descent instruction to one crew contradicted its TCAS climb advisory; all 71 people on board died.
Mid-air collisionHuman factorsCRM
The recovered vertical stabiliser of American Airlines Flight 587 being lifted by a crane beside a US Army Corps of Engineers vessel.
NTSB · 2001

American Airlines Flight 587

· Airbus A300-605R (A300B4-605R)
An A300-600's fin broke off in the climb when repeated full rudder reversals after a minor wake encounter built loads beyond the ultimate design load.
Structural failureFlight controlsLoss of controlHuman factors
Air Transat Airbus A330-243 C-GITS.
GPIAA · 2001

Air Transat Flight 236

· Airbus A330-243
A fuel leak from a mis-installed engine tube, crossfed instead of isolated, left an A330 without fuel over the Atlantic; the crew glided it to a landing in the Azores.
FuelMaintenanceHuman factorsEngine failure
The Alaska Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 registered N963AS at an airport.
NTSB · 2000

Alaska Airlines Flight 261

· McDonnell Douglas MD-83
An MD-83's stabiliser trim jackscrew lost its nut threads through lack of grease, and extended check intervals let the wear go undetected until pitch control was lost.
MaintenanceFlight controlsLoss of control
The Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 HB-IWF at Zurich airport.
TSB · 1998

Swissair Flight 111

· McDonnell Douglas MD-11
A fire hidden above the cockpit ceiling of a Swissair MD-11 spread through flammable insulation during a diversion to Halifax, degrading the aircraft's systems until control was lost and it struck the sea.
FireHuman factorsLoss of control
The United Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 registered N1819U, a three-engined wide-body airliner with one engine in the tail.
NTSB · 1989

United Airlines Flight 232

· McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10
A DC-10's tail engine fan disk burst in cruise and cut all three hydraulic systems; the crew steered it to Sioux City using engine thrust alone.
Engine failureFlight controlsMaintenanceCRMSurvival
The British Midland Boeing 737-400 G-OBME at London Heathrow.
AAIB · 1989

British Midland Flight 92 (Kegworth)

· Boeing 737-400
After a fan blade failure in the left engine, the crew of a Boeing 737-400 shut down the right engine; the damaged engine failed on final approach and the aircraft crashed beside the M1.
Engine failureCRMHuman factorsSurvival
Recovery of the tail section of the Air Florida Boeing 737 from the Potomac River.
NTSB · 1982

Air Florida Flight 90

· Boeing 737-222
A Boeing 737 took off in continuing snow with contaminated wings and far less thrust than its iced EPR gauges showed, could not sustain flight after liftoff and struck a bridge over the Potomac.
IcingStallCRMHuman factors

Every report at a glance

The investigations covered on v1prep, with the investigating body and the cause in brief. Open a report for the full account, the findings and the lessons for pilots.

FlightDateAircraftFatalitiesInvestigating bodyCause in brief
Atlas Air Flight 3591Boeing 767-375BCF (converted freighter)3NTSBThe inappropriate response by the first officer as the pilot flying to an inadvertent activation of the go-around mode, which led to his spatial disorientation and…
Southwest Airlines Flight 1380Boeing 737-7H4 (737-700)1NTSBA low-cycle fatigue crack in the dovetail of fan blade No. 13, which resulted in the fan blade separating in flight and impacting the engine fan case at a location that…
Germanwings Flight 9525Airbus A320-211150BEAThe BEA concluded that the collision with the ground was due to the deliberate and planned action of the co-pilot who decided to commit suicide while alone in the…
Asiana Airlines Flight 214Boeing 777-200ER3NTSBThe flight crew's mismanagement of the aeroplane's descent during the visual approach, the pilot flying's unintended deactivation of automatic airspeed control, the…
Qantas Flight 32Airbus A380-8420ATSBThe ATSB found that the uncontained failure of the intermediate pressure turbine disc was the result of an internal oil fire within the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine that…
Air France Flight 447Airbus A330-203228BEAThe BEA concluded that the accident resulted from a succession of events: a temporary inconsistency between the measured airspeeds, likely following the obstruction of…
Colgan Air Flight 3407Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400)50NTSBThe captain's inappropriate response to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover.
US Airways Flight 1549Airbus A320-2140NTSBThe ingestion of large birds into each engine, which resulted in an almost total loss of thrust in both engines and the subsequent ditching on the Hudson River.
Qantas Flight 72Airbus A330-3030ATSBThe ATSB does not state a probable cause.
British Airways Flight 38Boeing 777-236ER0AAIBThe AAIB found that the reduction in thrust was due to restricted fuel flow to both engines.
Comair Flight 5191Bombardier CL-600-2B19 (CRJ-100)49NTSBThe flight crewmembers' failure to use available cues and aids to identify the airplane's location on the airport surface during taxi and their failure to cross-check…
Helios Airways Flight 522Boeing 737-31S (737-300)121AAIASBThe AAIASB found three direct causes: the non-recognition that the cabin pressurisation mode selector was in the MAN position during the preflight procedure and the…
Überlingen Mid-Air CollisionTupolev Tu-154M and Boeing 757-200 freighter (757-23APF)71BFUThe BFU identified two immediate causes: The imminent separation infringement was not noticed by ATC in time, and the TU154M crew followed the ATC instruction to descend…
American Airlines Flight 587Airbus A300-605R (A300B4-605R)265NTSBThe in-flight separation of the vertical stabilizer as a result of the loads beyond ultimate design that were created by the first officer's unnecessary and excessive…
Air Transat Flight 236Airbus A330-2430GPIAAThe GPIAA found that the mismatched installation of a post-modification fuel tube and a pre-modification hydraulic tube on the right engine led to the fuel tube's…
Alaska Airlines Flight 261McDonnell Douglas MD-8388NTSBA loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads, caused by excessive…
Swissair Flight 111McDonnell Douglas MD-11229TSBThe TSB does not state a single probable cause.
United Airlines Flight 232McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10111NTSBThe inadequate consideration given to human factors limitations in the inspection and quality control procedures used by United Airlines' engine overhaul facility, which…
British Midland Flight 92 (Kegworth)Boeing 737-40047AAIBThat the operating crew shut down the No 2 engine after a fan blade had fractured in the No 1 engine.
Air Florida Flight 90Boeing 737-22278NTSBThe flightcrew's failure to use engine anti-ice during ground operation and takeoff, their decision to take off with snow/ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft…

Accidents by theme

Also on v1prep

Picture credits

  1. Atlas Air Flight 3591: Orlando Suarez · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  2. Southwest Airlines Flight 1380: Werner Lehmann · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  3. Germanwings Flight 9525: SEBASTIEN MORTIER · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  4. Asiana Airlines Flight 214: Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  5. Qantas Flight 32: Adrian Pingstone ( talk ) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  6. Air France Flight 447: Pawel Kierzkowski · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  7. Colgan Air Flight 3407: DearEdward from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  8. US Airways Flight 1549: Edmund Seeger · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  9. Qantas Flight 72: Hawkeye UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  10. British Airways Flight 38: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  11. Comair Flight 5191: Checkerberry · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
  12. Helios Airways Flight 522: Mila Daniel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  13. Überlingen Mid-Air Collision: Koen Gladines · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  14. American Airlines Flight 587: NTSB · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  15. Air Transat Flight 236: Ken Fielding · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  16. Alaska Airlines Flight 261: Frank Jäger · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  17. Swissair Flight 111: Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  18. United Airlines Flight 232: Paul Seymour · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  19. British Midland Flight 92 (Kegworth): Leslie Snelleman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  20. Air Florida Flight 90: FAA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Crash Investigations pages summarise official investigation reports for study and exam preparation. The investigating body's report is the authoritative account and prevails wherever it differs from this page. Under ICAO Annex 13, an investigation exists to prevent accidents, not to apportion blame or liability.