What caused the Tenerife air accident?

The subsequent investigation by Spanish authorities concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the KLM captain’s decision to take off in the mistaken belief that a takeoff clearance from air traffic control (ATC) had been issued.

How many people died in the KLM Pan Am crash?

330 people
The force from the crash tore through the fuselage of the Pan Am plane, and both aircraft exploded into flames. All passengers and crew members aboard the KLM plane were killed. At least 330 people on the Pan Am plane died, but more than 60, including the pilot, survived the impact and fire.

Where was the plane crash in Tenerife in 1977?

(now Tenerife North Airport) On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets, KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport), on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, killing 583 people, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history.

Where was the plane crash that killed 583 people?

/ 28.48165; -16.3384 On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets, operating KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife. Resulting in 583 fatalities, this accident was the deadliest in aviation history .

What was the cause of the Tenerife airport disaster?

Tenerife airport disaster. A terrorist incident at Gran Canaria Airport had caused many flights to be diverted to Los Rodeos, including the two aircraft involved in the accident. The airport quickly became congested with parked airplanes blocking the only taxiway and forcing departing aircraft to taxi on the runway instead.

How many people died in the Canary Islands plane crash?

This terrible crash came just three years after another even deadlier accident at the Canary Islands airport. In 1977, a KLM jumbo jet had collided with a Pan Am plane on the runway; 570 people were killed.