Eight(8) Notable Historical Plane Crashes: The Cause, The Place and The Time

American Airlines Flight 587 (2001): An Airbus A300 crashed in Queens, New York, shortly after takeoff, killing 265 people. The crash was caused by the first officer’s overuse of the rudder in response to wake turbulence. American Airlines Flight 587 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. On November 12, 2001, the Airbus A300B4-605R flying the route crashed into the neighbourhood of Belle Harbor on the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens, New York City, shortly after takeoff. All 260 people aboard the plane (251 passengers and 9 crew members) were killed, as well as five people on the ground. It is the second-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.

Russian Airliner Bombing (2015): MetroJet Flight 9268, an Airbus A321, crashed in the Sinai Peninsula after a bomb exploded on board. All 224 people on the plane were killed.Metrojet Flight 9268 was an international chartered passenger flight, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia (branded as Metrojet). On 31 October 2015, at 06:13 local time EST (04:13 UTC), the Airbus A321-231 operating the flight exploded above the northern Sinai Peninsula following its departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Egypt en route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 224 passengers and crew on board died. The cause of the crash was most likely an onboard explosive device as concluded by Russian investigators. Most of the people aboard the flight were tourists. The passengers comprised 212 Russians, four Ukrainians, and one Belarusian. There were also seven crew members on board, all of whom were Russian. Investigators believe that a bomb was put on the aircraft at Sharm El Sheikh, with the goal of causing airlines to suspend flights to that airport.
Shortly after the crash, the Islamic State’s Sinai Branch, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, claimed responsibility for the incident, which occurred in the vicinity of the Sinai insurgency.

It’s important to note that improvements in aviation safety have been made over the years, and the industry continuously learns from these tragic events to enhance safety protocols and technologies.