Los Rodeos Airport is now known as Tenerife North Airport and is one of two international airports on the island of Tenerife. The significance of what that would mean was now only minutes away from happening. E xactly 40 years ago, at Tenerife-North Airport (formerly Los Rodeos), two Boeing 747s - one belonging to KLM, the other to Pan Am - collided on a foggy runway. Just 61 people survived, all from the … Because of the awareness of second bomb, the airport was closed, and every flight with destination GCLP were diverted on small airport of Los Rodeos on Tenerife. With Paul Bandey, Anne Cart, Lee Delong, Mike Dineen. The big town on Tenerife is Santa Cruz, and its airport, beneath a set of cascading hillsides, is called Los Rodeos. Instead, a thick blanket of fog swooped down from the mountains and enveloped the airport during the delay. Had Captain Van Zanten not decided to take on fuel, both the KLM jumbo and the Pan Am jumbo would have taken off in near-perfect weather. The 1977 disaster saw 583 killed when a KLM Boeing 747 attempted to take off from fog-bound Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, only to smash into a … Usually, in a plane crash, the result is not from a single error or failure, but a string of events and a stroke of terribly bad luck. The tower then calls the KLM plane and tells them to wait for permission to takeoff. Britannica Kids Holiday Bundle! Usually, that would have stopped the KLM plane from taking off, but because the tower and the aircraft were talking simultaneously, the KLM crew never heard the message. March the 27, 1977 was Sunday. With Las Palmas now closed, several incoming flights, including the two 747s, were diverted to Tenerife until it was deemed safe to reopen Gran Canaria Airport. On March 27, 1977, two 747 passenger jets crashed on a runway on the Spanish island of Tenerife, killing 583 people. All passengers and crew members aboard the KLM plane were killed. Tenerife airline disaster, runway collision of two Boeing 747 passenger airplanes in the Canary Islands on March 27, 1977, that killed more than 580 people. It remains the worlds deadliest air disaster. This is a maneuver called a “back-taxi” and was rarely ever done at commercial airports. It's been 16 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. While waiting for the go-ahead, the flight deck can be heard fretting about strict government overtime rules and what it would mean if they were late arriving back in Amsterdam. Tenerife airline disaster, runway collision of two Boeing 747 passenger airplanes in the Canary Islands on March 27, 1977, that killed more than 580 people. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Tenerife-airline-disaster, Smithsonian Channel - Air Disasters: Disaster at Tenerife. The Dutch captain then made a decision that any other time would have probably been the right thing to do, but on this occasion, it was one of the contributing factors to the disaster. 6 minutes read. Somewhat remarkable was that 61 passengers, including the flight deck, managed to survive from the Pan Am jumbo. As the KLM 747 starts to gain height, its undercarriage slams into the Pan Am plane’s midsection setting off a series of explosions. There, on March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747s — one belonging to KLM, the other to Pan Am — collided on a foggy runway. The year was 1977, and the Boeing 747 was only in its eighth year of service with the world’s airlines, yet it was already the most glamourous commercial airliner ever built. Later, just as KLM flight 4805 prepared to take off from the single airstrip at Los Rodeos, the plane barreled into Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) flight 1736, which had been taxiing toward takeoff at the same time. Suddenly, the Pan American crew sees the lights of the KLM 747 emerge from the fog 2,000 feet away and closing in fast. The usual route to get to runway 30 was blocked with aircraft, which meant that planes taking off would have to first taxi down the runway and then do a 180-degree turn before taking off in the opposite direction. Up until that point, aircrew and controllers should use the word “departure” in its place. After, he would be instructed to move back onto the runways and perform the same task as the KLM jet. Key to communications APP—Air traffic control tower at Los Rodeos Airport PA RT—Pan Am aircraft radio transmission PA 1—Victor Grubbs, Pan Am Captain PA 2—Robert Bragg, Pan Am First Officer PA 3—George Warns, Pan Am Flight Engineer PA 4—Unidentified fourth person in Pan Am cockpit, likely one of two Pan Am employees who boarded in Tenerife and were sitting in the cockpit jumpseats KLM RT—KLM aircraft radio transmission KLM 1—Veldhuyzen (Jacob) van Zanten, KLM Captain KLM 2—Klaa… For a start, neither of the jumbo jets should have ever been on Tenerife, let alone on the same runway. Sign up to our daily aviation news digest. Tenerife the Clipper one seven three six. The two Boeing 747s were … Some experts speculated that the KLM plane had begun its takeoff without proper clearance, though a number of factors, including foggy weather and unusual airport traffic conditions, likely played a role in the disaster. Aviation authorities worldwide introduced requirements for standard phrases and a greater emphasis on English as a common working language. In March 1977, two jumbo jets collided at Tenerife Airport killing 583 people. We use ads to keep our content free. But for millions of Americans, haunting memories of that day are still fresh, and many lives were changed forever. Because of that, parking area in Los Rodeos was filled with other planes, diverted from Las Palmas. Before we look at the world’s worst airline disaster and what we learned from it, let’s talk a little bit about Tenerife. As the Pan Am Clipper was looking for the next turnoff, the KLM plane had completed its 180 and was waiting for permission to take off. Be in the know. Directed by Chantal Hébert, Phil Comeau. On that case, everybody from the terminal was evacuated. Follow these easy steps to disable AdBlock, Follow these easy steps to disable AdBlock Plus, Follow these easy steps to disable uBlock Origin, Follow these easy steps to disable uBlock, KLM Boeing 777 Returns To Amsterdam With Failed Transponder, Emirates’ New A380 Premium Economy Cabin Is Just Weeks Away, Aeroflot Boeing 777 Evacuated After New York Bomb Threat, Japan’s ANA Continues Trialing Automatic Baggage Loaders, Airline Startup Of The Week: Norway’s Flyr. For an unexplained reason, the pilots mistook the route clearance as permission to takeoff and started hurtling the jet down the runway. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The word “takeoff” is now spoken only when the actual takeoff clearance is given. Before we look at the world’s worst airline disaster and what we learned from it, let’s talk a little bit about Tenerife. Based in Alicante, Spain. Because of the low visibility, both pilots on the Pan Am plane failed to see where they were supposed to turn off the runway. Simultaneously, as the KLM plane is already picking up speed, the Pan Am First Officer radios the tower to tell them that they are still on the runway. Tenerife Airport Disaster: How It Happened And What We Learne. As a consequence of the Tenerife disaster, sweeping changes were made to international airline regulations and aircraft. Let us know what you think in the comment section. Transcripts from the cockpit voice recorders later revealed that Captain Grubbs and his crew handled the inconvenience better than the captain and crew on the KLM jumbo. The ultimately unsuccessful search for a second device took hours, and to not overwhelm the terminal, Pan American Captain Grubbs kept all 380 passengers and 13 cabin crew members onboard the aircraft. What is ironic about the disaster at Tenerife Norte Airport (TFN), formally known as Los Rodeos Airport, is that so many things contributed to what happened on that Sunday afternoon 43 years ago. Enjoying what is described as being year-round eternal spring-like weather, Tenerife is a popular tourist destination that attracts more than five million tourists each year. The Tenerife airport disaster on 27 March 1977 was the collision of two Boeing 747 passenger aircraft on the runway of Los Rodeos Airport (now known as Tenerife North Airport) in Tenerife, Spain; killing 583 people, the crash is the deadliest accident in aviation history. Human performance has evolved as a valuable incident prevention strategy i Both airliners were supposed to be carrying passengers going to the nearby island of Gran Canaria, where they were planning to spend their vacation. See more ideas about Tenerife airport disaster, Tenerife, Disasters. Journalist - Mark is an experienced travel journalist having published work in the industry for more than seven years. What was described as the deadliest air crash in history happened on March 27, 1977, when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now known as Tenerife North Airport), on the island of Tenerife, Spain. Air traffic instruction must not be acknowledged solely with a colloquial phrase such as “OK” or even “Roger” but with a readback of the instruction’s essential parts to show mutual understanding. When the threat was called in, the group responsible mentioned numerous devices that the police started to search for. Meanwhile, the KLM flight from Amsterdam was full of tourists planning to holiday in Gran Canaria. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Source:YouTube It was an unfortunate series of very unfortunate events … Usually, this would be no big deal as they would continue until they saw the next turnoff. 27, 1977. Located in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa, Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s eight Canary Islands. Five hundred and eighty-three passengers including the crew of the KLM jumbo were not so lucky, making what happened on Tenerife, the worst airline disaster in history. Five hundred and eighty-three people were killed in what remains the biggest air disaster in history. As a consequence of the Tenerife disaster, sweeping changes were made to international airline regulations and aircraft. Despite the terrible loss of life as a result of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001, the tragic accident at Los Rodeos still retains the dubious title of having the highest number of fatalities (excluding those on the ground) of any single incident in aviation history.