KL 4805 + PA 1736
27 Mar 1977 · Mid-Air & Ground CollisionsTENERIFE AIRPORT DISASTER
Boeing 747-200 + Boeing 747-100 · KLM + Pan Am · Image: Wikimedia Commons
Why it happened
Takeoff without clearance in fog
Takeoff clearance
Radio congestion
Fog visibility
Aircraft
Boeing 747-200 + Boeing 747-100
KLM + Pan Am
Route
Los Rodeos (TFN), Tenerife, Spain
→ Gran Canaria (LPA), Spain
People
644 on board
583 fatalities
Date
27 Mar 1977
Flight crew
Captain: Jacob van Zanten (KLM) / Victor Grubbs (Pan Am)
Category
Mid-Air & Ground Collisions
Two aircraft, one piece of sky.
THE STORY
The KLM captain started his takeoff roll without clearance in thick fog. Two 747s met on the runway — 583 dead, the worst accident in aviation history.