List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft 1990 – 2019 facts for kids
Welcome to a list of important events involving large passenger planes from 1990 to 2019. These events include accidents where planes were damaged or people were hurt, and incidents where something unusual happened but everyone was safe. Learning about these helps us understand how air travel has become safer over the years.
1990
Avianca Flight 52
On January 25, a Boeing 707 plane ran out of fuel. It crashed while trying to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Out of 158 people on board, 85 survived.
British Airways Flight 5390
On June 10, a BAC One-Eleven plane had a scary moment over England. One of the cockpit windows blew out! The captain was partly sucked out, but a flight attendant held onto him. The co-pilot landed the plane safely. Everyone on board survived this amazing event.
Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Collisions
On October 2, a hijacked Boeing 737 plane crashed into two other planes on the ground at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China. This terrible event killed 128 people across the three planes.
Northwest Airlines Flight 1482
On December 3, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 plane accidentally drove onto an active runway at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. It collided with another plane, a Boeing 727. Eight people on the DC-9 were killed, but all 154 people on the Boeing 727 survived.
1991
USAir Flight 1493
On February 1, a Boeing 737 was landing at Los Angeles International Airport. It hit a smaller plane, a Fairchild Metro, that was waiting to take off from the same runway. All 12 people on the smaller plane died, and 21 people on the Boeing 737 were killed.
Lauda Air Flight 004
On May 26, a Boeing 767 plane broke apart in the sky over Thailand. All 223 people on board died. This happened because a part of the engine, called a thrust reverser, accidentally opened during the flight. This was the first time a Boeing 767 had a fatal crash.
Nigeria Airways Flight 2120
On July 11, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 plane crashed shortly after taking off from King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia. A fire started because of a tire problem. All 261 people on board died.
On December 27, both engines of a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 plane had problems right after taking off from Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The pilots were able to make an emergency landing in a field. Twenty-five passengers were hurt, but no one died.
1992
Air Inter Flight 148
On January 20, an Airbus A320 crashed into the Vosges Mountains in France while trying to land. Eighty-seven out of 96 people on board were killed.
Copa Airlines Flight 201
On June 6, a Boeing 737 crashed in Panama, killing all 47 people on board. The crash was caused by a broken instrument that showed the plane's position in the sky.
El Al Flight 1862
On October 4, a Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed into apartment buildings in Amsterdam. Two of its engines had fallen off the wing. Forty-three people died, including the three crew members on the plane.
1993
Lufthansa Flight 592
On February 11, an Airbus A310 was hijacked. The hijacker forced the pilot to fly to John F. Kennedy International Airport. The plane landed safely, and the hijacker gave up. All 104 people on board survived.
Indian Airlines Flight 491
On April 26, a Boeing 737 plane hit a large vehicle on a road right outside Aurangabad Airport. Fifty-five out of 118 people on board were killed.
Asiana Airlines Flight 733
On July 26, a Boeing 737 crashed into a mountain in South Korea after trying to land several times. Seventy-eight out of 110 people on board died. This was the first time a Boeing 737-500 model was completely lost in an accident.
Transair Georgia Airliner Shootdowns
In September, three planes were shot down near Sukhumi-Babusheri Airport.
- On September 21, a Tupolev Tu-134A was hit by a missile and crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 27 people on board.
- On September 22, a Tupolev Tu-154 carrying soldiers was shot down while landing. It crashed on the runway and caught fire, killing 108 out of 132 people.
1994
Baikal Airlines Flight 130
On January 3, a Tupolev Tu-154 crashed near Irkutsk, Russia. An engine fire caused the hydraulic system to fail, making the plane uncontrollable. All 124 people on board and one person on the ground were killed.
China Airlines Flight 140
On April 26, an Airbus A300 crashed while landing in Nagoya, Japan. This was due to pilot error. 264 out of 271 people on board died.
China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303
On June 6, a Tupolev Tu-154M broke apart in the air and crashed near Xian, China, killing all 160 people on board. This was the deadliest plane crash in China's history and was blamed on a maintenance mistake.
USAir Flight 427
On September 8, a Boeing 737 crashed while trying to land at Pittsburgh International Airport, killing all 132 people on board. Later investigations showed that a problem with the Boeing 737's rudder was the cause.
American Eagle Flight 4184
On October 31, an ATR 72 turboprop plane crashed near Roselawn, Indiana. This happened because ice built up on its wings. All 68 people on board died.
Philippine Airlines Flight 434
On December 11, a bomb exploded on a Boeing 747 plane, killing one passenger. Even with problems controlling the plane, the crew managed to land it safely in Okinawa, Japan.
1995
TAROM Flight 371
On March 31, an Airbus A310 crashed near Baloteşti, Romania. All 60 people on board died due to a mechanical problem and pilot error.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529
On August 21, an Embraer EMB 120 crashed in a field near Carrollton, Georgia, United States. Nine out of 29 people on board were killed.
American Airlines Flight 965
On December 20, a Boeing 757 crashed into a mountain while approaching an airport in Colombia. 159 out of 163 people on board were killed.
1996
Birgenair Flight 301
On February 6, a Boeing 757 with 189 people on board crashed into the ocean off the Dominican Republic shortly after taking off. All passengers and crew died.
ValuJet Flight 592
On May 11, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashed in the Everglades near Miami, Florida. A fire in its cargo area caused the crash. All 110 people on board were killed.
TWA Flight 800
On July 17, a Boeing 747 exploded in the air over the ocean off New York, killing all 230 people on board.
Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision
On November 12, two planes collided in the air near Charkhi Dadri, India. A Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and an Air Kazakhstan Ilyushin Il-76 crashed. All 312 people on the Boeing 747 and all 37 on the Ilyushin Il-76 were killed. This is the deadliest mid-air collision in aviation history.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961
On November 23, a Boeing 767 was hijacked over Kenya. The plane ran out of fuel, and the pilot tried to land it in the ocean off Comoros. Out of 175 people on board, 125 were killed, including the three hijackers.
1997
Korean Air Flight 801
On August 6, a Boeing 747 crashed while trying to land in heavy rain at Guam International Airport. Out of 254 people on board, only 26 survived.
Garuda Indonesia Flight 152
On September 26, an Airbus A300 crashed into a mountain in Indonesia, killing all 234 people on board.
SilkAir Flight 185
On December 19, a Boeing 737 crashed into the Musi River in Indonesia, killing all 102 people on board.
1998
China Airlines Flight 676
On February 16, an Airbus A300 crashed into a neighborhood while trying to land in Taipei, Taiwan. All 196 people on board were killed, plus six people on the ground.
Swissair Flight 111
On September 2, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 crashed into the sea near Halifax, Canada. This was caused by a fire on board. All 229 people on board died.
1999
American Airlines Flight 1420
On June 1, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 with 139 passengers skidded off the runway while landing in Little Rock, Arkansas, during strong winds. It crashed into a steel walkway. Eleven people were killed, and 86 were injured.
EgyptAir Flight 990
On October 31, a Boeing 767 plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Massachusetts, killing all 217 passengers and crew.
2000
Alaska Airlines Flight 261
On January 31, an MD-83 plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean off California after problems with its horizontal stabilizer (a part of the tail). All 83 passengers and 5 crew members were killed.
Air Philippines Flight 541
On April 19, a Boeing 737-200 crashed in a coconut plantation in the Philippines while getting ready to land. All 131 people on board died. This was the worst accident ever involving the 737-200.
Air France Flight 4590
On July 25, a Concorde plane crashed during takeoff from Paris, France. It hit debris on the runway. All 100 passengers and 9 crew members died, as well as four people on the ground. This caused the entire Concorde fleet to be stopped for a year.
Gulf Air Flight 072
On August 23, an Airbus A320 crashed into the Persian Gulf while trying to land. All 135 passengers and eight crew members were killed.
Singapore Airlines Flight 006
On October 31, a Boeing 747-400 hit construction equipment after using a closed runway for takeoff in Taiwan. Eighty-three out of 179 people on board were killed.
2001
September 11 Attacks
On September 11, four commercial planes were hijacked and used in terrorist attacks.
- American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, was flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. All 92 people on board were killed, along with many others on the ground and in the building.
- United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767, was flown into the south tower of the World Trade Center. All 65 people on board were killed, along with many others. The collapse of both towers led to a total of at least 2,759 deaths from these two crashes, making it the worst disaster involving commercial aircraft.
- American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757, was flown into The Pentagon. All 64 people on board were killed, as well as 125 people in the building and on the ground.
- United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the hijackers. All 44 people on board were killed.
American Airlines Flight 587
On November 12, an Airbus A300 crashed into a neighborhood in New York City. The plane's vertical tail fin broke off right after takeoff. All 251 passengers and nine crew members on board were killed, as well as five people on the ground.
2002
Iran Air Tours Flight 956
On February 12, a Tupolev Tu-154 crashed into the Sefid Kooh mountains in Iran during heavy rain, snow, and thick fog. All twelve crew members and 107 passengers were killed.
China Airlines Flight 611
On May 25, a Boeing 747-200B broke apart in the air above the Taiwan Strait due to a maintenance error. All 225 people on board were killed.
Überlingen Mid-Air Collision
On July 1, two planes collided in the air near Lake Constance, Germany. Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937, a Tupolev Tu-154 with 69 people, collided with DHL Flight 611, a Boeing 757 cargo plane with 2 pilots. Everyone on both planes died.
2003
Air Midwest Flight 5481
On January 8, a Beechcraft 1900 crashed on takeoff from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. All 19 passengers and 2 pilots were killed.
Air Algérie Flight 6289
On March 6, a Boeing 737-200 veered off the runway during takeoff in Algeria. Ninety-six out of 97 passengers and all 6 crew members died.
FedEx Express Flight 647
On December 18, a McDonnell Douglas MD-10-10 cargo plane skidded off the runway after its landing gear collapsed and caught fire at Memphis International Airport. The two crew members and five passengers escaped with only minor injuries.
2004
Flash Airlines Flight 604
On January 3, a Boeing 737-300 crashed into the Red Sea, killing all 135 passengers and 13 crew members. This was the worst accident ever involving the 737-300.
Russian Aircraft Bombings
On August 24, two planes exploded in mid-air over Russia due to bombs.
- Siberia Airlines Flight 1047, a Tupolev Tu-154, exploded over Rostov Oblast, killing all 38 passengers and 8 crew members.
- Volga-AviaExpress Flight 1303, a Tupolev Tu-134, exploded over Tula Oblast, killing all 34 passengers and 9 crew members.
China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210
On November 21, a Bombardier CRJ200 stalled and crashed near Baotou, China, shortly after takeoff. This happened because of ice on the plane. All 53 people on board and two people on the ground were killed.
2005
Kam Air Flight 904
On February 3, a Boeing 737-200 crashed in a snowstorm in Afghanistan. All 96 passengers and 8 crew members died.
Air France Flight 358
On August 2, an Airbus A340-300 skidded off a runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport and caught fire. All 309 people on board escaped without anyone dying or getting seriously hurt, but the plane was completely destroyed by the fire.
Helios Airways Flight 522
On August 14, a Boeing 737-300 crashed near Kalamos, Greece, with 115 passengers and 6 crew members on board. There were no survivors.
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708
On August 16, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 crashed in western Venezuela. All 152 passengers and 8 crew members on board died.
Southwest Airlines Flight 1248
On December 8, a Boeing 737-700 slid off the runway during landing at Chicago Midway International Airport in heavy snow. No one on board was hurt, but the plane hit two cars on the ground, killing a six-year-old boy.
2006
Armavia Flight 967
On May 3, an Airbus A320 crashed into the Black Sea near Sochi, Russia, killing all 113 people on board.
S7 Airlines Flight 778
On July 9, an Airbus A310 crashed into a concrete barrier at Irkutsk International Airport, Russia, upon landing and caught fire. Out of 203 people on board, 128 were killed.
Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907
On September 29, a Boeing 737-800 collided with a smaller Embraer Legacy business jet in Brazil. The Embraer Legacy landed safely with no injuries, but all 154 people on board the Boeing 737 died. This was the first time a Boeing 737-800 was completely lost in an accident.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961
On November 23, a Boeing 767 was hijacked over Kenya. The plane ran out of fuel, and the pilot tried to land it in the ocean off Comoros. Out of 175 people on board, 125 were killed, including the three hijackers.
2007
Adam Air Flight 574
On January 1, a Boeing 737-400 with 102 people on board crashed into the ocean off Sulawesi in Indonesia, killing everyone. This was the worst crash ever involving the 737-400.
Garuda Indonesia Flight 200
On March 7, a Boeing 737-400 went past the end of the runway and crashed while landing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Twenty-two out of 140 people on board were killed.
Kenya Airways Flight 507
On May 5, a Boeing 737-800 with 114 people on board crashed near Douala, Cameroon, killing everyone.
TAM Airlines Flight 3054
On July 17, an Airbus A320 crashed at Congonhas-São Paulo Airport, Brazil, killing all 187 people on board and 12 people on the ground.
China Airlines Flight 120
On August 20, a Boeing 737-800 burst into flames after landing at Naha, Japan. None of the 165 passengers on board were seriously hurt.
One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269
On September 16, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 carrying 130 people crashed and caught fire after trying to land in Phuket, Thailand, during bad weather. Ninety people were killed.
2008
British Airways Flight 38
On January 17, a Boeing 777-200ER landed short of the runway at London Heathrow Airport because of a problem with its fuel system. All 152 people on board survived. This was the first time a Boeing 777-200ER was completely lost, and the first time any Boeing 777 was lost due to a problem during flight.
Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518
On February 21, an ATR 42-300 crashed shortly after taking off from Mérida, Venezuela, killing all 46 people on board.
Spanair Flight 5022
On August 20, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 crashed on takeoff at Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain. Out of 172 people on board, 154 were killed.
Aeroflot Flight 821
On September 14, a Boeing 737 crashed while trying to land at Perm Airport from Moscow due to pilot error. All 88 people on board were killed. This was the worst accident ever involving the Boeing 737-500.
2009
US Airways Flight 1549
On January 15, an Airbus A320 landed in the Hudson River in New York City right after taking off. This happened because both engines failed after hitting many birds. All people on board survived this amazing event, often called the "Miracle on the Hudson."
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Colgan Air Flight 3407
On February 12, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 crashed into a house in Clarence, New York. All 49 people on board the plane and one person on the ground were killed.
Turkish Airlines Flight 1951
On February 25, a Boeing 737-800 crashed in a field during its final approach to Amsterdam Airport. Out of 135 people on board, 9 were killed and 86 were injured.
FedEx Express Flight 80
On March 23, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane crashed at Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan. Both the captain and the co-pilot were killed.
Air France Flight 447
On June 1, an Airbus A330 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board. The plane was flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Parts of the plane and bodies were not found until days later, and the main wreckage wasn't found until 2011. This was the first fatal accident for the A330 and the worst disaster involving that type of plane.
Caspian Airlines Flight 7908
On July 15, a Tupolev Tu-154 crashed 16 minutes after takeoff near Qazvin, Iran, killing all 153 passengers and 15 crew.
2010
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409
On January 25, a Boeing 737-800 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after taking off from Beirut. All 90 people on board died.
Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771
On May 12, an Airbus A330 crashed on landing at Tripoli International Airport, killing 103 people on board. The only survivor was a child from the Netherlands.
Air India Express Flight 812
On May 22, a Boeing 737-800 crashed at Mangalore International Airport after going too far on the runway. A total of 158 people were killed. This was the worst crash ever involving the 737-800.
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Airblue Flight 202
On July 28, an Airbus A321 crashed into a hill in Pakistan, likely due to bad weather. All 146 passengers and 6 crew members died. This was the first fatal accident involving an Airbus A321 and Pakistan's worst air disaster.
UPS Airlines Flight 6
On September 3, a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane crashed at a military base shortly after taking off from Dubai International Airport. Both of the two crew members were killed.
Aero Caribbean Flight 883
On November 4, an ATR-72 crashed in Cuba, killing all 68 people on board. This was one of the worst accidents involving the ATR 72.
Qantas Flight 32
On November 4, an Airbus A380 had a major engine problem after taking off from Singapore. The flight turned back and landed safely. All 440 passengers and 29 crew members were safe.
2011
Iran Air Flight 277
On January 9, a Boeing 727 crashed at Urmia Airport, Iran, while trying to go around for another landing attempt. Seventy-seven out of 105 people on board were killed.
Manx2 Flight 7100
On February 10, a Fairchild Metroliner III crashed at Cork Airport, Ireland, and caught fire. Six out of 12 people on board were killed.
Southwest Airlines Flight 812
On April 1, a Boeing 737 had a hole open up in its side at 36,000 feet, causing the cabin to lose pressure. The plane landed safely with no injuries to the 116 people on board.
RusAir Flight 9605
On June 20, a Tupolev Tu-134 crashed onto a highway in Russia while trying to land. Forty-seven out of 52 people on board were killed.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Plane Crash
On September 7, a Yakovlev Yak-42 crashed just after takeoff from Tunoshna Airport, Russia, due to pilot error. Forty-four out of 45 people on board were killed. Many were players and staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team.
LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16
On November 1, a Boeing 767 made a belly landing (without its landing gear) at Warsaw Chopin Airport. All 220 passengers and 11 crew members survived without injuries.
2012
UTair Flight 120
On April 2, an ATR-72 crashed shortly after takeoff from Roshchino International Airport, Russia. Thirty-one out of 43 passengers and crew on board were killed.
Dana Air Flight 992
On June 3, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 carrying 147 passengers and 6 crew members crashed in a suburb of Lagos, Nigeria, while trying to land. All on board were killed, along with 10 more people on the ground.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air Flight 251
On September 12, an Antonov An-28 crashed in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Ten out of 14 passengers and crew on board were killed.
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Red Wings Airlines Flight 9268
On December 29, a Tupolev Tu-204 went off the end of the runway while landing at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport. It then broke apart and caught fire. Five out of the 8 crew members were killed. This was the first fatal accident involving the Tu-204.
2013
SCAT Airlines Flight 760
On January 29, a Bombardier CRJ200 crashed in thick fog while trying to land at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan. All 16 passengers and 5 crew on board were killed.
Lion Air Flight 904
On April 13, a Boeing 737 carrying 101 passengers and 7 crew members crashed into the ocean while trying to land at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia. Forty-six people were injured.
National Airlines Flight 102
On April 29, a Boeing 747 cargo plane stalled and crashed shortly after takeoff from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. This happened because the cargo shifted inside the plane. All seven crew members on board were killed.
Asiana Airlines Flight 214
On July 6, a Boeing 777 crashed short of the runway while landing at San Francisco International Airport. Three out of 307 people on board were killed, and 182 were injured. This was the first fatal accident involving the Boeing 777.
UPS Airlines Flight 1354
On August 14, an Airbus A300 cargo plane crashed short of the runway while trying to land at Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport. The two crew members on board were killed.
LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470
On November 29, an Embraer 190 crashed into a national park in Namibia, killing all 33 people on board.
2014
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
On March 8, a Boeing 777 flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board disappeared from radar over the Gulf of Thailand. A part of the wing was later found in Réunion, but the main wreckage has not been found.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
On July 17, a Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. This was the deadliest civilian airliner shootdown in history.
TransAsia Airways Flight 222
On July 23, an ATR-72 crashed during a go-around (when a pilot decides not to land and tries again) in Taiwan. Forty-eight out of 58 people on board were killed.
Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501
On December 28, an Airbus A320 crashed into waters off Borneo, killing all 155 passengers and 7 crew on board.
2015
TransAsia Airways Flight 235
On February 4, an ATR-72 stalled on takeoff and crashed into the Keelung River in Taiwan after hitting a bridge and a taxi. Forty-three out of 58 passengers and crew on board were killed.
Germanwings Flight 9525
On March 24, an Airbus A320 crashed in southern France. This was caused by a deliberate act by the co-pilot. All 144 passengers and 6 crew on board died.
Trigana Air Service Flight 267
On August 16, an ATR-42 crashed in Indonesia. All 49 passengers and five crew members were killed. This was the worst aviation accident ever involving the ATR-42.
Metrojet Flight 9268
On October 31, an Airbus A321 exploded in the air over the Sinai Peninsula due to a terrorist bomb. All 224 passengers and crew on board were killed.
2016
Flydubai Flight 981
On March 19, a Boeing 737-800 crashed while landing at Rostov-on-Don, Russia, in bad weather. All 62 people on board were killed.
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EgyptAir Flight 804
On May 19, an Airbus A320 crashed into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. All 56 passengers and 10 crew were killed.
Emirates Flight 521
On August 3, a Boeing 777-300 landed without its wheels fully down at Dubai International Airport. Shortly after landing, the plane caught fire. All 300 passengers and crew escaped safely, but one firefighter was killed by an explosion.
LaMia Airlines Flight 2933
On November 28, an Avro RJ85 crashed in Colombia. It was carrying the Brazilian football team Chapecoense. Only six people survived among the 77 passengers and crew.
2017
Turkish Airlines Flight 6491
On January 16, a Boeing 747-400F cargo plane crashed into a neighborhood while trying to land in thick fog in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The 4 crew members and 35 people on the ground were killed.
2018
Lion Air Flight 610
On October 29, a Boeing 737 MAX crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. All 189 people on board died.
2019
Atlas Air Flight 3591
On February 23, a Boeing 767 cargo plane crashed into Trinity Bay in Texas as it approached Houston. All three crew members died.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
On March 10, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, six minutes after taking off. All 149 passengers and 8 crew were killed.
Related pages
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft 1919 – 1959
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft 1960 – 1989
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The remains of China Airlines Flight 120 at Naha Airport, Japan, 2007
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Bristow Flight 56C, a helicopter flight floating in water
