The disasters below include accidents, a bombing and military shootdowns; they are not all crashes in the same sense. They are arranged from fewer to more deaths so the final entry is the deadliest, counting victims on the ground where applicable.
Fatality figures can vary slightly between historical accounts, particularly when ground victims are included. The descriptions distinguish what happened from what investigators or authorities concluded, and treat those affected with respect.
8American Airlines Flight 191
On 25 May 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed shortly after take-off from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Its left engine and pylon separated during the climb, and the DC-10 struck the ground near the airport.
All 271 people aboard died, along with two people on the ground, for 273 fatalities. The accident investigation identified maintenance-related damage to the engine-pylon attachment as a key factor.
