List of Delta Air Lines accidents and incidents

The following is a list of Delta Air Lines accidents and incidents. Delta Air Lines is one of the world's largest airlines, providing flights to many countries and cities. Over the years, like all major airlines, it has been involved in a number of accidents and incidents. These events help experts learn how to make flying safer for everyone. Studying these incidents allows scientists and engineers to improve airplane designs, training programs, and safety rules. While flying remains one of the safest ways to travel, understanding what went wrong in the past helps prevent similar problems in the future.

1930s

In 1935, Delta Air Lines Flight 4, a small plane, faced trouble when its left engine broke apart after a problem with the propeller. The pilot tried to land the plane safely in a cotton field in Gilmer, Texas, but unfortunately, the plane crashed, and everyone on board did not survive. This was one of the early challenges faced by the airline in its early years.

Main article: Delta Air Lines accidents and incidents

1940s

In the 1940s, Delta Air Lines experienced several incidents. On November 10, 1946, Flight 10, a Douglas DC-3, had trouble landing in bad weather at Meridian Key Field (MEI) near Jackson, Mississippi. The plane went off the runway but all passengers and crew were safe.

On April 22, 1947, a mid-air collision happened near Columbus, Georgia involving a Delta plane. And on March 10, 1948, Flight 705, a Douglas DC-4, crashed after taking off from Chicago Municipal (Midway) Airport on its way to Miami.

1950s

On May 17, 1953, a Delta Air Lines plane called Flight 318, a Douglas DC-3, crashed near Marshall, Texas. The plane was flying from Dallas Love Field and was getting ready to land at Shreveport, Louisiana when bad weather, including a thunderstorm, caused the accident. Nineteen of the twenty people on board did not survive.

1960s

In the 1960s, Delta Air Lines experienced several serious incidents. On May 23, 1960, a training exercise involving a Convair 880 ended in a crash in Atlanta, resulting in the loss of the crew. On January 13, 1963, a Douglas DC-7 crashed into another airplane at Memphis Municipal Airport, damaging the other aircraft but allowing the DC-7 to be repaired later. On March 30, 1967, another training crash near New Orleans led to the loss of the crew and several people on the ground. Additionally, on February 21, 1968, a Douglas DC-8 was hijacked to Havana, Cuba, marking the first such successful hijacking from the U.S. since 1961.

1970s

September 8, 1970: Delta Air Lines Flight 439, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 inbound from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, landed short of the runway at Muhammad Ali International Airport. All 94 people on board survived, though the plane was heavily damaged and later repaired.
May 30, 1972: Delta Air Lines Flight 9570, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, crashed during a training exercise at Greater Southwest International Airport due to wake turbulence from a preceding American Airlines DC-10. All four crew members were killed.
July 31, 1972: Delta Air Lines Flight 841 was hijacked to Algiers, Algeria but later returned safely to the U.S. with its passengers.
December 20, 1972: Delta Air Lines Flight 954 collided with another plane at O'Hare International Airport, resulting in several injuries but no fatalities.
July 31, 1973: Delta Air Lines Flight 723 crashed while trying to land at Logan International Airport, resulting in many casualties.
November 27, 1973: Delta Air Lines Flight 516 crashed into approach lights at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport during a storm, injuring many passengers.
February 22, 1974: Delta Air Lines Flight 523 was hijacked at Baltimore–Washington International Airport but the hijacker was stopped before the plane could take off.
April 12, 1977: Delta Air Lines Flight 1080, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, experienced a control issue mid-flight but landed safely after the crew made quick adjustments.
June 11, 1979: Delta Air Lines Flight 1061 was hijacked but landed safely in Cuba.

1980s

In the 1980s, Delta Air Lines experienced several incidents involving hijackings and accidents. On August 23, 1980, a flight from San Juan to Los Angeles was hijacked and taken to Cuba, where the hijacker was jailed and all passengers were safely released. Similar hijackings occurred on September 13, 1980, July 17, 1983, August 18, 1983, and March 28, 1984, all ending with the planes landing safely in Cuba.

One of the most serious incidents happened on August 2, 1985, when Delta Air Lines Flight 191 encountered severe weather conditions known as a microburst and crashed shortly after takeoff from Fort Lauderdale. This led to changes in how pilots are trained to handle such weather. Another accident occurred on August 31, 1988, when Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashed after takeoff from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport due to a mistake in setting the plane's controls. On October 14, 1989, a plane parked at Salt Lake City International Airport caught fire because of a problem with its oxygen system, but everyone on board was able to escape safely.

1990s

In 1992, Delta Air Lines Flight 1581, a Boeing 737, had an engine problem during takeoff from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The plane managed to return safely.

In 1996, Delta Air Lines Flight 1288, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88, experienced a serious engine failure that damaged the cabin. Sadly, two passengers did not survive, but the plane was later repaired and used again. Later that same year, Delta Air Lines Flight 554, another McDonnell Douglas MD-88, had trouble landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City but was also repaired and returned to service.

2000s

Delta Air Lines had several notable incidents during the 2000s. On March 31, 2002, Delta Air Lines Flight 12, an McDonnell Douglas MD-11, received a false fire warning in one of its engines and safely diverted to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

On August 27, 2006, Comair Flight 5191, operated for Delta as Delta Connection 5191, crashed during takeoff from Blue Grass Airport in Kentucky. Sadly, this accident led to many fatalities.

In November 2008, Delta stopped flights to Mumbai Airport due to dangerous conditions caused by terrorist attacks in the city. Flights resumed once the situation was resolved.

On December 25, 2009, there was an attempted bombing on a flight that was later associated with Delta due to its aircraft livery, Northwest Airlines Flight 253, just before Delta fully combined operations with Northwest Airlines.

2010s

In 2015, Delta Air Lines had two notable incidents. On March 5, Flight 1086, an MD-88 aircraft, crashed while landing at LaGuardia Airport in heavy snow. The plane slid off the runway but there were no fatalities, only minor injuries. On June 17, Flight 159, a Boeing 747-400, flew through a severe hailstorm that caused significant damage to the plane. The aircraft continued safely to Seoul and was later stored for repairs.

2020s

In January 2020, Delta Air Lines Flight 89, a Boeing 777-200ER, experienced a problem with one of its engines shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport on its way to Shanghai. The pilots safely returned the plane to Los Angeles.

In the following years, several incidents occurred involving Delta Air Lines flights. In June 2023, a vehicle at an airport was pulled into an engine of a Delta plane, but no passengers were hurt. In September 2023, a passenger on Delta Flight 194 had a medical issue, and the plane returned to Atlanta.

In January 2024, Delta Flight 982 lost its front wheel just before takeoff but no one was injured. In August 2024, a plane being maintained had a tire explosion, but this did not involve passengers.

In February 2025, a small Delta plane had an accident while landing in Toronto, but everyone on board was safe. Also that month, Delta Flight 876 had to return to Atlanta because smoke filled the cabin, but all passengers and crew were safe.

In April 2025, a Delta plane had a fire on one of its engines before taking off, but everyone got off safely. In July 2025, another Delta plane had a fire while flying, but the pilot turned back safely. Later that month, a Delta flight faced rough air, and some people were hurt but everyone survived.

In October 2025, two small Delta planes bumped into each other at an airport, and one flight attendant was injured. In March 2026, a Delta plane had an engine problem right after taking off from Brazil but returned safely.