Tenerife airport disaster

On 27 March 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on a runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife. This tragic event, which happened in dense fog, is known as the deadliest accident in aviation history. The collision killed 583 people and injured 61 others.

The two planes, KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, had landed earlier that day and were diverted to Los Rodeos because of a bomb explosion at their planned destination, Gran Canaria Airport. The small airport was very busy, with planes parked on the runway and thick fog reducing visibility.

Investigations showed that poor communication between the pilots and air traffic control played a big role in the accident. The KLM plane began taking off without proper clearance, leading to the crash. This event taught the aviation industry important lessons about the need for clear communication and better teamwork among pilots, which helped improve safety for air travel ever since.

Flight history

Tenerife was an unscheduled stop for both flights. Their destination was Gran Canaria Airport, serving Las Palmas on the nearby island of Gran Canaria.

KLM Flight 4805

KLM Flight 4805 was a charter flight and had arrived from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands. The aircraft was a Boeing 747 named Rijn. The KLM jet was carrying 14 crew members and 235 passengers.

Pan Am Flight 1736

Pan Am Flight 1736 was also a charter flight. It had originated at Los Angeles International Airport, with an intermediate stop at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The aircraft was a Boeing 747 named Clipper Victor. It was the first Boeing 747 to operate a commercial airline flight. Of the 380 passengers, most were Americans.

Accident

Both flights were routine until they neared the islands. A bomb exploded at Gran Canaria Airport, injuring eight people and forcing it to close. All flights, including the two involved, were diverted to Los Rodeos Airport on Tenerife. Los Rodeos was small and had only one runway, making it hard to handle the extra planes.

The KLM plane began taking off without proper clearance while the Pan Am plane was still on the runway. Because of thick fog, neither pilot could see the other plane. The KLM plane took off and crashed into the Pan Am plane, causing a big fire. Sadly, many people were unable to survive this accident.

Victims

Both airplanes were destroyed in the collision. All 248 people on the KLM plane died. On the Pan Am plane, 335 of the 396 people were killed, and 61 survived. Most of the survivors were able to leave the plane through a hole in the side away from the collision.

The Pan Am flight had many passengers from Orange County, California, mostly retirees on package tours.

Notable fatalities

Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, chief flight instructor for KLM and the captain of the KLM flight.
Eve Meyer, a pin-up model, film actress and producer and second wife of film director Russ Meyer, was on the Pan Am flight.
A. P. Hamann, the former city manager of San Jose, California, was on the Pan Am flight.

Aftermath

The day after the accident, the group that had bombed Gran Canaria denied responsibility. Los Rodeos Airport closed for two days while cleanup and repairs were done. A US Air Force plane was the first to land, helping to move injured passengers to hospitals. By April 3rd, the airport was open again after the wreckage was cleared and the runway was fixed.

Investigation

The accident was investigated by Spain's Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission. Many people worked on the investigation, including experts from the United States, the Netherlands, and the two airlines involved. They found that mistakes and misunderstandings happened before the crash. The KLM airplane thought it had permission to take off, but the control tower believed the plane was still waiting.

The main reason for the accident was that the KLM captain started taking off without permission. Other important reasons included thick fog that made it hard to see and confusion from people talking on the radio at the same time. The investigation also looked at other possible reasons, like unclear messages and a busy airport.

The Dutch government was not quick to accept that only the KLM captain was to blame. They said that many factors, like a crowded airport and possible distractions in the control tower, also played a role. Eventually, the KLM airline accepted responsibility and paid money to the families of the victims.

Legacy

The Tenerife airport disaster led to important changes in airline rules and airplane procedures. Aviation authorities made new rules so that pilots and air traffic controllers must speak clearly and understand each other better. They also changed how pilots work together in the cockpit, encouraging all crew members to share ideas and question decisions if needed.

After the accident, a second airport opened on Tenerife called Tenerife South Airport, which now handles most international flights. The original airport was renamed Tenerife North Airport and later began to serve international travelers again as well. The Spanish government also added new radar equipment to help keep the airport safe.

Memorials

Memorials honor the people who died in the Tenerife airport disaster. A Dutch memorial is located in Amsterdam at Westgaarde cemetery. There is also a memorial in Westminster, California, US. In 2007, a special memorial called the International Tenerife Memorial 27 March 1977 was inaugurated to remember those lost.

Documentaries

The Tenerife airport disaster has been shown in many TV shows, podcasts, and documentaries. Some of these include:

Episode 1 of Survival in the Sky, titled "Blaming the Pilot" from 1996.
Episode 12 of Seconds From Disaster, called "Collision on the Runway" from 2004.
Episode 625 of PBS's NOVA, named "The Deadliest Plane Crash" from 2006.
The PBS special Surviving Disaster: How the Brain Works Under Extreme Duress from 2011, based on a book by Amanda Ripley.
An episode of Destroyed in Seconds.
Episode 133 (S16E03) of the Canadian TV series Mayday, titled "Disaster at Tenerife" from 2016, along with a special called "Crash of the Century" from 2005.
Footage appeared in the disaster documentary Days of Fury from 1979, directed by Fred Warshofsky.
Episode 5 of the Nebula series Under Exposure from 2023 by Neo.
Series 5 episodes 1 and 2 of the Cautionary Tales podcast from 2025 by Pushkin Industries, hosted by Tim Harford.