Tillie Doyle
The Tenerife Airport Disaster, which occurred on March 27, 1977, involved Pan Am Flight 1736, a Boeing 747-121 aircraft with 380 passengers and 16 crew members on board. The flight originated in Los Angeles and made a stop in New York, where the crew changed. The plane collided with another aircraft on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, resulting in a tragic loss of life. The exact number of fatalities and survivors from Pan Am Flight 1736 is unclear, but initial reports listed numerous passengers who perished in the crash.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the flight | Pan Am Flight 1736 |
| Aircraft | Boeing 747-121 |
| Registration | N736PA |
| Nickname | Clipper Victor (or Clipper Young America) |
| Number of passengers | 380 |
| Number of survivors | 61 |
| Number of fatalities | 319 |
| Number of crew | 19 |
| Captain | Victor Grubbs |
| First Officer | Robert Bragg |
| Flight Engineer | George Warns |
| Number of flight attendants | 13 |
| Date of the crash | 27 March 1977 |
| Location of the crash | Tenerife Airport |
| Cause of the crash | Mutual interference on the radio frequency, fog, and lack of ground radar |
| Contributing factors | Ambiguous transmission from the tower, missed exit by Pan Am crew |
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What You'll Learn
The Tenerife Airport Disaster
On 27 March 1977, 583 people lost their lives in the Tenerife Airport Disaster, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history. The incident involved two Boeing 747s, one operated by KLM and the other by Pan American Airways (Pan Am), which collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
The chain of events leading up to the disaster began with a bomb explosion at Gran Canaria Airport, planted by the separatist Canary Islands Independence Movement. As a result, all incoming flights were diverted to the smaller Los Rodeos Airport, which had only one runway and one major taxiway. Among the diverted flights were the two aircraft involved in the collision.
The Pan Am aircraft was ready for departure first but was unable to taxi past the KLM plane parked ahead, as its captain had decided to refuel, delaying its departure. Consequently, the KLM aircraft was cleared to enter the runway and backtrack to the first available exit before taking off. However, due to low visibility caused by fog and cloud cover, the aircraft continued past the designated exit and remained on the runway.
As the Pan Am plane began its takeoff without clearance, it collided with the KLM plane, resulting in the destruction of both aircraft and the tragic loss of life. The primary responsibility for the accident was attributed to the actions and inactions of the KLM captain, with contributing factors including weather conditions, communication issues, and the difficulty of navigating large aircraft on the taxiway.
The disaster has been commemorated in several memorials, including a Dutch national memorial in Amsterdam and a memorial in Westminster, California, honouring the victims of the KLM plane and the Pan Am plane, respectively.
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Canary Islands crash
On March 27, 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets—KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736—collided on a foggy runway at Tenerife North Airport (formerly Los Rodeos Airport) in the Canary Islands. The incident, which occurred at 5:06 pm WET (UTC+0), resulted in a total of 583 fatalities, making it the deadliest accident in aviation history. The two aircraft had been diverted to Los Rodeos earlier that day due to a bomb explosion at their intended destination, Gran Canaria Airport (also known as Las Palmas Airport).
The KLM jet, carrying 14 crew members and 235 passengers, was readying for takeoff when it collided with the Pan Am plane, which was still taxiing on the runway. The impact and resulting fire killed all 248 people on board the KLM plane and 335 of the 396 people on board the Pan Am aircraft, which had originated in Los Angeles and stopped over in New York. There were only 61 survivors, all from the front section of the Pan Am plane.
The disaster was attributed to a combination of factors, including pilot error, weather conditions, and communication issues. The Dutch authorities' report placed blame on the Pan Am crew for missing the third exit, which would have been a challenging turn for a 747, and on the KLM crew for the captain's unilateral decision to initiate takeoff. The Spanish air traffic controllers' unclear instructions to both flight crews were also cited as a contributing factor.
In the aftermath of the crash, the three nations involved—Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States—initially shifted blame away from themselves. The magnitude of the accident, coupled with the series of improbable errors and failures that led to it, made it a memorable and preventable tragedy. The event highlighted the importance of clear communication and coordination in aviation safety, and it served as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of even small mistakes in such a complex and interconnected system.
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Radio interference
On 27 March 1977, two Boeing 747 passenger jets, KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736, collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife, killing a total of 583 people. This incident, known as the Tenerife airport disaster, is the deadliest accident in aviation history.
Several factors contributed to the disaster, including pilot error, weather conditions, and crucially, communication issues due to radio interference. The investigation into the crash revealed that radio interference played a significant role in the events leading up to the collision.
Due to a bomb explosion at Gran Canaria Airport, several aircraft, including both the KLM and Pan Am flights, were diverted to Los Rodeos Airport. The unexpected influx of aircraft caused significant congestion at the airport, with planes parked on the taxi strip parallel to the runway. As a result, the Pan Am plane was forced to wait behind the KLM jet before it could begin taxiing down the runway.
As the fog intensified, visibility became extremely limited. The KLM plane began its takeoff roll down the runway, while the Pan Am aircraft was still taxiing on the same runway. The tower instructed the Pan Am crew to "report when runway clear," to which they replied, "OK, we'll report when we're clear." However, due to radio interference caused by simultaneous transmissions, the KLM crew did not hear the Pan Am crew's transmission indicating that they were still on the runway.
The exact source of the radio interference has been a subject of investigation. One theory suggests that the interference may have come from a third source, possibly even the Pan Am plane itself. Another factor contributing to the confusion was the use of ambiguous non-standard phrases by both the KLM first officer and the Tenerife control tower. The phrase "We're at take off" used by the KLM first officer and the response "OK" from the control tower were not standard clearance phrases.
The Dutch authorities, while accepting that the KLM captain took off prematurely, argued that the limitations of using radio as a means of communication should have been given more consideration. The incident highlighted the need for standardized radio phraseology and better tools to manage radio interference in air traffic control.
In summary, the Tenerife airport disaster was a tragic event that brought to light the critical role of effective communication in aviation safety. While radio interference was not the sole cause of the collision, it played a significant part in the chain of events leading up to the accident. The investigation and subsequent discussions have led to efforts to improve communication protocols and explore alternative methods to reduce commercial radio traffic in air traffic control.
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Missed exit
The missed approach or missed exit is a common occurrence in aviation, and while it can be stressful, preparation and quick thinking can help pilots stay ahead of the aircraft.
A missed approach is when an aircraft has to abandon its approach to landing, usually because of poor visibility or other hazards. In the case of Pan Am Flight 1736, the missed exit was a result of a series of unfortunate events and miscommunications. The flight was a charter service from Los Angeles International Airport to a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, with a stop in New York and a crew change. Due to a bomb threat at Gran Canaria Airport, the aircraft was ordered to divert to Tenerife, a smaller airport with only one runway and taxiway.
As the airport was not equipped with ground radar, visibility was poor due to fog, and there was interference on the radio frequency, the Pan Am crew's transmission "We're still taxiing down the runway, Clipper 1736!" was not heard by the KLM crew. This crucial message would have alerted the KLM crew to the Pan Am aircraft's position on the runway. The KLM crew's decision to take off without ATC clearance resulted in a collision with the Pan Am aircraft, killing all 248 on board the KLM flight and 335 on the Pan Am flight.
To avoid such incidents, pilots must prepare for multiple contingencies and practice missed approach procedures. While it can be challenging, staying ahead of the aircraft is crucial to ensuring the safety of the crew and passengers.
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Passenger list
On March 27, 1977, Pan Am Flight 1736, a Boeing 747-121, was involved in the Tenerife Airport Disaster, which remains the worst aviation accident in history. The flight originated at Los Angeles International Airport, with a stop at New York's JFK International Airport, where the crew was changed and additional passengers boarded. In total, the aircraft was carrying 380 passengers, most of whom were of retirement age, and 19 crew members.
The passenger manifest for Pan Am Flight 1736 is not publicly available, but a list of known survivors was provided to the Associated Press by Pan Am officials. The survivors included:
- John Amador (Marina Del Rey, California)
- Marlon Andersen (San Diego, California)
- Dr. Karen Anderson (Seattle, Washington)
- Mary Bowman (Cerrito, California)
- Richard Bowman (Cerrito, California)
- Jan Brown (Laguna Hills, California)
- Teresa Brusco (Longview, Oregon)
- Cleo Brusco (Lake OswegO, Oregon)
- Rolan Brusco (Longview, Washington)
- John Combs (Haleiwa, Hawaii)
- Louis Combs (Haleiwa, Hawaii)
- Ruth Culbertson (Green Valley, Arizona)
- Patricia Daniel (La Verne, California)
- Lynda Daniel (La Verne, California)
- Byron Ellenbrock (Laguna Hills, California)
- Grate Ellenbrock (Laguna Hills, California)
- Kim Fox (Visalia, California)
- Paul Heck (Laguna Hills, California)
- Floy Heck (Laguna Hills, California)
- Edward Hess (Phoenix, Arizona)
- Joan Devereaux Holt (San Diego, California)
Unfortunately, at least 330 people aboard Pan Am Flight 1736 perished in the disaster, while more than 60 survived.
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Frequently asked questions
There were 380 passengers on board, mostly of retirement age, but including two children.
The exact number is unclear, but a New York Times article from 1977 lists the names of dozens of passengers who were killed.
The New York Times article also lists 39 survivors.
All but five passengers on board the aircraft were Americans; the non-American passengers were all Canadian nationals.
