Two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on a runway on the Spanish island of Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands. Resulting in the death of 583 people and injuring 61 others. The KLM Flight 4805 initiated its takeoff run, colliding with the starboard side of Pan Am Flight 1736, which was on the runway.
An investigation by The Spanish authorities concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the KLM captain's decision to take off in the mistaken belief that air traffic control (ATC) had issued takeoff clearance. KLM admitted that its crew was responsible for the accident and the airline agreed to financially compensate the relatives of all of the victims. As of March 27, 2026, the Tenerife aircraft accident is the deadliest accident in aviation history. (not including the 911 terrorists attacks).
