Boeing 767 - Incidents and Accidents

Incidents and Accidents

As of November 2011, the 767 has been in 42 aviation occurrences, including 13 hull-loss accidents. Six fatal crashes, including three due to hijacking, have resulted in a total of 569 occupant fatalities. The type's first fatal crash, Lauda Air Flight 004, occurred near Bangkok on May 26, 1991, following the in-flight deployment of the left engine thrust reverser on a 767-300ER; none of the 223 aboard survived, and as a result of this accident all 767 thrust reversers were deactivated until a redesign was implemented. Investigators determined that an electronically-controlled valve, common to late-model Boeing aircraft, was to blame, and as a result a new locking device was installed on all affected jetliners, including 767s. On October 31, 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990, a 767-300ER, crashed off Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, in international waters killing all 217 people on board. The probable cause was determined by the National Transportation Safety Board to be deliberate action by the first officer; Egypt disputed this conclusion. On April 15, 2002, Air China Flight 129, a 767-200ER, crashed into a hill amid inclement weather while trying to land at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea. The crash resulted in the death of 129 of the 166 people on board, and the cause was attributed to pilot error.

An early 767 incident was survived by all on board. On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143, a 767-200, ran out of fuel in-flight and had to glide with both engines out almost 43 nautical miles (80 km) to an emergency landing. The pilots used the aircraft's ram air turbine to power the hydraulic systems for aerodynamic control. There were no fatalities and only minor injuries. This aircraft was nicknamed "Gimli Glider" for the airport at which it landed. The aircraft, registered C-GAUN, continued flying for Air Canada until its retirement in January 2008.

The 767 has been involved in six hijackings, three resulting in loss of life, for a combined total of 282 occupant fatalities. On November 23, 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, a 767-200ER, was hijacked and crash-landed in the Indian Ocean near Comoros after running out of fuel, killing 125 out of the 175 persons onboard; survivors have been rare among instances of land-based aircraft ditching on water. Two 767s were involved in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, resulting in the collapse of its two main towers. American Airlines Flight 11, a 767-200ER, crashed into the north tower, killing all 92 people on board, and United Airlines Flight 175, a 767-200, crashed into the south tower, with the death of all 65 on board. In addition, over 2,600 people perished in the towers or on the ground. A foiled 2001 shoe bomb plot involving an American Airlines 767-300ER resulted in passengers being required to remove their shoes for scanning at U.S. security checkpoints.

On November 1, 2011, LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16, a 767-300ER, safely landed at Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland after a mechanical failure of the landing gear forced an emergency landing with the landing gear up. There were no injuries, but the aircraft involved was damaged. It was possibly the first instance of a complete landing gear failure in the 767's service history. Preliminary investigation suggested a hydraulic leak and a deactivated circuit breaker as probable causes.