Carcasse des deux Boeing étant rentrés en collision à l’aéroport régional de Los Rodeos sur l’île de Ténérife en mars 1977 à Los Rodeos, Espagne. (Photo by Etienne MONTES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

A terrorist incident at Gran Canaria Airport had caused many flights to be diverted to Los Rodeos, including the two aircraft involved in the accident. The airport quickly became congested with parked airplanes blocking the only taxiway and forcing departing aircraft to taxi on the runway instead. Patches of thick fog were drifting across the airfield, hence visibility was greatly reduced for pilots and the control tower.

In 1977, two Boeing 747 airliners collided on the runway of Tenerife Los Rodeos Airport, resulting in the death of 583 people, making it the worst accident in aviation history. (Photo by Tony Comiti/Sygma via Getty Images)

The collision occurred when the KLM airliner initiated its takeoff run while the Pan Am airliner, shrouded in fog, was still on the runway and about to turn off onto the taxiway. The impact and resulting fire killed everyone on board KLM 4805 and most of the occupants of Pan Am 1736, with only 61 survivors in the front section of the aircraft.

Part of the wreckage of the two Boeing 747s, KLM 4805 and Pan Am 1736, which collided on the runway of Los Rodeos Airport, killing 583 people, the deadliest collision in aviation history. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)

The subsequent investigation by Spanish authorities concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the KLM captain’s decision to take off in the mistaken belief that a takeoff clearance from air traffic control (ATC) had been issued. Dutch investigators placed a greater emphasis on mutual misunderstanding in radio communications between the KLM crew and ATC, but ultimately KLM admitted that their crew was responsible for the accident and the airline agreed to financially compensate the relatives of all of the victims.

(GERMANY OUT) airplane catastrophe in Teneriffa – crash of two Boeing 747- March 1977 (Photo by Rainer Binder/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

The disaster had a lasting influence on the industry, highlighting in particular the vital importance of using standardized phraseology in radio communications. Cockpit procedures were also reviewed, contributing to the establishment of crew resource management as a fundamental part of airline pilots’ training.

Author – Mfongan Pascal
Electronic Engineer for Aviation Safety Systems


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