• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Pilot had chilling final words as he saw another aircraft crash into his plane killing 583 people

Home> News> Travel

Published 19:01 4 Oct 2024 GMT+1

Pilot had chilling final words as he saw another aircraft crash into his plane killing 583 people

The airport disaster remains the deadliest in aviation history

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

A pilot uttered some chilling final words as he witnessed another plane crash into his aircraft.

Some 47 years ago, two planes were involved in a major crash on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

The tragic collision between KLM flight 4805 and Pan Am flight 1736 on March 27 1997 saw 583 people lose their lives.

The Tenerife airport disaster occurred after the KLM flight initiated its takeoff, believing it had been give the go-ahead to depart the Canary Island.

Advert

This ultimately resulted in the plane colliding with the Pan Am flight that was still on the runway at the time.

The tragic collision led to every passenger on board the KLM flight losing their lives, including 234 passengers and 14 crew staff.

The crash sent shockwaves across the world (Central Press/Getty Images)
The crash sent shockwaves across the world (Central Press/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, 60 people survived the crash on the Pan Am aircraft - though at least 330 people were believed to have died.

The total number of casualties meant the Tenerife airport disaster is still the deadliest accident in aviation history.

Poor weather conditions played a huge role in the disaster, while radio interference meant KLM crew did not hear a message stating the Pan Am flight was still on the runway.

So as it was gearing to takeoff, the KLM flight was rapidly approaching the taxiing Pam Am plane.

Bob Bragg, who was the first officer on that flight, recalled the terrifying incident in an interview with CBS News.

He said: "As soon as I saw the man moving and coming at us, I started saying, ‘Get off!’ As we were turning to the left, I looked back out of my side window, and that’s when he had lifted off the ground and become airborne, right as close to us as I could see him."

The plane crash is still the deadliest aviation incident (CORR/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
The plane crash is still the deadliest aviation incident (CORR/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

A cockpit voice recording managed to record the chilling words of Pam Am pilot Victor Grubbs.

He shouted: "There he is! Look at him! Goddamn, that son of a b**** is coming!"

The pilot remarkably survived the crash. He died 18 years later in March 1995 at the age of 74.

A subsequent investigation blamed KLM captain Jacob Louis Veldhuyzen van Zanten thinking he was cleared for takeoff in Tenerife for the incident.

KLM then accepted responsibility for the crash and the airline agreed to financially compensate the relatives of those that had lost their lives in settlements totalling $110 million.

van Zanten was a highly experienced pilot and even featured in KLM commercials back then.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/National Geographic/Air Crash Investigation/Central Press/Getty Images
Callum Jones
Callum Jones

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
6 hours ago
8 hours ago
  •  SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    White House downplays Trump’s racist Obama post as president refuses to apologise

    The racist video which depicted the Obamas as primates was slammed by both sides of the political divide

    News
  • Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
    6 hours ago

    Lil Jon’s son Nathan Smith dead at 27 as family pay tribute to ‘kindest human’

    Smith, a.k.a. DJ Young Slade, was reported missing from his home earlier this week

    Celebrity
  • Getty Images/Emmanuele Ciancaglini
    8 hours ago

    2026 Olympic medals will be the most expensive in the Games' history

    Competitors at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games will get the most valuable medals in history

    News
  • Getty Images/Fiordaliso
    8 hours ago

    Bizarre new showering trend explained as experts claim it could fix your sleep

    Taking a shower before bed could help you to relax, but one practice might just take that to the next level

    News
  • Chilling plea pilot of Air India plane gave security guard before crash killing 260
  • Ted Bundy's chilling final words revealed 37 years after his execution
  • Pilot identified as first of six victims in deadly Maine plane crash as his father speaks out
  • Cosmonaut had chilling last words in final transmission as he fell from space