Featured Image Credit: KLM/Rainer Binder/ullstein bild via Getty Images
Topics: Travel
Gerrard Kaonga
The deadliest plane crash shook the world to its core as two planes never even managed to take flight before disaster struck.
Forty-seven years ago, two planes were involved in a major crash that became known as the Tenerife Airport Disaster.
On March 27, 1977, a collision between KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 resulted in the deaths of 583 people.
The incident happened on the Spanish island of Tenerife and occurred when the KLM flight initiated its takeoff, believing it had gotten the go ahead.
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This resulted in the plane colliding with the Pan Am flight that was still on the runway.
The collision resulting in every person upon the KLM flight dying, this included 234 passengers and 14 crew. At least 330 people on the Pan Am flight died, but more than 60 survived, including the pilot.
The total number of deaths marked it as the deadliest accident in aviation history.
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In a strange turn of events, the two planes were not initially meant to be at the Los Rodeos Airport (now known as the Tenerife North Airport) where the incident happened.
A bomb set off as part of a terrorist attack by the Canary Islands Independence movement at Gran Canaria Airport resulted in many flights being diverted to Los Rodeos, including the two planes.
The increase in aircraft resulted in the airport becoming considerably congested.
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To make matters worse, patches of thick fog resulted in reduced visibility for both pilots and those in the control tower.
Following the crash and subsequent investigation, it was discovered that the accident's cause was the KLM captain - Jacob Louis Veldhuyzen van Zanten - taking off, believing he had been given clearance from air traffic control.
KLM eventually accepted responsibility for the incident and the airline agreed to financially compensate the relatives of those that had lost their lives, totalling $110 million in settlements.
The crash resulted in changes to the aviation industry.
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The investigators found that the use of the term ‘OK’ made the captain believe he was cleared for take-off.
Following this, air traffic control is now required to only use the word ‘take-off’ when allowing or cancelling takeoffs. Any other time air traffic control is expected to use the word ‘departure’.
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As well as this, cockpit procedures were also reviewed. This resulted in the establishment of crew resource management as a fundamental part of airline pilots' training.
The captain is also no longer considered infallible and the combined efforts of the crew is encouraged during aircraft operations.