Summary The Tenerife Airport disaster, leading to the death of more than 500 passengers, took place on March 27th, 1977. Refueling at Las Palmas could have prevented the fatal accident. Junior pilots' hesitancy to question the captain's decision may have led to the tragedy.
March 27, 1977, is an unforgettable day in aviation history. Two jumbos collided with each other at an airport that was previously known as Los Rodeos Airport - the Tenerife Airport. This resulted in the death of 583 people.
The crash took place on March 27th, 1977. The Tenerife Airport disaster is a tale of a string of unfortunate events that eventually led to changes in aviation standards forever. Let's take a look at some shocking facts about the deadliest accident in aviation history.
1 Terrorism played a part A bombing at the airport nearby led to the diversion. None of the two aircraft that collided to result in the biggest aviation disaster were scheduled to be at the Los Rodeos Airport to begin with. It was the backdrop of the Canary Islands Independence Movement that led to one of the aircraft in the disaster being present at the airport.
The Movement for the Independence and Self-determination of the Canary Islands was founded in 1964 and was looking for the secession of the Canary Islands from Spain. On the day of the accident, a bomb planted by those participating in the independence movement exploded in the Gran Canaria Airport, forcing the Pan Am flight to be diverted to Los Rodeos Airport, a.