Even today, plane crashes with unknown causes are among the most mysterious events in the history of civil aviation.
The number of airplane accidents on our planet is quite small compared to the number of traffic accidents. For example, every year millions of airplanes take off from one runway and land in one piece on another. The number of fatal plane crashes in 2022 is only 5. But no matter how rare they are, plane crashes are extremely tragic events. On the other hand, some plane crashes are as mysterious as they are tragic. Because, despite the many years that have passed, it is still unknown how and why some plane crashes that resulted in the deaths of dozens of people took place. Moreover, there are also airplanes that are unclear whether they were actually the subject of an accident or not! Here are the airplane accidents with unknown causes in the history of civil aviation.
EgyptAir 804
In May 2016, an EgyptAir A320-232 passenger plane took off from Paris, the capital of France, to Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Thus, EgyptAir flight 804 was launched. The plane, carrying 56 passengers and a crew of 10, entered Greek airspace at around 23.30 on May 19, 2016 and disappeared from Greek radar at around 00.30. The plane was never heard from again. Unfortunately, the plane, with 66 people on board, crashed in an area between the island of Crete and Northern Egypt and was destroyed. A month-long search would have been required to find even a fragment of the wreckage of the plane. So, why did the A320-232 passenger plane crash? Why is EgyptAir 804 one of the most mysterious plane crashes in history?
There are different claims about the cause of the accident. However, the smokescreen over the incident has not been lifted. Some believe it was a terrorist attack, just as Egyptian officials did at the time of the crash. Others believe that the plane crashed due to an uncontrollable fire. Moreover, the investigations conducted after the crash have led to strong suspicions that there was a fire on board. A French report on the crash suggests that the real cause was the pilot smoking in the cockpit.
Malaysia Airlines MH370
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was scheduled to depart from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on March 8, 2014 and the Boeing 777-200ER with tail number 9M-MRO was scheduled to end at Beijing Capital International Airport in China. However, this was not the case. All 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board lost their lives, presumably. But no one knows where the bodies or the pile of debris are! Yes, the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, one of the most mysterious plane crashes, is unknown. So what happened to the plane that almost disappeared into thin air?
The crew of the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft made contact about 38 minutes into the flight, while over the South China Sea. The plane disappeared from civil aviation radars minutes later. However, the Malaysian military radar system managed to track the plane for another hour. The plane was veering off course. When it was 370 kilometers northwest of Penang Island, it was also out of range of military radars. In the wake of this mysterious disappearance, one of the most expensive search and rescue operations in history was launched, with large teams laboring for years to find any trace of Flight 370. However, there was no trace of any passenger, dead or alive, nor was there the slightest trace of debris. What happened to the plane remains a mystery. Of course, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is at the center of many conspiracy theories. For example, there are those who believe that the plane was hijacked by terrorists and hidden in a top-secret location for later use.
Pan Am Flight 7
On November 8, 1957, a Pan American World Airways Boeing 377 Stratocruiser crashed into the Pacific Ocean en route from San Francisco to Honolulu International Airport. All 36 passengers and eight crew members lost their lives in the tragic accident. After 5 days of search and rescue efforts, part of the plane wreckage and the lifeless bodies of 19 passengers were recovered. The majority of the unfortunate passengers were wearing life jackets. This meant that the plane was prepared to crash. But why was the journey that became Pan Am Flight 7 not completed as it should have been? This question has never been answered.
Canadian Pacific Airlines Douglas DC-4
At a time when the Korean War was in full swing, a Douglas DC-4 aircraft belonging to Canadian Pacific Airlines took off from Vancouver for Japan. It carried 31 passengers and a crew of 6. As the plane approached Alaska, it encountered rain, low visibility and icing conditions. The crew had not reported any adverse conditions until then. However, the plane carrying 37 people was never heard from again. Despite days of search and rescue efforts, no trace of the plane could be found.
Northwest Orient Airlines Uçuş 2501
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 is on the list of plane crashes of unknown cause. The DC-4 aircraft was gliding between New York and Seattle before mysteriously disappearing on the night of June 23, 1950. As the plane approached Lake Michigan, it encountered a strong storm. The pilot requested permission to reduce the aircraft’s altitude from 3,500 feet to 2,500 feet, but his request was denied due to the presence of other aircraft in the area. In the following period, contact with the aircraft was lost and the DC-4 disappeared with 55 passengers and a crew of 3. Since no trace of the plane was ever found, the cause of the accident was never learned.
British South American Airways Star Ariel
Star Ariel was an Avro Tudor Mark IV passenger plane belonging to British South American Airways. En route from Bermuda to Jamaica in 1949, the plane lost radio contact one hour after takeoff. British investigators have found no trace of the wreckage of the Avro Tudor Mark IV or the 20 people on board. The 1949 British South American Airways Star Ariel flight also took its place on the list of plane crashes of unknown cause as no evidence was found.
British South American Airways Star Tiger
In 1948, the Star Tiger aircraft of British South American Airways took off from the Azores and was moving to enter Bermuda airspace. When it approached the area, there was no problem with the aircraft’s communication line. Moreover, the pilots had not reported any negative reports. Still, something was wrong. Because Star Tiger never managed to land. Days of rescue efforts were also fruitless. Investigators described the accident as an “unsolvable mystery”.
