Two Boeing 747s Collide on the Same Runway | Worst Air Crash in History

Here's the story of the deadliest accident in aviation history. The crash occurred when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport on the Spanish island of Tenerife. The collision took place when KLM Flight 4805 initiated its takeoff roll while Pan Am Flight 1736 was still on the runway.

Get early access to future videos and support the channel here:

Check out the Official Shop with merchandise here:

Follow TheFlightChannel

Business Enquiries

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:23 PanAm B747 Approaching Gran Canaria
1:36 Flight Crew of Flight 1736
2:21 KLM B747 Approaching the Canary Islands
3:00 Flight Crew of Flight 4805
3:55 Emergency at Gran Canaria Airport
4:22 Diversion to Los Rodeos Airport
5:10 Traffic Jam at Los Rodeos Airport
6:00 Disenbarking Passengers
6:41 KLM B747 Blocking the Way
8:34 Taxiing and Takeoff Preparations
9:52 PanAm B747's Crew Mistake
11:16 Communication Misunderstandings
13:07 Radio Interference
13:49 No Visibility
14:17 KLM B747 Begins its Takeoff Roll
14:59 Collision
16:35 Investigation

[wrighterlights]

MyFlightChannel, now TheFlightChannel. I've been subscribing for 5 years and I cannot express how glad I am to see you finally recreating your first Air Crash video after more than half a decade later. Really shows how far you've come. I never regret supporting you at all after all these years. Keep going mate!

[doctoremil]

I've heard that when they first heard that one of their planes had had an accident, KLM's managers wanted to send van Zanten to the site as a consultant. I wonder what their reaction was when they heard that he had died in the crash, and later that he was the main culprit...

[stephendacey]

This accident is so horrific, and the young lady that didn't board the KLM plane to instead see her boyfriend, must have nightmares of that day. I hope she doesn't suffer survivors guilt. Great re-enactment of the tragic events. R.I.P. to those souls lost that terrible day.

[Unionhawk]

This disaster is why you will never hear the word "takeoff" from ATC unless you are actually being cleared for takeoff (or if your takeoff clearance is being cancelled). If they need to give you instructions to follow after you takeoff, you'll hear "after departure" or similar. (And, if your takeoff clearance is cancelled you'll probably hear "stop immediately" or similar too)

[kenjhee]

At the time van Zanten was generally considered the safest airliner pilot in the world, even appearing in KLM ads like the one shown. This incident is a testimony to the destructiveness of human arrogance.

[echo_soldier]

This accident is such a tragic example of the swiss cheese model: everything lining up in the wrong way. If the bomb hadn't gone off, the planes would've landed normally; if the fog hadn't rolled in, they would've seen each other; if the KLM captain hadn't refueled, he would've cleared the Pan Am; etc. So much went wrong for this to happen. Amazing job covering this accident and everything that went into it

[egor]

It is ironic that the worst air crash in history did not occur in the air, but on the ground

[MrCrystalcranium]

Also contributing was Van Zanten's status within the airline. In this pre-CRM era, the captain was king but Jacob was King of Kings at KLM. His frustration and anxiety over the flight time restriction was building and building during the hour before the accident and when the Pan Am crew asked about how long is was going to take them to finish refueling, they got an angry "About 35 minutes" and an abrupt hang up. There are so many turning points in this accident scenario that could have short circuited the disaster it's almost unbelievable. I remember the pictures on the news and in the newspapers and it looked like complete carnage. PBS did a fantastic documentary on this crash in their NOVA series many years ago including a first hand account from Robert Bragg. How the flight crew survived was pure luck. The KLM engine #4 went through the Pan Am about 10 feet from the cockpit destroying and killing everyone in the upper lounge section and peeling the entire top of the fuselage off. Bragg said he instinctively reached up for the fire bottle handles and saw only sky. He looked back over his shoulder and he could see the entire open fuselage of the plane back to the vertical stabilizer. He said it looked like someone had taken a knife and chopped off the entire top of the plane.

[LH]

One of the most avoidable accidents ever

[scofab]

In a nutshell, van Zanten was more concerned with his own priorities than he was for the safety of the flight or anyone else in his way. Unfortunately 583 people paid for his arrogance with their lives.
RIP

[AFJ_]

Still blows my mind no matter how many videos I see on it

[rachfish]

Out of all the videos and stories about this flight, I never knew the tidbit about the plane having been the inaugural 747. Nice that you included that fact. Gives a fresh perspective on a story that has been told so many times. ✌️

[georgewhitehead]

I was a Dental Surgeon in Escondido California, and two of my patients, a lovely married couple, were killed on the Pan Am flight. I remember the very sad days when the airlines, and the family members were contacting me for their dental records. It is strange how events, and history, can wrap around you, and enfold you, when in actuality you have nothing to do with the real event. God rest my patients souls, and blessings to their existing family members. I will never forget March 27, 1977. Doctor George M. Whitehead D.D.S.

[RobbieStacks]

The worst thing about the Tenerife disaster was that there were so many children lost on the KLM aircraft. Their families must have been devastated.

[JoseJimenez-lbtx]

There was one survivor from the KLM flight. That's only because she never got back on the plane.

[skyfrog]

Horrific! One thing I learned in getting my Aeronautical Engineering degree is the “Swiss-Cheese” model of accidents. Every insignificant decision led to this accident. Any one decision of which could have prevented this tragedy.
Kudos to TheFlightChannel for presenting such an in-depth, (and disturbing), representation of this disaster. This video hit me hard.

[mercator]

KLM pilot clearly had an ego. He disembarks all his passengers DESPITE being first in line, thus not only making everyone else stuck behind him, but they cannot disembark because the terminal is at capacity. THEN the Sguy orders a fueling of the planeand is impatient about that too. THEN he is in a rush to get out of Tenerife? What the hell man. Tenerife ATC was also WAYYYY too passive.

[connorredshaw]

Goddamn that son of a bitch is coming!.

I can't begin to imagine the horror in that moment seeing the KLM 747 heading straight towards you knowing that its not going to take off in time.

Rip to all those lost 😢

[RomNYC]

That KLM pilot was also notoriously cocky because of his so-called "fame", on a constant power trip. Guy had no regard for anyone.

[Mephisto]

Flight Engineer: "Is he not clear that PanAm?"
Captain: "Oh, yes" (proceeds to takeoff without double checking).
That captain...