Collision at Los Rodeos, Tenerife

On March 27, 1976, a KLM 747 initiated takeoff at Los Rodeos airport on the island of Tenerife. Just after the plane reached V1 speed, it collided with a Pan American 747 on the runway, resulting in the death of 583 individuals, including all those on board the KLM plane. That afternoon's low visibility prevented the KLM pilot from knowing that the Pan American jet was still taxing down the runway. This paper will detail the events that led to this tragic accident that occurred that day. It will describe, in chronological order, various incidents, decisions, and circumstances that culminated in the deadliest aviation accident in history. It will also discuss the changes that were implemented, in terms of rules and regulations, resulting from the accident. On March 27, 1976, a KLM 747 initiated takeoff at Los Rodeos airport on the island of Tenerife. Just after the plane reached V1 speed, it collided with a Pan American 747 on the runway, resulting in the deaths of 583 individuals, including all those on board the KLM plane. That afternoon's low visibility prevented the KLM pilot from knowing that the Pan American jet was still taxing down the runway. This paper will detail the events that led to the tragic accident that occurred that day. It will describe, in chronological order, various incidents, decisions, and circumstances that culminated in the deadliest aviation accident in history. It will also discuss the changes implemented in terms of rules and regulations as a result of the accident.