At least 121 people were killed Friday when a Bhoja Air Boeing 737-200 crashed in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to officials. Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority has cited poor weather as a possible factor.
The following is a chronological list of commercial plane crashes with more than 200 fatalities. The list does not include crashes resulting from terrorist or military action.
* March 3, 1974 – 346 people are killed when a Turkish Airlines (DC-10) crashes in Bois d' Ermenonville, France.
* March 27, 1977 – A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747 crashes into a Pan American World Airways Boeing 747 at the Los Rodeos Airport at Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 574 people (326 passengers on the Pan American airplane and all 234 passengers plus 14 crew members on the KLM plane). The accident occurs when the KLM airplane begins its takeoff while the Pan American airplane is still on the runway.
* May 25, 1979 – An American Airlines DC-10 crashes after takeoff from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, killing 275 on board and three on the ground. During takeoff, an engine on the left wing falls off; the FAA later faults American Airline maintenance techniques for the crash.
* November 28, 1979 – An Air New Zealand DC -10 crashes into Mt. Erebus in Antarctica, killing 257 people. The crash is believed to be the result of a navigational error.
A Delta Air Lines flight made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Thursday afternoon after encountering an engine problem the pilot said was caused by a bird strike shortly after takeoff.
"We lost our right engine due to the ingestion of birds," the pilot told the control tower.
Delta Flight 1063’s pilots told air traffic controllers of an engine-related problem shortly after the Los Angeles-bound plane took off from JFK around 3 p.m., FAA spokesman Jim Peters said.
“As a measure of caution, the pilot chose to turn around” and landed the Boeing 757 at JFK, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said. All 172 passengers and seven crew members were OK, he said.
Delta needs to examine the engine before a bird strike could be confirmed, Black said.
Ali Velshi, CNN's chief business correspondent, was on the plane. He said he heard “a horrible grinding noise” after the plane took off.
[Updated at 2:16 p.m. ET] A small plane with an unresponsive pilot crashed in the central Gulf of Mexico on Thursday after circling above the ocean for more than two hours, but it appeared intact after hitting the water, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
The tail of the twin-engine Cessna 421 remained sticking out of the Gulf about 120 miles west of Tampa, Florida, after it went down at 12:08 p.m. ET, said Chief Petty Officer John Edwards, a Coast Guard spokesman. The crew of a Coast Guard search-and-rescue plane watched as the Cessna made what appeared to be a soft landing, Edwards said.
A Coast Guard helicopter and the cutter Coho were expected to reach the site Thursday afternoon, he said.
The plane took off from Slidell, Louisiana, en route to Sarasota, Florida, with a single pilot on board, and had been circling at an altitude of about 28,000 feet, a Federal Aviation Administration source told CNN. The Air Force began monitoring the plane after noticing it flying erratically over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, and planes sent up to investigate it reported the Cessna's windows were either iced or fogged over, Edwards said.
Mike Maddox, a manager at the Slidell airfield where the plane took off, confirmed there was a situation with a plane and said family members had been notified, but he had no further comment.
FULL STORYEditor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
We last spoke of jets carrying shuttles and planes dodging Venus, and we're venturing skyward again (after the security check) with this story of a man who stripped naked at Portland International Airport in Oregon to protest TSA searches. Many of our readers have hailed him as some sort of unclothed hero, while others aren't sure about the value of being naked in public.
Police: Man strips naked at Oregon airport in TSA protest
CNN has already spoken with John Brennan, the naked flier, and we found him apparently commenting on the story about the incident. One of the posts gave this advice:
John Brennan: "Always smile for your mug shot. I look so grim, but I'd never been to jail before."
From our other readers, this was the most-liked comment:
Anex: "While it sucks for the people who had to wait because of him, or the children's/passerby's poor eyes, I respect what he did. His protest was non-violent and just shows the general sentiment of airport security."
USA401: "Yes but it is also illegal to be naked in public and refusing to cooperate. Lets face it, those are two things we want to keep as laws."
Many of our readers said people need to calm down and realize that airport security is a necessity.
collagekid: "Get off your high horse and deal with it. If you dont want to fly because the TSA may feel you are hiding something or have cause to search you then don't fly. Its your right not to; however, when you purchase a ticket I feel you give up your right to some of those privacies and liberties. I have no problem with TSA doing whatever and whenever to ensure that they can prevent someone from inflicting harm on an airplane or worse. The truth is, when they search children or people in wheelchairs, they do it because there are people out there who are disturbed enough to strap a bomb to a child!"
A few readers with knowledge about Portland's local laws had a different take. FULL POST
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
A report released Monday about an incident that sent several passengers flying out of their seats on an Air Canada flight on January 14, 2011, has got many of our readers testing out their commenting wits. The report says the first officer woke up from a nap - the rules allow for a brief "controlled rest" period at cruising altitude - and suddenly mistook the planet Venus to be another plane overhead. He panicked and the plane went into a dive before the crew corrected its position so an actual approaching C-17 plane could pass underneath.
Pilot sends plane into dive after mistaking Venus for oncoming plane
How does something like this happen?
HitomiAdrien: "This doesn't make sense to me. Why would he make such a brash move? Even if it were another plane, at the size of a dot there has to be other protocol (trying to locate that other plane on their GPS?) and a significant amount of time to get out of the way considering how big Venus isn't from the Earth. Therefore; why take a nose dive on a dot of light before taking other precautions that you were trained to do in school and through experience?"
WithReason7: "Venus on a clear night at 35,000 feet is brighter than airplane lights. Had it been plane on a collision course, they probably would have had about five seconds to avoid collision, not enough time to check GPS and have a nice chat ..."
This person gave an actual piloting perspective.
jsnight: "It happens more than you think. A pilot almost turned an airplane upside down when he mistook stars for yard lights and thought they were upside down. I have over 20,000 flight hours and although I've never taken any evasive action, I have been startled. You can look down at a chart, look up and think you're in an unusual attitude."
All kinds of people can relate. FULL POST
The U.S has entered an unprecedented era of safer skies, according to industry experts, but not every plane landing has been perfect.
On Monday, 2,000 feet above the ground in Wisconsin, an 80-year old woman was forced to land a twin-engine Cessna after her pilot husband lost consciouness. You've "gotta watch" how this gutsy grandmother landed the plane.
Her successful landing reminds us of other daring attempts pilots have made during emergency landing situations. Watch how commercial pilots recently landed their impaired planes in Arizona, New York and Poland.
In Wisconsin, an 80-year-old woman takes over the controls of a plane after her pilot husband falls unconscious.
Video from the Coast Guard shows the US Airways jet crash-landing into the Hudson River.
CNN's Ted Rowlands reports on the Southwest flight that made an emergency landing because of a hole in the fuselage.
CNN's Hala Gorani reports on the LOT Polish Airlines flight that made an emergency landing in Warsaw, Poland.
Arlen Specter is mincing no words when it comes to whether or not Santorum should throw in the towel.
When it comes to kids on airplanes, don't get Richard Quest started.
Boyce Watkins and Carol Swain argue the aspect of race in the Martin case and the movement to boycott Sanford, Florida.
Several people were reported injured on a United Airlines flight that encountered turbulence over Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Wednesday, said Lynn Lunsford of the Federal Aviation Administration.
United Flight 1727 was flying from Tampa, Florida, to Houston, Texas, he said.
The pilot said there were several injuries, Lunsford said. Medical crews were tending to the injured after the plane landed safely.
FULL STORY
Editor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
People love to commiserate over their air travel experiences, but 2011 was the "best year ever" for airline performance, according to the Airline Quality Rating report released Monday in Washington. The study said air travelers were less likely to be bumped, less likely to lose their luggage and more likely to arrive at their destinations on time. Our readers commented that those numbers don't tell the whole story.
Report says top U.S. airlines performed very well in 2011
One reader said the subjective experience of flying nowadays has changed along with those numbers.
ec7967: "Passengers 'don't think so' because, while fewer people have to deal with a misplaced bag or an extra half hour sitting at the gate, everything else about flying has become lousy. Part of that isn't anyone's fault, mind you - security has become an unfortunate necessity - but it is what it is. You can't bring your own drinks on the plane, you can't get free food on the plane, you can't check your bag for free, you can't get on the plane without being patted down or walking through an X-ray machine, etc. And while you might consider more full flights to be a good thing, most passengers will not. The idea of getting a row to yourself, or being able to get up and move to a different seat at a whim, was one of the simple pleasures of flying that have completely vanished."
There was an interesting debate about the current state of airlines. Many argued that we pay much less for our airline trips nowadays, and that's what people really want. So would you be willing to pay more to have a nicer flight experience? Really? Seriously?
Surfstud31: "Airline travel sucks anymore. I feel bad for the people who can't remember what it was like to fly 30 years ago. You actually got fed (for free), didn't pay for bags, didn't pay for extra legroom seats, you could smoke (OMG!), you could take your shampoo and toothpaste, and best of all you didn't have to subject yourself to a humiliating strip search every time you entered an airport. Oh, how times have changed. And not for the better."
Mat Hill: "You also paid a LOT more in inflation adjusted dollars before deregulation. I'll take cheaper."
Rachel Huntress: "Glad no one is blowing smoke in my face on the plane these days ..."
Of course, this person and others longed for the good old days. FULL POST
The JetBlue pilot arrested after an apparent midair meltdown last week was taken to the federal courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, Monday morning, a court official said.
Authorities transferred Clayton Osbon, the captain of JetBlue Flight 191, from a hospital where he has been treated since last Tuesday to the courthouse. A court clerk said he probably would appear before a judge.
Osbon has not made an initial court appearance since he was arrested and charged with interfering with a flight crew.
His remarks and erratic behavior on the planned five-hour flight from New York's Kennedy International Airport to Las Vegas led the co-pilot to lock him out of the cockpit, according a federal criminal complaint.
FULL STORY
Editor's Note: This post is a recap of the top five videos on CNN.com from the past week. So in case you didn't catch our best videos during the week, here is your chance to see what you missed.
The most watched video on CNN.com this week was the surveillance video of George Zimmerman in handcuffs after the Trayvon Martin shooting. Following as the second most popular video was a firsthand account of the erratic Jet Blue pilot who was subdued by passengers. Rounding out the top five are a heart-warming reunion between a soldier and an excited dog, a teen signing sensation, and finally, an open mic mishap from President Obama. Check out the videos below and see what everyone else was watching this week on CNN.com.
Police surveillance video shows George Zimmerman arriving at the police department in handcuffs the night of shooting.
A JetBlue passenger describes the incident that caused a flight to be diverted.
A dog can't contain himself after seeing his owner come home from Afghanistan.
Jonathan Antoine's booming opera voice leaves judges on "Britain's Got Talent" pronouncing him the next Pavarotti.
An open mic catches President Obama seeking help from Russia's outgoing president for NATO's missile defense.
Follow us on Twitter: @CNNVideo
[Updated at 4:58 p.m. ET] The JetBlue pilot whose midair meltdown prompted his co-pilot to make an emergency landing on Tuesday was charged Wednesday in a federal criminal complaint with interference with a flight crew.
[Initial post, 12:25 p.m. ET] JetBlue pilot Clayton Osbon has been suspended pending further investigation of Tuesday's incident in which a flight made an emergency landing, JetBlue spokeswoman Tamara Young told CNN Wednesday.
FULL STORYEditor's note: This post is part of the Overheard on CNN.com series, a regular feature that examines interesting comments and thought-provoking conversations posted by the community.
United Airlines Flight 857 wasn't exactly the best flight ever. The toilets broke, so the flight stopped in Anchorage, Alaska, and things only got more interesting from there. The 13-hour flight from San Francisco to Shanghai was three days late. Readers commented on this story and griped about modern air travel.
Broken toilets strand United passengers in Alaska
There were a few readers who dread flying.
AngelaD: "Once a year, I fly overseas with my children ... and this is one of the scenarios I dread and fear. And although I understand that some of these things can happen, it is the endless waiting in the plane and the airport just for an answer that can drive one crazy. My tickets cost thousands of dollars (in economy, of course) and I wonder what they all do with my money. I feel for the people of that flight."
But some said readers should stop complaining.
SherwoodOR: "They could have just flown on and finished the trip with the toilets backing up into the aisles. In some parts of the world on some airlines, that would have been the choice. Would you prefer that?"
Take the train instead. FULL POST
CNN’s Dan Simon looks at what may have been a darker side of the man accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians.
Outrage ramps up in a racially-charged case in Florida. A neighborhood watch volunteer remains free after telling police he shot and killed an unarmed teenager in an act he claims was self-defense.
A viral video showing TSA agents patting down a 3-year-old boy in a wheelchair in 2010 was posted on YouTube on Sunday by his father.
Editor's Note: This post is a recap of the top five videos on CNN.com from the past week. So in case you didn't catch our best videos during the week, here is your chance to see what you missed.
The top videos on CNN.com this week featured a jaws-like shark swarm, a new high-tech Dreamliner, the story of a mother's dramatic reunion and some horrifying video of torture and death in Syria as the uprising there reaches the one year mark. Click below to see the videos that impacted so many others this week.
Sharks off the coast of Australia go on a feeding frenzy. Australia's Network Ten reports.
CNN's Arwa Damon reports on torture captured on video carried out allegedly by Syrian soldiers.
In Syria, a rescue operation to retrieve bodies of a massacred family turns up a child who lived. Arwa Damon reports.
Dr. Drew talks to Auboni Champion-Morin, whose son was found after being kidnapped 8 years ago.
Lizzie O'Leary reports on whether the new Boeing 787 is everything it's cracked up to be.
A security checkpoint that serves passengers intending to board Delta Airlines flights at San Francisco International Airport has been closed because of a suspicious package, an airport spokesman said Friday afternoon.
Authorities are investigating the package, said Mike McCarron, the airport's director Of community
affairs Mike McCarron.
Flights were continuing as normal, he said.
[Updated at 3:35 p.m. ET] A Nigerian man who pleaded guilty to trying to bring down a Christmas Day 2009 flight with an explosive device hidden in his underwear was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.
Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, 25, pleaded guilty in October to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, among other charges. Shortly before he was sentenced Thursday in a federal courtroom in Detroit, he argued a life sentence – for which prosecutors were arguing – would be "cruel and unusual punishment," as well as unconstitutional.
The judge rejected his argument.
U.S. officials say the terror group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula helped plot the bombing attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, which was heading from the Netherlands to Detroit. Authorities say AbdulMutallab, a passenger, tried to ignite an explosive device that was hidden in his underwear shortly before the plane landed, but passengers and flight crew members subdued him and extinguished flames after the device briefly set him on fire.
The plane was carrying 289 people.
"As this investigation and prosecution have shown, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a remorseless terrorist who believes it is his duty to kill Americans," U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a Justice Department news release after Thursday's sentencing. "For attempting to take the lives of 289 innocent people, he has been appropriately sentenced to serve every day of the rest of his life in prison.
"Today's sentence once again underscores the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in both incapacitating terrorists and gathering valuable intelligence from them."
When pleading guilty in October, AbdulMutallab told the court that he aimed to avenge "the killing of innocent Muslims" and "U.S. tyranny and oppression of Muslims."
FULL STORY
"Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads." So said Doc Brown at the end of "Back to the Future" just before he took off into the sky in his famed DeLorean.
The road less traveled or not traveled at all, in some very cool cars, has us talking today. The idea came to us after we saw a piece on a folding car that's perfect for the avid parallel parker. Adjust your mirrors and fasten your seat belts for today's Gotta Watch.
No, it's not a Transformer, but wouldn't it be cool if this electric car from the brains at MIT made that Transformer sound?
Getting from here to there on the street? That's so five minutes ago. Check out this plane-car hybrid for the traveler who wants the best of both worlds.
If you prefer mermaids to meter maids, strap on your SCUBA gear for this underwater wonder, which caught our eye back in 2008.
Air France expects to cancel nearly half its long haul flights Tuesday as a strike by aviation workers enters its second day.
The workers, including pilots and flight attendants, have called for a four-day strike to protest a draft law that they say will curtail their right to strike.
The proposed law says that workers will have to provide a 48-hour notice before they strike.
"Since the arrival of the proposed law, the intentions of government and businesses are clear: removing all means of dissent from air travel personnel," the main pilot union, SNPL, said.
"Let there be no mistake: in the light of the government and businesses' will to muzzle airline pilots, we must speak with one voice," the union added.
FULL STORYHeathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest international airports, canceled about three out of 10 flights Sunday as several inches of snow fell on London overnight.
The airports chief operating officer urged travelers to check before coming to the airport so they would not be left stranded there.
Normand Boivin said Heathrow "deeply regret any disruption caused to passengers by the cold weather," but said: "Reducing the flight schedule means we can fly as many people as possible and return the airport to normal as quickly as possible."
The airport did not say how many passengers were affected.
London is the latest European capital to be hit by winter weather wending its way west, after Rome was blanketed in a rare snowfall Saturday.
Landmarks such as Rome's Colosseum were dusted with snow for the first time since 1985. The rare precipitation caused traffic jams and left some people stranded.
By Sunday, traffic was clearing, a taxi driver said, and temperatures were rising.
But Sarajevo, Bosnia, canceled school for a week as the Balkan city was hit by the biggest snowfall since 1999. Snowdrifts that were 110 centimeters (43 inches) high snarled the center of the city, with even more snow in the hills around it.
FULL STORY
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