American Airlines has operated commercial flights since the early 1930s. This makes it one of the longest-running carriers in U.S. aviation history. That history, however, includes almost a century of recorded incidents: Accidents. Hijackings. And in-flight emergencies. Below is a statistical breakdown. I compiled it from Wikipedia's documented historical record of American Airlines accidents and incidents. Which spans 1931 through 2025.
I then cross-referenced against Aviation Safety Network, NTSB and news archive sources. My totals include hull losses, fatal crashes, hijackings and ground incidents. And notable in-flight emergencies where public records exist. Earlier decades, particularly before the 1950s, are less consistently documented than recent ones. So you should read "totals" as a record of known, publicly reported events. Not as an exhaustive government database.
Total Number of Accidents and Incidents
Since 1931, American Airlines has recorded 115 documented accidents and incidents, according to Wikipedia. This includes hull-loss crashes, hijackings, ground and maintenance incidents. It also includes significant in-flight emergencies involving both American Airlines and its regional American Eagle affiliate.
Number of Fatal Crashes
Of those 115 recorded events, 51 resulted in at least one fatality. Whether onboard the aircraft, on the ground, or among crew. Roughly, that puts the fatal-incident rate at 44% of all documented events. It's worth noting though that many of the earliest fatal crashes happened in the 1930s and 1940s. Needless to say, aviation technology and safety regulation in those days were far less developed than today.
Number of Non-Fatal Crashes and Incidents
64 of the 115 recorded events involved no fatalities. These include runway overruns, aborted takeoffs and hijackings. Which ended without bloodshed. Non-fatal incidents make up the majority of the airline's recorded history, at just under 56% of all events.
Total Number of Deaths
Across all documented incidents, American Airlines accidents have resulted in 3,384 deaths, based on my calculation. These include onboard fatalities and deaths on the ground. This figure is heavily influenced by the September 11, 2001 hijackings of Flight 11 and Flight 77. Which together have reportedly caused 1,881 deaths including those in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
And the crash of Flight 191 in 1979, in which 273 people perished at Chicago O'Hare. It still is the deadliest single aviation accident in U.S. history outside of 9/11.
If I were to exclude the two September 11 flights, deaths from operational crashes, mechanical failures and other incidents would total 1,500 across nine decades of operation.
Number of Hijackings
American Airlines flights have been hijacked 14 times, per Wikipedia's documented record. These incidents happened during a wave of hijackings in the late 1960s through the mid-1980s. This was a period when airplane hijacking, for the most part, for political asylum or ransom, was a recurring issue across the U.S. airline industry. Two of these hijackings, Flight 11 and Flight 77 on September 11, 2001, resulted in the deadliest terrorist attack in US history. Thus, they are tracked separately in fatality totals due to their scale.
Accidents Attributed to Pilot Error
Pilot error, including spatial disorientation, controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), and misjudged descents or approaches, has been cited as a contributing or primary cause in 23 of the 87 documented in-flight crash incidents. Or about 26%. Some of the most significant include:
Flight 191 (1979) — while the initiating cause was engine separation, crew response to the resulting stall warning failure contributed to the crash
Flight 965 (1995) — crashed into a mountain near Cali, Colombia, after a navigational data entry error
Flight 587 (2001) — the first officer's overuse of the rudder in response to wake turbulence caused the vertical stabilizer to separate
Flight 320 (1959) — crashed into the East River on approach to LaGuardia due to pilot error
Number of Boeing Aircraft Accidents
Boeing aircraft account for 15 documented crash-category incidents. Of those, 6 were fatal. This includes some of the airline's most significant losses, such as Flight 1 (1962, Boeing 707, 95 killed) and Flight 965 (1995, Boeing 757, 159 killed). Following Flight 965 incident, president Bill Clinton issued an official White House statement on December 22, 1995:
"Hillary and I offer our profound condolences to the many families whose loved ones perished in the crash December 20 of American Airlines flight 965 near Buga, Colombia," Clinton said, adding that coming on the eve of the holiday season, "this tragic event takes on even greater poignancy." The president continued: "I have dispatched an interagency team to the site which, working alongside Colombian authorities, will make every effort to determine the cause of the crash."
Number of Airbus Aircraft Accidents
Airbus aircraft account for 6 documented crash-category incidents. Of those, 2 were fatal. The most significant is Flight 587 in 2001, an Airbus A300 that crashed in Belle Harbor, New York, killing 265 people including five on the ground. It remains the deadliest Airbus-related accident in American Airlines history.
One of the victims, Hilda Yolanda Mayol, was traveling to her native country, trying to escape the trauma of the September 11 attacks. She had previously survived the 9/11 attacks, having escaped from the North Tower of the World Trade Center, where she had worked as a waitress, only to die on Flight 587 two months later.
"The New York people have suffered mightily; they suffer again," president George W. Bush said in a public statement of condolence following a Rose Garden meeting with former South African president Nelson Mandela. "But there's no doubt in my mind that the New Yorkers are resilient and strong and courageous people and will help their neighbors overcome this recent incident that took place," Bush added.
President Mandela also had expressed his deepest sympathies for the crash. "It's unfortunate that that would happen at this time, when the United States lost so many people on the 11th of September, Mandela said, adding: "But I know that you have quite a strong leader, and the people of the United States of America can face disaster, and I'm sure that they will overcome this unfortunate incident."
Accidents by Decade
Decade | Total Incidents | Fatal | Non-Fatal | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1930s | 13 | 10 | 3 | 51 |
1940s | 21 | 12 | 9 | 189 |
1950s | 14 | 9 | 5 | 174 |
1960s | 9 | 3 | 6 | 159 |
1970s | 12 | 2 | 10 | 310 |
1980s | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14 |
1990s | 10 | 5 | 5 | 258 |
2000s | 14 | 7 | 7 | 2,162 |
2010s | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
2020s (through 2025) | 6 | 1 | 5 | 57 |
As you may notice, a few trends stand out from this breakdown. The 1940s recorded the highest number of total incidents. Which is driven largely by the smaller, less reliable propeller aircraft in use at the time and wartime-era operations. Since the 1960s, fatal incidents have generally declined as a share of total incidents, even as total flight volume has grown substantially.
This reflects broader improvements in aircraft design, air traffic control and crew training across the industry. The 2000s recorded the highest death toll by far. Which is almost entirely due to the September 11 attacks. Exclude those two flights, and you'll find that the decade's death toll falls closer to historical norms.
Deadliest American Airlines Accidents on Record
September 11, 2001 — Flights 11 and 77 (hijackings/terrorism): 1,881 deaths combined, including WTC and Pentagon deaths
Flight 191 (1979) — O'Hare International Airport: 273 deaths
Flight 587 (2001) — Belle Harbor, New York: 265 deaths
Flight 965 (1995) — Near Cali, Colombia: 159 deaths
Flight 1 (1962) — Idlewild Airport, New York: 95 deaths
Frequently Asked Questions
How many total plane crashes has American Airlines had?
American Airlines has had 115 documented accidents and incidents since 1931, including 51 fatal events.
What is American Airlines' deadliest crash?
Outside of the September 11 attacks, Flight 191 in 1979 is American Airlines' deadliest crash, killing 273 people at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
How many people have died in American Airlines accidents?
Based on my estimate, 3,384 people have died across all documented American Airlines accidents and incidents on Wikipedia, including the September 11 attacks.
Has American Airlines had any hijackings?
Yes. American Airlines flights have been hijacked 14 times, according to Wikipedia, including the two flights hijacked during the September 11, 2001 attacks.
