American Airlines was founded in 1930. Since then, it has grown into one of the world's largest carriers. The airline serves over 200 million customers every year. Yet, looking at the American Airlines crash history reveals some dark chapters. How many aircraft crashes has American Airlines had? The number is significant because of the company's long history. As of early 2025, American Airlines has reportedly suffered nearly 60 total aircraft hull losses.
Many travelers ask, "Is American Airlines a good airline to fly?" To say the least, modern aviation is incredibly safe. Nevertheless, accidents happen. People frequently search for the worst disasters. They want to know which airline has the worst accident record. Safety records have improved drastically over the decades. Still, history leaves its mark. What was the last American Airlines crash? That answer depends on how you define a crash. Serious incidents are rare today. On this list, every accident is a massive tragedy. A mechanical failure. A pilot error. A storm. A hijacking. They changed safety rules forever.
1. American Airlines Flight 1 (Douglas DC-3)
Date of crash: October 30, 1941
Total people onboard: 20
Survivors: 0
Dubbed "the New Yorker", American Airlines Flight 1, a Douglas DC-3, took off from Buffalo on October 30, 1941 at 9:07 p.m. It was carrying a total of 20 people, including 3 crew and 17 passengers. When the plane arrived near the town of Lawrence Station, Ontario, it started to descend. It eventually crashed into a wheat field and immediately burst into flames. Everyone onboard perished. The probable cause of the crash remains unknown. On 10 September 2018, a plaque was erected at the crash site to remember the victims of the accident.
2. American Airlines Flight 28
Date of crash: October 23, 1942
Total people onboard: 12
Survivors: 0
On October 23, 1942, at 4:36 p.m., American Airlines Flight 28 took off from the Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. At approximately 5:15 p.m., the aircraft was struck by a U.S. Army Air Forces Lockheed B-34 Lexington bomber en route to Palm Springs. As a result, Flight 28 fell from the sky in a flat spin, impacting a rocky ledge in Chino Canyon below San Jacinto Peak before crashing into the desert and exploding. All three crew members and nine passengers on board the aircraft died in the crash. Among the victims was Ralph Rainger, an award-winning composer and Hollywood songwriter. On the other hand, the two Army pilots aboard the B-34 sustained no injuries. The Army pilot later faced a court-martial trial on manslaughter charges. However, the military board found him not guilty.
3. American Airlines Flight 63 (Flagship Ohio)
Date of crash: July 28, 1943
Total people onboard: 20
Survivors: 2
Dubbed "Flagship Ohio", American Airlines Flight 63, a Douglas DC-3, took off from Cleveland at about 5:42 p.m. on July 28, 1943. All aboard were eighteen passengers and four crew members. It made scheduled stops in Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. At 9:42 p.m., Flagship Ohio arrived at its fourth stop, Louisville. At 9:54 p.m., it received clearance to depart Louisville after refueling. The aircraft was bound for Smiths Grove, Kentucky, with a projected arrival time of 10:54 p.m.
However, the plane lost altitude around Smiths Grove due to extreme turbulence and strong downdrafts caused by thunderstorms. The plane clipped a clump of trees and skidded across an open field. It finally came to rest upright in a copse of trees, roughly 1,000 feet away from the initial impact. All four crew members perished, and of the eighteen passengers, only two survived the crash. Following the loss of the Flagship Ohio, American Airlines replaced the aircraft with sister Flagship Missouri. However, Flagship Missouri would crash three months later.
4. American Airlines Flight 63 (Flagship Missouri)
Date of crash: October 15, 1943
Total people onboard: 11
Survivors: 0
After the loss of Flagship Ohio, Flagship Missouri took up her sister's routing, which was Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati-Louisville-Nashville-Memphis. On October 15, 1943, Flagship Missouri departed from Cleveland, Ohio, at 5:56 p.m. and made stops at Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Louisville, and Nashville. The flight departed Nashville normally. At 11:06 p.m., the pilots asked for and received permission from the Nashville air traffic control (ATC) to climb to 8,000 feet.
However, ice had formed on the aircraft's wings and propellers. This made it impossible for the plane to maintain altitude. As a result, the plane lost altitude and gradually descended until it crashed into a forested hill. All aboard, eight passengers and three crew members, died in the crash.
Flagship Missouri wasn't the final American Airlines "Flagship" aircraft to suffer a fatal crash.
"Flagship New Haven" crashed January 22, 1952 in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, killing all 23 occupants on board plus seven civilians on the ground.
"Flagship Bristol" crashed and caught fire on September 16, 1953, killing all 28 occupants on board.
"Flagship Nashville" crashed in Springfield, Missouri, on March 20, 1955, killing 13 of the 35 occupants on board.
"Flagship Philadelphia" crashed on August 4, 1955 in Missouri, killing all 30 occupants onboard.
"Flagship New York" crashed into the East River on February 3, 1959, killing 65 of the 73 occupants on board.
"Flagship Connecticut" crashed on August 15, 1959 in Calverton, New York, killing all five occupants onboard.
"Flagship Oklahoma" crashed in New York on January 28, 1961, killing all six occupants onboard.
5. American Airlines Flight 1 (Boeing 707)
Date of crash: March 1, 1962
Total people onboard: 95
Survivors: 0
On March 1, 1962, American Airlines Flight 1, a Boeing 707-123B, was traveling to Los Angeles from New York when it rolled over and crashed into Jamaica Bay in NYC, just two minutes after taking off. All 87 passengers and eight crew members aboard perished in the crash. At the time, it was the nation's highest death toll involving a single commercial airplane and the fifth fatal Boeing 707 accident.
6. American Airlines Flight 383
Date of crash: November 8, 1965
Total people onboard: 62
Survivors: 4
On November 8, 1965, American Airlines Flight 383, a Boeing 727-100, departed from New York City to Cincinnati, with 57 passengers and 5 crew on board. On final approach to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Flight 383 descended more rapidly than it should have, eventually exploding and engulfing in flames. Out of the 62 people on board the plane, only four survived, including one flight attendant and three passengers. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigated the crash and determined its probable cause to be the pilots' failure to properly monitor their altitude during a visual approach into deteriorating weather conditions.
7. American Airlines Flight 191
Date of crash: May 25, 1979
Total people onboard: 271
Survivors: 0
On the afternoon of May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10, was taking off from then-existing runway 32R at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago when its left engine detached from the wing, causing the pilots to lose control. The plane crashed about 4,600 feet from the end of the runway, killing all 271 occupants on board plus two people on the ground. As of the time of writing, this aviation accident remains the deadliest to have occurred in the U.S.
8. American Airlines Flight 965
Date of crash: December 20, 1995
Total people onboard: 163
Survivors: 4
On December 20, 1995, American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757–223 bound for Cali, Colombia, took off from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida. Most of the passengers onboard the aircraft were returning to Colombia for the Christmas holidays. Others were vacationers and business travelers. Around 9:40 p.m. local time, Flight 965 crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia. 151 passengers and all 8 crew members perished in the crash. Initially, five passengers survived the crash. However, one died two days later of his injuries. Additionally, a dog locked in a carrier in the cargo hold survived the crash.
9. American Airlines Flight 587
Date of crash: November 12, 2001
Total people onboard: 260
Survivors: 0
On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300 bound for the Dominican Republic, departed JFK International Airport. Shortly after takeoff, the plane crashed into the neighborhood of Belle Harbor, killing all 260 people aboard. Five bystanders on the ground also died as the result of the accident. This tragedy stands as the second-deadliest aviation accident in United States history, after the crash of American Airlines Flight 191. It was initially thought to be another terrorist attack, given the location of the accident and the fact that the accident occurred only two months after the 9/11 attacks. But investigations by the NTSB proved otherwise.
Hilda Yolanda Mayol, one of the 260 people who perished in the crash of Flight 587, had previously survived the 9/11 attacks. She had reportedly escaped from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. On November 12, 2001, she was traveling with her mother and children, trying to escape the trauma of the attacks, when Flight 587 crashed.
10. American Airlines Flight 5342
Date of crash: January 29, 2025
Total people onboard: 64
Survivors: 0
On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, took off from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. At 8:47 p.m. at an altitude of about 300 feet, the plane was struck by a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The aircraft was on final approach into Reagan National Airport when the collision occurred, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. There were 64 people aboard the airliner and three crew members aboard the helicopter.
Read also: List of 7 Deadliest Plane Crashes in Delta Air Lines History
