Following is a list of accidents and incidents involving Douglas DC-8s from its introduction to commercial service, in September 1959, through the present.
1960s 16 December 1960 United Air Lines Flight 826, a DC-8-11 (named Mainliner Will Rogers) collided over Staten Island, New York City with TWA Flight 266, a Lockheed Constellation (named Star of Sicily). The 1960 New York mid-air collision killed all 128 people on both aircraft and six on the ground. 19 January 1961 Aeronaves de México Flight 401, a DC-8-21 (XA-XAX, named 20 de Noviembre) was damaged beyond repair following an aborted take off at Idlewild Airport, New York, United States, killing four of 106 on board and injuring one on the ground.Accident description XA-XAX Aviation Safety Network 30 May 1961 Viasa Flight 897, a KLM DC-8-53 (named Fridtjof Nansen) was operating on lease to VIASA when it crashed into the sea off Fonte da Telha while en route between Lisbon, Portugal and Santa Maria in the Azores. All 47 passengers and 14 crew on board were killed. 11 July 1961 United Air Lines Flight 859, a DC-8-12, was damaged beyond repair after running off the runway at Denver, Colorado, United States, killing 17 of 122 on board and one person on the ground; the cause was traced to the thrust reversers. 7 July 1962 Alitalia Flight 771, a DC-8-43, crashed on approach to Bombay, India due to a navigation error, killing all 94 on board. 20 August 1962 A Panair do Brasil DC-8-33 (PP-PDT) crashed into the sea after departing from Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport. Of the 120 passengers and crew aboard, 14 died. 29 November 1963 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831 a DC-8-54F, crashed at Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville, Canada. All 118 on board were killed; the cause was not determined, but pitot icing, vertical gyro failure, and pitch trim compensator problems were suspected. 25 February 1964 Eastern Air Lines Flight 304, a DC-8-21, crashed into Lake Pontchartrain north of New Orleans. All 51 passengers and 7 crew were killed; the cause was a loss of control in turbulence. 25 November 1965 A Trans Caribbean Airways DC-8-54F (N8784R, named Barbara Henry II) was destroyed by fire at Miami International Airport, Florida, United States. 25 December 1965 Japan Air Lines Flight 813 en route from San Francisco International Airport to Haneda Airport experienced an uncontained engine failure in its number one engine shortly after takeoff. The crew made an emergency landing at Metropolitan Oakland International Airport across San Francisco Bay, and all 41 passengers and crew managed to survive without any injuries. 4 March 1966 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 402, a DC-8-43 (named Empress of Edmonton), crashed on approach to Haneda Airport, Japan due to pilot error. Of the 62 passengers and 10 crew, only 8 passengers survived. 4 July 1966 An Air New Zealand DC-8-52 (ZK-NZB) crashed on takeoff at Auckland, New Zealand during a training flight, with two fatalities of five on board. A design fault of the DC-8 had caused the thrust reverser of #4 engine to engage when the thrust lever was rapidly set to idle. 13 August 1966 An Aeronaves de Mexico DC-8-51 (XA-PEI, named Tenochtitlan) crashed 21 mi from Acapulco after a descent was made while turning during a training flight, killing the six crew. 24 December 1966 An Aeronaves de Mexico DC-8-51 (XA-NUS, named Acapulco) crashed on the dry Lake Texcoco while approaching Mexico City; all 109 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. 5 March 1967 Varig Airlines Flight 837, a DC-8-33, crashed on approach to Roberts International Airport, Monrovia. Of the 71 passengers and 19 crew on board, 50 passengers and the flight engineer were killed as well as five on the ground. 30 March 1967 Delta Air Lines Flight 9877, a DC-8-51 (N802E), crashed into the Hilton Hotel in New Orleans (Kenner), United States while on a training flight. Of 19 fatalities 13 were on the ground. 19 May 1967 An Air Canada DC-8-54F (CF-TJM) lost control and crashed on approach to Ottawa, Canada while on a training flight, killing the three crew. 21 February 1968 Lawrence Rhodes hijacked a Delta Air Lines DC-8 from Tampa, Florida to Cuba with 108 other crew and passengers aboard, including golfer Barbara Romack. Cuban authorities provided the passengers with lemonade, coffee, cigarettes, and pictures of Che Guevara and the plane was released after three hours. Rhodes surrendered in Spain on February 10, 1970. A January 4, 1971 hijacking charge against him is dismissed; he was committed to a mental institution; on July 8, 1971, he returns to prison; he is sentenced to 25 years for robbery on July 17, 1972.Cuban Political Violence in the United States Disorders and terrorism, National Advisory Committee, on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals Washington: 1976. Report of the Task Force on Disorders and Terrorism Appendix 6: Chronology of incidents of terroristic, quasi-terroristic attacks, and political violence in the United States:January 1965 to March 1976 By Marcia McKnight Trick 28 April 1968 A Capitol Airways DC-8-31 (N1802) crashed at Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States during crew training due to crew error; all four crew survived, but the aircraft was written off. 29 June 1968 A KLM DC-8-53 on lease to Viasa (PH-DCH, named Orville Wright) was destroyed in a hangar fire at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Netherlands. The fire was caused by an explosion in a fuel tank while the aircraft was being serviced. 1 July 1968 Seaboard World Airlines Flight 253A, a DC-8-63, was operating a military charter flight when it was forced to land on one of the Soviet-controlled Kuril Islands with all 238 Americans aboard being detained for two days. 2 August 1968 Alitalia Flight 660, a DC-8-43 (I-DIWF, named Antoniotto Usodimare) crashed northwest of Milan while on approach to Malpensa, Italy due to crew error, killing 12 of 95 on board.
22 November 1968 Japan Airlines Flight 2, a DC-8-62 (named Shiga) crashed on landing in San Francisco Bay due to pilot error; all 107 on board survived. The aircraft was recovered 55 hours after the incident and repaired by United Airlines; it was returned to JAL (renamed Hidaka) on March 31, 1969, and remained in JAL service until 1983. 13 January 1969 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 933, a DC-8-62 (named Sverre Viking), crashed in Santa Monica Bay while on approach to Los Angeles International Airport, California, United States due to poor CRM resulting in an unintentional descent. Fifteen of the 45 on board were killed. 17 October 1969 A Seaboard World Airlines DC-8-63CF (registration N8634) was destroyed by fire after it overran the runway at Oakland International Airport, California, United States following an aborted landing during a training flight; all five crew survived, but the aircraft was written off.
1970s 19 April 1970 Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 986, a DC-8-62 (SE-DBE, Anund Viking), was destroyed by fire at Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Italy while taxiing for take off after the no. 1 engine suffered an uncontained failure; all 65 on board survived. 5 July 1970 Air Canada Flight 621, a DC-8-63, crashed near Toronto Pearson International Airport in Brampton, Ontario, during a go-around after inadvertent deployment of the ground spoilers before touching down. All 109 on board were killed. 27 July 1970 Flying Tiger Line Flight 45, a DC-8-63AF (N785FT), crashed on approach to Naha Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan due to excessive descent caused by crew error, killing the four crew. 8 September 1970 Trans International Airlines Flight 863, a DC-8-63CF (N4863T), was being ferried from New York City to Washington, DC when it crashed on takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport after a piece of asphalt became jammed in the right elevator causing a loss of control, killing the 11 crew. 13 September 1970 Swissair Flight 100, a DC-8-53 (HB-IDD), was hijacked after takeoff on September 6 and flown to Dawsons Field and blown up after the 155 people on board were released. 15 September 1970 Alitalia Flight 618, a DC-8-62 (I-DIWZ, named Gaetano Donizetti), crashed on landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport after the pilot selected reverse thrust on final approach following non-standard vectoring by ATC; all 156 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. 27 November 1970 Capitol International Airways Flight C2C3/26, a DC-8-63CF (N4909C) crashed on takeoff from Anchorage International Airport after the landing gear wheels failed to rotate due to an unexplained brake problem (though a brake/hydraulic system malfunction or an engaged parking brake were suspected), killing 47 of 229 on board. The aircraft was operating a McChord AFB-Anchorage-Yokota-Can Ranh Bay service for the Military Airlift Command.
29 January 1971Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 301, a DC-8-63 (CF-CPQ) was struck while taxiing after landing by a Trans Australia Airlines Flight 592 (Boeing 727 VH-TJA) which had been cleared for take-off despite the runway not yet being clear. The DC-8 suffered major damage to its tail and the 727 a tear to its fuselage. The 727 was able to return and land safely and there were no deaths. 5 May 1972 Alitalia Flight 112, a DC-8-43 (I-DIWB, named Antonio Pigafetta), struck Mount Longa while on approach to Punta Raisi Airport after the crew deviated from approach procedures, killing all 115 on board. The crash remains Italy's worst single-aircraft disaster. 14 June 1972 Japan Airlines Flight 471, a DC-8-53 (JA8012, named Akan) crashed in the River Yamuna while on approach to Palam Airport, India, killing 86 of 89 on board and four on the ground. The cause was disputed, with Japanese investigators claiming a false glide path signal leading to a descent, while Indian investigators claimed a disregard of procedure. 6 July 1972 Aviaco Flight 331, a DC-8-52 (EC-ARA, named Velaquez) was being ferried from Madrid to Las Palmas when it crashed in the sea and sank 13 mi off Las Palmas, killing the 10 crew. 31 July 1972 Delta Air Lines Flight 841, a DC-8-51, was en route from Detroit to Miami when it was hijacked and flown to Boston, then Algeria, where authorities seized the plane without injuries. 24 September 1972 Japan Air Lines Flight 472, a DC-8-53 (JA8013, named Haruna), overran the runway on landing at Juhu Airport; all 122 on board survived, but the aircraft was written off. The pilot was cleared to land at Santacruz Airport but landed at Juhu Airport by mistake. 28 November 1972 Japan Airlines Flight 446, a DC-8-62 (JA8040, named Hida), crashed on takeoff from Sheremetyevo International Airport, Soviet Union (now Russia) due to crew error, killing 61 of 76 on board. 10 May 1973 A Thai Airways International DC-8-33 (HS-TGU, named Srisubhan) overran the runway on landing at Tribhuvan International Airport, killing one person on the ground; all 110 on board the DC-8 survived. 21 June 1973 Air Canada Flight 890, a DC-8-53 (CF-TIJ), was destroyed by fire during refueling at Toronto International Airport. 23 June 1973 Loftleidir Flight 509, DC-8-61 (N8960T), was involved in a landing accident due to inadvertent deployment of the ground spoilers in flight. 8 September 1973 World Airways Flight 802, a DC-8-63CF (N802WA) operating on a cargo flight for the Military Airlift Command, crashed into high ground while on approach to Cold Bay Airport, Alaska. All six people on board were killed. 23 March 1974 An Airlift International DC-8-63CF (N6164A) was destroyed by fire while being serviced at Travis Air Force Base, killing one. 4 December 1974 Martinair Flight 138, a DC-8-55F (PH-MBH) crashed into Seven Virgin Mountain RangeMartinair Flight 138 in Sri Lanka due to crew error. All 191 on board were killed. The aircraft was on lease to Garuda Indonesia.