This is a list of accidents and incidents involving American airlines Trans World Airlines and Transcontinental & Western Air. The airlines suffered a combined total of 106 accidents.

As Transcontinental & Western Air

1930s March 31, 1931 Fokker F-10 NC999E crashed near Bazaar, Kansas, due to wing separation, killing all eight on board, including Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. The wings of the aircraft was constructed of wood laminate; over time, moisture leaking into the inside of one wing weakened the glue bonding the structure and a wing spar eventually failed, causing the wing to develop uncontrolled flutter and resultant separation.

December 19, 1931 Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor NC7119 crashed during a two-engine takeoff from Oklahoma City, killing the co-pilot; the pilot survived. The aircraft was being ferried from Tulsa to Amarillo with a stop in Oklahoma City.

March 21, 1932 Northrop Alpha 3 NC966Y crashed in the Ohio River at Steubenville, Ohio, killing the pilot and passenger. During a Columbus-Pittsburgh cargo flight, the pilot encountered poor weather with heavy snow. He decided to bail out, but the cords of his parachute became lodged in the fuselage. The aircraft entered a dive, taking him with it. The female passenger was never found.

December 14, 1932 Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor NC9650 lost control and crashed upside down on landing at English Field, Amarillo, Texas in a snowstorm, killing both pilots.

July 28, 1933 Lockheed 9A Orion NC12277, Ship #256 stalled and crashed in the Missouri River shortly after takeoff from Kansas City Airport due to engine failure, killing the pilot. The aircraft was operating a Kansas City–Wichita mail flight.

August 29, 1933 Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor NC9607 entered a dive and struck the side of Mesa Mountain (near Quay, New Mexico) in a severe rainstorm, killing all five on board. The aircraft was operating an Amarillo–Albuquerque passenger service.

May 6, 1935 Flight 6, a Douglas DC-2-112, crashed near Atlanta, Missouri, killing five of 13 on board, including New Mexico Republican Senator Bronson M. Cutting. The aircraft had been flying too low in poor visibility at night. A Bureau of Air Commerce investigation concluded that inaccurate weather forecasts as well as pilot and TWA ground personnel errors caused the crash, however in June 1936, the Copeland Committee concluded that faulty navigation aids were to blame as well as criticizing the Bureau; this would lead to the creation of the Civil Aeronautics Authority in 1938.

April 7, 1936 Flight 1, a Douglas DC-2-112, struck Cheat Mountain in poor visibility due to pilot error, killing 12 of 14 on board.

May 31, 1936 A Douglas DC-2-172, NC 14979, approaching Chicago Municipal Airport for landing, crashed half a mile east of the airfield on approach to runway 27L during strong gusts with one engine out. The Skyliner struck the cupola of a house, causing the plane to lose a wing and half-spin into an adjacent lot. The plane came to a rest with its tail against a telephone pole. Twelve of the fifteen passengers and crew sustained injuries; however, all survived.Kansas City Times

March 25, 1937 Flight 15A, a Douglas DC-2-112, crashed in a nose dive near Clifton, Pennsylvania due to wing icing, killing all 13 on board.

March 1, 1938 Flight 8, a Douglas DC-2-112, crashed on Buena Vista Peak in Yosemite National Park, killing all nine on board. The wreckage was found three months later; the aircraft was probably blown off course in strong winds while attempting to divert to Fresno.

1940s

January 23, 1941 Trip 6, a Douglas DC-3B-202 (NC17315), struck trees and crashed near Saint Louis Airport in bad weather due to pilot error, killing two of 14 on board. The aircraft was completing the Kansas City–St. Louis leg of a transcontinental Los Angeles to New York service.

January 16, 1942 Flight 3, a Douglas DC-3-382, struck Potosi Mountain due to a navigation error, killing all 22 on board, including movie star Carole Lombard, her mother, and 15 US Army Air Corp personnel.

January 15, 1943 Douglas C-54 Skymaster 41-32929 broke-up in mid-air for reasons unknown and crashed near Bakkie, Reynsdorp, Suriname, killing all 35 on board in the first loss as well as the first fatal crash of the DC-4/C-54. The aircraft was operating for TWA on behalf of the USAAC's Air Transport Command.

June 20, 1944 Flight 277, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster, struck Fort Mountain after the pilot became disoriented in severe weather, killing all seven on board. The aircraft was operating for TWA on behalf of USAAC's Air Transport Command.

November 4, 1944 Flight 8, a Douglas DC-3-454 (NC28310), crashed near Hanford, California following an in-flight breakup in bad weather and severe turbulence, killing all 24 on board.

December 1, 1944 Flight 18, a Douglas DC-3-209 (NC17322) crashed near Burbank, California following an unexplained, premature descent due to pilot error, killing eight of 23 on board.

As Trans World Airlines

1940s July 11, 1946 Flight 513, operated by Lockheed L-049 Constellation Ship #557 Star of Lisbon, crashed near Reading, Pennsylvania during a training flight following an in-flight fire, killing five of six on board. Wiring in the baggage compartment arced, causing intense heat that ignited insulation and generated smoke to the point that the pilot lost control of the aircraft. All Constellations were grounded from July 12 to August 23, 1946 so that fire detection equipment could be installed.

December 28, 1946 Flight 6963, operated by Lockheed L-049 Constellation Ship #550 Cairo Skychief, crashed while on approach to Shannon Airport, killing nine of 23 on board. The altimeter had been incorrectly wired, causing false readings.

May 11, 1947 Lockheed L-049 Constellation Star of Athens (NC86508, Ship #553) crashed off Cape May Pount, Delaware Bay, New Jersey during a training flight following an unexplained loss of control, killing the four crew.

November 18, 1947 Lockheed L-049 Constellation Star of Madrid (NC86507, Ship #552) crashed at New Castle County Airport, Delaware while completing a training flight, killing the five crew. The pilot landed the aircraft short of the runway but became airborne after hitting an embankment after which it landed on the runway and skidded forward some 1300 feet. The right wing was torn off as the fuselage turned upside down. Spilled fuel ignited and the aircraft burned out.

1950s

August 31, 1950 Flight 903, operated by Lockheed L-749A Constellation Star of Maryland, crashed near Ityai el Barud, Egypt while attempting a forced landing following a failure, fire and separation of the number three engine, killing all 55 on board. The engine failure was caused by the failure of the rear master rod bearing on the number three engine, ultimately causing the rear connecting rods to tear through the cylinder walls and crankcase and well as breaking oil lines, causing the fire.

January 12, 1955 Flight 694, operated by Martin 2-0-2A Skyliner Lancaster, collided in mid-air with a private DC-3 (N999B) over Cincinnati, Ohio, killing all 15 on board both aircraft.

February 19, 1955 Flight 260, operated by Martin 4-0-4 Skyliner Binghamton, struck the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, New Mexico following an unexplained course change, killing all 16 on board. The crash site is now known as TWA Canyon.

April 1, 1956 Flight 400, operated by Martin 4-0-4 Skyliner Pittsburgh, crashed on climbout from Greater Pittsburgh Airport, killing 22 of 36 on board. Just as the aircraft lifted off, the aircraft entered a sharp yaw and the co-pilot reduced power. The fire warning light for the number one engine came on, but the warning bell did not go off. The number one engine was throttled down and the co-pilot reached for the manual feathering button, but the pilot prevented him and indicated that the propeller would autofeather, but this never happened because the throttle was pulled back too far. The aircraft continue to yaw to the left until it crashed. It was revealed that the fire warning was false, caused by a failed hose clamp allowing exhaust gas to trip a overheat detector.

June 30, 1956 Flight 2, operated by Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation Star of the Seine collided with United Air Lines Flight 718, a DC-7, over the Grand Canyon due to ATC errors, killing all 128 on board both aircraft.

June 26, 1959 Flight 891, operated by Lockheed L-1649 Starliner Star of Severn was struck by lightning and crashed near Marnate, Italy, killing all 68 on board.

November 24, 1959 Flight 595, a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation (N102R) crashed in Chicago while attempting to return to Midway Airport following a fire warning on the number two engine due to excessive descent caused by pilot error, killing all three crew and eight people on the ground. The aircraft was beginning a Chicago–Los Angeles cargo service.

1960s

December 16, 1960 Flight 266, operated by Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation Star of Sicily collided with United Air Lines Flight 826, a DC-8, over Staten Island, New York, killing all 128 on board both aircraft; another five (later six) on the ground also died. The DC-8 had been flying too fast and left the airspace assigned to it.

September 1, 1961 Flight 529, operated by Lockheed L-049 Constellation Star of Dublin, pitched up, stalled and crashed on climbout from Midway Airport, killing all 78 on board. A 5/16 inch bolt fell out of the elevator boost mechanism on climbout, causing the pitch up.

November 23, 1964 Flight 800, a Boeing 707-331, veered off the runway on takeoff from Fiumicino Airport, killing 50 of 73 on board. During takeoff, the number four engine indicated zero thrust and the thrust reverser deployment light for the number two engine came on. The crew aborted the takeoff below V1 speed some 800-900 m down the runway, but the aircraft did not slow as quickly as the crew expected and veered to the right, after which the number four engine hit a pavement roller. The thrust reverser on the number two engine was not working.

March 9, 1967 Flight 553, a Douglas DC-9-15, collided in mid-air with a private Beechcraft 55 (N6127V) near Urbana, Ohio, killing all 26 on board both aircraft.

November 6, 1967 Flight 159, a Boeing 707-131, overran the runway and crashed following an aborted takeoff at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, killing one of 36 on board. During the takeoff roll, the 707 passed a Delta DC-9 that was stuck in mud next to the runway and the jet blast from the DC-9 caused a compressor stall in the number four engine of the 707. The pilot thought he had hit the DC-9 and aborted the takeoff.

November 20, 1967 Flight 128, a Convair 880, struck trees and crashed while on approach to Cincinnati due to crew error, killing 70 of 82 on board.

July 26, 1969 Flight 5787, a Boeing 707-331C, lost control and crashed at Atlantic City International Airport during a training flight, killing the five crew. The crew were simulating takeoffs and landings with one engine out. During an approach, hydraulic power was lost, due to a failure in the left outboard spoiler actuator that dumped all hydraulic fluid overboard. With no power to the rudder actuator, at low speed, gear down, full flaps, and three engines, a loss of control resulted and the aircraft crashed.

1970s August 28, 1973 TWA Flight 742, a Boeing 707-331B, experienced severe in-flight oscillation over the Pacific Ocean; 1 critically injured passenger died two days later. September 8, 1974 Flight 841, a Boeing 707-331B, crashed in the Ionian Sea off the Greek coast after a bomb on board exploded, killing all 88 on board.

December 1, 1974 Flight 514, a Boeing 727-231, struck Mount Weather, Virginia due to crew and ATC errors, killing all 92 on board.

1980s April 2, 1986