This is a list of accidents and incidents involving American airline Pan Am. The airline suffered a total of 95 incidents.
Fatal accidents
1920s August 15, 1928 Fokker C-2 NC53 General Machado ditched in the Gulf of Mexico off Egmont Key, Florida after all three engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion, killing one person. The pilot had become disorientated in poor visibility.
June 13, 1929 Fokker F-10 NC9700 Christopher Columbus struck telephone lines and crashed on takeoff from Santiago Airport, killing two of five on board. The runway was waterlogged and the aircraft failed to gain sufficient altitude.
1930s December 20, 1935 Sikorsky S-42 NC824M Puerto Rican Clipper lost control and crashed on landing at Port of Spain and sank, killing three of 25 on board.
April 11, 1936 Sikorsky S-42 NC15374 Antilles Clipper crashed on takeoff from Port of Spain, killing three of 22 on board. On liftoff the pilot noticed a fishing boat in the aircraft's path and performed a sharp turn, but a pontoon struck the boat and the aircraft crashed. The crew noticed the boat too late and the evasive maneuver was also too late. Despite the crash, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service until 1946.
January 11, 1938 Sikorsky S-42 NC16734 Samoan Clipper exploded in mid-air over Pago Pago while dumping fuel, killing all seven on board, including pilot Ed Musick. An hour after takeoff the aircraft developed an oil leak and the crew decided to return to Pago Pago. Fully loaded with fuel, the aircraft was too heavy to land in the small harbor and the crew began dumping fuel, but during this process the fuel ignited and the aircraft exploded. Fuel vapors probably became trapped in a wing flap when it was extended.
July 28, 1938 Flight 229, operated by Martin M-130 NC14714 Hawaii Clipper, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean between Guam and Manila with 15 on board.
August 13, 1939 Sikorsky S-43 NC16933 crashed in Guanabara Bay due to loss of control following engine failure, killing 14 of 16 on board.
1940s October 3, 1941 Flight 203, operated by Sikorsky S-42 NC15376 Dominican Clipper, crashed on landing in San Juan harbor, Puerto Rico due to pilot error, killing two of 27 on board.
December 11, 1941 Sikorsky S-38B NC21V crashed in Biscayne Bay off Miami during a training flight for reasons unknown, killing the three crew.
January 21, 1943 Flight 1104, a Martin M-130 named Philippine Clipper, struck a mountain near Ukiah, California due to pilot error, killing all 19 on board including U.S Navy Rear Admiral Robert H. English.
February 20, 1943 Cessna T-50 NC25488 went missing during an instrument training flight with three on board. Parts from the aircraft were found in the sea 2 mi south of Fowey Rock Lighthouse in the Gulf of Mexico.
February 22, 1943 Flight 9035, operated by Boeing 314A Clipper NC16803 Yankee Clipper, crashed in the River Tagus while preparing to land at Lisbon after the left wing struck the water's surface, killing 24 of 39 on board, including American actress Tamara Drasin and American novelist Ben Robertson. The aircraft was operating a USO flight.
June 20, 1943 Douglas C-49K 43-2009 crashed in Biscayne Bay, killing two people.
September 24, 1943 Consolidated Commodore NC668M stalled and crashed in Biscayne Bay during a test flight, killing one of three on board. The elevator controls were locked.
April 6, 1944 Pilgrim 100B NC742N crashed 10 miles east of Nome, Alaska due to pilot error, killing all six on board.
August 8, 1944 Flight 218, operated by Sikorsky S-42 (NC823M) Hong Kong Clipper, lost control and crashed on takeoff from Antilla Airport, Cuba, killing 17 of 31 on board.
January 8, 1945 Flight 161, operated by Martin M-130 (NC14716) China Clipper, crashed short of its landing site at Port of Spain due to pilot error, killing 23 of 30 on board.
August 3, 1945 Flight 216, operated by Sikorsky S-43 NC15066, crashed on landing at Fort de France Hydrobase, Martinique, killing four of 14 on board. The water surface was too rough for landing.
June 19, 1947 Flight 121, operated by Lockheed L-049 Constellation Clipper Eclipse (formerly Clipper Dublin), crashed in the Syrian desert near Mayadin following failure of one engine and fire and separation of another, killing 15 of 36 on board; Gene Roddenberry, creator of the original Star Trek, was among the survivors.
October 26, 1947 Flight 923, operated by Douglas DC-4 Clipper Talisman II struck Tamgas Mountain on Annette Island, Alaska, for reasons unknown, killing all 18 on board.
April 15, 1948 Flight 1-10, operated by Lockheed L-049 Constellation Clipper Empress of the Skies, crashed short of the runway at Shannon Airport due to a mechanical and/or electrical failure, killing 30 of 31 on board
1950s June 22, 1951 Flight 151, operated by Lockheed L-049 Constellation Clipper Great Republic, struck a hill near Sanoyie, Liberia due to pilot error, killing all 40 on board.
April 11, 1952 Flight 526A, operated by Douglas DC-4 Clipper Endeavor, ditched in the sea off Puerto Rico following double engine failure, killing 52 of 69 on board. The engine failures were caused by faulty parts and improper maintenance. In July 2026, searchers found the wreckage 2,000 feet below the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico.
April 29, 1952 Flight 202, operated by Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser Clipper Good Hope, lost control and broke up in mid-air for reasons unknown and crashed in the Amazon Basin some 281 miles southwest of Carolina, Brazil, killing all 50 on board. The number two engine had separated from the wing, possibly due to a propeller failure. The accident remains the deadliest involving the Boeing 377.
July 27, 1952 Flight 201, a Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser (N1030V), experienced an explosive decompression shortly after takeoff from Rio de Janeiro when the cabin door blew open. A passenger was sucked out of the aircraft and killed but the aircraft returned safely to Rio de Janeiro. The cabin door was not properly locked.
March 26, 1955 Flight 845/26, operated by Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser Clipper United States, ditched in the Pacific Ocean following the separation of the number three engine, killing four of 23 on board.
January 19, 1957 A technician stole a Douglas DC-3 (N33374) at Idlewild Airport (now John F. Kennedy International Airport) and was able to climb to 150 feet before the aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway, killing him.
November 8, 1957 Flight 7, operated by Boeing 377-10-29 Stratocruiser Clipper Romance of the Skies, disappeared while on the San Francisco-Honolulu leg of a round-the-world flight with 44 on board; wreckage and 19 bodies were found six days later 900 miles northeast of Honolulu and 90 miles north of the intended flight route. The cause of the crash was not determined, but an overspeeding engine leading to a ditching was the likely cause.
June 2, 1958 Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser N1023V (former NX1023V Clipper America) Clipper Golden Gate landed hard at Manila, collapsing the landing gear. The aircraft then skidded and swerved to the right and stopping 2850 feet past the runway threshold and 27 feet from the edge of the runway. One passenger was killed when a blade broke off the number three propeller and penetrated the fuselage.
September 12, 1959 Douglas DC-4 N88900 Clipper Fearless struck a mountain near Mercedes, Honduras following an unexplained deviation from the flight route, killing the three crew.
1960s December 8, 1963 Flight 214, operated by Boeing 707-121 Clipper Tradewind was struck by lightning and crashed at Elkton, Maryland following a fuel tank explosion, killing all 81 on board. Lightning discharge wicks were installed on all aircraft after this accident.
September 17, 1965 Flight 292, operated by Boeing 707-121B Clipper Constitution, struck Chances Peak on Montserrat due to pilot error, killing all 30 on board.
November 15, 1966 Flight 708, operated by Boeing 727-21 Clipper München, crashed near Dallgow (then in East Berlin) following an unexplained descent, killing the three crew. The Soviets returned about 50% of the wreckage, not including some major components such as the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, flight control systems, navigation and communication equipment.
June 13, 1968 Flight 1, operated by Boeing 707-321C (N798PA) Clipper Caribbean, struck a tree and crashed near Dum Dum Airport (now Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport) in Calcutta, India (now Kolkata) after the pilots set the altimeter incorrectly, killing six of 63 on board. The pilots misunderstood the pressure reported to them by ATC and instead of setting QNH at 993 mb, they set QFE at 29.93 in/hg and this caused a 360 foot difference in indicated altitude.
December 12, 1968 Flight 217, operated by Boeing 707-321B (N494PA) Clipper Malay, crashed in the sea off Caracas, Venezuela, likely due to an optical illusion created by city lights on an upslope, killing all 51 on board.
December 26, 1968 Flight 799, operated by Boeing 707-321C Clipper Racer, crashed on takeoff from Elmendorf AFB due to the crews failure to deploy the flaps, killing the three crew.
1970s July 25, 1971 Flight 6005, operated by Boeing 707-321C (N461PA) Clipper Rising Sun, struck Mount Kamunay while on approach to Manila due to a premature descent caused by poor CRM, killing the four crew.
July 22, 1973 Flight 816, operated by Boeing 707-321B Clipper Winged Racer, crashed on takeoff from Faa'a International Airport for reasons unknown, killing 78 of 79 on board. The accidents remains the deadliest in French Polynesia.
November 3, 1973 Flight 160, operated by Boeing 707-321C N458PA Clipper Titian, crashed while attempting to return to Boston due to smoke in the cockpit, killing the three crew.
December 17, 1973 Flight 110, operated by Boeing 707-321B (N407PA) Clipper Celestial was firebombed while parked at Fiumicino Airport by Palestinian terrorists, killing 30 of 177 on board; the terrorists then killed a guard and hijacked Lufthansa Flight 303, a Boeing 737, to Kuwait.
January 30, 1974 Flight 806, operated by Boeing 707-321B Clipper Radiant, crashed on approach to Pago Pago after encountering windshear from a microburst, killing 96 of 101 on board.
April 22, 1974 Flight 812, operated by Boeing 707-321B Clipper Climax struck the side of Mesehe Mountain (42 miles northwest of Denpasar) due to a navigation error caused by instrument failure, killing all 107 on board.
March 27, 1977 Flight 1736, operated by Boeing 747-121 Clipper Victor, collided on the runway with KLM Flight 4805, also a Boeing 747, at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) after the KLM captain’s decision to take off without ATC clearance. The collision killed all 248 on board the KLM 747 and 335 of 396 on board the Pan Am 747. With 583 total casualties, the disaster remains the deadliest in commercial aviation history.
1980s July 9, 1982 Flight 759, operated by Boeing 727-235 Clipper Defiance, crashed on climbout from New Orleans after encountering windshear from a microburst, killing all 145 on board and another eight on the ground.
August 11, 1982 A bomb planted on board Flight 830, operated by Boeing 747-121 Clipper Ocean Rover, exploded, killing a Japanese national, 16 year-old Toru Ozawa. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Honolulu with no further casualties. The bomb had been placed by Mohammed Rashed, a Jordanian connected to the 15 May Organization.
September 5, 1986 Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked on 5 September 1986 while on the ground at Karachi International Airport, Pakistan. The hijackers, identified as members of the Abu Nidal Organization, took control of the aircraft, resulting in a standoff that lasted several hours. During the incident, senior purser Neerja Bhanot assisted in the evacuation of passengers and was killed while helping others escape. She was posthumously recognized for her actions. The hijacking resulted in 22 fatalities.
December 21, 1988