The history of aviation safety in Bangladesh encompasses both commercial civil aviation and military operations. Among commercial disasters, the 1984 Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27 crash near Dhaka stands as the deadliest commercial air accident on Bangladeshi soil. A significant portion of documented incidents involves training and operational fighter jets operated by the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), as well as severe environmental losses such as the mass destruction of military aircraft during the 1991 cyclone.
Incidents and accidents 10 February 1972: A Biman Bangladesh Airlines Douglas DC-3 crashed near Dhaka during a training flight, killing all 5 people on board. 28 September 1977: Japan Airlines Flight 472, en route from Mumbai to Tokyo, was hijacked by 5 Japanese Red Army terrorists and forced to land at then Zia International Airport. The Bangladesh Air Force helped manage the situation on the ground; Japan met the hijackers' ransom and prisoner-release demands. 18 November 1979: A Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27-200 on a test flight lost both engines after a deliberate stall test, forcing a landing in a field near Savar where it ran through embankments; none of the four aboard died. 3 April 1980: A Biman Bangladesh Airlines Boeing 707-320C (registered S2-ABJ) lost control and caught fire during takeoff at Dhaka Airport; injuries were reported but no fatalities. 5 August 1984: Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight 426, a Fokker F27-600 (registered S2-ABJ), crashed into a marsh near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, on a scheduled flight from Chittagong — a controlled flight into terrain caused by bad weather. First officer Kaniz Fatema Roksana was Bangladesh's first female commercial pilot. With 49 dead, it remains the deadliest aviation disaster on Bangladeshi soil. 30 April 1991: 33 Bangladesh Air Force F-6 jets and 3 Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed on the ground at their air bases during a severe cyclone and storm surge. 1993: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 fighter jet crashed, killing Flight Lieutenant Qudrus. 1993: Two Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft collided mid-air, killing three pilots. 1994: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 fighter jet crashed. 8 May 1996: A Bangladesh Air Force MiG-21 fighter jet crashed. 22 December 1997: Biman flight BG-609, a Fokker F28-4000 (registered S2-ACJ), crashed onto a paddy field near Osmani International Airport, Sylhet, in heavy fog while carrying 85 passengers and 4 crew; 17 were injured. 27 June 1998: An Air Parabat flight crash-landed on its belly in a field near Savar due to technical problems; all seven aboard escaped unhurt. 27 September 1998: A training flight on a Cessna 150 of Air Parabat Flying Academy crashed, killing two trainee pilots. 26 October 1998: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7MB fighter jet crashed. 17 November 1998: A Bangladesh Air Force Nanchang A-5C fighter jet crashed. 7 June 2002: A Cessna-150 (S2-AAM) of Air Parabat Flying Academy crashed in a heavy storm, killing its lone licensed pilot, Mukhlesur Rahman Saqueeb, a Biman steward. 7 January 2001: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 Trainer crashed, killing Squadron Leader Mohammad Mohsin. 30 July 2002: A Bangladesh Air Force A-5 fighter jet crashed near Chittagong, killing Flight Lieutenant Adnan. 19 October 2002: A Bangladesh Air Force Mi-17-1V helicopter crashed near Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar, killing 4. 22 April 2003: A storm with winds up to 111 km/h damaged three Airbus A310s, a Boeing 737 and a Fokker F-28 parked at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. 11 July 2003: An Air Memphis Boeing 707 cargo flight bound for Amman overran the runway at Dhaka by 450 m after a failed aborted takeoff, its nose gear collapsing in a marsh; all five crew survived. 2003: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed. 15 November 2003: A Piper PA-34 Seneca crashed. 25 February 2004: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 fighter jet crashed. 8 October 2004: Biman flight BG-601, a Fokker F28-4000, overran the wet runway at Osmani International Airport, Sylhet, and ended up in a ditch, carrying 79 passengers and 4 crew; two were injured. 7 February 2005: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed. 7/8 June 2005: A Bangladesh Air Force trainee pilot's F-7 crashed into a residential neighbourhood in Uttara, Dhaka, during a training mission, killing one person on the ground and injuring four; the pilot ejected safely nearby. 1 July 2005: Biman flight BG 048, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 (registered S2-ADN) from Dubai, skidded off the runway at Shah Amanat International Airport in heavy rain; the right undercarriage caught fire and the right engine separated. Ten of the 211 aboard were injured; no fatalities. The aircraft was later written off. 9 April 2007: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed near Jessore, killing Flight Cadet Faisal Mahmud. 8 April 2008: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7MB fighter jet crashed near Paharchala, Tangail, killing Squadron Leader Moreshed. 24 April 2008: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed near Chhotachandpur, Jhenaidah, killing Flight Cadet Tanvir Islam. 25 May 2008: Saudia flight 810, a Boeing 747-300 (registered TF-ARS), caught fire in its no. 3 engine after landing at Zia International Airport from Medina, due to a fuel leak; no fatalities among the 326 aboard. 10 September 2008: A bomb-hoax note found aboard Air Arabia flight 522 grounded the Airbus A320 at Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong, for two hours; a passenger was later found guilty of the hoax. 16 July 2009: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 fighter jet crashed into the Karnaphuli River, Chittagong. 22 October 2009: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed near Bogra Sadar. 2010: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7MB fighter jet crashed near Patenga. 23 September 2010: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed into the Karnaphuli River. 20 December 2010: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed near Barisal, killing two Squadron Leaders. 1 March 2012: A terminal fire at Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong, disabled two jet bridges and delayed several flights, including four international ones, leaving around 2,000 passengers waiting for hours; no injuries.Fire at Ctg airport 8 April 2012: A Bangladesh Air Force L-39 Albatros jet trainer crashed near Madhupur, killing Flight Lieutenant Reza Sharif. 30 April 2012: A Royal Thai Air Force ATR-72-500 (serial L16-2/52) suffered a runway excursion while landing at Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, striking a concrete barrier and sustaining substantial wing damage; two aboard had minor injuries. 13 August 2012: United Airways flight 546, an ATR 72–212 (S2-AFE), lost its first officer's windshield at 9,000 ft en route to Dhaka from Jessore; the captain landed safely and the first officer suffered an eye injury. 5 April 2013: A fire in the cargo village of Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, was doused within 90 minutes; flight schedules were unaffected. 25 April 2013: A Bangladesh Flying Academy Cessna 152 (S2-ABI) flipped upside-down while landing at Shah Makhdum Airport; the instructor and trainee escaped with minor injuries. 23 May 2013: A Bangladesh Air Force L-39 trainer aircraft skidded off the runway at Jessore; no fatalities. 14 July 2013: A Bangladesh Air Force Nanchang A-5 fighter jet crashed. 28 September 2013: Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV-3822, a Boeing 747-400, showed sparks and smoke from a main landing gear during roll-out at Shahjalal International Airport on a Hajj flight from Riyadh; the airport closed for about an hour. 2 November 2013: Air Arabia flight 522, an Airbus A320-200, made an emergency landing at Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong, after a bird strike shortly after departing for Sharjah; all aboard unhurt.161 passengers escape unhurt at Shah Amanat airport 6 February 2014: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed. 30 April 2014: A Bangladesh Air Force PT-6 trainer aircraft crashed. 13 May 2014: A Bangladesh Air Force Mi-171SH helicopter crashed at Shah Amanat Airport, killing one instructor. 30 May 2014: Air Arabia flight 524, an Airbus A320-200, made a safe emergency return to Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong, after a cabin-pressurisation problem 45 minutes into its flight to Sharjah. 29 June 2014: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7MB fighter jet crashed into the sea off Patenga Coast, killing Flight Lieutenant Tahmid. 20 July 2014: United Airways Flight 501, an ATR 72–212 (S2-AFN), suffered a nose gear collapse after landing at Cox's Bazar Airport, severely damaging the front fuselage; the airport closed for 22 hours. 21 July 2014: A Bangladesh Air Force Mi-171SH helicopter was damaged during an emergency landing at Mirsharai; no fatalities. 1 April 2015: A Bangladesh Flying Academy Cessna 152 (S2-ADI) caught fire during a rejected takeoff at Shah Makhdum Airport; trainee pilot Tamanna died at the scene, and the flight instructor later died of burn injuries. 13 May 2015: A Bangladesh Air Force Mi-17 on a training flight crash-landed and caught fire at Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong; all three aboard were hospitalised with major injuries. 29 June 2015: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7MB on a training flight from Shah Amanat International Airport crashed into the Bay of Bengal off Patenga Beach; pilot Flight Lieutenant Rumman Tahmid remained missing despite a large-scale search that recovered only debris. 11 July 2017: A Bangladesh Air Force YAK-130 trainer jet crashed in a hilly area near Chittagong; both pilots ejected safely. 27 December 2017: Two Bangladesh Air Force YAK-130 trainer aircraft crashed near Cox's Bazar. 2 January 2018: A Bangladesh Air Force Mi-171 helicopter carrying military officials crashed near Sreemangal, with multiple injuries. 1 July 2018: A Bangladesh Air Force K-8W trainer aircraft crashed, killing both pilots. 23 November 2018: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI fighter jet crashed near Tangail during a rocket-firing exercise, killing the pilot. 9 May 2024: A Bangladesh Air Force YAK-130 trainer jet crashed at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, killing Squadron Leader Muhammad Asim Jawad. 21 July 2025: A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI fighter jet crashed on the grounds of Milestone School and College in Diabari, Uttara, Dhaka, killing Squadron Leader Towkir Islam Sagar and 18 others, with more than 150 injured.
See also Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Bangladesh Air Force Biman Bangladesh Airlines 1984 Biman Bangladesh Airlines Fokker F27 crash List of disasters in Bangladesh by death toll List of maritime disasters in Bangladesh
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