Aviation accidents in 1981
CrashAtlas records 168 aviation accidents worldwide in 1981, accounting for 1,258 fatalities. Entries are ordered by loss of life, and each one links through to the full accident record.
168
Recorded accidents
1,258
Fatalities in this listing
1981
Years covered
| Date | Flight | Aircraft | Country | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-12-01 | Inex-Adria Aviopromet 1308 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 (MD-81) | France | 180 |
| 1981-08-22 | Far Eastern Air Transport - FEAT 103 | Boeing 737-222 | Taiwan | 110 |
| 1981-11-16 | Aeroflot, Krasnoyarsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-85480 | Tupolev Tu-154B-2 | Russia | 99 |
| 1981-09-29 | Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force - IRIAF · 5-8552 | Lockheed C-130H Hercules | Iran | 80 |
| 1981-02-07 | Soviet Navy · CCCP-42332 | Tupolev Tu-104A | Russia | 50 |
| 1981-07-20 | Somali Airlines 40 | Fokker F-27 Friendship 600RF | Somalia | 50 |
| 1981-08-26 | Aeropesca Colombia · HK-1320 | Vickers 745D Viscount | Colombia | 50 |
| 1981-06-14 | Aeroflot, East Siberia Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-41838 | Ilyushin Il-14M | Russia | 48 |
| 1981-09-18 | Aeroflot, East Siberia Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-87455 | Yakovlev Yak-40 | Russia | 33 |
| 1981-08-24 | Aeroflot, Far East Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-46653 | Antonov An-24RV | Russia | 31 |
| 1981-05-07 | Austral Lineas Aéreas 901 | BAC One-Eleven 529FR | Argentina | 31 |
| 1981-07-27 | Aeroméxico 230 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | Mexico | 30 |
| 1981-02-26 | United States Air Force - USAF · 64-0564 | Lockheed MC-130E Combat Talon I | Philippines | 23 |
| 1981-05-06 | United States Air Force - USAF · 61-0328 | Boeing EC-135N | United States of America | 21 |
| 1981-09-02 | Taxi Aéreo El Venado · HK-2651 | Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante | Colombia | 20 |
| 1981-07-24 | Air Madagascar 112 | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Madagascar | 19 |
| 1981-11-08 | Aeroméxico · XA-DEO | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 | Mexico | 18 |
| 1981-05-20 | Aero Léon · XA-HEK | Convair CV-440-11 | Mexico | 18 |
| 1981-03-10 | Aéronavale · 29 | Breguet 1150 Atlantic | Comoros | 18 |
| 1981-05-22 | TAME Ecuador · HC-BAX | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Ecuador | 18 |
| 1981-05-29 | Egyptian Air Force · SU-BAH/1276 | Lockheed C-130H Hercules | Egypt | 17 |
| 1981-10-06 | NLM Cityhopper 431 | Fokker F-28 Fellowship 4000 | Netherlands | 17 |
| 1981-11-26 | Aeroflot, Komi Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-01808 | Antonov An-2P | Russia | 15 |
| 1981-12-18 | ACES - Aerolineas Centrales de Colombia · HK-2216 | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Colombia | 13 |
| 1981-04-17 | Air US 716 | Handley Page HP-137 Jetstream 1 | United States of America | 13 |
| 1981-04-28 | Aeroflot, Yakutsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-92864 | Antonov An-2TP | Russia | 12 |
| 1981-08-01 | Aeroflot, Magadan Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-91517 | Ilyushin Il-14M | Russia | 11 |
| 1981-02-24 | VOTEC Servicios Aéreos Regionais · PT-GLB | Embraer EMB-110P Bandeirante | Brazil | 11 |
| 1981-05-24 | Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana · FAE-723 | Beechcraft 200 Super King Air | Ecuador | 9 |
| 1981-04-28 | Airfast Indonesia · PK-OBK | Douglas C-47A-1-DK (DC-3) | Indonesia | 9 |
| 1981-01-14 | United States Air Force - USAF · 69-6581 | Lockheed C-130E Hercules | Germany | 9 |
| 1981-02-11 | Texasgulf Aviation · N520S | Lockheed L-1329 JetStar 731 | United States of America | 8 |
| 1981-07-31 | Fuerza Aérea Panameña - FAP · FAP-205 | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Panama | 7 |
| 1981-01-20 | Cascade Airways 201 | Beechcraft 99A Airliner | United States of America | 7 |
| 1981-09-21 | United States Air Force - USAF · 74-1672 | Lockheed C-130H Hercules | United States of America | 7 |
| 1981-04-06 | Urcupina · CP-1470 | Douglas C-47A-75-DL (DC-3) | Bolivia | 7 |
| 1981-01-08 | SAHSA - Servicio Aéreo de Honduras SA · HR-SAW | Lockheed L-188A Electra | Guatemala | 6 |
| 1981-03-15 | United States Air Force - USAF · 61-2664 | Boeing RC-135S Cobra Ball II | United States of America | 6 |
| 1981-07-15 | Puget Sound Tug & Barge Company · N631SR | Beechcraft 200 Super King Air | United States of America | 6 |
| 1981-08-01 | Hémet Exploration · F-BJHC | Douglas C-47B-1-DK (DC-3) | Mozambique | 6 |
| 1981-10-12 | Royal Moroccan Air Force · CNA-OH | Lockheed C-130H Hercules | Western Sahara | 5 |
| 1981-07-31 | Línea Aérea de Transporte Interior Sud Americano-LATISA · CC-CAT | Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando | Chile | 5 |
| 1981-01-21 | Georgia Pacific Corp. · N501GP | Cessna 500 Citation I | United States of America | 5 |
| 1981-12-09 | Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force) · YSL-47 | Douglas C-47A-15-DK (DC-3) | Turkey | 5 |
| 1981-11-16 | Benin Government · TY-BBK | Aérospatiale SN.601 Corvette | Nigeria | 4 |
| 1981-01-18 | Guyana Civil Aviation Department · 8R-GFF | Shorts SC.7 Skyvan 3-100 | Guyana | 4 |
| 1981-05-16 | TAAG Angola Airlines · D2-EAS | Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules | Angola | 4 |
| 1981-03-02 | Ejército del Aire · UD.13-02 | Canadair CL-215-1A10 | Spain | 4 |
| 1981-11-21 | Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca | Douglas C-47 (DC-3) | Guatemala | 4 |
| 1981-05-02 | Servicios Aereos Regiomontanos - SARSA · XA-KEW | British Aerospace BAe-125-700A | Mexico | 4 |
| 1981-07-18 | Transporte Aéreo Rioplatense - TAR · LV-JTN | Canadair CL-44D4-6 | Armenia | 4 |
| 1981-08-29 | Aeroflot, Far East Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-87346 | Yakovlev Yak-40 | Russia | 3 |
| 1981-07-09 | Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter · C-GKFN | Howard 500 | Canada | 3 |
| 1981-07-14 | Aero Union · N3373F | Douglas SC-54G (DC-4) | United States of America | 3 |
| 1981-10-01 | Sky Train Air · N44CJ | Learjet 24 | United States of America | 3 |
| 1981-07-01 | United Aircraft Services · N111ST | Douglas R4D-1 (DC-3) | United States of America | 3 |
| 1981-10-26 | Aerolineas Argo · HI-328 | Lockheed L-749A Constellation (VC-121B) | U.S. Virgin Islands | 3 |
| 1981-01-15 | Marine Luchtvaart Dienst - MLD · 255 | Breguet SP-13A Atlantic | Atlantic Ocean | 3 |
| 1981-04-02 | Skytrain Air · N258M | Douglas C-47A-30-DL (DC-3) | Mexico | 3 |
| 1981-11-30 | Guyana Airways · N3486F | Douglas DC-6A | Saint Lucia | 3 |
| 1981-05-31 | Algerian Government · 7T-VRE | Dassault Falcon 20C | Mali | 3 |
| 1981-06-26 | Dan-Air Services · G-ASPL | Hawker Siddeley HS-748-108 Srs. 2A | United Kingdom | 3 |
| 1981-07-25 | Transamazonica Colombia · HK-772 | Douglas DC-3A | Colombia | 3 |
| 1981-10-02 | Canadian Armed Forces · 9417 | de Havilland Canada CC-123 Otter (DHC-3) | Canada | 3 |
| 1981-02-11 | Fuerza Aérea Argentina - FAA · E-218 | Morane Saulnier (FMA) MS.760A Paris IA | Argentina | 2 |
| 1981-06-13 | Aeroflot / Latvia · CCCP-07712 | Antonov An-2R | Latvia | 2 |
| 1981-07-08 | Hemet Valley Flying Service · N13742 | Fairchild C-119C-17-FA Flying Boxcar | United States of America | 2 |
| 1981-05-04 | Papua New Guinea Defence Force · P2-011 | GAF Nomad N.22B | Papua New Guinea | 2 |
| 1981-02-27 | Canada Department of Transport · C-FCSV | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Canada | 2 |
| 1981-06-17 | Taxi Aéreo El Venado · HK-1078 | Douglas C-47A-40-DL (DC-3) | Colombia | 2 |
| 1981-12-28 | Fuerza Aérea Hondureña · FAH-313 | Douglas C-47B-1-DL (DC-3) | Honduras | 2 |
| 1981-12-23 | Aeroflot, Krasnoyarsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-26505 | Antonov An-26 | Russia | 2 |
| 1981-06-13 | Taiwan Airlines · B-11108 | IRMA/Britten-Norman BN-2A-8 Islander | Taiwan | 2 |
| 1981-05-03 | Aeroflot / Azerbaijan · CCCP-70836 | Antonov An-2R | Russia | 2 |
| 1981-02-12 | Aeroflot, Central Region Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-04188 | Ilyushin Il-14T | Russia | 2 |
| 1981-11-13 | Gates Learjet · N57TA | Learjet 55 | South Africa | 2 |
| 1981-03-28 | Caribbean Air Cargo, lsf Tuky Air Transport · N98AS | Douglas C-54B-1-DC (DC-4) | U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 |
| 1981-10-31 | Cameroon Airlines · TJ-CBC | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Cameroon | 1 |
| 1981-05-21 | I-NLAT | Unknown | Italy | 1 |
| 1981-03-26 | LOT Polskie Linie Lotnicze · SP-LTU | Antonov An-24V | Poland | 1 |
| 1981-11-18 | British Antarctic Survey · VP-FAW | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Antarctica | 0 |
| 1981-06-07 | Aeroflot / Ukraine · CCCP-02357 | Antonov An-2M | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-10-31 | MIAT - Mongolian Airlines · MT-613 | Antonov An-2R | Mongolia | 0 |
| 1981-01-28 | Sudene-Superintendência do Desenvolvimento do Nordeste · PP-ZNU | Douglas DC-3 | Brazil | 0 |
| 1981-12-10 | SENSA - Servicios Ejecutivos Nacionales · XA-ESQ | Hawker Siddeley DH-125-1A | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-09-07 | J.D. Gifford and Associates · N8504W | Kaiser-Frazer C-119L Flying Boxcar | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-06-07 | Burma Airways · XY-ADN | Fokker F-27 Friendship 400 | Myanmar | 0 |
| 1981-01-14 | SAFE Air · ZK-CAM | Bristol 170 Freighter 31E | New Zealand | 0 |
| 1981-07-15 | CAMBA - Commercializadora Aérea Mixta Boliviana · CP-1318 | Martin 4-0-4 | Bolivia | 0 |
| 1981-03-25 | Sun Valley Inc. · N3VB | Douglas DC-3-322 | Mexico | 0 |
| 1981-08-03 | SATENA · FAC-1128 | Douglas C-53 (DC-3) | Colombia | 0 |
| 1981-01-18 | United States Navy · 152161 | Lockheed P-3A Orion | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-07-30 | Aeroflot, Kazakstan Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-07422 | Antonov An-2R | Kazakhstan | 0 |
| 1981-03-18 | Crutcher Resources Corporation · N999CR | Beechcraft A100 King Air | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-08-11 | SADELCA Colombia - Sociedad Aérea del Caqueta · HK-136 | Douglas DC-4 | Colombia | 0 |
| 1981-08-27 | RRC Air Services · ET-AGX | Douglas C-47B-5-DK (DC-3) | Ethiopia | 0 |
| 1981-07-12 | Flying Fireman · C-GFFJ | Consolidated PBY-6A Super Catalina | Canada | 0 |
| 1981-09-16 | Aeroflot, Yakutsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-40523 | Antonov An-2TP | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-03-26 | Libyan Arab Airlines · 5A-DBR | Fokker F-27 Friendship 400 | Chad | 0 |
| 1981-06-11 | Varig · PP-VJT | Boeing 707-341C | Brazil | 0 |
| 1981-02-10 | Transportes Aéreos Universal · CP-1588 | Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando | Bolivia | 0 |
| 1981-04-24 | Fuerza Aérea del Peru - FAP · FAP-396 | Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules | Peru | 0 |
| 1981-12-06 | Aeroflot, International Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-86508 | Ilyushin Il-62M | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-01-11 | Ethiopian Airlines · ET-AGW | Douglas C-47A-20-DK (DC-3) | Ethiopia | 0 |
| 1981-10-07 | Ethiopian Airlines · ET-AHR | Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3) | Ethiopia | 0 |
| 1981-07-05 | Trans Mediterranean Airways - TMA · OD-AGW | Boeing 707-327C | Lebanon | 0 |
| 1981-04-06 | Transportes Aereos Virgen de Urkupiña · CP-1470 | Douglas C-47A-75-DL Skytrain | Bolivia | 0 |
| 1981-03-08 | Aeroflot, Central Region Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-46280 | Antonov An-24T | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-06-25 | SATENA · FAC-1129 | Douglas C-47 (DC-3) | Colombia | 0 |
| 1981-11-09 | Zakladu Uslug Agrolotniczych - ZUA · SP-WPT | Antonov An-2R | Sudan | 0 |
| 1981-11-28 | Libyan Arab Airlines · 5A-DBE | Fokker F-27 Friendship 400 | Libya | 0 |
| 1981-08-31 | Middle East Airlines - MEA · OD-AFR | Boeing 720-023B | Lebanon | 0 |
| 1981-12-02 | Aero Trades (Western) · C-FJRW | Douglas DC-4-1009 | Canada | 0 |
| 1981-10-28 | Air Liberia · EL-AIC | Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander Mk.III-2 | Liberia | 0 |
| 1981-06-13 | Aeroflot, Moscow Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-85029 | Tupolev Tu-154 | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-06-24 | Nathaniel Hawthorne College · N18949 | Douglas DC-3-209A | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-12-16 | Hispaniola Airways · HI-384HA | Boeing 707-124 | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-09-18 | Jersey European Airways 245 | Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander | United Kingdom | 0 |
| 1981-05-24 | South African Air Force - SAAF · 6878 | Douglas C-47B-30-DK (DC-3) | South Africa | 0 |
| 1981-06-05 | Pakistan International Airlines - PIA · AP-AXF | Fokker F-27 Friendship 600 | Pakistan | 0 |
| 1981-05-15 | Gifford Aviation · N70DA | Shorts SC.7 Skyvan 3-200 | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-01-01 | Southern Aero Trades Inc · N122AC | Douglas DC-4 | Colombia | 0 |
| 1981-12-29 | Eastern Provincial Airways · C-GEPH | Hawker Siddeley HS-748-239 Srs. 2A | Canada | 0 |
| 1981-01-01 | Fuerza Aérea de Chile · 920 | de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo | Chile | 0 |
| 1981-08-18 | Airgo Air Freight · N7407 | Vickers 745D Viscount | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-05-01 | Mandala Airlines · PK-RVN | Vickers 832 Viscount | Indonesia | 0 |
| 1981-05-09 | Sky Train Air · N60705 | Douglas C-47-DL (DC-3) | Mexico | 0 |
| 1981-09-13 | Aeroflot, Privolzhsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-32475 | Antonov An-2R | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-06-04 | Command Aviation · N121CA | Convair C-131E (CV-440) | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-10-21 | Malev Hungarian Airlines · HA-LCF | Tupolev Tu-154B | Czechia | 0 |
| 1981-01-12 | Sun Valley Inc. · N137H | Douglas DC-3D | Mexico | 0 |
| 1981-03-15 | Bradley Air Services · C-FDHT | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 | Greenland | 0 |
| 1981-07-15 | Aeroflot, East Siberia Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-01883 | Antonov An-2T | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-02-11 | Magnum Airlines · ZS-KYA | Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II | South Africa | 0 |
| 1981-09-01 | Unknown · N62242 | Douglas DC-6 | Colombia | 0 |
| 1981-06-28 | Aeroflot / Ukraine · CCCP-65871 | Tupolev Tu-134A | Ukraine | 0 |
| 1981-03-16 | Air Inuit · C-FIRW | Douglas C-47A-40-DL (DC-3) | Canada | 0 |
| 1981-12-18 | Aeroflot, Magadan Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-92858 | Antonov An-2TP | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-06-26 | CAAC · B-8104 | Shijiazhuang Y-5 | China | 0 |
| 1981-05-21 | Aeroflot, Yakutsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-35198 | Antonov An-2P | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-03-11 | Ghana Airways · 9G-ACA | Fokker F-28 Fellowship 2000 | Ghana | 0 |
| 1981-09-09 | Zakladu Uslug Agrolotniczych - ZUA · SP-WMN | Antonov An-2R | Poland | 0 |
| 1981-05-09 | Propair · C-GVGU | de Havilland Canada DHC-4A Caribou | Canada | 0 |
| 1981-06-16 | Indian Airlines · VT-DXI | Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. HAL-748-224 Srs. 2 | India | 0 |
| 1981-07-21 | Aviatia Utilitara · YR-PVJ | Antonov An-2R | Romania | 0 |
| 1981-02-03 | Pakistan International Airlines - PIA · AP-AXE | McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 | Pakistan | 0 |
| 1981-08-25 | Lesotho Airways · 7P-LAE | Britten-Norman BN-2A-21 Islander | Lesotho | 0 |
| 1981-01-01 | Arax Airlines · 5N-ARA | Douglas C-47B-30-DK (DC-3) | Nigeria | 0 |
| 1981-08-09 | Kamchatka APO · CCCP-29354 | Antonov An-2TP | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-03-10 | Força Aérea Brasileira - FAB · 2168 | Embraer C-95 Bandeirante (EMB-110) | Brazil | 0 |
| 1981-02-18 | Aeroflot, Yakutsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-67273 | Let L-410M | Russia | 0 |
| 1981-10-23 | Trans Mediterranean Airways - TMA 332 | Boeing 707-331C | Japan | 0 |
| 1981-01-08 | Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force) · HEK-15 | Douglas C-47B-1-DL (DC-3) | Turkey | 0 |
| 1981-03-26 | Hâng Không Viêtnam · VN-B190? | Ilyushin Il-18D | Vietnam | 0 |
| 1981-08-10 | Grand Canyon Airlines · N76GC | Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-06-02 | Pinders Charter Service · N28377 | Britten-Norman BN-2A-7 Islander | Atlantic Ocean | 0 |
| 1981-09-08 | Aeroflot, Uralsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-85448 | Tupolev Tu-154B-2 | Uzbekistan | 0 |
| 1981-09-09 | Aeroflot, Privolzhsk Civil Aviation Directorate · CCCP-07601 | Antonov An-2R | Uzbekistan | 0 |
| 1981-10-21 | Aeropesca Colombia · HK-388 | Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando | Colombia | 0 |
| 1981-01-01 | GAF International Service · N2949F | Douglas C-118A (DC-6) | Bahamas | 0 |
| 1981-04-02 | Bush Pilots Airways · VH-BPL | Swearingen SA226-TC Metro II | Australia | 0 |
| 1981-02-17 | Air California 336 | Boeing 737-293 | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-01-08 | Pakistan International Airlines - PIA · AP-AXK | Boeing 720-047B | Pakistan | 0 |
| 1981-07-20 | Dorado Wings · N116DW | Britten-Norman BN-2A-6 Islander | Puerto Rico | 0 |
| 1981-01-15 | Saudi Arabian, lsf Overseas National Airways - ONA · N913R | McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61 | Luxembourg | 0 |
| 1981-06-27 | Hawkins & Powers Aviation · N8682 | Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar | United States of America | 0 |
| 1981-03-29 | Alco Aviation · N267L | Lockheed L-1329 JetStar I | United Kingdom | 0 |
| 1981-10-08 | Pacific Alaska Airlines · N777DG | Fairchild F-27M | United States of America | 0 |