Uncontrolled decompression
Notable decompression accidents and incidents
Decompression incidents are not uncommon on military and civilian aircraft, with approximately 40–50 rapid decompression events occurring worldwide annually. However, in most cases the problem is manageable, injuries or structural damage rare and the incident not considered notable.

Uncontrolled decompression

Section Title: Notable decompression accidents and incidents
Table Section Text: Decompression incidents are not uncommon on military and civilian aircraft, with approximately 40–50 rapid decompression events occurring worldwide annually. However, in most cases the problem is manageable, injuries or structural damage rare and the incident not considered notable.

Event	Date	Pressure vessel	Event type	Fatalities/number on board	Decompression type	Cause

BOAC Flight 781	1954	de Havilland Comet 1	Accident	35/35	Explosive decompression	Metal fatigue

South African Airways Flight 201	1954	de Havilland Comet 1	Accident	21/21	Explosive decompression	Metal fatigue

TWA Flight 2	1956	Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation	Accident	70/70	Explosive decompression	Mid-air collision

1961 Yuba City B-52 crash	1961	Boeing B-52 Stratofortress	Accident	0/8	Gradual or rapid decompression	(Undetermined)

Continental Airlines Flight 11	1962	Boeing 707-100	Terrorist bombing	45/45	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in passenger cabin

Volsk parachute jump accident	1962	Pressure suit	Accident	1/1	Rapid decompression	Collision with gondola upon jumping from balloon

Strato Jump III	1966	Pressure suit	Accident	1/1	Rapid decompression	Pressure suit failure

Apollo program spacesuit testing accident	1966	Apollo A7L spacesuit (or possibly a prototype of it)	Accident	0/1	Rapid decompression	Oxygen line coupling failure

Hughes Airwest Flight 706	1971	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31	Accident	49/49	Explosive decompression	Mid-air collision

Soyuz 11 re-entry	1971	Soyuz spacecraft	Accident	3/3	Rapid decompression	Pressure equalisation valve damaged by faulty pyrotechnic separation charges

BEA Flight 706	1971	Vickers Vanguard	Accident	63/63	Explosive decompression	Structural failure of rear pressure bulkhead due to corrosion

LANSA Flight 508	1971	Lockheed L-188A Electra	Accident	91/92	Explosive decompression	Lightning strike and fuel vapour fire, leading to separation of right wing

JAT Flight 367	1972	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32	Terrorist bombing	27/28	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in cargo hold

American Airlines Flight 96	1972	Douglas DC-10-10	Accident	0/67	Rapid decompression	Cargo door failure

National Airlines Flight 27	1973	Douglas DC-10-10	Accident	1/116	Explosive decompression	Uncontained engine failure

Turkish Airlines Flight 981	1974	Douglas DC-10-10	Accident	346/346	Explosive decompression	Cargo door failure

TWA Flight 841	1974	Boeing 707-331B	Terrorist bombing	88/88	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in cargo hold

1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident	1975	Lockheed C-5 Galaxy	Accident	155/330	Explosive decompression	Improper maintenance of rear doors, cargo door failure

British Airways Flight 476	1976	Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B	Accident	63/63	Explosive decompression	Mid-air collision

Korean Air Lines Flight 902	1978	Boeing 707-320B	Shootdown	2/109	Explosive decompression	Shootdown after straying into prohibited airspace over the Soviet Union

Itavia Flight 870	1980	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15	(Disputed)	81/81	Explosive decompression	In-flight breakup due to explosion (cause of explosion still disputed)

Saudia Flight 162	1980	Lockheed L-1011 TriStar	Accident	2/292	Explosive decompression	Tyre blowout

Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 103	1981	Boeing 737–200	Accident	110/110	Explosive decompression	Severe corrosion and metal fatigue

British Airways Flight 9	1982	Boeing 747–200	Accident	0/263	Gradual decompression	Engine flameout due to volcanic ash ingestion

Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8	1983	Lockheed L-188 Electra	Accident	0/15	Rapid decompression	Propeller failure and collision with fuselage

Korean Air Lines Flight 007	1983	Boeing 747-200B	Shootdown	269/269	Initially rapid decompression, then explosive	Intentionally fired air-to-air missile after aircraft strayed into prohibited airspace over the Soviet Union

Gulf Air Flight 771	1983	Boeing 737–200	Terrorist bombing	112/112	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in cargo hold

Byford Dolphin accident	1983	Diving bell	Accident	5/6	Explosive decompression	Human error, no fail-safe in the design

Japan Airlines Flight 123	1985	Boeing 747SR	Accident	520/524	Explosive decompression	Structural failure of rear pressure bulkhead due to metal fatigue

Air India Flight 182	1985	Boeing 747-200B	Terrorist bombing	329/329	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in cargo hold

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster	1986	Space Shuttle Challenger	Accident	7/7	Gradual or rapid decompression	Breach in solid rocket booster O-ring, leading to damage from escaping superheated gas and eventual disintegration of launch vehicle

Pan Am Flight 125	1987	Boeing 747–121	Incident	0/245	Rapid decompression	Cargo door malfunction

LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055	1987	Ilyushin Il-62M	Accident	183/183	Rapid decompression	Uncontained engine failure

South African Airways Flight 295	1987	Boeing 747-200M	Accident	159/159	Explosive decompression	In-flight fire

Aloha Airlines Flight 243	1988	Boeing 737–200	Accident	1/95	Explosive decompression	Metal fatigue

Iran Air Flight 655	1988	Airbus A300B2-203	Shootdown	290/290	Explosive decompression	Intentionally fired surface-to-air missiles from the USS Vincennes

Partnair Flight 394	1988	Convair CV-580	Accident	55/55	Explosive decompression	Rudder failure leading to loss of control and mid-air breakup

Pan Am Flight 103	1988	Boeing 747–100	Terrorist bombing	259/259	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in cargo hold

United Airlines Flight 811	1989	Boeing 747–100	Accident	9/355	Explosive decompression	Cargo door failure

UTA Flight 772	1989	Douglas DC-10-30	Terrorist bombing	170/170	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in cargo hold

Avianca Flight 203	1989	Boeing 727-21	Terrorist bombing	107/107	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion igniting vapours in an empty fuel tank

British Airways Flight 5390	1990	BAC One-Eleven	Incident	0/87	Rapid decompression	Cockpit windscreen failure

Lauda Air Flight 004	1991	Boeing 767-300ER	Accident	223/223	Explosive decompression	Uncommanded thrust reverser deployment leading to loss of control and mid-air breakup

Copa Airlines Flight 201	1992	Boeing 737–200	Accident	47/47	Explosive decompression	Mid-air breakup

Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 1103	1992	Boeing 727–200	(Disputed)	157/157	Explosive decompression	Mid air collision (cause of collision disputed)

China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303	1994	Tupolev TU-154M	Accident	160/160	Explosive decompression	Improper maintenance

TWA Flight 800	1996	Boeing 747–100	Accident	230/230	Explosive decompression	Vapour explosion in fuel tank

Saudia Flight 763	1996	Boeing 747-100B	Accident	312/312	Explosive decompression	Mid-air collision

Progress M-34 docking test	1997	Spektr space station module	Accident	0/3	Rapid decompression	Collision while in orbit

SilkAir Flight 185	1997	Boeing 737–300	(Disputed)	104/104	Explosive decompression	Steep dive and mid-air breakup (cause of crash unknown and disputed)

Lionair Flight 602	1998	Antonov An-24RV	Shootdown	55/55	Rapid decompression	Probable MANPAD shootdown

China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509	1999	Tupolev TU-154M	Accident	61/61	Explosive decompression	Improper maintenance

1999 South Dakota Learjet crash	1999	Learjet 35	Accident	6/6	Gradual or rapid decompression	(Undetermined)

EgyptAir Flight 990	1999	Boeing 767-300ER	(Disputed)	217/217	Explosive decompression	Mid-air breakup (cause of crash unknown and disputed)

Australia “Ghost Flight”	2000	Beechcraft Super King Air	Accident	8/8	Gradual decompression	Inconclusive; likely pilot error or mechanical failure

Hainan Island incident	2001	Lockheed EP-3	Accident	0/24	Rapid decompression	Mid-air collision

Air Transat Flight 236	2001	Airbus A330-243	Accident	0/306	Gradual decompression	Engine flameout due to fuel exhaustion resulting from ruptured fuel line

TAM Airlines Flight 9755	2001	Fokker 100	Accident	1/82	Rapid decompression	Uncontained engine failure

China Airlines Flight 611	2002	Boeing 747-200B	Accident	225/225	Explosive decompression	Metal fatigue

Bashkirian Airlines Flight 2937	2002	Tupolev Tu-154M	Accident	69/69	Explosive decompression	Mid-air collision

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster	2003	Space Shuttle Columbia	Accident	7/7	Rapid decompression	Damage to orbiter thermal protection system at liftoff, leading to disintegration during reentry

Helios Airways Flight 522	2005	Boeing 737–300	Accident	121/121	Gradual decompression	Pressurization system set to manual for the entire flight

Alaska Airlines Flight 536	2005	McDonnell Douglas MD-80	Incident	0/142	Rapid decompression	Failure of operator to report collision involving a baggage loading cart at the departure gate

Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907	2006	Boeing 737–800	Accident	154/154	Explosive decompression	Mid-air collision

Adam Air Flight 574	2007	Boeing 737–400	Accident	102/102	Explosive decompression	Mid-air breakup

Qantas Flight 30	2008	Boeing 747-400	Incident	0/365	Rapid decompression	Fuselage ruptured by oxygen cylinder explosion

Southwest Airlines Flight 2294	2009	Boeing 737–300	Incident	0/131	Rapid decompression	Metal fatigue

Southwest Airlines Flight 812	2011	Boeing 737–300	Incident	0/123	Rapid decompression	Metal fatigue

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17	2014	Boeing 777-200ER	Shootdown	298/298	Explosive decompression	Shot down by a Buk surface-to-air missile launcher; under criminal investigation

Metrojet Flight 9268	2015	Airbus A321-231	Terrorist bombing	224/224	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion caused disintegration of aircraft at flight altitude; under criminal investigation

Daallo Airlines Flight 159	2016	Airbus A321	Terrorist bombing	1/81	Explosive decompression	Bomb explosion in passenger cabin

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380	2018	Boeing 737-700	Accident	1/148	Rapid decompression	Uncontained engine failure; under investigation

Jet Airways Flight 9W 697	2018	Boeing 737-800	Incident	0/166	Gradual decompression	Forgotten cabin bleed switch

Sentence(s)

In 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 caused explosive decompression.

final_sentence: In 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 caused explosive decompression.