Plane Crashes That Changed the Skies Forever

#30: Birgenair Flight 301 (1996)

Shortly after leaving the Dominican Republic, the Boeing 757’s airspeed indicators gave wildly conflicting readings. The confused crew struggled to understand which was correct. The aircraft stalled, rolled over, and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board.

The cause was traced to a blocked pitot tube, likely from insects nesting during the plane’s long stay on the ground. The accident highlighted how small oversights in maintenance can bring down a modern jet. It remains one of the most infamous examples of pitot tube-related disasters.