amazing stories: "Cash of the Century"

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"Crash of the century": part 1 , part 2
Tenerife disaster NGC seconds from disaster version: "collision on the runway"

"Tenerife Disaster" March 27,1977
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight-4805 call sign Rijn (Rhine River) and Pan American Flight-4805 call sign Clipper Victor

The aircraft collided with a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747 on the runway while backtracking the runway for departure. After diverting from their original destination of Las Palmas due to a bomb threat, both aircraft parked on the congested ramp at Los Rodeos Airport. During the wait, the KLM aircraft's crew decided to refuel the aircraft. During the refuelling process, the airport at Las Palmas reopened, and the Pan American crew attempted to move toward the runway. The KLM aircraft was blocking their aircraft in, however, so the Pan Am crew was forced to wait until KLM had finished refuelling. After the refuelling was complete, the KLM aircraft was instructed to back-taxi on runway 30, turn at the end, and wait for departure. The Pan American crewwas instructed to follow KLM, but turn left off the runway on a taxiway before reaching the end of the runway. As the KLM aircraft turned to depart on runway 12, its Captain, Jakob van Zaanten immediately powered up for takeoff. The First Officer corrected him saying 'no, we don't have our air traffic control clearance yet.' The Captain responded with 'I know that, you call for it.' As the First Officer was copying the clearance, which told the crew what route to fly, but did not give permission to take off, the Captain again initiated takeoff. The Pan Am 747 crew was inching through the thick fog looking for their assigned runway turnoff, saw the shaking lights of the KLM aircraft approaching at near takeoff speed through the fog, and applied full power in an attempt to clear the runway. Just after rotation, the KLM aircraft struck the Pan American plane just behind the cockpit, climbed to a height of 100 feet, and crashed. With a total of 583 killed, this accident remains the deadliest accident in aviation history.