Plane crashes in 1981

321 crashes worldwide in 1981, with 1,589 fatalities. Browse each accident by date, aircraft and location on the interactive map.

Crashes: 321
Fatal crashes: 188
Fatalities: 1,589
First recorded: January 6, 1981
Most recent: December 31, 1981

Deadliest

December 1, 1981: McDonnell Douglas MD-82, Mt San Pietro, Corse-du-Sud, France (180 fatalities)
August 22, 1981: Boeing 737-200, Sanyi, Miaoli County, Taiwan (110 fatalities)
November 16, 1981: Tupolev TU-154, Norilsk-Alykel, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia (99 fatalities)
September 29, 1981: Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Kahrizak, Tehran City District, Iran (80 fatalities)
August 27, 1981: Vickers Viscount, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia (50 fatalities)

Countries

Manufacturers

Cessna (46)
Douglas (32)
Beechcraft (27)
PZL-Mielec (25)
Piper (24)
Rockwell (21)
De Havilland (20)
Lockheed (13)
Mitsubishi (13)
Antonov (10)
Boeing (10)
Britten-Norman (9)

Aircraft

All crashes (page 1 of 4)

December 31, 1981: De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo, Punta Arenas, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena, Chile (0 fatalities)
December 31, 1981: Britten-Norman Islander, Angola, All Angola, Angola (0 fatalities)
December 31, 1981: Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, Durango-La Plata County, Colorado, USA, United States (4 fatalities)
December 31, 1981: Douglas C-118 Liftmaster, Bahamas, All Bahamas, Bahamas (0 fatalities)
December 31, 1981: Cessna 340, Pueblo, Colorado, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
December 29, 1981: Avro 748, Sydney-J. A. Douglas McCurdy, Nova Scotia, Canada (0 fatalities)
December 28, 1981: Cessna 402, Pullman-Moscow, Washington, USA, United States (1 fatality)
December 23, 1981: Antonov AN-26, Yeniseysk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia (2 fatalities)
December 18, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Deputatsky, Republic of Yakutia (Sakha), Russia (0 fatalities)
December 18, 1981: De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, San Antero, Córdoba, Colombia (13 fatalities)
December 16, 1981: Boeing 707, Miami-Intl, Florida, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
December 13, 1981: Rockwell Aero Commander 500, Brazil, All Brazil, Brazil (0 fatalities)
December 12, 1981: Rockwell Gulfstream 690C Jetprop 840, Patterson-Harry P. Williams, Louisiana, USA, United States (2 fatalities)
December 12, 1981: Cessna 421B Golden Eagle II, Perryton, Texas, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
December 11, 1981: Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter), Guatemala, All Guatemala, Guatemala (0 fatalities)
December 10, 1981: Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair, Tyonek, Alaska, USA, United States (4 fatalities)
December 10, 1981: BAe 125, Laredo, Texas, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
December 9, 1981: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), Anamur, Mediterranean Region, Türkiye (5 fatalities)
December 8, 1981: Piper PA-60 Aerostar (Ted Smith 600), Sebastian, Florida, USA, United States (2 fatalities)
December 6, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (1 fatality)
December 5, 1981: Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA, United States (11 fatalities)
December 3, 1981: Cessna 402, Pacific Grove, California, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
December 2, 1981: Douglas DC-4, Spence Bay, Northwest Territories, Canada (0 fatalities)
December 1, 1981: McDonnell Douglas MD-82, Mt San Pietro, Corse-du-Sud, France (180 fatalities)
November 30, 1981: Piper PA-31 Cheyenne, Madison, Indiana, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
November 30, 1981: Douglas DC-6, Castries-George F. L. Charles (Vigie), All Saint Lucia, St. Lucia (3 fatalities)
November 28, 1981: Fokker F27 Friendship, Kufra, Kufra, Libya (0 fatalities)
November 26, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Ust-Kulom, Republic of Komi, Russia (15 fatalities)
November 25, 1981: Max Holste M.H.1521M Broussard, Les Adrets, Isère, France (0 fatalities)
November 22, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, Pago Pago, All American Samoa, American Samoa (1 fatality)
November 21, 1981: Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III, Shoshone, Idaho, USA, United States (3 fatalities)
November 21, 1981: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), Huehuetenango, Huehuetenango, Guatemala (4 fatalities)
November 19, 1981: Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter), Biratnagar, Koshi, Nepal (10 fatalities)
November 19, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA, United States (2 fatalities)
November 18, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, Wolcott, Colorado, USA, United States (7 fatalities)
November 18, 1981: Cessna 425 Conquest, Natchez-Adams County (Hardy Ander Field), Mississippi, USA, United States (1 fatality)
November 16, 1981: Aérospatiale SN.601 Corvette, Lagos-Murtala Muhammed, Lagos, Nigeria (4 fatalities)
November 16, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Aktyubinsk, Aktobe, Kazakhstan (2 fatalities)
November 16, 1981: Tupolev TU-154, Norilsk-Alykel, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia (99 fatalities)
November 13, 1981: Learjet 55 Longhorn, Waterkloof AFB, Gauteng, South Africa (2 fatalities)
November 10, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Ukhta, Republic of Komi, Russia (0 fatalities)
November 9, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Sennar, Sennar, Sudan (0 fatalities)
November 8, 1981: Douglas DC-9, Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico (18 fatalities)
November 8, 1981: Rockwell Shrike Commander 500, Merimbula, New South Wales, Australia (1 fatality)
November 7, 1981: Rockwell Grand Commander 680, Savoonga, Alaska, USA, United States (1 fatality)
November 6, 1981: Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair, Skwentna, Alaska, USA, United States (2 fatalities)
November 5, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, Saratoga-Shively Field, Wyoming, USA, United States (2 fatalities)
November 4, 1981: De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, Cartwright, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada (0 fatalities)
October 31, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Sükhbaatar, Selenge, Mongolia (0 fatalities)
October 31, 1981: De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, Bafoussam-Bamougoum, West, Cameroon (1 fatality)
October 30, 1981: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Las Animas, Colorado, USA, United States (8 fatalities)
October 30, 1981: Cessna 414 Chancellor, Barkerville-Wells, British Columbia, Canada (4 fatalities)
October 28, 1981: Britten-Norman Trislander, Foya Kamala, Lofa, Liberia (0 fatalities)
October 26, 1981: Lockheed L-749 Constellation, Charlotte Amalie-Cyril E. King (ex Harry S. Truman), All US Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands (3 fatalities)
October 26, 1981: Beechcraft 90 King Air, Mineral Wells, Texas, USA, United States (1 fatality)
October 24, 1981: Cessna 421B Golden Eagle II, Camarillo, California, USA, United States (1 fatality)
October 23, 1981: Boeing 707, Tokyo-Narita, Kantō, Japan (0 fatalities)
October 21, 1981: Curtiss C-46 Commando, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia (0 fatalities)
October 21, 1981: Tupolev TU-154, Prague-Ruzyne, Prague (Hlavní mesto Praha), Czech Republic (0 fatalities)
October 16, 1981: Rockwell Aero Commander 520, Biloxi, Mississippi, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
October 15, 1981: De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou, Switzerland, All Switzerland, Switzerland (0 fatalities)
October 15, 1981: Cessna 404 Titan, Ellmau, Tyrol, Austria (9 fatalities)
October 12, 1981: Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Gueltat Zemmour, Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra, Morocco (5 fatalities)
October 7, 1981: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), Kombolcha-Dessie, Amhara, Ethiopia (0 fatalities)
October 6, 1981: Fokker F28 Fellowship, Moerdijk, North Brabant, Netherlands (17 fatalities)
October 4, 1981: Cessna 402, Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
October 4, 1981: Beechcraft D18, Fraser, Michigan, USA, United States (1 fatality)
October 3, 1981: Partenavia P.68, Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom (5 fatalities)
October 1, 1981: Learjet 24, Felt, Oklahoma, USA, United States (3 fatalities)
September 29, 1981: Cessna 414 Chancellor, Tonopah, Nevada, USA, United States (2 fatalities)
September 29, 1981: Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Kahrizak, Tehran City District, Iran (80 fatalities)
September 21, 1981: Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter), Weipa, Queensland, Australia (0 fatalities)
September 21, 1981: Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA, United States (7 fatalities)
September 19, 1981: Cessna 414 Chancellor, Homestead AFB, Florida, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
September 18, 1981: Britten-Norman Islander, Saint Peter-La Villiaze, Channel Islands, United Kingdom (0 fatalities)
September 18, 1981: Yakovlev Yak-40, Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia (33 fatalities)
September 16, 1981: De Havilland DHC-3 Otter, Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada (0 fatalities)
September 16, 1981: Rockwell Gulfstream 690C Jetprop 840, Parys, Free State, South Africa (5 fatalities)
September 16, 1981: De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, Kuujjuarapik (Poste-de-la-Baleine), Quebec, Canada (2 fatalities)
September 16, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Suordakh, Republic of Yakutia (Sakha), Russia (0 fatalities)
September 13, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Saratov, Saratov oblast, Russia (0 fatalities)
September 9, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Namangan, Namangan Province (Namangan viloyati), Uzbekistan (0 fatalities)
September 9, 1981: PZL-Mielec AN-2, Zagrodno, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Dolnośląskie), Poland (0 fatalities)
September 7, 1981: Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, Dahl Creek, Alaska, USA, United States (0 fatalities)
September 7, 1981: Britten-Norman Trislander, Canada, All Canada, Canada (0 fatalities)
September 6, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, Riverton, Wyoming, USA, United States (5 fatalities)
September 5, 1981: Cessna 340, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA, United States (4 fatalities)
September 4, 1981: Rockwell Aero Commander 685, Kansas City, Kansas, USA, United States (4 fatalities)
September 2, 1981: Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante, Paipa-Juan José Rondón, Boyacá, Colombia (21 fatalities)
September 2, 1981: De Havilland DHC-3 Otter, Lac des Chats, Quebec, Canada (3 fatalities)
September 2, 1981: Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise, McLeod, Texas, USA, United States (5 fatalities)
September 1, 1981: Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair, San Carlos de Rio Negro, Amazonas, Venezuela (3 fatalities)
August 30, 1981: Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III, Rutland, Ohio, USA, United States (1 fatality)
August 29, 1981: Yakovlev Yak-40, Zeya, Amur oblast, Russia (3 fatalities)
August 27, 1981: Vickers Viscount, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia (50 fatalities)
August 27, 1981: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), Dire Dawa-Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma, Dire Dawa City District, Ethiopia (0 fatalities)
August 26, 1981: Rockwell Gulfstream 690C Jetprop 840, Irigoyen, Entre Ríos, Argentina (0 fatalities)
August 25, 1981: Britten-Norman Islander, Sekakes, Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho (0 fatalities)
August 24, 1981: Tupolev TU-16, Zavitinsk, Amur oblast, Russia (6 fatalities)
August 24, 1981: Antonov AN-24, Zavitinsk, Amur oblast, Russia (31 fatalities)