El Al Flight 1862

Introduction
El Al Flight 1862 was a cargo flight flying from New York to Israel with a stopover in Amsterdam. The plane crashed into a large block of flats which killed 39 people on the ground, and injuring 26.

Pilots
The crew consisted of Captain Yitzhak Fuchs, First Officer Arnon Ohad and Flight Engineer Gedalya Sofer. The flight engineer had the most experience, with 15,000 hours in the 747.

First Signs of Danger
After taking off from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, the plane began to climb. It made a right turn, and soon after, a large explosion was heard. This large explosion was engine 3 tearing itself from the aircraft. This was because the [?]pin had metal fatigue which caused a crack to build up until it snapped at this moment. When the engine came off, it damaged the wing flaps, and, by pure luck, struck the 4th engine, smashing it off the aircraft. This made the plane bank to the right. Realising the bank and loss of two engines, the first officer immediately made a mayday call and asked ATC if they could return to Schiphol, whilst the captain attempted to correct the bank. None of the pilots had any idea that two engines had just fallen off their aircraft. They requested to land on Schiphol's longest runway, but to do so they had to loop around to lose altitude. They accepted this as the captain had gained control of the bank and fixed it. As they looped down, the flaps and slats were extended, but what the pilots didn't know, is that doing this doomed their aircraft.

The Nosedive
When the two engines came off the aircraft, they took some of the right wing with them. Some of the hydraulics were damaged, and so was the slats. This meant when the flaps and slats were extended, more lift was provided on the left wing. This began a second bank to the right, and with the added bonus of the loss of two engines, the pilots could not correct it. The plane began to bank further and further to the right, eventually reaching 90°, before then entering a nose dive. A split second later, the unthinkable happened. The plane sliced through the 11 storey apartment complex like a knife. A huge flame started to begin, and brave survivors rescued others who were caught in the blaze. A total of 39 people died on the ground, but some state that others who were living there illegally were not counted.

May all 43 who died that day rest in peace.