Top 10 weakest planes in the sky
Though some people may be of a different opinion, air travel is one of the safest means of transport. The only reason someone may disagree is that, in the event of a plane crash, the probability of anyone surviving is very low.
Over the years, the number of plane crashes has trended downwards, and this shows how much engineering efforts have been put in place lately. In the following discussion, we look at the top ten planes that have proven weak in the sky.
10 LET L-410
This is a Czechoslovakian twin-turboprop plane from the 1970s. It has a cruising speed of 36km/h and made with a STOL capability. This plane can be found in South America, Soviet states, and Africa with hundreds still being in operation today.
It is also a common plane among the skydiving community probably thanks to its STOL abilities.
However, over time, this plane has been involved in a number of crashes which have led to the loss of life. The most recent and highly suspicious was a crash in Democratic Republic of Congo where 20 people are reported to have perished. The crash was allegedly the result of a stampede caused by people trying to run away from a crocodile that broke loose in the plane.
9 ANTONOV 12
This Soviet-era turboprop aircraft has been used by the military as well as civilians since 1959. It has a capacity of 85 passengers though it is commonly used for cargo transport. At 360o meters and at maximum capacity, the plane can fly at a speed of 670km/h. Early models of the plane used by the military for transport were also fitted with cannons for defense. Most accidents have occurred when the plane is used to haul cargo. The most recent is the Russian crush where 9 people lost their lives. Another fatal accident was in China where 40 people were lost due to technical problems that were caused by icing.
8 DOUGLAS DC-10
The Douglas DC-10 is another plane that is apparently weak in the sky. The main challenge or drawback in its design was that its cargo doors opened outward. It can cruise the skies at 900km/h with a capacity of up to 135 passengers.
DC-10 accidents are more prevalent in developing countries and areas with extreme climates.
In 1974, an engine fell off during take-off, which prompted a re-design. The most memorable accident was in 2012 where the plane crashed into a village causing 163 fatalities. Of the 163, 10 people were villagers while the rest were passengers of the plane itself.
7 CASA C-212
This aircraft was designed by the Spanish with an aim of meeting the transport needs of their air force. Hence, this saw the rise of the 18-seater Aviocar that could facilitate a couple of military activities. The Aviocar was used in the Spanish military for passenger transport, carrying paratroopers, airlifting injured soldiers, and civil use. It is out of this success that the larger audience gained interest in the plane, which led to the development of commercial versions. It is designed with STOL capability and includes other features suitable for harsh climatic conditions. That notwithstanding, the plane can be considered weak because it has been involved in a significant number of crashes. Four C-212s have been involved in fatal accidents that have claimed about 45 lives.
6 TUPOLEV 154
The Tupolev 154 is quite powerful with the ability to take off and touch down on underdeveloped runways. Controversially, the plane has been linked with several flaws including: electrical faults, fires during take-off, and engine explosions.
It is an expensive plane to maintain considering these issues.
It’s power also comes with a loud noise that has led to it being banned from flying within certain airspaces. It has a cruising ability of up to 850 km/h which makes it the fastest passenger airliner. However, it has also been involved in several accidents where all passengers have been lost, in two separate instances.
5 DOUGLAS MD 80
The Douglas MD 80 is an updated version of the DC-9 employing a more lengthened body. Depending on the seating configuration and variant, this plane can accommodate up to 172 passengers on board. The MD-80 is a series of twin-engine, single-aisle, short and medium-range jetliners. Though the plane had a good cruising speed of 811 km/h and a top speed of 925 km/h, it suffers from several inefficiencies. Regarding fuel consumption, the MD-80 was out-shined by the Boeing 737-800 which offered 35% better fuel efficiency. The MD-80 has also a history of accidents including the 1981 crash into Mt. Pietro which led to the loss of passengers and its crew.
4 EMBRAER EMB 120 BRASILIA
The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia came right after the success of the EMB 110, which was a transport aircraft. The EMB, therefore, became the first commercial airliner from the Brazilian company. Five years after its introduction, the aircraft was redesigned to incorporate several suggestions from the operators.
Conversely, these changes did not entirely make the plane sturdy enough for adverse climatic conditions.
The most memorable accident involving this plane was the 1991 Continental express crash in Texas. The plane broke up, with its horizontal stabilizer detaching from the fuselage, in the air as it landed causing 14 passengers to lose their lives.
3 BOEING 737
The Boeing 737 is one of the more common medium-size airliner among most aircraft models in the world. It has a capacity of 215 passengers and a cruising speed of 800km/h. Older models of the 737 are a bit slower with speeds of 780km/h and lower, being powered by JT8D engines. Such models would be hard to find in developed nations because of this limited capability but continue to cruise the skies of developing nations. Additionally, the Boeing 737 isn’t a favorite in areas with challenging climatic conditions. Hence, this plane makes it to this list as one of the weakest planes out there.
2 ILYUSHIN 76
This plane came to replace the AN-12 and incorporated a larger wingspan as well as overall body length. It is quite tough and has been used in several countries for civil and military purposes.
The four-engine jet-powered machine is said to handle hits from missiles and heavy machine guns.
However, this plane is not as reliable as you would think and has been involved in several plane crash over the years. It is responsible for the loss of 275 people—including soldiers in 2003 in Iran and 63 people in Brazzaville in 2012. Hence, despite its promising and imposing design, this plane is equally weak in the sky.
1 ANTONOV 28
The Antonov 28 is a STOL twin-engine, propeller-driven plane. It is, therefore, useful for transport services within a short distance and for reaching otherwise inaccessible runways where larger planes can’t land. It is common within ex-Soviet states and allies, though only a few of them that are accessible to civilian and military use are left. It can be remembered among soccer fanatics since, in 2005, one of this was involved in a crash that claimed the lives of a Congolese team. For such a small plane, it is surprising how often it is involved in crashes. Only one thing can be deduced from these facts, that the plane is just a ‘weakling’ in the sky.
Sources: ba-bamail.com, cnn.com, and jalopnik.com.
