TENERIFE

that name evokes a moment of silence in the flying community. tomorrow marks the 32nd anniversary of the worst accident in aviation history. in 1977 on the spanish island of tenerife, one of the canary islands located in the atlantic ocean, west of the southern coast of morocco, a pan am 747 taking off from the tenerife airport, collided on the narrow runway with a klm 747 which was using the same runway to taxi in the opposite direction. dense fog, poor communications between the control tower and the aircraft, and a takeoff without clearance, all conspired to produce the collision. 583 people died, the worst aviation-related loss of life until the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the world trade center in new york city in 2001.