On 19 December 1997, SilkAir Flight 185, en route to Singapore, crashes into the Musi River in Indonesia after abruptly diving from its cruise altitude, killing all 104 passengers and crew members on board. The cause of the crash was disputed: a US investigation concluded that it was an act of murder–suicide by the captain; however, the Indonesian investigators were undetermined, and the Los Angeles Court concluded that it was a servo valve failure.

Copa Airlines Flight 201 is flying towards Cali, Colombia when the plane suddenly disintegrates in mid-air.

On 4 October 1992, after taking off from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, El Al Flight 1862 declares an emergency. The crew do their best to make an emergency landing, but the 747 cargo jet rolls violently to the right and crashes into an apartment complex, killing 43 people. The two engines on the right wing had separated from the aircraft, causing the loss of control.

On 11 September 2001, during the September 11 attacks, American Airlines Flight 77 flies off course and crashes into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, after being hijacked. All the 64 people on board the aircraft, including the 5 hijackers, are killed, along with 125 people in the building.