Fatalities: 301 Survivors: 0

Six minutes after Saudia 163 flight took off from Riyadh, warnings sounded about smoke in the cargo compartment. The crew spent another four minutes trying to figure out what to do, then finally turned back to the airport. Damage from the fire forced them to shut down their middle engine. The airplane landed safely but not quickly — it continued to roll down the runway, away from the emergency vehicles that had expected them to stop immediately, and then the crew failed to immediately order an evacuation.

The burnt wreckage of Saudia Flight 163. [File photo]

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