Museum or archive
International Tenerife Memorial
Foundation for the Relatives of the Victims of the Tenerife Disaster
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Transportation & maritime · 27 March 1977Open article references →
Tenerife Airport Disaster
Tenerife North Airport runway collision area · Spain
Why editors use it hereMemorial record of the 583 people killed, 61 survivors, relatives' organization, and the Mesa Mota monument.
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Quick read
On 27 March 1977, KLM and Pan American Boeing 747s collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport on Tenerife.
Reviewed 5 August 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
The KLM 747 reached the runway end and turned to face the departure direction while the Pan Am 747 taxied toward an assigned exit.
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Uncertainty
The official investigation found that the KLM takeoff began without clearance.
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Why it matters
Tenerife shows how individually manageable problems can combine into catastrophe when traffic, weather, infrastructure, radio ambiguity, and cockpit decisions erode a shared picture.
Reviewed 5 August 2026
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Quick read