The first mishap occurred in the 1977 Tenerife Islands collision involving two Boeing 747 planes, including Boeing 747-100 and Boeing 747-200. Low visibility is the primary weather problem that caused the accident. Boeing 747-200 underwent refueling, which increased the time it took to take off. In addition, after Boeing 747-200 had been refueled, the level of visibility deteriorated due to low-lying clouds and fog. The clouds had reduced visibility, so the aircraft in the parking area and the primary runway could not be seen from the control tower. During the accident, poor visibility averted immediate collision and limited direct range of vision from the airport’s Control Tower. In retrospect, low visibility caused by intermittent fog and low clouds was a significant factor that led to the collision.
The second mishap involves the Iranian Ilyushin II-76 MD crash, which killed 275 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members. While descending to the Kerman airport at night, the aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions. The crew reported strong winds and heavy snowfalls that affected visibility and descent. The leading cause for the crash was the continued operations below the minimum descent altitude that amplified poor visibility caused by bad weather and night conditions. Ultimately, the main weather actualities that caused the crash were strong winds and heavy snowfalls.
The Arrow Air Flight 1285 accident is another mishap that caused the death of more than 250 people on Canadian soil. The leading weather-related cause of the accident is icing conditions, as revealed by a preliminary investigation by Canadian Aviation Safety Board. The precipitation state at the time was conducive to ice formation on the aircraft’s wings. In addition, the plane was continuously exposed to ice contamination that could roughen up the surface of the aircraft’s wings. Finally, the plane was not deiced before takeoff, which increased the risk of an accident.