In-flight breakup

An in-flight breakup is a catastrophic failure of an aircraft structure that causes it to break apart in mid-air. This can result in the death of all occupants, and/or the destruction of the aircraft. In-flight breakups are rare but devastating events that could be caused by a variety of factors.

In some instances, faults in the design or manufacturing could create weak points or stress concentrations in the structure could cause a breakup. Constant use and repeated loading and unloading cycles on the aircraft can lead to fatigue cracking. In other cases, pilot error or weather conditions could cause the aircraft to experience conditions beyond what it can withstand. In other cases, the breakup is caused by sabotage or terrorism damaging critical systems or components.