October 6, 1981 - The plane that flew into a tornado

Randi MannDigital Reporter
Published on Oct. 6, 2020, 10:13 AM

A domestic flight in the Netherlands got stuck in a storm and accidentally headed right into a tornado.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Alexa | Google Assistant | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Overcast

On October 6th, 1981, a Fokker F28 regional jet departed Rotterdam, Netherlands, and did not make it to its destination.

The plane took off at 5:04 p.m., 44 minutes after a weather brief. The crew took off knowing that there were some areas with strong thunderstorms.

The pilots tried to avoid all the storms, but the calm areas began to disappear. The storms were far too strong for the limits of the aircraft.

Eight minutes after takeoff, the plane accidentally flew directly into a tornado. The right wing was ripped off as the tornado completely took over the plane. All 17 people on board died.

Learn more about the details of the tragic NLM Flight 431 on today's episode of "This Day In Weather History".

Content continues below

"This Day In Weather History” is a daily podcast by The Weather Network that features unique and informative stories from host Chris Mei.