Madeira Airport accidents & incidents
Madeira’s fearsome reputation rests largely on two 1977 disasters. Here is the full, accurate record — and why the modern safety story is one of diversions and go-arounds, not crashes.
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Fatal accidents
Aviaco positioning flight
Madeira's first fatal aviation accident. On 5 March 1973 an Aviaco Caravelle on a night positioning flight from Madrid (no passengers aboard) stalled while turning onto the approach to the old runway 06 and went into the sea, killing all three crew. It was an early, stark warning about the demands of Funchal's terrain-constrained visual approach.
TAP Air Portugal Flight 425
TAP Air Portugal Flight 425 is the defining disaster of Madeira's aviation history. On the evening of 19 November 1977 a Boeing 727 completing a Brussels–Lisbon–Funchal service touched down some 630 m beyond the threshold at about 148 kt — roughly 19 kt above the recommended speed — on a rain-soaked runway. It hydroplaned, braking and reverse thrust were ineffective, and it ran off the end of the dangerously short runway. Of 164 people aboard, 131 died and 33 survived. It remains TAP's only fatal accident, and it was the direct catalyst for extending Madeira's runway — first to 1,800 m in 1986 and then, in 2000, to 2,781 m on the famous column-supported platform.
SATA Flight 730
Just one month after the TAP 425 disaster, a Swiss SATA Caravelle on a charter from Switzerland descended below the approach minima in poor conditions and struck the sea about 4 km short of Funchal on 18 December 1977. Of 57 people aboard, 36 died and 21 survived. The wreck was rediscovered by divers at about 110 m depth in 2011. Coming so soon after Flight 425, it deepened Madeira's fearsome reputation and the case for a safer runway and approach.
Notable non-fatal incidents
- 25 May 2025 — On 25 May 2025 a Wizz Air Malta A321neo made a hard, bounced landing on runway 05 at Funchal, damaging the aircraft and forcing passengers to be re-accommodated. No injuries were reported. It is the kind of weather- and approach-driven event that characterises modern Madeira operations — incidents and diversions rather than the catastrophic accidents of the 1970s.
For the day-to-day reality of wind-driven disruption, see Madeira's wind & storm season and the wind-cancellation tracker.
Frequently asked questions
Has there ever been a crash at Madeira Airport?
Yes. Madeira’s two fatal commercial jet accidents both happened in 1977 — TAP Flight 425 (131 killed) and SATA Flight 730 (36 killed) — plus an Aviaco crew-only loss in 1973. There has been no fatal commercial accident at Madeira since 1977.
What was the worst accident at Madeira Airport?
TAP Air Portugal Flight 425 on 19 November 1977, when a Boeing 727 overran the short, wet runway and broke apart, killing 131 of 164 people aboard. It remains TAP’s only fatal accident.