March 27, 1977
Tenerife, Canary Islands
Pan American,  Flight 1736 / KLM, Flight 4805
Boeing B-747-121 / Boeing B-747-206B
N736PA / PH-BUF


Both aircraft were diverted to Tenerife because of a bombing at Las Palmas Airport. After an
extended delay, both planes were instructed to back track up the runway. The KLM plane
reached its takeoff point while the Pan Am plane was still on the runway. The Pan Am plane
continued up the runway missing the taxiway turnout. There was heavy fog on the runway.
The KLM plane began its takeoff roll without permission with the Pan Am plane still on the
runway. The KLM plane hit the Pan Am plane just as it was taking off. Both planes burst into
flames. KLM 234 + 14 crew, Pan Am 326 + 9 crew killed.


PA RT = Radio Transmission Pan Am First Officer
APP = Tenerife tower
PA CAM 1 = Cockpit Area Mike PanAm, Captain
PA CAM 2 = Cockpit Area Mike PanAm,  First Officer
PA CAM 3 = Cockpit Area Mike PanAm,  Flight Engineer
KLM RT = KLM Radio Transmission
KLM CAM 1 = KLM cockpit Area Mike, Captain
KLM CAM 2 = KLM cockpit Area Mike, First Officer
KLM CAM 3 = KLM cockpit Area Mike, Flight Engineer
?? = Unknown

1701:57.0 PA RT Tenerife the Clipper one seven three six.
1702:01.8 APP Clipper one seven three six Tenerife.
1702:03.6 PA RT Ah- We were instructed to contact you and also to taxi down the runway, is that correct?
1702:08.4 APP Affirmative, taxi into the runway and -ah leave the runway third, third to your left, [background conversation in the tower].
1702:16.4 PA RT Third to the left, O.K.
1702:18.4 PA CAM 3 Third he said.
  PA CAM ? Three.
1702:20.6 APP ...ird one to your left.
1702:21.9 PA CAM 1 I think he said first.
1702:26.4 PA CAM 2 I'll ask him again.
  PA CAM ? ??
1702:32.2 PA CAM 2 Left turn.
1702:33.1 PA CAM 1 I don't think they have take-off minimums anywhere right now.
1702:39.2 PA CAM 1 What really happened over there today?
1702:41.6 PA CAM 4 They put a bomb in the terminal, Sir, right where the check-in counters are.
1702:46.6 PA CAM 1 Well we asked them if we could hold and -uh- I guess you got the word, we landed here ...
  CAM-? ??
1702:49.8 APP KLM four eight zero five how many taxiway -ah- did you pass?
1702:55.6 KLM RT I think we just passed Charlie four now.
1702:59.9 APP O.K. ... at the end of the runway make one eighty and report -ah- ready -ah- for ATC clearance [background conversation in the tower].
1703:09.3 PA CAM 2 The first one is a ninety degree turn.
1703:11.0 PA CAM 1 Yeah, O.K.
1703:12.1 PA CAM 2 Must be the third ... I'll ask him again.
1703:14.2 PA CAM 1 O.K.
1703:16.6 PA CAM 1 We could probably go in it's ah ...
1703:19.1 PA CAM 1 You gotta make a ninety degree turn.
1703:21.6 PA CAM 1 Yeah, uh.
1703:21.6 PA CAM-2 Ninety degree turn to get around this ... this one down here it's a forty five.
1703:29.3 PA RT Would you confirm that you want the clipper one seven three six to turn left at the third intersection?
1703:35.1 PA CAM 1 One, two.
1703:36.4 APP The third one, sir, one; two, three, third, third one.
1703:38.3 PA CAM ? One two (four).
1703:39.0 PA CAM 1 Good.
1703:40.1 PA CAM 1 That's what we need right, the third one.
1703:42.9 PA CAM 3 Uno, dos, tres.
1703:44.0 PA CAM 1 Uno, dos, tres.
1703:44.9 PA CAM 3 Tres - uh - si.
1703:46.5 PA CAM 1 Right.
1703:47.6 PA CAM 3 We'll make it yet.
1703:47.6 APP ...er seven one three six report leaving the runway.
1703:49.1 PA CAM 2 Wing flaps?
1703:50.2 PA CAM 1 Ten, indicate ten, leading edge lights are green.
1703:54.1 PA CAM ? Get that.
1703:55.0 PA RT Clipper one seven three six.
1703:56.5 PA CAM 2 Yaw damp and instrument?
1703:58.6 PA CAM 1 Ah- Bob we'll get a left one... 
1703:59.3 PA CAM 2 I got a left.
1704:00.6 PA CAM 1 Did you?
1704.00.9 PA CAM 2 And -ah- need a right.
1704:02.6 PA CAM 1 I'll give you a little ... 
1704:03.8 PA CAM 2 Put a little aileron in this thing.
1704:05.0 PA CAM 1 O.K., here's a left and I'll give you a right one right here.
1704:09.7 PA CAM 1 O.K. right turn right and left yaw.
1704:11.4 PA CAM 2 Left yaw checks.
1704:12.4 PA CAM 1 O.K., here's the rudders.
1704:13.6 PA CAM 1 Here's two left, centre, two right center.
1704:17.8 PA CAM 2 Checks.
1704:19.2 PA CAM 2 Controls.
1704:19.6 PA CAM 1 Haven't seen any yet!
1704:20.3 PA CAM 2 I haven't either.
1704:21. 7 PA CAM 1 They're free, the indicators are checked.
1704:24.6 PA CAM 2 There's one.
1704:25.8 PA CAM 1 There's one.
1704:26.4 PA CAM 1 That's the ninety degree.
1704:28.5 PA CAM ? O.K.
1704:34.5 PA CAM ? ??
  PA CAM  2 Weight and balance finals?
1704:37.7 PA CAM [Sounds similar to stabilizer trim]
1704:37.2 PA CAM 1 We were gonna put that on four and a half
1704:39.8 PA CAM 3 We got four and a half and we weigh five thirty four. [sound of stabilizer trim]
1704:44.6 PA CAM 2 Four and a half on the right.
1704:46.8 PA CAM 2 Engineer's taxi check.
1704:48.4 PA CAM 3 Taxi check is complete.
1704:50.5 PA CAM 2 Take-off and departure briefing?
1704:52.1 PA CAM 1 O.K., it'll be standard, we gonna go straight out there till we get thirty five hundred feet then we're gonna make that reversal and go back' out to ... fourteen.
1704:58.2 APP ...m eight seven zero five and clipper one seven ... three six, for your information, the center line lighting is out of service. [APP transmission is readable but slightly broken]
1705:05.8 KLM RT I copied that.
1705:07.7 PA RT Clipper one seven three six.
1705:09.6 PA CAM-1 We got center line markings ... only could be "don't we they count the same thing as ... we need eight hundred meters if you don't have that center line... I read that on the back of this just a while ago.
1705:22.0 PA CAM 1 That's two.
1705:23.5 PA CAM 3 Yeh, that's forty-five there.
1705:25.7 PA CAM 1 Yeh.
1705:26.5 PA CAM 2 That's this one right here.
1705:27.2 PA CAM 1 Yeh, I know.
1705:28.1 PA CAM 3 O.K.
1705:28.5 PA CAM 3 Next one is almost a forty-five, huh yeh.
1705:30.6 PA CAM 1 But it goes...
1705:32.4 PA CAM 1 Yeh, but it goes ... ahead, I think it's gonna put us on the taxiway.
1705:35.9 PA CAM 3 Yeah, just a little bit yeh.
1705:39.8 PA CAM ? O.K., for sure.
1705:40.0 PA CAM 2 Maybe he, maybe he counts these, are three.
  PA CAM ? Huh.
1705:44.8 PA CAM ? I like this.
1705:44.8 KLM RT Uh, the KLM ... four eight zero five is now ready for take-off ... uh and we're waiting for our ATC clearance.
1705:53.4 APP KLM eight seven * zero five uh you are cleared to the Papa Beacon climb to and maintain flight level nine zero right turn after take-off proceed with heading zero four zero until intercepting the three two five radial from Las Palmas VOR.
1706:09.6 KLM RT Ah roger, sir, we're cleared to the Papa Beacon flight level nine zero, right turn out zero four zero until intercepting the three two five and we're now at take-off.
ca. 1706:13 KLM CAM 1 We're going
1706:18.19 APP OK.
1706:19.3 PA RT No .. eh.
1706:20.08 APP Stand by for take-off, I will call you.
1706:20.3 PA RT And we're still taxiing down the runway, the clipper one seven three six.
1706:19.39 - 1706:23.19   [PA radio transmission and APP communications caused a shrill noise in KLM cockpit - messages not heard by KLM crew]
1706:25.6 APP Roger alpha one seven three six report when runway clear.
1706:29.6 PA RT OK, we'll report when we're clear.
  APP Thank you
  PA CAM 1 Lets get the hell out of here!
  PA CAM 2 Yeh, he's anxious isn't he.
  PA CAM 3 Yeh, after he held us up for half an hour.  Now he's in a rush.
1706:32.43 KLM CAM 3 Is he not clear then?
1706:34.1 KLM CAM 1 What do you say?
1706:34.15 KLM CAM ? Yup.
1706:34.7 KLM CAM 3 Is he not clear that Pan American?
1706:35.7 KLM-1 Oh yes. [emphatically]
1706:40   [PanAm captain sees landing lights of KLM at approximately 700 meters]
  PA CAM 1 There he is .. look at him!  Goddamn that son-of-a-bitch is coming! Get off! Get off!  Get off!
1706:44   [KLM starts rotation]
1706:47.44 KLM CAM 1 [Scream]
1706:50   [Collision]

Back to Last Words