6. Turkish Airlines Flight 981
On March 3, 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 vanished from the skies near Paris when a faulty cargo door blew out mid-flight, ripping open the cabin and severing vital controls. Helpless, the pilots fought a doomed battle as the plane plunged uncontrollably into the Ermenonville Forest, killing all 346 souls aboard.
This catastrophic failure shocked the world and forever changed aviation safety forever.