Roberta Aguirre
Toncontin Airport, formerly Toncontin International Airport, is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. Located in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the airport is nestled in a residential neighbourhood surrounded by mountains. Pilots must navigate a steep descent over houses and a boulevard to reach the short runway, which is only 7,096 feet long. The high altitude of 3,307 feet above sea level means thin air, requiring more runway during landings and takeoffs. The approach to runway 02 is particularly challenging, as aircraft must turn to a heading of 018 degrees and climb swiftly to 9,000 feet to avoid the mountains. The airport's history includes numerous accidents, with at least ten aircraft crashing in or around it.
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What You'll Learn
- The airport is located on a small plain surrounded by high mountains
- Pilots must make a steep descent over houses and a boulevard to a short runway
- Tegucigalpa's terrain makes it difficult to accommodate a traditional straight-in approach
- The airport is 3,307 feet above sea level, requiring more runway during landings and takeoffs
- Toncontin has a history of numerous accidents, with at least ten crashes since 1962
The airport is located on a small plain surrounded by high mountains
Tegucigalpa Toncontín Airport is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world by international aeronautical organizations. The airport is located on a small plain surrounded by high mountains. Pilots must navigate slopes sometimes covered in fog and then make a steep descent over houses and a boulevard to a runway that is just 1,900 metres long. The altitude of the airport, at 3,307 feet above sea level, means that the thin air requires pilots to use more of the runway during landings and take-offs. This means that aircraft require a large amount of power to climb swiftly to 9,000 feet to avoid the mountainous terrain just north of the airport.
The approach to the airport is considered one of the most difficult in the world, especially in poor weather conditions. Pilots are instructed to make a three-step approach starting at an altitude of 7,500 feet. However, in one incident, the pilots of a Gulfstream G200 jet ignored protocol and made a continuous approach from 11 miles out. The plane then flew into the Cerro de Hula volcano, impacting the mountain at an altitude of 4,800 feet.
The short runway at Toncontin has been the site of numerous accidents. In 1966, a Douglas DC-6 overran the runway on landing and was destroyed by fire. More recently, in 2018, a Gulfstream G200 jet skidded off the runway and split in half. Although there were no fatalities, at least six Americans were injured. In 2021, a new airport opened in Tegucigalpa, and only small planes with fewer than 33 passengers can now land at Toncontin.
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Pilots must make a steep descent over houses and a boulevard to a short runway
Tegucigalpa Toncontín Airport is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. It is located in a residential neighbourhood surrounded by mountains, and its runway is situated at an elevation of 3,297 feet (1,005 metres) above sea level. This high altitude, combined with the short length of the runway, makes landing and taking off challenging for pilots.
The approach to the runway is particularly difficult. Pilots must navigate slopes sometimes covered in fog and then make a steep descent over houses and a boulevard to reach the runway. The runway is only 7,096 feet (2,135 metres) long, and pilots must brake immediately upon landing to avoid overrunning the end of the runway and falling off a nearby cliff onto a busy road.
Due to the terrain, aircraft cannot easily approach the runway in a traditional straight-in manner. Instead, they must use a circular approach, navigating through shallower terrain and following the Anillo Periferico road to a cloverleaf interchange before reaching the runway. This non-standard approach adds to the complexity and risk of landing at Toncontín Airport.
The history of accidents at the airport underscores its dangers. There have been numerous crashes and incidents over the years, including several aircraft crashing into mountains near the airport. In October 1985, a commercial flight crashed into a mountain before starting its descent, resulting in 131 deaths. More recently, in May 2018, a chartered jet skidded off the runway during landing, splitting in half, although fortunately, there were no fatalities.
Due to safety concerns, a new airport, Comayagua International Airport, was inaugurated in 2021 to replace Toncontín for international flights. However, Toncontín remains open for domestic flights, and its challenging characteristics continue to make it a daunting airport for pilots.
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Tegucigalpa's terrain makes it difficult to accommodate a traditional straight-in approach
The approach to Runway 02, the most frequently used runway because of wind direction, is particularly challenging. Aircraft cannot easily be accommodated on a traditional straight-in approach to Runway 02, and instead, an RNAV (GPS) approach is used, resembling a circle-to-land approach. Departures from Runway 02 must turn to a heading of 018 degrees and then climb swiftly to 9,000 feet to avoid the mountainous terrain just north of the airport.
The challenging terrain and short runway have contributed to numerous accidents at the airport. On October 21, 1989, TAN-SAHSA Flight 414 crashed into a mountain after the pilots failed to follow special landing procedures. The aircraft broke into three sections, with only the first-class section having any survivors. On May 22, 2018, a chartered Gulfstream G200 jet overran the runway and ended up in a ditch, splitting in half, yet miraculously, all crew and passengers survived.
The History Channel programme 'Most Extreme Airports' ranks Toncontin Airport as the second most extreme airport in the world, with one Reddit user describing their landing experience at the airport as "not fun". The airport's challenging approach has led to its notoriety as one of the most dangerous airports globally, and efforts were made to replace it with Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua, which finally occurred in 2021 with the opening of Comayagua International Airport.
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The airport is 3,307 feet above sea level, requiring more runway during landings and takeoffs
Toncontín International Airport (TGU) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The airport is located 3,307 feet above sea level, and this high altitude, coupled with the thin air, requires pilots to use more runway during landings and takeoffs. The runway at Toncontín is relatively short at 7,096 feet long, and the airport is surrounded by mountains and residential neighbourhoods.
Due to the high altitude and short runway, aircraft require a large amount of power to climb swiftly to 9,000 feet to avoid the mountainous terrain just north of the airport. This makes late go-arounds potentially dangerous, especially for planes with a poorer power-to-weight ratio that climb slower. The approach to the airport is considered highly challenging, and pilots must make a dramatic 45-degree turn just minutes before landing. The airport's location requires pilots to follow a three-step approach, starting at an altitude of 7,500 feet.
The history of accidents at Toncontín International Airport has contributed to its reputation as one of the world's most dangerous airports. There have been numerous crashes and incidents, including a commercial flight crash in October 1985 that resulted in 131 deaths. In February 2011, another crash occurred, resulting in 14 fatalities. More recently, in May 2018, a chartered jet skidded off the runway, splitting in half, although fortunately, there were no fatalities.
Due to safety concerns, international carriers have moved their operations from Toncontin to the new Comayagua International Airport, which opened in 2021. Toncontin remains open for domestic flights, handling small planes with fewer than 33 passengers.
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Toncontin has a history of numerous accidents, with at least ten crashes since 1962
Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, is considered one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The airport is located on a small plain surrounded by high mountains, and pilots must navigate slopes that are sometimes covered in fog. The runway is only 1,900 metres long, and to land, pilots must descend steeply over houses and near a boulevard. The altitude of 3,307 feet above sea level means that the thin air requires pilots to use more of the runway during landings and takeoffs.
On October 21, 1989, TAN-SAHSA Flight 414, a Boeing 727-200, crashed into a mountain after the pilots failed to follow special landing procedures. There were 131 deaths. On February 14, 2011, Central American Airways Flight 731, a Let L-410 Turbolet, crashed on approach to Toncontin 20 km from the airport, resulting in 14 deaths. On May 22, 2018, a chartered Gulfstream G200 jet flying from Texas to Honduras overran the runway and ended up in a ditch, splitting in half. Fortunately, none of the crew or passengers died, and only six Americans were injured.
The most recent incident occurred on May 22, 2018, when a Gulfstream G200 jet overran the runway and ended up in a ditch, splitting the aircraft into two sections. There were no fatalities, but at least six Americans were injured. Due to Toncontin's dangerous reputation and crash history, a new airport, Comayagua International Airport, opened in 2021 to replace it.
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Frequently asked questions
Toncontin Airport is considered dangerous due to its proximity to mountains, its short runway, and its historically difficult approach.
Pilots have to navigate slopes sometimes covered in fog, then descend steeply over houses and make a 45-degree turn just minutes before landing.
Toncontin Airport has a history of numerous accidents, with at least ten aircraft crashing in or around the airport. The most notable accident occurred in October 1985 when a commercial flight crashed into a mountain, resulting in 131 deaths.
In 2021, all international carriers operating at Toncontin moved to the new Comayagua International Airport. Additionally, improvements were made to the airport by the Airport Corporation of Tegucigalpa (ACT) and InterAirports, including bulldozing a large portion of the hillside near the runway to make the approach easier.
Toncontin Airport remains open for domestic flights and continues to handle a significant number of passengers annually. However, only small planes with fewer than 33 passengers can land at the airport.
