1998 in aviation

Events

Cirrus Aircraft successfully flight-tests the CAPS ballistic emergency aircraft parachute.

Adam Aircraft Industries founded

Eclipse Aviation founded

January
January 13 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Antonov An-12 crashed near Tor Kach, Pakistan after it ran out of fuel in poor weather. All 51 people on board died.

January 27 – A Myanma Airways Fokker F27 crashed while taking off from Yangon, Myanmar killing 16 of the 45 people on board.

February
February 2 – Cebu Pacific Flight 387 crashes into a mountain near Pagalungan in the Philippines. All of the 104 passengers and crew members were killed.

February 16 – China Airlines Flight 676, an Airbus A300, crashed into a residential area while attempting to land in Taipei, Taiwan. All 196 people on board were killed, in addition to seven on the ground.

March
March 19 – An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 727 hit a mountain near Charasyab, Afghanistan while descending to land. All 45 on board died.

March 22 – Philippine Airlines Flight 137, an Airbus A320, overshot the end of the runway while landing at Bacolod City in the Philippines, plowing through several houses. None of the passenger were harmed, but three people on the ground were killed, and several more injured.

April
April 20 – Air France Flight 422, a Boeing 727, crashed into a mountain near Bogotá, Colombia, while attempting to land, killing all 53 people on board.

May
May 26 – An MIAT Mongolian Airlines Antonov An-24 crashed into a mountain near Erdenet, Mongolia. All 28 people on board died.

June
June 1 - MetroJet, operated by US Airways, began operations.

July
July 1 - JAL Express, operated by Japan Airlines, commenced operations.

July 6 – Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport was closed at 1:28am with the lights of its 13/31 runway being switched off. Operation of the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok commenced on the same day, with the first commercial flight landing at 6:25am.

August
August 21 - an Insitu Aerosonde named Laima becomes the first UAV to cross the Atlantic Ocean, completing the flight in 26 hours.

August 21 – A Lumbini Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashed in a mountainous region near Ghorepani, Nepal. All of the 18 people on board were killed.

August 24 – A Myanma Airways Fokker F27 crashed in Manibagi, Myanmar during poor weather. All 44 people on board were killed. It has also been reported that there may have been survivors that were tortured to death by local villagers that thought the aircraft carried military personnel.

August 29 – A Cubana de Aviación Tupolev Tu-154 crashed during takeoff into buildings in Quito, Ecuador. Seventy-five of the 90 people on board died as well as 10 on the ground.

September
September 2 – Swissair Flight 111, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashed into the sea near Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada, due to smoke in the cockpit caused by insulation burning in the shell. All 229 people on board perished.

September 2 – A Permaviatrans Antonov An-26 was shot down by UNITA rebels over Angola. All 24 people on board were killed.

September 25 – A Paukn Air BAe 146 crashed near Nador, Morocco killing all 38 people on board.

September 29 – A Lion Air Antonov An-2 was shot down by LTTE rebels and crashed into the sea off Mannar, Sri Lanka. All 55 people on board were killed.

October
October 10 – A Congo Airlines Boeing 727 was shot down by Tutsi rebels near Kindu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All 41 on board died.

December
December 10 - Captain Michael VandenBos of the Snowbirds aerobatic team dies in a midair collision between two CT-114 Tutors during training near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

December 11 – Thai Airways Flight 261, an Airbus A-310, crashed during poor weather near Surat Thani, Thailand. Of the 146 people on board, 102 were killed.

First flights

January
AEA Explorer

February
February 28 - Ryan (now Northrop Grumman) RQ-4 Global Hawk

March
March 6 - Bell Eagle Eye scaled prototype tiltrotor UAV.
March 12 - X-38 Crew Return Vehicle atmospheric test prototype

July
July 26 - Scaled Composites Proteus