September 13
1997
The 1997 Namibia Mid-Air Collision
On September 13, 1997, two military planes—one German, one American—collided mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean off Namibia, killing all 33 aboard. The event highlighted dangerous gaps in radar coverage and communication protocols in remote airspace. Miscommunication and technical failures led to the disaster, marking it as one of the deadliest incidents in military aviation. Read more
1928
1928 Okeechobee hurricane (San Felipe Segundo)
A powerful Atlantic hurricane struck Puerto Rico on September 13, 1928 — Saint Philip’s Day — and then carved a path through the Bahamas to make landfall on Florida’s east coast on September 16–17, 1928. The storm wrecked crops, towns, and lives, but its deadliest legacy was the flood from Lake Okeechobee that overwhelmed low-lying settlements and killed thousands. The catastrophe exposed weaknesses in warning systems, racial and economic inequalities in relief, and ultimately drove federal flood-control work that reshaped the lake decades later. Read more
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Explore more events in September
Sep 5
The 2022 Luding Earthquake
On a calm September afternoon in 2022, Luding County in Sichuan Province was rocked by a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake. The ground trembled violently, buildings crumbled, and lives were upended in an instant. This earthquake, while not the first to strike this seismically active region, proved to be particularly devastating. With its epicenter deep beneath the rugged terrain, the quake unleashed destruction that would leave a lasting scar on the community.
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Sep 29
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami
On the morning of September 29, 2009, a very large earthquake (moment magnitude Mw 8.1) ruptured in the outer-rise seaward of the Tonga Trench. Tsunami waves reached nearby shores within minutes, sweeping away low-lying coastal villages in the independent nation of Samoa, the U.S. territory of American Samoa, and nearby islands. The disaster left 189 people dead, thousands displaced, and prompted changes in warning systems, community preparedness and tsunami science.
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Sep 16
American Airlines Flight 723 crash
On September 16, 1953, American Airlines Flight 723, a Convair 240 on approach to Albany Municipal Airport (Colonie), New York, descended below the published minimums in poor weather and struck terrain short of the runway. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire; all 28 people on board were killed.
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