A closer look
The deadliest accident in aviation history was not caused by engine failure or terrorism—it was caused by terrible grammar and dense fog. In 1977, two Boeing 747s collided on a Tenerife runway because the Dutch pilot used non-standard phraseology, basically saying 'we are at takeoff' instead of clearly confirming clearance. The control tower misunderstood, leading to 583 deaths. This horrific misunderstanding forced the aviation industry to completely idiot-proof ground linguistics so nobody ever wings it on the radio again.
