Historical eventFebruary 81989

Independent Air Flight 1851

Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 passengers on board.

Everything on February 8Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, February 8 198937 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1989.

What happened

Independent Air Flight 1851 strikes Pico Alto mountain while on approach to Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, killing all 144 passengers on board.

February 8 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1981Rhodesian Bush War
  2. 19831983 Melbourne dust storm
  3. 1983Shergar
  4. 1986Via Rail
  5. 1989Independent Air Flight 1851
  6. 1993Iran Airtour
  7. 2010Hindu Kush
  8. 2013February 2013 North American blizzard
  9. 20142014 Medina hotel fire
  10. 2020Nakhon Ratchasima shootings
  11. 2023Laval daycare bus crash

Also in 1989

  • September 11East GermanyHungary announces that the East German refugees who had been housed in temporary camps were free to leave for West Germany.
  • September 13ApartheidLargest anti-Apartheid march in South Africa, led by Desmond Tutu.
  • September 14Typhoon Sarah (1989)Typhoon Sarah dissipated after causing extensive damage along an erratic path across the Western Pacific, killing 71 in Taiwan, the Phili…
  • September 14Standard Gravure shootingThe Standard Gravure shooting where Joseph T. Wesbecker, a 47-year-old pressman, killed eight people and injured 12 people at his former…
  • September 16Boris YeltsinDuring a tour of the United States, Soviet politician Boris Yeltsin visited a grocery store in Texas that had a major impact on his views…
  • September 181989 Burkina Faso coup attemptAn attempted coup d'état against Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaoré is uncovered and foiled.
  • November 17Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Pictures released The Little Mermaid to theatres, beginning the Disney Renaissance.
  • November 17Velvet RevolutionCold War: Velvet Revolution begins: In Czechoslovakia, a student demonstration in Prague is quelled by riot police. This sparks an uprisi…

Everything we record for 1989 →

Sources

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“Independent Air Flight 1851”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/independent-air-flight-1851-1989-february-8, accessed October 29, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Independent Air Flight 1851 happen?

February 8 1989 — 37 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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