January 20

Events - Disasters & Accidents

1921day.year

The British K-class submarine HMS K5 sinks in the English Channel; all 56 on board die.

In 1921, the Royal Navy submarine HMS K5 sank in the English Channel, resulting in the loss of all 56 crew members.
The submarine HMS K5, part of the Royal Navy's K-class, sank on January 20, 1921, during exercises in the English Channel. A sudden malfunction caused the vessel to flood and descend out of control. Despite rescue efforts, all 56 officers and sailors aboard perished in the tragedy. The disaster exposed design flaws in the high-speed steam-powered K-class submarines. It prompted reviews of submarine safety protocols and engineering standards. HMS K5's loss remains one of the Royal Navy's most significant peacetime submarine accidents.
1921 HMS K5 English Channel
1992day.year

Air Inter Flight 148, an Airbus A320-111, crashes into a mountain near Strasbourg, France, killing 87 of the 96 people on board.

Air Inter Flight 148 crashed into a mountain near Strasbourg, killing 87 of the 96 on board.
On January 20, 1992, Air Inter Flight 148, an Airbus A320-111, crashed in the Vosges Mountains near Strasbourg, France. The aircraft descended below its assigned altitude and impacted a rocky slope, resulting in a tragic accident. Of the 96 people on board, 87 lost their lives and only nine survived. Investigations pointed to instrument misconfiguration and pilot error as contributing factors. The disaster led to enhanced safety protocols for flight crews and improved cockpit instrumentation. It remains one of the deadliest accidents in the early service history of the A320 family.
1992 Air Inter Flight 148 Airbus A320-111 Strasbourg