July 03

On July 3, 1970, Dan-Air Flight 1903, a scheduled passenger service from Manchester to Barcelona, tragically crashed into the Les Agudes peak in the Montseny Massif near Arbúcies. The aircraft, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, collided with mountainous terrain during its nighttime approach, killing all 112 passengers and crew. The remote location prompted extensive search and rescue efforts amidst challenging weather and rugged landscape. Investigators later attributed the disaster to navigational errors and miscommunication with air traffic control. At the time, it was one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Spanish history, leading to improved flight procedures and safety protocols in the region. The tragedy underscored the dangers of night approaches over mountainous areas and influenced subsequent safety regulations.

On July 3, 1988, during heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf, the USS Vincennes, a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser, fired surface-to-air missiles at Iran Air Flight 655, misidentifying the Airbus A300 as an attacking fighter jet. The civilian airliner, en route from Tehran to Dubai, was struck, killing all 290 passengers and crew. The incident triggered international outrage and diplomatic protests, severely straining U.S.–Iran relations. A U.S. investigation attributed the tragedy to human error and equipment malfunction, acknowledging mistakes in threat assessment. In 1996, the United States agreed to pay compensation to victims’ families while stopping short of admitting legal liability. The disaster remains one of the deadliest friendly-fire incidents involving a commercial aircraft.