March 23 in aviation: new world record in parachuting and the first landing of an airplane on the United States Capitol.
On March 23, 1921, U.S. Army Lieutenant Arthur Hamilton set a new world record by parachuting from 7.400 m (24.400 feet).
On the same day, Lawrence Sperry - the one who invented the first autopilot in 1912 - flew and landed the first US aircraft, a Sperry Messenger biplane.
Other aviation events on March 23.
An Aerovlot Antonov An-24 (CCCP-46472) overtook the runway while trying to land and caught fire.
On March 23, 1991, an Antonov An-24 (CCCP-46472) belonging to the airline Aeroflot crossed the runway while trying to land at Navoi Airport in Uzbekistan. The aircraft crashed into a pile of concrete slabs and caught fire, killing all 34 of the 63 people on board the aircraft.
Green Ramp Disaster: A collision between a Lockheed C-130 Hercules and a General Dynamics F-16D Fighting Falcon.
On March 23, 1994, the Green Ramp Disaster occurred. An air collision between a Lockheed C-130 Hercules plane and a General Dynamics F-16D Fighting Falcon plane, a ground accident, at the base of the American Air Force Pope, in North Carolina. The F-16 hit and destroyed the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, which was parked and burst into flames. The thick smoke prevented the paratroopers who were in the air for an exercise, killing 24 and injuring many others. The C-130 landed safely.
Flight 593 of Aeroflot crashed in Siberia.
On March 23, 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593, an Airbus A310, crashed into a wooded hill in Siberia. All 75 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft were killed.
The first flight of Chengdu J-10.
On March 23, 1998, the first flight of the Chengdu J-10 took place. Chengdu J-10 is a single-engine, multi-role aircraft produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The J-10 is designed primarily for air-to-air combat, but can also perform military missions.
A Boeing 707-300 aircraft belonging to Luxor Air was severely damaged during a hard landing.
On March 23, 2001, a SU-BMV Boeing 707-300 belonging to Luxor Air (Egypt) was severely damaged during a hard landing at Liberia's Monrovia-Roberts Airport. Although all 182 passengers survived, the aircraft was completely destroyed.
Air Trans flight RIN982 crashed in Tanzania.
On March 23, 2005, RIN982 operated by Air Trans, an Ilyushin IL-76 ER-IBR plane, crashed into the water near Tanzania's Mawanza Airport. Using a take-off configuration for a weight almost 10 tons lower than its actual weight, the aircraft was not able to maintain its ascent, and the pilots did not know how to react properly and in a timely manner. All 8 passengers on board the aircraft were killed.
A TransAVIAexport Airlines plane crashed in Somalia.
On March 23, 2007, a TransAVIAexport Airlines plane, an Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft registered EW-78849, was shot down after one of the three missiles launched on it hit the wing. This happened immediately after taking off from Mogadishu Airport in Somalia, killing all 11 passengers on board the aircraft. The aircraft was in Somalia to recover parts from another IL-76 aircraft (EW-78826) which was shot down following a rocket attack.