‘Most tragic airline disaster of all time’ saw 580 people killed after two planes collided on runway

A Tenerife airline disaster still sends shudders down our spine nearly 50 years after it unfolded.

On March 27, 1977, a pair of Boeing 747 passenger aircrafts collided on the runway, killing 583 people in total - but how did such a tragedy come to pass?

Believing that he'd received clearance for take-off at Los Rodeos Airport - now operating under the name Tenerife North - KLM flight 4805 captain Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten teared down the tarmac, unaware that Pan American Flight 1736 was still waiting to be given the skyward nod.

KLM is a Dutch airline company (Lex Lieshout/AFP via Getty Images)

Both planes at the centre of this story had originally been scheduled to depart from Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria, but a terrorist bombing earlier in the day resulted in their diversion to the smaller Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife.

Fatefully, dutch senior pilot for KLM, van Zanten, had become so irritated by the delays to his journey back to Amsterdam that he started verbally lashing out.

"I've seen postage stamps bigger than this place. Now we're going to get some boxed in here, goddammit," he could be heard saying on an audio recording.

Each of the mini airport's runways were blocked with winged traffic, the main one being used as a taxiway.

As the foggy weather began to worsen, it was announced that Las Palmas had reopened and planes were being directed over there one by one. Van Zanten opted to refuel, holding up the Pan Am craft behind him.

The Tenerife airline disaster is officially the most fatal in history (Central Press/Getty Images)

When that job was complete, the Dutchman moved as quickly as he could despite the cruddy visibility. Mistaking his route as clear, van Zanten ploughed into Pan Am plane, with its own chief pilot Victor Grubbs apparently shouting before impact: "There he is... look at him. Goddamn that son-of-a-b***h is coming!"

Turning sharply to try and steer clear of the onrushing aircraft, first officer Robert Bragg was heard exclaiming: "Get off! Get off! Get off!"

Most of the Pan Am flight's roof was ripped off upon impact, while the KLM flew into the air before slamming back down on the ground in roaring flames.

All passengers and crew members aboard the KLM plane lost their lives, while at least 330 people on the Pan Am plane died. More than 60, including the pilot, survived the impact and fireball, with many of them escaping from a hole near the plane’s left wing. 583 deaths were recorded that terrible day.