People Express 747-200 N604PE sits at the gate at London Gatwick Airport. The plane was originally delivered to Alitalia in 1971, and flew for Continental until being scrapped in the 1990s. (Photo by Eduard Marmet)
1998 – Cebu Pacific Flight 387, a DC-9-32 (reg RP-C1507) crashes into a mountain near Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, killing 104. The plane had been off course and the top of the mountain may have been covered in fog, leading to the tragedy.
1987 – After racking up an unmanageable amount of debt in only four years of existence, Newark-based PEOPLExpress Airlines ceases operations and merges with Continental.
1974 – The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon makes its first flight.
1950 – Japan Air Lines begins twice-weekly service to San Francisco, the carrier’s first international route.
1872 – French navy-engineer Dupuy de Lome gets his elbow-grease powered airship up to a top speed of 11 km/h.
