Update, Aug. 16: A airliner crashed and broke into pieces on the runway on a Colombian island in the Caribbean on Monday. One person died and 130 survived. Nobody likes to talk about airplane accidents, but it turns out most are survivable. A feature on This Day in Tech marked the anniversary last month of the heroic efforts of the crew on United Airlines flight 232 that crashed in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1989. And Wired's How-To Wiki teaches us the best ways to increase your odds of surviving an airplane accident. See also: This Day in Tech

July 19, 1989: Hydraulic Failure and Human Heroics in Sioux City

How-To Wiki

Survive a Plane CrashAutopia first published this gallery in July with examples of accidents where sometimes mistakes were made, other times amazing skills were displayed, but every time passengers survived after things went wrong during a flight. Above: Aires Flight 8520, San Andres, Colombia, Aug. 16, 2010 A police officer stands by a crashed plane sitting on the runway at the airport on San Andres Island in Colombia on Monday. <periodico el="" garcia="" isleno="" photo="" richard=""></periodico>

American Airlines Flight 331, Kingston, Jamaica, Dec. 23, 2009 An American Airlines Boeing 737-800 skids off the end of the runway in Kingston, Jamaica, after landing in a rainstorm on Dec. 23, 2009. With a 14-knot tailwind (one knot below the limit recommended in the flight manual), the pilots did not manage to touch down until nearly halfway down the 8,900-foot runway, according to the flight data recorder. The airplane is unable to slow down sufficiently on the wet surface and slides off the end of the runway. More than 40 people are injured in the crash, but there are no fatalities.

Air France Flight 358, Toronto, Aug. 3, 2005 On Aug. 3, 2005, an Airbus A340 operated by Air France lands at Toronto Pearson International Airport in gusty winds and strong rain. The pilots touch down 4,000 feet past the end of the runway and are unable to come to a stop in the remaining distance left. After skidding off the end of the runway, the airplane catches fire. The crew successfully evacuates all of the passengers. There are only 12 serious injuries among the 309 people on board.

American Airlines Flight 1420, Little Rock, Arkansas, June 1, 1999 Landing in a severe thunderstorm in Little Rock, Arkansas, an American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD82 skids off the end of the runway and breaks apart after colliding with guidance lights on the ground. The captain makes the decision to switch runways before the airplane lands and ends up landing on a runway where the crosswind exceeds the limit for the airplane. The pilots neglect to use the automatic braking system and spoilers on the wings that aid in slowing down the airplane after landing. After sliding past the end of the pavement, the airplane hits the structure that holds the lighting system for guiding pilots to the runway. The captain and 10 passengers die in the crash; 133 people survive.

Aloha Airlines Flight 243, Maui, Hawaii, April 28, 1988 About 23 minutes after departing Hilo, Hawaii, an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 experiences an explosive decompression at 24,000 feet after a large section of roof rips off just behind the cockpit. After seeing blue sky behind him, the captain successfully maintains control of the airplane and lands at the Kahului Airport on Maui. Of the 95 people on board, 65 are injured, eight seriously. One flight attendant dies after being blown out of the airplane.

United Airlines Flight 232, Sioux City, Iowa, July 19, 1989 The tail-mounted engine on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 of United Airlines Flight 232 fails and disintegrates in flight, resulting in total hydraulic failure on board the aircraft. In what is considered one of the most amazing piloting feats in history, the three-man crew and another DC-10 pilot who was a passenger manage to fly the airplane to the Sioux City, Iowa, airport using only differential thrust to turn and increasing or decreasing thrust to climb or descend. After dumping the excess fuel, they make mostly turns to the right, which is easier, and line themselves up with a runway. With only the engine thrust available to control the aircraft, the DC-10 touches down with too much speed and tumbles down the runway. Of the 296 people on board, 184 survive the accident.

China Airlines Flight 120, Okinawa, Aug. 20, 2007 After landing normally, a China Airways Boeing 737 explodes on the ground while taxiing to the gate, injuring four people. The captain notices flames coming from the No. 2 engine while the airplane was taxiing to the gate. After declaring an emergency, all of the passengers and crew were successfully evacuated from the airplane. With the last crew member off of the airplane, the No. 1 engine and left wing fuel tanks explode into flames destroying the aircraft. Investigators determined a loose bolt punctured a fuel tank.

Spanair Flight 5022, Madrid, Spain, Aug. 20, 2008 A Spainair McDonnell Douglas MD-82 crashes in Madrid on Aug. 20, 2008, seconds after taking off. Just after liftoff, the plane rolls to the right and strikes the ground near the runway. The pilots had neglected to deploy the flaps and slats before takeoff. Both are normally used during takeoff to help the airplane climb faster and aid in the control of the airplane during the relatively low speeds experienced during the initial climb. Only 18 of the 172 people on board survive.