Famous Disasters III Online Quiz | Specialized History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On September 11, 1974, Eastern Airlines Flight 212, en route from Charleston, South Carolina, to Chicago, Illinois, crashed. In what city did this crash occur?

Answer: Charlotte

One of several crashes the former airline suffered during its history, the Flight 212 crash is notable because the National Transportation Safety Board (or NTSB) attributed unnecessary chatter between the pilots during the approach as a contributing factor.

The cockpit voice recorder revealed that instead of focusing on critical duties, the pilots were discussing issues like politics and used cars. As a result, in 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would pass its Sterile Cockpit Rule, mandating pilots focus on essential duties during critical phases of the flight. Seventy-one people, including the father and two older brothers of comedian Stephen Colbert, died in the crash.

2. On July 28, 1976, an 8.2 earthquake brought death and destruction to which Asian city?

Answer: Tangshen, China

A city of over one million inhabitants, Tangshen was struck by the massive quake just before 4 AM local time. Over 240,000 people were killed and another 165,000 injured by the main quake and a 7.1 aftershock that hit the city 15 hours later. The early hour, combined with the absence of foreshocks, were believed to be contributing factors to the high loss of life.

3. The harrowing Quintinshill rail disaster occurred on May 22, 1915, in which country?

Answer: Scotland

Five different trains were involved in this disaster, in which 227 people were killed and another 246 were injured. Among the casualties were members of the 7th Royal Scots, the oldest infantry regiment in the British Army. Two railway signalmen were sentenced to prison for their negligence, which was cited as a direct cause of the disaster.

4. The Battle of the Coral Sea, in May, 1942, marked the first time that two enemy naval forces engaged each other, without directly sighting or firing upon each other's ships. Which American aircraft carrier did the Japanese sink during the battle?

Answer: USS Lexington

The fourth carrier to bear the name Lexington was struck by Japanese torpedo and dive bombers on May 7, 1942. After fire-control crews put out the fires and the ship was back on an even keel, gasoline vapors below decks ignited, setting Lady Lex ablaze once again. After she was abandoned, Lexington was sunk by torpedoes fired from the destroyer USS Phelps.

5. Mudslides are believed to have killed over 10,000 people in the coastal regions of Vargas State, in December, 1999, in which country?

Answer: Venezuela

A powerful storm dropped nearly 36 inches of rain on Vargas, triggering soil instability and subsequent mudslides. The area is prone to mudslides due to its geography, and has been victimized by several floods and slides in the past. Over 8,000 homes were destroyed and 75,000 people were displaced from the area.

6. The Teton Dam, which collapsed under the load of heavy spring runoff on June 5, 1976, was located in which state?

Answer: Idaho

Fourteen people were killed by the failure of the earthen dam, which emptied the reservoir behind it in about six hours. Ironically, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation built the dam in part to prevent flooding. The claims filed by those affected by the disaster topped $300 million by 1987, more than three times the cost of building the dam.

7. Dramatic home-video footage of the crash of the hijacked Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, on November 23, 1996, has been replayed numerous times on television. What country did the hijackers on board the plane order the pilots to fly them to?

Answer: Australia

En route from Addas Ababa to Nairobi, Flight 961's pilots tried to tell the hijackers that the Boeing 767 they were flying didn't have enough fuel to make it all the way to Australia. They attempted to guide the plane to Comoros for an emergency landing, but a struggle with the hijackers caused the pilots to lose sight of the airport.

The aircraft crashed within sight of land, and a couple on their honeymoon captured the crash on video. Of the 175 people on board, 123 lost their lives, including the three hijackers.

8. On February 24, 1978, a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion) destroyed numerous buildings and killed 16 people in the town of Waverly, in which southern U.S. state?

Answer: Tennessee

A liquified petroleum gas tank, which had been part of a train that derailed in Waverly's downtown area, exploded just before HAZMAT teams were going to start transferring the gas out of the tank. Waverly's police and fire chiefs were among the fatalities in this disaster.

9. What disaster caused the destruction of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?

Answer: Earthquake

Standing roughly the same height as the Statue of Liberty, the Colossus was a rendering of the Greek sun god, Helios. It stood near the island's harbor, welcoming visiting mariners. Construction took 12 years and was supervised by the native Rhodian sculptor Chares. The Colossus fell in 226 BC, when an earthquake struck the island.

10. What was the name of the tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Australia, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 1974?

Answer: Tracy

A very compact cyclone that initially did not track toward Darwin, Tracy was a powerful storm, with winds officially recorded at the city's airport at 135 miles per hour before the devices there were blown away. Some unofficial estimates indicate winds up to 185 miles per hour. Seventy-one people perished in the disaster.

Source: Author cag1970

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Famous Disasters III Trivia Quiz

When machines malfunction or the weather turns foul, there's a chance that a major disaster looms ahead. This is my third quiz on well-known disasters. Information for this quiz courtesy of Wikipedia.

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