The decision to let the kids in the cockpit cost the lives of all 75 passengers

On March 23, 1994, Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed in Siberia, killing all 75 on board. Relief Captain Yaroslav Kudrinsky allowed his 15-year-old son, Eldar, to sit in the pilot’s seat mid-flight. Unknowingly, Eldar’s grip on the controls disengaged the autopilot, causing the aircraft to roll uncontrollably.

By the time the crew reacted, the Airbus A310 was in a catastrophic spiral, descending at 16,000 feet per minute. Investigators found no mechanical failures—the crash resulted solely from human error.