On 4 April 1977, Southern Airways Flight 242 was a flight from Huntsville, Alabama to Atlanta, Georgia. It flew through a severe thunderstorm and was hit by large hailstones. Both engines of the DC-9-31 failed and the aircraft made an emergency landing on a highway in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia. However it collided with a gas station and exploded, killing 62 people on board and eight on the ground; two more died later of injuries they sustained during the crash.

Type of aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31.
Cause of disaster: Extreme weather leading to multiple engine failures.

Broken