Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 342 was a Boeing 707 carrying 49 passengers on its way to New York's JFK Airport on February 20, 1981. During its approach in dense fog and rain, the plane descended too early to 1,500 feet, putting it on a collision course with the North Tower of the World Trade Center. An emergency alarm alerted the air traffic controller, who urgently instructed the pilots to climb immediately. The pilots complied, climbing to 3,000 feet and avoiding what could have been a catastrophic collision with the tower. The incident was a near-miss, with the plane reportedly only about 90 seconds away from hitting the building. This event is considered one of history’s great "what if" moments, as a collision would have caused massive destruction two decades before the 2001 attacks
. In summary, Aerolineas Argentinas Flight 342 narrowly avoided crashing into the North Tower due to early descent in poor weather, quick air traffic control intervention, and pilot response. The disaster was averted, and the plane landed safely later
