2014: A tumultuous year for aviation

29 Dec 2014

The disappearance of AirAsia Flight 8501 between Indonesia and Singapore over the weekend caps a tumultuous year for aviation, not just in terms of numbers of accidents and disasters, but by the sheer depth of human tragedy and aviation safety failures.

Perhaps it is the first time in recent aviation history that the industry has been roiled by a series of missing planes and air disasters. It has not been any good year for air forces around the world as well.

In numerical terms, however, 2014 could not be the worst year in recent aviation history, for, with 111 crashes, it has seen the lowest number in more than 80 years, according to the Geneva-based Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (BAAA or B3A).

With the addition of AirAsia accident, which B3A counts as a crash, this year's number totals 111, equivalent to the number of aircrashes in 1927.

In terms of fatalities, aviation disasters this year have claimed 1,158 lives so far, which paints a grimmer picture. And, if all 162 aboard the AirAsia flight have perished, this year would have the most aviation deaths - 1,320 - since 2005, according to the organization.

"Every ten years or so, we have a year that is less safe than others. Unfortunately this year was one of those," said Ronan Hubert with the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives.

The B3A statistics count "any event where aircraft suffered such damage that it is not in a position to be used anymore."

According to B3A, this year's air crashes include:

Crash of an Airbus A320-216 into the Java Sea: 162 killed (28 December);
Crash of a Cessna T207A Turbo Stationair 8 in Piedecuesta: 7 killed (December 24);
Crash of a Partenavia P.68C-TC in La Bonanza: 1 killed (23 December);
Crash of a Learjet 25D in Champotón: 2 killed (19 December);
Crash of an Antonov AN-32B in Hokandara: 5 killed (12 December);
Crash of an Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 in Gaithersburg: 6 killed (8 December);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Mariquita: 10 killed (3 December);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain off Clifton Pier: 1 killed (2 December);
Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 500A in McDade: 1 killed (23 November);
Crash of an Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 in Houston: None dead (21 November);
Crash of a Cessna 207 Stationair in near La Molina: 3 killed (20 November);
Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 500B in Chicago: 1 killed (18 November);
Crash of a Cessna 401A in Fulton; None dead (17 November);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-425P Navajo in Hidalgo: 6 killed (14 November);
Crash of a PAC Fletcher FU-24-954 in Mount Linton: None dead (14 November);
Crash of an Avro 748-399-2B in Panyagor: 2 killed (14 November);
Crash of a Learjet 35A in Freeport: 9 killed (9 November);
Crash of a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 in Wichita: 4 killed (30 October);
Crash of a Short 360-100 off Saint Martin: 2 killed (29 October);
Crash of a Let 410UVP in Shabunda: None dead (25 October);
Crash of a Dassault Falcon 50EX in Moscow-Vnukovo: 4 killed (20 October);
Crash of a BAe Jetstream 31 in Punta Cana: None dead (12 October);
Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 690 in Zahedan: 7 killed (12 October);
Crash of a Rockwell 690C Jetprop 840 off Los Roques; None dead (10 October);
Crash of a Lockheed C-130H Hercules in Kawm Ushim AFB: 6 killed (21 September);
Crash of an Antonov AN-32 in Chandigarh: None dead (20 September);
Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 In Mount Lawes: 4 killed (20 September);
Crash of a Beechcraft Super King Air 300LW in Nordelta: 2 killed (14 September);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Araracuara: 10 killed (6 September);
Crash of a Fokker 50 in Mogadishu: None dead (6 September);
Crash of a Socata TBM-700 off Port Antonio: 3 killed (5 September);
Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 500 near Kogatende: 3 killed (31 August);
Crash of an Antonov AN-12BK in Tamanrasset: 7 killed (30 August);
Crash of a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle III in Las Cruces: 4 killed (27 August);
Crash of a Let 410UVP near Mulume Munene: 4 killed (23 August);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Grand Manan Island: 2 killed (16 August);
Crash of a Cessna 414 Chancellor in Bowie: 2 killed (15 August);
Crash of a Cessna 560XLS+ Citation Excel in Santos: 7 killed (13 August);
Crash of a HESA IrAn-140-100 in Tehran: 39 killed (10 August);
Crash of a Socata TBM-700 in Saint-Jean-les-Deux-Jumeaux: 2 killed (6 August);
Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2R in Prototskiye: None dead (6 August);
Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante in Foz do Iguaçu (26 July);
Crash of an MD-83 near Gossi: 116 killed (24 July);
Crash of an ATR72-500 in Makung: 48 killed (23 July);
Crash of a Boeing 777-2H6ER near Moskovs'ke: 298 killed (17 July);
Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Izvaryne: 2 killed (14 July);
Crash of a Britten Norman BN-2A Islander near Chirundu: None dead (6 July);
Crash of a Britten Norman BN-2A-26 Islander in Monkey Mountain: None dead (6 July);
Crash of a Piper PA-31P Pressurized Navajo near Czestochowa: 11 killed (5 July);
Crash of a Fokker 50 in Nairobi: 4 killed (2 July);
Crash of a Cessna 414 Chancellor in Creve Coeur: None dead (26 June);
Crash of a Learjet 35A near Olsberg: 2 killed (23 June);
Crash of an IAI 1124A Westwind II in Huntsville: 3 killed (18 June);
Crash of a Grumman G-21A Goose in Lost Trail: 1 killed (17 June);
Crash of a Cessna 208 Caravan I Near Lydenburg: 3 killed (17 June);
Crash of an Ilyushin II-76MD near Luhansk: 49 killed (14 June);
Crash of a Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1 in Aruanã: None dead (13 June);
Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2T in Olsztyn: None dead (8 June);
Crash of an Antonov AN-2 in Staroselye: 1 killed (7 June);
Crash of an Antonov AN-30B in Drobyshevo: 5 killed (6 June);
Ground fire of an Ilyushin II-96-300 in Moscow: None dead (3 June);
Crash of a Beechcraft Super King B200 in Bahía Solano: None dead (2 June);
Crash of a Gulfstream GIV in Bedford: 7 killed (31 May);
Crash of a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 in the Rio de la Plata: 5 killed (27 May);
Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 500S in Fort Huachuca: None dead (17 May);
Crash of an Antonov AN-74TK-300D in Xiang Khouang: 16 killed (17 May);
Crash of a Harbin Yunsunji Y-12-II in El Wak: 1 killed (12 May);
Crash of a Cessna T207A Turbo Stationair 7 in Page: 1 killed (10 May);
Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-2T in Gryazi: None dead (9 May);
Crash of a Boeing 737-4Y0 in Kabul: None dead (8 May);
Crash of a Douglas DC-3C near San Vincente del Caguán: 5 killed (8 May);
Crash of a Piper PA-31P Navajo in Colombia: 2 killed (4 May);
Crash of a Boeing 737-476SF in East Midlands: None dead (29 April);
Crash of a Piper PA-31P Navajo in Deán Funes: None dead (27 April);
Crash of a Cessna 525B CJ3 in Spruce Creek: None dead (26 April);
Crash of a Comp Air CA-8 in Jämijärvi: 8 killed (20 April)
Crash of a Fokker 50 in Guriceel: None dead (19 April);
Crash of a BAe 125-700A in Saltillo: 8 killed (19 April);
Crash of a Quest Kodiak 100 in Doyo Baru: 2 killed (9 April);
Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan near Bethel: 2 killed (8 April);
Crash of a Lockheed C-130J Hercules near Gwalior: 5 killed (28 March);
Crash of a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 in Chandigarh: None dead (27 March);
Crash of a Socata TBM-700 in the Ridgway Reservoir: 5 killed (22 March);
Crash of a Cessna 402B in Stuart: None dead (14 March);
Crash of a Beechcraft King Air C90 in Villavicencio: 5 killed (12 March);
Crash of a Boeing 777-2H6ER in the Indian Ocean: 239 killed (8 March);
Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20E off Kish Island: 4 killed (3 March);
Crash of a Beechcraft King Air 90 in the State of Apure: None dead (3 March);
Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in the Hadhramaut: None dead (2 March);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Lanai: 3 killed (28 February);
Crash of an Embraer EMB-120RT in Lukapa: None dead (25 Februaray);
Crash of an Antonov AN-26 in Grombalia: 11 killed (21 February);
Crash of a Beechcraft King Air B100 in Pearland: 1 killed (19 February);
Crash of an Avro 748-371-2B in Rubkona: 1 killed (17 February);
Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Arghakhachi: 18 killed (16 February);
Crash of a Lockheed C-130H-30 Hercules in Aïn Kercha: 76 killed (11 February);
Crash of a PAC Cresco 08-600 in Otane: None dead (4 February);
Crash of a Rockwell Gulfstream Jetprop 840 in Bellevue: 4 killed (3 February);
Crash of a Beechcraft King Air C90GTx in Lanseria: 3 killed (3 February);
Crash of a De Havilland Dash-8-202Q in Ilulissat: None dead (29 January);
Crash of a Saab 2000 in Paris-Roissy-CDG: None dead (28 January);
Crash of a Beechcraft King Air C90 in Columbia: None dead (27 January);
Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander in Petreasa: 2 killed (20 January);
Crash of a PZL-Mielec AN-28 in Addis Ababa: None dead (20 January);
Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Tual: 4 killed (19 January);
Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in Olive Creek: 2 killed (18 January);
Crash of a Douglas DC-9-33CF in Saltillo: None dead (18 January);
Crash of a Cessna 501 Citation I/SP in Trier: 4 killed (11 January);
Crash of a Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty in Afghanistan: 3 killed (9 January);
Crash of a Gippsland GA-8 Airvan in Cayenne: None dead (6 January);
Crash of a Canadair CL-601-3R Challenger in Aspen: 1 killed (5 January);

But on the whole, far fewer people die in plane crashes than in cars. About 1.24 million people die each year on the world's roads, the World Health Organization said last year.

By contrast, the deadliest year in aviation had 3,346 deaths, B3A said. That was in 1972.

Also, the number of fatalities is relatively low when compared to the massive numbers of people who are flying today.

Technology too has improved and airlines, insurance companies and regulators have worked to increase aviation safety levels to get closer to zero risk. But, "accidents are not always avoidable," and "with each accident, we learn something new and improve."

According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the number of commercial flight departures has grown in recent years to 30 million in 2011.