A Look Back at a Tragic Year for Aviation

With a number of high profile commercial airline crashes — resulting in more than 1,000 fatalities — 2014 was a tragic year in aviation history.

Every year, a number of high profile air tragedies remind flyers of the real dangers that exist while cruising over 30,000 feet above the ground. In 2014, five major tragedies united the world in shock and mourning, and each left us with more questions than answers. With the year behind us, FlyerTalk remembers those affected by these five tragedies.

Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 (QZ8501)

The most recent tragedy, and the fourth involving an Asian airline in 2014, QZ8501 was lost on December 27. Half an hour after taking off from Surabaya Juanda Airport (SUB), en route to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), air traffic controllers lost contact with the Airbus A320-200 over the Java Sea. The plane, carrying 155 passengers and seven crew, disappeared from radar 5 minutes after pilots requested to fly at a higher altitude to avoid a storm.

After two days, search crews found debris and bodies off the coast of Indonesia. The remains were later confirmed as those of QZ8501. Search and recovery efforts are ongoing.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17)

Of all the international air tragedies in 2014, MH17 saw the highest number of fatalities. While en route from Amsterdam Airport Shipol (AMS) to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), the Boeing 777-200ER crashed over a disputed area of Ukraine on July 17, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew onboard.

Although many believe a surface-to-air missile brought down the aircraft, the Dutch Safety Board will not release an official report on the cause of the crash until the middle of 2015.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370)

To this day, the world does not know what happened to MH370. The Boeing 777-200ER departed from KUL on March 8 with 239 onboard, but it disappeared over the Indian Ocean while en route to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).

Search efforts for the missing aircraft are ongoing. Despite protest from family members of those onboard MH370, officials at Malaysia Airlines may declare the aircraft officially lost in the opening days of 2015.

TransAsia Airways Flight 222 (GE222)

After flying in typhoon conditions, GE222 was unable to successfully land at Magong Airport (MZG) due to heavy winds and low visibility on July 23. The ATR 72-500 lost altitude while approaching the runway, and seconds after the flight crew announced intentions to go around, the aircraft crashed into nearby homes and burst into flames. Of the 54 passengers and four crew members onboard, 48 were killed and 10 were injured. Five of the 10 injuries were on the ground.

The exact circumstances of the crash are being investigated by the Taiwanese Aviation Safety Council.

Air Algérie Flight 5017 (AH5017)

Fifty minutes after AH5017 took to the skies from Ouagadougou Airport (OUA) on July 24, en route to Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG), the MD-83 crashed in Mali. The aircraft, operated by Swiftair, was carrying 110 passengers and six crew members. When emergency workers arrived at the crash site near Gossi, it was already too late. There were no survivors.

Weather conditions are believed to be responsible for bringing the flight down, but investigators are still piecing together exactly what happened in the moments before the crash. A malfunctioned cockpit recorder failed to clearly record the cockpit noise, however, leaving authorities to complete their investigation using air traffic control recordings.

[Photo: iStock]