Yes, I agree that Aeroflot had a lot of crashes during the days of the Soviet Union. They were by far the largest airline in the world, with a fleet of well over 1,000 aircraft, so I'd say that sheer volume of flights explains the high number somewhat. They lost quite a few in Afghanistan, mostly due to shoot downs or sabotage. The rest, I agree with you that nobody really knows, and the causes probably cover all manner of possibility, from drunk pilots to design flaws. My point I was trying to make was that, in the present day, with aircraft in common usage, with the exception of the Il-86 elevator, I can not think of an ongoing design concern, while I can think of several in western-built aircraft. I do not claim to be an expert, and it was not my intention to get into a pissing contest over this. If I have been wrong in what I have said, somebody please correct me.