Stock Markets March 23, 2026

A Catalogue of Recent Deadly Air Accidents and Their Known Facts

From collisions on runways to in-flight shootdowns, a timeline of fatal crashes in recent years

By Priya Menon
A Catalogue of Recent Deadly Air Accidents and Their Known Facts

A recent collision at New York’s LaGuardia airport that killed the pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet is the latest in a string of deadly aviation accidents around the world. This report lists documented fatal incidents from 2014 through 2025, noting the known circumstances and casualty figures where available.

Key Points

  • A recent LaGuardia accident killed the pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet after a collision with a fire truck.
  • Major fatal incidents from 2014 through 2025 include shootdowns, crashes shortly after takeoff, runway collisions and a disappearance, with significant loss of life in India (2025), the United States (2025), South Korea (2024), and other countries.
  • Sectors directly affected by these events include commercial airlines, cargo operators, and aviation safety and regulatory bodies, with secondary impacts on airport operations and emergency response services.

Late on Sunday, a regional Air Canada Express jet struck a fire truck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York, killing the aircraft's pilot and co-pilot. That accident adds to a sequence of fatal airline disasters in recent years. The following account compiles the factual details reported for those incidents.


2025 - India

In June 2025 an Air India flight bound for London crashed minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad in western India. Authorities reported that all but one of the 242 people on board were killed. In addition, 19 people on the ground died. The crash was described as the world's worst aviation disaster in a decade.

2025 - United States

In November a UPS cargo aircraft crashed shortly after leaving Louisville, Kentucky. The crash resulted in the deaths of seven people and caused injuries to 11 people on the ground.

Also in January a U.S. tragedy occurred when an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on January 29 and crashed into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. More than 60 people were killed in that incident.


2024 - South Korea

Jeju Air international flight 7C2216 crashed at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, 2024. The accident killed all 175 passengers aboard and four of the six crew members, making it the deadliest air disaster recorded on South Korean soil.

2024 - Kazakhstan

An Azerbaijan Airlines international flight, J2-8243, an Embraer E190, crashed on Dec. 25 after being diverted from Russia to Kazakhstan. The crash claimed 38 lives. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev stated in December that the plane had been damaged by accidental shooting from the ground in Russia. Moscow did not confirm that account.

2024 - Japan

On Jan. 2 a Japan Airlines plane, an Airbus A350-941 flight, collided with a smaller Coast Guard aircraft on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. All 379 people on the JAL aircraft escaped the burning airliner. Five of the six crew members on the smaller Coast Guard aircraft were killed.


2022 - China

On March 21, 2022, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed into mountainous terrain in the southwestern Guangxi region, killing all 132 people on board. That event was described as China's deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years.


2020 - Iran

On Jan. 8, 2020, Iran's Revolutionary Guards shot down a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 shortly after it departed Tehran Airport, killing all 176 people on board. Iran’s civil aviation authority attributed the incident to a misaligned radar and an error by an air defence operator.


2019 - Ethiopia

A Boeing 737-MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed on March 19, 2019, minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi. All 157 people on board died. Following this accident, the global fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft was grounded.


2018 - Indonesia

On Oct. 29, 2018, a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX crashed into the Java Sea shortly after departing Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.


2014 - Malaysia

Malaysia Airlines suffered two major losses in 2014. Flight MH17, which departed Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014, was shot down over eastern Ukraine amid fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces; all 298 passengers were killed.

Earlier that year, on March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The remains of the Boeing 777 and the 239 people on board have not been found.


This compilation presents the publicly reported facts for each listed incident, including passenger and crew totals, casualty counts, and, where provided, official statements about causes or contributing factors. The list spans multiple regions and aircraft types and includes collisions, crashes shortly after takeoff, a confirmed shootdown, and at least one disappearance still unresolved.

Risks

  • Operational and safety risks tied to runway activity and airside coordination - relevant to airport operations and ground handling sectors.
  • Risks stemming from air defense and military actions affecting civil aircraft, as illustrated by confirmed and alleged shootdown incidents - relevant to airspace management and defense oversight.
  • Reputational and regulatory risks for aircraft manufacturers and airlines following accidents involving specific aircraft types - relevant to aircraft OEMs and commercial carriers.

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