A deadly December for aviation: At least 7 plane crashes, hundreds dead

December 2024 has seen at least seven fatal plane crashes among commercial airlines, reminding public of the vulnerabilities in aviation safety and the need for emergency response measures

A string of devastating aviation disasters in December 2024 has left hundreds dead and shaken public confidence in air travel safety. From mechanical failures to challenging weather conditions and external interference, several tragic incidents have sparked widespread concern and intensified scrutiny of the aviation industry’s safety protocols.

 

Jeju plane crash: More than 170 dead

The most recent and deadliest crash occurred on December 28, when a Jeju Air passenger aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Muan Airport, South Korea, on its return from Bangkok. The plane reportedly lost control due to a failure in its front landing gear, skidding off the runway and slamming into a concrete barrier. The impact ignited a fierce fire that engulfed the aircraft, killing at least 179 of the 181 people aboard.

 

 

Despite the best efforts of emergency responders – who dispatched 32 fire trucks and helicopters to battle the flames – only two survivors were pulled from the wreckage: a crew member and a passenger. The cause of the landing gear failure remains under investigation, and the incident has become one of South Korea’s deadliest aviation accidents.

 

Azerbaijan Airlines crashes near airport

Christmas Day, December 25, saw an Embraer ERJ-190AR aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crash near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan, killing 38 out of 67 passengers. The flight, which had originated from Baku and was en route to Grozny, had declared an emergency due to technical difficulties and poor weather. After several unsuccessful landing attempts, the aircraft went down near Aktau.

 

Initial reports suggest the aircraft experienced issues with altitude and speed, potentially caused by mechanical failure or external factors such as military operations. Dense fog worsened the already dangerous conditions.

 

Private plane crash in Brazil

Earlier in the month, on December 22, a private plane crashed in Gramado, Brazil, killing ten members of the Galeazzi family, including prominent businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi. The small aircraft collided with a chimney, a house, and a shop as it descended. The crash injured 17 people on the ground, two of whom are in serious condition.

 

Papua New Guinea islander crash

Also on December 22, a Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 Islander operated by North Coast Aviation crashed in Papua New Guinea. All five people aboard were killed when the plane, travelling from Wasu Airport to Lae-Nadzab Airport, crashed shortly before its scheduled arrival. Investigators are still working on deciphering the aircraft’s last communication, which was a distress signal sent moments before the crash.

 

Kamaka Air crash in Hawaii

On December 17, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, operated by Kamaka Air LLC, crashed near Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. The plane, which was on a training flight, lost control shortly after takeoff, executing a sharp left bank before crashing into a building. Both pilots perished in the accident, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.

 

Occupants on missing plane found dead

On December 20, a Cessna plane en route from Porto Velho to Manaus in Brazil went missing. Its wreckage was found in the Amazon rainforest days later, with both occupants tragically confirmed dead.

 

Argentina Challenger crash

Another fatal crash occurred on December 17 when a Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 crashed near San Fernando Airport in Argentina, killing both pilots. The aircraft, which was on a ferry flight, missed the runway, hit a perimeter fence, collided with a tree, and caught fire. Investigators are examining whether the runway length contributed to the accident.

 

Small aircraft crash in Scotland

Lastly, on December 23, a small aircraft crashed near Fife Airport in Scotland, killing the 50-year-old pilot. Witnesses reported unusual maneuvers from the aircraft before it plummeted into a field shortly after takeoff.

 

Non-fatal airplane crashes

Following a string of fatal crashes, additional incidents have further stressed the need for improved safety protocols and equipment maintenance.

 

On December 28, Air Canada Express Flight 2259 suffered a landing gear failure upon arriving at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The aircraft skidded down the runway, its wing catching fire. All 73 passengers and crew were evacuated safely, avoiding injury or fatalities.

 

That same night, a KLM Boeing 737-800 made an emergency landing at Sandefjord Torp Airport in Norway after a hydraulic failure. The aircraft skidded off the runway into a grassy area, but all 150 passengers and crew escaped unscathed.

 

July 2014: One of the deadliest months in aviation

The airplane crashes this month are reminiscent of July 2014, which was one of the deadliest months in recent history for commercial aviation.

 

The most prominent of these was the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 on July 17, 2014. Shot down over war-torn Ukraine, the disaster claimed the lives of 298 passengers and crew. This attack remains one of the deadliest acts of violence involving a commercial aircraft, casting a long shadow over global aviation safety.

 

Just days later, on July 23, TransAsia Airways Flight 222 crashed in Taiwan, killing 48 people. The plane, which encountered severe weather conditions, failed to make a safe emergency landing, leading to one of the worst aviation accidents in the region that year.

 

Another tragedy struck the following day, when Air Algerie Flight 5017 crashed in Mali on July 24, 2014. The flight, en route from Ouagadougou to Algiers, went down due to a combination of technical failures and bad weather, killing 116 people aboard.