Worst air disasters in history: A timeline

AIR DISASTERS IN MODERN TIMES

On December 28, 2014, an AirAsia flight that took off from Surabaya, Indonesia for Singapore lost contact with Air Traffic Control with 162 passengers and crew on board. Another potential aviation disaster looming ahead, here is a look at other air accidents from around the world.

FLIGHT AH 5017 (JULY 24, 2014)

According to Newsweek, the Air Algerie plane crashed in Mali due to prevalent bad weather killing all 116 on board. The image provided by the French government shows the site of the crash. In picture: a soldier stands guard over the wreckage at the crash site.

FLIGHT MH 17 (JULY 17, 2014)

The Malaysia Airlines flight en-route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia carrying 298 passengers was reportedly shot down as it was flying over a rebel-controlled area in Ukraine. In picture: a scene of the burning wreckage at the site where it was shot down.

FLIGHT MH 370 (MARCH 8, 2014)

A Malaysia Airlines flight with 239 passengers and crew went missing en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Search and rescue operations in the Indian Ocean are ongoing.

FLIGHT MD-83 (JUNE 3, 2012)

A Dana Air jet crashed into a residential area of Lagos, Nigeria that resulted in the death of 153 people onboard and 10 on the ground. In picture: Residents and onlookers gather at the site of the crash.

FLIGHT B4-213 (APRIL 20, 2012)

127 people were killed as a plane of Bhoja Air, a local airline plane crashed in the fields near Islamabad, Pakistan. In picture: A woman stands among the wreckage.

FLIGHT 202 (JULY 28, 2010)

An Airblue flight from Karachi to Islamabad, carrying 152 people crashed in a hillside while attempting to land during bad weather conditions. According to a CNN report, no one survived.

FLIGHT IX-812 (MAY 22, 2010)

An Air India plane crashed after it overshot the runway and fell off the tabletop runway crashing in to the ravine below. 158 people died after the jet burst into flames. In picture: Indian firemen work at the plane crash site.

FLIGHT 8U-771 (MAY 12, 2010)

An Afriqiyah Airways plane crashed into the desert close to the runway due to a miscalculation by the pilot while landing. The crash lead to the death of 103 people. Nine-year-old Dutch boy Ruben van Assouw was the sole survivor. In picture: Libyan security forces and rescue teams inspect the debris.

FLIGHT TU-154 (APRIL 10, 2010)

An airplane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski crashed while landing due to low visibility outside the Russian city of Smolensk. According to a New York Times report 97 aboard the plane were killed in the crash. In picture: Russian investigators work near the wreckage.

FLIGHT 409 (JANUARY 25, 2010)

An Ethiopian Airlines plane on its way to the Adis Adaba, Ethiopia from Beirut crashed into the Mediterranean after it caught fire during a lightning storm. 90 people were feared dead. In picture: Lebanese soldiers carry off the debris of the plane after the crash.

FLIGHT 7908 (JULY 15, 2009)

A Caspian Airlines flight from the Iranian capital Tehran to Yerevan, Armenia carrying 168 onboard crashed 16 minutes after take-off in a field in a north-central Iranian province. The cause of the disaster is still unknown. In picture: Flowers lie at the crash site of the Caspian Airlines.

FLIGHT 626 (JUNE 30, 2009)

A Yemenia flight stalled and crashed into the Indian Ocean while it tried to land on the Comoros Islands, off the Mozambique coast. Teenager Bahia Bakari, was the sole survivor among the 153 passengers that crashed. In picture: Comorian civil aviation officials carry off debris of the plane after the crash.

FLIGHT AF 447 (JUNE 1, 2009)

An Air France flight crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after it ran into thunderstorms on its way to Paris. All 228 people aboard were killed. In picture: Rescue teams work to retrieve debris from the wreckage of Air France flight 447.

FLIGHT JJ 3054 (JULY 17, 2007)

187 people onboard and 12 people on ground died as a TAM Airlines plane skidded off the runway and crashed into a gas station after landing at the Sao Paolo Airport in Brazil. In picture: Firefighters try to extinguish the fire around the wreckage.

IRANIAN MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE (FEBRUARY 19, 2003)

An Iranian military plane carrying members of the elite Revolutionary Guard and crew crashed into a mountain due to bad weather and storm. The flight, with 302 people onboard, was on its way from the border town Zahedan to centrally located city Kerman in Iran. None survived the crash. In picture: Relatives surround some of the coffins of victims of a plane crash, during their funeral ceremony in Tehran.

FLIGHT 611 (MAY 25, 2002)

A China Airlines Boeing 747 travelling its regular route between Taoyuan City, Taiwan and Hong Kong, China broke apart midair and crashed into the Taiwan Strait. 225 people were believed to have died in the crash which was attributed to improper repairs to the aircraft. In picture: Coast guard personnel lift a wreckage of the Boeing 747.

FLIGHT 587 (NOVEMBER 12, 2001)

An American Airlines Airbus A300 en-route from New York City to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic crashed into the New York City borough of Queens shortly after taking off. 265 people died, including some on the ground. Overuse of rudders by the first officer in response to a wake turbulence was believed to be the reason behind the crash. In picture: A file photo of the scene from the crash.