( CNN ) -- MH370 . MH17 . Air Algerie 5017 . And now AirAsia QZ8501 . The disappearance of AirAsia Flight 8501 between Indonesia and Singapore over the weekend -- and discovery of debris from the plane two days later -- caps a bizarre year in aviation . But could 2014 be the worst year in recent aviation history ? Yes and no . Depends on how you define `` worst . '' Crashes . In terms of crashes , 2014 has seen the lowest number in more than 80 years , says the Geneva-based Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives , or BAAA . With the AirAsia disappearance now counted as a crash , this year 's number totals 111 . The last time the world had 111 crashes was in 1927 . `` If you consider sheer numbers of aircraft crashes , flying today is safer , '' says Kane Ray , an analyst with the International Bureau of Aviation , a global aviation consulting group . `` However , there are more aircraft in the sky , so naturally the overall number may appear similar to previous decades and , in some categories of disaster , higher . '' Fatalities . In terms of fatalities , the numbers paint a grimmer picture . Before AirAsia QZ8501 , aviation disasters this year claimed 1,158 lives . The AirAsia flight was carrying 162 people ; authorities have not issued a statement on whether everybody died . If all the people on board died , this year would have the most aviation deaths -- 1,320 -- since 2005 , according to BAAA . Already , 2014 has put an end to a steadily improving global aviation safety record . `` Every 10 years or so , we have a year that is less safe than others . Unfortunately this year was one of those , '' said Ronan Hubert with the BAAA . Last year , 265 people were killed in flight incidents , marking the safest year in aviation since 1945 , the Aviation Safety Network said . The Aviation Safety Network and the BAAA track their numbers differently . The Aviation Safety Network says its figures on fatal aircraft accidents include only civil aircraft of which the basic model has been certified for carrying 14 or more passengers . The BAAA includes accidents of aircraft capable of carrying at least six passengers , besides the crew . Another key difference : The Aviation Safety Network does n't include fatalities from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 because it does not count shoot-downs or acts of sabotage in its safety indicator numbers . The BAAA statistics count `` any event where aircraft suffered such damage that it is not in a position to be used anymore . '' Bad year for Asia . Asia has endured a particularly brutal year . Before 2014 , Malaysia Airlines had an excellent safety record . Then in March , Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 aboard . Officials believe that plane is somewhere in the Indian Ocean . But , nine months later , MH370 has n't been found . In July , Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine , killing all 298 aboard . While AirAsia is based in Malaysia , the flight that crashed Sunday was operated by AirAsia Indonesia , an affiliate with hubs in Jakarta and Surabaya . The wreckage was not found until Tuesday , creating a fear that two airliners had disappeared in the same year in the same part of the world . Search teams located AirAsia debris on Tuesday in the Java Sea . AirAsia had a near flawless safety record , with no previous fatal accidents . But now that record has changed . `` This is my worst nightmare , '' AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes tweeted as crews searched for AirAsia QZ8501 . ( Two other disasters claimed dozens of lives , both in July . In Taiwan , 48 died on TransAsia Airways Flight 222 . The cause of that crash is unclear . The crash of Air Algerie Flight 5017 killed 116 people while en route from Burkina Faso to Algeria . The plane went down in Mali . The cause of that crash is also uncertain , but the plane changed flight paths because of bad weather . ) Still safe . When air disasters happen , they make news . But on the whole , far fewer people die in plane crashes than in cars . About 1.24 million people die each year on the world 's roads , the World Health Organization said last year . By contrast , the deadliest year in aviation had 3,346 deaths , the BAAA said . That was in 1972 . Since then , technology has improved and airlines , insurance companies and regulators have worked to increase aviation safety levels to get closer to zero risk , said Hubert . `` Accidents are not always avoidable , '' he said , but `` with each accident , we learn something new and improve . '' According to the International Civil Aviation Organization , the number of commercial flight departures has grown in recent years to 30 million in 2011 . Despite the fatalities from this year , Goelz said , `` that 's a relatively low rate when you compare it to the massive numbers of people who are flying today . '' CNN 's Rene Marsh contributed to this report .
2014 has had the lowest number of plane crashes in over 80 years , the BAAA says . But 2014 had the most aviation deaths since 2005 . Statistics show flying is still far safer than driving .