AirAsia flight QZ8501: 7 other aviation incidents in Asia in 2014

SINGAPORE - Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501, with 162 people on board, lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday on its way from Surabaya to Singapore.

According to the authorities, the pilot had asked to change course to avoid bad weather, but no distress signal was sent.

The incident caps a bad year for Asian aviation. Here's a list of seven other incidents involving aircraft from Asian countries:

1. Jan 19: 4 killed in private charter in Intan Air plane crash

A small twin-engine plane crashed on a beach in bad weather in Maluku, Indonesia. The Piper Seneca was en route to Surabaya for a routine check, departing from Jayapura, West Papua, with stops in Tual and Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi, for refuelling. The four who died were the pilot, two aircraft engineers and a ground handling officer.

2. Feb 1: 2 seriously injured in Lion Air rough landing

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A Boeing 737-900 operated by Indonesia's Lion Air was damaged in a bounced landing at Surabaya Airport in Indonesia. There were 225 people on board. Two passengers were seriously hurt and three others suffered minor injuries. After the first touch down, the aircraft experienced four bounced landings.

3. March 8: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 goes missing

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Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished with 239 people aboard, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. An extensive search was conducted by an international fleet of aircraft and ships, but no debris or clues have been found to date.

4. May 17: Laos Defence Minister and Deputy PM Douangchay Phichit killed in plane crash

Laos Defence Minister and Deputy PM Douangchay Phichit was among 14 people who died when a military aircraft came down in a wooded area in the northern province of Xiangkhouang in Laos.

5. July 23: 48 killed in Taiwan's TransAsia Airways crash

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A ATR-72 plane crashed in western Taiwan's Penghu Island amid stormy weather, killing 48 people and injuring 10 others. The domestic flight GE222 was on its way from Kaohsiung International Airport to Magong Airport in Penghu Islands. The flight had been delayed because of Typhoon Matmo. It eventually deviated from its landing path and crashed.

6. July 17: 298 killed in MH17 crash

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Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, a Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was blown out of the sky by a suspected missile in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board were killed. The Ukrainian government and pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels have blamed each other for the disaster. The airplane apparently broke up in mid-air as debris was found in a large area. Investigation showed that the front of the airplane was penetrated by large number of high-energy objects from outside the aircraft.

7. Dec 21: 4 injured after helicopter carrying flood-relief in Thailand crashes

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An army helicopter flying to provide assistance to flood victims crashed in Yala, Thailand, and four crew men on board were injured.

Sources: Aviation Safety Network, The Jakarta Globe, Reuters

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