People killed in commercial plane crashes since 1942
Despite a spike in aviation accidents in 2014, the number of fatalities in airliner accidents has been trending downwards thanks to significant improvements in flight safety. According to data compiled by the Aviation Safety Network, 1972 was the worst year on record for the aviation industry, when 2,373 people lost their lives in 72 hull-loss accidents.

Description
This chart shows the number of people that have been killed in commercial plane crashes since 1942.