Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Daniel Globe
When people ask which airline has crashed the most, the answer depends on what the count includes. A database may count only fatal passenger crashes, or it may also include cargo flights, training flights, leased aircraft, hijackings, ground deaths, and nonfatal hull losses. Those choices can completely change the result. Garuda Indonesia has a serious historical accident record, but it does not hold a clearly established worldwide record for the most crashes.
Quick Answer
No single airline can be named fairly without defining the database. By raw historical totals, Aeroflot is often cited, largely because Soviet-era Aeroflot functioned as an enormous state aviation system. Garuda Indonesia does not hold that record. Its last fatal accident listed by ASN occurred in 2007, and it remains an IATA member subject to IOSA requirements.
Key Takeaways
- There is no universally accepted ranking of the airline with the most crashes because aviation databases use different definitions.
- Soviet-era Aeroflot is often cited by raw historical count, but it once operated much of an entire nation’s civil aviation system.
- Garuda Indonesia began operating in 1949, not 1947, and its broad historical record includes more than 20 fatal events only under inclusive counting rules.
- Garuda Flight 152 in 1997 killed 234 people, while Flight 200 in 2007 killed 21.
- Garuda is a current IATA member, is subject to IOSA requirements, and is not named on the June 2026 EU Air Safety List.
What’s in This Article
- What Counts as an Airline Crash?
- Garuda Indonesia’s Accident History
- Garuda Crash Statistics and Major Accidents
- What the Investigations Found
- Safety Measures Implemented by Garuda
- How Garuda Compares with Other Airlines
- How Passengers Should Read Safety Records
- Response from Garuda and Aviation Authorities
- Lessons and Future Outlook
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Counts as an Airline Crash?
The word crash is common in news reports, but aviation investigators use more exact terms. An accident generally involves death, serious injury, major aircraft damage, or a missing aircraft. A serious incident is an event that came close to becoming an accident. A hull loss means the aircraft was destroyed or was not economical to repair, even when everyone survived.
A fatal-accident count can also change depending on whether a database includes:
- Passenger, cargo, training, test, and positioning flights
- Aircraft leased to or from another airline
- Fatalities on the ground
- Hijackings, sabotage, and shootdowns
- Predecessor airlines or former subsidiaries
- Nonfatal accidents in which the aircraft was written off
Which airline has had the most crashes by raw count?
No official global regulator publishes a definitive league table naming one airline as the all-time record holder. Historical compilations often identify Soviet-era Aeroflot because it operated on a scale unlike a normal modern airline. Aeroflot once covered a large share of the Soviet Union’s passenger, cargo, agricultural, helicopter, and remote-area aviation services.
That history makes Aeroflot’s raw total difficult to compare with an airline that operated a smaller fleet on conventional scheduled routes. Changes in national borders, airline ownership, reporting quality, and accident definitions make the comparison even less reliable.
Warning: A raw crash total does not measure your risk on a flight today. Meaningful comparisons require exposure data such as departures or flight sectors, consistent accident definitions, a defined time period, and current regulatory information.
IATA recorded 51 accidents among 38.7 million commercial flights in 2025, equal to 1.32 accidents per million sectors.
The latest IATA safety report also shows why one bad year or one widely reported crash can distort public perception. A small number of severe events can produce many fatalities even while the long-term accident rate remains low.
Garuda Indonesia’s Accident History
Garuda Indonesia’s own company history traces the airline’s beginnings to 1949. It grew into Indonesia’s national flag carrier and became essential to travel across a country made up of thousands of islands.
Its historical record includes a number of fatal accidents, especially from the 1950s through the 1980s. A broad compilation can produce more than 20 fatal events, but that figure needs context. Some lists include training and positioning flights, two leased Hajj charters operated by other airlines, ground fatalities, and a midair collision involving two Garuda aircraft.
The Aviation Safety Network operator record is more useful than an unsourced total because readers can review each occurrence and see how it was classified.
Garuda Crash Statistics and Major Accidents
Garuda’s fatal accidents were not spread evenly across its history. Most occurred decades ago, when aircraft technology, navigation equipment, airport infrastructure, weather forecasting, crew training, and regulatory oversight were different from today’s systems.
| Date | Flight or Aircraft | Fatalities | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 1968 | Flight 892, Convair 990 | 29 on board and 1 on the ground | Crashed after takeoff from Bombay. |
| July 11, 1979 | Fokker F28, PK-GVE | 61 | Struck Mount Sibayak while approaching Medan. |
| June 13, 1996 | Flight 865, DC-10 | 3 | Overran the runway during a rejected takeoff at Fukuoka. |
| September 26, 1997 | Flight 152, Airbus A300 | 234 | Controlled flight into terrain near Medan during a low-visibility approach. |
| January 16, 2002 | Flight 421, Boeing 737 | 1 | Ditched in the Solo River after both engines lost power in severe precipitation. |
| March 7, 2007 | Flight 200, Boeing 737 | 21 | Overran the runway at Yogyakarta after an excessively fast, unstabilized approach. |
Note: Some historical lists add the 1974 Martinair Flight 138 and 1978 Loftleiðir Flight 001 disasters because both aircraft were leased for Garuda Hajj operations. The operating airlines, however, were Martinair and Loftleiðir. This is one reason totals differ between sources.
What happened to Garuda Flight 152?
On September 26, 1997, Garuda Flight 152 struck wooded terrain near Medan, killing all 234 people on board. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in Indonesia’s history.
The official investigation did not describe the accident as a simple case of pilots ignoring an established approach. Its probable-cause finding focused on confusion about whether the aircraft should turn left or right during radar vectoring. While the crew concentrated on the aircraft’s lateral path, their vertical awareness fell, and the aircraft continued below its assigned altitude.
Dense smoke and low visibility affected the area. The investigation also examined air-traffic-control communication, vectoring information, crew situational awareness, conversion training, and the lack of an effective terrain warning. Read the KNKT Flight 152 final report or the ASN accident record for the full findings.
What happened to Garuda Flight 200?
On March 7, 2007, Garuda Flight 200 overran runway 09 at Yogyakarta, crossed a road, struck an embankment, and caught fire. Twenty passengers and one flight attendant died. There were 119 survivors.
The KNKT final report found that the approach took place in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft was far too high and fast during the descent. It crossed the runway threshold at 232 knots, which was 98 knots above the required landing speed for the planned flap setting.
The aircraft landed with only 5 degrees of flap, which was not a landing configuration. The Ground Proximity Warning System sounded 15 alerts or warnings, and the copilot called for a go-around. The captain continued the landing instead of abandoning the unstabilized approach.
What the Investigations Found
Garuda’s historical accidents did not share one universal cause. Like most aviation disasters, they developed from several failures that lined up at the same time.
- Loss of situational awareness: Crews did not always maintain an accurate picture of altitude, speed, terrain, or aircraft position.
- Unstabilized approaches: Flight 200 continued toward landing despite excessive speed, an unsuitable flap setting, repeated warnings, and calls to go around.
- Communication and coordination problems: Flight 152 involved confusion during radar vectoring, while Flight 200 exposed weak cockpit intervention and monitoring.
- Weather and visibility: Smoke, fog, heavy precipitation, and tropical weather reduced safety margins in several historical events.
- Terrain and airport limitations: Mountainous approaches, short safety areas, and limited emergency access increased the severity of some accidents.
- Organizational and regulatory weaknesses: Investigations identified gaps in procedures, training, oversight, airport preparedness, and enforcement.
Warning: Calling an accident “pilot error” can hide the wider system failures that allowed it to happen. Official investigations examine training, procedures, equipment, supervision, airport design, air traffic control, weather, and organizational decision-making as well as crew actions.
Safety Measures Implemented by Garuda
Garuda and Indonesia’s aviation authorities introduced operational and oversight changes after the airline’s major accidents. The Flight 200 report records that Garuda reinforced its mandatory go-around policy and told monitoring pilots to take control when an unstable approach continued without an appropriate response.
Modern safety programs also use simulator training, crew resource management, flight-data monitoring, maintenance audits, risk reporting, and Safety Management Systems. These tools are designed to identify hazards before they lead to an accident.
Garuda operates an electronic safety-reporting system through which employees and third parties can report hazards, incidents, deficiencies, and other safety concerns. The airline states that reports are confidential and that reporters will not face an adverse response for raising a concern.
Garuda is also listed as a current IATA member. IATA states that airline membership requires maintaining registration under the IATA Operational Safety Audit, or IOSA. IOSA reviews an airline’s operational management and control systems. It is an important audit signal, but it is not a promise that an accident can never occur.
How Garuda Compares with Other Airlines
Garuda’s older accident history is worse than that of several long-established carriers that have recorded few or no fatal passenger accidents. However, comparing lifetime totals alone gives too much weight to events from early aviation and too little weight to the number of flights each airline operated.
A sound comparison should use the same:
- Time period
- Aircraft and operation types
- Definition of an accident
- Number of departures or flight sectors
- Treatment of subsidiaries and leased aircraft
- Rules for hijackings, sabotage, and military action
Commercial “safest airline” rankings can be a starting point, but they are not official safety certifications. Different ranking companies may combine fleet age, audit participation, profitability, incident history, regulatory status, and editorial judgments in different ways.
| Current Safety Signal | Garuda Status as of July 2026 | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Most recent fatal accident in ASN’s Garuda record | Flight 200 in March 2007 | Later accidents and serious incidents are recorded, but none is listed as a later fatal Garuda accident. |
| IATA membership | Current member | IATA membership requires maintained IOSA registration for eligible airlines. |
| EU Air Safety List | Not named on the June 9, 2026 list | The European Commission has not placed Garuda under a full or partial EU operating ban. |
How Passengers Should Read Safety Records
A major crash can affect public trust for years. That reaction is understandable, but a frightening historical event does not by itself show the risk of taking a flight today.
Recent official investigations, current regulatory restrictions, audit status, operating scale, aircraft type, and the time since the latest fatal accident provide more useful context than a lifetime crash total. Even then, no public record can predict the outcome of an individual flight.
Pro Tip: Check the current EU Air Safety List, the airline’s IATA or IOSA status, recent reports from the national investigation authority, and the Aviation Safety Network operator record. Use commercial star rankings only as a secondary reference.
Passengers can also improve their own readiness by keeping the seatbelt fastened while seated, listening to the safety briefing, locating the nearest exits, following cabin-crew instructions, and keeping heavy items secured.
Response from Garuda and Aviation Authorities
Indonesia’s airlines were placed on the EU Air Safety List in 2007 after concerns about regulatory oversight and a series of accidents. Garuda was removed from the restricted group in 2009 after the European Commission reviewed changes to its certification and oversight.
The relevant 2009 EU regulation listed Garuda as an exception to the general ban on Indonesian-certified carriers. In 2018, the Commission removed the remaining Indonesian airlines from the list.
The latest EU Air Safety List, dated June 9, 2026, does not name Garuda or impose a countrywide restriction on Indonesian airlines.
These changes do not erase earlier accidents. They show that regulators assess current oversight and operational compliance rather than permanently judging an airline by its oldest events.
Lessons and Future Outlook
Garuda’s history shows why accident investigations must look beyond one person or one mistake. Flight 152 involved navigation, communication, situational awareness, visibility, training, and warning-system issues. Flight 200 involved an unstabilized approach, ignored warnings, weak cockpit intervention, procedural noncompliance, and airport emergency limitations.
The most useful safety improvements come from turning those findings into training, procedures, equipment changes, reporting systems, airport improvements, and stronger oversight. They also require continued monitoring. An airline can improve, but it must maintain those gains on every flight.
Global aviation remains statistically safe, but progress is not automatic. IATA’s 2025 report recorded 51 accidents among 38.7 million flights. Eight were fatal. That combination shows why long-term accident rates and the severity of individual events both matter.
Aviation safety is separate from personal medical travel preparation. Travelers who use sleep-apnea equipment can also review this guide to the best travel CPAP machines before a trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What airline has crashed the most?
There is no universally authoritative answer because databases count different aircraft, operations, and event types. Soviet-era Aeroflot is often cited by raw historical totals, but it functioned as a vast state civil aviation system. Its figures are not directly comparable with those of a normal modern airline.
Has Garuda Indonesia had the most crashes?
No reliable worldwide database identifies Garuda as the airline with the most crashes. Garuda has a significant historical accident record, but its broad total changes depending on whether leased charters, training flights, ground deaths, and nonfatal hull losses are included.
How many fatal accidents has Garuda Indonesia had?
A broad historical compilation contains more than 20 fatal events, but that figure is not a clean measure of scheduled Garuda passenger operations. It includes events such as leased Hajj charters, training or positioning flights, a collision involving two aircraft, and some ground fatalities. Check the ASN operator record for event-by-event classifications.
When was Garuda Indonesia’s last fatal accident?
The most recent fatal Garuda accident listed in the Aviation Safety Network operator record is Flight 200 at Yogyakarta on March 7, 2007. Twenty-one people died and 119 survived.
What caused Garuda Flight 152?
The official investigation found confusion about the direction of a turn during radar vectoring. While the crew focused on lateral changes, their vertical awareness fell, and the aircraft descended below its assigned altitude into terrain. Low visibility, communication, vectoring information, training, and the terrain-warning system were also examined.
Is Garuda Indonesia considered safe now?
No source can guarantee that an airline is completely safe. Current signals are more favorable than Garuda’s older history: it is an IATA member, IATA membership requires IOSA registration, its latest fatal accident in the ASN record was in 2007, and it is not on the June 2026 EU Air Safety List.
How can you check an airline’s safety record?
Review the EU Air Safety List, IATA and IOSA information, official accident-investigation reports, the airline’s recent operating history, and the Aviation Safety Network database. Do not judge an airline only by a raw lifetime crash count or a commercial star rating.
Safety Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute professional aviation or safety advice. Safety records, audit status, regulatory restrictions, fleets, and operating conditions can change. Consult current information from aviation authorities, investigation agencies, and the airline before making a travel decision.
Garuda Indonesia’s history includes severe accidents and important safety failures. It also includes a long period without another fatal accident in the ASN operator record after 2007, continued IATA membership, IOSA requirements, and removal from European operating restrictions.
The fairest conclusion is not that Garuda has crashed the most or that any audit makes it risk-free. Historical totals need context, and current safety should be judged through recent evidence, consistent definitions, official investigations, and regulatory oversight.
Sources
- Aviation Safety Network: Garuda Indonesia operator record — historical accidents, serious incidents, aircraft damage, and fatalities
- KNKT final report for Garuda Flight 152 — accident sequence, probable cause, and contributing safety issues
- KNKT final report for Garuda Flight 200 — approach data, crew actions, fatalities, and safety recommendations
- IATA 2025 Safety Report release — current global accident rates, flight totals, and IOSA comparisons
- IATA member listing for Garuda Indonesia — current airline membership information
- European Commission EU Air Safety List — current airlines subject to EU operating bans or restrictions
