Reuters, WASHINGTONThe number of people killed in large commercial plane crashes fell by more than 50 percent last year, despite a high-profile Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia in March, a Dutch consulting firm said on Wednesday. Aviation consulting firm To70 said that there were 86 accidents involving large commercial planes — including eight fatal incidents — resulting in 257 fatalities last year. In 2018, there were 160 accidents, including 13 fatal, resulting in 534 deaths, the firm said. The fatality numbers included passengers, air crew and any people on the ground killed in a plane accident, the firm said. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after an October 2018 crash in Indonesia and the crash of a MAX in Ethiopia.
