4 crashes cost $180 million

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Four crashes this month have already made August the worst month for aircraft losses in more than three years, according to a major insurance broker.
The string of crashes has caused the loss of aircraft with a total insured hull value of over $170 million, said Aon Corp, the world's second-largest insurance broker. The latest loss estimate is $182 million, an industry source said.

The most expensive loss was the Air France Airbus A340-300, which crashed and burst in flames after landing at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on August 3, although all crew and passengers survived. The aircraft was insured for $136 million, according to an industry source.

Also this month, a Helios Airways Boeing Co. 737 plane crashed into a mountain near Athens, a West Caribbean Airways MD-82 airliner crashed in Venezuela near its border with Colombia and a Tuninter ATR regional plane crashed off the coast of Sicily.

These crashes have made August the highest loss month since May 2002, when an Air China Boeing 747 crashed into the sea off Taiwan, killing 206 people, said Aon. >>>>continued

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