AirAsia Flight QZ8501 was reported to have been navigating around large thunderclouds before it went missing, with reports suggesting the captain had asked for permission to take the plane higher. According to Gloria Kulesa of the Federal Aviation Administration, the weather is a primary contributing factor in 23% of all aviation accidents - including both serious and minor - across the globe. Wherever a plane has been lost in or near a storm there is always speculation about what part the weather might have played. For instance, although it has not yet been established why Air Algerie Flight 5017 crashed