I can only think (insert oxymoron) in literal thinking mode. Then "deads" are a synonym for an enemy kill, ie: when your plane gets shot down or destroyed. without you jumping out? Does that count as a dead? Or does it also refer to when your plane gets shot down and you chute out?
Not when your plane crashes on take off, or in mid flight with another object, plane, ground, tank, ship etc?
Deads are deads only when your plane gets shot down? Thus counted as a kill to the shooter?
Crashes are crashes without getting shot? Not counted to a shooter even if your plane had been shot but not destroyed?
What if you had gotten shot without being destroyed, continued in a battle or 2 then crashed? that'sa crash. Hmmm I think so...