How many 737 planes have crashed?

As of October 2023, there have been a total of 504 aviation accidents and incidents involving all 737 aircraft, including 219 hull losses resulting in a total of 5,717 fatalities. The 737 first entered airline service in February 1968; the 10,000th aircraft entered service in March 2018.



The Boeing 737 is the most widely produced commercial jetliner in history, and its safety record must be viewed across several generations. As of 2026, there have been approximately 525 to 535 hull losses (accidents where the aircraft was damaged beyond repair) since the aircraft first entered service in 1968. Within this total, there have been roughly 220 fatal accidents, resulting in more than 5,600 fatalities. It is crucial to distinguish between the older "Original" and "Classic" series, which had higher incident rates, and the "Next Generation" (737-NG) and "MAX" series. The 737-NG remains one of the safest aircraft ever flown, with a very low accident rate per million departures. The 737 MAX, however, faced a significant crisis following two high-profile crashes in 2018 and 2019 due to the MCAS software system. After a global grounding and extensive recertification process, the MAX has returned to service with enhanced safety protocols. Despite the raw number of incidents, the 737 maintains a safety statistical profile comparable to other major narrow-body jets, largely due to the sheer volume of daily flights—tens of thousands—it performs globally.

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Despite the FlyersRights concerns, the FAA, Boeing and many pilots deem the 737 MAX safe to fly and many airlines have the plane in service. “I can say categorically that the 737 MAX product is safe,” then-acting FAA administrator Bill Nolen told members of the US Senate Commerce Committee in March.

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Because of the sheer intensity of the scrutiny the aircraft faced, the Boeing 737 MAX could be considered one of the safest in the world. In fact, among the dozens of models of commercial airliners around the world, it is likely the safest due to the amount of regulation testing that took place.

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According to experts, the model (737-800) is considered to be the safest aircraft ever made. The 737-800 belongs to the aviation giant's next-generation aircraft which also includes 600, 700, and 900.

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The Boeing 737 MAX passenger airliner was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and December 2020 ? longer in many jurisdictions ? after 346 people died in two crashes: Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019.

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It was found that Boeing had more accidents than expected, while Airbus had fewer (p = 0.015). In terms of fatalities, Boeing had more than expected, with Airbus fewer (p < 0.001). Looking at accidents alone, only the number of fatalities was statistically significantly different.

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Jury Finds Former Boeing Pilot Not Guilty of Fraud in 737 Max Case. The pilot, Mark Forkner, was the only person to face criminal charges for flaws that resulted in two fatal crashes of one of Boeing's most important planes.

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Since the accidents, Boeing has made significant changes as a company, and to the design of the 737 MAX, to ensure that accidents like those never happen again. … We continue to work with regulators and our customers to ensure the continued safe return of the 737 MAX to service worldwide.

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September 24, 2023 A single-engine Beechcraft BE23 crashed in a field near Roger M Dreyer Memorial Airport in Gonzales, Texas, around 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, September 24. Only the pilot was on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

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Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency approved the MAX as safe to fly passengers.

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The Boeing 737-700, listed at an average price of just under 90 million U.S. dollars, is among the least expensive models, while the Boeing 777-9, priced at 442 million U.S. dollars, is among the most expensive ones on Boeing's price list.

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Are small planes less safe than larger? It might seem that way, but there are other contributing factors. In a nutshell, the size of an airplane is not in any way linked to safety, explains Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StretegivAero Research.

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The Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts are returning to the skies. If there is an aircraft that you want to avoid it is this one. The 737MAX has been responsible for the deaths of 346 people in 2 separate plane accidents.

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On an American Airlines Boeing 737-800, for example, the seat-rating site SeatGuru warns of several “bad” seats, denoted in red. They include all the seats in row 30, at the back of the aircraft. The reasons are obvious: Like Conway's, the seats in row 30 are next to lavatories and don't fully recline.

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Boeing has told a US court it was not guilty of concealing information about flight control systems on its 737 Max aircraft, which led to two crashes, killing 346 people. Flaws in the systems were found to have led to the accidents, but Boeing avoided a trial by agreeing to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn).

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