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.

Since its introduction in 1967, the Boeing 737 family has been involved in numerous accidents, resulting in an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 fatalities over its nearly 60-year history. As the world's most widely used narrow-body aircraft, its high number of flight cycles naturally leads to more recorded incidents. However, the 737 MAX variant has been under intense scrutiny in the modern era due to two high-profile crashes: Lion Air Flight 610 (2018) and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (2019), which together claimed 346 lives. These specific accidents were linked to the MCAS flight control system and led to a worldwide grounding of the fleet. While newer incidents like the 2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout resulted in no fatalities, they have kept the 737's safety record in the public eye. Despite these tragedies, the 737 remains the backbone of global aviation, with modern safety upgrades making the current fleet significantly safer than the "Original" or "Classic" models of decades past.

That’s a complex and sensitive question because it requires careful distinction between different models of the 737 and the causes of accidents.

The 737 family, first flown in 1967, is the best-selling commercial jet airliner in history. With over 10,000 aircraft built and billions of passengers flown, its overall safety record is statistically very good when considering the sheer volume of flights. However, specific models have been involved in tragic accidents.

Here’s a breakdown to provide a clear answer:

Important Context:

• Total Fatalities: According to aviation safety databases (like the Aviation Safety Network), as of early 2024, all variants of the Boeing 737 family have been involved in accidents and incidents resulting in approximately 4,600 fatalities.
• Fleet Age & Scale: This number spans over 55 years of service. For perspective, over 50 billion passengers have flown on the 737. The fatal accident rate for modern 737 Next Generation models (737-600/-700/-800/-900) is very low.
• Primary Cause: The vast majority of these accidents were caused by a chain of factors, including pilot error, maintenance issues, air traffic control errors, or sabotage—not an inherent flaw in the aircraft’s original design for most variants.

Notable High-Fatality Events & Specific Models:

1. 737 MAX Crashes (2018 & 2019): This is the most critical subset of the total.

   • Lion Air Flight 610 (Oct 2018): 189 fatalities.
   • Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (Mar 2019): 157 fatalities.
   • Total: 346 fatalities. These crashes were directly linked to a flawed flight control system (MCAS) on the then-new 737 MAX 8 model, leading to a worldwide 20-month grounding of the MAX fleet.

2. Earlier Generation Crashes (Examples):

   • Turkish Airlines Flight 981 (1974): A 737-200 cargo door failure caused a crash, killing 346 people. This led to major redesigns in aviation door safety.
   • USAir Flight 427 (1994) & United Airlines Flight 585 (1991): Crashes of a 737-300