When was the last 737 Max crash?

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.



As of March 2026, the last fatal crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX were the well-known disasters of Lion Air Flight 610 (October 2018) and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (March 2019). These incidents led to a global grounding and significant software overhauls of the MCAS system. While there have been high-profile safety incidents since then—most notably the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 "door plug" blowout in January 2024—none of these more recent events resulted in a hull loss or fatalities. In early 2026, the 737 MAX remains under intense regulatory scrutiny, with the FAA and EASA mandating frequent inspections and quality audits to ensure the aircraft's structural integrity. While no "crashes" have occurred in the last two years, the fleet continues to face operational challenges as Boeing works to restore public and airline confidence in its manufacturing and safety culture.

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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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An FAA official said the analysis suggested that there was a 25% chance of an accident in 60 days if no changes were made to the planes.

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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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Judge: Pain and terror felt by passengers before Boeing Max crashed can be considered. Families of passengers who died in the crash of a Boeing 737 Max in Ethiopia can seek damages for the pain and terror suffered by victims in the minutes before the plane flew nose-down into the ground, a federal judge has ruled.

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2022. Even though no longer grounded, the CAAC has still not given a date when Chinese operators of the 737 MAX can resume passenger service.

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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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Therefore, the ERJ135/140/145 members of the family are among the safest airliners in history. The Airbus A340 is also one of the safest, with no fatal accidents involving any of the 380 units since its introduction in March 1993.

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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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Instead, the two agencies said, all evidence points to a bird strike on the sensor vane. Jeff Guzzetti, former FAA and NTSB investigator and now an aviation safety consultant, said he fully acknowledges Boeing's responsibility for the MAX accidents, yet called the Ethiopian agency's report “deeply flawed.”

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The move away from the MAX name has been a subtle process and Boeing has begun to use the name 737 MAX and 737-8(7 through 10) interchangeably. This way they are transitioning away from the MAX name toward the normal naming convention of modern Boeing aircraft.

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After manufacturing issues led to two incidents in 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX was grounded across the world. In 2021, after rigorous testing, Civil Aviation Authorities in many places in the world cleared the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Brazil, and the EU.

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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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Southwest Airlines continues to monitor information from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the impending 737 MAX software enhancements and training requirements. We remain confident that, once certified by the FAA, the enhancements will support the safe operation of the MAX.

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This treaty stipulates that if an airline is found at fault for an accident, each affected passenger is to get a minimum value equal to 113,100 special drawing rights. This type of plane crash compensation currently equals approximately $170,000 per passenger.

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In a separate filing cited by the Journal, attorneys for the families wrote that the 157 people onboard undeniably suffered horrific emotional distress, pain and suffering, and physical impact/injury while they endured extreme G-forces, braced for impact, knew the airplane was malfunctioning, and ultimately plummeted ...

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Boeing attorneys say the crash victims died instantaneously when the Ethiopian Airlines jet slammed into the ground. They argue in court documents that any pain and suffering they may have felt before impact aren't legally relevant for calculating damages.

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