Boeing 737-800: all examples under inspection. Features and problems

After the plane crash of the flight Jeju Air 2216 occurred on December 29, 2024 in South Korea and cost the lives of 179 people, the aircraft Boeing 737-800 was placed under investigation. The American manufacturer has in fact announced the start of acomplete inspection of all 737-800s deployed in South Korea, now grounded after a second example identical to that of the tragic crash reported the same problems, although fortunately in this case the plane managed to land without injuries. Here are the characteristics of the Boeing 737-800, the history of the most sensational accidents and the airlines that use it globally.

characteristics

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The Boeing 737-800 is one of the Seattle manufacturer’s four aircraft in the range 737 Next Generationa family of products introduced in 1993 and which today has more than 7,100 units produced. Assembly of the civilian version was completed in 2020to leave room for the new 737 Maxwhile the construction of the variant dedicated to military use continues today. Specifically, the 737-800 first took to the skies in 1997and the following year the first example was delivered to the German airline Hapag-Lloyd Flug. Positioned at the center of the Next Generation range between the 737-700 and the 737-900, it is 39.5 meters long, 35.8 meters wide and 12.5 meters high, and can accommodate up to 189 passengers. It is powered by a pair of Cfm-56 turbine engines, produced by the French-American company Cfm and distinguished by a fuel consumption equal to 3,200 liters per hour during the flight phase, therefore corresponding to 16.9 litres/hour per passenger. The average new purchase price of a Boeing 737-800 was 106,100,000 of dollars (101,924,965 euros at the current exchange rate). The current value of these vehicles, calculated before the crash in South Korea, is 33 million euros for the most recent specimens, and drops up to 7.63 million euros for the older specimens. The monthly fee for leasing a Boeing 737-800 is currently between 230,000 and 250,000 dollars (221,000 – 240,000 euros).

history and incidents

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While his successor Boeing 737-Max was the protagonist of multiple accidents, including two tragic plane crashes, due to technical problems and for this reason followed by serious scandals, trials and consequent incalculable material and image damage for Boeing itself, the 737-800 has a record of accidents mainly due tohuman error. Between 29 September 2006 (date of the first accident) and 31 December 2024 he was involved in a total of 26 accidents12 of which had fatal consequences. Below are the most serious ones and their respective causes.

• Gol Transportes Aéreos flight 1907Brazil, 2006. A private jet crashes into a Boeing 737-800, causing 154 victims.
• Kenya Airways Flight 507Cameroon, 2007. The Boeing 737-800 crashes into a pond two minutes after take-off, causing 114 victims. Investigators attribute the crash to pilot errors.
• Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409Ethiopia, 2010. The Boeing 737-800 crashes shortly after takeoff. 90 victims. According to reconstructions by the Lebanese civil aviation, there was a pilot error at the base.
• Air India Express Flight 812India, 2010. The Boeing 737-800 crashes into the retaining walls of Mangalore airport, causing 158 deaths and 8 injuries. At the base, the investigations identify a mistake by the commander.
• Flydubai Flight 981Russia, 2016. The Boeing 737-800 crashes on the runway of Rostov-on-Don airport, due to incorrect configuration of the aircraft and pilot error. No survivors among the 62 people on board.
• Ukraine International Airlines Flight 7522020, Iran. The Boeing 737-800 is shot down by an Iranian army missile, killing all 176 occupants.
• China Eastern Airlines Flight 57352022, China. The Boeing 737-800 nose dives and hits the ground at a speed of over 1,100 km/h. With all 132 occupants dead, the investigations, still ongoing, tend towards a voluntary act by the pilot.
• Jeju Air Flight 2216South Korea, 2024. The most recent crash of a Boeing 737-800, which lands on the runway at Muan Airport without open landing gear, and crashes into the retaining wall. 179 victims, two survivors. Investigations underway.

Who uses it

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To date, the Boeing 737-800 it is commonly used by airlines around the world. For this reason, if they were to emerge technical critical issues behind the recent accident in South Korea, the impact on global aviation would be enormous, and would further aggravate the position of Boeing, already condemned to a fine of $487.2 million for having defrauded the aircraft certification body and another of 200 million dollars for having hidden the problems that emerged after the first 737-Max accident. Among the most important users of Boeing 737-800, the low-cost airline Ryanairwhich currently has some in use 410to which are added i 210 by Ryanair Dac, i 120 of Malta Air ei 50 of Buzz, all subsidiaries of the Irish company. The US company American Airlines instead it has 303 Boeing 737-800s, and its compatriots Southwest Airlines And United Airlines they have 207 and 141 in use respectively. The company also appears in the list of main users China Southern Airlineswith a fleet of 207 Boeing 737-800s. The most important user of the military version is the US Navywhich holds 123 examples.