Boeing 737-800 involved in Jeju Air crash, used in 15% of global fleet

The Jeju Air plane that crashed in southwestern South Korea was a Boeing 737-800, a model that is used widely around the world. 

There are about 28,000 passenger planes in service globally, according to Cirium, an aviation data provider. About 15 per cent, or 4,400, are Boeing 737-800s.

 

The plane belongs to the firm’s Next-Generation 737 family of jets, the precursor to the more modern 737 Max, which was involved in two fatal accidents more than five years ago that led to a global grounding of the fleet.

 

Nearly 200 airlines use the 737-800, according to Cirium, including five in South Korea: Jeju Air, T’way Air, Jin air, Eastar Jet and Korean Air.

 

“The plane in question is very safe and has a good safety record,” said Najmedin Meshkati, a professor of engineering at the University of Southern California who has studied the safety history of the Boeing 737 line.

 

Meshkati said that the landing gear of the 737-800 line is well designed and has a history of reliability, though poor upkeep could result in it not deploying correctly. “Maintenance is really one of the most important causes of aviation accidents,” he said.

 

According to the flight tracking website Flightradar24, the plane that crashed was 15 years old.