Three times a week, including one of the largest air disasters in South Korean history! Why is it always the "Boeing 737-800"?

The past week can definitely be considered a "black week" for the global aviation industry.

In addition to one of the most serious plane crashes in South Korea's history, possibly caused by a bird strike leading to landing gear failure, there were even two other major aviation safety incidents. All fingers point to the same aircraft model, which is the Boeing 737-800!

On the day after the South Korean disaster, another Boeing aircraft of the same model operated by Jeju Air returned shortly after takeoff due to landing gear failure and ultimately landed safely.

Perhaps many are not familiar with the 737-800, but it is the predecessor of the well-known 737 Max. The 737 Max was grounded worldwide five years ago following two fatal accidents.

Incident Summary

1. On December 29, a Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft veered off the runway and exploded while landing at Wosan Airport in Jeollanam-do, South Korea. There were 175 passengers and 6 crew members on board, totaling 181 people. The Jeollanam-do Fire Department stated that, apart from the 2 crew members rescued, it is expected that all other individuals involved in the accident perished.

According to South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, police and fire department sources initially speculated that the aircraft struck a bird flock, causing the landing gear to fail. The Korea Herald reported that during the landing process, the landing gear malfunctioned, and the aircraft veered off the runway while attempting to land on its fuselage, crashing into the airport's perimeter wall and catching fire.

2. On the same day, a Boeing 737-800 operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines made an emergency landing in Norway due to hydraulic system failure. The flight was originally scheduled to fly from Oslo to Amsterdam but was diverted to Sandefjord Airport. Although the aircraft landed successfully, it ran off runway 18 and stopped on the grass, narrowly avoiding entering another runway. Fortunately, all 182 people on board, including crew members, were unharmed and are currently under observation.

The airline stated in an official announcement that a loud noise was heard during the takeoff process.

3. On the morning of the 30th, another Boeing aircraft of the same model operated by Jeju Air returned shortly after takeoff due to landing gear failure and ultimately landed safely.

15% of the global active fleet consists of Boeing 737-800, the predecessor of the 737 Max

According to statistics from aviation data provider Cirium, approximately 28,000 passenger aircraft are in active service worldwide, of which about 15%, or 4,400 aircraft, are Boeing 737-800s. This aircraft belongs to Boeing's next-generation 737 series and is the predecessor of the more modern 737 Max. The latter was grounded worldwide five years ago following two fatal accidents.

Cirium's data shows that nearly 200 airlines globally operate the 737-800. Since 1998, Boeing has delivered approximately 5,000 units to customers.

Currently, the ages of the global 737-800 fleet range from about 5 years to over 27 years. A well-maintained passenger aircraft can fly for 20 to 30 years, or even longer. According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the crashed aircraft was 15 years old. The earliest operator of this aircraft was Europe's Ryanair, which leased it to Jeju Air through SMBC Aviation Capital in 2017Najmedin Meshkati, a professor of engineering at the University of Southern California, stated that the landing gear design of the 737-800 series is excellent and has a reliable track record. However, if not properly maintained, it may lead to the landing gear failing to deploy correctly.

However, experts like Meshkati remind us not to rush to conclusions about such incidents. Aviation accidents are usually caused by multiple factors, and a thorough investigation may take years to reveal the truth.

Boeing's "Adding Insult to Injury"

The continuous occurrence of major safety incidents this year has repeatedly dragged Boeing into the whirlpool of public opinion. Public information shows that in the past year, the Boeing 737-800 has been involved in multiple incidents caused by abnormal landing gear:

On October 11, 2024, an IndiGo Airlines 737-800 experienced a hydraulic failure, causing the landing gear to fail to retract, necessitating a return to the airport.

On May 9, 2024, a Turkish Corendon Airlines 737-800 had a front landing gear tire blowout during landing.

In early January this year, a Korean Air DeuAir Boeing 737-800 passenger plane caught fire in the right engine due to a bird strike before landing at Incheon Airport. Ultimately, the aircraft landed successfully, with no injuries among the 122 people on board.

Also in January, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 experienced a door burst, leading to uncontrolled depressurization, narrowly avoiding another fatal accident.

Even in March of this year, the whistleblower exposing Boeing's safety issues suddenly died, raising further concerns about Boeing's quality problems. Since 2010, Barnett had served as the quality manager at the North Charleston plant, which is responsible for producing Boeing 787 aircraft. In 2019, Barnett revealed to the media that overworked employees intentionally installed substandard parts on the aircraft production line.

Various factors have led to a severe blow to Boeing's order situation this year. According to data from Forecast International, in the first nine months of this year, Boeing delivered 291 aircraft to customers, while its competitor Airbus delivered 497 aircraft, with Boeing's delivery numbers being just over half of Airbus's