The Boeing 737 is a popular and widely used single-aisle, twin-engine jetliner used by airlines across the globe for short to medium-range flights. Introduced in the late 1990s, the Boeing 737-800 is the predecessor to the Boeing 737 MAX, which has been grounded for nearly 10 months following two deadly crashes.
These two deadly crashes have resulted in more than 300 deaths over a span of just 4 months. First, Indonesia’s Lion Air Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in late 2018 resulting in 189 deaths and then an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 crashed resulting in 157 causalities.
Both the airlines faced similar technical snag generated due to the recent addition to the Max series of planes called the MCAS. The MCAS system automatically adjusts the pitch of the aircraft based on the sensor’s data and needs pilot intervention at times.
While airlines across the globe grounded their fleet of Boeing 737 Max planes, and regulatory bodies started investigations, another Boring aircraft has crashed, this time the older 737-800 series, resulting in the death of 180 passengers, although the numbers are not yet confirmed.
According to reports, a Boeing 737 belonging to Ukraine International Airlines has crashed due to technical problems after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport with 180 passengers and crew aboard, the semi-official Fars news agency tweeted on Wednesday.
Flight data from the airport showed a Ukrainian 737-800 flown by Ukraine International Airlines took off Wednesday morning, then stopped sending data almost immediately afterward, according to website FlightRadar24. The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time a Boeing 737-800 has crashed in recent years. In March 2016, a Flydubai 737-800 from Dubai crashed while trying to land at Rostov-on-Don airport in Russia, killing 62 on board. Another 737-800 flight from Dubai, operated by Air India Express, crashed in May 2010 while trying to land in Mangalore, India, killing more than 150 onboard.
If the numbers are to be accumulated, more than 500 lives have been lost in the last 500 days, since the first crash of a Boeing’s highly acclaimed 737 planes in Indonesia.
The exact reason for the recent crash is not known. However, the crash came hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack targeting two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces in retaliation for the killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
With Input from Reuters
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