Boeing's re-engined 737 — grounded for 20 months after two fatal crashes, then returned to service after extensive software and training changes. One of aviation's most scrutinised aircraft.
✈ Scan Your Sky NowThe Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the latest generation of the 737 family, featuring CFM LEAP-1B engines that deliver significant fuel savings over the 737-800. It entered service in 2017 and was immediately popular with airlines for its economics — before being grounded worldwide in March 2019 following two fatal crashes that killed 346 people.
The crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 were attributed to MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) — a flight control system that could force the nose down based on a single sensor input. After 20 months of investigation, software updates, and enhanced pilot training requirements, the MAX was cleared to return to service. It is now one of the most scrutinised aircraft ever certified.
The MAX 8 looks very similar to the 737-800 but has the newer, larger LEAP engines with a distinctive oval-shaped inlet rather than the circular inlet of the CFM56. The engine nacelle has a slightly flattened bottom where it sits close to the wing. Look for the slightly different engine shape as the primary identifier versus the classic 737-800.
The MAX also has split scimitar winglets — the same dual-direction wingtip fins as later 737-800s — but the engine shape is the most reliable distinguisher. From a distance it's genuinely difficult to tell a MAX from an NG without seeing the engines.