Boeing Co. faces a new crisis after a 737 jet fell out of the sky in China, renewing concerns about its best-selling family of planes and extending one of the most turbulent periods in the aviation titan’s century-long history.
The 737-800 aircraft operated by China Eastern Airlines Corp. nose-dived Monday into mountainous terrain with 132 people on board, prompting the carrier to ground its fleet of the workhorse jets. The model is part of the so-called “next generation” of 737s that have amassed a good safety record since they were introduced in the 1990s.
The tragedy casts a harsh spotlight on Boeing after two of its 737 Max jets, the latest version of the narrow-body, plunged to earth in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and leading to one of the longest groundings in aviation history.
