Ownership guide
Boeing 737-9
275 registered in the US, built from about 2018 to 2026, 48 seats, most with the CFM LEAP. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 275
- Built
- 2018 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2023
- Seats
- 48
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Most common engine
- CFM LEAP
Engines installed
- CFM LEAP255 aircraft (93%) · 24 ADs, 7 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
27 current ADs name the 737-9 airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 4 more were superseded. Its engines carry 24 more.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2024-19-06Requires installing four diodes and changing wire bundles in the P5 panel, as well as performing installation and power tests and applicable on-condition actionsIce/rain protection system · AirplaneRepeat actionOct 22, 2024
- 2022-24-09Air conditioningAirplaneSupersedes 2021-14-20Repeat actionDec 22, 2022
What gets reported
1,500 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Fuselage Miscellaneous Structure411
- Emergency Lighting188
- Fuselage Floor Panel129
- Fuselage Main, Frame78
- Fuselage Main, Structure63
- Wing Miscellaneous Structure51
Parts reported most
- Support, corroded69
- Frame, cracked59
- Intercostal, cracked38
- Shield, corroded38
- Battery pack, inoperative33
- Floor panel, damaged33
The latest reports
2025-07-28 · Fuselage Main, Structure · Plug, corroded
#4 window plug of mcd has large piece of exfoliated material falling off at its forward lower corner. removed and replaced #4 window plug in mcd per ancra intl window plug installation kit dwg 86734 rev k
2025-05-08 · Fuselage Main, Plate/Skin · Skin, cracked
While performing eo 737-53-0087-01, found evidence of a subsurface crack 3/8 inch long, str 10r 727a + 111/4"
2025-02-05 · Fuselage Main, Longeron/Stringer · Stringer, cracked
Crack indication 3 1/2 inches long @ bs 500b + 5/8 str 1 repaired iaw eo 737-53-0363 & project ws b097037
2024-12-06 · Emergency Lighting · Battery pack, inoperative
Ovewing aft emergency exit sign and light at passenger row 12 extinguished quickly.
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
4 accidents since 2023, 0 fatal, 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Aircraft structural failure1
- Part(s) separation from AC1
- Fire/smoke (non-impact)1
- Turbulence encounter1
Phase of flight
- Enroute2
- Landing1
- Takeoff1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-24 | Houston, TX | Landing: Aircraft structural failure | None | DCA25LA025 |
| 2024-01-06 | Portland, OR | Enroute: Part(s) separation from AC | Minor | DCA24MA063 |
| 2023-09-30 | Denver, CO | Takeoff: Fire/smoke (non-impact) | None | DCA23LA468 |
| 2023-09-07 | Hebron, KY | Enroute: Turbulence encounter | Serious | DCA23LA445 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (2 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the fuselage miscellaneous structure and for corroded supports: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Boeing 737-9s are registered in the US?
- 275, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Boeing 737-9 built?
- From about 2018 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2023.
- What engine does the Boeing 737-9 have?
- Most have the CFM LEAP (93% of those registered).
- What are common problems with the Boeing 737-9?
- In 1,500 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were fuselage miscellaneous structure, emergency lighting, fuselage floor panel, and the part most often reported was a corroded support.
- How many accidents has the Boeing 737-9 had?
- 4 in the NTSB's database since 2023, 0 of them fatal. The most common defining event was aircraft structural failure. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Boeing 737-9 have?
- 27 current ADs name the 737-9 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 24 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.