Here are some facts about the airplane and airline involved in the crash of a Boeing 737-500 jet operated by Sriwijaya Air on an Indonesian domestic flight on Saturday, with 62 people on board.
BOEING 737-500
The Boeing 737-500 is part of the 737 family, the world’s most-flown commercial aircraft series. It was developed in the 1960s to serve short- or medium-length routes.
The 737-500 entered service in 1990 and comes from the second of four generations of 737, dubbed 737 Classic.
It shares only limited features with the fourth and latest generation, Boeing’s problem-plagued 737 MAX, and does not have the flawed cockpit software that contributed to two fatal crashes and triggered the MAX’s 20-month grounding.
But the 737-500 has mostly been phased out in favour of younger, more fuel-efficient models for economic reasons.
The aircraft that crashed was almost 27 years old and was originally flown by carriers in the United States.
Commercial jets typically fly up to 25 years before…
