About 737-400

The 737-400 was launched in 1985 to fill the gap between the 737-300 and the 757-200. In June 1986, Boeing announced the development of the 737-400,[61] which stretched the fuselage a further 10 feet (3.0 m), increasing the capacity to 188 passengers, and requiring a tail bumper to prevent tailstrikes during take-off and a strengthened wing spar.[62] The -400s first flight was on February 19, 1988, and, after a seven-month/500-hour flight-testing run, entered service with Piedmont Airlines that October.[63] The last two -400s, i.e. the last 737 Classics series, were delivered to CSA Czech Airlines on February 28, 2000.[64] The 737-400 was replaced by the 737-800 of the Next Generation series. The 737-400SF was a 737-400 converted to freighter, though it was not a model delivered by Boeing and hence the nickname Special Freighter (SF). Alaska Airlines was the first to convert one of their 400s from regular service to an aircraft with the ability to handle 10 pallets.[65] The airline had also converted five more into fixed combi aircraft for half passenger and freight. These 737-400 Combi aircraft were retired in 2017 and replaced by the 737-700F of the Next Generation series.

In memorial of Adam Air flight 574

Adam Air Flight 574 (KI574 or DHI574) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Adam Air between the Indonesian cities of Surabaya and Manado[3] that crashed into the Makassar Strait near Polewali in Sulawesi on 1 January 2007.[4] All 102 people on board died, making it the deadliest aviation accident involving a Boeing 737-400. A national investigation was launched into the disaster. The final report, released on 25 March 2008, concluded that the pilots lost control of the aircraft after they became preoccupied with troubleshooting the inertial navigation system and inadvertently disconnected the autopilot.[1] Despite a series of safety incidents, which contributed to the shut down of Adam Air in June 2008, this was the only incident resulting in fatalities during the airline's 5-year existence.

The crash is one of several transportation accidents, including the subsequent non-fatal crash of Flight 172, which resulted in the United States downgrading its safety rating of Indonesian aviation and led to large-scale transportation safety reforms in Indonesia. All Indonesian airlines were banned from flying into the European Union for several years after the crash. Adam Air was banned from flying by the Indonesian government in June 2008, and declared bankruptcy.[5]