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Aircraft/Boeing

Is the Boeing 747-400 safe?

The honest safety record for the Boeing 747-400, straight from the accident data — context, not spin.

Informational only — not safety, operational, or travel advice. These are estimates from public records, provided as-is; see our terms & disclaimer.

0.64

modelled fatal rate / million flights

6.0M

flights flown since 1989

6 / 10

fatal accidents / hull losses on record

The rate is the model's shrinkage-adjusted estimate — the same figure used in a flight's score, not a raw count ÷ flights ratio. See the methodology.

Specifications

ManufacturerBoeing
In service since1989
Years in service37
Active fleet300
EnginesCF6-80C2 / PW4000 / RB211
Seating416-524
Primary structurealuminum

What the record shows

The most successful 747 generation, passenger and freighter. Six fatal accidents across a long, high-cycle service life since 1989, all genuine (e.g. Singapore 006, a takeoff on a closed runway, and several cargo fires). Classic 747-200 shoot-downs and deliberate events are a different variant and are not counted here.

Engine programme: Mature four-engine types (CF6 / PW4000 / RB211).