Since the American-made Boeing 777 wide-body jet airliner made its maiden flight in June 1994, it has been involved in 29 aviation incidents and accidents that have claimed the lives of 541 people.
Of these, three were hijackings while eight involved hull losses – or ‘total loss’ of the aircraft.
Five of the hull losses were in-flight while three were on-ground incidents.
British Airways Flight 38 – January 17, 2008
Crash investigators inspect wreckage and debris from grounded British Airways Flight 38 at Heathrow Airport on January 18, 2008
A British Airways plane crash-landed at Heathrow Airport, slightly injuring 47 passengers and triggering an inquiry into why the Boeing 777 flying in from Beijing landed short of the runway.
Fire engines smothered the aircraft in foam after the landing at the world’s busiest international airport extensively damaged its wings and ripped off its undercarriage.
Aviation commentators said the fact that the plane only just cleared the perimeter fence, hit the ground well short of the runway and then slid to a halt pointed to a massive loss of power in the final stages of landing.
The wheels of the plane, which had a routine maintenance check just a month prior, were still in the field where it crashed, several hundred yards from the runway.
There were no fatalities.
EgyptAir Flight 667 – July 29, 2011
The image above shows damage on the nose section of EgyptAir Flight 667 in Cairo after a fire tore through the cockpit before it was set to depart for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in July 2011
An EgyptAir Boeing 777-200 was evacuated at Cairo International Airport after a fire started in the cockpit while preparing to depart.
All 307 passengers survived but the fire, thought to have been started by an electrical fault, damaged the plane beyond repair.
Seven people were treated for smoke inhalation. The flight was destined to land in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Asiana Airlines Flight 214 – July 6, 2013
The wreckage of Asiana Flight 214 lies on the ground after it crashed at the San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco in this July 6, 2013 aerial photo
Two teenage girls were killed and more than 180 people were injured when a flight operated by South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines crashed while landing at San Francisco airport.
Two passengers who were not wearing seatbelts were ejected from the aircraft during the crash and were killed.
The Boeing 777, which was carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew, was flown from Seoul to San Francisco.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board faulted the pilots and crew for relying too much on automated systems and for incorrectly flying the plane during landing.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 – March 8, 2014
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 became one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries when it vanished on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.
The Boeing 777-200ER went missing with 239 people on board. Malaysia, China, and Australia called off a two-year $130million underwater search in the southern Indian Ocean in January 2017 after finding no trace of the aircraft.
A second three-month search, led by Ocean Infinity, ended similarly in May the following year.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 – July 17, 2014
Recovery workers in rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine load debris from the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in November 2014 – four months after the plane was shot down
Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014 when it was shot down by a missile fired from territory held by pro-Moscow rebels amid fighting in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 aboard. Russia has denied any involvement.
A Dutch-led international Joint Investigation (JIT) team spent years collecting evidence before issuing arrest warrants in 2019 for the four suspects: Russians Sergey Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Igor Girkin, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko.
A hearing on the merits of the trial is scheduled to start this month.
British Airways Flight 2276 – September 8, 2015
The image above from September 2015 shows a British Airways Boeing 777 airliner burst into flames on the runway at Las Vegas McCarran Airport
A British Airways jetliner engine caught fire in Las Vegas as the plane was about to take off for London, forcing all 172 passengers and crew to escape down emergency slides as smoke and flames engulfed the aircraft.
Several passengers needed hospital treatment for minor injuries after the Boeing 777’s aborted takeoff, with one of those present saying smoke caused people to rush to the front of the plane, sparking scenes of panic.
Singapore Airlines Flight 368 – June 26, 2016
A Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA) flight to Milan caught fire after returning to Singapore’s Changi airport following an engine oil warning message, but all passengers were safe.
The aircraft’s right engine caught fire after the aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER, touched down at Changi airport at around 6:50am on June 26, 2016. Emergency services put out the fire and there were no injuries to the 222 passengers and 19 crew on board.
The SIA flight, SQ368, departed at 2:05am, but about two hours into the flight the pilot announced there was an engine problem and the flight would return to Singapore.
Emirates Flight 521 – August 3, 2016
The image above shows Emirates Flight 521 after it crashed while attempting to abort a landing in Dubai after flying in from India in August 2016
An Emirates passenger jet crashed while attempting to abort a landing in Dubai
All 300 passengers and crew were safely evacuated but a firefighter died tackling flames after the Boeing 777-300, arriving from India, caught fire after skidding along the Dubai airport runway on its fuselage.
It was the first major accident in Emirates’ more-than-30-year history.
All 300 passengers and crew safely evacuated the jet but a firefighter died tackling flames after the Boeing 777-300, arriving from India, caught fire after skidding along the Dubai airport runway on its fuselage.
Investigators said the pilot failed to notice that the Boeing 777’s engine thrust settings remained too low and cut short a procedure.
Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane on the ground in Shanghai – July 22, 2020
Terrifying footage has captured the moment a Boeing 777 engulfed by a huge blaze and smoke at an airport in China. The Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane caught fire at around 4pm on July 22, 2020
A Boeing 777 plane burst into flames today in front of shocked passengers while being parked in one of the busiest airports in China.
The cargo plane belonging to Ethiopian Airlines caught fire at around 4pm local time on the tarmac of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, according to authorities.
The fire was put off about an hour later, said the local authorities. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Shocking footage shows smoke and flames engulfing the Boeing 777 while several emergency vehicles were rushing towards the burning aircraft.