Federal Aviation Administration acting administrator Daniel Elwell said Thursday that his agency grounded the Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft because of similarities between the crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia, and last weekend’s crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.
“We are much closer to that possibility, and that’s why we grounded the airplanes,” Elwell told NBC Thursday when asked if the aircraft might have suffered the same problems. “We got new information yesterday and we acted on it. It is in our minds now a link that is close enough to ground the airplanes.”
“We are much closer to that possibility, and that’s why we grounded the airplanes. We got new info. yesterday and we acted on it.” Daniel Elwell, FAA’s acting administrator, on Lion Air & Ethiopian Airlines planes being brought down by same cause pic.twitter.com/AuIS0YTL6P
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 14, 2019
Countries all around the world have grounded Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, after Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on Sunday and killed 157 people. In October, Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia crashed and killed 189. Both flights employed Boeing’s new 737-8 MAX aircraft, and some pilots raised concerns during training to operate the aircraft that the nose dipped during takeoff.
The U.S. decision came after Canada announced Wednesday that the government was grounding the aircraft.
“Planes that are in the air will be grounded, if they’re the 737 Max, will be grounded upon landing at their destination. Pilots have been notified,” President Trump said Wednesday. “The safety of the American people, and all people is our paramount concern.”
Approximately 74 aircraft in the U.S. will be grounded as a result of the decision.
