A top Ethiopian official said Sunday there are parallels between the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash and October’s Indonesian Lion Air crash, both which involved the same type of passenger jetliner.
Transportation Minister Dagmawit Moges told reporters that the black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 were recovered successfully and would continue to be studied to determine the precise cause of the crash that killed all 157 people aboard. The model of plane in question is the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which has been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration and other countries across the globe. The crash immediately drew comparisons to the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in October, which claimed the lives of all 189 aboard less than six months ago.
“Clear similarities were noted between Ethiopian Air Flight 302 and Indonesian Lion Air Flight 610, which will be the subject of further study during the investigation,” Moges said.
Despite claims by Boeing that the plane is safe, the FAA announced last week it would ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 jets, citing a “link” between the two crashes. President Trump backed the move, saying Wednesday, “the safety of the American people, and all people is our paramount concern.”
In November, following the Lion Air crash, Boeing issued a safety warning for a sensor in the Boeing MAX 737 8 that is used to detect stalling. It is unclear if problems with the sensor are to blame for the Ethiopian Airlines crash, as Moges declined Sunday to give details on what she meant by “clear similarities.”
After Moges’ statement, Boeing issued a press release saying the company is finalizing a software update related to the jet’s sensor.
“Boeing continues to support the investigation, and is working with the authorities to evaluate new information as it becomes available,” Boeing said. “ … While investigators continue to work to establish definitive conclusions, Boeing is finalizing its development of a previously-announced software update and pilot training revision that will address the MCAS flight control law’s behavior in response to erroneous sensor inputs.”
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg issued the following statement regarding the Ethiopian Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges’s report today. https://t.co/HsjmOw5faA pic.twitter.com/vq1u0KUFRd
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) March 17, 2019
While authorities scramble to pinpoint the exact cause of the crash, families across the world are mourning the deaths of those involved. In Ethiopia, bags of sand from the crash site were given out in lieu of bodies, as it could take months to identify the remains.
Victims of the crash represent more than 30 different nationalities. Eight Americans were among the dead.
