Brand new Ethiopian Airlines plane crashes with 157 aboard; China grounds Boeing 737 Max 8s
China’s civilian aviation authority has ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after the deadly crash in Ethiopia.
The fallout from the second crash of a near new Boeing 737 MAX 8 has begun, with China temporarily grounding all aircraft of that model until more information is known about the Ethiopian Airlines’ incident.
In issuing the order, China’s Civil Aviation Administration noted similarities between the crash 50km south of Addis Ababa and the Lion Air crash last October, in which 189 people died.
All 157 people on board flight ET302 were killed when the 737 MAX 8 went down just six minutes after take-off.
The aircraft was barely three months old, after being delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in November 2018.
Indonesia’s Transport Ministry has also raised the possibility of grounding the aircraft but is yet to act.
In Australia, Fiji Airways operates the aircraft on flights from Nadi to Adelaide and Silk Air uses 737 MAX 8s on its Singapore-Cairns services.
Virgin Australia is due to take delivery of its first 737 MAX 8 later this year, with a total of 30 on order.
The airline refused to comment on the Ethiopian Airlines’ crash, and the involvement of the 737 MAX 8, saying only its plans had not changed.
Launch postponed
Meanwhile, Boeing has postponed its planned launch of the new 777X aircraft due to take place this Wednesday, following the Ethiopian Airlines crash yesterday that killed all on board.
In a brief statement to journalists due to travel to Seattle for the much anticipated launch, a Boeing spokesman said they were deeply saddened by the EK flight 302 accident which occurred just minutes after takeoff. from Addis Ababa.
“Our focus is on supporting our customer,” he said.
Dozens of journalists from around the world were expected to gather in Seattle for the unveiling of the new 777X which is billed as the successor to the 747.
But the crash of a second near new Boeing 737 MAX 8 in just five months threatened to overshadow the 777X event, with questions about the safety of the aircraft and its controversial anti-stalling system known as MCAS.
It came as China’s aviation regulator said it grounded all its Boeing 737 Max aircraft in the wake of the disaster. Chinese media outlet Caijing reported the regulator had ordered domestic airlines to suspend their 737-MAX aircraft.
The CEO of Ethiopian Airlines told reporters that the pilot had reported technical difficulties and asked to return to Addis Ababa minutes before the plane plunged to the ground.
The crash, which occurred just six minutes after departure from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi, killed all 157 people on board, including European tourists and at least a dozen UN staff members.
It was not immediately clear what caused the crash of the Boeing 737-8 Max plane, which was brand new and had been delivered to the airline only in November.
However, Flight ET302 showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility appeared to be clear.
Flightradar24 data regarding #ET302, including downloaded and processed granular data. See also for important notes about how ADS-B altitude is reported. https://t.co/tYnGIMyTFH pic.twitter.com/MBl5QZqdPq
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 10, 2019
It is the second Boeing 737-8 Max plane to crash in five months. Last October a Lion Air plane of the same model crashed in Indonesia last October, killing all 189 on board in eerily similar circumstances.
The airline’s CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told reporters at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa the pilot had an “excellent flying record” and clocked up more than 8000 hours experience.
“At this stage, we cannot rule out anything,” Mr Gebremariam said. “We cannot also attribute the cause to anything because we will have to comply with the international regulation to wait for the investigation.”
ANALYSIS: Boeing safety back in focus
The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, widely considered the best-managed airline in Africa, calls itself Africa’s largest carrier and has ambitions of becoming the gateway to the continent.
The crash occurred around Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, about 50km south of Addis Ababa, at 8.44am (4.44pm AEDT).
Flight ET302 showed unstable vertical speed after takeoff, air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said in a Twitter post. Visibility appeared to be clear.
State broadcaster EBC reported all passengers were dead and that the passengers included 35 nationalities, including Canadians, French and Germans. An Ethiopian Airlines spokesman said 32 Kenyans and 17 Ethiopians were among the victims.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees confirmed refugee agency staff members were on board.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared March 11 a national day of mourning“for citizens of all countries that have passed in this tragic accident.”
Ethiopian Airline’s Facebook page carried a message from its group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam last night saying that he “regrets to confirm there are no survivors … and expresses profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of passengers and crew”.
The airline said it would work “with all stakeholders” to investigate the cause of the crash.
Grieving family members gathered at Addis Ababa’s Bole Airport. A statement from Mr Ahmed’s office offered “deepest condolences” to families.
Boeing said it was “deeply saddened” about the deaths and would provide technical assistance to find out why its aircraft crashed.
“Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 Max 8 airplane,” the company said. “A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board.”
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said: “My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board.”
Octobers’ Lion Air crash also happened minutes after take off from Jakarta, plunging into the Java Sea. The cockpit data recorder showed that the jet’s airspeed indicator had malfunctioned on its previous four flights.
Investigators said the pilots had appeared to struggle with an automated system designed to keep the plane from stalling — a new feature of the Boeing 737 Max.
The anti-stalling system repeatedly forced the plane’s nose down, despite efforts by pilots to correct this, findings suggest.
AP, AFP.
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