Ethiopian Airlines pilot not at fault in fatal Boeing 737 Max crash, investigators say
The pilot flying the doomed Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max flight was not at fault when the plane crashed, killing everyone on board, a preliminary report has found.
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Ethiopia’s official report, released today, found pilots followed all correct procedures but were unable to control the flight.
“The crew followed all expected procedures without managing to take back control of the aircraft,” Ethiopian safety investigators said.
Ethiopian Airlines group chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam said the flyer was proud of the pilots in charge of the flight.
“All of us at Ethiopian Airlines are still going through deep mourning for the loss of our loved ones,” he said.
“We are very proud of our pilots’ compliances to follow the emergency procedures and high level of professional performances in such extremely difficult situations.”
https://twitter.com/flyethiopian/status/1113718178289418240
Authorities behind the report said Boeing must investigate the automatic control system on all Max 737 aircraft, which are currently grounded worldwide.
Ethiopia’s investigators also said aviation authorities around the world must confirm Boeing has adequately addressed the issues.
Boeing has unveiled a software patch for the 737 Max after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
The plane’s anti-stall system has been seen as a possible factor in the disasters.
Read more: Boeing unveils software patch for 737 Max after crashes
The system reportedly forced the nose of a Lion Air jet repeatedly lower in response to faulty sensor data.
However, the head of Ethiopia's investigation said flight and cockpit data has not yet helped them determine whether a structural problem exists in the 737 Max.
"We will analyse whether other problems were existing on this aircraft," Amdye Ayalew Fanta told a news conference, a process she expectes to last between six and 12 months.