Ethiopia inquiry shows Boeing MAX hurtling uncontrolled to disaster
Ethiopian Airlines’ doomed 737 MAX jet hit excessive speed and was forced downwards by a wrongly-triggered automation system as pilots wrestled to regain control, a preliminary report into the crash that has shaken the aviation world showed Thursday. Three times the captain, Yared Getachew, cried “pull up”, before the Boeing Co plane plunged into a field six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew, said the report by Ethiopian investigators. The March 10 disaster, and parallels with another 737 MAX crash in Indonesia last October in which 189 people died, has led to the worldwide grounding of Boeing’s flagship model. It has also brought uncomfortable scrutiny over new software, pilot training and regulatory rigor. The report leaves unanswered questions, aviation experts said, over whether crew followed guidance not to restore power to a troublesome anti-stall system following sensor damage, possibly caused by a bird strike. The plane was also left at unusually high thrust throughout the flight, data suggested. While the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority’s Accident Prevention and Investigation Bureau had a remit to investigate rather than blame, it implicitly pointed the finger at Boeing by defending the pilots, recommending the US company fix its control systems, and saying regulators must be certain before allowing the MAX back in the air. “The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft,” Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges said. “Since repetitive uncommanded aircraft nose down conditions are noticed ... it is recommended that the aircraft control system shall be reviewed by the manufacturer.” Boeing says a new software fix for its MCAS anti-stall system will enable pilots to always override if necessary. A final report by Ethiopian authorities aided by air-safety experts from the United States and Europe is due to be published within a year.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2019-04-05/star/ethiopia-inquiry-shows-boeing-max-hurtling-uncontrolled-to-disaster
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Ethiopia inquiry shows Boeing MAX hurtling uncontrolled to disaster
Ethiopian Airlines’ doomed 737 MAX jet hit excessive speed and was forced downwards by a wrongly-triggered automation system as pilots wrestled to regain control, a preliminary report into the crash that has shaken the aviation world showed Thursday. Three times the captain, Yared Getachew, cried “pull up”, before the Boeing Co plane plunged into a field six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew, said the report by Ethiopian investigators. The March 10 disaster, and parallels with another 737 MAX crash in Indonesia last October in which 189 people died, has led to the worldwide grounding of Boeing’s flagship model. It has also brought uncomfortable scrutiny over new software, pilot training and regulatory rigor. The report leaves unanswered questions, aviation experts said, over whether crew followed guidance not to restore power to a troublesome anti-stall system following sensor damage, possibly caused by a bird strike. The plane was also left at unusually high thrust throughout the flight, data suggested. While the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority’s Accident Prevention and Investigation Bureau had a remit to investigate rather than blame, it implicitly pointed the finger at Boeing by defending the pilots, recommending the US company fix its control systems, and saying regulators must be certain before allowing the MAX back in the air. “The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft,” Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges said. “Since repetitive uncommanded aircraft nose down conditions are noticed ... it is recommended that the aircraft control system shall be reviewed by the manufacturer.” Boeing says a new software fix for its MCAS anti-stall system will enable pilots to always override if necessary. A final report by Ethiopian authorities aided by air-safety experts from the United States and Europe is due to be published within a year.<br/>
