By Justin Hsieh, Staff Writer
Since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 killed 157 people near Addis Ababa last Sunday, the world has been scrambling to figure out what happened. The incident was the second crash of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in five months, after an October crash in Indonesia killed 189. Here are the basics.
What is the MAX 8?
The 737 MAX 8 is one of four variants of Boeing 737 MAX series, the fourth generation of the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft (the 737).
Who flies the MAX 8?
Boeing reported 376 deliveries of the 737 MAX to 47 airlines or leasing companies in February. Over 5,000 of the planes have been ordered by more than 80 operators. The airlines who currently have the most MAX planes in their fleet are Southwest Airlines (31), American Airlines (24), and Air Canada (23). China Southern Airlines, Air China, and China Eastern Airlines have a combined 45 planes.
The MAX 8 was grounded by countries and airlines around the world last week. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially held off from grounding the planes, but reversed its decision on Thursday after it said satellite flight-tracking data suggested that the crash may have been similar to the October crash. Boeing grounded its entire worldwide fleet on Thursday.
How did the plane crash?
Initial flight data showed an erratic flight path of ascension and descension at above-normal takeoff speeds. Many suspect that the cause of the crash may have been similar to that of the Lion Air flight that crashed in October, in which erroneous sensors triggered a response from an automatic onboard flight-control system that forced the plane into a nosedive.
The plane’s “black boxes” were taken from Ethiopia to France on Thursday for investigation by the French Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is also involved in the investigation.
Earlier today, Ethiopian Transport Minister told reporters that analysis of the data and voice recorders of the black boxes showed “clear similarities” between the crash in Indonesia and the one in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau will release a preliminary report on the crash within 30 days.
What else is being done?
After Sunday’s crash, Boeing announced that it would implement software updates, pilot training, and “enhancements” to aircraft sensors to improve the craft’s safety.
How have people responded?
Some pilots have alleged that Boeing was negligent in providing adequate training and information about the automatic flight control system under suspicion for both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.
The FAA has been under investigation since the Lion Air crash over its certification of MAX 8. The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into whether the agency appropriately reviewed the system being blamed for the crash.
Boeing stood by the safety of its planes, saying that it was grounding the MAX 8 “out of an abundance of caution.” Both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines also stood by the planes, while complying with the grounding order.
