Ethiopia says 737 MAX pilots followed Boeing's instructions to save plane before fatal crash

Boeing jet on a tarmac — (Image credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

Ethiopian officials said Thursday that a preliminary report on the crash of an Ethiopian Airline flight last month showed that the pilots followed all the procedures recommended by Boeing when their 737 MAX 8 passenger jet repeatedly nosedived before crashing minutes after takeoff, killing a 157 people on board. Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges said the plane's takeoff "appeared very normal," the Ethiopian Airline pilots had "the license and qualification to conduct the flight," and the plane had been certified as airworthy.

"The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft," Moges said at a news conference. "Since repeated uncommanded aircraft nose-down conditions are noticed in this preliminary investigation it is recommended that the aircraft flight control system related to the flight controllability shall be reviewed by the manufacturer."

After the crash and an apparently similar disaster five months earlier with a Lion Air 737 MAX 8, all 737 MAX aircraft were grounded worldwide last month while Boeing completed a software update to the flight-stabilization system. The Federal Aviation Administration, which must approve the fix, announced Wednesday that it is forming an international team to review the 737 MAX's safety and the aircraft's anti-stalling system, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.