Ethiopia Plane Crash, Ethiopia Airlines B737 MAX Crashes After Takeoff, Addis Ababa Airport [XP11]
2019 Boeing 737 MAX groundings
Map of countries and airlines who have grounded the 737 MAX aircraft.
Legend: Grounded by government regulator Voluntarily grounded by all operating airlines | |
| Date | March 11, 2019 – ongoing |
|---|---|
| Cause | Crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610 |
The Boeing 737 MAX, a passenger airliner introduced in service in 2017, was grounded in March 2019 by aviation authorities and airlines worldwide after two crashes of the aircraft less than five months apart killed 346 people. Seventeen months after the aircraft entered service, Lion Air Flight 610, a 737 MAX 8, crashed into the Java Sea 12 minutes after takeoff on October 29, 2018, killing all 189 passengers and crew. On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, another MAX 8, crashed six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 passengers and crew.
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In reaction to the news of the Ethiopian Airlines crash, many airlines grounded their Boeing 737 MAX fleets, either voluntarily or by order of their local aviation regulatory authorities. China was the first country to order all 96 of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft grounded, with many other countries quickly following suit.[1][2] The United States initially declined to ground the airplane, but announced on March 13 that it would do so as well,[3] effectively banning the MAX fleets worldwide.[4]
In announcing their grounding decisions, the US and Canada stated that satellite tracking data indicated similarities between the two crashes; the FAA said there is a "possibility of a shared cause",[5] an opinion voiced earlier by aviation experts.[6][7][8][9]
Contents
Background[edit]
737 MAX Design issues[edit]
The CFM International LEAP engines of the 737 MAX are placed higher and further forward in relation to the wing than on previous 737s, destabilizing the aircraft pitch at high angles of attack (AoA).
Boeing designed a Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) to compensate; [10] if the 737 MAX airplane's nose pitches up higher than usual, potentially leading to a stall, the MCAS senses the excess amount of lift, and automatically lowers the aircraft's nose and avoid the stall.
If the AoA sensors malfunction, the MCAS may initiate an unplanned dive that the crew are not prepared to deal with. The "single point of failure" nature of this solution is considered a design flaw, without adequate crew preparation. The FAA was evaluating remediation for the possible flaw and investigating better pilots' transition training. [11]
Lion Air Flight 610[edit]
On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610, a scheduled domestic flight operated by the Indonesian airline Lion Air from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang, crashed into the Java Sea 12 minutes after takeoff. All 189 passengers and crew were killed in the accident.[12][13][14][15]
The preliminary report tentatively attributed the accident to the erroneous angle of attack data and automatic nose-down trim commanded by the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). [16][6] The design of the MAX 8 can cause the nose to pitch up higher than usual, which could lead to a stall. The MCAS senses the amount of lift on the aircraft's nose, and automatically adjusts the aircraft's attitude to lower the nose and avoid the stall.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash[edit]
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On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, crashed six minutes after takeoff near Bishoftu, killing all 157 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft.[17][18][18][19][20]It is the deadliest aircraft accident to occur in Ethiopia, superseding the crash of an Ethiopian Air Force Antonov An-26 in 1982, which killed 73.
Pilot complaints[edit]
In addition to the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, Boeing 737 MAX pilots in the US registered several complaints about the way the jet performed in flight, including reports that pilots in the US may have experienced something related to what happened in the Lion Air tragedy.[21]
Response[edit]
Regulatory response[edit]
Initial voices of support[edit]
March 12[edit]
- United States: The US Federal Aviation Administration issued an affirmation of the continued airworthiness of the Boeing 737 Max to the international community, insisting the aircraft was safe to fly, despite the fact that China and others had already temporarily grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 on March 11, 2019[22]. Additionally, major US airlines operating Boeing 737 MAX, including Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, expressed full confidence in their Boeing planes, insisting there would be no plans to ground Boeing 737 MAX[22]. The Boeing company initially remained defiant and issued statements assuring its customers that Boeing 737 MAX was safe to fly, even though at the same time Boeing promised it would also work on a software update to “make an already safe aircraft even safer”[22].
- Canada: Minister of Transport Marc Garneau said it was premature to consider groundings and that, "If I had to fly somewhere on that type of aircraft today, I would."[23]
Grounding chronology[edit]
March 11[edit]
- China: China lost 8 of its citizens in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, including a Hongkong resident[24]. In response to the tragedy, the Civil Aviation Administration of China was the first aviation authority in the world to take actions and it ordered all domestic airlines to suspend operations of all 737 MAX 8 aircraft by 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT), pending the results of the investigation, thus grounding all 96 of Boeing 737 MAX planes in China.[25][26] In response to China's grounding of Boeing 737 MAX, American government agency FAA issued a “continued airworthiness notification” to all global 737 Max operators, directly challenging the directive from the Chinese regulator.[27] In the meantime, a number of western media outlets, including Financial Times, Fox news, and CNBC, have all criticized China for grounding its own Boeing aircraft by suggesting the grounding is "politically motivated", and accused China of potentially benefiting from the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX.[28][27][29][30][31][32]
- Indonesia: Nine hours after China's grounding order[30], the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation followed suit and issued a similar temporary suspension on the operation of every Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Indonesia, 11 in all. A nationwide inspection on the type is expected to take place on March 12[33] to "ensure that aircraft operating in Indonesia are in an airworthy condition."[34]
- Mongolia: Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (MCAA) said in a statement "MCAA has temporarily stopped the Boeing 737 Max flight operated by MIAT Mongolian Airlines from March 11, 2019."[35][citation needed]
March 12[edit]
- Singapore: the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, "temporarily suspends" operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore.[36]
- Australia: The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) announced a "temporary suspension"[37] of all 737 MAX aircraft in Australia or flying to Australia
- European Union: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended all flight operations of all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 aeroplanes in the EU.[38]
- Oman: Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation said in a statement "is temporarily suspending operations of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of all Omani airports until further notice,".[39]
- United Kingdom: the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) banned Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from operating in UK's airspace.[40]
- India: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a statement "DGCA has taken the decision to ground the Boeing 737 MAX planes immediately, pursuant to new inspections.[41]
- Turkey: Turkish Civil Aviation Authority suspended flights of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and/or 9 type aircraft being operated by Turkish companies in Turkey, and stated that they are also reviewing the possibility of closing the country's airspace for the same.[42]
- UAE: General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) banned the operation of all Boeing 737 MAX models in the UAE airspace.[43]
- Malaysia: The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia suspended all Boeing 737 MAX flying operations from and to Malaysia, including transiting flights.[44]
March 13[edit]
- Canada: Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, prompted by receipt of new information,[45] said "There can't be any Max 8 or Max 9 flying into, out of or across Canada", effectively grounding all Boeing 737 MAX planes in Canadian airspace.[46]
- Egypt: The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation barred the passage, takeoff and landing of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.[47]
- United States: President Donald Trump announced on March 13 that US authorities would ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 planes in the US.[48][49] Several hours after the initial tweet of the President, FAA officially ordered emergency grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 operated by U.S. airlines or in the United States airspace[50].
- Vietnam: Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam banned Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights in its airspace from 10 a.m. (local time) March 13 until further notice.[51]
Groundings[edit]
Countries[edit]
As a result of the Flight 302 accident, aviation authorities and airlines began grounding the Boeing 737 MAX due to safety concerns.[52] As of March 14, 2019, countries and airlines have grounded the 737 MAX. By authorities (sorted by country):
Within hours of the Ethiopian Air crash, many airlines voluntarily ordered groundings of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes in their fleets.
Demands for compensation[edit]
On March 13, Norwegian Air became the first airline publicly demanding compensation from Boeing for the costs of the groundings of the 737 MAX. CEO Bjørn Kjos said, "It is quite obvious we will not take the cost related to the new aircraft that we have to park temporarily, we will send this bill to those who produce this aircraft."[120]
India's Spicejet also announced that they will seek compensation from Boeing. A senior official said, "We will seek compensation from Boeing for the grounding of the planes. We will also seek recompensation for revenue loss and any kind of maintenance or technical overhaul that the aircraft will have to undergo. This is part of the contract, which we signed with Boeing for all the 737 MAX aircraft".[121]
Service flight permits[edit]
According to the FAA, there are 350 MAX 8 planes in service worldwide.[122] There are provisions for relocating otherwise-grounded aircraft to a service facility, such as the US. FAA's special flight permit,[123] also known as a "ferry" permit, and flights might be subject to certain restrictions, the most obvious being no passengers, but may also require additional pre-flight inspection.[124]
Boeing's response[edit]
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the manufacturer of the 737 MAX, released the following statement: "Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team. A Boeing technical team will be traveling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and US National Transportation Safety Board."[125]
In a later response to the grounding of the aircraft, a spokesperson for Boeing released the following statement: "We have engaged our customers and regulators on concerns they may have – and would refer you to them to discuss their operations and decisions. Safety is our number one priority and we are taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident, working closely with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved. The investigation is in its early stages, but at this point, based on the information available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators."[126]
On March 11, Boeing announced that it had been working on a flight control software upgrade to the MCAS flight control law, pilot displays, operation manuals and crew training. The upgrade, which Boeing said was partly in response to the Lion Air crash but not linked to the Ethiopian Airlines crash, will be deployed in the coming weeks and is expected to be made mandatory by an FAA Airworthiness Directive.[127]
On March 13, in response to the FAA grounding the MAX aircraft, Boeing released the following statement: "Boeing continues to have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. However, after consultation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and aviation authorities and its customers around the world, Boeing has determined -- out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft's safety -- to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft."[128]
Political response[edit]
On March 12, President Donald Trump spoke to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and received assurances that the aircraft was safe. Trump later tweeted, "Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly. Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better."[129] On March 13, however, he announced that the FAA will ground all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.[3]
The government has faced questions about the lack of a permanent administrator at the FAA since January 2018, two years of staff and budget cuts at the agency, and the recent government shutdown that delayed approval of a software upgrade for the 737 MAX after the Lion Air crash. The FAA responded that it is "under the strong leadership" of its acting head.[130] The 737 MAX controversy shed more light on Boeing's political influence in Washington, including lobbying efforts, donations to lawmakers and ties between government and industry.[131][132][133]
US Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mitt Romney, Dianne Feinstein, Ted Cruz, Roger Wicker and Richard Blumenthal called for the FAA to temporarily ground all 737 MAX 8 jets.[134][135][136] Ted Cruz and Roger Wicker announced their plans to hold a hearing at the United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security "to investigate these crashes, determine their contributing factors, and ensure that the United States aviation industry remains the safest in the world."[136] Elizabeth Warren accused the Trump administration of protecting Boeing, saying: "The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a major driver of Boeing profits. In the coming weeks and months, Congress should hold hearings on whether an administration that famously refused to stand up to Saudi Arabia to protect Boeing arms sales has once again put lives at risk for the same reason."[137]
US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who has the authority to suspend the 737 Max 8, said that "If the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the department will take immediate and appropriate action."[135] On March 12, Chao with her staff flew on a Southwest Airlines 737 Max 8 from Austin to Washington, D.C., in an apparent act of support of the Boeing Company.[138]
On March 13 Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau reversed his decision not to ground the aircraft and banned all 737 MAX 8/9 aircraft from Canadian airspace.[59] He earlier had said he would board 737 MAX 8 "without hesitation".[139] On March 12 he said that the Trudeau's government had no plans to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8.[140] The Canadian Union of Public Employees called on Air Canada "to at a minimum continue to offer reassignment to crew members who do not want to fly on this type of airplane. The safety of passengers and crews must be the absolute priority."[140]
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