Boeing must review 737 MAX flight control system; pilots followed recommended procedures – Ethiopia

The Boeing 737 MAX that crashed on its way to Nairobi last month repeatedly nose-dived before plunging to the earth, Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement.

A preliminary report on the crash found that the plane’s crew “had performed all the procedures, repeatedly, provided by the manufacturer [Boeing], but was not able to control the aircraft.”

Noting that the plane experienced multiple nose-dives, the report recommends that the aircraft’s flight control system be reviewed by Boeing. Investigators also called on aviation authorities to “verify that the review of the aircraft flight control system related to flight controllability has been adequately addressed by the manufacturer before release of the aircraft” for commercial use.

READ MORE: FAA sets up joint task force to rebuild trust in troubled Boeing 737 MAX

Ethiopian Airlines said it has not seen the report, but was briefed about it by investigators. The full report will be published on the Ethiopian Ministry of Transportation’s website by the end of the week.

On Thursday, CNN claimed to have received a preliminary version of the report, which added dramatic details to the account of the crash. It reportedly describes how the pilots actively fought the aircraft’s automatic trim for the entire six-minute flight. When Boeing’s recommended safety measures proved useless in stabilizing the plane, the pilots spent their last moments making multiple efforts to pull up the nose of the craft.

The preliminary report’s findings raises serious questions about the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s safety certification.

Last week, it was revealed that US and EU regulators had known for at least two years of irregularities with aircraft nose-angle control in the Boeing 737 MAX fleet, especially in the conditions which led to the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

Flight ET 302 crashed on March 10 during a routine flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the Kenyan capital, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew members on board.

Indonesian investigators believe similar problems with nose-angle control may be responsible for the Lion Air tragedy in October, when a Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed into the Java Sea. All 189 passengers and crew were killed in the accident.

The 737 MAX, Boeing’s best selling craft, has been grounded globally amid ongoing investigations and lawsuits over the plane’s control system.

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