7 BRITS ARE KILLED IN ETHIOPIA JET CRASH
UN worker named as victim after plane flies out of control minutes after take-off
SEVEN Britons were among 157 people killed when a Boeing 737 plane crashed and burst into flames yesterday just minutes after take-off.
The jet – carrying 149 passengers and eight crew – flew out of control on the way to Kenyan capital Nairobi from the Ethiopian capital Addis Adaba.
It emerged last night that the pilot had issued a desperate mayday call and had tried to return to the airport after reporting difficulties.
But the plane crashed into the ground in a massive fireball, with no hope for any survivors.
An eyewitness said there was an intense fire as the aircraft hit the ground.
Bekele Gutema said: “The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn’t get near it. Everything is burnt down.”
Flight investigation teams were at the scene last night but the cause of the crash remained unknown.
Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted his “deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones”.
Kenya’s president Uhuru Kenyatta said. “My prayers go to all the families and associates of those on board.”
Visibility was said to be “excellent” at the time of the crash at 5.44am yesterday.
But air-traffic monitoring website Flightradar24 said the plane’s “vertical speed was unstable after take off ”.
A United Nations worker last night became the first British victim to be named.
Joanna Toole, 36, was travelling alone on the flight on route to a work commitment in Kenya.
Her dad Adrian paid tribute last night. He said: “Joanna was a very soft and loving person. It’s hard to imagine life without her. We’ve been told there are no survivors, so we’re guessing this is the end.”
Joanna, from Exmouth, Devon, lived in Rome with her partner. She worked for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Joanna wanted to teach Kenyan fisherman about marking nets as a way to reduce marine debris. Ethiopian Airlines – which has a very good safety record – said the senior captain Yared Getachew had a “commendable performance”, having completed more than 8000 hours in the air. The plane had earlier flown from Johannesburg in South Africa to Addis Adaba. It had undergone a “rigorous” testing on February 4 and records showed the plane was new and delivered to the airline as recently as November.
British ambassador to Ethiopia Dr Alastair McPhail said his team were working hard in response to the “tragic crash”.
The airline’s chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam was photographed looking through what was left of the wreckage as he visited the crash scene.
UK minister Therese Coffey said no officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were on board.
But she said she suspected some passengers would have been going to the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi.
Kenya’s transport secretary James Macharia said there were people from at least 35 different countries on board.
Among the passengers, were 32 from Kenya, 18 Canadians, one Irish citzen and eight Americans. Others were from Italy, France, Ethiopia, China, Egypt, Germany, Slovakia and India.
A statement from the plane’s manufacturer Boeing said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of the disaster.
A spokemsan added: “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board.” Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: “I was deeply saddened to hear of the devastating loss of life following the plane crash in Ethiopia.
“At this very difficult time my thoughts are with the families and friends of the British citizens on board and all those affected by this tragic incident.”
The last fatal Ethiopian Airlines passenger plane crash was in 2010, when all 90 on board were killed when the aircraft crashed minutes after take-off from Beirut.
Another plane of the same model was involved in an accident five months ago, when a Lion Air flight crashed into the sea near Indonesia with 190 people on board. The crash inquiry has not yet concluded.
It’s hard to imagine life without our loving Joanna ADRIAN TOOLE DAD OF BRITISH CRASH VICTIM