Boeing to review Ethiopian air crash report as lawsuits begin

BOEING has said it will take “any and all” measures necessary to make its planes safe, after Ethiopian investigators concluded their report into last month’s crash that killed 157 people and led to the grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets.

The family of an American woman killed in the March 10 crash yesterday filed a lawsuit against Boeing – the first of many expected from US victims.

The parents of Samya Stumo, who was on a work trip when the plane crashed, accused Boeing of putting “profits over safety”. Their lawsuit also targets parts manufacturer Rosemount.

Ethiopian investigators are due to publish their full preliminary report today. It is expected to show that the doomed Ethiopian Airlines flight repeatedly nosedived as the pilots battled to control the aircraft before it crashed, killing everyone on board.

Five months earlier, another 737 MAX, operated by Lion Air, crashed in Indonesia under similar circumstances, killing 189 people.

In a statement following Ethiopia’s preliminary report, Boeing said flight data recorder information indicates the aeroplane had an erroneous angle of attack sensor input that activated a system known as MCAS, similar to the Lion Air incident.

The Boeing 737 MAX hit an airspeed as high as 500 knots (575mph), well above its operational limits, before cockpit data recordings stopped.

“The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft,” said Dagmawit Moges, Ethiopia’s transport minister.

Chicago-based Boeing, which is also the target of lawsuits over the October 29 Indonesia crash, has been working on a software fix and new training guidelines for the plane.

Kevin Mcallister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president, said: “We thank Ethiopia’s accident investigation bureau for its hard work and continuing efforts. We will carefully review the AIB’S preliminary report, and will take any and all additional steps necessary to enhance the safety of our aircraft.”

Dennis Muilenburg, chief executive of The Boeing Company, said the company was “taking a comprehensive, disciplined approach, and taking the time to get the software update right.

“All of us feel the immense gravity of these events and recognise the devastation of the families and friends of the loved ones who perished,” he said. “I cannot remember a more heartwrenching time in my career with this great company.”