Ethiopia: Initial analysis shows ‘clear similarities’ between latest Boeing crashes

Ethiopia says initial analysis of the black boxes recovered from wreckage of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 reveals “clear similarities” between the recent crash and the one in Indonesia last October.

The Ethiopian Transport Ministry spokesman, Muse Yiheyis, said on Sunday that a preliminary review of the flight data recorder shows the aircraft’s altitude in both tragedies bumped along sharply as both suffered erratic climbs and descents.

“It was the same case with the Indonesian (Lion Air) one. There were clear similarities between the two crashes so far,” said the spokesman, adding that the ministry will provide more information in a few days.

An Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 en route from Addis Ababa to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi crashed a few minutes after take-off on Sunday, killing all 157 people, mostly foreign nationals, on board.

The incident came less than six months after a Lion Air Boeing 737 crashed into the sea off Indonesia’s island of Java, only minutes after taking off from the capital, Jakarta. The crash claimed the lives of all 189 passengers and crew on board.

In both cases, the pilot had reported technical difficulties prior to the crash.

Meanwhile, US aerospace giant Boeing said in a statement on Sunday that it was finalizing the development of a software upgrade and pilot training revision for 737 MAX.

“While investigators continue to work to establish definitive conclusions, Boeing is finalizing its development of a previously-announced software update and pilot training revision that will address the MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) flight control law’s behavior in response to erroneous sensor inputs,” the statement published on its website read.

SS