Reports blame Boeing for 737 MAX Plane Crash
ADDIS ABEBA – A draft interim report from Ethiopian crash investigators circulated to U.S. government agencies concludes the March 2019 crash of a Boeing Co 737 MAX was caused by the plane’s design.
Under international law, Ethiopia should publish a final report by the first anniversary of the crash on March 10 but chose to release an interim one.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has been given a chance to lodge concerns or propose changes, the people said, declining to be identified because the report is not yet public.
NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss confirmed the agency had received the draft interim report, but declined to comment on whether the agency would suggest any changes. Boeing is yet to comment about the report.
Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa killing 157 passengers and crew.
The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide for nearly a year after the two fatal crashes.
On Friday, the U.S. House Transportation Committee on Friday released preliminary investigative findings into the crashes of Lion Air JT610 and Ethiopian Airlines ET302 which faulted the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of the plane and Boeing’s design failures, saying the 737 MAX flights were “doomed”.
Manuel von Ribbeck of Ribbeck Law Chartered, who represents the majority of families of both crashes, stated that “he is very pleased with the amount of attention and work the committee has done on behalf of the families and the public in general.”
Ribbeck further added that “the work of the committee is not done and we look forward to the final report”
The one year anniversary of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines ET302 is on March 10. Numerous families of the victims have and are arriving in Addis Ababa for a memorial service scheduled at the crash site.
Mrs. Monica R. Kelly of Ribbeck Law Chartered stated that “These moments are very difficult for the families. The pain and suffering of the families is still so strong.”
In a statement the firm sent to The Monitor, Mrs. Kelly further stated that “my job now is to help the families start getting closure and try to put these tragic events behind.”
Mrs. kelly added that “we are mediating the Lion Air and the Ethiopian Airlines cases since it is clear that Boeing was at fault. Families always want to know how and why the plane crashed. We have overwhelming evidence that Boeing was at fault.”
