The ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 which crashed on March 10th a few minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa claimed the lives of 157 people. 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, 6 Egyptians, 9 Ethiopians, 7 French nationals, 8 Americans, 8 Italians, 8 Chinese, 7 Britons, and 2 unidentified passengers lost their lives to the crash.
This followed the October crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia that killed all 189 passengers and crew. The plane involved in both crashes was the Boeing 737 Max 8 jetliner, one of the best-selling airplanes in history and the tragedies have seen most parts of the world completely ban Boeing Max 8 from their airspace.
Investigations focused on the Max 8’s stall-prevention system, apparent maintenance lapses, and potential pilot error, with the airline manufacturer and the Federal Aviation Administration facing questions about the certification, and criminal inquiries are still ongoing.
The last 26 days have been gruesome for the Boeing Company which has finally admitted their grievous mistake and apologized publicly to the world.
” We at Boeing are sorry for the lives lost in the recent 737 MAX accidents. These tragedies continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and minds, and we extend our sympathies to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. All of us feel the immense gravity of these events across our company and recognize the devastation of the families and friends of the loved ones who perished, ” said Dennis Muilenburg, Chairman, President & CEO of The Boeing Company
All the question on what really transpired on the plane, claiming the lives of 157 people on board will be released to by the government authorities in the final report for both the plane systems suffered erroneous angle of attack information as noted by the CEO.
” The full details of what happened in the two accidents will be issued by the government authorities in the final reports, but, with the release of the preliminary report of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident investigation, it’s apparent that in both flights the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS, activated in response to erroneous angle of attack information,” he added.
Boeing Company is putting everything in order, so they can fall back on track as the grounding is taking a toll on their brand.
” We’re taking a comprehensive, disciplined approach, and taking the time, to get the software update right. We’re nearing completion and anticipate its certification and implementation on the 737 MAX fleet worldwide in the weeks ahead. We regret the impact the grounding has had on our airline customers and their passengers. This update, along with the associated training and additional educational materials that pilots want in the wake of these accidents, will eliminate the possibility of unintended MCAS activation and prevent an MCAS-related accident from ever happening again,” Dennis mentioned.
Despite losing trust and confidence in the eyes of the public, Boeing is determined to re-earn the trust, maintaining that they are deeply saddened by the pain they have caused their customers and the world.
” Together, we’ll do everything possible to earn and re-earn that trust and confidence from our customers and the flying public in the weeks and months ahead. Again, we’re deeply saddened by and are sorry for the pain these accidents have caused worldwide. Everyone affected has our deepest sympathies,” he added