Cockpit voices key to MAX crash probe
Print Edition
THE investigation into the final minutes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 yesterday turned to the secrets in the cockpit voice recorder as Boeing and a shaken global aviation industry hung on the outcome.
The voices of Captain Yared Getachew and First Officer Ahmednur Mohammed could reveal what led to the March 10 crash of the Boeing 737 MAX that has worrying parallels with another disaster involving the same model off Indonesia in October. The twin disasters killed 346 people.
Black box data was downloaded in France but only Ethiopian experts leading the probe have heard the dialogue between Getachew, 29, and Mohammed, 25. The data was back in Addis Ababa yesterday.
Experts believe a new automated system in Boeing’s flagship MAX fleet, intended to stop stalling by dipping the nose, may have played a role in both crashes, with pilots unable to override it as their jets plunged downward.
Both came down just minutes after takeoff with erratic flight patterns and loss of control reported by the pilots. However, every accident is a unique chain of human and technical factors, experts say.
The prestige of Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s most successful companies, and Boeing, the world’s biggest planemaker and a massive US exporter, is at stake.
Lawmakers and safety experts are questioning how thoroughly regulators vetted the MAX model and how well pilots were trained on new features. For now, regulators have grounded the existing fleet of more than 300 MAX aircraft and deliveries of nearly 5,000 more — worth well over US$500 billion — are on hold.
Pressure on the Chicago-headquartered company has grown with news that federal prosecutors and the US Department of Transportation are scrutinizing how carefully the MAX model was developed, two people briefed on the matter said.
The US Justice Department was looking at the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of Boeing, one of the people said. And a federal grand jury last week issued at least one subpoena to an entity involved in the plane’s development.
In the hot seat over its certification of the MAX without demanding additional training and its closeness to Boeing, the FAA has said it is “absolutely” confident in its vetting. But given the US probe, Canada said it would do its own independent certification.
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