The US Senate will hold a hearing on aviation safety after the crash of a plane in Ethiopia



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"It is important to allow the FAA, NTSB and other agencies to conduct thorough investigations to ensure that they have as much information as possible to make informed decisions. knowingly, "said Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi in his statement. "Every day, thousands of passengers rely on the aviation system to get them safely to their destination, and we must never let ourselves go to the security level of our system, so the committee is planning to hold a hearing on the system. state of aviation safety ensure that security is maintained for all travelers. "

The announcement of the hearing follows days of lawmakers who asked questions about some devices requiring the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was not only the model aircraft that it was crushed during the weekend, but also the same type of ship that had collapsed. the Java Sea last October in a separate mortuary box.

The Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the committee, said Tuesday that he had told his family and others to change plane, rather than flying aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

"There should be a full investigation, but in the meantime, prevention is better than cure," said Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. S addressing reporters at Capitol Hill, he added that the planes were "dangerously hot right now."

Rhode Island Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday called for a "very serious and quick investigation" into CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" aircraft. He said he was worried that the Trump government would not take this step despite "the rest of the world … stating that we have to get to the bottom of things before letting these planes take off."

"Unfortunately, what we see so often in the Trump administration, the regulatory agencies that take their signals from the big industries," said Whitehouse. "And we absolutely want to make sure that the FAA does not try to keep those planes flying, even if they're not safe, just because Boeing and the airlines want it that way."

The exact cause of Sunday's accident is unknown and there is no evidence of a link at this point between the two air disasters, but similarities in the incidents have prompted some airlines to use caution. While some countries – including the UK, China, and Australia – and airlines have shut down the Boeing 737 MAX 8, the US Federal Aviation Administration refused to do so Monday.

Some lawmakers – including Wicker who announced Monday's hearing – said they would fly well with a 737 Max. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who owns a major Boeing plant in his state, said he "trusted the FAA" to make any decision regarding the anchoring of the aircraft .

"I'll let the FAA make that decision," Graham told reporters. "I trust their judgment until someone proves I should not." When asked about the Boeing factory in his state, he replied, "Yes, but I want to do what is best for the traveling public."

In a statement, the FAA said the investigators had not yet determined whether the problem of the Ethiopian Airlines incident was related to the one that had dropped the same aircraft operated by Lion Air l & rsquo; Last year.

Why the 737 MAX grounding is a big problem for Boeing

"External reports establish similarities between this accident and the Lion Air Flight 610 accident on October 29, 2018," says the FAA's Continuing Airworthiness Notice to the International Community. "However, this investigation is just beginning and to date, no data has been provided to us to draw conclusions or take action."

Blumenthal said that if the FAA does not impose the grounding of aircraft, airlines should do it. At least two US airlines use the 737 MAX 8, as well as other international airlines serving the United States. The two US airlines that have the planes continue to use them since Tuesday.

"These two catastrophic accidents, both of which cost the lives of all passengers, call into question the safety of these planes," Blumenthal said in a statement on Monday. "The FAA and the airline industry must act quickly and decisively to protect American travelers, pilots and flight attendants, and these aircraft must be immediately grounded, and airlines must work quickly to minimize disruptions and welcome customers whose travel is impacted. "

Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah also called for the grounding of the device, as did Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California.

Republican Senator John Thune of South Dakota told the press that he "would rather fly in another plane" if he liked it.

Thune, who is the second-ranked Senate GOP leader, seemed to suggest that he would be ready to anchor planes if the evidence proved it, but he did not mean that the planes should be anchored at this stage. He cited the participation of the National Transportation Safety Board in the investigation of the accident. Thune sits on the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space of the Trade, Science and Transport Committee.

Which airlines still use Boeing 737 MAX 8s?

NTSB officials went to the scene of the crash on Tuesday and the agency said it did not provide updates on the investigation.

"The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in Ethiopia is leading the investigation and, according to ICAO Annex 13, is the organization that is talking to the United States. investigation, "said the agency in a statement. "While we help Ethiopians, we will not publish any results."

Boeing said in a statement that he remained totally confident in the safety of the 737 Max 8 aircraft and cited the FAA 's decision not to anchor the aircraft in his statement.

"We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made the decisions that they deem most appropriate for their original markets," the company said in its statement. "We will continue to engage with each of them to ensure that they have the necessary information to use their fleet with confidence or to put it back into service."

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to accurately reflect John Thune's original state.

CNN's Ted Barrett, Gregory Wallace, Thom Patterson, Ben Westcott, Kara Fox, Serenitie Wang and Rob Picheta contributed to this report.

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