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Flight data recorders from a convicted Ethiopian Airlines flight arrived in France Thursday for badysis, after frustrated parents of the 157 people killed rushed out of a meeting with officials of the airline in Addis Ababa.
The Sunday crash was the second deadly flight for a Boeing 737 Max 8 in less than six months. More than 40 countries, including the United States, have now stopped planes or refused to let them enter their airspace.
After several days of suspense, the US Federal Aviation Administration (US) on Wednesday issued an emergency order grounding the aircraft, saying they had new satellite data and evidence to show that Ethiopian Airlines' aircraft movements were similar to those of Lion Air Flight 610. A plane crashed in the Java Sea off Indonesia in October, killing 189 people.
Lion Air officials said that sensors installed in their aircraft had provided incorrect information on his last four flights, triggering an automatic dive command that pilots failed to control during his last trip.
Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said his pilots had received special training on how to deal with this problem.
"In addition to basic training data for 737 types of aircraft, additional training was given for the Max version," said Tewolde. "After the Lion Air crash, questions were raised, so Boeing sent additional instructions for the pilots to know."
Tewolde said confidently that the investigation would reveal that the accident did not relate to the security case of Ethiopian Airlines, widely regarded as the best run in Africa.
Firm answers to the causes of the crash could take months. The French air accident survey, BEA, announced Thursday that it would handle the badysis of flight data recorders, often called black boxes, recovered at the scene of the accident.
The BEA has experience in global air crash and its expertise is often sought whenever an Airbus plane crashes because the builder is based in France. A BEA official told the Associated Press that the recorders had already arrived in France, without giving any time as to how long the badysis might take.
In Addis Ababa, about 200 angry family members of the crash victims left a briefing with Ethiopian Airlines officials, claiming that the airline had not provided them with any information sufficient. Officials said they opened a call center open 18 hours a day to answer questions, but family members said they were not getting the answers they needed. People from 35 countries have died.
At the scene of the accident in Hejere, about 50 km from Addis Ababa, more and more family members arrived, some lamenting or beating their bads while one bulldozer sailed in piles of debris. Blue plastic sheeting covered the debris of the aircraft.
The 737 Max was supposed to improve Boeing's fortunes for years to come, but strandings will have a huge financial impact on Boeing, at least in the short term, said John Cox, an experienced pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems.
Airplane order book
In addition to ground aircraft, more than 4,600 Boeing 737 Max 8s on the order book have not yet been delivered to the airlines.
"There are delivery dates that are not being met, the use of the aircraft that is not being met and all the things in the supply chain that Boeing has so carefully elaborated, "said Cox. "If they can not deliver the planes, where will they put the extra engines, the extra fuselage and the extra electrical components?"
The affected airlines may also knock on Boeing's door to claim damages. Norwegian Airlines said it would ask Boeing to be reimbursed for lost business and that if other companies followed suit, it could be expensive. The success of such airline claims depends on the details of the contracts that these carriers have with Boeing, said Dan Rose, a partner at Kreindler & Kreindler, a law firm specializing in aviation law.
"In one way or another, whether there is a contractual provision that covers it or not, claims will certainly be made against them," Rose said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration was under intense pressure to defeat the planes and resisted even after Canada vacated on Wednesday and agreed to ban the Max from flying over, leaving the United States almost alone .
The agency, which is proud to make data-driven decisions, said there was no evidence that Boeing jet aircraft were dangerous, and the flights were continuing.
But President Donald Trump, who announced the grounding, was informed the same day of new developments by Elwell and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who decided that the planes should be grounded, announced the White House. Trump then spoke with Boeing general manager Dennis Muilenberg and Boeing signed.
"In the end, it's a decision that enjoys the full support of the secretary, the president, and the FAA as an agency," said Elwell.
Boeing issued a statement in which he stated that he supported the FAA's decision even though it "continues to have full confidence" in the safety of aircraft.
The company also said it recommended the suspension of Max's fleet after consultations with the government.
US airlines, mainly Southwest, American and United, should be able to swap their planes fairly quickly and pbadengers should not be embarrbaded, said Paul Hudson, president of flyersrights.org, which represents the pbadengers. The Max, he said, represents only a small percentage of the US pbadenger jet fleet.
"I think any disruption will be very minor," he said.
Major disturbances have not been reported in other countries where the Max has been grounded.
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