Live updates: Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash findings released | CNN

Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crash findings released

Meg Wagner

By Helen Regan, Ben Westcott and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 2:27 PM EDT, Thu April 4, 2019

People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

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Everything we know about the Ethiopian plane crash

2:55 • Source: CNN

People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 10, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Everything we know about the Ethiopian plane crash

2:55

What we covered here

The report: Investigators announced findings from a preliminary report on the downed Ethiopian Airlines plane.
What the report says: Investigators found that the flight crew performed all the procedures recommended by Boeing — but they were still unable to control the plane. The captain and the first officer struggled as the 737 Max 8’s systems repeatedly forced the nose of the plane down.
What the report doesn’t say: The preliminary report does not come to a finding of probable cause. A final report could take as long as a year to produce.

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Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the preliminary report into the crash here.

American Airline’s pilot union: Initial findings show software malfunction is a "serious emergency"

From CNN's David Shortell

Capt. Jason Goldberg, spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, said today’s findings show that the malfunction involving the automated anti-stall software — the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS — is “a serious emergency.”

The Allied Pilots Association is American Airline’s pilots union.

Goldberg said pilots remain “cautious and hopeful that the potential fix will be thoroughly vetted and not hurried or fast tracked.”

“The APA will remain actively engaged to ensure that the 737 Max will fly again only when all stakeholders are satisfied the aircraft is ready,” he said.

How Boeing is responding to the preliminary report

From CNN's Aaron Cooper

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

A preliminary report on the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 accident showed significant similarities to the Lion Air accident, which involved another Boeing 737 Max 8.

In a statement today, Boeing said “safety is a core value for everyone” and maintained that “safety of our airplanes, our customers’ passengers and crews is always our top priority.”

Keep in mind: The report has not yet been publicly released, but CNN obtained a copy of the report today. The preliminary report does not come to a finding of probable cause. A final report could take as long as a year to produce.

Read Boeing’s full statement:

I’d like to reiterate our deepest sympathies are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the accident,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister. “We thank Ethiopia’s Accident Investigation Bureau for its hard work and continuing efforts. Understanding the circumstances that contributed to this accident is critical to ensuring safe flight. We will carefully review the AIB’s preliminary report, and will take any and all additional steps necessary to enhance the safety of our aircraft.”
Safety is a core value for everyone at Boeing and the safety of our airplanes, our customers’ passengers and crews is always our top priority. Boeing’s technical experts continue to assist in this investigation and company-wide teams are working to address lessons from the Lion Air Flight 610 accident in October.
The preliminary report contains flight data recorder information indicating the airplane had an erroneous angle of attack sensor input that activated the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) function during the flight, as it had during the Lion Air 610 flight.
To ensure unintended MCAS activation will not occur again, Boeing has developed and is planning to release a software update to MCAS and an associated comprehensive pilot training and supplementary education program for the 737 MAX.
As previously announced, the update adds additional layers of protection and will prevent erroneous data from causing MCAS activation. Flight crews will always have the ability to override MCAS and manually control the airplane.
Boeing continues to work with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and other regulatory agencies worldwide on the development and certification of the software update and training program.
Boeing also is continuing to work closely with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as technical advisors in support of the AIB investigation. As a party providing technical assistance under the direction of investigating authorities, Boeing is prevented by international protocol and NTSB regulations from disclosing any information relating to the investigation. In accordance with international protocol, information about the investigation is provided only by investigating authorities in charge.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO says it "looks like" stabilization system was activated before crash

From CNN’s Hilary McGann

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told CNN that “it looks like” the automated anti-stall software — the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS — was activated before the crash of flight 302.

Some context: The preliminary report, which CNN obtained today, does not specifically name the MCAS stabilization system, but makes it likely the MCAS system pushed the plane into a dive fueled by erroneous angle of attack sensor readings.

Gebremariam added that the preliminary report proved “all the speculators with false allegations” wrong, referring to criticism and doubts over the pilot’s qualifications, adding that the airline has “always been confident” of their pilots.

The CEO went on to add that the Boeing 737 MAX “seems” to have a problem, adding that he thinks Boeing is “trying to do the right thing.”

Report details what it was like in the final minutes of the Ethiopia Airlines plane

The preliminary report of the Ethiopia Airlines crash paints a graphic picture of the last minutes of the flight, including details about how the two pilots tried in vain to end the dive together.

“The Captain asked the First Officer to pitch up together and said that pitch is not enough,” the report reads. “The data indicates that aft force was applied to both columns simultaneously several times throughout the remainder of the recording.”

The report does not specifically name the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, which is a stabilization system, but makes it likely the MCAS pushed the plane into a dive fueled by erroneous angle of attack sensor readings. Boeing is currently working on a change to the system’s software.

It says the flight data recorder indicated “automatic aircraft nose down (AND) trim command four times without pilot’s input.”

A note about the report: The report has not yet been publicly released, but CNN obtained a copy of the report today. The preliminary report does not come to a finding of probable cause. A final report could take as long as a year to produce.

There are significant similarities between Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes, report shows

The preliminary report on the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX accident that killed all 157 on board, shows significant similarities to the Lion Air accident, with the plane’s computer system pushing the nose down four times into a steep 40-degree dive.

About the report: The report has not yet been publicly released, but CNN obtained a copy of the report today. The preliminary report does not come to a finding of probable cause. A final report could take as long as a year to produce.

More details: The similarities between the crashes extend to maintenance and flight issues such as “temporary erratic airspeed and altitude fluctuations.”

As in the Lion Air accident, the left angle of attack indicator, the sensor that drives the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (or MCAS), recorded an incorrect reading that differed from the right angle of attack indicator by about 20 degrees.

One key difference between the two accidents: The Ethiopian pilots correctly diagnosed the issue and effectively disabled the MCAS system about three minutes before the crash.

They then tried to manually adjust the trim, but found it was “not working.”

About five minutes after takeoff, air traffic controllers granted the pilots’ request to return to the airport.

The last input recorded by the flight data recorder: The plane reaching 500 knots.

3 key takeaways from the Ethiopian Airlines crash investigation

From CNN's Thom Patterson

Ethiopian aviation authorities discussed a preliminary report on the Ethiopian Airlines crash at a press conference Thursday, concluding that the pilots did everything they were trained to do to regain control of the plane.

The main takeaways are as follows:

Software may have played a role in the crash: The automated anti-stall software called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is under suspicion.
No sign yet of a problem with the sensor: Although it doesn’t rule out a possibly faulty sensor, a top Ethiopian accident investigator said Thursday they have not identified any damage to the aircraft’s sensors that could have contributed to the crash.
MCAS training didn’t appear to help prevent the crash: Overall, Ethiopian aviation authorities are making it clear that pilot error does not appear to be an issue in the crash and the pressure is now on Boeing to ensure the 737 Max is safe.

Aviation expert: The FAA has blown its reputation

CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo has criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its oversight of Boeing.

The FAA has come in for criticism for its role in approving the Boeing 737 Max aircraft that were involved in fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Schiavo questioned the quality of the FAA’s oversight of Boeing and claimed that the administration’s previous reputation for excellence has been tarnished.

There should be triple redundancy for different systems to ensure safety, said Schiavo, but the MCAS software systems aboard both crashed Max 8s were fed by only one angle of attack (AOA) sensor.

Schiavo claims this reliance on just one sensor begs the question as to why Boeing didn’t originally build the planes with two AOA sensors, and why the FAA did not require it.

Another issue with the 737 Max is its tendency to point slightly upward due to the use of larger engines which altered its aerodynamics compared to previous 737s.

Boeing tried to remedy this using the MCAS software, but Schiavo questioned why the FAA approved a software fix for the issue.

“Why was MCAS put in to solve what looks like a center of gravity problem, a pitch up problem?” she said.

'The onus is on Boeing' -- Quest

During a press conference Thursday, Ethiopian investigators looking into the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March said the pilots were qualified and operated the plane as Boeing intended, even down to trying to override an anti-stall software known as MCAS.

CNN anchor and aviation expert Richard Quest believes that Boeing is under pressure following the press conference, despite its excellent reputation.

“The focus does turn firmly, fairly and squarely onto Boeing,” said Quest.

Boeing has a superb reputation, he added, but the MCAS system was an “operating force” in both the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air crashes and the company has to “restore confidence in their planes.”

“The onus is on Boeing.”

Still no sign of a published report

Hours after this morning’s press conference there has still been no news on when the preliminary crash report on the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people in March will be published.

“Boeing will be reviewing the published report as it is released,” said company spokesman Peter Pedraza on Thursday.

The Ethiopian Accident Information Bureau told CNN it had given the report to Boeing on Monday.

In an earlier press conference on Thursday, Ethiopian investigators announced the findings of the preliminary report, but it has not yet been published.

At the time CNN anchor and aviation expert Richard Quest described the move as “unusual.”

“We are slightly taking their word for what they are saying is in the report,” Quest said.

Analyst questions why 737 Max wasn't grounded after Lion Air crash

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane is pictured outside the company's factory on March 22, 2019 in Renton, Washington.

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane is pictured outside the company's factory on March 22, 2019 in Renton, Washington.

Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

CNN aviation analyst Miles O’Brien believes the 737 Max fleet should have been grounded before the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

O’Brien said there was enough information for Boeing to ground the planes in the aftermath of the Lion Air accident, also involving a 737 Max 8 jet, in October 2018.

That plane crashed into the sea off Indonesia shortly after take off, killing 189 people, and some similarities have been discovered with the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

“Why wasn’t the aircraft grounded then?” he asked.

Human cost of crash should not be forgotten

Five members of one family were among those killed when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

Carol Karanja was traveling from Canada to Kenya with her mother, Ann Wangui Karanja, and three children: Ryan Njoroge, 7, Kellie Pauls, 4, and 9-month-old Rubi Pauls.

And Carol had texted her sister saying she felt uneasy about the flight.

“My heart isn’t really excited. I feel like there’s something bad ahead, but I don’t know what,” the WhatsApp message read.

She was so worried about the trip that she also sent a similar message expressing her fear to her father before she boarded the flight.

Following the tragic death of three generations of the family, Carol’s brother said he has no interest in pointing fingers.

“If you look at having to point blame on others, I think it will make the healing process a bit more hard for us,” Quindos Mwangi Karanja told CNN.

“I might not know exactly whether to blame the plane but let the experts finish their investigations. And then they are able to tell us the way forward.”

Boeing facing series of key dates

By Chris Isidore and Jack Guy, CNN

The preliminary report in the Ethopian Airlines crash will likely place additional pressure on Boeing as it prepares to reveal key information on its first quarter performance.

On April 9 the company will report first quarter deliveries and orders, and on April 24 it will report financial results for the first three months of the year.

Analysts expect the number of deliveries to be hit by ongoing problems with the 737 Max, and financial results are expected to include an estimate for how much grounding the planes will cost in compensation to its airline customers.

Cowen aerospace analyst Cai von Rumohr estimates that cost is already $2 billion, and the price goes up every day the planes aren’t flying.

Boeing executives will then face shareholders on April 29 at its annual meeting in Chicago.

You can read more about the potential implications for Boeing in our CNN Business report.

Ethiopia flight experienced 'repetitive uncommanded aircraft nose-down conditions'

From CNN’s Gregory Wallace

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 experienced “repetitive uncommanded aircraft nose-down conditions” before its crash, the Ethiopian Transportation Minister said Thursday.

Dagmawit Moges described symptoms that appear similar to the Lion Air accident in October – which also involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 jet – although she did not refer to that incident in her remarks, nor did she specify what caused the plane to veer downward.

Moges spoke in a news conference ahead of the expected release of a preliminary report on the crash.

Based on that finding, she said accident investigators are recommending Boeing review the “the aircraft flight control system related to the flight controllability,” and that regulators ensure fixes are “adequately addressed” before returning the 737 MAX fleet to service.

Ethiopian Airlines said in a separate statement that “it was very unfortunate” the pilots “could not recover the airplane from the persistence (of) nose diving.”

Problems with an automated system known as MCAS were reported in the Lion Air crash in October. The preliminary report in that incident described the pilots repeatedly fighting with MCAS as it repeatedly pushed the aircraft’s nose down, and ultimately drove it into ocean. The report said the plane experienced “automatic AND (aircraft nose down) trim active followed by flight crew commanded ANU (aircraft nose up) trim” and it “continued for the remainder of the flight.”

Investigators yet to publish report

While Ethiopian investigators announced in a press conference the findings of the preliminary report, they haven’t actually published the report.

CNN anchor and aviation expert Richard Quest said this was “unusual.”

“We are slightly taking their word for what they are saying is in the report,” he said.

Preliminary report 'likely to amplify the scrutiny Boeing is facing'

From CNN's Oren Liebermann

The black boxes from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 were flown to France for analysis on March 14, 2019.

The black boxes from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 were flown to France for analysis on March 14, 2019.

Philippe Wojazer/REUTERS

To some extent, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing tried to address many of the issues raised in by investigators after the Lion Air crash back in November.

On November 7, 2018, the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive because the flight control problem experienced on that doomed flight was “likely to exist or develop in other products” of the same aircraft.

The airworthiness directive (AD) required a revision of the Airplane Flight Manual and the Operating Procedures.

Crucially, the AD did not ground the 737 Max series aircraft.

The FAA has already faced scrutiny for its decision not to ground the aircraft earlier, and this preliminary report from Ethiopian Airlines 302 is likely to increase that scrutiny.

On November 11, 2018, Boeing issued a message to operators of the 737 Max series aircraft because it had “received many requests for the same information from 737 fleet operators” following the Lion Air crash. The message explained the automated MCAS anti-stall system, which adjusts the trim to try to avoid an imminent stall.

737 pilots who have spoken with CNN say this system was not explained during the transition training to the newer 737 Max series aircraft. Those pilots were essentially in the dark about a new system on the plane.

This message, issued after the Lion Air crash, tried to address that by offering pilots more information. But the preliminary report from the crash of Ethiopian Airlines 302 is once again likely to amplify the scrutiny Boeing is facing about the 737 Max aircraft.

It may also give some insight as to why Boeing and the FAA announced it would take additional time – a few more weeks – to get the 737 Max aircraft once again approved for service.

CNN's Oren Liebermann says a 'tremendous amount of information is still missing'

From CNN's Oren Liebermann

“A preliminary report should have information about the flight crew’s experience, the weather conditions, any maintenance issues with previous flights, relevant airworthiness directives, a detailed timeline of the flight, information about the cockpit voice recorder, instrument readings and system activations from the flight data recorder, etc,” says CNN’s Oren Lieberman.

“In other words, there is a tremendous amount of information that we’re still looking for about Ethiopian Airlines flight 302.”

Investigators have not identified any damage to aircraft sensors in relation to crash

From CNN’s Gregory Wallace

Ethiopian accident investigators have not identified any damage to the aircraft’s sensors that could have contributed to the March 10 crash.

“We can confirm that we haven’t found any foreign object damage,” Amdeye Ayalew, AIB investigation chairman, told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, speaking through a translator.

He also said investigators have not identified any “structural design problem” with the aircraft.

Dagmawit Moges, the Ethiopian Minister of Transport, said investigators have reviewed the cockpit voice and flight data recorders, as well as records such as “additional documents gathered from the operator” of the plane.

Ethiopian investigators make two major recommendations

Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges said that based on initial information gathered during the investigation, two safety recommendations have been forwarded in the preliminary report.

They are:

Since repetitive and commanded aircraft nose down conditions are noticed in this preliminary investigation, it is recommended that the aircraft flight control system relative to the flight controllability shall be reviewed by the manufacturer.
Aviation authorities shall verify that the review of aircraft control system related to flight controllability has been adequately addressed by the manufacturer before release of the aircraft to operations.

Ethiopian Airlines release statement on report

Ethiopian Airlines put out a statement on Twitter following the press conference in Addis Ababa.

It said: The preliminary report “clearly showed” that pilots on Flight 302 followed the Boeing recommendations.

Airline CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said: “All of us at Ethiopian Airlines are still going through deep mourning for the loss of our loved ones.”

Adding: “Meanwhile we are very proud of our pilots’ compliances to follow the emergency procedures.”

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