'I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot': Trump blasts airplanes as becoming 'too complex to fly' as the UK, China, and other nations ground the Boeing 737 Max 8
- President Donald Trump has spoken out following Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which crashed on Sunday, killing all 157 passengers on board.
- That crash and Lion Air Flight 610, in which 189 passengers died in Oct., are incredibly similar. Both involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 that plunged minutes after take off.
- On Tuesday, Trump said on Twitter that "(a)irplanes are becoming far too complex to fly."
Airlines and aviation authorities around the world have grounded their Boeing 737 Max fleets - and President Donald Trump has finally spoken out on the plane that's been connected to two deadly crashes.
"Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly," the president said on Twitter Tuesday morning. "Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT. I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better. Split second decisions are...."
He finished the tweet about 12 minutes later.
"....needed, and the complexity creates danger," he continued on Twitter. "All of this for great cost yet very little gain. I don't know about you, but I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!"
On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed several minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 passengers on board. Eight Americans died in the crash.
Its demise has similarities to October's Lion Air Flight 610, in which all 189 passengers died. That plane crashed 12 minutes after takeoff into the Java Sea.
The Boeing 737 Max has been critiqued by airline consultants as being overloaded with features. Captain Ross Aimer, CEO of airline consulting and legal firm Aero Consulting Experts, told Business Insider that Boeing is renowned for its safe aircraft, but the 737 Max has "some stability issues."
"The Boeing has always made fantastic, safe aircraft," Aimer said. "But in the case of 737, a simple way to describe it is - how many times can you modify your old 1980s Honda Civic? This is basically what Boeing is doing with the 737."
"It was a very safe airplane for many, many years and the most popular commercial jet in service today," Aimer said. "However, 50 years ago, when Boeing initially designed 737 -100 for Lufthsana, it was totally a different airplane. Now, it has evolved into something else."
Now read:
- Another Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed leaving no survivors. This time it was flying with Ethiopian Airlines
- People of 35 different nationalities were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, including eight Americans
- China grounds all its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes following the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash
- An Ethiopian Airlines passenger said he missed the crashed flight by 2 minutes: 'I'm grateful to be alive'
- Boeing set to plunge 9% after fatal 737 MAX 8 crash killed 157 people in Ethiopia
- The black box from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines flight has been found
- Indonesia is grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after a crash in Ethiopia killed 157 people
- Boeing's big drop is shaving more than 200 points off the Dow
- Some countries and airlines have grounded the Boeing 737 Max 8 after a 2nd crash involving the plane killed 157 people - here's who's taken action so far
- These are the victims of the Boeing 737 Max 8 crash in Ethiopia
- A Georgetown University law student who reportedly expressed a fear of flying is among the 157 dead in the Ethiopian Airlines crash
- The family of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 captain speaks out after deadly crash where 157 lost their lives