Investigators have reportedly found more evidence that could connect the Ethiopian Boeing 737 Max crash to a deadly accident five months before
- New evidence has reportedly emerged from the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crash that could be another connection to the previous deadly Lion Air Boeing crash in October 2018, Reuters reported Friday.
- According to Reuters, investigators at the crash site found a piece of equipment from the plane that suggests the plane's stabilizers were tilted upward, which would have then forced down the nose of the jet. Sources said that the stabilizer was in a similar position to the Lion Air plane crash.
- Sources familiar with the matter told The New York Times that this new evidence played a part in American regulators' decision to ground 737 Max planes earlier this week.
New evidence has emerged from the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash that connect it to the previous deadly Lion Air Boeing crash in October 2018, Reuters reported Friday.
According to Reuters, investigators at the crash site found a piece of equipment from the plane that suggests its stabilizers were tilted upward, which would have then forced down the nose of the jet. Sources told Reuters that the stabilizer was in a similar position to the Lion Air plane crash.
The piece of equipment found is known as a jackscrew, which controls the angle of the horizontal stabilizers. These stabilizers can be triggered by the automated system, which is known as MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System), The New York Times reported.
The authorities are currently looking into whether MCAS could be behind the Lion Air crash.
MCAS is designed to counteract the plane's tendency to tip its nose upward during flight, which increases the likelihood of a stall by pointing the nose downward. This was a by-product of the Max's larger, more fuel-efficient engines, which disrupted the plane's center of gravity.
Reports from the Lion Air investigation indicate that a faulty sensor reading may have triggered MCAS shortly after the flight took off.
Sources familiar with the matter told The Times that this new evidence played a part in American regulators' decision to ground 737 Max planes earlier this week.
"The FAA is ordering the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory," the organization announced Wednesday. "The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today. This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision."
The crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 killed all 157 people on board. The US, Canada, Britain, Australia, China, France, and more have grounded their Boeing 737 Max 8 fleets since then.
- More on Boeing's 737 Max 8 and the Ethiopian Airlines crash:
- Everything we know about Ethiopian Airlines' deadly crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8, the 2nd disaster involving the plane in 5 months
- Norwegian Air reportedly tells Boeing to 'take this bill' after grounding its fleet of 18 Boeing 737 Max planes
- This map shows all the countries to ban the Boeing 737 Max 8, and where airlines have grounded their fleets, after Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157
- Pilots complained to authorities about issues with the Boeing 737 Max for months before the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash
- These airlines will likely take the biggest hit after the Boeing 737 Max was involved in 2 deadly crashes
- Boeing has $400 billion in orders on the books. 80% of them are for the 737.
- An Ethiopian Airlines passenger said he missed the crashed flight by 2 minutes: 'I'm grateful to be alive'
- The family of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 captain speaks out after the crash that killed 157 people