Ethiopian Airlines plane crash: Minister exonerates crew

Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, Dagmawit Moges. PHOTO CREDIT: Reuters
Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, Dagmawit Moges. PHOTO CREDIT: Reuters

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crew followed proper procedures recommended by the aircraft’s manufacturer but were unable to control the Boeing MAX 8 airplane before the fatal crash on March 10, Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, Dagmawit Moges has said.

“The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft,” Moges told a press conference in Addis Ababa on Thursday.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet en route to Nairobi from Addis Ababa crashed near the town of Bishoftu six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 people aboard.

In line with international rules on air accidents, the preliminary report did not attribute blame. Nor did it give a detailed analysis of the flight, which is expected to take several months before a final report due within a year.