This archive report was first published on 18 July 2019.
On July 17, 2019, Paul Njoroge, a Kenyan father who lost his family in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash, testified before the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee.
Speaking before the subcommittee, Njoroge shared his personal story of loss, saying, "I miss their laughter, their playfulness, their touch." He added, "I am empty. My life has no meaning. It is difficult for me to think of anything else but the horror they must have felt."
Njoroge's family, including his wife, three children, and mother-in-law, died in the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines disaster. The crash was one of two incidents involving the Boeing 737 MAX, which resulted in the deaths of 346 people.
The congressional hearings focused on the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a flight handling system linked to both crashes. Njoroge accused Boeing of a "shameful pattern of behaviour" by shifting focus from the root cause of the crashes, which he believes is the design flaws in the 737 MAX and MCAS.
Boeing has been working closely with US regulators to upgrade the planes and enable them to return to service. The company has also dedicated $50 million of a previously announced $100 million fund to provide near-term financial assistance to families of the victims.
