Ethiopian Airlines confirmed the pilot of the crashed Boeing 737-800MAX was an Ethiopian-born Kenyan with over 8,000 flight hours, according to CEO Tewolde Gebremariam. The airline emphasized the aircraft had undergone rigorous maintenance on January 4, 2019, just weeks before the tragedy. The incident occurred six minutes after departure from Bole Airport at 8:38 am local time, with the plane crashing 60 kilometers from Addis Ababa at 8:44 am.
The pilot, Captain Yared Mulugeta Gatechew, had been employed since November 2007, while first officer Ahmed Nur Mohammod Nur logged 200 flight hours. Gebremariam stated the aircraft showed no safety concerns prior to the crash. The accident claimed 157 lives, with Kenya reporting 32 fatalities among the 33 nationalities aboard. Ethiopian authorities announced investigations to identify causes and repatriate remains.
