An Ethiopian Airlines flight en route to Nairobi crashed moments after takeoff, killing all 157 aboard and reigniting concerns about the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The plane, which departed Bole Airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38 am, lost contact with air traffic control just six minutes later. Ethiopian Airlines confirmed no survivors, with CEO Tewolde GebreMariam sharing a photo of debris from the crash site.
The victims included citizens from 35 nations, including Kenya, the U.S., Canada, France, China, and others. Ethiopian Airlines stated the aircraft, a 737 MAX 8, had no prior technical issues and was operated by a pilot with over 8,000 flight hours. The same aircraft model was involved in a fatal crash in Indonesia in October 2018, which killed 189 people.
Flight ET 302, registered as ET-AVJ, crashed near Bishoftu, 62 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa. Preliminary data from Flightradar24 indicated unstable vertical speed after takeoff. The plane broke apart on impact, with personal effects scattered across the crash site. Boeing expressed condolences and pledged to assist investigators.
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority will lead the inquiry, with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing representatives participating. The 737 MAX 8, introduced in 2017, is the world’s best-selling narrow-body jet but faces heightened scrutiny following the two crashes. A final report on the Lion Air incident is expected later this year.
