The Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crash near Addis Ababa on March 11, 2019, which claimed 157 lives, joined the October 2018 Lion Air disaster in Indonesia that killed 189 people. Both incidents involved Boeing's 737 Max aircraft, intensifying scrutiny of the plane's flight control system and safety protocols.
Investigations are examining whether technical issues with the 737 Max's automated flight control system contributed to the crashes. The aircraft, introduced in 2017, features updated software to manage larger engines. Following the Lion Air crash, regulators faced criticism for not adequately informing pilots about system changes.
Boeing delivered over 350 737 Max jets by January 2019, with 5,000 more on order. The plane's list price is approximately $120 million. The company is evaluating software modifications while the National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing teams investigate the Ethiopian crash site.
China's Civil Aviation Administration ordered airlines to ground 737 Max planes on March 11, 2019, after the Ethiopian crash. Major Chinese carriers, operating 70 of the jets, switched to older 737-800 models. Similar actions were taken globally as concerns grew over the aircraft's safety.
Aviation experts note that while early data from the Ethiopian crash does not confirm systemic issues, the pattern of two recent disasters has eroded public confidence. Robert Stengel, a Princeton University professor, emphasized that the similarities between the crashes have raised significant concerns among pilots and passengers.
Boeing's stock had tripled since the 2016 presidential election, making it a key component of the Dow Jones industrial average. Analysts cautioned that while the crash could impact shares, the company's resources would mitigate long-term damage. The 737 Max's issues echo past challenges with Boeing's 787 aircraft, which faced grounding over battery problems in 2013.
