For the second time in less than six months, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed minutes after takeoff and killed everyone on board, raising fresh questions about the safety of a model that is crucial to the US giant's future plans. Yesterday, the 157 passengers and crew members of a 737 MAX operated by Ethiopian Airlines were killed, including Mick Ryan from Lahinch. Last October, the same model of plane, operated by Lion Air, crashed in Indonesia, killing 189. The airline Norwegian has confirmed that is has 18 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in its fleet of 164 aircraft, and that some of these operate out of Ireland, for both transatlantic and short haul flights. The company said it will continue to use these aircraft for scheduled flights. Aer Lingus says it has no Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in its fleet, nor does it have any orders in for this model. It uses Airbus aircraft. China, an important market for Boeing, became the first country to ground the 737 MAX 8 today. Ethiopian Airlines did the same, saying the decision came as an "extra safety precaution". Only the flight data and cockpit conversation contained in the doomed aircraft's two black boxes can provide tangible evidence of what may have caused the latest accident -- technical problems, pilot error or a combination of factors. "The pilot mentioned that he had difficulties and he wants to return. He was given clearance" to turn around, Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam told reporters in Addis Ababa. On Sunday, visibility was clear but air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said "vertical speed was unstable after take-off". The pilot had sent out a distress call and was given the all clear to return, according to Mr GebreMariam. Senior captain Yared Getachew had a "commendable performance" having completed more than 8,000 hours in the air, the airline said. The plane had flown from Johannesburg to the Ethiopian capital earlier yesterday morning, and had undergone a "rigorous" testing on 4 February. Map and death toll by nationality of passengers on the Ethiopian Airlines plane which crashed near Bishoftu in Ethiopia killing all 157 people on board pic.twitter.com/K83BC31lNd — AFP news agency (@AFP) March 11, 2019 Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all its Boeing 737 Max planes An eyewitness told the BBC there was an intense fire when the plane crashed. "The blast and the fire were so strong that we couldn't get near it," he said. "Everything is burnt down." Teal Group expert Richard Aboulafia said it was "too soon to make any kind of meaningful comment," while another industry expert stressed the similarities between the two incidents. "It's the same plane. Like Lion Air, the (Ethiopian Airlines) accident took place shortly after takeoff and the pilots signaled they were experiencing problems, then the plane crashed. The similarities are clear," the expert added, requesting anonymity to speak freely on the matter. Chinese aviation authorities also noted the "similarities" between the two deadly incidents, saying operations would only resume after "confirming the relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety". Boeing has delivered 76 of the aircraft to Chinese airlines, and another 104 are on order, according to data from the company's website. But Michel Merluzeau, director of Aerospace & Defense Market Analysis, noted that "these are the only similarities, and the comparison stops there as we do not have any other reliable information at this juncture". In both cases, the air carriers have solid reputations. Since the Lion Air accident, the 737 MAX has faced growing scepticism from the aviation community. The programme had already encountered problems during development. In May 2017, Boeing had halted 737 MAX test flights due to quality concerns with the engine produced by CFM International, a company jointly owned by France's Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aviation. In late January, 350 of the narrow-body, twin-engine planes were delivered to customers out of 5,011 orders from Boeing. The latest accident is a major blow for Boeing, whose MAX carriers are the latest version of the Boeing 737, its bestseller of all times with more than 10,000 aircraft produced. 189 people died in the Lion Air crash in October 2018 "MAX is a very important programme for Boeing in the next decade. It represents 64% of the company's production to 2032, and has significant operational margins," said Mr Merluzeau. "It is an essential tool to global transport and trade." He said the next 24 hours are "key" for Boeing to manage the crisis with both travellers and investors worried about the reliability of its plane. Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" by the Ethiopian Airlines incident, adding that a technical team would be providing assistance to investigators. The expert who requested anonymity said Boeing will likely face some backlash in the markets, but the damage will likely be limited for the group, whose only significant competitor is Airbus. The plane's future is so important for Boeing that if any technical corrections are needed, it will make them. Following the October incident in Indonesia, the aerospace community raised questions about the lack of information on the plane's anti-stall system. After investigators said the doomed aircraft had problems with its airspeed indicator and angle of attack (AoA) sensors, Boeing issued a special bulletin telling operators what to do when they face the same situation. An AoA sensor provides data about the angle at which air passes over the wings and tells pilots how much lift a plane is getting. The information can be critical in preventing an aircraft from stalling. Additional reporting PA<doc-sep>Southwest Airlines, which operates 34 of the 737 MAX 8 planes, said: ‘We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet’. Photo: AFP<doc-sep>The Civil Aviation Administration of China ordered all domestic carriers to stop flying the aircraft on Monday, March 11, pending an investigation. Hainan Airlines operates 16 of the aircraft. Photo: Boeing<doc-sep>
The US government will inform all international airlines it believes the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is airworthy and safe to fly, but is poised to respond if any faults are found. In a statement, officials say they will "take immediate action" if regulators identify any safety issue, following the fatal crash in Ethiopia on Sunday (local time). The US Federal Aviation Administration said it will issue a 'Continued Airworthiness Notification' on Monday evening (local time), essentially ruling the aircraft is safe to fly. "If the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the department will take immediate and appropriate action," US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said at a press conference. "I want people to be assured that we take these incidents, these accidents very seriously." Canada has taken a similar approach and its transport minister said he will not hesitate to act once the cause of the crash is known. The safety concerns follow the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people onboard and a Lion Air flight that went down in Indonesia in October, killing 189 people. Both accidents involved a Boeing 737 MAX 8. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are both in Ethiopia assisting with the investigation. Boeing's share price dropped 10 percent in early trading on Monday at the prospect that two such crashes in such a short time could reveal flaws in its new plane. China has ordered its airlines to ground the jet, a move followed by Indonesia and Ethiopia. Other airlines, from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Fiji, have kept flying the 737 MAX 8 after Boeing said it was safe. Reuters/Newshub.