Plane Crashes

[angelburst29]

Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashes, killing 157
Ethiopian Airlines flight crashes, killing 157 aboard Boeing 737

The diplomats maintain contact with the victims’ relatives and are ready to support them in this situation.

March 10, 2019 - Three Russians killed in Ethiopia plane crash identified - embassy
Three Russians killed in Ethiopia plane crash identified - embassy

© REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Three Russians that were killed in the Ethiopia plane crash on Sunday morning have been identified, the Russian Embassy in Addis Ababa stated on Twitter.

"Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that there had been three Russians on board its ET302 plane, which crashed today near Addis Abbaba:
Ekaterina Polyakova, Alexander Polyakov and Sergei Vyalikov" the embassy informs. "We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed." The diplomats maintain contact with the victims’ relatives and are ready to support them in this situation, the embassy added.

The Boeing 737 en route from Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa to Kenya’s Nairobi crashed on Sunday morning near Debre Zeit in central Ethiopia. The plane lost contact six minutes after takeoff, the airline said. There were 149 passengers and 8 crew members onboard the plane. There are no survivors in the crash.

 

[Ursus Minor]

The DC-3 that crashed in Colombia (HK-2494 of Laser Aéreo) was originally delivered to the USAAF in 1944.
It had changed hands several times during its 75 years in service.

The crash site near San Vincente del Caguán

Five years ago another DC-3 had crashed in Colombia. It was HK-4700 of ALIANSA Colombia.
It just seems as if you cannot operate these sturdy old planes forever (and ever) ...

Laser Aéreos HK-2494 in better days...

 

[angelburst29]

The crash site near San Vincente del Caguán

Just an odd question - the tree's in the photo look beautiful and healthy - what species are they? The rows and spacing are perfect.
(Sorry - I have a fondness for trees and in cultivating them, especially fruit trees.)

 

[Yupo]

Is there any back story on that Amazon Air Cargo flight that crashed in Texas yet?

 

[angelburst29]

China orders its airlines to suspend use of Boeing 737 Max aircraft


China's aviation regulator said on Monday it had ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 p.m. (5.00 a.m. ET) following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

Boeing postpones 777X event after Ethiopian Airlines crash
Boeing Co said late Sunday it will postpone the planned ceremonial debut of its 777X widebody aircraft after Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that left 157 dead.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO lists many nationalities killed in crash
An Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday was carrying passengers from more than 30 countries, the airline's CEO told journalists.

Is there any back story on that Amazon Air Cargo flight that crashed in Texas yet?

Hi Yupo, I'll see what I can dig up?

A Boeing 767 cargo plane crashed Saturday outside of Houston just minutes before its scheduled arrival.

Feb. 24, 2019 - Three confirmed dead after Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crash in Texas
Amazon Prime Air cargo plane crash: Three killed, company confirms

This image taken from video provided by KRIV FOX 26 shows the scene of a cargo plane crash on Feb. 23, 2019, in Trinity Bay, just north of Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. (Photo: KRIV Fox 26 via AP)

The three people aboard the Amazon Prime Air cargo plane that crashed outside Houston have been confirmed dead, the plane's operator said Sunday.

The Boeing 767 operated by Atlas Air was a scheduled cargo flight for Amazon from Miami to Houston on Saturday when it nosedived into a swampy area about 30 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Witnesses said they heard the plane’s engines surging and watched the craft turn sharply before falling into a nosedive.

AccuWeather meteorologists suggested weather could be to blame: "There were a few showers with gusty winds in the vicinity of Houston at the time of the crash. While an investigation needs to take place, these were around the area and could have been a factor in the crash," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.

Feb. 26, 2019 - Photos released of 2 recovered crew members killed in Amazon Air cargo plane crash
Photos released of 2 recovered crew members killed in Amazon Air cargo plane crash

Atlas Air First Officer Conrad Aska, 44, and Sean Archuleta 36, were killed when Atlas Air flight 3591 crashed into the shallow waters of Trinity Bay on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, near Anahuac.

The body of Capt. Ricky Blakely, of Indiana, has yet to be recovered as of Monday night, officials said.

In a video posted by the Chambers County Sheriff's Office, hundreds – if not thousands – of disintegrated plane parts are seen sitting in shallow, murky water. The debris field spans about 180,000 square feet, officials said.

The largest piece authorities have recovered is 50 feet long, they said. Most of the debris in the video is indiscernible.

As of late Sunday night, investigators have yet to recover the plane's black box, which records flight data and the voices of those in the cockpit.

Authorities have also yet to recover the body of the third crew member. The first two bodies have been sent to the Jefferson County Medical Examiners Office for autopsies.

Winds have pushed the bay's tide out, which exposed more of the debris, according to the Chambers County Sheriff's Office.

A five-second clip of the plane nosediving into the water was captured on a security camera at the Chambers County jail, near the intersection of Court Street and Bolivar Avenue in Anahuac.

Investigators hope use that video to learn more about what downed the plane.

March 1, 2019 - Video shows final moments of doomed Atlas Air cargo plane, searchers comb through muck for debris
Video shows final moments of doomed Atlas Air cargo plane, searchers comb through muck for debris

 

[angelburst29]

This Ethiopian Airlines crash has generated a lot of news coverage within 24 hours.

U.S. says Boeing 737 MAX 8 airworthy but says Boeing will make design changes

The United States told international carriers on Monday that the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is airworthy as regulators scrutinize two fatal crashes of the new model of aircraft since October, but said it will mandate forthcoming "design changes" from Boeing by April.

U.S. says 737 MAX safe to fly after Ethiopia crash; Boeing shares dip
The United States told airlines it was safe to fly 737 MAX 8 planes on Monday as investigators found two black box recorders that will help piece together the final moments of an Ethiopian Airlines jet before it plunged to the ground on Sunday.

U.S. senator calls on FAA to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8
Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein on Monday urged the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to ground Boeing's 737 MAX 8 fleet after two fatal crashes since October.

Ethiopian plane smoked and shuddered before deadly plunge

The Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed killing 157 people was making a strange rattling noise and trailed smoke and debris as it swerved above a field of panicked cows before hitting earth, according to witnesses.

Prize-winning author, 21 U.N. workers among dead in Ethiopian Airlines crash

A prize-winning author, a football official and a team of humanitarian workers were among those who perished in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 30, government officials and employers said on Monday.

Insurers face large claims after second Boeing 737 MAX crash
Boeing Co's insurers face big claims from families of the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash, coming less than six months after the crash of the same type of Boeing aircraft in Indonesia, insurance and aviation sources said.

UN says suffers 'catastrophe' in Ethiopian Airlines crash

The United Nations has suffered one of its biggest losses in years in the deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet bound for Nairobi, the head of the U.N. in Geneva said on Monday, without giving a new casualty figure.

Boeing CEO confident in 737 MAX safety after second deadly crash
Boeing Co's top executive told employees on Monday he was confident in the safety of the U.S. manufacturer's fastest-selling 737 MAX aircraft in the wake of two deadly crashes since October.

Boeing to upgrade software in 737 MAX 8 fleet in 'weeks'

Boeing Co confirmed late on Monday it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8, a few hours after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would mandate "design changes" in the aircraft by April.

Ryanair CEO says no immediate action planned on 737 MAX orders
Ryanair is not planning to make any changes to the delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX airplane next month in light of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet, chief executive Michael O'Leary was quoted as saying on Monday.

Recovered black box from Ethiopian Airlines crashed flight is cockpit voice recorder: state TV
The black box recovered from the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday is the cockpit voice recorder, Ethiopian state TV said on Monday.

Southwest customers raise queries on Boeing's 737 MAX 8 planes
Southwest Airlines Co said on Monday several customers sought to know if they would be flying in Boeing Co's 737 MAX 8 aircraft, in the wake of the second deadly crash involving the jet in less than six months.

Airlines fly Boeing 737 MAX 8 after crash despite China grounding
Airlines from North America to the Middle East kept flying the 737 MAX 8 on Monday after Boeing said it was safe, in stark contrast with a slide in the planemaker's shares on worries over Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board.

Canada will take action once cause of Ethiopian plane crash known: minister
Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau said on Monday he will not hesitate to take action once the cause of the Ethiopian plane crash involving Boeing Co's 737 MAX 8 aircraft is known.

Malaysia may have to review Boeing 737 Max orders: Nikkei
Malaysia may have to reconsider the purchase of 25 Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 aircraft, the Nikkei reported on Monday, citing the country's economic affairs minister, after the second fatal crash of the planemaker's newest jet in less than six months.

Indonesia to temporarily ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets for inspections
Indonesia will temporarily ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operating in the country for inspection, the director general of aviation said on Monday, in the wake of the deadly crash of one of the planes in Ethiopia.

Royal Air Maroc grounds Boeing 737 MAX 8 after Ethiopian crash
Morocco's national carrier Royal Air Maroc has temporarily grounded a Boeing 737 MAX 8 following the fatal crash of the same type of aircraft in Ethiopia, an official said on Monday.

Global airlines' reaction to Ethiopian Airlines crash

China and Indonesia have grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by their airlines in reaction to the fatal crash of a plane of the same type operated by Ethiopian Airlines on Sunday.

Mexico's Aeromexico suspends Boeing 737 MAX planes
Mexican airline Aeromexico said on Monday it had suspended the operation of its six Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes until it had clear information about the investigation into the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet on Sunday.

India to soon issue additional safety instructions for Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday it is reviewing safety issues related to Boeing's 737 MAX 8 aircraft operating in the country, a day after the fatal crash of one of the planes in Ethiopia.

Chinese carriers, Ethiopian Airlines halt use of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft after crash
China's aviation regulator on Monday grounded nearly 100 Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by its airlines, more than a quarter of the global fleet of the jets, after a deadly crash of one of the planes in Ethiopia.

Norwegian Air shares fall on MAX aircraft woes, lagging income
Norwegian Air's shares fell sharply on Monday as investors worried over weaker-than-expected passenger income and the potential impact of the crash of an Ethiopian Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger jet the previous day.

German Transport Ministry: No Boeing 737 Max 8 in service in Germany
A spokesman for the German Transport Ministry said on Monday that there were no Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 in service in Germany, after China and Ethiopia grounded such planes following an Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people.

Aerospace group Safran's shares fall after Ethiopian Airlines crash
Shares in French aerospace group Safran fell on Monday, which traders attributed to fallout from Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 plane.

Flydubai says remains confident in the airworthiness of Boeing 737 fleet
Flydubai remains confident in the airworthiness of its Boeing 737 planes, an airline spokeswoman said on Monday, a day after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 crashed.

 

[angelburst29]

Prize-winning author, 21 U.N. workers among dead in Ethiopian Airlines crash

Professor Pius Adesanmi, Director of The Institute of African Studies speaks about the department at the Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada in this still image taken from a video uploaded February 29, 2016. CARLETON UNIVERSITY

Pius Adesanmi, a Nigerian-born professor with the English Language and Literature Department at Carleton University in Ottawa, was among the victims from Canada.

He was awarded the Penguin Prize for African Writing in non-fiction in 2010 for a collection of essays titled, “You’re Not a Country, Africa!”

“Pius Adesanmi was a towering figure in African and post-colonial scholarship, and his sudden loss is a tragedy,” said Benoit-Antoine Bacon, the university’s president.

A prize-winning author, a soccer official and a team of humanitarian workers were among those who perished in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302, government officials and employers said on Monday.

The number of U.N. staff members and aid workers from other agencies on board may have been higher than usual because of a week-long conference convened by the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi, which opened on Monday.


Europeans join wave of Boeing suspensions, Trump frets
Major European nations Britain, Germany and France joined a wave of suspensions of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump fretted over modern airplane design following a crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people.

Germany closes its airspace to Boeing's 737 MAX 8 after Ethiopia crash
German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer told German broadcaster n-tv on Tuesday that German airspace was closed for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Norwegian Air grounds its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets
Norwegian Air will temporarily ground its Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger jets at the advice of European regulators, it said on Tuesday.

UK CAA suspends Boeing 737 MAX from airspace after crash
Britain on Tuesday joined a growing number of nations to suspend flights by Boeing 737 MAX aircraft over their territory, after an Ethiopia Airlines plane of that model crashed on Sunday killing 157 people.

Irish Aviation Authority to temporarily suspend Boeing 737 MAX operations
The Irish Aviation Authority is temporarily suspending the operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in Irish airspace with immediate effect following a deadly crash in Ethiopia, it said on Tuesday.

Turkish Airlines grounds all Boeing 737 Max models as of March 13
Turkish Airlines has grounded all commercial flights by its Boeing 737 MAX models as of March 13 until uncertainty over their safety is resolved, CEO Bilal Eksi said on Tuesday.

 

[angelburst29]

Russia’s S7 Airlines grounds Boeing 737 Max 8 planes

Russian S7 Airlines said on Monday it would ground Boeing 737 Max 8 airlines starting from Wednesday following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

U.S. senator asks American, Southwest, United to ground Boeing MAX jets
Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday asked American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines to voluntarily ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 planes after two deadly crashes in recent months.

Germany grounds Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 for three months

Germany's air safety authority DFS said on Tuesday that both Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models will be barred from the country's air space until June 12.

Belgium closes air space for Boeing 737 MAX airplanes: agency
Belgium closed down its air space for Boeing 737 MAX planes, the country's news agency Belga quoted transport minister Francois Bellot as saying on Tuesday after the Sunday's deadly plane crash in Ethiopia.

Bermuda prohibits Boeing 737 MAX from its airspace
Bermuda has prohibited Boeing's 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 aircraft from its airspace until further notice following Sunday's deadly plane crash in Ethiopia, the British overseas territory's aviation authority said on Tuesday.

New Zealand suspends Boeing 737 MAX flights
New Zealand's aviation regulator on Wednesday suspended Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft from flying to or from the country, following fatal crashes involving the U.S. planemaker's model in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Canada sees no reason to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8, ready to act if need be
Canada has no plans to ground Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 aircraft but is ready to "act immediately" to suspend flights if new information emerges indicating there is a problem, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said on Tuesday.

Fiji suspends Boeing 737 MAX flights
Fiji Airways and the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji on Wednesday temporarily grounded the carrier's two Boeing Co 737 MAX planes, following two fatal crashes involving the aircraft in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

South American nations evaluating shutting airspace to Boeing 737 MAX: Telam news agency

Argentina and other South American nations are evaluating closing their airspace to Boeing 737 MAX airplanes following two fatal crashes in five months involving that type of plane, Argentina's state-run news agency Telam reported on Tuesday.

U.S. Senate to hold hearing on Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes
The head of a U.S. Senate panel that oversees aviation issues said on Tuesday that he plans to hold hearings on the fatal crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets since October, and suggested it would be "prudent" to temporarily ground the planes.

India grounds Boeing 737 MAX planes; Jet, SpiceJet shares fall
India is grounding U.S. planemaker Boeing Co's 737 MAX aircraft immediately, the ministry of civil aviation said late on Tuesday, following the fatal crash of a plane of the same type in Ethiopia on Sunday.

U.S. will not suspend Boeing 737 MAX planes; discussion on black box analysis

The U.S. aviation regulator said on Tuesday it would not ground Boeing Co 737 MAX planes after a crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people, bucking a trend of countries around the world that have suspended the aircraft's operations.

 

[Yupo]

My friend (who appears to be uniquely sighted) tells me: both crashes are linked by external manipulation. Aside from this the planes are safe. Both carried a passenger of particular interest. Makes me even less inclined to travel by air. Also interesting to me how, if true, the blame is easily focused on one corporation.

 

[angelburst29]

Trump does a back-flip - the 2 recovered black boxes were to be sent to Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) but Germany has declined. Britain and France's air accident investigation agency has not been contacted.

Trump says U.S. to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8s and MAX 9s
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States was going to order the grounding of all Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft after a crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people after rising pressure from U.S. lawmakers and others to join regulators around the world.

U.S. grounds 737 MAX jets, Boeing shares fall again


“We’re going to be issuing an emergency order of prohibition to ground all flights of the 737 MAX 8 and the 737 MAX 9 and planes associated with that line,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“The FAA is prepared to make an announcement very shortly regarding the new information and physical evidence that we’ve have received from the site, and from other locations and through a couple of other complaints,” he said, referring to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Boeing shares, which were up earlier in the session, fell 2 percent to $367.70. The shares have fallen about 13 percent since the crash, losing more than $25 billion of market value.

Black boxes from Ethiopia crash to be sent to Germany: Ethiopian Airlines spokesman
The black boxes from a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane that crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday, killing 157 people, will be sent to Germany for analysis, an Ethiopian Airlines spokesman said.

Germany says will not analyse Ethiopian Airlines black box
Germany's Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) said on Wednesday it will not analyze the black box from the Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet which crashed soon after taking off from Addis Ababa on Sunday.

Ethiopia crash black boxes still in Addis Ababa: airline
Two black box recorders recovered from the crash of Ethiopia Airlines flight 302 are still in the capital Addis Ababa as discussions continue about where in Europe to send them, the airline said on Wednesday.

Black boxes from Ethiopia crash to go to Europe for analysis
The black boxes from a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane that crashed in Ethiopia, killing 157 people, will be sent to Europe for analysis, a spokesman for Ethiopia Airlines said on Wednesday.

France's BEA not contacted by Ethiopia over black box analysis
Ethiopian authorities have not contacted France's air accident investigation agency about receiving the black boxes from the Boeing 737 MAX 8 which crashed near Addis Ababa, a spokesman for the BEA said on Wednesday.

British body says has not been asked to take Ethiopia black boxes
Britain's Air Accident Investigation Branch said on Wednesday it had not received any request to analyze the black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, whose crash on Sunday prompted a number of countries to ground Boeing's 737 MAX planes.

Southwest waives charges on fare differences for customers wanting off 737 MAX
Southwest Airlines Co, the world's largest operator of the Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 with 34 jets, said on Wednesday it is waiving any fare-difference charges for customers who wish to switch to another aircraft.

Kayak soothes nervous Boeing flyers with airplane search filter
Travel website Kayak is making changes to let customers exclude specific aircraft types from searches, and booking sites are looking to reroute passengers, after an unexplained Boeing jet crash that killed 157 people in Ethiopia.

Norwegian Air to seek compensation from Boeing for MAX groundings

Norwegian Air said on Wednesday it will seek compensation from plane maker Boeing for costs and lost revenue after grounding its fleet of 737 MAX 8 aircraft in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

Saudi Arabia has no Boeing 737 MAX in its aircraft registry: civil aviation
Saudi Arabia does not have Boeing 737 MAX planes in its own aircraft registry, an official with the civil aviation authority said on Wednesday.

Ukraine suspends flights of two Boeing 737 models
Ukraine has suspended all flights by Boeing's 737-8 and 737-9 MAX aircraft following Sunday's deadly plane crash in Ethiopia, Ukraine's aviation authority said on Wednesday.

Iraq bans Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from its airspace
Iraq on Wednesday banned U.S. planemaker Boeing Co's 737 MAX aircraft from entering or transiting its airspace, a statement from the civil aviation authority said.

Georgia bars flights of Boeing 737 Max after crash in Ethiopia
Georgia's civil aviation agency on Wednesday temporarily barred Boeing 737 Max jets from taking off or landing at local airports, following the fatal crash involving the aircraft in Ethiopia.

Pilot of crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet reported flight control problems: WSJ

The pilot of the crashed Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 jet had reported flight-control problems and wanted to return to the airport, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing the chief executive officer of the airline.

Boeing Co should ground 737 MAX 8 jets: Ethiopian Airlines CEO
Boeing Co should ground all of its 737 MAX 8 jets until it is established that they are safe to fly, the chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines told the BBC on Wednesday.

FAA to open proceeding on fatal Boeing crashes
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it plans to open a proceeding into two fatal Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 plane crashes after it said data showed "some similarities" in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.

Uzbekistan bars Boeing 737 Max jets from local airports
Uzbekistan's civil aviation agency on Wednesday barred Boeing 737 Max jets from taking off or landing at local airports for one month, following two fatal crashes involving the aircraft in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Thailand aviation regulator suspends Boeing 737 Max 9 flights for a week
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand said on Wednesday it is suspending the use of the Boeing Co's 737 Max 9 due to safety concerns.

 

[Harmony99]

My friend (who appears to be uniquely sighted) tells me: both crashes are linked by external manipulation. Aside from this the planes are safe. Both carried a passenger of particular interest. Makes me even less inclined to travel by air. Also interesting to me how, if true, the blame is easily focused on one corporation.

We all know these deep state have so many ways to removed people from this physical plane. The UN has never lost so much members at one time. It makes me wonder if these members were against the deep state and its effort to create havoc in Venezuela.

 

[Yupo]

Moon of Alabama had a good piece on the subject. As always, so really good stuff in the comments section.

MoA - Boeing, The FAA, And Why Two 737 MAX Planes Crashed

 

[Ocean]

Oman's Authority for Civil Aviation to ground all Boeing 737 MAX airplanes

Muscat Daily

muscatdaily.com

 

[angelburst29]

I didn't make the connection earlier but the Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, is a former Boeing executive. I wonder if this association might have figured into Trump's first reaction in keeping the US's Boeing 737 Max airplanes operational and in the air? 24 hours later, Thump has grounded all Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft.

Top Pentagon official has not spoken to admin about 737's
A former Boeing executive who is now the Acting Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, told the U.S. Congress he has not spoken to anyone in the U.S. administration about issues with the 737 MAX 8 jet grounded Wednesday by the Federal Aviation Administration following crashes.

Ethiopian delegation has flown the black boxes from Ethiopia plane crash to Paris: Ethiopian Airlines
An Ethiopian delegation led by the accident investigation bureau has flown the black boxes from the Ethiopia plane crash from Addis Ababa to Paris for investigation, Ethiopian Airlines said on Thursday.

Ethiopia crash black boxes probed in France, families mourn

Investigators in France took possession of the crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet's black boxes on Thursday, seeking clues into a disaster that has grounded Boeing's global 737 MAX fleet and left scores of families mourning and angry.

Grieving families of Ethiopia crash victims angry at delays
Families of some of the 157 victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 stormed out of a meeting with the airline on Thursday, complaining they were not being given timely information, as others paid their respects at the burnt crash site. The airline had called a meeting with families in a hotel in Addis Ababa but around 100 relatives walked out.

First readings of Ethiopian plane's black boxes may take days: BEA
It may take several days to complete the first readings of the black boxes recovered from the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed after take-off, a spokesman for the French air accident investigation agency conducting the analysis said on Thursday.

NTSB sending three to France to assist in Boeing 'black box' review
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is sending three investigators to France Thursday to assist with the downloading and analysis of flight recorders from the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 that crashed Sunday near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia killing 157 people.

Indonesia to send officials to Ethiopia to aid Boeing crash probe
Indonesia plans to send a flight inspector and an official from its transport safety agency to Ethiopia to help with the probe into Sunday's crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet, Transport Ministry official Polana Pramesti said on Thursday.

Garuda Indonesia CEO says 'possibility' airline will cancel Boeing 737 MAX orders

Garuda Indonesia's chief executive said there is a "possibility" the airline will cancel its orders of Boeing Co's 737 MAXs, with the final decision depending on what the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does.

Boeing faces crisis with worldwide grounding of 737 MAX jetliners
The United States grounded Boeing Co's money-spinning 737 MAX aircraft on Wednesday over safety fears after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, leaving the world's largest planemaker facing its worst crisis in years.

Brazil, Mexico ground Boeing 737 MAX planes after fatal crash
Latin America's two largest nations Brazil and Mexico on Wednesday suspended Boeing Co's 737 MAX aircraft from flying, mirroring actions by European, Chinese and U.S. authorities after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

Panama suspends operations of Boeing 737 MAX jets in its airspace
Panama's civil aviation authority on Wednesday temporarily suspended the operations of all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft in its airspace, following Sunday's deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane.

 

[angelburst29]

Explainer: How to read an aircraft's black box

France's BEA safety investigators are searching for clues as to what caused an Ethiopian Airlines plane to hurtle to the ground after take-off, as they begin analyzing two black boxes that arrived in Paris on Thursday from the crashed Boeing 737 MAX.

Here is how the process works.

WHAT ARE BLACK BOXES?
They are not actually black but high-visibility orange. Experts disagree how the nickname originated but it has become synonymous with the public’s quest for answers when planes crash. Many historians attribute their invention to Australian scientist David Warren in the 1950s. They are mandatory and the aim is to preserve clues from cockpit sounds and data to help prevent future accidents.

HOW BIG ARE THEY?
They weigh about 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) and contain four main parts:

** a chassis or interface designed to fix the device and facilitate recording and playback

** an underwater locator beacon

** the core housing or ‘Crash Survivable Memory Unit’ made of stainless steel or titanium

** inside there, the precious finger-nail sized recording chips on circuit boards which in the latest case could help decide the near-term fate of Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX.

There are two recorders: a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) for pilot voices or cockpit sounds and a Flight Data Recorder (FDR). The BEA released a photo of the FDR from the Ethiopian jet appearing to show that the chip’s crucial housing is intact while the replaceable chassis is crushed.

HOW WILL THE RECORDERS BE HANDLED?
Technicians peel away protective material and carefully clean connections to make sure they do not accidentally erase data. The audio or data file must be downloaded and copied. The data itself means nothing at first. It must be decoded from raw files before being turned into graphs.

Investigators sometimes use “spectral analysis” - a way of examining sounds that allows scientists to pick out barely audible alarms or the first fleeting crack of an explosion.

HOW MUCH INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE?
The L-3 data chip on a similar Lion Air jet that crashed in October contained 1,790 parameters over 19 flights.

The CVR contains two hours of recordings, more than enough to cover the six-minute Ethiopian flight.

“The data recorder typically tells you ‘what’ and ‘how’ the event happened and the cockpit recorder starts to help you understand ‘why’ but may not be enough,” said an investigator.

WHO HEARS THE TAPE?
The BEA has a listening room like a recording studio with audio mixing and playback equipment linked to a screen showing synchronized data, Reuters observed on a recent visit by a group of reporters. Four channels separate voices and ambient noise.

Only the main investigator and a handful of people hear most tapes, which are then sealed. In France, where judges routinely carry out parallel probes, a police officer may be present as well as representatives from foreign investigation agencies.

A technician will first prepare the recording to ensure it is intact. In one of the most dramatic events in the 73-year-old BEA’s history, legal sources say it was at this stage that staff first suspected the captain of a Germanwings jet had been locked out by a suicidal co-pilot in 2015, sending 144 people to their death while he tried to beat down a reinforced door.

Trauma counseling is available for staff hearing tapes.

HOW LONG WILL THE RESULTS TAKE?
Investigators prefer to work methodically but public and media pressure can be intense. Depending on any damage to the boxes and type of accident, some investigators acknowledge they can get a very basic idea in days or even hours. But they stress this is not always the case and rarely the whole story.

Interim reports are published after a month but are often sparse. Deeper investigations take a year or more to complete.

A Lebanese investigation into an Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2010, in which the BEA also analyzed recorders, took two years.

WHAT WILL BLACK BOXES LOOK LIKE IN FUTURE?
A new type of box now being tested by Airbus and the BEA, after it spent two years searching for Air France 447 which crashed in the Atlantic in 2009, would be built into a floatable panel embedded in the outer skin. Bolts would retract allowing it to fall away when the plane feels it is about to crash on water, triggering a radio beacon and avoiding a deep-sea search.

Since that crash and the unresolved disappearance in 2014 of Malaysian Airlines MH370, there has been intense debate about whether black boxes should stream live data back to the ground. French regulators are skeptical, saying it would be hugely costly for little benefit, since most boxes are quickly found.

HOW HAVE THEY EVOLVED?
Older models used to record on wire, foil or reels of magnetic tape. Samples of them are now stacked like an Aladdin’s cave of vintage machinery inside the BEA’s headquarters at Le Bourget airport, Paris. The BEA needs some old equipment to work on systems that are still flying on decades-old aircraft.

Modern versions use computer chips housed inside “crash-survivable” containers able to withstand g-forces 3,400 times the feeling of gravity.