Investigation Continues into Ethiopian Crash of Boeing 737 MAX 8

Passenger safety is PIT’s top priority amid calls for aircraft to be grounded in U.S.

By Natalie Fiorilli

Published March 12, 2019

Read Time: 2 mins

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March 18 UPDATE: The FAA grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft on Wednesday, March 13. The investigation on the cause behind the crash of Ethiopian Air Flight 302 continues.


Two fatal crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet aircraft in the last five months have caused growing international concern over the plane’s safety.

On March 10, Ethiopian Air Flight 302 crashed near the Ethiopian town of Bishoftu shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 passengers and crew onboard. The first major MAX 8 incident occurred in October when Lion Air Flight 610 crashed minutes after departing from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia, killing 189 people.

While the Federal Aviation Administration has not grounded the 737 MAX 8 in the United States, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) joined China, Australia, and Indonesia, among other countries, in suspending operation of the aircraft on Tuesday.