NTSB Finds More Problems with Final Report on Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 Crash

NTSB Finds More Problems with Final Report on ET Max Crash

Ethiopian authorities say an electrical problem caused the Max 8’s left AOA sensor to fail, an assertion disputed by the NTSB.

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 taxis at Malta International Airport in November 2022. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Anna Zvereva)

By Gregory Polek • Senior Editor

January 24, 2023

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday published a second round of comments detailing concerns with several findings in the Ethiopian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (EAIB) final report on the March 10, 2019, crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8. The comments come less than a month after the NTSB protested what it called the investigation’s insufficient attention to the human performance aspects of the accident.

Although the NTSB said it agrees with the finding in the EAIB report related to the role the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and related systems played in the accident, the report also contains findings not supported by evidence, according to the Safety Board. For example, the NTSB specifically cites the EAIB’s conclusion that aircraft electrical problems caused erroneous angle-of-attack (AOA) output.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.