Mar 10, 2020 - World

Ethiopian investigators find design flaws contributed to Boeing crash

Rebecca Falconer

A man carries a piece of debris on his head at the crash site of a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight near Bishoftu — Debris at the crash site of the Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight near Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in March 2019. Photo: Michael Tewelde/AFP via Getty Images

Investigators in Ethiopia have found that Boeing 737 Max jet design flaws contributed to the Ethiopian Airlines crash in the country last year, according to an interim report released Monday.

Why it matters: The report was released as families prepared to mark the first anniversary of the crash, which killed all 157 people on board. This second fatal crash involving a Boeing 737 Max jet within six months prompted scores of countries, including the U.S., to ground the planes.

Key findings: Investigators' final conclusions into the March 10, 2019, crash are expected later this year. But they reported issues including that the pilot training "provided by the manufacturer was found to be inadequate."

Malfunctions related to the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) were a key factor, according to the report.

What they're saying: "Boeing continues to provide technical assistance in support of the investigation, at the request of and under the direction of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the accredited representative for the United States," the company said in a statement, per the Washington Post.

"We look forward to reviewing the full details and formal recommendations that will be included in the final report from the Ethiopian Accident Investigation Bureau."

Of note: On Friday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee published a report into the Boeing 737 MAX model as a result of the crashes, which Axios' Dion Rabouin notes outlined a "laundry list of Boeing's reckless and unforced errors that led to the two plane crashes."

Read the investigators' report:

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Ethiopian investigators find design flaws contributed to Boeing crash

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