ET 409: Report blames pilot error for Ethiopia Airlines crash

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The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane off the coast of Lebanon two years ago which killed all 90 people on board was caused by pilot error, according to a Lebanese report on Tuesday which was challenged by the airline.

The Boeing 737-800 plane, bound for Addis Ababa, crashed minutes after taking off from Beirut in stormy weather on January 25, 2010.

“The probable causes of the accident were the flight crew’s mismanagement of the aircraft’s speed, altitude, headings and (direction) through inconsistent flight control inputs resulting in a loss of control,” said the report by Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

It said the captain’s high workload and stress levels may have led to him losing “situational awareness”.

Ethiopian Airlines dismissed the report, saying investigators ignored evidence including security footage, autopsies, baggage screening, and had declined to provide detailed profiles of passengers.

“We are not surprised that the investigation process in the last couple of years was used only to justify the speculation (that pilot error was to blame) made publicly before the beginning of the investigation process,” the airline’s chief executive officer, Tewolde Gebremariam, said in Addis Ababa.

The Lebanese army said at the time that the plane had broken up in the air before plummeting into rough seas. One witness described the impact as a “flash that lit up the whole sea”.

“The last cockpit voice recording was also a loud noise which sounds like an explosion,” said Desta Zeru, vice president of flight operations. “These facts indicate that the aircraft disintegrated in the air due to explosion, which could have been caused by a shoot-down, sabotage, or lightning strike.”

The eight-year-old plane, carrying mostly Lebanese and Ethiopian passengers, last had a maintenance check a month before the crash and no technical problems had been found, officials said after the crash.

Reuters

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13 responses to “ET 409: Report blames pilot error for Ethiopia Airlines crash”

  1. antar2011 Avatar

    i guess the only reason the ethipean authorities are denying the report because they don’t want to pay insurance for all the family’s victims…it will set the compay broke!

    there is a reason for the pilot to think of suicide and stress is a very possible reason.

    1. Nina Getachew Avatar
      Nina Getachew

      I am not disliking this comment because I am Ethiopian but I think its one of the most stupid and illiterate comments I have ever heard in my entire life. The pilot didn’t decide to blow a plane carrying 90 people to escape a future insurance claim on the company. The Lebanon government is a cover up for something big like may be it was a terrorist attack. Your lack of sincerity to the accident or possible murder disgusts me. 

      1. antar2011 Avatar

        relax you understood wrong.

        i am not saying the pilot was stressed from paying insurance so he decided what the heck and commit suicide.

        i said if the reports were true then the reason for him commiting suicide was stress.

        i said the ethiopean airline company’s side in this matter is understood because if these reports were true then it cannot simply pay compo for all these pple.

        understand now?

        PS i do not give a crap about your illtargeted disgust.

        your emotions in this matter is simply biased and you are not thinking clearly.

        so i say to you go ballet el ba7r.

    2. Nina Getachew Avatar
      Nina Getachew

      I am not disliking this comment because I am Ethiopian but I think its one of the most stupid and illiterate comments I have ever heard in my entire life. The pilot didn’t decide to blow a plane carrying 90 people to escape a future insurance claim on the company. The Lebanon government is a cover up for something big like may be it was a terrorist attack. Your lack of sincerity to the accident or possible murder disgusts me. 

      1. antar2011 Avatar

        relax you understood wrong.

        i am not saying the pilot was stressed from paying insurance so he decided what the heck and commit suicide.

        i said if the reports were true then the reason for him commiting suicide was stress.

        i said the ethiopean airline company’s side in this matter is understood because if these reports were true then it cannot simply pay compo for all these pple.

        understand now?

        PS i do not give a crap about your illtargeted disgust.

        your emotions in this matter is simply biased and you are not thinking clearly.

        so i say to you go ballet el ba7r.

  2.  Avatar

    i guess the only reason the ethipean authorities are denying the report because they don’t want to pay insurance for all the family’s victims…it will set the compay broke!

    there is a reason for the pilot to think of suicide and stress is a very possible reason.

    1. Nina Getachew Avatar
      Nina Getachew

      I am not disliking this comment because I am Ethiopian but I think its one of the most stupid and illiterate comments I have ever heard in my entire life. The pilot didn’t decide to blow a plane carrying 90 people to escape a future insurance claim on the company. The Lebanon government is a cover up for something big like may be it was a terrorist attack. Your lack of sincerity to the accident or possible murder disgusts me. 

      1.  Avatar

        relax you understood wrong.

        i am not saying the pilot was stressed from paying insurance so he decided what the heck and commit suicide.

        i said if the reports were true then the reason for him commiting suicide was stress.

        i said the ethiopean airline company’s side in this matter is understood because if these reports were true then it cannot simply pay compo for all these pple.

        understand now?

        PS i do not give a crap about your illtargeted disgust.

        your emotions in this matter is simply biased and you are not thinking clearly.

        so i say to you go ballet el ba7r.

  3. The Lebanon government didnt give all the information need by the Ethiopian airlines. The Lebanon government give press conference with in 20 minutes of the crash that it was because of the pillot’s Error. They have already decided that the cause was the pilot’s Error. Pictures of the luggage by x-ray, and medical results of the passengers, and passport details of the passengers was not given to Ethiopia. How on Earth Aircraft blown on the skye could be error of a Pilot? The truth will come true soon!

  4. The Lebanon government didnt give all the information need by the Ethiopian airlines. The Lebanon government give press conference with in 20 minutes of the crash that it was because of the pillot’s Error. They have already decided that the cause was the pilot’s Error. Pictures of the luggage by x-ray, and medical results of the passengers, and passport details of the passengers was not given to Ethiopia. How on Earth Aircraft blown on the skye could be error of a Pilot? The truth will come true soon!

  5. The Lebanon government didnt give all the information need by the Ethiopian airlines. The Lebanon government give press conference with in 20 minutes of the crash that it was because of the pillot’s Error. They have already decided that the cause was the pilot’s Error. Pictures of the luggage by x-ray, and medical results of the passengers, and passport details of the passengers was not given to Ethiopia. How on Earth Aircraft blown on the skye could be error of a Pilot? The truth will come true soon!

  6. Lebanon ppl are well known on keeping secret , who killed there loved president is a Mistress to-date.
    but this time the clean blood of some 90 (or less) people is calling out .    

  7. Lebanon ppl are well known on keeping secret , who killed there loved president is a Mistress to-date.
    but this time the clean blood of some 90 (or less) people is calling out .    

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