Ethiopian Air pilot warned of Boeing 737 Max dangers before crash
An Ethiopian Airlines pilot told senior managers of his concerns about Boeing 737 Max jets months before the fatal crash that claimed he lives of all 149 passengers and eight crew on board earlier in the year.
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The pilot Bernd Kai von Hoesslin, recommended that more training and better communication for crew members was needed to avoid a disaster similar to that involving an Indonesian Lion Air flight at the end of 2018.
According to emails and documents reviewed by Bloomberg, the pilot voiced his concerns in December, warning that in case of a malfunction “it will be a crash for sure.”
Von Hoesslin reportedly left the airline in April and included his previous advice in his resignation letter.
"Some of these concerns were safety-related and well within the duty of the airline to adequately address," he said.
On 10 March, an Ethiopian Airlines jet operated by two of his colleagues crashed just minutes after takeoff killing all 157 people onboard.
The pilot’s communications added further details that could help understand the events leading up to the crash and who was responsible for the failings involved, although it was unclear whether von Hoesslin’s suggestions could have avoided it entirely.
Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Biniam Demssie told Bloomberg: “I can’t comment on anything right now.”