NEW YORK: Boeing’s MCAS anti-stall system, which was implicated in the October crash of a 737 MAX 8 in Indonesia, was also activated shortly before a recent accident in Ethiopia, a source with knowledge of the investigation said Friday.
The information is part of preliminary findings from the analysis of black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, which crashed south-east of Addis Ababa killing 157 people on March 10, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The information was presented Thursday to US authorities, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the source said.
However, the source said the investigation is still underway and officials may still find another culprit in the tragedy.
The information was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Boeing and the FAA declined to comment to AFP.
It was yet another blow to the aviation giant, which just this week unveiled a fix to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
It has tried to restore its battered reputation, even while continuing to insist that the MAX is safe.
The MCAS, which lowers the aircraft’s nose if it detects a stall or loss of airspeed, was developed specifically for the 737 MAX, which has heavier engines than its predecessor.
The initial investigation into the October Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which killed all 189 people on board, found that one of the “angle of attack” sensors failed but continued to transmit erroneous information to the MCAS.
The pilot tried repeatedly to regain control and pull the nose up, but the plane crashed into the ocean.
The flight track of the doomed Ethiopia Airlines flight, which also crashed minutes after takeoff, “was very similar to Lion Air (indicating) there was very possibly a link between the two flights,” FAA acting chief Daniel Elwell told Congress this week.
The FAA grounded the MAX fleet worldwide, but not until two days after most countries had done so.
Boeing MCAS anti-stall system was activated in Ethiopia 737 MAX crash
Boeing MCAS anti-stall system was activated in Ethiopia 737 MAX crash
- Information is part of preliminary findings from the analysis of black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines flight 302
Venezuela advances amnesty bill that could lead to mass release of political prisoners
- Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States
CARACAS: Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday advanced an amnesty bill proposed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez that could lead to the release of hundreds of opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons.
Such an amnesty is a central demand of the country’s opposition and human rights organizations with backing from the United States. But the contents of the bill have not been released publicly, and rights groups have so far reacted with cautious optimism — and with demands for more information.
The bill, introduced just weeks after the US military captured then-President Nicolás Maduro, still requires a second debate that has yet to be scheduled. Once approved, it must be signed by Rodríguez before it can go into effect.
In announcing the bill late last month, Rodríguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled National Assembly would take up the legislation with urgency.
“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism,” she said in a pre-taped televised event. “May it serve to redirect justice in our country, and may it serve to redirect coexistence among Venezuelans.”
Rights groups, fearing some political detainees will be excluded, want more details about the requirements for amnesty before any final vote.
The Venezuelan Program for Education-Action in Human Rights, or PROVEA, issued a statement emphasizing that the bill must be made public urgently due to its potential impact on victims’ rights and broader Venezuelan society.
Based on what is known so far about the legislation, the amnesty would cover a broad timeline, spanning the administration of the late Hugo Chávez from 1999 to 2013 and that of his political heir, Maduro, until this year. It would exclude people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and serious human rights violations, reports indicate.
