According to a Dutch firm, the number of people killed due to crashes by commercial planes in 2019 fell by over fifty per cent despite <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-the-fall-of-brand-boeing-268899">Boeing</a> 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia.&nbsp;

Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 said that there were eighty-six accidents which involved large commerical planes in 2019 which resulted in 257 people being killed. It said that there were eight fatal accidents last year. The study found in 2018, 160 accidents occurred with 13 described as being fatal in which 534 people were reportedly killed.&nbsp;

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/airbus-beats-goal-with-863-jet-deliveries-in-2019-ousts-boeing-from-top-spot-271445">Boeing Lion Air </a>737 MAX airliner had crashed in Indonesia in October killing all 189 people on board. Indonesian investigators in a report said the crash occurred due to design flaws in the software.

The Dutch research included crew members, flight attendants, passengers among those killed along with people who were killed on the ground.

In March, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane crashed with &nbsp;157 people on board. Ethiopian Airlines grounded its Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 fleet after the devastating crash which was followed by China and several other countries.

As a result of the crashes, Boeing temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years.

In October, Boeing CEO Muilenburg stepped down amid the crashes as the company appointed David Calhoun as the new CEO. Calhoun will take over the duties of CEO and the President from January 13, 2020. The company fired Kevin McAllister, a top executive linked to the MAX air disaster.

The company named veteran executive Stan Deal to the top job at commercial planes.&nbsp;

Boeing's profits fell in the third quarter after the crashes as the company cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo.

According to a Dutch firm, the number of people killed due to crashes by commercial planes in 2019 fell by over fifty per cent despite Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia.

According to a Dutch firm, the number of people killed due to crashes by commercial planes in 2019 fell by over fifty per cent despite Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia. Dutch aviation consulting firm To70 said that there were eighty-six accidents which involved large commerical planes in 2019 which resulted in 257 people being killed. It said that there were eight fatal accidents last year. The study found in 2018, 160 accidents occurred with 13 described as being fatal in which 534 people were reportedly killed. A Boeing Lion Air 737 MAX airliner had crashed in Indonesia in October killing all 189 people on board. Indonesian investigators in a report said the crash occurred due to design flaws in the software. The Dutch research included crew members, flight attendants, passengers among those killed along with people who were killed on the ground. In March, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane crashed with 157 people on board. Ethiopian Airlines grounded its Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 fleet after the devastating crash which was followed by China and several other countries. As a result of the crashes, Boeing temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years. In October, Boeing CEO Muilenburg stepped down amid the crashes as the company appointed David Calhoun as the new CEO. Calhoun will take over the duties of CEO and the President from January 13, 2020. The company fired Kevin McAllister, a top executive linked to the MAX air disaster. The company named veteran executive Stan Deal to the top job at commercial planes. Boeing's profits fell in the third quarter after the crashes as the company cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo.

Major commercial plane crash deaths down over 50% in 2019: Study

Boeing, acting without adequate oversight from US&nbsp;regulators, failed to grasp risks in the design of cockpit software on its 737 MAX airliner, sowing the seeds for a Lion Air crash that also involved errors by airline workers and crew, Indonesian investigators found.

The fatal crash followed less than five months by another at Ethiopian Airlines, led to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/boeing-profit-slumps-53-as-max-grounding-takes-heavy-toll-257743">global grounding</a> of the&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;737 MAX and a crisis for the world's biggest planemaker, which this week <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-ousts-airliner-chief-as-737-max-crisis-grows-257742">ousted its commercial</a> airplanes chief.

In its final report into the October&nbsp;29, 2018, Lion Air crash that killed all 189 people on board, Indonesia made recommendations to&nbsp;Boeing, the airline, the US&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies.

A copy was seen by Reuters and it is due to be released publicly later on Friday or on Saturday, an investigator said.

Indonesian regulators criticised the design of the anti-stall system known as MCAS, which automatically pushed the plane's nose down, leaving pilots fighting for control.

"The design and certification of the MCAS did not adequately consider the likelihood of loss of control of the aircraft," the report said.

Boeing&nbsp;has been working on a redesign of MCAS although it has yet to certified by the FAA.

The report also said "deficiencies" in the flight crew's communication and manual control of the aircraft contributed to the crash, as did alerts and distractions in the cockpit.

The accident had been caused by a complex chain of events, Indonesian air accident investigator Nurcahyo Utomo told reporters at a news conference, repeatedly declining to be drawn on providing a single dominant cause.

"From what we know, there are nine things that contributed to this accident," he said. "If one of the nine hadn't occurred, maybe the accident wouldn't have occurred."

During the flight, the first officer was unable to quickly identify a checklist in a handbook or perform tasks he should have had memorised, it said, adding that he had also performed poorly in training exercises.

The captain did not properly brief the first officer when handing over control just before the plane entered a fatal dive, it also said.

The report noted that according to the cockpit voice recorder, the first officer told the captain the flight was not in his initial schedule and he had been called at 4 a.m. to be informed of the revision, while the captain said he had the flu.

A critical angle of attack (AOA) sensor providing data to the MCAS anti-stall system had been miscalibrated by a company in Florida and that there were strong indications that it was not tested during installation by Lion Air maintenance staff, the report said.

Lion Air should have grounded the jet following faults on earlier flights, it said, and added that 31 pages were missing from the airline's October maintenance logs.

A Lion Air spokesman said the crash was an "unthinkable tragedy" and it was essential to take immediate corrective actions to ensure a similar accident never occurred again.

Boeing&nbsp;said in a statement that it was addressing Indonesia's safety recommendations and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX.

FAA said it welcomed the report's recommendations and would carefully consider them and all others as it continued to review&nbsp;Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX.

Boeing&nbsp;faces a slew of investigations by regulators, US&nbsp;Congress, and the Department of Justice over its development of the 737 MAX, its previously best-selling workhorse for short-haul travel.

Boeing&nbsp;last month settled the first claims stemming from the Lion Air crash, a US&nbsp;plaintiffs' lawyer said.

Three other sources told Reuters that families of those killed would receive at least $1.2 million each.

The manufacturer is facing nearly 100 lawsuits over the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 which killed all 157 people on board the flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.

Indonesia has offered to aid Ethiopian authorities in their investigation into that crash but to date there has been no response, said Soerjanto, the head of Indonesia's accident investigator.

Boeing&nbsp;CEO Dennis Muilenburg said this week the company was making "daily" progress on testing the final software fix for the 737 MAX and developing related training materials. The FAA has said it would need at least several more weeks for review.

The Indonesia report said that&nbsp;Boeing's safety assessment assumed pilots would respond within three seconds of a system malfunction but on the accident flight and one that experienced the same problem the previous evening, it took both crews about eight seconds to respond.

It called for the systems to be designed not just for highly skilled test pilots but also for regular commercial airline pilots.

The FAA had delegated increasing authority to&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;to certify the safety of its own aircraft, Indonesian investigators said in the report, recommending that all certification processes received adequate oversight.

A panel of international air safety regulators this month also faulted&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;for assumptions it made in designing the 737 MAX and found areas where&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;could improve processes.

Boeing, acting without adequate oversight from US regulators, failed to grasp risks in the design of cockpit software on its 737 MAX airliner, sowing the seeds for a Lion Air crash that also involved errors by airline workers and crew, Indonesian investigators found.

Boeing, acting without adequate oversight from US regulators, failed to grasp risks in the design of cockpit software on its 737 MAX airliner, sowing the seeds for a Lion Air crash that also involved errors by airline workers and crew, Indonesian investigators found. The fatal crash followed less than five months by another at Ethiopian Airlines, led to a global grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and a crisis for the world's biggest planemaker, which this week ousted its commercial airplanes chief. In its final report into the October 29, 2018, Lion Air crash that killed all 189 people on board, Indonesia made recommendations to Boeing, the airline, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies. A copy was seen by Reuters and it is due to be released publicly later on Friday or on Saturday, an investigator said. Indonesian regulators criticised the design of the anti-stall system known as MCAS, which automatically pushed the plane's nose down, leaving pilots fighting for control. "The design and certification of the MCAS did not adequately consider the likelihood of loss of control of the aircraft," the report said. Boeing has been working on a redesign of MCAS although it has yet to certified by the FAA. The report also said "deficiencies" in the flight crew's communication and manual control of the aircraft contributed to the crash, as did alerts and distractions in the cockpit. The accident had been caused by a complex chain of events, Indonesian air accident investigator Nurcahyo Utomo told reporters at a news conference, repeatedly declining to be drawn on providing a single dominant cause. "From what we know, there are nine things that contributed to this accident," he said. "If one of the nine hadn't occurred, maybe the accident wouldn't have occurred." During the flight, the first officer was unable to quickly identify a checklist in a handbook or perform tasks he should have had memorised, it said, adding that he had also performed poorly in training exercises. The captain did not properly brief the first officer when handing over control just before the plane entered a fatal dive, it also said. The report noted that according to the cockpit voice recorder, the first officer told the captain the flight was not in his initial schedule and he had been called at 4 a.m. to be informed of the revision, while the captain said he had the flu. A critical angle of attack (AOA) sensor providing data to the MCAS anti-stall system had been miscalibrated by a company in Florida and that there were strong indications that it was not tested during installation by Lion Air maintenance staff, the report said. Lion Air should have grounded the jet following faults on earlier flights, it said, and added that 31 pages were missing from the airline's October maintenance logs. A Lion Air spokesman said the crash was an "unthinkable tragedy" and it was essential to take immediate corrective actions to ensure a similar accident never occurred again. Boeing said in a statement that it was addressing Indonesia's safety recommendations and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX. FAA said it welcomed the report's recommendations and would carefully consider them and all others as it continued to review Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX. Boeing faces a slew of investigations by regulators, US Congress, and the Department of Justice over its development of the 737 MAX, its previously best-selling workhorse for short-haul travel. Boeing last month settled the first claims stemming from the Lion Air crash, a US plaintiffs' lawyer said. Three other sources told Reuters that families of those killed would receive at least $1.2 million each. The manufacturer is facing nearly 100 lawsuits over the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 which killed all 157 people on board the flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. Indonesia has offered to aid Ethiopian authorities in their investigation into that crash but to date there has been no response, said Soerjanto, the head of Indonesia's accident investigator. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said this week the company was making "daily" progress on testing the final software fix for the 737 MAX and developing related training materials. The FAA has said it would need at least several more weeks for review. The Indonesia report said that Boeing's safety assessment assumed pilots would respond within three seconds of a system malfunction but on the accident flight and one that experienced the same problem the previous evening, it took both crews about eight seconds to respond. It called for the systems to be designed not just for highly skilled test pilots but also for regular commercial airline pilots. The FAA had delegated increasing authority to Boeing to certify the safety of its own aircraft, Indonesian investigators said in the report, recommending that all certification processes received adequate oversight. A panel of international air safety regulators this month also faulted Boeing for assumptions it made in designing the 737 MAX and found areas where Boeing could improve processes.

Indonesia report on 737 MAX crash faults Boeing design, says Lion Air made mistakes

Indonesian authorities have cited failures in the Boeing 737 MAX design and oversight as contributing to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lion-air-crash-cockpit-voice-recorder-describes-pilots-frantic-search-for-fix-say-sources-204511">2018 Lion Air plane crash</a>, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The report into the crash, which will be formally released in early November, also blames pilot error and maintenance issues for the crash that killed 189 people shortly after the flight departed from Jakarta last October, the newspaper said.

The Boeing plane model was later grounded worldwide after an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-boeing-737-plane-crashes-on-way-to-kenya-with-149-passengers-on-board-202327">Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashed</a> after taking off from Addis Ababa in March, killing 157 people.

Preliminary investigations into both accidents have implicated the MCAS anti-stall system, designed specifically for the 737 MAX.

Indonesian investigators could still change their findings, which have been shared with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Wall Street Journal says.

US officials are scheduled to visit Indonesia at the end of September to discuss the report, in which Indonesian investigators list some 100 factors in the crash.

While the NTSB is unlikely to object to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-737-max-ethiopian-airlines-chief-rejects-pilot-error-claim-in-us-227998">findings</a>, Boeing and the FAA are worried that the report "will unduly emphasize design and FAA certification missteps," the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

"Boeing continues to support the investigation as the accident report is being completed," a spokesman for the company told AFP.

The FAA and NTSB declined to comment, referring questions to the Indonesian authorities.

The NTSB is preparing to announce "around the end of the month" recommendations to improve pilot and crew training, and to the FAA's certification process for new airplane models, according to the newspaper.

A panel of international regulators set up by the FAA is also expected in the coming weeks to submit a report critical of the relationship between Boeing and the agency.

New FAA head Steve Dickson is to meet with his international counterparts on Monday ahead of an International Civil Aviation Organisation meeting in Montreal to discuss Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX and its eventual return to service.

Indonesian authorities have cited failures in the Boeing 737 MAX design and oversight as contributing to the 2018 Lion Air plane crash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Indonesian authorities have cited failures in the Boeing 737 MAX design and oversight as contributing to the 2018 Lion Air plane crash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The report into the crash, which will be formally released in early November, also blames pilot error and maintenance issues for the crash that killed 189 people shortly after the flight departed from Jakarta last October, the newspaper said. The Boeing plane model was later grounded worldwide after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashed after taking off from Addis Ababa in March, killing 157 people. Preliminary investigations into both accidents have implicated the MCAS anti-stall system, designed specifically for the 737 MAX. Indonesian investigators could still change their findings, which have been shared with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Wall Street Journal says. US officials are scheduled to visit Indonesia at the end of September to discuss the report, in which Indonesian investigators list some 100 factors in the crash. While the NTSB is unlikely to object to the findings, Boeing and the FAA are worried that the report "will unduly emphasize design and FAA certification missteps," the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. "Boeing continues to support the investigation as the accident report is being completed," a spokesman for the company told AFP. The FAA and NTSB declined to comment, referring questions to the Indonesian authorities. The NTSB is preparing to announce "around the end of the month" recommendations to improve pilot and crew training, and to the FAA's certification process for new airplane models, according to the newspaper. A panel of international regulators set up by the FAA is also expected in the coming weeks to submit a report critical of the relationship between Boeing and the agency. New FAA head Steve Dickson is to meet with his international counterparts on Monday ahead of an International Civil Aviation Organisation meeting in Montreal to discuss Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX and its eventual return to service.

Indonesia blames aeroplane design for 2018 Lion Air crash: Report

Indonesian investigators will give their final report next month on the crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet that killed 189 people last October, the country's civil aviation authority said on Friday.

The 737 MAX, Boeing's best-selling jet, was grounded globally in March following another fatal crash of the jet operated by Ethiopian Airlines. The two crashes together killed 346 people.

A draft of the report by the transport safety agency (KNKT) will be sent next week to Boeing, Lion Air, the US Federal Aviation Administration and other parties to seek feedback, said Polana Pramesti, director general of civil aviation.

"After getting the responses, KNKT will release it in September," Pramesti told Reuters.

The report will include the facts and a chronology of the Lion Air crash, the causes of the incident and give recommendations, said KNKT deputy chairman Haryo Satmiko.

Boeing and the FAA provided data for the report, he said, which is expected to be released at the end of September.

Boeing has been working on an upgrade for a stall-prevention system known as MCAS since the Lion Air crash when pilots were believed to have lost a tug of war with software that repeatedly pushed the nose down.

Boeing said last month it would give $100 million over multiple years to governments and non-profit organizations to help families and communities affected by the crashes of its 737 MAX planes in&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;and Ethiopia.

The airline is the target of a US Department of Justice criminal investigation into the development of the 737 MAX, regulatory probes and more than 100 lawsuits by victims' families.

Indonesian investigators will give their final report next month on the crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet that killed 189 people last October, the country's civil aviation authority said on Friday.

Indonesian investigators will give their final report next month on the crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet that killed 189 people last October, the country's civil aviation authority said on Friday. The 737 MAX, Boeing's best-selling jet, was grounded globally in March following another fatal crash of the jet operated by Ethiopian Airlines. The two crashes together killed 346 people. A draft of the report by the transport safety agency (KNKT) will be sent next week to Boeing, Lion Air, the US Federal Aviation Administration and other parties to seek feedback, said Polana Pramesti, director general of civil aviation. "After getting the responses, KNKT will release it in September," Pramesti told Reuters. The report will include the facts and a chronology of the Lion Air crash, the causes of the incident and give recommendations, said KNKT deputy chairman Haryo Satmiko. Boeing and the FAA provided data for the report, he said, which is expected to be released at the end of September. Boeing has been working on an upgrade for a stall-prevention system known as MCAS since the Lion Air crash when pilots were believed to have lost a tug of war with software that repeatedly pushed the nose down. Boeing said last month it would give $100 million over multiple years to governments and non-profit organizations to help families and communities affected by the crashes of its 737 MAX planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The airline is the target of a US Department of Justice criminal investigation into the development of the 737 MAX, regulatory probes and more than 100 lawsuits by victims' families.

Indonesia to publish final report on Lion Air crash next month

Boeing announced on Wednesday it would give $100 million to communities and families affected by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-regulator-cites-new-flaw-on-grounded-boeing-737-max-230998">two crashes on its 737 MAX planes</a> that claimed 346 lives.

Describing the sum as an "initial investment" over multiple years, the company said it would work with local governments and non-profit organizations to provide "hardship and living expenses" and boost economic development in regions affected by crashes of planes operated by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-737-max-ethiopian-airlines-chief-rejects-pilot-error-claim-in-us-227998">Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air</a>.&nbsp;

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Today we announced $100 million in funds to address family and community needs of those affected by the tragic accidents of JT610 and ET302. These funds will support education and hardship expenses for the families and communities impacted. 
 
Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/U3XLNoW9zo">https://t.co/U3XLNoW9zo</a>
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) <a href="https://twitter.com/Boeing/status/1146441165153218560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Boeing faces numerous lawsuits filed by the victims' families, some of whom have appeared at news conferences or during congressional hearings probing the disasters.

The $100 million figure is less than the list price for several leading 737 MAX planes. Boeing said it would also match donations from employees to families and communities affected by the accidents.&nbsp;

"We at Boeing are sorry for the tragic loss of lives in both of these accidents and these lives lost will continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and on our minds for years to come," said Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg in a statement to the media.&nbsp;

"The families and loved ones of those on board have our deepest sympathies and we hope this initial outreach can help bring them comfort."

Boeing referenced "multiple lawsuits" in an April securities filing, saying it was also cooperating with various regulatory probes.

"We cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss, if any, that may result given the ongoing status of these lawsuits, investigations, and inquiries," the company said in the securities filing.

Boeing announced on Wednesday it would give $100 million to communities and families affected by two crashes on its 737 MAX planes that claimed 346 lives. Describing the sum as an "initial investment" over multiple years, the company said it would work with local governments and non-profit organizations to provide "hardship and living expenses" and boost economic development in regions affected by crashes of planes operated by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air.

Boeing announced on Wednesday it would give $100 million to communities and families affected by two crashes on its 737 MAX planes that claimed 346 lives. Describing the sum as an "initial investment" over multiple years, the company said it would work with local governments and non-profit organizations to provide "hardship and living expenses" and boost economic development in regions affected by crashes of planes operated by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air. Today we announced $100 million in funds to address family and community needs of those affected by the tragic accidents of JT610 and ET302. These funds will support education and hardship expenses for the families and communities impacted. Learn more: https://t.co/U3XLNoW9zo — The Boeing Company (@Boeing) July 3, 2019 × Boeing faces numerous lawsuits filed by the victims' families, some of whom have appeared at news conferences or during congressional hearings probing the disasters. The $100 million figure is less than the list price for several leading 737 MAX planes. Boeing said it would also match donations from employees to families and communities affected by the accidents. "We at Boeing are sorry for the tragic loss of lives in both of these accidents and these lives lost will continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and on our minds for years to come," said Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg in a statement to the media. "The families and loved ones of those on board have our deepest sympathies and we hope this initial outreach can help bring them comfort." Boeing referenced "multiple lawsuits" in an April securities filing, saying it was also cooperating with various regulatory probes. "We cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss, if any, that may result given the ongoing status of these lawsuits, investigations, and inquiries," the company said in the securities filing.

Boeing to give $100 million to families affected by two 737 MAX crashes

Virgin Australia said on Tuesday it had delayed delivery of its order of 48 <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-737-max-software-upgrade-operationally-suitable-faa-panel-211034&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiHkbLmi_fhAhXz8HMBHZ8kCKcQFjAJegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw27GtgdDxnkRoIQyOo2MO_k">Boeing 737 MAX</a> aircraft over safety concerns, following two deadly crashes.

The 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since mid-March following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight and an earlier Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which killed a total of 346 passengers and crew.

Virgin Australia said in a statement that it was deferring delivery of its first batch of planes from November 2019 to July 2021.&nbsp;

"Safety is always the number one priority for Virgin Australia. As we have previously stated, we will not introduce any new aircraft to the fleet unless we are completely satisfied with its safety," Virgin Chief Executive Paul Scurrah said.

"We are confident in Boeing's commitment to returning the 737 MAX to service safely and as a long-term partner of Boeing, we will be working with them through this process", Scurrah said.

Virgin also said it was shifting some of its orders of 737 MAX 8s to Max 10s while keeping the total at 48 planes.

The Virgin announcement comes as Boeing executives faced several shareholder challenges Monday at its annual general meeting, with the crisis raising questions about whether the aerospace giant put profits ahead of safety to market a new narrow-body plane.

The US firm has said both crashes involved erroneous information generated by the anti-stall system.

But it has defended the design of the MAX saying multiple factors can contribute to catastrophic accidents.

Boeing expects the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a test flight of a software fix for the anti-stall system soon.

Virgin Australia said on Tuesday it had delayed delivery of its order of 48 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft over safety concerns, following two deadly crashes. The 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since mid-March following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight and an earlier Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which killed a total of 346 passengers and crew.

Virgin Australia said on Tuesday it had delayed delivery of its order of 48 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft over safety concerns, following two deadly crashes. The 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since mid-March following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight and an earlier Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which killed a total of 346 passengers and crew. Virgin Australia said in a statement that it was deferring delivery of its first batch of planes from November 2019 to July 2021. "Safety is always the number one priority for Virgin Australia. As we have previously stated, we will not introduce any new aircraft to the fleet unless we are completely satisfied with its safety," Virgin Chief Executive Paul Scurrah said. "We are confident in Boeing's commitment to returning the 737 MAX to service safely and as a long-term partner of Boeing, we will be working with them through this process", Scurrah said. Virgin also said it was shifting some of its orders of 737 MAX 8s to Max 10s while keeping the total at 48 planes. The Virgin announcement comes as Boeing executives faced several shareholder challenges Monday at its annual general meeting, with the crisis raising questions about whether the aerospace giant put profits ahead of safety to market a new narrow-body plane. The US firm has said both crashes involved erroneous information generated by the anti-stall system. But it has defended the design of the MAX saying multiple factors can contribute to catastrophic accidents. Boeing expects the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a test flight of a software fix for the anti-stall system soon.

Virgin Australia delays Boeing 737 MAX order over safety concerns

US president Donald Trump gave "branding" advice to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawsuit-filed-against-boeing-over-ethiopian-airlines-crash-206561">struggling Boeing company</a> in the wake of the 737 MAX fiasco asserting that "if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, &amp; REBRAND the plane with a new name."

On Friday, Boeing had announced it would cut production of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-crash-official-report-states-crew-followed-procedures-ceo-says-proud-of-crashed-pilots-efforts-to-save-flight-207903">737 aircraft to 42 planes</a> per month after two recent crashes as its stocks plunged after the announcement.

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What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, &amp; REBRAND the plane with a new name. 
No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1117736685721223168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Boeing also announced it was establishing an advisory panel to review its company-wide policies for designing and developing planes. 
&nbsp; 
Trump in is a tweet, however, said: "No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?"

"What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing."

The US Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) had said last week that more work was needed before the aerospace giant could even submit a proposed fix that is believed to be a factor in the disasters.

Boeing has been hit by two crashes in the past six months, the first in October last year led to the death of 189 people as the Lion Air passenger aircraft crashed. Last month on March 10th Ethiopian Airlines crashed killing all 157 people onboard. The twin crashes led all countries to ground their 737 MAX aircraft as concerns were raised over the flight control system on the plane.

Scrutiny has centred on the MAX 737s anti-stall system, manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system, which is believed to at fault.&nbsp;

Boeing said it would take "any and all" necessary safety measures to ensure the airworthiness of its aircraft.

The company said it plans to release a software fix to the anti-stall system used aboard the 737 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

US president Donald Trump gave "branding" advice to the struggling Boeing company in the wake of the 737 MAX fiasco asserting that "if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name.

US president Donald Trump gave "branding" advice to the struggling Boeing company in the wake of the 737 MAX fiasco asserting that "if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name." On Friday, Boeing had announced it would cut production of 737 aircraft to 42 planes per month after two recent crashes as its stocks plunged after the announcement. What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name. No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019 × Boeing also announced it was establishing an advisory panel to review its company-wide policies for designing and developing planes. Trump in is a tweet, however, said: "No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?" "What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing." The US Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) had said last week that more work was needed before the aerospace giant could even submit a proposed fix that is believed to be a factor in the disasters. Boeing has been hit by two crashes in the past six months, the first in October last year led to the death of 189 people as the Lion Air passenger aircraft crashed. Last month on March 10th Ethiopian Airlines crashed killing all 157 people onboard. The twin crashes led all countries to ground their 737 MAX aircraft as concerns were raised over the flight control system on the plane. Scrutiny has centred on the MAX 737s anti-stall system, manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system, which is believed to at fault. Boeing said it would take "any and all" necessary safety measures to ensure the airworthiness of its aircraft. The company said it plans to release a software fix to the anti-stall system used aboard the 737 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks.

If I were Boeing, I would fix 737 MAX and rebrand the plane with a new name, tweets Trump

Boeing anti-stall software repeatedly forced down the nose of a doomed Ethiopian jet after pilots had turned it off, sources told Reuters, as investigators scrutinise the role played by technology and crew in the fatal March 10 crash.

A preliminary Ethiopian report into the disaster is due to be published within days and may include evidence the software system kicked in as many as four times before the 737 MAX dived into the ground, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lion-air-crash-cockpit-voice-recorder-describes-pilots-frantic-search-for-fix-say-sources-204511">The software known as MCAS</a> is at the centre of accident probes in both the crash of Ethiopian flight 302 and a Lion Air accident in Indonesia five months earlier that together killed 346 people.

It was not immediately clear whether the Ethiopian crew chose to re-deploy the system, which pushes the Boeing 737 MAX downwards to avoid stalling. But one of the sources said investigators were studying the possibility that the software started working again without human intervention.

A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment. Ethiopian investigators were not available for comment.

The Ethiopian crash led to a global grounding of 737 MAX jets and scrutiny of its certification process. Initial results of the accident investigation are due within days.

The stakes are high. The 737 MAX is Boeing's top-selling jet with almost 5,000 on order. Ethiopian Airlines is also in the midst of an expansion drive, while other 737 MAX customers and victims' families want answers, and potentially compensation.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Getting the planes flying again depends partly on the role that Boeing design features are found to have played in the crash, though investigators are also paying attention to airline operations, crew actions and regulatory measures.

Boeing is upgrading the MCAS software and training while stressing that existing cockpit procedures enable safe flight.

People familiar with the investigation have already said the anti-stall software was activated by erroneous 'angle of attack' data from a key aircraft sensor.

Now, the investigation has turned towards how MCAS was initially disabled by pilots following a checklist procedure, but then appeared to start working again repeatedly before the jet plunged to the ground, the two sources said. Boeing issued guidelines to pilots on how to disable the anti-stall system after the Indonesian crash, reminding pilots to use cut-out switches in the console to shut off the system in the event of problems.

Cockpit procedures call for pilots to leave the MCAS system off for the rest of the flight once it has been disengaged.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the pilots had initially followed Boeing's emergency procedures but later deviated from them as they tried to regain control of the plane.

Disabling the system does not shut down the MCAS system completely but severs an electrical link between the software's attempts to give orders to push the plane lower and the actual controls, a person familiar with the aircraft system said.

Investigators are studying whether there are any conditions under which MCAS could re-activate itself automatically, without the pilots intentionally reversing the cut-out manoeuvre.

Safety experts stress the investigation is far from complete and most aviation disasters are caused by a unique combination of human and technical factors.

None of the parties involved in the investigation was available for comment.

Boeing anti-stall software repeatedly forced down the nose of a doomed Ethiopian jet after pilots had turned it off, sources told Reuters, as investigators scrutinise the role played by technology and crew in the fatal March 10 crash.

Boeing anti-stall software repeatedly forced down the nose of a doomed Ethiopian jet after pilots had turned it off, sources told Reuters, as investigators scrutinise the role played by technology and crew in the fatal March 10 crash. A preliminary Ethiopian report into the disaster is due to be published within days and may include evidence the software system kicked in as many as four times before the 737 MAX dived into the ground, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The software known as MCAS is at the centre of accident probes in both the crash of Ethiopian flight 302 and a Lion Air accident in Indonesia five months earlier that together killed 346 people. It was not immediately clear whether the Ethiopian crew chose to re-deploy the system, which pushes the Boeing 737 MAX downwards to avoid stalling. But one of the sources said investigators were studying the possibility that the software started working again without human intervention. A Boeing spokeswoman declined to comment. Ethiopian investigators were not available for comment. The Ethiopian crash led to a global grounding of 737 MAX jets and scrutiny of its certification process. Initial results of the accident investigation are due within days. The stakes are high. The 737 MAX is Boeing's top-selling jet with almost 5,000 on order. Ethiopian Airlines is also in the midst of an expansion drive, while other 737 MAX customers and victims' families want answers, and potentially compensation. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES Getting the planes flying again depends partly on the role that Boeing design features are found to have played in the crash, though investigators are also paying attention to airline operations, crew actions and regulatory measures. Boeing is upgrading the MCAS software and training while stressing that existing cockpit procedures enable safe flight. People familiar with the investigation have already said the anti-stall software was activated by erroneous 'angle of attack' data from a key aircraft sensor. Now, the investigation has turned towards how MCAS was initially disabled by pilots following a checklist procedure, but then appeared to start working again repeatedly before the jet plunged to the ground, the two sources said. Boeing issued guidelines to pilots on how to disable the anti-stall system after the Indonesian crash, reminding pilots to use cut-out switches in the console to shut off the system in the event of problems. Cockpit procedures call for pilots to leave the MCAS system off for the rest of the flight once it has been disengaged. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the pilots had initially followed Boeing's emergency procedures but later deviated from them as they tried to regain control of the plane. Disabling the system does not shut down the MCAS system completely but severs an electrical link between the software's attempts to give orders to push the plane lower and the actual controls, a person familiar with the aircraft system said. Investigators are studying whether there are any conditions under which MCAS could re-activate itself automatically, without the pilots intentionally reversing the cut-out manoeuvre. Safety experts stress the investigation is far from complete and most aviation disasters are caused by a unique combination of human and technical factors. None of the parties involved in the investigation was available for comment.

Ethiopian Airlines crash: Boeing anti-stall software repeatedly forced plane's nose down, say sources 

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-boy-bhavye-suneja-was-reportedly-flying-lion-air-plane-that-crashed-with-189-on-board-174149">The pilots of a doomed Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX</a> scoured a handbook as they struggled to understand why the jet was lurching downwards, but ran out of time before it hit the water, three people with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder contents said.

The investigation into the crash, which killed all 189 people on board in October, has taken on new relevance as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded the model last week after a second deadly accident in Ethiopia.

Investigators examining the Indonesian crash are considering how a computer ordered the plane to dive in response to data from a faulty sensor and whether the pilots had enough training to respond appropriately to the emergency, among other factors.

It is the first time the voice recorder contents from the Lion Air flight have been made public. The three sources discussed them on condition of anonymity.

Reuters did not have access to the recording or transcript.

A Lion Air spokesman said all data and information had been given to investigators and declined to comment further.

The captain was at the controls of Lion Air flight JT610 when the nearly new jet took off from Jakarta, and the first officer was handling the radio, according to a preliminary report issued in November.

Just two minutes into the flight, the first officer reported a "flight control problem" to air traffic control and said the pilots intended to maintain an altitude of 5,000 feet, the November report said.

The first officer did not specify the problem, but one source said airspeed was mentioned on the cockpit voice recording, and a second source said an indicator showed a problem on the captain's display but not the first officer's.

The captain asked the first officer to check the quick reference handbook, which contains checklists for abnormal events, the first source said.

For the next nine minutes, the jet warned pilots it was in a stall and pushed the nose down in response, the report showed. A stall is when the airflow over a plane's wings is too weak to generate lift and keep it flying.

The captain fought to climb, but the computer, still incorrectly sensing a stall, continued to push the nose down using the plane's trim system. Normally, trim adjusts an aircraft's control surfaces to ensure it flies straight and level.

"They didn't seem to know the trim was moving down," the third source said. "They thought only about airspeed and altitude. That was the only thing they talked about."

Boeing Co declined to comment on Wednesday because the investigation was ongoing.

The manufacturer has said there is a documented procedure to handle the situation. A different crew on the same plane the evening before encountered the same problem but solved it after running through three checklists, according to the November report.

But they did not pass on all of the information about the problems they encountered to the next crew, the report said.

The pilots of JT610 remained calm for most of the flight, the three sources said. Near the end, the captain asked the first officer to fly while he checked the manual for a solution.

About one minute before the plane disappeared from radar, the captain asked air traffic control to clear other traffic below 3,000 feet and requested an altitude of "five thou", or 5,000 feet, which was approved, the preliminary report said.

As the 31-year-old captain tried in vain to find the right procedure in the handbook, the 41-year-old first officer was unable to control the plane, two of the sources said.

The flight data recorder shows the final control column inputs from the first officer were weaker than the ones made earlier by the captain.

"It is like a test where there are 100 questions and when the time is up you have only answered 75," the third source said. "So you panic. It is a time-out condition."

The Indian-born captain was silent at the end, all three sources said, while the Indonesian first officer said "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest", a common Arabic phrase in the majority-Muslim country that can be used to express excitement, shock, praise or distress.

The plane then hit the water, killing all 189 people on board.

French air accident investigation agency BEA said on Tuesday the flight data recorder in the Ethiopian crash that killed 157 people showed "clear similarities" to the Lion Air disaster. Since the Lion Air crash, Boeing has been pursuing a software upgrade to change how much authority is given to the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, a new anti-stall system developed for the 737 MAX.

The cause of the Lion Air crash has not been determined, but the preliminary report mentioned the Boeing system, a faulty, recently replaced sensor and the airline's maintenance and training.

On the same aircraft the evening before the crash, a captain at Lion Air's full-service sister carrier, Batik Air, was riding along in the cockpit and solved the similar flight control problems, two of the sources said. His presence on that flight, first reported by Bloomberg, was not disclosed in the preliminary report.

The report also did not include data from the cockpit voice recorder, which was not recovered from the ocean floor until January.

Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of Indonesian investigation agency KNKT, said last week the report could be released in July or August as authorities attempted to speed up the inquiry in the wake of the Ethiopian crash.

On Wednesday, he declined to comment on the cockpit voice recorder contents, saying they had not been made public.

The pilots of a doomed Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX scoured a handbook as they struggled to understand why the jet was lurching downwards, but ran out of time before it hit the water, three people with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder contents said.

The pilots of a doomed Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX scoured a handbook as they struggled to understand why the jet was lurching downwards, but ran out of time before it hit the water, three people with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder contents said. The investigation into the crash, which killed all 189 people on board in October, has taken on new relevance as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded the model last week after a second deadly accident in Ethiopia. Investigators examining the Indonesian crash are considering how a computer ordered the plane to dive in response to data from a faulty sensor and whether the pilots had enough training to respond appropriately to the emergency, among other factors. It is the first time the voice recorder contents from the Lion Air flight have been made public. The three sources discussed them on condition of anonymity. Reuters did not have access to the recording or transcript. A Lion Air spokesman said all data and information had been given to investigators and declined to comment further. The captain was at the controls of Lion Air flight JT610 when the nearly new jet took off from Jakarta, and the first officer was handling the radio, according to a preliminary report issued in November. Just two minutes into the flight, the first officer reported a "flight control problem" to air traffic control and said the pilots intended to maintain an altitude of 5,000 feet, the November report said. The first officer did not specify the problem, but one source said airspeed was mentioned on the cockpit voice recording, and a second source said an indicator showed a problem on the captain's display but not the first officer's. The captain asked the first officer to check the quick reference handbook, which contains checklists for abnormal events, the first source said. For the next nine minutes, the jet warned pilots it was in a stall and pushed the nose down in response, the report showed. A stall is when the airflow over a plane's wings is too weak to generate lift and keep it flying. The captain fought to climb, but the computer, still incorrectly sensing a stall, continued to push the nose down using the plane's trim system. Normally, trim adjusts an aircraft's control surfaces to ensure it flies straight and level. "They didn't seem to know the trim was moving down," the third source said. "They thought only about airspeed and altitude. That was the only thing they talked about." Boeing Co declined to comment on Wednesday because the investigation was ongoing. The manufacturer has said there is a documented procedure to handle the situation. A different crew on the same plane the evening before encountered the same problem but solved it after running through three checklists, according to the November report. But they did not pass on all of the information about the problems they encountered to the next crew, the report said. The pilots of JT610 remained calm for most of the flight, the three sources said. Near the end, the captain asked the first officer to fly while he checked the manual for a solution. About one minute before the plane disappeared from radar, the captain asked air traffic control to clear other traffic below 3,000 feet and requested an altitude of "five thou", or 5,000 feet, which was approved, the preliminary report said. As the 31-year-old captain tried in vain to find the right procedure in the handbook, the 41-year-old first officer was unable to control the plane, two of the sources said. The flight data recorder shows the final control column inputs from the first officer were weaker than the ones made earlier by the captain. "It is like a test where there are 100 questions and when the time is up you have only answered 75," the third source said. "So you panic. It is a time-out condition." The Indian-born captain was silent at the end, all three sources said, while the Indonesian first officer said "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest", a common Arabic phrase in the majority-Muslim country that can be used to express excitement, shock, praise or distress. The plane then hit the water, killing all 189 people on board. French air accident investigation agency BEA said on Tuesday the flight data recorder in the Ethiopian crash that killed 157 people showed "clear similarities" to the Lion Air disaster. Since the Lion Air crash, Boeing has been pursuing a software upgrade to change how much authority is given to the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, a new anti-stall system developed for the 737 MAX. The cause of the Lion Air crash has not been determined, but the preliminary report mentioned the Boeing system, a faulty, recently replaced sensor and the airline's maintenance and training. On the same aircraft the evening before the crash, a captain at Lion Air's full-service sister carrier, Batik Air, was riding along in the cockpit and solved the similar flight control problems, two of the sources said. His presence on that flight, first reported by Bloomberg, was not disclosed in the preliminary report. The report also did not include data from the cockpit voice recorder, which was not recovered from the ocean floor until January. Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of Indonesian investigation agency KNKT, said last week the report could be released in July or August as authorities attempted to speed up the inquiry in the wake of the Ethiopian crash. On Wednesday, he declined to comment on the cockpit voice recorder contents, saying they had not been made public.

Lion Air crash: Cockpit voice recorder describes pilots' frantic search for fix, say sources

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-boxes-show-clear-similarities-with-indonesia-crash-ethiopia-says-203937">Black boxes show 'clear similarities' with Indonesia crash, says Ethiopia</a>

Black box data recovered from an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week show "clear similarities" with a recent crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, Ethiopia's transport minister said on Sunday.

While declining to give details, Dagmawit Moges told journalists the parallels would be the "subject of further study during the investigation," with a preliminary report issued in "30 days".

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/manohar-parrikars-last-rites-to-take-place-in-panaji-on-monday-203924">Manohar Parrikar's last rites to take place in Panaji on Monday</a>

The last rites of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar will be performed at Miramar here on Monday evening, a BJP spokesperson said.

Parrikar, 63, died at his private residence at Dona Paula near the state capital on Sunday evening after a long illness.

A four-term chief minister and former defence minister, Parrikar had been battling pancreatic cancer since February last year. The BJP stalwart's health, which has been fluctuating for over a year, took a turn for the worse in the past two days.&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attacker-to-represent-himself-in-court-reports-203964">New Zealand mosque attacker to represent himself in court: Reports</a>

The accused New Zealand guman, Brenton Tarrant, has sacked his lawyer and will represent himself in court, news reports said Monday.&nbsp;

Tarrant, who is Australian and 28, had walked up to two Christchurch mosques on Friday and started shooting with automatic rifles.&nbsp;

By the time he finished — he was finally arrested by police — he had killed 50 worshippers. The youngest of his victims was three years old.&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-slammed-for-silence-on-white-supremacist-threat-203942">Trump slammed for 'silence' on white supremacist threat</a>

Democrats led by an Arab-American lawmaker attacked President Donald Trump's "silence" on the rise of white supremacy Sunday as a reaction to the New Zealand mosque massacre spilled into a heated US debate over religious and racial bigotry.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-led-alliance-hasnt-reached-a-consensus-on-goa-chief-minister-post-203949">'No consensus yet on next Goa chief minister'</a>

The BJP-led alliance in Goa did not reach a consensus over the next chief minister on Monday, a move necessitated by the death of Manohar Parrikar.

Parrikar (63) died on Sunday evening at his residence near here after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, who arrived here in the early hours of the day, could not secure a consensus between the saffron party and its alliance partners in the state, party MLA Michael Lobo said.

Black boxes show 'clear similarities' with Indonesia crash, says Ethiopia Black box data recovered from an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week show "clear similarities" with a recent crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, Ethiopia's transport minister said on Sunday.

Black boxes show 'clear similarities' with Indonesia crash, says Ethiopia Black box data recovered from an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week show "clear similarities" with a recent crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, Ethiopia's transport minister said on Sunday. While declining to give details, Dagmawit Moges told journalists the parallels would be the "subject of further study during the investigation," with a preliminary report issued in "30 days". Manohar Parrikar's last rites to take place in Panaji on Monday The last rites of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar will be performed at Miramar here on Monday evening, a BJP spokesperson said. Parrikar, 63, died at his private residence at Dona Paula near the state capital on Sunday evening after a long illness. A four-term chief minister and former defence minister, Parrikar had been battling pancreatic cancer since February last year. The BJP stalwart's health, which has been fluctuating for over a year, took a turn for the worse in the past two days. New Zealand mosque attacker to represent himself in court: Reports The accused New Zealand guman, Brenton Tarrant, has sacked his lawyer and will represent himself in court, news reports said Monday. Tarrant, who is Australian and 28, had walked up to two Christchurch mosques on Friday and started shooting with automatic rifles. By the time he finished — he was finally arrested by police — he had killed 50 worshippers. The youngest of his victims was three years old. Trump slammed for 'silence' on white supremacist threat Democrats led by an Arab-American lawmaker attacked President Donald Trump's "silence" on the rise of white supremacy Sunday as a reaction to the New Zealand mosque massacre spilled into a heated US debate over religious and racial bigotry. 'No consensus yet on next Goa chief minister' The BJP-led alliance in Goa did not reach a consensus over the next chief minister on Monday, a move necessitated by the death of Manohar Parrikar. Parrikar (63) died on Sunday evening at his residence near here after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year. Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, who arrived here in the early hours of the day, could not secure a consensus between the saffron party and its alliance partners in the state, party MLA Michael Lobo said.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Boeing is finalising a software update and pilot training linked to the MCAS anti-stalling feature, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-boxes-show-clear-similarities-with-indonesia-crash-ethiopia-says-203937">under scrutiny after two 737 Max 8 crashes</a>, the company's CEO has said.

"Boeing is finalising its development of a previously-announced software update and pilot training revision that will address the MCAS flight control law's behaviour in response to erroneous sensor inputs," the US-based aircraft manufacturer's president and CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, said in a statement Sunday.

On Friday two anonymous industry sources told AFP the upgrade should be ready in about 10 days.

Muilenburg's announcement came after Ethiopia's transport minister earlier Sunday said black box data recovered from the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week shows "clear similarities" with last year's Lion Air accident in Indonesia — which involved the same Max 8 type of aircraft.

Industry sources caution that the MCAS upgrade does not point to a cause of the Ethiopian crash, something Muilenburg's statement also indicated.

He said the MCAS modification is taking place "while investigators continue to work to establish definitive conclusions." The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is an automated safety feature on the 737 Max 8 designed to prevent the plane from entering into a stall, or losing lift.

Both the Lion Air jet, which crashed in October, killing 189 people, and the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, which went down a week ago Sunday, leaving 157 people dead, were fitted with the system.

The two planes experienced similarly erratic steep climbs and descents and fluctuating airspeeds before crashing shortly after takeoff.

A malfunction of the system was implicated in the Lion Air accident.

The 737 Max 8 and 9 have been grounded worldwide since the Ethiopia crash. 
MCAS was introduced by Boeing on the 737 Max 8 because its heavier, more fuel-efficient engines changed the aerodynamic qualities of the workhorse aircraft and can cause the plane's nose to pitch up in certain conditions during manual flight.

Angle of attack sensors on the aircraft tell the MCAS to automatically point the nose of the plane down if it is in danger of going into a stall.

According to the flight data recorder, the pilots of Lion Air Flight 610 struggled to control the aircraft as the automated MCAS system repeatedly pushed the plane's nose down following takeoff.

The pilots of the Ethiopian Airlines plane reported similar difficulty before the aircraft plunged into the ground shortly after takeoff.

A preliminary report on the Lion Air accident blamed it in part on a faulty angle of attack sensor that triggered the MCAS system and automatically forced the plane's nose down.

Boeing came in for some criticism after the Indonesian crash for allegedly failing to adequately inform 737 pilots about the functioning of MCAS or provide training about the system.

After that crash, the company issued a bulletin to airlines operating the 737 Max 8 advising pilots how to override the MCAS system, and said it was working on software updates.&nbsp;

Boeing is finalising a software update and pilot training linked to the MCAS anti-stalling feature, under scrutiny after two 737 Max 8 crashes, the company's CEO has said.

Boeing is finalising a software update and pilot training linked to the MCAS anti-stalling feature, under scrutiny after two 737 Max 8 crashes, the company's CEO has said. "Boeing is finalising its development of a previously-announced software update and pilot training revision that will address the MCAS flight control law's behaviour in response to erroneous sensor inputs," the US-based aircraft manufacturer's president and CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, said in a statement Sunday. On Friday two anonymous industry sources told AFP the upgrade should be ready in about 10 days. Muilenburg's announcement came after Ethiopia's transport minister earlier Sunday said black box data recovered from the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week shows "clear similarities" with last year's Lion Air accident in Indonesia — which involved the same Max 8 type of aircraft. Industry sources caution that the MCAS upgrade does not point to a cause of the Ethiopian crash, something Muilenburg's statement also indicated. He said the MCAS modification is taking place "while investigators continue to work to establish definitive conclusions." The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is an automated safety feature on the 737 Max 8 designed to prevent the plane from entering into a stall, or losing lift. Both the Lion Air jet, which crashed in October, killing 189 people, and the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, which went down a week ago Sunday, leaving 157 people dead, were fitted with the system. The two planes experienced similarly erratic steep climbs and descents and fluctuating airspeeds before crashing shortly after takeoff. A malfunction of the system was implicated in the Lion Air accident. The 737 Max 8 and 9 have been grounded worldwide since the Ethiopia crash. MCAS was introduced by Boeing on the 737 Max 8 because its heavier, more fuel-efficient engines changed the aerodynamic qualities of the workhorse aircraft and can cause the plane's nose to pitch up in certain conditions during manual flight. Angle of attack sensors on the aircraft tell the MCAS to automatically point the nose of the plane down if it is in danger of going into a stall. According to the flight data recorder, the pilots of Lion Air Flight 610 struggled to control the aircraft as the automated MCAS system repeatedly pushed the plane's nose down following takeoff. The pilots of the Ethiopian Airlines plane reported similar difficulty before the aircraft plunged into the ground shortly after takeoff. A preliminary report on the Lion Air accident blamed it in part on a faulty angle of attack sensor that triggered the MCAS system and automatically forced the plane's nose down. Boeing came in for some criticism after the Indonesian crash for allegedly failing to adequately inform 737 pilots about the functioning of MCAS or provide training about the system. After that crash, the company issued a bulletin to airlines operating the 737 Max 8 advising pilots how to override the MCAS system, and said it was working on software updates.

Boeing 'finalising' anti-stall software update after plane crashes

More than 300 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 passenger jets around the world have been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/virtually-every-single-boeing-737-max-plane-around-the-world-now-stands-grounded-203177">taken out of service</a> following two fatal crashes over the past five months in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed almost 350 people in all.

The causes of both crashes are still under investigation. One of the biggest unanswered questions: Was the plane's software to blame?

WHAT WE KNOW &nbsp;

- Boeing has stopped delivery of all new MAX jets to its customers.

- Satellite data gathered from the Ethiopian Airlines flight and evidence from the crash site showed similarities with a Lion Air accident in Indonesia, which prompted the US&nbsp;Federal Aviation Administration to ground all Boeing MAX jets in service.

- Investigators have found a piece of a stabilizer in the wreckage of the Ethiopian jet with the trim set in an unusual position similar to that of the Lion Air plane, two sources familiar with the matter said.

- The pilot of the Ethiopian Airlines flight had reported internal control problems and received permission to return. The pilot of the Lion Air flight had also asked to return not along after taking off from Jakarta.

- Technical analysis of the black boxes from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet is underway in France. It will take several days to complete the first readings from the boxes, French aviation officials said. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to assist and an Ethiopian team arrived in Paris on Friday.

- The Ethiopan Airlines plane requested permission to return to Addis Ababa airport three minutes after takeoff as it accelerated to abnormal speed, the New York Times reported.

- Indonesia plans to move up by about a month the release of an investigation report on the Lion Air crash, which killed all 189 on board, its transport safety committee said on Friday. It now plans to release the report between July and August, ahead of its previous schedule of between August and September.

- Following the Lion Air crash in October, Boeing said it was preparing a software upgrade for the jets. After the Ethiopia crash, the company said it would deploy that upgrade across the fleet in the coming weeks.

- Boeing maintains its new, fuel-efficient jets are safe, but supported the FAA decision to ground them. Fearing a financial hit and brand damage, investors have wiped about $26 billion off the company's market value.

- US&nbsp;lawmakers said the planes could be grounded for weeks to upgrade the software and install it in every plane.

- Boeing plans to release upgraded software for its 737 MAX in a week to 10 days, sources familiar with the matter said on March 16.

- No lawsuits have been filed since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, but some plaintiffs' lawyers said they expect that Boeing will be sued in the United States.

WHAT'S NEXT?

- Investigators are expected to release a preliminary report based on information they glean from the data and cockpit recordings captured by the two black boxes.

- Ethiopian Airlines said on March 16 that DNA testing of the remains of the passengers may take up to six months.

- A decision will be made by countries about whether and when to lift the grounding of the Boeing jets based on that information.

More than 300 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 passenger jets around the world have been taken out of service following two fatal crashes over the past five months in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed almost 350 people in all.

More than 300 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 passenger jets around the world have been taken out of service following two fatal crashes over the past five months in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed almost 350 people in all. The causes of both crashes are still under investigation. One of the biggest unanswered questions: Was the plane's software to blame? WHAT WE KNOW - Boeing has stopped delivery of all new MAX jets to its customers. - Satellite data gathered from the Ethiopian Airlines flight and evidence from the crash site showed similarities with a Lion Air accident in Indonesia, which prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration to ground all Boeing MAX jets in service. - Investigators have found a piece of a stabilizer in the wreckage of the Ethiopian jet with the trim set in an unusual position similar to that of the Lion Air plane, two sources familiar with the matter said. - The pilot of the Ethiopian Airlines flight had reported internal control problems and received permission to return. The pilot of the Lion Air flight had also asked to return not along after taking off from Jakarta. - Technical analysis of the black boxes from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet is underway in France. It will take several days to complete the first readings from the boxes, French aviation officials said. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to assist and an Ethiopian team arrived in Paris on Friday. - The Ethiopan Airlines plane requested permission to return to Addis Ababa airport three minutes after takeoff as it accelerated to abnormal speed, the New York Times reported. - Indonesia plans to move up by about a month the release of an investigation report on the Lion Air crash, which killed all 189 on board, its transport safety committee said on Friday. It now plans to release the report between July and August, ahead of its previous schedule of between August and September. - Following the Lion Air crash in October, Boeing said it was preparing a software upgrade for the jets. After the Ethiopia crash, the company said it would deploy that upgrade across the fleet in the coming weeks. - Boeing maintains its new, fuel-efficient jets are safe, but supported the FAA decision to ground them. Fearing a financial hit and brand damage, investors have wiped about $26 billion off the company's market value. - US lawmakers said the planes could be grounded for weeks to upgrade the software and install it in every plane. - Boeing plans to release upgraded software for its 737 MAX in a week to 10 days, sources familiar with the matter said on March 16. - No lawsuits have been filed since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, but some plaintiffs' lawyers said they expect that Boeing will be sued in the United States. WHAT'S NEXT? - Investigators are expected to release a preliminary report based on information they glean from the data and cockpit recordings captured by the two black boxes. - Ethiopian Airlines said on March 16 that DNA testing of the remains of the passengers may take up to six months. - A decision will be made by countries about whether and when to lift the grounding of the Boeing jets based on that information.

Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft: What comes next? 

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/full-confidence-in-safety-of-737-max-plane-boeing-203079">Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets</a>, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.&nbsp;

The world's biggest planemaker is facing its most serious crisis in years, as the decades-old 737 programme, one of its most reliable sources of cash and profits, takes a severe blow to its prestige.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-not-to-suspend-boeing-737-max-plane-federal-aviation-administration-202979">US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) </a>cited new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday`s crash near Addis Ababa for its decision to ground the planes.&nbsp;

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It was the second time the FAA has halted flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It had grounded the 787 Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries.

Shares of the Seattle-based company ended up 0.5 per cent at $377.14, recovering from a more than 3 per cent fall in the afternoon when the FAA announcement was made.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-all-boeing-737-max-planes-now-grounded-government-warns-tomorrow-will-be-real-challenging-day-203110">All Boeing 737 Max planes now grounded in India</a>

Tim Ghriskey, chief investment strategist at Inverness Counsel in New York, said the grounding gives <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-look-at-how-boeing-could-lose-billions-of-dollars-post-the-ethiopian-airlines-crash-203172">Boeing</a> time to address any problems and not face another potential disaster.

US airlines that operate the 737 MAX, Southwest Airlines Co, American Airlines Group Inc and United Airlines, said they were working to re-book passengers.

Southwest is the world`s largest operator of the 737 MAX 8 with 34 jets, while American flies 24 MAX 8s and United 14 MAX 9s.&nbsp;

Shares of Southwest fell 0.4 per cent.&nbsp;

"The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analysed today," the FAA said in a statement, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded.&nbsp;

"This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision."

The grounding will remain in effect as the FAA investigates.

Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said in a statement that it supported the move to temporarily ground 737 MAX flights.

"Boeing has determined - out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety - to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft."

The still-unexplained crash followed another involving a Boeing 737 MAX in Indonesia five months ago that killed 189 people. Although there is no proof of any link, the twin disasters have spooked passengers.

France`s air accident investigation agency BEA will analyse black-box cockpit voice and data recorders from the crashed plane, a spokesman said.

The French announcement resolved uncertainty over the fate of the two recorders after Germany`s BFU said it had declined a request to handle them because it could not process the new type of recorder used on the 737 MAX jets, in service since 2017.

Travel website Kayak was making changes to let customers exclude specific aircraft types from searches, and booking sites were looking to reroute passengers.

The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States. John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents aviation workers and flight attendants, said the grounding of the fleet was right "both for air travellers and aviation workers."

Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane model in October.

US-based aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA, Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman Jessie Hillenbrand said.&nbsp;

Aireon`s space-based system can monitor data from aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. The data is considered less detailed than that in black boxes, which look at systems running inside the plane.

Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed to external factors such as birds.

"The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back," he said.&nbsp;

The chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Democrat Peter DeFazio, called for a probe into why the 737 MAX received certification to fly.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

"There must be a rigorous investigation into why the aircraft, which has critical safety systems that did not exist on prior models, was certified without requiring additional pilot training," he said.

Panama`s Copa Holdings said it would also suspend operations of its six Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, but Latin America has largely left it up to carriers to make their own decisions. As of Wednesday night, regulators in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, the largest air travel markets in the region, had not forced the grounding of planes.

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months. The world's biggest planemaker is facing its most serious crisis in years, as the decades-old 737 programme, one of its most reliable sources of cash and profits, takes a severe blow to its prestige. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday`s crash near Addis Ababa for its decision to ground the planes. × It was the second time the FAA has halted flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It had grounded the 787 Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries. Shares of the Seattle-based company ended up 0.5 per cent at $377.14, recovering from a more than 3 per cent fall in the afternoon when the FAA announcement was made. Also read: All Boeing 737 Max planes now grounded in India Tim Ghriskey, chief investment strategist at Inverness Counsel in New York, said the grounding gives Boeing time to address any problems and not face another potential disaster. US airlines that operate the 737 MAX, Southwest Airlines Co, American Airlines Group Inc and United Airlines, said they were working to re-book passengers. Southwest is the world`s largest operator of the 737 MAX 8 with 34 jets, while American flies 24 MAX 8s and United 14 MAX 9s. Shares of Southwest fell 0.4 per cent. "The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analysed today," the FAA said in a statement, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded. "This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision." The grounding will remain in effect as the FAA investigates. Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said in a statement that it supported the move to temporarily ground 737 MAX flights. "Boeing has determined - out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety - to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft." The still-unexplained crash followed another involving a Boeing 737 MAX in Indonesia five months ago that killed 189 people. Although there is no proof of any link, the twin disasters have spooked passengers. France`s air accident investigation agency BEA will analyse black-box cockpit voice and data recorders from the crashed plane, a spokesman said. The French announcement resolved uncertainty over the fate of the two recorders after Germany`s BFU said it had declined a request to handle them because it could not process the new type of recorder used on the 737 MAX jets, in service since 2017. Travel website Kayak was making changes to let customers exclude specific aircraft types from searches, and booking sites were looking to reroute passengers. The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States. John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents aviation workers and flight attendants, said the grounding of the fleet was right "both for air travellers and aviation workers." Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane model in October. US-based aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA, Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman Jessie Hillenbrand said. Aireon`s space-based system can monitor data from aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. The data is considered less detailed than that in black boxes, which look at systems running inside the plane. Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed to external factors such as birds. "The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back," he said. The chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Democrat Peter DeFazio, called for a probe into why the 737 MAX received certification to fly. "There must be a rigorous investigation into why the aircraft, which has critical safety systems that did not exist on prior models, was certified without requiring additional pilot training," he said. Panama`s Copa Holdings said it would also suspend operations of its six Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, but Latin America has largely left it up to carriers to make their own decisions. As of Wednesday night, regulators in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, the largest air travel markets in the region, had not forced the grounding of planes.

US joins other nations in grounding 737 MAX jets after Ethiopian Airlines plane

Ethiopian Airlines said today that it had flown the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-joins-other-nations-in-grounding-737-max-jets-after-second-crash-203179">Flight Data Recorder (FDR)</a> and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the crashed Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Paris for investigation.

The Boeing flight crashed with 157 people on board as several countries including the US, India, Singapore and other countries grounded the 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

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An Ethiopian delegation led by Accident Investigation Bureau(AIB) has flown the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to Paris, France for investigation.
— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) <a href="https://twitter.com/flyethiopian/status/1106068808454860800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ethiopia had said earlier it would send the boxes from the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to Europe because it does not have the equipment to read the data, but did not specify a country.

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US authorities said new evidence showed similarities between Sunday's deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 and a fatal Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October.

American Airlines said it had 24 aircraft affected by the US ban, while Southwest Airlines said it was still confirming the move.

The MAX series is Boeing's fastest-selling model.

There are 74 of the planes registered in the United States, and 387 in use worldwide with 59 carriers, according to the FAA.

On Sunday, a new Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board.

In October, a Lion Air jet of the same model crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people shortly after takeoff from Jakarta.

Turkish Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the world, said it was suspending its 12 MAX aircraft from Wednesday, until "uncertainty" was clarified.

Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, South Korea's Eastar Jet and South Africa's Comair also said they would halt flights.

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Ethiopian Airlines said today that it had flown the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the crashed Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Paris for investigation.

Ethiopian Airlines said today that it had flown the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the crashed Boeing 737 MAX 8 to Paris for investigation. The Boeing flight crashed with 157 people on board as several countries including the US, India, Singapore and other countries grounded the 737 MAX 8 aircraft. An Ethiopian delegation led by Accident Investigation Bureau(AIB) has flown the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to Paris, France for investigation. — Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 14, 2019 × Ethiopia had said earlier it would send the boxes from the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to Europe because it does not have the equipment to read the data, but did not specify a country. US authorities said new evidence showed similarities between Sunday's deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 and a fatal Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October. American Airlines said it had 24 aircraft affected by the US ban, while Southwest Airlines said it was still confirming the move. The MAX series is Boeing's fastest-selling model. There are 74 of the planes registered in the United States, and 387 in use worldwide with 59 carriers, according to the FAA. On Sunday, a new Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board. In October, a Lion Air jet of the same model crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. Turkish Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the world, said it was suspending its 12 MAX aircraft from Wednesday, until "uncertainty" was clarified. Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, South Korea's Eastar Jet and South Africa's Comair also said they would halt flights.

Black boxes of crashed Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft sent to France

India has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.&nbsp;

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said late Tuesday that it had banned the aircraft from flying in light of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-call-you-when-i-land-texted-indian-passenger-who-lost-life-in-ethiopia-crash-202892">Ethiopian Airlines crash</a> on Sunday which killed all 157 people, including four Indians, on board.&nbsp;

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken the decision to ground the Boeing 737-MAX planes immediately. <a href="https://t.co/jWS7qZaDYQ">pic.twitter.com/jWS7qZaDYQ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1105529965464838144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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This was the second Boeing 737 Max 8 crash in less than five months.&nbsp;

On October 29 last year, a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft belonging to the Indonesian carrier Lion Air <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-boy-bhavye-suneja-was-reportedly-flying-lion-air-plane-that-crashed-with-189-on-board-174149">had crashed into the Java Sea about 12 minutes after taking off</a> from Jakarta.&nbsp;

The Ethiopian Airlines plane, which had been en route to Nairobi, had crashed about six minutes after taking off from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.&nbsp;

"We are likely to ban the use of 737 Max 8 by Indian airlines... The discussions are ongoing," PTI had quoted a DGCA official as saying earlier on Tuesday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/spicejet-defends-sophisticated-boeing-737-max-202917">SpiceJet</a> currently has around 12 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in its fleet, while Jet Airways has five, which are currently grounded.

(With inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

India has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said late Tuesday that it had banned the aircraft from flying in light of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday which killed all 157 people, including four Indians, on board.

India has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said late Tuesday that it had banned the aircraft from flying in light of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday which killed all 157 people, including four Indians, on board. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken the decision to ground the Boeing 737-MAX planes immediately. pic.twitter.com/jWS7qZaDYQ — ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2019 × This was the second Boeing 737 Max 8 crash in less than five months. On October 29 last year, a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft belonging to the Indonesian carrier Lion Air had crashed into the Java Sea about 12 minutes after taking off from Jakarta. The Ethiopian Airlines plane, which had been en route to Nairobi, had crashed about six minutes after taking off from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. "We are likely to ban the use of 737 Max 8 by Indian airlines... The discussions are ongoing," PTI had quoted a DGCA official as saying earlier on Tuesday. SpiceJet currently has around 12 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in its fleet, while Jet Airways has five, which are currently grounded. (With inputs from PTI)

After second crash in 5 months, India bans Boeing's 737 Max 8 aircraft

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/search-for-black-box-of-crashed-ethiopian-airliner-continues-202461">Ethiopian Airlines</a> has grounded its Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 fleet until further notice, the airline said on its Twitter account on Monday, a day after a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-boeing-737-plane-crashes-on-way-to-kenya-with-149-passengers-on-board-202327">crash killed all 157 people </a>on board one of its planes of the same type.

"Although we don't yet know the cause of the crash, we had to decide to ground the particular fleet as extra safety precaution," the airline said.

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Accident Bulletin no. 5 Issued on March 11, 2019 at 07:08 AM Local Time <a href="https://t.co/rwxa51Fgij">pic.twitter.com/rwxa51Fgij</a>
— Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) <a href="https://twitter.com/flyethiopian/status/1104965069710999552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ethiopian Airlines has a fleet of four 737 MAX 8 jets, not counting the one that crashed on Sunday, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-orders-its-airlines-to-suspend-use-of-boeing-737-max-aircraft-202485">China on Monday ordered its airlines</a> to suspend operations of their 737 MAX 8 jets by 6 pm following the crash in Ethiopia, the second of a Boeing 737 MAX jet since one operated by Indonesia's Lion Air crashed in October.

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It was the second crash of the 737 MAX, the latest version of Boeing's workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017.

In October, a 737 MAX was flown by Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air flying from Jakarta on a domestic flight crashed 13 minutes after take-off, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board.

Ethiopian Airlines has grounded its Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 fleet until further notice, the airline said on its Twitter account on Monday, a day after a crash killed all 157 people on board one of its planes of the same type.

Ethiopian Airlines has grounded its Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 fleet until further notice, the airline said on its Twitter account on Monday, a day after a crash killed all 157 people on board one of its planes of the same type. "Although we don't yet know the cause of the crash, we had to decide to ground the particular fleet as extra safety precaution," the airline said. Accident Bulletin no. 5 Issued on March 11, 2019 at 07:08 AM Local Time pic.twitter.com/rwxa51Fgij — Ethiopian Airlines (@flyethiopian) March 11, 2019 × Ethiopian Airlines has a fleet of four 737 MAX 8 jets, not counting the one that crashed on Sunday, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. China on Monday ordered its airlines to suspend operations of their 737 MAX 8 jets by 6 pm following the crash in Ethiopia, the second of a Boeing 737 MAX jet since one operated by Indonesia's Lion Air crashed in October. It was the second crash of the 737 MAX, the latest version of Boeing's workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017. In October, a 737 MAX was flown by Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air flying from Jakarta on a domestic flight crashed 13 minutes after take-off, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board.

Ethiopian Airlines grounds Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet after crash

Boeing 737: Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines and the Indian connection

Indonesia has found the cockpit voice <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawsuit-blames-lion-air-crash-on-boeings-dangerous-airplane-186708">recorder from a Lion Air plane</a> more than two months after the Boeing Co 737 MAX jet crashed into the sea near Jakarta, killing all 189 on board, an official said on Monday.

"It's been found, but we have not received information of the location yet," Haryo Satmiko, deputy chief of Indonesia's transport safety committee (KNKT), said by text message.

The cockpit voice recorder is one of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-provide-answers-after-investigation-into-lion-air-crash-is-over-boeing-to-wion-185379"> two so-called black boxes crucial </a>for the investigation of a plane crash. The flight data recorder was retrieved three days after the crash, providing insight into aircraft systems and crew inputs, although the cause has yet to be determined.

Contact with flight JT610 was lost 13 minutes after it took off on October&nbsp;29 from Jakarta heading north to the tin-mining town of Pangkal Pinang.

The main wreckage and the CVR, one of two so-called black boxes, were not recovered in an initial search. Lion Air said in December it was funding a $2.64 million search using the offshore supply ship MPV Everest.

Lion Air's decision to foot the bill for the search is a rare test of global norms regarding search independence, as such costs are typically paid by governments.

A preliminary report by KNKT focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor but did not give a cause for the crash.

The family of the Indonesian co-pilot of the flight filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Friday against Boeing in Chicago, adding to litigation piling up against the planemaker.

The lawsuit alleges that the Lion Air-operated Boeing 737 MAX jet was unreasonably dangerous because its sensors provided inconsistent information to both the pilots and the aircraft.

At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Boeing in Chicago by relatives of victims.

Indonesia has found the cockpit voice recorder from a Lion Air plane more than two months after the Boeing Co 737 MAX jet crashed into the sea near Jakarta, killing all 189 on board, an official said on Monday.

Indonesia has found the cockpit voice recorder from a Lion Air plane more than two months after the Boeing Co 737 MAX jet crashed into the sea near Jakarta, killing all 189 on board, an official said on Monday. "It's been found, but we have not received information of the location yet," Haryo Satmiko, deputy chief of Indonesia's transport safety committee (KNKT), said by text message. The cockpit voice recorder is one of the two so-called black boxes crucial for the investigation of a plane crash. The flight data recorder was retrieved three days after the crash, providing insight into aircraft systems and crew inputs, although the cause has yet to be determined. Contact with flight JT610 was lost 13 minutes after it took off on October 29 from Jakarta heading north to the tin-mining town of Pangkal Pinang. The main wreckage and the CVR, one of two so-called black boxes, were not recovered in an initial search. Lion Air said in December it was funding a $2.64 million search using the offshore supply ship MPV Everest. Lion Air's decision to foot the bill for the search is a rare test of global norms regarding search independence, as such costs are typically paid by governments. A preliminary report by KNKT focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor but did not give a cause for the crash. The family of the Indonesian co-pilot of the flight filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Friday against Boeing in Chicago, adding to litigation piling up against the planemaker. The lawsuit alleges that the Lion Air-operated Boeing 737 MAX jet was unreasonably dangerous because its sensors provided inconsistent information to both the pilots and the aircraft. At least two other lawsuits have been filed against Boeing in Chicago by relatives of victims.

Lion Air cockpit voice recorder found, no information on location yet: Indonesia

Indonesia will launch a renewed search effort as early as Tuesday to find the cockpit voice recorder from a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawsuit-blames-lion-air-crash-on-boeings-dangerous-airplane-186708">Lion Air jet that crashed </a>into the Java Sea in October, the head of its accident investigation agency said.

"If the weather is good, the ship will start to depart today," National Transporation Safety Commission (KNKT) Chief Soerjanto Tjahjono told Reuters on Tuesday.

The crash, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-provide-answers-after-investigation-into-lion-air-crash-is-over-boeing-to-wion-185379">the world's first of a Boeing Co</a> 737 MAX jet and the deadliest of 2018, killed all 189 people on board.

Investigators last week said they planned to use a navy ship for a fresh search for the crashed jet's second "black box" after a 10-day effort funded by Lion Air failed to find the cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

A KNKT source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the team will have seven days using the ship KRI Spica to find the CVR, which could hold vital clues giving investigators insight into the actions of the doomed jet's pilots.

Tjahjono declined to comment on whether there was a time limit on the search.

Contact with flight JT610 was lost 13 minutes after it took off on October 29 from the capital Jakarta heading north to the tin-mining town of Pangkal Pinang.

The other black box, the flight data recorder, was recovered three days after the crash.

A preliminary report by KNKT focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor but did not give a cause for the crash.

The crash, the world's first of a Boeing Co 737 MAX jet and the deadliest of 2018, killed all 189 people on board.

Indonesia will launch a renewed search effort as early as Tuesday to find the cockpit voice recorder from a Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea in October, the head of its accident investigation agency said. "If the weather is good, the ship will start to depart today," National Transporation Safety Commission (KNKT) Chief Soerjanto Tjahjono told Reuters on Tuesday. The crash, the world's first of a Boeing Co 737 MAX jet and the deadliest of 2018, killed all 189 people on board. Investigators last week said they planned to use a navy ship for a fresh search for the crashed jet's second "black box" after a 10-day effort funded by Lion Air failed to find the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). A KNKT source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the team will have seven days using the ship KRI Spica to find the CVR, which could hold vital clues giving investigators insight into the actions of the doomed jet's pilots. Tjahjono declined to comment on whether there was a time limit on the search. Contact with flight JT610 was lost 13 minutes after it took off on October 29 from the capital Jakarta heading north to the tin-mining town of Pangkal Pinang. The other black box, the flight data recorder, was recovered three days after the crash. A preliminary report by KNKT focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor but did not give a cause for the crash.

Indonesia to resume search for Lion Air's cockpit voice recorder

A lawsuit filed in Chicago blames Boeing for the deadly Lion Air crash off the coast of Indonesia that killed all onboard, claiming the manufacturer's airplane was "unreasonably dangerous," a US law firm announced Wednesday.

The suit, filed Monday in the Midwestern city where Boeing is based, alleges the two-month-old plane's safety system improperly engaged and pilots were not adequately instructed by the plane manufacturer on how to respond.&nbsp;

Lion Air Flight 610 vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, crashing into waters off the north coast of Indonesia's Java Island and killing all 189 people onboard.&nbsp;

About 30 relatives of the crash victims have filed lawsuits against Boeing, alleging that faults with the new model 737 MAX led to the deaths.

The Chicago lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family of passenger Sudibyo Onggo Wardoyo, 40, of Jakarta.&nbsp;

"Not only did Boeing place sensors that provided inaccurate data, it also failed to provide the plane's pilots adequate instructions. It was like Boeing first blindfolded and then tied the hands of the pilots," the family's attorney Thomas Demetrio said in a statement.&nbsp;

The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency suggested that pilots struggled to control the plane's anti-stalling system immediately before the crash.

Boeing responded to the November report by pointing to the actions of the pilots and claiming an earlier flight on the same plane ended safely when pilots successfully dealt with erroneous sensor data.&nbsp;

"The 737 MAX is as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies," the manufacturer said in a statement.&nbsp;

A final crash report is not likely to be filed until next year.&nbsp;

Boeing did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit.&nbsp;

The suit alleges the two-month-old plane's safety system improperly engaged and pilots were not adequately instructed by the plane manufacturer on how to respond.

A lawsuit filed in Chicago blames Boeing for the deadly Lion Air crash off the coast of Indonesia that killed all onboard, claiming the manufacturer's airplane was "unreasonably dangerous," a US law firm announced Wednesday. The suit, filed Monday in the Midwestern city where Boeing is based, alleges the two-month-old plane's safety system improperly engaged and pilots were not adequately instructed by the plane manufacturer on how to respond. Lion Air Flight 610 vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, crashing into waters off the north coast of Indonesia's Java Island and killing all 189 people onboard. About 30 relatives of the crash victims have filed lawsuits against Boeing, alleging that faults with the new model 737 MAX led to the deaths. The Chicago lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family of passenger Sudibyo Onggo Wardoyo, 40, of Jakarta. "Not only did Boeing place sensors that provided inaccurate data, it also failed to provide the plane's pilots adequate instructions. It was like Boeing first blindfolded and then tied the hands of the pilots," the family's attorney Thomas Demetrio said in a statement. The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency suggested that pilots struggled to control the plane's anti-stalling system immediately before the crash. Boeing responded to the November report by pointing to the actions of the pilots and claiming an earlier flight on the same plane ended safely when pilots successfully dealt with erroneous sensor data. "The 737 MAX is as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies," the manufacturer said in a statement. A final crash report is not likely to be filed until next year. Boeing did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit.

US lawsuit blames Lion Air crash on Boeing's 'dangerous' airplane

In pics: 2018, a catastrophic year for Indonesia

US aeroplane maker Boeing has defended its global fleet of 737 Max aircraft, &nbsp;a variant of which was involved in the tragic Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October. Speaking exclusively to WION, Dinesk Keskar, Senior VP, Boeing Commercial Planes, added Boeing would provide answers once the investigation into the crash is over. &nbsp;

"Safety (is) at (the) core of the Boeing company," Keskar told WION.&nbsp;

The Lion Air crash was one of the worst air disasters of all time.&nbsp;

The Boeing 737-Max plane — one of its pilots <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-boy-bhavye-suneja-was-reportedly-flying-lion-air-plane-that-crashed-with-189-on-board-174149">was Delhi boy Bhavye Suneja</a> — crashed into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta on October 29.&nbsp;

All 189 passengers and crew on board were killed.&nbsp;

Moments after takeoff, the pilots of the Lion Air flight battled to control the 737-Max after faulty data from a sensor repeatedly forced the aircraft to tilt its nose down.

Indonesian investigators have blamed the aircraft, saying that the Boeing 737-Max was not airworthy and that it should have been grounded.&nbsp;

Since the crash, WION has run a number of reports on airline safety and accountability.&nbsp;

The question is, if there were lapses on Boeing's part, who will punish it?&nbsp;

Keskar told WION Boeing "make sure that our airplanes are safe, the crew that operates is safe and at the same time, the customers... are all important".&nbsp;

Keskar added that "our chairman and CEO has said Boeing Max is as safe as any other plane flying out there".&nbsp;

And he said that Boeing would look into all aspects of the investigation and provide answers once it is complete.&nbsp;

Since the crash, Lion Air has indicated that it could scrap a $22 billion order for the Boeing jet. That of course could hurt Boeing just as much, if not more, than the findings of the investigation into the crash.&nbsp;

US aeroplane maker Boeing has defended its global fleet of 737 Max aircraft, a variant of which was involved in the tragic Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October.

US aeroplane maker Boeing has defended its global fleet of 737 Max aircraft, a variant of which was involved in the tragic Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October. Speaking exclusively to WION, Dinesk Keskar, Senior VP, Boeing Commercial Planes, added Boeing would provide answers once the investigation into the crash is over. "Safety (is) at (the) core of the Boeing company," Keskar told WION. The Lion Air crash was one of the worst air disasters of all time. The Boeing 737-Max plane — one of its pilots was Delhi boy Bhavye Suneja — crashed into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta on October 29. All 189 passengers and crew on board were killed. Moments after takeoff, the pilots of the Lion Air flight battled to control the 737-Max after faulty data from a sensor repeatedly forced the aircraft to tilt its nose down. Indonesian investigators have blamed the aircraft, saying that the Boeing 737-Max was not airworthy and that it should have been grounded. Since the crash, WION has run a number of reports on airline safety and accountability. The question is, if there were lapses on Boeing's part, who will punish it? Keskar told WION Boeing "make sure that our airplanes are safe, the crew that operates is safe and at the same time, the customers... are all important". Keskar added that "our chairman and CEO has said Boeing Max is as safe as any other plane flying out there". And he said that Boeing would look into all aspects of the investigation and provide answers once it is complete. Since the crash, Lion Air has indicated that it could scrap a $22 billion order for the Boeing jet. That of course could hurt Boeing just as much, if not more, than the findings of the investigation into the crash.

Will provide answers after investigation into Lion Air crash: Boeing to WION

After Lion Air crash, DGCA advises training for 737 MAX pilots

A Lion Air jet that crashed last month should have been grounded over a recurrent technical problem and never permitted to make the fatal flight, Indonesian authorities said Wednesday in a report that took aim at the carrier's poor safety culture.

The Boeing 737 MAX vanished from radar about 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, slamming into the Java Sea moments after it had asked to return to the capital.

The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency did not pinpoint a definitive cause of the accident, which killed all 189 people on board, including an Indian pilot, with a final report not likely to be filed until next year.

But investigators said that Lion Air kept putting the plane back into service despite repeatedly failing to fix a problem with the airspeed indicator in the days leading up to the fatal flight.

Its second last flight was from Denpasar in Bali to Jakarta. "During (that) flight, the plane was experiencing a technical problem but the pilot decided to continue," Nurcahyo Utomo, aviation head at the National Transport Safety Committee, told reporters.

"The plane was no longer airworthy and it should not have kept" flying, he added.

The findings will heighten concerns there were problems with key systems in one of the world's newest and most advanced commercial passenger planes.

Investigators have previously said the doomed aircraft had problems with its airspeed indicator and angle of attack (AOA) sensors, prompting Boeing to issue a special bulletin telling operators what to do when they face the same situation.

The report confirmed that initial finding, saying the plane's data recorder detected an issue with the AoA.

It also said the plane's "stick shaker" -- the steering-wheel like handles in front of the pilots that vibrates to warn of a system malfunction -- was "activated and continued for most of the fight."

An AOA sensor provides data about the angle at which air is passing over the wings and tells pilots how much lift a plane is getting. The information can be critical in preventing an aircraft from stalling.

The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has retrieved one of the plane's black boxes -- the flight data recorder -- but is yet to locate the cockpit voice recorder.

Black box data showed the plane also had an airspeed indicator issue on multiple earlier flights, investigators said.

Lion must take steps "to improve the safety culture" and ensure "all the operation documents are properly filled and documented", the transport agency said.

Despite a dubious safety record and an avalanche of complaints over shoddy service, the budget carrier's parent Lion Air Group, which also operates Batik Air and Wings Air, has captured half the domestic market in less than 20 years of operation to become Southeast Asia's biggest airline.

Indonesia's aviation safety record has improved since its airlines, including national carrier Garuda, were subject to years-long bans from US and European airspace for safety violations, although the country has still recorded 40 fatal accidents over the past 15 years.

The report stopped short of making any recommendations to Boeing but the US planemaker has come under fire for possible glitches on the 737 MAX -- which entered service just last year.

The APA, a US airline pilots union, said that carriers and pilots had not been informed by Boeing of certain changes in the aircraft control system installed on the new MAX variants of the 737.

"I am really surprised if Boeing has not shared all the flight performance parameters with pilots, unions, and training organisations," University of Leeds aviation expert Stephen Wright told AFP before the report was released, adding that "a deliberate omission would have serious legal ramifications" Several relatives of the crash victims have already filed lawsuits against Boeing, including the family of a young doctor who was to have married his high school sweetheart this month.

Lion Air Flight JT610 plunged into the sea less than half an hour after taking off on a routine flight to Pangkal Pinang city.

Authorities have called off the grim task of identifying victims of the crash, with 125 passengers officially recognised after testing on human remains that filled some 200 body bags.

A Lion Air jet that crashed last month should have been grounded over a recurrent technical problem and never permitted to make the fatal flight, Indonesian authorities said Wednesday in a report that took aim at the carrier's poor safety culture.

A Lion Air jet that crashed last month should have been grounded over a recurrent technical problem and never permitted to make the fatal flight, Indonesian authorities said Wednesday in a report that took aim at the carrier's poor safety culture. The Boeing 737 MAX vanished from radar about 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta on October 29, slamming into the Java Sea moments after it had asked to return to the capital. The preliminary crash report from Indonesia's transport safety agency did not pinpoint a definitive cause of the accident, which killed all 189 people on board, including an Indian pilot, with a final report not likely to be filed until next year. But investigators said that Lion Air kept putting the plane back into service despite repeatedly failing to fix a problem with the airspeed indicator in the days leading up to the fatal flight. Its second last flight was from Denpasar in Bali to Jakarta. "During (that) flight, the plane was experiencing a technical problem but the pilot decided to continue," Nurcahyo Utomo, aviation head at the National Transport Safety Committee, told reporters. "The plane was no longer airworthy and it should not have kept" flying, he added. The findings will heighten concerns there were problems with key systems in one of the world's newest and most advanced commercial passenger planes. Investigators have previously said the doomed aircraft had problems with its airspeed indicator and angle of attack (AOA) sensors, prompting Boeing to issue a special bulletin telling operators what to do when they face the same situation. The report confirmed that initial finding, saying the plane's data recorder detected an issue with the AoA. It also said the plane's "stick shaker" -- the steering-wheel like handles in front of the pilots that vibrates to warn of a system malfunction -- was "activated and continued for most of the fight." An AOA sensor provides data about the angle at which air is passing over the wings and tells pilots how much lift a plane is getting. The information can be critical in preventing an aircraft from stalling. The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has retrieved one of the plane's black boxes -- the flight data recorder -- but is yet to locate the cockpit voice recorder. Black box data showed the plane also had an airspeed indicator issue on multiple earlier flights, investigators said. Lion must take steps "to improve the safety culture" and ensure "all the operation documents are properly filled and documented", the transport agency said. Despite a dubious safety record and an avalanche of complaints over shoddy service, the budget carrier's parent Lion Air Group, which also operates Batik Air and Wings Air, has captured half the domestic market in less than 20 years of operation to become Southeast Asia's biggest airline. Indonesia's aviation safety record has improved since its airlines, including national carrier Garuda, were subject to years-long bans from US and European airspace for safety violations, although the country has still recorded 40 fatal accidents over the past 15 years. The report stopped short of making any recommendations to Boeing but the US planemaker has come under fire for possible glitches on the 737 MAX -- which entered service just last year. The APA, a US airline pilots union, said that carriers and pilots had not been informed by Boeing of certain changes in the aircraft control system installed on the new MAX variants of the 737. "I am really surprised if Boeing has not shared all the flight performance parameters with pilots, unions, and training organisations," University of Leeds aviation expert Stephen Wright told AFP before the report was released, adding that "a deliberate omission would have serious legal ramifications" Several relatives of the crash victims have already filed lawsuits against Boeing, including the family of a young doctor who was to have married his high school sweetheart this month. Lion Air Flight JT610 plunged into the sea less than half an hour after taking off on a routine flight to Pangkal Pinang city. Authorities have called off the grim task of identifying victims of the crash, with 125 passengers officially recognised after testing on human remains that filled some 200 body bags.

Lion Air jet should have been grounded before fatal flight, Indonesia says

Indonesian investigators will deliver their first report into the Lion Air crash on Wednesday, a month after the brand-new Boeing 737 crashed into the sea, killing all 189 on board in the country's second-worst air disaster.

The report, which comes as the search continues in the Java Sea for the jet's cockpit voice recorder, is not expected to draw firm conclusions from the ongoing investigation into the Oct. 29 crash.

However, investigators have said they are focusing their attention on the Boeing 737's anti-stall system.

The doomed jet's systems had detected it was in a stall due to a faulty indicator and gave the captain a warning through a "stick shaker" that vibrated the controls, Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator at Indonesia's transport safety committee (KNKT), told parliament last week.

The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) - an automated modification new to the model that crashed - activated and directed the jet's nose down to prevent a stall, Utomo said.

The pilots counteracted that successfully for some time before the plane entered a final dive, he added.

The same anti-stall system had activated on the jet during a flight the previous evening, but the pilots, in that case, managed to shut off the system, Utomo said.

The crash was the first involving the latest model of Boeing's best-selling 737 series, the 737 MAX, which entered service a year ago.

MCAS was not described in the Lion Air flight manual before the crash, KNKT has said, nor in those used by American airlines according to US&nbsp;pilot unions.

However, the cockpit procedure for dealing with a runaway stabiliser remains unchanged from earlier 737 models.

Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said earlier this month that Boeing provides "all of the information that's needed to safely fly our aeroplanes" but the jet's manual and training methods have come under scrutiny after the crash.

In response to initial findings from the jet's flight data recorder, Boeing issued a bulletin to airlines reiterating procedures and advising them to add information on MCAS to flight manuals, which was followed by a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration directive making that mandatory.&nbsp;

A Boeing spokeswoman on Tuesday declined to comment on the investigation but said Boeing had discussed MCAS functions with more than 60 airline operators globally since 2016.

Lion Air's maintenance practices and pilot training also face scrutiny after investigators said the doomed jet had problems with airspeed indicators on its final four flights.&nbsp;

Lion Air, one of Asia's largest budget carriers, says it tackled safety concerns highlighted by previous incidents.

Most air accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors and investigations typically take around a year to complete.

Investigators are expected to restrict their report to factual details from the jet's flight data recorder, which contains 69 hours of information from its last 19 flights.

But they can include immediate recommendations if they have pressing safety concerns.

The search for the cockpit voice recorder is proving difficult after investigators said last week its "ping" signal was no longer being detected.&nbsp;

"We're still making efforts to find the CVR and it is very important. The CVR is related to the credibility of the country so that we can avoid the same incident," KNKT head Soearjanto Tjahjono told parliament.

Indonesian investigators will deliver their first report into the Lion Air crash on Wednesday, a month after the brand-new Boeing 737 crashed into the sea, killing all 189 on board in the country's second-worst air disaster.

Indonesian investigators will deliver their first report into the Lion Air crash on Wednesday, a month after the brand-new Boeing 737 crashed into the sea, killing all 189 on board in the country's second-worst air disaster. The report, which comes as the search continues in the Java Sea for the jet's cockpit voice recorder, is not expected to draw firm conclusions from the ongoing investigation into the Oct. 29 crash. However, investigators have said they are focusing their attention on the Boeing 737's anti-stall system. The doomed jet's systems had detected it was in a stall due to a faulty indicator and gave the captain a warning through a "stick shaker" that vibrated the controls, Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator at Indonesia's transport safety committee (KNKT), told parliament last week. The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) - an automated modification new to the model that crashed - activated and directed the jet's nose down to prevent a stall, Utomo said. The pilots counteracted that successfully for some time before the plane entered a final dive, he added. The same anti-stall system had activated on the jet during a flight the previous evening, but the pilots, in that case, managed to shut off the system, Utomo said. The crash was the first involving the latest model of Boeing's best-selling 737 series, the 737 MAX, which entered service a year ago. MCAS was not described in the Lion Air flight manual before the crash, KNKT has said, nor in those used by American airlines according to US pilot unions. However, the cockpit procedure for dealing with a runaway stabiliser remains unchanged from earlier 737 models. Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said earlier this month that Boeing provides "all of the information that's needed to safely fly our aeroplanes" but the jet's manual and training methods have come under scrutiny after the crash. In response to initial findings from the jet's flight data recorder, Boeing issued a bulletin to airlines reiterating procedures and advising them to add information on MCAS to flight manuals, which was followed by a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration directive making that mandatory. A Boeing spokeswoman on Tuesday declined to comment on the investigation but said Boeing had discussed MCAS functions with more than 60 airline operators globally since 2016. Lion Air's maintenance practices and pilot training also face scrutiny after investigators said the doomed jet had problems with airspeed indicators on its final four flights. Lion Air, one of Asia's largest budget carriers, says it tackled safety concerns highlighted by previous incidents. Most air accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors and investigations typically take around a year to complete. Investigators are expected to restrict their report to factual details from the jet's flight data recorder, which contains 69 hours of information from its last 19 flights. But they can include immediate recommendations if they have pressing safety concerns. The search for the cockpit voice recorder is proving difficult after investigators said last week its "ping" signal was no longer being detected. "We're still making efforts to find the CVR and it is very important. The CVR is related to the credibility of the country so that we can avoid the same incident," KNKT head Soearjanto Tjahjono told parliament.

Indonesia to give first report on deadly Lion Air crash on Wednesday

An Indonesia man, whose son was killed when a Lion Air flight crashed last month, has sued Boeing Co alleging that a defect in the design of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft caused it to crash.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the father of Dr Rio Nanda Pratama, alleged that Boeing did not adequately warn Lion Air or its pilots of an unsafe design condition. Boeing is headquartered in Illinois.

Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on October 29, killing all 189 people on board.

Dr Pratama, of Indonesia, was flying home from a conference when the plane crashed. He was to be married this week, according to attorney Curtis Miner of the Florida-based law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, which is representing his father in the wrongful death lawsuit.

Indonesian investigators are due to publish a preliminary report on the crash later this month.

An Indonesia man, whose son was killed when a Lion Air flight crashed last month, has sued Boeing Co alleging that a defect in the design of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft caused it to crash.

An Indonesia man, whose son was killed when a Lion Air flight crashed last month, has sued Boeing Co alleging that a defect in the design of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft caused it to crash. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the father of Dr Rio Nanda Pratama, alleged that Boeing did not adequately warn Lion Air or its pilots of an unsafe design condition. Boeing is headquartered in Illinois. Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after take-off from Jakarta on October 29, killing all 189 people on board. Dr Pratama, of Indonesia, was flying home from a conference when the plane crashed. He was to be married this week, according to attorney Curtis Miner of the Florida-based law firm Colson Hicks Eidson, which is representing his father in the wrongful death lawsuit. Indonesian investigators are due to publish a preliminary report on the crash later this month.

Lion Air crash victim's father files US lawsuit against Boeing

Indonesia will issue a preliminary report on Nov. 28 or 29 on its investigation into the crash of a Lion Air plane that killed 189 people on board, Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of the transportation safety committee (KNKT), said on Monday.

"One month after the accident, KNKT will issue a preliminary report and we will publish it over the internet," he told a news conference in Jakarta.

KNKT was still looking for the cockpit voice recorder from the Boeing 737 MAX, he said.

The agency has already downloaded information from the flight data recorder which was found a few days after the October&nbsp;29 crash.

Indonesia authorities said on Saturday they had stopped the search for victims of a plane crash that killed all 189 people on board, but would keep looking for the Lion&nbsp;Air&nbsp;flight's second black box, the cockpit voice recorder.

"There is nowhere left to search and we have stopped finding victims' bodies," Muhammad Syaugi, the head of the national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) told media. "We will limit our operations to monitoring."

The nearly new Boeing Co. 737 MAX passenger plane crashed into the sea on October 29 just minutes after taking off from Jakarta en route to Bangka island near Sumatra.

Syaugi said 196 body bags containing human remains had been retrieved and 77 victims identified after forensic examination.

Indonesia will issue a preliminary report on Nov. 28 or 29 on its investigation into the crash of a Lion Air plane that killed 189 people on board, Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of the transportation safety committee (KNKT), said on Monday.

Indonesia will issue a preliminary report on Nov. 28 or 29 on its investigation into the crash of a Lion Air plane that killed 189 people on board, Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of the transportation safety committee (KNKT), said on Monday. "One month after the accident, KNKT will issue a preliminary report and we will publish it over the internet," he told a news conference in Jakarta. KNKT was still looking for the cockpit voice recorder from the Boeing 737 MAX, he said. The agency has already downloaded information from the flight data recorder which was found a few days after the October 29 crash. Indonesia authorities said on Saturday they had stopped the search for victims of a plane crash that killed all 189 people on board, but would keep looking for the Lion Air flight's second black box, the cockpit voice recorder. "There is nowhere left to search and we have stopped finding victims' bodies," Muhammad Syaugi, the head of the national search and rescue agency (Basarnas) told media. "We will limit our operations to monitoring." The nearly new Boeing Co. 737 MAX passenger plane crashed into the sea on October 29 just minutes after taking off from Jakarta en route to Bangka island near Sumatra. Syaugi said 196 body bags containing human remains had been retrieved and 77 victims identified after forensic examination.

Indonesia to issue preliminary Lion Air crash report in late November

Indonesia on Saturday called off the search for passengers of a Lion Air plane, almost two weeks after the jetliner plunged into the Java Sea killing 189 people on board.

Some 196 bags containing body parts have been recovered from under the water with 79 victims identified and handed over to their families for burial.

"Since yesterday afternoon until today we have not found any more victims and therefore I declare the search and rescue operation is over," Muhammad Syaugi, head of the search and rescue agency, told reporters Saturday.

"We apologise to the public, especially the families of victims if during the operation we were not able to satisfy everybody," he added.

Rescuers have also retrieved parts of the plane's engines, wheels and seats from the sea. One diver died helping with search.

Lion Air has begun paying $102,058 compensation money for each passenger to the grieving families.

Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has retrieved one of the black boxes -- the flight data recorder -- and is still hunting for the cockpit voice recorder, which recorded the last conversation between the pilot and co-pilot before the crash.

The doomed jet was a Boeing 737-Max 8, one of the world's newest and most advanced commercial passenger planes, and there is still no answer as to what caused the crash.

The government has ordered a check on all Boeing 737-Max 8 fleets and conducted a special audit on Lion Air management.

The transportation ministry has also removed several executives and technical staff from the airline to help with the accident investigation.

The Lion Air plane plunged into the Java Sea on October 29 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city.&nbsp;

All 189 people on board were killed and the data from the flight recorder data has so far revealed the plane's airspeed indicator had not been working properly on its last four journeys, including on the fatal flight.

Following the fatal crash, Boeing issued a special bulletin on how to deal with the erroneous Angle of Attack sensor alert in 737-8 and -9 airplanes. 
&nbsp;

Indonesia on Saturday called off the search for passengers of a Lion Air plane, almost two weeks after the jetliner plunged into the Java Sea killing 189 people on board.

Indonesia on Saturday called off the search for passengers of a Lion Air plane, almost two weeks after the jetliner plunged into the Java Sea killing 189 people on board. Some 196 bags containing body parts have been recovered from under the water with 79 victims identified and handed over to their families for burial. "Since yesterday afternoon until today we have not found any more victims and therefore I declare the search and rescue operation is over," Muhammad Syaugi, head of the search and rescue agency, told reporters Saturday. "We apologise to the public, especially the families of victims if during the operation we were not able to satisfy everybody," he added. Rescuers have also retrieved parts of the plane's engines, wheels and seats from the sea. One diver died helping with search. Lion Air has begun paying $102,058 compensation money for each passenger to the grieving families. Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has retrieved one of the black boxes -- the flight data recorder -- and is still hunting for the cockpit voice recorder, which recorded the last conversation between the pilot and co-pilot before the crash. The doomed jet was a Boeing 737-Max 8, one of the world's newest and most advanced commercial passenger planes, and there is still no answer as to what caused the crash. The government has ordered a check on all Boeing 737-Max 8 fleets and conducted a special audit on Lion Air management. The transportation ministry has also removed several executives and technical staff from the airline to help with the accident investigation. The Lion Air plane plunged into the Java Sea on October 29 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city. All 189 people on board were killed and the data from the flight recorder data has so far revealed the plane's airspeed indicator had not been working properly on its last four journeys, including on the fatal flight. Following the fatal crash, Boeing issued a special bulletin on how to deal with the erroneous Angle of Attack sensor alert in 737-8 and -9 airplanes.

Indonesia calls off the search for Lion Air crash victims

An Indonesian diver died while recovering body parts from the ill-fated Lion Air plane which crashed into the sea killing 189 people, an official said Saturday.

Syachrul Anto, 48, who died on Friday, was part of the team searching for body parts and debris from the jet in the Java Sea.

"He was a volunteer with the Search and Rescue Agency," Isswarto, commander of the Indonesian navy's search and rescue division, told AFP.

It is believed he died from decompression, he added.

Anto had previously served in Palu which suffered from an earthquake and tsunami in September and also took part in the evacuation process of an Air Asia plane crash nearly four years ago.&nbsp;

The Lion Air plane which plummeted Monday was on route from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city on Sumatra island.&nbsp;

It plunged into the water just minutes after takeoff, killing everyone on board.

Officials on Thursday retrieved the Flight Data Recorder but are still searching for the second black box, the Cockpit Voice Recorder, which could answer the question as to why the brand new Boeing-737 MAX 8 crashed.&nbsp;

The budget carrier's admission that the doomed jet had a technical issue on a previous flight -- as well its abrupt fatal dive -- have raised questions about whether it had mechanical faults specific to the new model.

At least 73 bags containing body parts have been retrieved from the waters so far but only four have been identified.

Founded in 1999, Lion Air is a budget airline operating in Indonesia and in some parts of Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

But it has been plagued by safety concerns and customer complaints over unreliable scheduling and poor service.

The carrier has been involved in a number of incidents including a fatal 2004 crash and a collision between two Lion Air planes at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

An Indonesian diver died while recovering body parts from the ill-fated Lion Air plane which crashed into the sea killing 189 people, an official said Saturday. Syachrul Anto, 48, who died on Friday, was part of the team searching for body parts and debris from the jet in the Java Sea.

An Indonesian diver died while recovering body parts from the ill-fated Lion Air plane which crashed into the sea killing 189 people, an official said Saturday. Syachrul Anto, 48, who died on Friday, was part of the team searching for body parts and debris from the jet in the Java Sea. "He was a volunteer with the Search and Rescue Agency," Isswarto, commander of the Indonesian navy's search and rescue division, told AFP. It is believed he died from decompression, he added. Anto had previously served in Palu which suffered from an earthquake and tsunami in September and also took part in the evacuation process of an Air Asia plane crash nearly four years ago. The Lion Air plane which plummeted Monday was on route from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city on Sumatra island. It plunged into the water just minutes after takeoff, killing everyone on board. Officials on Thursday retrieved the Flight Data Recorder but are still searching for the second black box, the Cockpit Voice Recorder, which could answer the question as to why the brand new Boeing-737 MAX 8 crashed. The budget carrier's admission that the doomed jet had a technical issue on a previous flight -- as well its abrupt fatal dive -- have raised questions about whether it had mechanical faults specific to the new model. At least 73 bags containing body parts have been retrieved from the waters so far but only four have been identified. Founded in 1999, Lion Air is a budget airline operating in Indonesia and in some parts of Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East. But it has been plagued by safety concerns and customer complaints over unreliable scheduling and poor service. The carrier has been involved in a number of incidents including a fatal 2004 crash and a collision between two Lion Air planes at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

Diver dies in search for Indonesia jet crash remains

Families, friends and relatives of the passengers and crew who were aboard the doomed Lion Air flight are desperate for the latest probe results, after one of the black boxes was retrieved on Thursday.

Chief investigator of the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) Marjono Siswosuwarno announced that the flight data recorder (FDR) was recovered, while efforts are underway to find the other black box, the cockpit voice recorder (CDR).

One of the bereaved family members waiting for information is Irdiyanti, who had four family members aboard the plane: her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. Irdiyanti said she did not get the chance to say goodbye to her family. Now all she wants is for the search and rescue team to retrieve the bodies of her loved ones, so she can give them a proper burial.

"Before this incident, my grandchildren stayed with me for two weeks. The last time I spoke to my daughter was two days before the flight crashed," said Irdiyanti.

Sadly, what began as a rescue effort is now a recovery effort. As of Thursday, 65 bodies of the victims have been found, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). So far there have been no survivors, only body parts found along with pieces of the plane's wreckage, twisted metal parts, torn clothing, shoes, and wallets.

Indonesian police collected DNA from family members to identify the victims. The search and rescue agency will continue to look for the remaining bodies of the victims. Families and friends like Irdiyanti still have days to wait before their loved ones are returned.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet en route to the city of Pangkal Pinang with 189 people on board was reported missing Monday morning and was believed to have crashed 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta international airport. It is believed that all 189 people on board the plane have been killed.

Families, friends and relatives of the passengers and crew who were aboard the doomed Lion Air flight are desperate for the latest probe results, after one of the black boxes was retrieved on Thursday.

Families, friends and relatives of the passengers and crew who were aboard the doomed Lion Air flight are desperate for the latest probe results, after one of the black boxes was retrieved on Thursday. Chief investigator of the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) Marjono Siswosuwarno announced that the flight data recorder (FDR) was recovered, while efforts are underway to find the other black box, the cockpit voice recorder (CDR). One of the bereaved family members waiting for information is Irdiyanti, who had four family members aboard the plane: her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. Irdiyanti said she did not get the chance to say goodbye to her family. Now all she wants is for the search and rescue team to retrieve the bodies of her loved ones, so she can give them a proper burial. "Before this incident, my grandchildren stayed with me for two weeks. The last time I spoke to my daughter was two days before the flight crashed," said Irdiyanti. Sadly, what began as a rescue effort is now a recovery effort. As of Thursday, 65 bodies of the victims have been found, according to Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). So far there have been no survivors, only body parts found along with pieces of the plane's wreckage, twisted metal parts, torn clothing, shoes, and wallets. Indonesian police collected DNA from family members to identify the victims. The search and rescue agency will continue to look for the remaining bodies of the victims. Families and friends like Irdiyanti still have days to wait before their loved ones are returned. The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet en route to the city of Pangkal Pinang with 189 people on board was reported missing Monday morning and was believed to have crashed 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta international airport. It is believed that all 189 people on board the plane have been killed.

Indonesia plane crash: Victims' families desperately awaiting probe results after black box retrieved

Indonesia's President Widodo calls for faster search for plane crash victims

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