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Category: <span>Ethiopian Airlines</span>

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Ethiopia Denies Boeing test Flights

Mr. Tewolde Gebremariam, the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, has announced that Ethiopian Airlines has begun flying to Milan. The nonstop service between Addis Ababa and Milan is only one of 63 destinations offered, and it’s maiden flight was July 2nd.

The airport at Addis Ababa has been involved in an expansion program, leading Boeing to ask the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for landing rights—Boeing wants to conduct high-altitude tests there but the request was denied. However, in October 2006 Airbus conducted a flight test for its A380 in Addis Ababa.

Officials claim congestion due to construction is behind the denial.

Addis Ababa is a high altitude airport and preferred for high altitude testing.

Private airlines at the Addis Ababa airport operate under an aviation regulation that prohibits private airlines from operating aircraft with over a 20-seat capacity.

Capt. Solomon Gizaw, owner and managing director of Abyssinia Flight Services calls this a protectionist practice.

“Do you know why the governments put the 20-seat limit? It is to protect Ethiopian Airlines. We all like the national flag carrier. But how long will it be protected?”

Revisiting Ethiopia Flight 409

We’ve been studying Ethiopia Flight 409 for a while, and now that the official investigation Progress Report is out, we have looked at it with quite some interest. The 28 page report is attached as a pdf at the end of this editorial, so if you haven’t seen it yet, we have it handy–

In some places, we find that the report corroborates some of the the points we made (or discovered in our research.)

According to the report:

“Instruments meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and the flight was on an instrument flight plan. The accident occurred at night in dark lighting conditions with reported isolated cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms in the area.”

Their report also states:
The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority reviewed the data from the Lebanese Meteorological Services that was collected on 25 January, 2010 after the accident. Meteorological data revealed some significant meteorological conditions in the area at the time of the accident. Relevant meteorological documents are included in the investigation file and will be analyzed during the investigation.

1.7.1 General meteorological situation
At the time of the accident, there was thunderstorms activity southwest and west of the field, as well as to the northwest on the localizer path for runway 16.

We had found a satellite photo of the area at the time in question and found something more turbulent than isolated cumulonumbus clouds. Here are the details we turned up
(thanks to Prof. Robert H. Holzworth
Departments of Earth and Space Sciences, and Physics
Director, World Wide Lightning Location Network )

WWLLN lightning strokes between (45,35.2) and (33.6, 35.7) coordinates on25 Jan 2010 between 00 and 06 UTC
.
2010/01/25,00:26:01.675091, 33.7925,  35.3157, 18.6, 15 2010/01/25,00:32:36.535404, 33.6762,  35.3223,  2.6,  5 2010/01/25,00:35:33.147928, 33.8152,  35.3989, 17.1,  9 2010/01/25,00:36:46.386409, 33.7880,  35.4182,  6.3,  6 2010/01/25,00:37:57.880969, 33.7473,  35.4083, 12.9,  8 2010/01/25,00:38:56.307703, 33.8144,  35.4480,  6.7,  5 2010/01/25,00:39:52.170965, 33.8098,  35.4486, 22.5, 1 02010/01/25,00:47:07.877656, 33.7658,  35.5138, 16.3,  7 2010/01/25,00:47:08.129640, 33.7532,  35.5187,  6.8,  5 2010/01/25,00:51:28.917459, 33.7313,  35.4897, 15.8,  8 2010/01/25,00:57:16.994854, 33.7712,  35.5668,  6.2,  5 2010/01/25,00:57:17.172976, 33.8877,  35.6009,  3.1,  5 2010/01/25,00:57:16.970924, 33.8230,  35.5664,  9.2,  5 2010/01/25,01:05:02.878083, 33.6379,  35.5348, 10.9,  5 2010/01/25,02:58:51.961652, 33.6073,  35.3703,  2.3,  5 2010/01/25,03:00:31.235850, 33.6450,  35.3881,  5.8,  7 2010/01/25,03:02:45.342786, 33.6157,  35.3553,  4.5,  7 2010/01/25,03:30:07.101084, 33.6511,  35.3185, 17.5,  7 2010/01/25,04:06:25.411422, 33.8432,  35.3648, 10.9,  5 2010/01/25,04:07:31.723296, 33.9087,  35.3844,  7.0,  5 2010/01/25,04:13:12.295902, 33.9543,  35.4151, 17.0, 10 2010/01/25,04:29:17.203911, 33.9865,  35.4613, 20.7, 10 2010/01/25,04:33:22.703869, 33.9637,  35.3229,  7.6,  6 2010/01/25,04:35:07.805894, 33.8709,  35.3297, 13.3,  8 2010/01/25,04:46:45.611497, 33.9634,  35.4145, 12.9,  6 2010/01/25,05:19:51.913652, 33.6442,  35.4520, 19.5,  8 2010/01/25,05:35:10.788571, 33.9139,  35.2087,  9.5,  7 2010/01/25,05:56:25.149281, 33.6332,  35.6535, 14.0,  7

and the satellite photo:

The plane’s on board radar would have normally registered this unacceptable massive super cell in the area where the airplane hit the ocean and the pilot would have adjusted the flight path accordingly. This makes us question if the on board radar was intact and operable. The weather system pictured in the satellite photo is not weather a pilot would voluntarily fly into. So we were not surprised to see this included in the report:

1.17.1.6 Procedure for use of on-board Weather Radar
ET provided its SOP and Boeing procedure for the operation of the weather radar during departure. The procedure will be addressed during the analysis phase.

OTHER POINTS
Our investigation pointed out that when an aircraft fails, it is a crucial part of the research to look at timely Airworthiness Directives (issued before and after) on the type of plane involved and indeed, this has become part of the ongoing research:

1.16.4.1 Removal and Analysis of the Trim Tab section:
ADs were issued (Emergency AD, AD 2010-09-05, AD 2010-17-19) by the FAA respectively on March and August 2010 regarding trim tab control mechanism and this airplane (with serial number 29935) was found affected by these ADs.
Therefore, and in accordance with the Airworthiness Group recommendation, the Investigation Committee decided the removal of the trim tab control mechanism for further test and research.

This is not the final report. The final report is due out this summer. We are looking forward to seeing if it answers some of our questions.

The Official Report


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Safekeeping of Passengers Flies or Dies on Banks Due Diligence of Ethiopia Airlines


While one should congratulate Ethiopian Airlines for securing a $765 million package deal to finance five 777s, I hope the banks checked more than just their credit history and their relationship with the banks.

In terms of technological adulthood, Africa is still in its infancy. The pressure put on even a fairly reputable airline company like this to keep up with maintenance and pilot training is immense. It is succeed, or else. Or else, they call the loan and repo the planes. Or else there is a catastrophe and people lose their lives.

If all is ok when plane is leased but two years later airline gets a rap for bad maintenance or pilot training or any of the hundreds of other things that could happen, then the lease co or bank needs to step in and use their clout to demand changes/corrections, or face the consequences. Their contract should have teeth, with consequences that matter enough to the lessee to compel them to action, such as the right to repo that plane for maintenance or neglect issues, or pilot training issues, just as if the lessee were not making their payments. Lenders are pretty good at covering their investment by including clauses like this. Such a provision may already exist. The clause is not window dressing. It can be acted upon. Not for money’s sake. For the sake of lives.

Yes, lives are at stake here. Banks have a duty to monitor the lessee or buyer they entrust, and a duty as well to supervise not only the money but keep up with what is being purchased with the money. Entrusting a less than capable entity in ownership and maintenance of a jet worth millions is certainly dangerous instrumentality. Sufficient time should be allocated to responsible due diligence, beyond the loan/lease, to monitor not only timely payments but also if the company is living up to aggressive guidelines of maintenance and training.

These planes bought with this money, like all other airplanes but especially jets, are weapons of mass destruction. Even if they are not used in a deliberately terrorist act, inexperienced pilots and shotty maintenance can cause that plane to crash and become a weapon for those on board and for those on the ground.

Ethiopia Flight 409: The Questions Keep Coming


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

Newspaper reports talk about traces of black soot on the Auxiliary Power Unit. The APU is like your computer backup—similar in theory to the battery backup you may have at home hooked to your computer.

The APU is an auxiliary engine that provided electric power and air to the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 until the main engines began to run.

We ourselves haven’t seen soot, or proof of fire–but we haven’t seen much proof at all, since the report that we keep hearing whispers of has not been made public.

Some facts are known We know, for example, that…

—…the APU is located in the rudder section.

—…the weather was bad.
OLBA 250300Z 06004KT 030V090 5000 VCTS RA FEW020CB BKN026 10/06 Q1014 NOSIG

We have heard rumors which may or may not be unfounded:
—Statements made anonymously by Lebanese airport sources report that Captain Habtamu Benti, the pilot in command (PIC) of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 encountered engine problems, perhaps a flame out, during takeoff, and requested permission to abort the flight and return to Beirut. He was given clearance to do so, but another aircraft, a Etihad Airlines flight from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates was in the process of landing and could have interfered with his emergency maneuvers. *

But some information has been made public.

—The rudder found at the plane’s tail was reported to have been sent to France. *

—“One of the five cockpit voice recorders which has a damaged segment will be sent from France’s BEA to a Seattle-based company [Honeywell] to recover that lost segment.” *

So we have even more questions. Where, for example, are the statements of the witnesses? What has France said about the rudder? Has the APU been found, and if so, what is its condition?

Even if ATC sent pilot in to a storm, the pilot also has radar and should have seen the storm and refused the order to take off and/or the heading issued to him. Did his radar fail? Did the APU fail? It might well be that the pilot was misled by a radar system in the plane that was not operating correctly. Unlikely, but, possible. There are still a lot of possibilities we can not rule out. The captain had too many hours logged to take off in to a storm with a plane that he knew was not built to withstand the forces of a cell ahead of him.

Even if there is no immediate report available yet, we look forward to the promised release in March/July. (They say that data collection will continue until March 15 2011, in April the data will be verified/validated by Ethiopian and Lebanese authorities, officials of Boeing and the US National Transport Safety Board by May 30th, with a tentative public release date in July.) When more official information is released, it will help to rule out all gross speculation, so we can focus on possible culpable parties in the chain of events that caused this tragedy.

We shall see.


What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
When: Jan 25 2010
Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea. So far 9 bodies have been found by members of the Lebanese army .
Update
Initial reports of 7 survivors, became 9 bodies, and now the count has reached 21 bodies.

The site of the crash is 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.

Fifty-four passengers were Lebanese, 22 Ethiopian, two were British and there were also Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

A Cypriot police helicopter has joined the Lebanese army in the search for survivors, and two U.N. helicopters are on the scene.

Ethiopian Airlines is state owned, and has a standing order of 10 of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s

ET-409 Incident – 25 January, 2010

Ethiopian flight ET-409 was scheduled to operate from Beirut to Addis Ababa on January 25th lost contact with the Lebanese air controllers shortly after take off. The flight departed at 02:35 Lebanese time from Beirut International Airport.

Flight ET-409 carried 82 passenger plus 8 Ethiopian Crew members. Out of the total passengers 23 were Ethiopian, 51 Lebanese, 1 Turkish, 1 French, 2 British, 1 Russian, 1 Canadian, 1 Syrian, 1 Iraqi nationals.


Strobe flashes


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It Can’t Happen Again.

The Ethiopian Airlines logo is now on a third B777-200LR with 34 more planes to come. It carried medical equipment and materials from Boeing and the Seattle Anaesthesia Outreach organization for the Black Lion Hospital in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Airlines is on the verge of joining the global Star Alliance.

Remember Ethiopia Airlines? Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 was a scheduled international flight from Beirut, Lebanon, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. That plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea shortly just take-off on 25 January 2010, killing all 90 people on board.

I can’t look at that logo. It hurts my eyes. All I see are the names and the faces of the family members of the folks who lost their lives on Ethiopia Flight 409

Let’s hope they don’t attempt to fly until they are totally checked out.

The planes.
The airline.
And the pilots.


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Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines, Seattle Anesthesia Outreach Partner for Relief Flight


SEATTLE, Jan. 27, 2011 — For the second time in less than two months, Boeing ( Ethiopian Airlines and Seattle Anesthesia Outreach (SAO) have partnered to deliver medical equipment to Black Lion Hospital, Ethiopia’s largest hospital. The first consignment was delivered in December 2010.

Approximately 2,700 pounds (1.2 metric tons) of medical supplies were loaded into the cargo hold of a new Boeing 777-200LR (longer range) delivered to Ethiopian Airlines on Jan. 26. Some of the supplies, such as electrical converters and other power items, supplement the anesthesia equipment transported in December.

“Through collaborative efforts such as this, Boeing is able to help bring relief to people around the world. Black Lion Hospital provides free medical care to the poor and this equipment will improve capabilities there,” said Liz Warman, director of Boeing Global Corporate Citizenship for the Northwest region.

The supplies will prove vital when a group of 28 Seattle doctors, nurses and technicians travel to Ethiopia next month as part of ongoing humanitarian support to that region.

Since 1992, Boeing and airline partners as well as non-profit partners in the Humanitarian Delivery Flights (HDF) program have collaborated on many humanitarian missions.
Ethiopian Airlines is committed to support worthy social activities, which are designed to help build sustainable livelihoods for individuals and the community.


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Ethiopia 409: Almost A Year Later


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

Update:

It has been 11 months since the crash, and families of the 90 people who died in the crash are fretting over delays in their insurance settlement. Families approaching the EIC (Ethiopian Insurance Corporation) plead for their compensation to no avail. At least the families who have hired foreign lawyers have some auxiliary power to help supplement their efforts.

The cause of the delays have been attributed to the insurance companies trying to avoid “controversial” claims, time-consuming paperwork, and waiting for the final findings of the official accident report, which is slated to be released on Jan 25 2011, exactly a year after the tragedy.

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
When: Jan 25 2010
Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea.


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Ethiopian Airlines Flight Diverts to Boston

What: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 500 en route from Addis Ababa to Rome to Washington
Where: Boston
When: Nov 17th 2010
Who: 1 passenger.
Why: While en route, the plane diverted to Boston with an ill passenger, who was declared dead in Boston.

On the front page, click the title to access the video.


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Boeing Delivers Its 900th 777 Airplane to Ethiopian Airlines

EVERETT, Wash., Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) delivered its 900th 777 airplane today to Ethiopian Airlines. The airplane is the ultra-long-range Boeing 777-200LR (long range) Worldliner, and is the first of five 777s the airline ordered in 2009.
“With the delivery of its first 777-200LR, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to operate the world’s most technologically advanced and longest-range airplane,” said Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Ato Girma Wake. “This further reaffirms our commitment to be the leader of aviation in Africa.”

Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the carrier is investing in additional airplanes to broaden its network. The carrier will use the 777-200LRs on new, nonstop service from Washington, D.C., to Addis Ababa and new long-haul, nonstop routes like Beijing.
“The 777-200LR is the only airplane that provides the range and efficiency that Ethiopian needs to service its long-haul routes,” said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager, 777 program. “And it’s our pleasure to deliver this airplane, our 900th, to a first-time 777 customer.”

The 777 program reached the 900-airplane milestone faster than any other twin-aisle airplane in history. The 777’s performance and passenger-preferred interior have made it the world’s most popular twin-engine long-haul commercial jetliner, with 1,165 orders from 61 customers.

“Today we celebrate a very important historical milestone with our longstanding customer Ethiopian Airlines,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Ethiopian’s order, along with this 900th 777 delivery, confirms both the leadership role and market preference for the 777 – the flagship of the world’s premiere airlines.”

The 777-200LR carries more passengers and more revenue cargo farther than any other jetliner, and is capable of connecting virtually any two cities in the world nonstop. It also can carry a full cargo load on routes where other airplanes are payload limited – giving airlines the ability to carry the same number of passengers farther and with additional revenue-generating cargo.

Provisions for up to three optional fuel tanks have been added in the aft cargo area of the 777-200LR to be able to fly a range of 9,395 nautical miles (17,395 km) with full passenger payload (301 passengers).

“As one of the premier airlines in Africa and around the world, Ethiopian has long used Boeing airplanes as a tool for achieving our business goals,” Wake said. “The strategic long-range feature of the 777-200LR will again help Ethiopian expand our network and is a perfect complement to the 787s that are on order.

“The Boeing 777 will help us bring our business to the next level,” said Wake. “Boeing has been an important and valued partner to Ethiopian for many, many years. This order reinforces the deep ties between our two companies.”

Boeing’s partnership with Ethiopian Airlines dates back some 60 years. Today, it operates an all-Boeing fleet of 737, 757, and 767 airplanes in passenger service and 757, MD11 and 747 in cargo operations.


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Ethiopia Flight Makes Cautionary Landing

What: Ethiopian airplane Boeing 737-800 Flight 407 en route from Addis Ababa to Beirut
Where: Beirut International Airport
When: June 17 2010
Who: 78 passengers
Why: The flight returned to the airport because of an “undisclosed technical problem.” Crew noticed a door was rattling and had been closed improperly. (It is unclear if that was the technical problem.) The flight made a safe landing. The same plane was cleared for takeoff six hours later.


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Ethiopia Airlines Press Release

Ethiopian Refutes Unfounded Reports In Relation to ET-409

Ethiopian Airlines continues to refute any suggestions or conclusions made in reference to the recent accident of ET409 until the official results of the investigations are publicly released.

However, quoting an unknown source, AFP reported on May 5, 2010 that the accident of Flight ET 409 was caused by pilot error based on preliminary report. AFP acknowledged that the report was “preliminary” and that it “has not been made public.” AFP also quoted the Lebanese Information Minister as saying that he “could not comment on the preliminary findings before the release of the final report…” Furthermore, AFP admitted that “none of the investigators would comment on the preliminary findings,” including the American and Ethiopian investigators. Therefore, Ethiopian fails to comprehend the coverage of the account by AFP in light of all the above information.

Ethiopian Airlines has consistently maintained that it will not entertain any speculations or premature conclusions until the official findings are released and made public by the professionals designated to carry out the investigation in accordance with established international norms and principles. Ethiopian strongly believes that any release of information contrary to this process is not only unproductive but also misleading to the general public.

During the past sixty plus years, Ethiopian has become one of the continents leading carriers, unrivalled in Africa for its efficiency, safety and operational success. It prides itself from the high standards of its workforce including pilots, technicians and many other highly qualified personnel. Professionals in any position at Ethiopian must undertake extensive training and pass stringent evaluation and scrutiny prior to their assignments. These requirements are consistent with international aviation standards of which Ethiopian is a dedicated subscriber and certified member.

Any characterization of our pilots contrary to the foregoing is pure fabrication and cannot stand the test. Therefore, the assertions that the cockpit crew had limited experience on B737-800 and that the pilot had 200 hours of flight time in one month is far from the truth.

Individual(s) spreading unfounded information are heartless in that they do not care about the feelings of the families and relatives of the victims in addition to misleading the public at large. We urge the media to refrain from publishing such information and patiently wait the release of the preliminary findings of the investigation.


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Ethiopia Airlines: Hydraulic Failure


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer AlphaSierra

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Addis Ababa to Rome
Where: Rome
When: Apr 5 2010
Why: On approach to Rome, the Ethiopian Airlines jet experienced hydraulic failure. The flight made a safe landing, but had to be towed to the apron. No injuries were reported.


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Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 Recovery Numbers fluctuate

In a Fri Feb 12 release, Earthtimes says Lebanon announced 45 bodies had been retrieved and their DNA identified them as passengers of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409. 83 passengers and seven crew (or 82 passengers and 8 crew?) died in the 4 minute flight from Beirut international airport into the Mediterranean. However as we can not confirm that number anywhere, we believe the confirmed dna-identified deaths are of a much smaller number.

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la Sécurité de l’Aviation Civile and Boeing are participating in the investigation.


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Update: Ethiopian Crash Cockpit Voice Recorder Found/not found


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

In an announcement hauntingly similar to the initial release of 7 survivors (who were later confirmed as 22 dead), the cockpit voice recorder was reportedly found…but later reported to be missing the memory unit.

Ethiopia Airlines release is below and denies recovery of the CVR.
ET Flight 409 Accident Update 9 – 10 February, 2010

Ethiopian Airlines would like to express its position on the latest speculative reports released on the cause of the accident on ET-409, 25 January.

As a member of the investigation team, Ethiopian Airlines strictly adheres to the ICAO annex 13 regulation, in which it is mandated to refrain from any inconclusive comments on the process of investigation.

The investigation is still in its early stage and the CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder) and the aircraft wreckage are not yet retrieved for analysis, it is therefore, too early to conclude the cause of the accident. Ethiopian Airlines does not rule out all possible causes including the possibility of sabotage until the final outcome of the investigation is known.

Ethiopian Airlines would continue to cooperate with the investigation team to complete the process in accordance with the ICAO regulation and reveal the truth.

We share the pain and sorrow of the families of our crew and dear passengers who have lost their lives in the accident.

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
When: Jan 25 2010
Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea. So far 9 bodies have been found by members of the Lebanese army


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Round of DNA Testing Begins in Ethiopia Crash


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
When: Jan 25 2010
Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea.

Other than one British citizen and one Syrian, families of all of the victims have submitted DNA to help identify relatives remains although only a portion of the 90 aboard have been found since the crash on January 25 into the Mediterranean sea minutes after takeoff. The plane’s black box and main sections of the plane have not yet been located but a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Ramage, detected signals from the black box flight recorders at a depth of 4,265 feet

The government of Lebanon has formally requested U.S. Odyssey Marine Explorations for submarine assistance in retrieval of victims, the black box and assorted wreckage.


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Another Aviation Emergency from ETHIOPIAN Airlines


Pictured: An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-86R
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Konstantin Von Wedelstaedt

What: ETHIOPIAN Airlines Boeing 757-200 en route from Bamako Mali to Addis Ababa
Where: Ndjamena Chad
When: Jan 29, 2010
Who: 150 passengers
Why: After circling N’Djamena for an hour and dumping fuel, the plane made an emergency landing in Chad on Thursday. The emergency was attributed to a radar problem. Earlier the same plane had electrical problems on an earlier leg of the flight.

Why does this sound to me like an accident waiting to happen? Maintenance! Please!! Let us not have more bad news!


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Flight Update: Ethiopian Death Toll Rising

By nightfall tonight, 34 bodies have been recovered.

Investigative crews sort through baby sandals, and airplane parts drifting ashore. People are questioning why the flight was not delayed due to the storm raging at the time of takeoff.

The USS-Ramage, and US P-3 surveillance aircraft are helping with search and rescue efforts.

The plane was last serviced on Dec. 25.

Reports abound that the plane was seen to be on fire on its way down. If reports of an engine fire proved to be correct, it would have been difficult to handle at such a low altitude; but reports of a lighting strike, compounded by poor visibility and high winds compounded by a bird strike are equally as possible.


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Ethiopian Airlines Jet Crashes in Na’ameh Lebanon with 90 Passengers


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Alastair T. Gardiner

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 en route from Beirut to Addis Ababa
Where: 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.
When: Jan 25 2010
Who: 7 crew 83 passengers
Why: Shortly after taking off in stormy weather and heavy lightning, Lebanese ATC lost contact. The plane disappeared from radar 45 minutes after leaving Beirut. Witnesses on the coast saw the plane as it crashed into the sea. So far 9 bodies have been found by members of the Lebanese army .
Update
Initial reports of 7 survivors, became 9 bodies, and now the count has reached 21 bodies.

The site of the crash is 2 miles west of the coastal village of Na’ameh.

Fifty-four passengers were Lebanese, 22 Ethiopian, two were British and there were also Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

A Cypriot police helicopter has joined the Lebanese army in the search for survivors, and two U.N. helicopters are on the scene.

Ethiopian Airlines is state owned, and has a standing order of 10 of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s

The Latest Press Release from Ethiopian

ET-409 Incident – 25 January, 2010

Ethiopian flight ET-409 scheduled to operate from Beirut to Addis Ababa on January 25th lost contact with the Lebanese air controllers shortly after take off. The flight departed at 02:35 Lebanese time from Beirut International Airport.

Flight ET-409 carries 82 passenger plus 8 Ethiopian Crew members. Out of the total passengers 23 are Ethiopian, 51 Lebanese, 1 Turkish, 1 French, 2 British, 1 Russian, 1 Canadian, 1 Syrian, 1 Iraqi nationals.

A team is already working on gathering all pertinent information. An investigative team has already been dispatched to the scene and we will release further information as further updates are received.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, made its maiden flight to Cairo in 1946. With the recent addition of flight services to Mombasa and Monrovia, Ethiopian provides dependable services to 35 cities in Africa and a total of 56 international destinations spanning throughout four continents.

Ethiopian won the NEPAD Transport Infrastructure Excellence Awards 2009 on November 25, 2009 and “Airline of the year award” from the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) on November 24, 2009, bringing the total Awards honored since January 2009 to five.

In August, 2008, Ethiopian won “the 2008 Corporate Achievement Award” of Aviation & Allied Business for setting the pace towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry.

Ethiopian is also the first African carrier to win the 2008 Brussels Airport Company Award in recognition of its distinguished long haul operations witnessed through the introduction of new routes, new products, and close cooperation with Brussels Airport in marketing activities.

Ethiopian was the winner of the ‘2008 Best Airline in Africa Award’ at the African Travel Award ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, for its excellent network and convenient connections in Africa.

For more information please contact our emergency call center at:
+251 11 517 8766, +251 91 150 1248, +251 91 125 5577, +251 91 120 3412 or our toll free number +251 11 662 0062


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Ethiopian Airlines: Aborts Takeoff


PicturedL An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-3BG/ER
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Tommy Desmet

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Nairobi to Addis Ababa
Where: Nairobi
When: Dec 11th 2009
Who: not available
Why: The flight aborted takeoff and was rescheduled 4 hours later, when it successfully departed Nairobi.
Details are not available.


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Nigeria: ATC Down


Pictured: An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-3BG/ER
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Pieter-Jan Van De Vijver

What: Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300 en route from Addis Ababa to Lagos
Where: Lagos Nigeria
When: Dec 13th 2009
Who: 180 passengers
Why: On approach, ATC communication failed. With air traffic control’s radar and communication radio out of service, the flight circled, and after two hours in a holding pattern, landed after declaring a fuel emergency.

Other flights also had the same experience.

Nigeria’s Airspace Management Agency NAMA was unavailable for two hours.


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Ethiopian MD-11 Lands on Flat


Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Peeters Kenny

What: Ethiopian Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11 en route from Cairo Egypt to Liege Belgium
Where: Liege
When: Oct 9th 2009
Who: 2 crew members
Why: On approach, tire pressure sensors indicated a flat tire/tire failure. However, the flight landed safely without further problem.

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